With a deep sigh, Zee mutters, "Am de gând să regret acest...
With one hand on the drainpipe, Zee looks up at the stars and stretches her hand skyward, then grabs the pipe with both hands to slide down. She runs across the roof and makes the leap, teetering briefly on the edge before righting herself.
The envy of any cat, Nalathi dances through the marbles with ease. However, she's so pleased with herself that she nearly misses the scaffolding on the next building-- only a last-ditch grab keeps her from falling to the alley below, and she swings herself back up. Whoa... That was close!
Joanna hauls herself up onto the roof, just in time to see Nalathi make her jump.
Sir Canayven certainly believed the Consortium capable of thievery to acquire pieces if they felt it necessary... surely they wouldn't be that bold though..."
"Are William and Sylvain staying here? If so, perhaps we should look in on them and make sure they haven't been hit as well?"
Do you want me to come with you, and check on their health? Should I stay there as a guard, to protect our own goods? Or maybe you're staying there and I check on William and Sylvain?
Following Nalathi’s example, Ziomarra makes her way down the drainpipe and jumps on to the roof next to Joanna – who has safely clambered back onto the roof… ahead of them they see Nalathi running at full pelt and, silhouetted by the moon for a moment, jumping across the gap in the scaffold.
As Nalathi lands on the far platform, she catches a glimpse of the thief clambering down a ladder into the alleyway below – running after them and, throwing caution to the air, sliding down the ladder, she finds herself in a tight alleyway between two warehouses…but with no sign of which direction the escaping person has fled in.
Back in the Mariner’s Rest: Kyrot coughs and spits out blood, his bestial teeth even more unnerving whilst coated in his own blood, ”William and Sylvain aren’t staying here…heh…you know they are Aspis yeah? Someone should look in on Devlin though – he doesn’t know about the theft yet – I was just checking on my master’s pieces down in the store… The scum caught me with some kind of blade before he escaped”
She lands in the alley, but sees no sign of the fleeing thief. Where'd you go?
Hearing the sound of footsteps to her left, she darts after them.
"Oh, of course..." Teldon answers, realizing his folly, "the agents wouldn't be staying here... I'm obviously not thinking clearly after being awoken to such excitement..."
"Ingirt, yes, please do stay here and keep an eye on the crates; I'll go with Kyrot to check in on Devlin."
Eyeing the marbles with suspicion, Zee looks toward Joanna and nods. Stepping her way gingerly through the marbles in her bare feet, she is pretty sure that she's through when she steps squarely on one.
"Ow! Ow!"
Zee flinches at the pain, stumbling on the marbles, and falls onto the rooftop.
"Am știut că aceasta a fost o idee proastă!"
She motions to Joanna, "I'm fine! Go! Go!"
Joanna barely misses following Zee into a crashing halt, but luck and the urging of her fallen friend spur her on as she leaps the gap.
Sorry, Zee. I'll make it up to you somehow.
Fine with me. Just give me time to take my armor. I don't want to be attacked in my nightgown...
"Ingirt" goes back to her room and drags her armor in the main room
You can go, I'm used to put my armor all by myself. I'll keep guard here, waiting for your return.
Taking Nalathi’s lead, although the Wayang has now disappeared into the alleyways below, Joanna manages to jump – just – across the gap in the scaffold. Ziomarra, caught by one of the marbles left behind, stumbles a few feet before the gap and is left behind. Seeing the ladder, Joanna clambers down into the alleyway – looking for clues as to where the chase has gone…
Making the right decision, Nalathi dashes down the maze of alleyways – following the sound of the thief’s footsteps and their heavy breathing. The alleyway twists and turns before it stops at a heavy wooden fence…and, asleep in front of that fence, a vicious looking black hound…as Nalathi slows, she hears the scrabbling of the thief as they clamber over the far side of the fence.
Back in the Mariner’s Rest: Whilst Arsith and, the still sleeping, Briana stay within your rooms, Teldon accompanies Kyrot to Devlin’s suite. The suite is on the floor below yours and all is quiet…until, turning a corner in the corridor, Kyrot lets out a moan of despair as you see the door to the suite smashed open.
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Nalathi rounds a corner and stops herself when she notices a black dog, as big as she is, asleep in front of her. Beyond it, she just catches sight of the thief climbing over a sturdy wooden fence.
The sleeping kobold camp lay sprawled out on dirty rags on the cavern floor. What the things were doing there none of them knew, but the three other younglings had each successfully crept through the camp and were now standing on the other side, watching her. Come on, they silently insisted. The other girl, Shalaia, beckoned to her encouragingly. "You can do it!" she mouthed. The voice of one of the boys, Darshik, whispered in her ear. Darshik had developed magic already-- the adults in the tribe said he was one of the youngest ever to do so-- and thought himself extremely clever and talented. Shalaia had a crush on him; young Nalathi couldn't stand the boy. "Just do it," Darshik's voice, magically thrown, quietly told her. "What are ya, a mouse? Scared little Nalathi-mouse?" Across the cavern, Darshik grinned and whispered in the other boy's ear. "Nalathi-mouse, Nalathi-mouse!" the boys mouthed at her.
That does it, Nalathi thought. I'm not a mouse, and I'll prove it. She started off across the room, tiptoeing between the curled-up reptilian bodies. She jumped slightly when one of them stirred in its sleep, but it settled down again. She'd gotten about three quarters of the way through when she slipped on a stray bone that had presumably belonged to whatever these things had eaten for dinner. She crashed to the ground right on top of one of the scaled creatures. It cried out in shock and alarm, rousing the rest of its companions. Panicking, Nalathi sucked in her breath, vanished from sight, and knocked two more kobolds aside as she bolted for the opposite tunnel where she knew her friends were waiting, though they had of course disappeared as well.
Nalathi-mouse smiles to herself. I'm not a mouse, and I'll prove it. That had been many years ago; she'd come a long way since then. Skirting the sleeping dog easily, she rushes to the opposite fence.
Picking herself up, Zee avoids the marbles then makes the leap across, her silk scarves flowing behind her. On the scaffold, Zee picks out tracks in the dust of a booted man and much smaller shoes leading into a maze of alleyways. The thief followed by Nalathi! She follows those tracks where they might lead.
Joanna easily finds the trail, but sadly blunders into the dog, waking it.
"Shh-sh-sh-shhh. Sorry puppy, I didn't mean to wake you, just go back to sleep."
Sneaking past the sleeping dog, Nalathi clambers over the high fence and, landing softly in a compound filled to near bursting with crates, looks around.
As Ziomarra rounds the corner, she catches up with Joanna who, putting her finger to her lips, encourages the Varisian to be as quiet as possible…moments before tripping into the chain that tethers the sleeping hound to a peg in the ground. In a wild flurry of bared teeth, saliva and rabid barking, the dog wakes to defend it’s territory and, pacing the ground, prevents Joanna getting close to the fence.
Ziomarra fans her spell deck and intones arcane phrases. Ghostly doubles of the cards lift from the deck and drift toward the guard dog, shifting in a complex pattern.
Joanna is about to try calming the dog again when Zee casts a spell.
"Shhhhh. It's okay, we just want to get by and go on our way."
The dog, finally lets them past and Joanna gives it a scratch behind the ears before continuing on.
"Good puppy."
Joanna spots the thief in his hiding place and points it out to Ziomarra before drawing her sword.
Seeing the door smashed open, and noticing nothing else, Teldon takes half a step behind Kyrot (as if gaining cover from some, as yet, unseen attacker). Looking down at his long, fashionable sleeping shirt he quietly mutters, "I should have stayed in and sent Ingirt with you..."
Pulling the Thassilonian dagger from its sheath he encourages Kyrot, "Lead the way and I'll follow along."
Ziomarra's spell does little to quell the hound's excitement and it continues to snarl at the pair of women...
...until Joanna, fixing her eyes upon it, approaches with soothing words and gestures. Incredibly, the dog rolls over in an attempt to get the surprised paladin to rub it's stomach... It is left disappointed though as Joanna and Ziomarra scramble over the high fence... Just in time to see a cloaked figure, blade in hand, emerge from behind a pile of stored barrels...
With cloak billowing out, the thief runs at Nalathi - the silver blade of his weapon glinting on the moonlight... But Nalathi, quick to react, dodges out of the way of the clumsy attack.
Meanwhile, back at the Mariner's Rest, Teldon follows a heavily breathing Kyrot into the suite. Crates, cases and furniture lie all around...tipped over, smashed or slashed open... Kyrot pulls a wicked looking sabre from his scabbard and whispers into the room...
"Master? Master?"
There is no reply to Kyrot's call.and it is then that Teldon notices the trails and splatters of blood on the floor... Kyrot sees them too and, abandoning stealth, runs towards the bedroom - where, lying on the floor, with his throat cut, is Devlin Fairfax...the third...
...unseeing eyes - glazed over and directed at an opened case...
Hearing commotion, she whirls around just in time to dive out of the way of the thief's attack. "You'll have to do better than that!" Gripping her trident with both hands, and willing her magic to enchant the weapon, she stabs forward.
Positioning herself such that she doesn't immolate Nalathi, Zee fans her Harrow deck. One card floats out of the deck, and the cards fly forward toward the thief, trailing jets of flame.
Teldon quickly moves to examine the crate the lord seemed to be looking to when he expired. "Kyrot, it appears this crate might have had something to do with his murder... do you have any idea what was in it?" he asks searching it for clues or contents...
Joanna sees the thief lunge for Nalathi, only to miss as the diminutive fighter strikes back. Then comes the roaring inferno form Ziomarra's cards. Now, it's her turn. She draws her sword and drops the belt and scabbard she had been carrying.
She wanted him alive, but she wasn't going to risk her friends' safety to achieve that.
"I will only ask this once. Will you surrender and drop your weapon, or will you chose to be humiliated," she says in a voice of hammered steel.
"Very well. I hope you can accept the consequences."
Arsith seems a little surprised by Briana, having forgotten she was still asleep
Hello Briana. Sorry if I have awoken you.There was a burglary-not here, in Fairfax's suite.His bodyguard, Kyrot, was found nearly dead by our own door, so I cured most of his wounds.Joanna, Nalathi and Ziomarra are in pursuit of the thief, and Teldon is gone to check on Fairfax. I stayed there to guard our own antiques items, as per Teldon's request.
The white haired young woman seems a little uneasy, now that Briana is here. She taps the ravenlike top of her beautiful mace absentmindly with her fingers.
I think it would be better if you go to Teldon, he could need your help. I can keep guard here.
Nalathi's trident catches the thief in the thigh and, as she pulls it back, he shouts something guttural at her - the language is unknown to you but, whatever was said, certainly wasn't complimentary. Seeing the flaming missiles coming towards him, the thief ducks and, whilst he is still caught by the fire, the worst of it is avoided - behind him though, an oli-soaked tarpaulin covering something large and rectangular ignites...
When the figure, ignoring Joanna's threats, moves to stab at Nalathi again - the paladin swats at him with her sword...the blood on her blade confirming the effectiveness of her swordwork.
Clearly struggling with his wounds, the thief's attack is once more wild...
Dammit, This needs to end now!
Joanna moves in again, determined to end this quickly so she could focus on the fire.
Unfortunately, the danger of the fire has her distracted.
She knocks the thief's second attack aside with her trident, then swings again.
Zee draws a card from her battered Harrow deck and places it to her temple. The card glows and then she throws it at the thief.
The fire that is threatening to take hold within the storage area...the heat from the billowing flames distract the thief's pursuers to the extent that not a single of their attacks find their target...
Seeing his opportunity, the cloaked figure...dark skin behind the scarf that covers his face...stabs at Nalathi again.
The blade slides along Nalathi's unprotected arm, rivulets of blood run down her wrist - mixed with a strangely green viscous liquid...
Zee casts a spell. A ghostly Harrow card rises from her deck and flies toward the thief, passing into his head.
Back at the Mariner's Rest, oblivious to the danger in the alleyway a short way from the tavern, Teldon casts an expert eye over the scene before him. Kyrot doesn't answer when Teldon asks about the likely content of the empty crate...the tiefling is kneeling next to Devlin's corpse - his fingers sweeping the dead man's eyes closed. If Teldon thought to look, he would see the beginnings of tears in the eyes of Devlin's bodyguard.
The opened crate is full of packaging materials to the extent that the shape of the previous contents is not too difficult to discern...a rectangular shape - some eighteen inches by twelve inches - is imprinted within the straw and cotton packing. There aren't any other markings or labelling on the crate that would suggest what the contents may have been.
Looking elsewhere within the suite, you note that the windows are closed and locked from the inside...
Joanna swings again, doing better this time. Her eyes quickly take in the area, looking for a rainbarrel or something else that can be used to quickly douse the fire.
She spares a split-second to glance at the growing flames-- a split-second her attacker takes advantage of, laying open Nalathi's arm.
The thief watches the card flung by Ziomarra and is momentarily distracted - enough for Joanna and Nalathi to land a near-fatal combination of blows with their weapons. Falling backwards as Nalathi's trident completely pierces his ankle, he smashes his head against a crate and collapses in a heap - bleeding heavily...
...meanwhile, the fire has truly taken hold - looking around there are several water-butts for the collection of rainwater from the roofs above. If you could find a bucket from anywhere, you might be able to use it to help douse the flames... Otherwise it is likely the storage area, and all of it's contents, could be lost to the fire...
Buckets, buckets, buckets... She scans the area and spots some barrels in the corner. That'll work. She grabs a barrel and turns it over, hoping to empty it.
Zee stands looking at the flames dumbfounded for a moment, then sees what Nalathi is up to. She rushes over to help.
"Joanna, pull him out of here! Nalathi, don't empty the fat too close to the flames! We don't want the fat to catch fire!"
Scooping handfuls of fat from the small barrels, you throw heaps of the sticky mess to the floor - and, after seconds, you find yourselved digging into packages of dark powder - a powder that is certainly not 'cow's fat'. Ignoring it for now, the barrels are filled with water and - working in a chain - the fire is soon brought under control. As you start to relax, you hear shouting approaching from the nearby alleyways - it seems that the smoke that was billowing from the fire has attracted some interest.
Back in the Mariner's Rest, Teldon appears fully engrossed in the scene within Devlin's chambers - he doesn't register Briana's arrival, leaving her to take the scene in... Kyrot does however look up at her and, in a strangely saddened voice, "My master was looking forward to you visiting - it has been so long since I saw him like that... so happy". Sprawled next to Kyrot, Devlin's body lies perfectly still - the wound across his neck savagely bloody...
Joanna does as Zee asks, pulling the man from the building and checking to see if he's still breathing.
Zee picks up one of the packets and examines it. She also looks around again. "Joanna! Does the thief have any of Devlin's treasures on him?"