"MURDER!" she screams, loud enough to wake the dead.
As the four people climb the narrow ledge, Stanrick whispers to Sergei, ”I agree we need to be careful with a killer in the area, but this...woman...can barely hold her sword. I can’t imagine her lifting that obese man. Plus she spends much of the time giddy and bubbly. What’s the word? Whimsical? I haven’t met a killer before, but I doubt they behave like her. If she is trying to deceive me to her true nature with this ruse, she is doing admirably. Until she does something evil, I’d rather let her be.”
At the rope ladder, Stanrick squats while waiting for Lucia to take off her armor. Unlike Sergei he doesn’t turn his back, but he doesn’t stare at her. ”Not a good idea to go up until everybody is ready. Do you think this ladder has a trap, Isabeau?”
Bliznap immediately motions for Wendel to open the door.
That can't be good, we don't have a lot of time. Let's make this quick.
Garold pulls back around the edge of the door and eases away, shaking visibly. He knows just how identifiable he is, and is now terrified of being seen.
He stops only once he's well hidden.
Bane steps to where she can see him. "Be silent!" he commands.
"That can't be good, we don't have a lot of time. Let's make this quick."
Wendel nods, "Remember, knock outs only if there's trouble..."
He scans the neighborhood once more for potential threats before following the gnome through the front door. The warrior keeps his crossbow aimed low and away from Bliznap's back in order to prevent an accidental shot from going off.
...scanning the street
...scanning the interior of the house over the gnome's head.
Once he's hidden away, Garold watches what's happening, wringing his hands and fretting over the situation.
Isabeau watches Lucia as she drifts back into the shadows to remove her armor. She wanted to follow to give what aid she could, but she had seen the way Lucia had recoiled from her hand and did not want to offend her further.
Stupid girl, as if such beauty could stand the touch of your dirty, common hands!
She nods to Sergei's words and gives him a tight smile. Some of the tension drains out of her stance, but she still seems wary. She watches him closely to determine if this is just some ruse to catch Lucia unaware.
As they climb, she stays close to Lucia and continually has to remind herself to keep her eye on the path ahead. When they reach the rope ladder, she approaches it carefully, looking for signs of fraying or sabotage or other dangers.
Whispers can be heard from the shadows and rejoins the group to climb the rope ladder. She had wrapped her cloak tightly around herself once more, pinning her wings and tail tightly under the bag now filled with her armor and shield. Her sword hilt still stuck up over her shoulder, her disguise ( ) was a natural precaution in case they were to emerge around a general crowd.
Estu'natre devitus protusin fel!
She presses her palms together as she begins the incantation. In a fluid motion at the middle of the of the casting, she places her right hand over her heart and left over her stomach for a quick moment before placing them back into the praying position. Finishing the spell, she slides her hands over her face almost as if she is splashing it with water in a slow smooth motion. When her hands part and move down to her sides a glowing sigil encircled by runes can be seen on her forehead that fade as quickly as they had appeared.
Gratos sepith en'hel soon!
She quickly moves into a second spell now placing her left hand palm up and her right palm down seperated by about an inch. A fine blue mist appears in her left hand like iridescent dry ice. During the middle and at the end of the incantation, she brings her right hand up to her lips, dusting the mist over them. She then cups her hands together and touches Isabeau on the shoulder. In a soft voice she looks into Isabeau's eyes.
When we get up there, I ask you to be my voice.
Without time to hesitate, she quickly moves up the ladder hoping that her enchantments will protect her from any immediate threats upon exiting the hole.
At the top of the ladder, you find yourself in a small cell, barely a three foot wide ledge around the hole in the floor. Marissa Ocara huddles in the corner, sobbing again, and the wall opposite her is made of heavy iron bars, with a gate built in. Outside, you can see other barred cells.
Outside, Garold sees lights appearing in windows, and a door opens a few houses down.
It takes a little while for Garold to gather his wits about him...they attacked my friend... with knives... Garold did good, defended friend... but...what now?
Unsure of what to do to help, Garold frets a bit more, but comes out.
No more bad men out here...why they coming here? Friend Bane, you hurt bad?
Isabeau watches Lucia's casting as if she were expected to recount her every move and inflection in intricate detail, entranced by the ritual. She shivers slightly with pleasure as the tiefling woman touches her shoulder. As Lucia gazes into her eyes, she notices Isabeau's pupils have swelled dramatically leaving only a thin blue ring of iris. Too much even for the surrounding darkness to account for.
Isabeau nods solemnly to her request, bowing deeply. "Of course, my lady. I would be honored to aid you every way. You command the powers of the gods, surely your heritage must be divine rather than demonic as Sergei suggested."
She holds the rope ladder steady, not taking her eyes off Lucia as she ascends and then follows after quickly.
"Marissa, are you alright? What is this place?" The sight of bars puts her on guard immediately, suddenly worried they may have climbed their way into a trap.
Bane feels the blood wetting his sides from the knife wounds. "I am hurt friend Garold." he says to the little man. "But alive. Stay back!" he levels his blade to the bed. "Stay there and you will not be harmed." he says to the woman on the bed. "Maestro, Wendel get in here! There is someone under the bed, help me get him out." Bane moves to kick the blankets away.
Wendel steps further into the room, lowering his crossbow to point at the ground at his feet. He raises a hand, palm out to show he means no harm to her. "Let's all just take a moment and remain calm, eh? Miss, can you gather up the blankets there and let the lord reveal himself? He's in no danger, especially now that those cuttbroats outside have been dealt with."
Bliznap closes the front door and moves into a better position so that he can see the bed. He begins saying something and almost simultaneously the back door closes and a light appears upon his hat.
He bows graciously and speaks.
M'lady, we were not sent here to harm anyone. Quite the opposite actually, we have been entrusted to watch over your lover so that no harm would come to him. I assure you that if my companions and I wanted you or him dead, it would have taken weeks for anyone to notice. Please try and calm down so that we can ensure everyone is alright and that there are no others in the area wishing to do harm.
Stanrick watches her spellcasting closely, marking her gestures and intonations as he tries to determine what exactly she is doing. He smiles, thanking Volfill silently for the lessons in recognizing the way various elements can make a spell of protection...and an augmentation she confers to Isabeau’s social interactions.
Not wanting to alert anyone above the hole, he whispers, ”Who's going first? Sergei do you mind going last?” Lucia silently begins to ascend. Not that he needs to, but he holds the rope ladder as she and Isabeau climb up.
”Hello Marissa,” Stanrick says, as he pulls himself from the hole. One of the last places he expected the chase to end was a barred cell. He squeezes next to the door and listens for any guards or people held captive while Isabeau talks to Marissa.
Marissa looks up at you, her eyes widening when she sees it is you. "I ... I thought you were the enforcers," she says, and then quickly she reaches out to you. "This is the city's jail. Please, you must take me with you. I can't face that tunnel alone."
As far as you can hear, only one voice can be heard aside from those in the cell, a hoarse rasping voice saying "Come come, sweetling, come here, come to Sammus..." The sound breaks off in a grunt, followed by a thump and a squeak.
Garold, hearing a sound from the front of the house, looks around the corner to see a naked, muddy man with a sheathed sword in one hand and a bundle of clothes in the other sprinting into the trees by the riverbank. A few people have come out into the street, improvised bludgeons in hand, and a young boy runs off, calling loudly for the watch.
Garold looks for anything distinctive on the pommel or the sheath, positive that it's his lordship... thinking he'll see it later...
The warrior studies the girl for a moment. What are you doing, Wendel? You know what's going to happen right? You know enough about the Dark Lady to know this girl’s fate. Wendel holds his right hand at waist height, eyes meeting Bane’s...he mouths to him, lower your weapon. His left hand he uses to keep his crossbow held low, but the sling at his shoulder ensures it doesn’t fall.
Then he looks back to the girl on the bed, noticing her praying as Bliznap works his spells. He knows the prayer all too well, one that the head guardsman of the Duneheim estate had taught him. ”Blessed Ezra, Our Guardian in the Mists, She who sacrificed Herself to fill the Hollow, Healer of the sick, protector of the weak, guide to the lost, To You we pray. Watch over us, Your people. Take us under Your protection, Show us the light when we are lost in darkness, defend us when the Legions of the Night draw close, Lead us to our place in the Grand Scheme, and bring us through the night to the shelter of peace”
Wendel steps a bit closer to the bed, walking as though he’s afraid to send a bird to wing. ”I pray to her often, especially now...in these times...in this place. I would think that we could use Ezra’s light just about now, eh?” His eyes drop to the space beneath the bed still covered over by the blankets.
”Do you know who it is you were, uhm...dancing with, miss? He is betrothed to Lady of dangerous substance. Did he lie to you? Did he not tell you that he is promised...that he is to be married very soon?”
There is a sinking feeling in the pit of Wendel’s gut. Back home in Sturben, there were times when he was a child when he and his brother Walder would cause trouble on the grounds. Then there came the time when father would hear of it...the long minutes waiting for him to come through the door of their rooms… His left hand gripped his crossbow all the harder, but his right hand still moved with the soothing tones he hoped his voice was giving. Within the twisting chasm growing in his midsection, he begins searching for options. If this girl is innocent, if she didn’t know about Baton and the Dark Lady...
...attempting to sense if the girl is innocent of the knowledge of Baton's pending nuptials.
"Go ahead." Sergei nodded, waiting for the others and preparing to catch any of them if they fell before finally making his own way up.
The girl listens to Wendel's prayer, though she does not take her eyes off Bane's blade as he kicks the blankets aside. Under the bed, the floorboards have been pulled up, allowing access to the crawlspace under the house. On seeing that her lover has escaped, she let's out a relieved sigh and a frightened chuckle.
"Of course I know he is to be married," she says, almost sneering at you. "That is why he is here, eh? I have moved all the way from Pont-a-Museau to this miserable place because of it. Because I love him, and because I know who he is to marry, I came here to be with him. This marriage is not about love. Alain has been sent here as a sacrifice to that snake, because if he dies nobody cares, and Richemulot needs her as an ally. They know what will happen on his wedding night, but until then, I will give him what comfort I can. Now go. Tell your Lady she will have to wait to kill my beloved."
Bane sheathes his sword, "Sneer all you want, whore. You are our quarry as it were, and the Dark Lady wishes a word with you." he says coldly. Bane takes out his rope and binds her hands and feet. Turning to his comrades, "Well, shall we go? I doubt the lady wants to be kept waiting."
"Easy." he responds to Bane's choice of words. Wendel steps forward, slinging his crossbow over his shoulder. "Bane, what if she's telling the truth? What if Baton is another in a long line of victims?"
Wendel unslung his shield, the danger had passed plus it was clumsy enough with the crossbow on his back too. "This doesn't smell right. For instance, who were those guys out back?"
He looks back to Bliznap, hoping to get an opinion.
"What business is it of ours Wendel? We've been given a task and we've nearly succeeded. Should we medel in the affairs of the powerful?" He asked in a shaky voice. Oh gods, my child, my sweet girl, this is the quickest way to bring her back to me. he thought in anguish. You're ignoring reason fool. his innerself shot back. You can't abandon good and justice for your own selfishness. He saw her face, gasping for breath, the flashback made him lightheaded. They're already abandoned! And if I lose her to, I'll be truly damned.
Bliznap thinks for a bit trying to make sure he is coming to the right conclusion. He also thinks about how they should proceed in order to accomplish their assignment. He turns to Wendel seeing his reluctance.
We were not sent to judge one way or another, we were instructed to fetch the girl. Now that we are here, it is only a matter of bringing her to our benefactor.
"Those in power purchased it on the backs of those who simply bowed." he looks at the girl then to the others. "I'm no saint, but even I know this isn't right. And you know it too." the last he directs to Bane.
Wendel goes to the windows and takes a peek outside. "Only a few hours in town and I already feel like I need a wash...maybe we just cut her loose, eh? She gets out of town, and we don't ally ourselves with what surely will be torture, or murder at best."
...see if there's a way to sneak the girl out.
Jail Cell/Underground
Marissa looks up at you, her eyes widening when she sees it is you. "I ... I thought you were the enforcers," she says, and then quickly she reaches out to you. "This is the city's jail. Please, you must take me with you. I can't face that tunnel alone."
As far as you can hear, only one voice can be heard aside from those in the cell, a hoarse rasping voice saying "Come come, sweetling, come here, come to Sammus..." The sound breaks off in a grunt, followed by a thump and a squeak.
Isabeau's eyes go wide as well, seeking out Lucia with a sheen of panic. She speaks low, her tone urgent. "The jail? By the gods... My lady, we must leave here before we're noticed!" She urges them all to return back down the rope into the tunnels below. "Marissa, follow if you will, but we must go now.
Once they return to the cavern, she turns to Marissa. "You left us in a bit of tight spot back there. I had to talk the guard out of stretching my neck for that man's murder. Which way do we go now to reach safety? We need to discuss what to do next."
It dawns on Garold that there's more to be done...without handling the bodies, he looks for anything that might explain who the men with the knives are...uniforms? Maybe just the cut of their clothing...
"We must find out who killed Feodro Zari. First, we must find another way into the city," she says. "I was able to come through the jails with Anton, but now.... Now, we must hope that the guards at the other gates have not been alerted. They will be slow to report what they saw, for the Dark Lady and her allies are deadly when they are angry, and this will make them very angry."
"I'm glad that you are safe," she finishes.
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Thugs...mutters Garold...but hired by who...why? Her?
What is right is not always what is best. If you intend to spend any amount of time in this city, it would be best not to piss off those controlling it.
Bliznap senses his concern, but knows what path he must take.
Underground
Back in the tunnel, Stanrick sighs in relief. The man with the raspy voice he heard from the cell disturbed him. Sammus.
After Marissa’s brief explanation, Stanrick looks back to the hole leading to the cell. What have I got myself into? ”Is Feodro Zari the man in the rope webs?” Stanrick says. ”And the Dark Lady. You mean... Ivana Boritsi, right?”
Stanrick begins walking further into the cavern, tuning his senses for signals of giant centipedes. ”You can borrow the cloak for now. Your clothes aren’t too clean. Of course mine aren’t either. But dirty clothes don’t draw as much attention on me. Hmmm. Other than a disguise for you at the city gates, I don’t know how else to get into Levkarest.”
Sergei didn't like any of this, but he trusted Isabeau's judgement. Everything that was happening was far beyond anything in his experience. He din't know what to do, so he simply hoped that his trust wasn't misplaced.
Isabeau stood close to Lucia in case she wanted to whisper to her and not reveal her incredible voice before Marissa. "Is there another way through these tunnels or must we head back the way we came in?"
Sensing something of an impasse...We in a very bad situation... make someone powerful angry, no matter what. I got nobody loves me...but most do. How you feel if they taken?
This very bad, no matter what we do. Why hurt people?
Garold expects and fears the worst...he's never tried to speak like this, not since he failed so badly, as a child...and he ended up maiming that boy.
Bane looked at his companions then back at the frightened woman. He listened to the pleading of the short little man. ”Because we always hurt people Garold, especially the ones we love.” he said, voice full of sorrow. Banes voice hardened to stone, ”And some people deserve to be killed, and they often live while the innocent perish. This girl is an adulteress, I care nothing for her love of the man. You would have me break my oath, go back on my word to return this girl. Though if we are to believe her words, the Dark Lady would break her wedding vows and slay that man, and in my mind, an oath to an oathbreaker is no oath at all.” he said with a sigh, finally relaxing his stance. ”My friends, I have lost my daughter, and I must find her. The Dark Lady was my means to that end, but I’ll not condemn this girl to death for my own selfish purposes, but I warn you if I come to find that these actions endangered my daughter or led to her being harmed, I will judge those responsible and mete out my vengance.” he said with a steely eyed stare at the group.
"Thank you, Bane," Wendel response with a firm nod. His hand unclinches, instead going to the girl and untying her bonds.
"Brave Garold." Wendel speaks to the ranger. "Steady, my friend. Your actions and words speak well of your character. Now we need you to tell us if the exit out the back towards the trees still open? My concern is the guard will be approaching soon."
As he works out the knots Bane had expertly tied, Wendel speaks to the gnome. "You must decide as well, minstrel. Perhaps we focus on doing what is best and right? We may not live long in the city, but at the very least we can live with ourselves during what little time we have left, eh?"
He returns Bane's rope then speaks to the girl. "You will not be able to stay here. I can see in your eyes that you'll not depart the city either. But those men outside, the ones we dealt with, were probably sent to follow us, then kill you once we found your location. I'll let the others make their own decision, but I'll offer you my services such as they are. Is there someplace safe to which I could escort you?" He eyes her closely, wondering if she'll attempt to run or perhaps show a sign of betrayal. He prays to Ezra that that's not the case, he just staked his so very new reputation on her story.
Garold quickly glances down the street, and back to the woods...
If It's still clear, Garold calls for urgency...if anybody seems to be too close, he'll prepare a diversion, running the opposite way through the woods.
Either way I would be able to live with myself. Unfortunately I do live in the city, and having my livelihood ruined because of others conscious's is something I am not prepared to do. We need to find someone else to fit the bill if not this woman. If you feel that this woman is too innocent to turn over. I must only assume that you would not condemn any other woman to the same fate, regardless of their supposed innocence.
Regardless of what you choose, I can guarantee there will be at least one murder. From where I am standing, on your current course I count more than 4. So by turning this harlett over, we are in fact decreasing the number of innocent murders to be committed in the near future. Which is compounded by the fact that the blood is not technically on our hands.
He takes a short breadth and sees that he is loosing the argument.
I sure hope you have something good up your sleeve. Had I known that following you would get me evicted; I would have stayed home.
She looks at Isabeau and then lowers her eyes and shakes her head.
"I've only ever come this way," she says, uncertainly. "Anton always led the way, I never had reason to explore the rest of the cavern."
"I don't know this city," she says. "I've only been here a few days, but I won't leave Alain. If I don't stay here, there must be some way to let him know where I've gone." She turns to Bane "I mean no harm to any of you. If I can help you in your search, I will. What is your daughter's name? Perhaps I can uncover some word of her while I wait for my Alain to come to me."
Outside, Garold sees that people are moving toward the end of the street. The guard is approaching, but they are still a good distance away, a hundred yards or so, and night has fallen. They stop, asking questions of the people on the street, who point towards this house.
Friends... we need to go...NOW... Garold whispers huskily...
In the meantime, Garold prepares to make his distraction, planning a route that will leave him in a place where he can disappear completely, dropping into the sewers unseen.
Bliznap will follow Garold reluctantly.
Garold points toward the docks, explaining, I lead them the other way. Wait 'till clear, then go.
Garold waits no longer, sprinting the other direction, noisily as soon as he has a healthy lead...heading for his way out...the sewers.
He hopes to be heard, but not seen...once he hits the sewers, he doubles back.
Lucia listens intently to the groups conversation keeping herself quiet to keep from alarming their new companion too much.
”You can borrow the cloak for now. Your clothes aren’t too clean. Of course mine aren’t either. But dirty clothes don’t draw as much attention on me. Hmmm. Other than a disguise for you at the city gates, I don’t know how else to get into Levkarest.”
At Stanrick's words, Lucia jogs forward and halts the group for a few moments as she looks the woman up and down. She then looks Marissa directly in the eyes and places her hands in front of her, very slowly approaching her leading Marissa's eyes to her hands to show her non-threatening posture. With grace and speed, she then begins to adjust Marissa's outfit in an attempt to make her look more of a traveler than a Noble (or at least that of higher standing than the rest of them). With a few garments pulled from her pack and an adjustment of Stanrick's borrowed cloak, she takes a step back to check her work.
She then moves back to Isabeau's side as they continue moving. When her eyes catch Sergei's, she lowers her eyes from him abruptly as if ashamed to look at him directly. When they resume their march, her head lowers as well as she wraps her arms around herself feeling as though he is still staring at her with disgust.
What can I do to make him understand I am not evil.
Not evil? Have you seen yourself child. You ARE evil.
Her head sinks a little bit more. She waited expectantly for the angelic voice to pipe in a retort that never came. Her hands gripped at her arms a bit tighter at the silence in her mind, only distantly hearing the rest of the conversation.