"But something that mobile and agile ninja could use to attack anyone climbing it from multiple directions," she mused, "still can't believe the stories about those bastards turned out to be true - what's wrong with bloody conventional spies? Sorry; thinking out loud for a second there."
"One last thing, though; do you know of anywhere in town that I might find another mage or arcanist or just someone who sells scrolls? If this is going to go the way I think it will, I may need some extra spells in my arsenal."
Allowing him to drink a bit more, Kasha looks him in the eyes. "So....would you like to tell us what happened?"
She looks to Kavell to see if he wishes to take over the interrogation part.
Snaevald chuckles. "Scrolls, eh?"
He guffaws. "If it's scrolls you're looking for, Madame K's shop should have a few... if she likes you enough. Her store is located in the Jade Quarter: it's the grand building on the corner of Torvald's Terrace."
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Zaiobe leads you outside to the street, walking out for a few feet before spreading her wings wide.
<Ooohhhhhh... this feels AMAZING!> She flaps her wings several times and takes off into the cold morning air!
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Cillian swallows another mouthful of water and sits upright, with some effort. "Tosti's not as generous a boss as he thinks he is, to start with."
"I needed money. My rent was due by the end of the month, and I wasn't able to pay it with what Tosti was paying me. This... this Tian woman asked me if I was interested in making some money." He stretches. "I said yes, and she led me into the basement of someone's house--I don't remember where it was or who owned it."
"There was another woman in there--large. Muscular. Red-skinned, with a horn in the centre of her head. She had a club the size of a tree trunk in her hands. I should've run when I saw her, but I stood there, in a panic. The... the thing made me swear an oath of allegiance to her, to do as she commanded. In return, I would never need to worry about money again."
"I swore the oath, she gave me several platinum pieces, and tasked me with observing your group. I was to report to a group of her followers when the 'heiress' was alone, but you caught me before I had a chance to make my report. Then they were forced to act."
"I bet!" Friday thinks as he marvels at the harpy in flight. He casually strolls along on the street below as she flies.
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Kasha listens closely to Cilian's tale, closing her eyes for a moment to see if his description of the muscular redskinned woman rang a bell.
"Where were you supposed to go to make your report?"
Friday blithely follows along after Zaiobe wherever she flew.
"If she likes me enough?" Valeria asked. "Should I be worried?"
He rubbed at his eyes and took a deep breath. He was tired. He knelt to get closer to the eye level of the man, though Kasha had asked the most pertinant question first. So instead of interupting her question with another he merely gazed upon the man, his solid sky blue eyes seeking any further attempts at deception. Just because he was no longer under a geas didnt mean he might not try to hold something back or make things up to sound more helpful than he could be.
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"Madame K is quite particular. Make a good impression on her, and she's bound to let you see her more exotic wares."
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"I was supposed to wait at the entrance to the Bone Quarter--where all the trade caravans congregate."
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Zaiobe pauses in the air for a moment, her arms moving in the gestures necessary for a spell. Then she swoops down and tries to pluck you from the streets in her talons.
<Let's fly together!>
Not quite sure how this was going to play out Friday simply held his arms out to the side as Zaiobe swooped at him. "Okay!"
Kasha frowns, running a hand through her hair. "The red woman, sounds like some kind of outsider, maybe an oni given the nature of our enemies. Not quite a demon, but not that far off either."
"You should probably avoid going to places where they'd be looking for you" Kasha says to Cilian. "It's likely they're assuming you're dead given that we aren't. You'd probably be better off having them believe it."
Zaiobe flies down and picks you up by the arms in her talons, before taking off into the sky again.
Soon, you're flying above the streets & houses of Kalsgard, the cold air whipping at the two of you. The harpy laughs in your mind, and her powerful wingbeats cause the two of you to bob in the air.
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Cillian coughs. There isn't any blood this time.
"So... leaving the city, then. Or fleeing to the Jade Quarter."
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"Given who we're dealing with I would strongly recommend staying a far away from the Jade Quarter as possible, setting off somewhere else and starting over would probably be the healthiest thing you could do." Kasha replies. "It would probably be best if they forgot you ever existed."
Cillian’s expression turns sullen and he says nothing more.
"If you're lucky, in a week or so there may not by anyone for you to have to worry about hiding from." the shamaness comments.
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"Wow! This is wonderful!" Friday thinks as he rapidly looks at everything from his new vantage point, a wide smile on his face.
Valeria thanked Snaevald for his time and made her way to meet this Madame K. On the way, she muttered to Ameiko.
"Knowing my luck, you might have to step in and extract my foot from my mouth."
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Cillian’s expression turns sullen and he says nothing more.
"We travel to the north, as soon as we sort out our guide and prepare. There could be room for you if you are willing to work and repent on your deeds. It will be rough, as it is a journey on the road, but your enemies will have a hard time finding you. They often say you discover your true qualities in the toughest times, perhaps this is your chance to find the true you Cillian."
He began his faith in the world offering this pour soul a shot to turn a new leaf.
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Cillian blinks in confusion, but doesn't say anything.
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Zaiobe touches down on a nearby rooftop after a minute or two.
<I'm going to have to do this more often once we get moving north again.>
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Ameiko shrugs. "Can't be that hard--I mean, I've got enough practice from Xel."
The Jade Quarter of Kalsgard is, in contrast to the rest of the city, fully awake and working by the time the three of you arrive. You find the shop you're looking for soon enough--an impressive-looking two-story pagoda, its rooftop decorations of elegant, sweeping eaves and carvings of miniature trees coated with a fine layer of snow. Ameiko pushes the door open and leads the way inside.
The interior of the shop is filled with the smell of incense--a mixture of lavender & sandalwood. Gaudy trinkets and knickknacks of Tian origin line the many shelves surrounding the shop's spacious floor. Standing in the centre of a square-shaped counter is an aged Tian woman, her greying hair tied up in an immaculate bun with a pair of green-tipped hair sticks holding it in place. The woman's kimono is a white & black ensemble, patterned after patches of grass, all tied together with a dark red sash.
A couple of young Tian men are in the far corner of the shop, unpacking more trinkets and arranging them on the shelves. They bear a resemblance to the lady in the centre of the room.
"I'd quite like that." Friday thinks, still smiling as he looks over where they landed before turning back to Zaiobe and holding out his arms. "Now, may I return the favor?"
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"This." Friday thinks as he scoops the Harpy up into his arms. "Now then, where did you want to go now?"
Kasha looks at Cilian. "It's A pretty good offer, probably better than you're likely to find around here. You should consider it. My brother runs our caravan, it's hard work, but honest. Take it, or don't, it's up to you, just realize that even if you choose to walk away, that's an option your old employers didn't consider being on the table."
The shamaness looks at the others in the room. "I think we're pretty much done here for now."
Valeria looked around the business as she entered, once more wondering why so many places like this used incense in such abundance (sure; some spells did require it but nowhere near as many as you'd think).
"Madame K? Hello, I heard you were the person to talk to about spells and other magical items?"
The Tian lady behind the counter fixes you with a look, the smirk on her face never changing. "Oh, if it's spells you seek, have you considered the temple of Gorum?"
"They posture and boast of their skills, but they employ spells and magical trinkets all the same."
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"Then off we go." he happily tells Zaiobe as he begins carrying her carefully over to the roof she indicated.
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"Gorum? If I went there asking for a scroll of secret chest they'd probably think it's result was only good for an impromptu bludgeon. Or fill it with lead bars and find some way to make it materialise in the air to drop it on someone."
Assuming they weren't thinking of the other kind of chest, she thought to herself; remembering the last time she spoke to a devotee of Gorum.
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Zaiobe snuggles up and makes herself comfortable as you carry her over to the connecting rooftop.
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Cillian's expression turns pensive.
"...I'll need to get my things. I might not be safe here anymore."
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Madame K's smile doesn't waver. "Oh? Do you mean to tell me you seek arcane magic, and not divine?"
"It would really behoove you to be clear about things of that nature in the future."
This was starting to annoy her a touch now.
"Alright; if you want me to be specific, I'll be specific," Valeria said, drawing a piece of scrap paper out of her belt pouch.
"I am looking for scrolls of Flaming Sphere, Invisibility, Fox's Cunning or Arcane Disruption. Possibly others, depending on the costs involved. Or at least a way to add these spells to my repertoire." She tapped the spellbook hanging at her waist to emphasise the last point.
A headband to increase her intellect had also been on that list but she could make one herself by scribing Fox's Cunning into her book and could probably get it done while on the way to Ravenscraeg if it was two days out of town.
Madame K chuckles. "See? It's always better to be specific."
The lady steps out from behind the counter and starts slowly walking towards the back wall. "This way, please. I do not often entertain such requests for magical lore."
"Good idea. One of Valeria's brothers can go with you, to keep you safe, and get you set up with a spot in the caravan." Kasha adds with a nod at Cilian. "You're making the right choice"
"Good idea. One of Valeria's brothers can go with you, to keep you safe, and get you set up with a spot in the caravan." Kasha adds with a nod at Cilian. "You're making the right choice"
Madame K chuckles. "See? It's always better to be specific."
The lady steps out from behind the counter and starts slowly walking towards the back wall. "This way, please. I do not often entertain such requests for magical lore."
Probably because nobody else'll put up with you for long, she thought to herself as she followed, wondering if she shouldn't have tried to read the old woman's mind to see what she was really after.
"Why is that, if you don't mind me asking?" she said instead, trying to be tactful.
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The elderly woman shrugs. "Most in these lands are leery of 'witchcraft'. Perhaps it has something to do with bordering Irrisen--or maybe it's something else altogether."
Ameiko purses her lips and tentatively nods in agreement. "I'd imagine tangling with a White-Haired Witch of Irrisen would be enough to make anyone afraid of arcane magic..."
Madame K reaches the far wall and adjusts a jade engraving of a crane hanging nearby. There's a *click* and the wall swings open, revealing a repository of dozens upon dozens of arcane scrolls. "I imagine at least one of those scrolls beyond has the spells you seek."
"If those witches are what everyone around here thinks of first when it comes to the arcane, it would explain why they all keep referring to anyone who uses it as a witch. At least mistaking me for a 'wizard' is a bit closer to the truth."
The concealed scroll repository was impressive, though. "Friend of mine back home would love to see the mechanism behind that," she remarked as she started looking through the scrolls. "How much will I owe you per scroll? Trying to budget a bit after all."
Madame K turns back to you. "Spells of the second circle of mysteries will cost you 150 gold pieces per scroll."
"Well now that that's done, I could definitely use some breakfast." Kasha says with a note of satisfaction.
"150 each? Alright... let's see here."
Looking through the scrolls, she found most of what she was after. One caught her eye, though. It was a spell she'd read about years ago, though not in any research book on the arcane. It was actually in one of the... fiction novels she'd gotten years ago. She was pretty sure Ameiko wouldn't be interested in that sort of fun for the immediate future, not after what happened at the inn, but it wouldn't hurt to have on hand for the future.
Bringing her mind back to the present, she considered what she might be needing for Ravenscraeg.
A hearty round of oatmeal with garlic toast awaits you when you go for breakfast. Kelda & Lia are sitting on opposite ends of the same table--the berserker is rambling on about something while the ex-servant is merely nodding along.
Smiling when she sees Lia, Kasha sits beside her, tuning in on what Kelda is talking about. "It worked, we broke the curse." she says softly to Lia.
Kelda appears to be rambling on about Gorum.
"...and thus, Gorum believes that those who bring harm to those who cannot fight back are not warriors--they are nothing more than scum. They are unfit worshippers, and barely worth the effort it would take to hew them down..."
Lia claps her hands a bit when you tell her that you broke the curse. "That's wonderful, right? He's... he's not in danger anymore?"