Sekla is an intimidating sight; clad in the burnished bronze plate armor, she exudes a sense of martial mastery that quells all but the most thoughtless of hecklers. Yet there's no denying her goblinoid heritage; crimson eyes the color of fresh blood peer through the slots in her helm, while her sallow, gray-green skin gives away her hobgoblin heritage.
"Talienda Blackhorn?" she rasps when the young woman appears at the door.
Yenet is silent as the woman tells of her neighbour's niece, nodding and leaning in slightly to convey that he listens. He presses his lips together when she's done, a look of genuine concern on his face. "I am sorry to hear that she is involved in such a thing." He thinks for a moment. "Running errands may start small and innocent, but before long she will be caught up in much more."
He looks sideways to his new contact. "Do you think you could do anything for such a girl? Make some assurances for her well-being?"
Seeing the rather large figure in heavy, obviously well maintained armor standing outside the door, Rissi hesitates just a moment. She has no experience dealing with goblinoid, but shrugs figuring 'this as Absalom'....
Stepping between Talienda and the new person, she moves her small rapier to her off hand and looks up, and up.... then extending a hand. "Talienda Blackhorn is the lady behind me. You have a message for her?"
"Yes," the inquisitor says in answer to Yenet's question. "I could arrange for witness protection, but whether the girl wants to be cloistered away in the Vault is another matter. A less orthodox solution might be in order."
"We should ask her," he concludes. "I am certain she would like to weigh in on the issue. Miss Tatia, do you think your young friend could join us for tea?"
Talienda freezes for a moment as she sees Selka for the first time. She feels her heart skip a beat and the rush of blood thunders in her ears even as she pales at the sight of a hobgoblin in magnificent armor. Her blue eyes stare into Selka's red as the young lady tries to push away the memories of Malgrim.
And much to her shame, she can't. She stands there, frozen and unable to speak as Rissi steps in and initiates the conversation. All Talienda can do is not whimper with the sudden fear she feels.
Sekla has worked for a variety of employers by this point. They've been disparate, sure, but also united in a few key ways: they've been men; they've been mostly responsible for the danger they found themselves in; and they've almost uniformly been unpleasant, brash, and boors.
Sekla looks down at the young lady frozen behind the ratkin, and can't help but marvel at how much things have changed.
The hobgoblin extends the contract to the ratkin.
"I don't have a message," she says in heavily accented common. "An offer was made by a Talib Abd al-Abadar to work as Blackhorn's bodyguard."
A pause as Sekla entertains the possibility that she got all this wrong. Had there been a mistake? Shouldn't she, somehow, have been hired by this girl's father?
Diago sounded like the kind of man who'd have paid for her services. Wealthy, no doubt surrounded by enemies -
- enemies who'd not have disappeared when he died.
Ah.
"My name is Sekla Torgut. I am a mercenary. Once hired, I am loyal and capable of great violence. al-Abadar requested my services, but I have not yet accepted. I would speak with you first. Learn the nature of your problem and introduce myself better before agreeing to the terms."
And see if you will hire me on, now that you have seen what I am.
Rodina shakes her head. “The girl’s never home anymore. Probably forced to sleep in a hideout, scared they will kill her or her family. What’s that they say? ‘Make an example.’ They’re just hoodlums. Can you believe I once saw one of theirs, this big, bad, blue feller, whipping a blacksmith for no reason?”
She sips her tea, clearly starting to forget her fear and getting in the mood for a rant. “And that little goblin is almost as bad. Now the leader, they say. Evil little goblin. You know Philomena? That ugly burn on her arm? It was her. Because Philomena had looked her wrong, she said! If their boss is dead like you say, then the little green bastard is probably calling the shots.”
Rissi shifts her rapier back to her weapon hand and stares up at the much larger warrior. "Your story sounds believable, but I'm afraid we'll need to see some proof of your commission. The young lady has dangerous enemies and you could have been hired by them. I won't let an assassin into her home!" Rissi lifts the tip of the blade toward the armored woman, and hopes that this doesn't turn into a fight..... and that the fear that she feels isn't obvious on her ratlike face! "If you haven't any proof, leave and only return when you do. Thank you!"
Rissi reaches out and takes the contract paperwork. She glances at it for just a moment before turning to hand it to Talienda, then faces back to Sekla. "Seems Talib is still thinking about Talienda's safety. Good man! I'm not a complete novice with my blade, but I wouldn't want to try and find a chink in your armor with it!"
"But of course let's move inside, out of clear view of possible dangers. Talienda can explain things." Rissi turns and moves back toward the entry, waiting only for Talienda to move in. She still keeps herself between the young lady and the warrior.
"Oh, that is terrible," he sympathizes with Philomena. "That only shows that something must be done to stop them. Or even more people will fall into their dealings." He shakes his head and is quiet for a while. "Is there anything else she told you perhaps, your neighbour's niece? Anything you know might be helpful..."
Talienda relaxes a bit at hearing Talib's name and although the tremoring of the parchment in her hands betrays her nervousness, she manages to recompose her herself enough to invite Sekla inside.
"Yes, please do come in," she says in what would normally be a very pleasant voice, but is shadowed by the stress she must still be feeling. After they are in the small sitting room, Talienda turns to Rissi and asks, "Can you let Alina know everything's alright and to put on some tea? I think I could use something to warm to drink right now. Ms. Sekla, would you care for anything?"
She waits a moment for Rissi to leave before taking a deep breath and looking Sekla squarely in the eyes, confronting her fear head on.
"I'm afraid I owe you an apology. I am still very new to the world beyond my home in the Petals, and I was shocked to see you. Not too long ago, I had my first encounter with a hobgoblin, one by the name of Malgrim, and I'm afraid seeing you brought back a lot of the memories, and fear, that I have of him, and a part of me even feared you were here to avenge him. I am truly sorry for letting my previous meeting with him color my first meeting with you, and in such a terrible way. I mean, you have come, possibly, to help me. It's not very nice of me to judge you before I have even gotten a chance to know you, is it? Do you think you can forgive me for that?"
Sekla pauses at the threshold, turning to study the gate and the road beyond it, and only then does she enter the small home. She follows the ratkin and the human into the sitting room, which she paces across, prowls almost, before finally choosing a corner to stand in with a view of the doors and without a window too close by.
To say she looks out of place in the sitting room is an understatement. Her dour, grim presence is such that she looks more suited to a battlefield or some lethal dungeon, not a sunlight chamber where tea is about to be served.
"Nothing," she says when asked.
Her gaze follows the ratkin as she leaves the room on Talienda's request. A friend? A guardian? A servant? Hard to say.
Her attention slides back to the young human. She's a curiosity. Unlike any employer she's ever had. At once so fragile and delicate seeming - she'd surely not survive a week in the wastes of Belkzen - yet here wealth and... something else... gave her authority, the ability to hire one such as herself.
Most strange.
Talienda offers her apology, and in doing so, sharpens Sekla's interest further. "Avenge Malgrim?" She gives a low bark of dismissive laughter. "The world's a better place for his death. No. I've no sympathies for him or his gang." A beat as the implication sinks in. "Wait. You saying you're responsible for his death?" This said with no small amount of incredulity.
She waves a hand, brushing aside the human's apology. "If I agree to work for you, you'll be my employer. I'll do what you command and your safety'll be my priority. I'll fight off any threats, and if needs be, kill 'em. Just as this armor protects me -" She raps her knuckles on her breastplate, "- I'll protect you. I'll be your armor."
All this is said forcefully, almost harshly. The hobgoblin doesn't move, stands as solid as a menhir, her bronze armor glimmering and giving off a metallic tang.
"So there's no need for apologies. No need for forgiveness. What there's a need for is your telling me what kind of trouble you're in. Who or what is threatening you? How'd this trouble come about, and are there any legal angles to it? I'm guessing not, with Talib being involved. And please. Be specific. I like the facts up front before taking on a commission."
Hearing Sekla laugh, even if it was harshly, when she mentioned her admittedly unfounded fears helped her relax more. Unlike her guest, and potential employee as strange as it seems to her, she looks at home in the sparsely furnished and decorated room. She can't blame the mercenary for being incredulous, she certainly doesn't look like the type to engage in the kind of activities that would lead to her being able to kill someone so prominent in the underworld.
"I see," she says as she glances out the window to the newly planted flowers and shrubs before her gaze returns to Sekla. "To answer your questions. No, I didn't kill Malgrim. That was the deed of a man murdered wrongly ten years ago. I, along with Rissi and Talib, found myself dragged from my home and placed in the old courthouse in the Bluffs. Among the the things I learned from Malgrim before he was hung with his own chain was that someone had places a bounty on my head. I had thought it was an associate of my father's, one Alistir Wade, at least once the truth of his character was revealed to me," she explains. There's a look of sorrow, of childish innocence freshly lost to a cruel, uncaring world on her face as she looks out the window again, gathering her thoughts and marshaling her words.
"I learned many things that night. I learned what truly despicable men my father and Alistir Wade were. I learned that someone I have never met wants me dead for no other reason than who my father is, and I learned how cruel a soul twisted by vengeance and wronged for no other reason than to protect the man who did kill his family could be. I was lucky. I had Rissi and Talib and a couple of others with me, and I learned I have a bit of magic. Not much and I am still learning to use it, but it proved useful a time or two."
She looks up at Sekla, her fingers intertwining under her chin.
"So there you have it. My father was a man who made his fortune on the suffering of others, and whether I want his criminal empire or not, someone wants me dead. Most likely to eliminate a threat and net themselves the fortune that we do have on the books in some way. I don't know who they are, and more than likely they won't care one whit about who else they kill when they come after me if they get desperate enough. On the brighter side of things, at least you don't need to worry about getting in trouble with the law, and I can assure you that your fees will be paid. If there's one thing I don't have to worry much about, it's coin."
Sekla prides herself on her reflexes, both mental and physical. On taking the world as it presents itself, and not being tripped up by assumptions, hopes, or guesses.
But this is the second time in nearly a minute that the young human girl has caused her to mentally stumble.
"By a man murdered ten years ago?" For a moment the words don't make sense, and then understanding dawns and she makes a rough gesture before her heart, a superstitious motion to ward off evil spirits.
But quickly the details slide into place with what she'd heard on the streets, and her respect for the pair - ratkin and human both - grudgingly goes up a notch.
"So you were involved in the courthouse a week or so ago. And that's where Malgrim met his end." She takes her time digesting this. "All right." She resists the urge to begin pacing. "No doubt that's why you've moved into this place. To lay low. Smart thinking."
Sekla frowns as she considers the angles, a vertical line appearing between her hairless brows. "You've good instincts. You'll be seen as prey by those who want your father's wealth, as well as those who had vendetta's against him. You're young, weak looking, female. The line of opportunists will go around the block when word gets out."
A sharp nod as she agrees with herself. "And you know a little magic? How much? What can you do?"
When asked what she can do, Talienda decides a demonstration is better than an explanation. She traces a rune in the air and sings a soft arpeggio. As she does, her finger leaves behind a glowing, blue-white line that crackles faintly. Once the rune is drawn, it flares a little before fading and the young woman waves a hand at the curtains, which then draw themselves tight and plunge the room into a twilit gloom. She wastes no time drawing more runes and filling the room with her soft, melodic chants.
"Most of what I can do isn't the kind of magic that would help me out in a fight," her voice whispers, coming from right beside Sekla's ear.
Then there is a sound like a quartet of violins coming from the ceiling, which then has four small dancing motes of light that seem to hum softly, just below anyone's ability to hear them.
"I have a variety of magical tricks," she explains as the lights descend and draw the eyes down to where a small illusion now floats between Sekla and Talienda, one of the young woman casting a few more spells. One image shows her creating the image of a hulking suit of armor with a large blade in its hands. Another shows her pointing at some unseen target and sending a bolt of lightning at it. The last shows her casting a spell from behind Sekla and the bolt of lighting arcing around the mercenary.
"Some things I can cast as many times as I wish it seems, but others I can only cast a few times before I cannot," she says, her voice no longer coming from just beside Sekla's ear. "Rissi and Talib know of what I can do, but I thought it better to show you what I can do," she says before the illusions and the lights go out and everything sits in dark silence for a moment before the curtains are drawn back once more.
"And while I am learning how to handle weapons, I'm afraid that I am as weak as I appear. Rissi, as small as she is, would have little trouble pinning me to the ground in a contest of strength. I'm certain you'd have even less trouble."
The large mercenary does her best to hide her surprise; these 'magical tricks' are the province of shamans and miracle workers where she's from, and to see the little girl manipulate light and magic with such ease - to summon forth illusions and chimes of sound - sets Sekla's instincts to humming, urging her to show deference to one who is obviously touched by the gods.
But Belkzen is thousands of miles away, and the hobgoblin who might have fallen to her knees in amazement at such a display of supernatural power is now long gone.
Instead, Sekla masks her amazement behind a dour expression and gives a curt nod when the curtains are drawn back and Talienda concludes her display.
"Very good," she says. "Such... tricks... can be useful. And where a sapling grows today, an oak may stand tomorrow."
She rubs at her chin, considering the small girl. "You are not what I expected. Diago Blackhorn was a powerful man. Most men gain power in cities like Absalom at the expense of others. He no doubt had many enemies as a result. Yet you..."
She trails off, unsure where she was going. Catches herself and stands a little taller.
"Very well. You have told me about yourself. I will tell you what you need to know about me. I am Sekla Torgut, once of the wastes of Belkzen, but now of the Precipice District. I was enslaved many years ago and brought to fight in Cheliax. I survived their gladiatorial pits and escaped with another. Together we came to Absalom to fight in the Irorium, where we won the annual championship. My partner did not survive the contest. Since then I have worked as a body guard for those I find worthy of protecting. You are one such, Talienda Blackhorn. If you find me suitable, then I will accept this commission."
Rodina finishes her cup and offers to refill Yenet and Talib’s, for a few moments seeming bent on ignoring Yenet’s last question. Finally, she shakes her head. “There’s so much she told me…so many things happened in these parts that you don’t even know, Yenet. But you can imagine it all. People were threatened, beaten up, tortured…killed.”
She sighs.
“But I imagine the details are not that important to your friend. Of course, it wasn’t always the…” she stops, looks at the door and back at Yenet…“these ones. One day, out of nowhere, they just gained the upper hand. Better weapons, their people did not get arrested as much. People say there is someone really rich behind them. Guess must be true, if your Abadaran friend is after them. No offence, mister.”
At this point, Rissi opens the door and enters the room, followed by Alina who carries a tray with three porcelain cups, a matching tea kettle and biscuits. The servant girl avoids looking directly at Sekla but, to her credit, she manages to pour three cups without trembling. She leaves the room almost immediately after making sure her mistress and her guests have everything they need.
It takes a few seconds, but Yenet finally manages to match someone to the description. Though the vagaries of street gang hierarchy are often hard to keep up with, Malgrim was often seen around with a goblin woman named Mesti Toothbanger. Differently from most of Malgrim’s inner circle, she was cunning and proud of her “creative” approach to violence. It wasn't a far stretch to think she had managed to fill the void left by Malgrim despite the bloody competition anyone vying for such a position must have faced.
She sips her tea, clearly starting to forget her fear and getting in the mood for a rant. “And that little goblin is almost as bad. Now the leader, they say. Evil little goblin. [...] If their boss is dead like you say, then the little green bastard is probably calling the shots.”
He turns his head and raises one eyebrow in question at Talib.
Ever impassive, Talib answers Yenet's look with a noncommital half-shrug.
"That would explain the Shades' new foray into arson," he muses dryly.
As the discussion carries on, the inquisitor silently mulls over his options. He needs more information on the goblin, but more immediately, he must locate the girl. An informant would save him a lot of legwork, especially with the district in such a panicked state. Once her whereabouts are clear, he would need to reassess the situation—whether the girl could be extracted discreetly, or if there is need for a full-blown raid. The latter could result in more evidence, with the added bonus of striking an early blow against the gang's operations. However, this would also put them on alert. Subterfuge is the optimal strategy.
The inquisitor waits patiently for Yenet to finish his line of questioning, but he pointedly drains his cup to signal that he is ready to leave.
Once the meeting us drawing to a close, Talib draws an official-looking document from his breast pocket. The text is thick with nonsense legalese—quite indecipherable to a layman—and furnished with the seal of a nonexistent tax office. After filling in a few personal details, the inquisitor hands it to Rodina.
"Thank you for your cooperation," he says. "Just in case anyone starts giving you trouble, this visit was about missed taxes."
Having assisted Alina in starting the tea, and given Talienda a little time to speak privately with Sekla, Rissi returns close to the end of Sekla's statement. "Hello again Sekla. Very impressive! I've heard of gladiators before, and the contests in the Irorium, and that you have endured such.... Well, I admit that I can't hardly imagine it. And to turn the skills that you learned that way into honorable work. Well, I can't possibly think of a reason the Talienda would not accept you. You certainly would be a better protector than I could be."
"And for full discloser of who would be around, I am Rissi Than, a Bard from Omash, located in the north desert of Qadira. My family is merchants, traders and tinkers, and a few diplomats spread across most of the inner sea area. I came to Absalom to research what had happened to my Grandfather Rikkan Than. He was posted here to handle trade contracts and hadn't communicated to the family for a while. I haven't found a body, but since I was magiked into the courthouse with the other substitute jurors, and apparently Rikkan was one of the original jurors.... That's pretty good indication that Rikkan is dead and the family will have to replace him."
"I have some small skill with my blade, and some skill with magic similar to what the lady Talienda has. My magic can also make my friends combat skills a little better, a little more accurate and hitting a bit harder."
Having had her say Rissi adds some sugar to her tea, picks up her cup and takes a sip, then leans back in her chair to relax.
"I think it's safe to assume that I will be hiring you, Sekla. I trust Talib's judgement and you have not given me a reason to distrust you. If anything, I think I trust you more after hearing your opinion of Malgrim."
Talienda takes a sip of her tea and looks over what Sekla has with her, wondering what adornments she chooses to wear.
"Sekla, do you sing," she asks after a moment of silence.
Sekla listens to the ratkin with grave courtesy, though her expression betrays little. Though no taller than a human, the hobgoblin fills the room with her dour presence, one that is underscored by the brutal if beautiful crafting of her plate armor.
"It is good to meet you, Lady Than. As a friend of Lady Blackhorn's, I'll try to keep you alive as long as it doesn't endanger my primary charge."
To whom she turns. "No," says the hobgoblin, tone chilling. "I do not... sing. Let us square away the formalities, Lady Blackhorn. Please sign the contract I gave to Lady Than. It sets forth the terms and payments for our relationship. Either of us can end it without notice or further obligation. Your estate will owe me any outstanding sums should you die while a balance remains unpaid. I shall do all in my power to keep you alive, but cannot make any guarantees. The contract also covers any loss to my equipment and healing of injuries I incur in the line of duty. Take your time looking it over, and let me know if you have any questions."
Yenet nods as Ronida continues talking. "I think I know who you are talking about. Mesti Toothbanger, I've heard her called."
He doesn't need Talib's too-obvious sign to understand that they are ready to leave and he makes a gentle hand gesture to urge him to slow down. "Yes, I agree that it looks quite like they have some form of support, to rise so suddenly." He too takes the last of his tea - without rushing things - and another friendly smile breaks on his face. "Whatever may be behind this, I am sure my friend will be able to sort it out. Bes willing, he'll be able to help your neighbour's niece get away from all this."
"You have been most helpful, and we will not bother you any longer. Thank you kindly for the tea. And please don't exert your leg too much for the next week or so. After that, it should be good as new." He stands from his stool, picks up his bag with healing supplies and waits patiently for Talib to give the Varisian woman some assurances. I'm not so sure that's needed, but it shows that he's careful at least.
Rodina nods profusely, smiling. “I hope you can help her, that poor sweet girl. And don’t worry about my foot — after your miracle-working I think it’s the only part of this old body that’s not giving me any problems.”
She then grabs Talib’s document, looks at it and pins it to one of the many objects hanging from the ceiling. “Thank you, mister Abadar, that’s mighty kind of you. These rascals are not the type that asks questions, but, who knows? Can’t hurt having it.”
Once out of Rodina’s house, Talib looks up to see the sun’s position — the time of his appointment with Talienda and Rissi draws near.
Yenet knows that Rodina’s neighbour is a lame half-elven man called Anato Lupei and that the daughter she mentioned was in all likelihood Cornela Lupei.
Talienda sips the tea and looks beyond the window behind her, momentarily lost in thought. She almost drops her teacup.
A dwarf-sized figure covered head-to-toe in dark robes stands on the roof of the nearby house and stares down, inside the drawing room. It seems either unaware or uncaring of its conspicuousness.
Rissi waits politely as Sekla is speaking. She is a bit surprised when Sekla's voice indicates.... anger? in reply to singing, but decides it is not for her to address.
She sets her empty cup down and casually speaks while the paperwork is reviewed. "Sekla, I would ask that you call me Rissi rather than Lady Than. However, your formal address does identify an error in my address of you. I have been informal, addressing you by the name 'Sekla'. If that was an error I apologize and would ask for the correct name to use."
"Your contract, of course, is for Talienda, or Lady Blackhorn. She is the one in danger and needing your protection. I will also endeavor to protect her, and stay out of your way. I'm not part of the contract and, as my family is very well versed in such things, I understand that fully.
Facing Talienda Rissi smiles, "Talienda, If you would like a song, I do sing, and play a tambourine sometimes, and even dance on occasion. Would you like some quiet music while you review the contract?"
Once they are outside, Yenet catches Talib glancing at the time of day. "I hope this morning has been productive for you," he says with a smile. "Maat willing, it has helped you in your investigation of what's happening." He takes a look at the house next door. "The girl's name is Cornela Lupei, if I'm not mistaken. Perhaps you will come across her one day. Please don't judge her too harshly; she seems like a good girl caught up in for too much trouble, yes?. I will make some further inquiries to see if I can find out if there are any likely places she would be hiding. I will let you know if I find out anything."
Yenet holds his silence for a moment, then broaches a subject he's been hoping to bring up. "There's one more thing." He looks slightly uncomfortable. "There's a person here in the Puddles who looks out for the common folk. No one knows who he is - he wears a mask. He calls himself the Shining Falcon." Yenet gives Talib an apologetic smile at this sparse information, then pauses as he considers what to say next. "If crime is on the rise here in the Puddles, he will surely investigate. But if the Shades really have such powerful backing..." He sounds apprehensive. "The Shining Falcon has done a lot of good for the district, and I would worry what happens if he tries to go into this alone." He looks straight at Talib, sizing up the man's reaction. "Of course, he might also prove to be another ally in your investigation. If it's not too bold of me, perhaps I might suggest you try to seek him out some time, to share information and maybe explore if there's a possibility of working together?" He smiles. "It would ease my worries to know that he was still watching over us amidst a gang war, with the proper support of his own."
Once they are outside, Yenet catches Talib glancing at the time of day. "I hope this morning has been productive for you," he says with a smile. "Maat willing, it has helped you in your investigation of what's happening."
Though his gaunt features are decidedly unsuited for smiling, Talib does signal his gratitude with a shallow bow.
"Maat willing," he repeats solemnly, in more-or-less fluent Osiriani. "Thank you for your assistance."
"The girl's name is Cornela Lupei, if I'm not mistaken. Perhaps you will come across her one day. Please don't judge her too harshly; she seems like a good girl caught up in for too much trouble, yes? I will make some further inquiries to see if I can find out if there are any likely places she would be hiding. I will let you know if I find out anything."
"Few people are criminals by choice," Talib muses vaguely. "Regardless, I am not here to apprehend cutpurses."
The inquisitor produces a small notebook and writes down the name and the address. "Very well. I would likely have little success by myself, in any case. I have a meeting in Eastgate, after which I will retire to an inn named the Caravanserai, at the southwest corner of the Grand Bazaar. Contact me there."
He pauses for a moment, then scribbles Talienda's new address on an empty page, tears it off, and hands it to Yenet. "Or here, should I be unavailable."
"There's a person here in the Puddles who looks out for the common folk. No one knows who he is - he wears a mask. He calls himself the Shining Falcon. [...] If it's not too bold of me, perhaps I might suggest you try to seek him out some time, to share information and maybe explore if there's a possibility of working together?
Talib's stoic expression reveals little as to his inner thoughts. "I see. And where might I find this... 'Shining Falcon?'"
Talienda, having been taking aback by Sekla's tone, shakes herself from where she has been looking out the window.
"I fear that your arrival shall prove fortunate in its timing, Sekla. It appears we have a watcher," she says before turning to read the contract. Not seeing anything amiss (unless there's something very amiss) she signs it.
"As for how to adress myself, I prefer Talienda, or Tali if you'd rather keep it short," she says as she finishes her tea then stands.
"Well, shall we give you the tour, or shall we see what our darkly robed friend has to say?"
"Step away from the windows," says Sekla immediately, tone turning terse. If Talienda fails to comply quickly, she'll take hold of the young human by the arm and pull her firmly behind the safety of a wall.
That done, the hobgoblin finds a curtained window that looks in the right direction and, donning her helm, peers out through a crack in the drapes to take in the watcher.
Yenet takes both pieces of paper from Talib. "Thank you, I will." He checks the address in Eastgate. "That's still a way to go. I will leave you to it."
Talib's stoic expression reveals little as to his inner thoughts. "I see. And where might I find this... 'Shining Falcon?'"
Yenet considers the question, then looks up and all around him. "Who knows? Maybe he's already listening to our conversation from the rooftops, and he will find you. Yes? The Osiriani smiles broadly. "If not, you could pay another visit to the Puddles and I am sure you will run into each other." He taps his bag and makes a gesture to the sun. "I too should be going. Blessing of the Gods with you and your investigation. Take care, Talib Abd al-Abadar." With that and another broad smile, he takes his leave.
Somewhere in Eastgate a boy approaches Talib. He looks a little intimidated by the stern Keleshite with the gaunt features, but bravely holds out a note. "Sir, a cloaked man asked me to give this to you. I couldn't see his face, but he paid pretty well." The thought of the copper's makes him smile.
The note contains only a few hastily scribbled words. "We should talk, if you have a few minutes to spare. Please meet me in Crastel's Alley." The note isn't signed with a name, but with a stylized drawing of a falcon before a radiant sun.
Crastel's alley is just up ahead. It's usually quiet this time of day.
In Crastel's ally stands a man with the hood of his rich azure cloak up. He's apparently been waiting for Talib and makes his presence known from quite a distance, holding both his hands where the Abadaran can see them. "Thank you for meeting me," He says in a direct and crisp tone of voice, which doesn't bear any distinctive accent.
He puts his hands on his cloak and pulls down the hood, revealing a leather piece of headgear that covers his entire head and is adorned with a silver and bronze falcon's mask which glimmers in the light coming from above. "I assumed you would be wary of meeting a stranger in a quiet alley, but it seemed the best opportunity to talk. Let me be direct: I would like to join your efforts to stop the brewing gang war in the Puddles, and beyond."
Unfortunately for Sekla, all curtains are currently drawn back, so there is little cover to help her watch the figure without being noticed. Her movements attract its attention and, though she cannot see its eyes, she feels their weight nevertheless. Her hackles stand up as an irrational fear overtakes the massive hobgoblin and forces her to move away from the window.
Somewhere in Eastgate a boy approaches Talib. He looks a little intimidated by the stern Keleshite with the gaunt features, but bravely holds out a note. "Sir, a cloaked man asked me to give this to you. I couldn't see his face, but he paid pretty well." The thought of the copper's makes him smile.
Talib receives the note and hands the urchin a full silver weight in return. "Fair pay for honest work."
Stepping away from the eastbound traffic, the inquisitor reads through the missive under the eaves of a nearby building. He lets out a huff—not quite a chuckle—and pockets the piece of paper. It does not take an experienced sleuth to follow this series of events to its natural conclusion, and being one, he takes it in stride.
In Crastel's ally stands a man with the hood of his rich azure cloak up. He's apparently been waiting for Talib and makes his presence known from quite a distance, holding both his hands where the Abadaran can see them. "Thank you for meeting me," He says in a direct and crisp tone of voice, which doesn't bear any distinctive accent.
He puts his hands on his cloak and pulls down the hood, revealing a leather piece of headgear that covers his entire head and is adorned with a silver and bronze falcon's mask which glimmers in the light coming from above. "I assumed you would be wary of meeting a stranger in a quiet alley, but it seemed the best opportunity to talk. Let me be direct: I would like to join your efforts to stop the brewing gang war in the Puddles, and beyond."
The inquisitor takes only a few steps into the alley, just far enough to keep the conversation private from passers-by. He is no stranger to practitioners of vigilantism, but these sorts of dramatics are... novel. As he speaks, his tone is emphatically neutral, though peppered with a hint of dry humour. "I have been ambushed several times during my career, including scenarios much like this one. However, these instances have seldom been preceded by a monogrammed invitation."
"Tell me," he asks—less than a demand, but more than a request. "What, exactly, gives you the right to execute justice outside the law?"
Talienda moves back from the windows and does her best to hide, Sekla was there to protect her, after all. Wouldn't be very smart of her to not follow directions.
It's difficult to see behind the mask, but there seems to be a hint of a smile in his eyes. The Shining Falcon thinks about the divine presence that he feels when he wears the mask, but he would never suppose that this gives him any 'rights'.
"None," he admits simply, before correcting himself. "One, perhaps: necessity." He lets the word sink in before continuing. "I work with the local guards whenever I can, I am not of some one-man crusade. But there is a gang war brooding, it's too big for them to handle, and I cannot - will not! - sit by idly when it grinds up innocents and spits them out when done with them." After these fiery words, there's the flicker of a smile again. "Your question cuts to the heart of the matter. I do not want to do this alone." The unspoken implication seems to be that he will do it alone, if left no other option. "You can see why I would like to join with your efforts, al-Abadar..."
A cold sweat breaks out across Sekla's gray-green skin, and suddenly her armor feels two sizes too large; she stumbles back from the curtain with a wordless croak, and it's all she can do to turn to the others before fleeing the room.
Except - Talienda has disappeared.
Disoriented, unsure as to what is going on, heart hammering like it wants to break free of her chest, she fixes her baleful crimson stare on the ratkin.
"Run," she whispers, tone ragged with fear. "Talienda, if you can hear me - get downstairs. We'll have to find a way - a way out of this house - before - before -"
That's all she can manage before she rushes toward the door.
Talienda's voice whispers bare inches from Sekla's ear.
"Coming. We need to grab Alina, too!"
She isn't nearly as quiet while moving and teh occassional scuff or swoosh of fabric can be heard as she sneaks her way to the back door.
Talib nods evenly. "You have no illusions of entitlement, then. That is good."
"I hope you realise what you are committing to," he continues in a grave tone, "The water is not the only thing which stagnates in the Puddles: the Grand Council’s lack of support for the district is a great injustice, one which has led to more suffering than any criminal enterprise. The so-called ‘Muckruckers’ are not a police force as much as they are an officially sanctioned mob, and the Nomarch is nothing more than a glorified ringleader. It all correlates."
The inquisitor shakes his head and sighs wearily—there is something about him that seems older and wiser than his years. "This goes far deeper than a single gang. You could spend the rest of your life weeding out criminals, and there would always be more to pluck. Perhaps you would be better off running for office?"
"But on to business," he concludes, switching from the ponderous parlance of a preacher to the matter-of-fact cant of a merchant within a single heartbeat. "I have no time or motivation to compete with you, and I assume you will be investigating the matter regardless. We might as well pool our resources."
Sekla pounds down the stairs, each stomp loud enough to make it seem as if the whole house is reverberating. Down she goes, fangs bared, to spill out onto the landing and rush to the front door.
Only to freeze as fear coagulates into a ball of filthy ice slurry in her gut.
Outside was where it was. Outside wasn't safe.
"A basement?" she snarls over her shoulder at the others. "You got one? Where is it?"
"I trust you when you say it goes deep as that, I had feared as much." His voice is grave but determined. "I have no interest in politics; I just want to see the streets safe. Who knows - maybe if we clear the worst of it, people will rise the occasion to provide worthy leadership." He shakes his head. "I'll have my part, but that's not me."
When Talib agrees to pool their resources, the Shining Falcon nods. "Good." There's a hint of surprise in his voice, as if he had expected to have to argue harder. He runs a hand along the brow of his mask. "You'll have to forgive me if I choose to stay masked, at least for the time being. I've found that it helps focus my resolve to tackle these events. And I suppose it gives me some comfort that I might retreat to my own home when I choose, safe from retaliation." He lowers his gaze. "In truth, I may not be so brave."
He doesn't linger on the confession and raises his gaze to look straight at Talib for a moment. He reaches for the shadows in an alcove between two building and retrieves a wrapped bundle of weapons - a greatsword and a hefty longbow among them. "Where do we go from here? I have some contacts in the Puddles I could ask for recent events. Unless you have need of me right away?"
Sekla stops speaking, frantically looking for stairs that might take her to a basement. As she does so, some measure of control returns to her. Her heart slows and the atavistic fear that had blossomed inside her mind largely (though not completely) subsides.
Rissi is the last to leave the drawing room. Before going down the stairs, she risks a last peek at the figure: it is moving towards the edge of the roof and looking down at the front door of Talienda’s estate.
Meanwhile, Talienda runs to the kitchen. One glance is enough; Alina drops her cleaning cloth, opens the backdoor and whispers “Over here, quick, mistress! I’ll go get the watch, you go the other way!” The four women leave the house; Alina running East, towards the closest watch outpost, and the other three West. After two or three blocks, they stop and see no sign of the figure, either on the rooftops or on the streets.
Before Talib replies to the Falcon’s question, he looks towards the main street and frowns. What first attracts his eye is the movement of three humanoids, one of which is heavily armoured and towers over the other rather diminutive two; he cannot hide his astonishment when he recognises them as Sekla Torgut followed by Talienda and Rissi. The three women seem rather agitated and keep looking up, as if expecting some sort of menace to rain down on them at any moment.
Dull anger thrums through Sekla like summer thunder rumbling on the horizon. She wants to smash her fist into somebody's face, and right now she's not too particular about whom's. As she leads the other two women down the street, she searches the rooftops, hoping to catch sight of the robed figure, hoping to see them so that she can hurl her battleax at their head.
So that she can bellow her rage and attack before her fear can conquer her again, and ruin her week and not just her day.
She doesn't allow herself to think of the impression she's made on the other two. On her new charge. On the fact that within moments of being officially taken on she'd near wet herself in terror.
And from what?
A small, robed figure on a distant rooftop?
She grinds her teeth together as she stomps along, hands flexing, her brow lowered over her crimson eyes. Her visage is so menacing the street clears before her, a channel opening as pedestrians and idlers make way for a hobgoblin that is clearly looking for an excuse to put someone down.
He doesn't linger on the confession and raises his gaze to look straight at Talib for a moment. He reaches for the shadows in an alcove between two building and retrieves a wrapped bundle of weapons - a greatsword and a hefty longbow among them. "Where do we go from here? I have some contacts in the Puddles I could ask for recent events. Unless you have need of me right away?"
Before Talib replies to the Falcon’s question, he looks towards the main street and frowns. What first attracts his eye is the movement of three humanoids, one of which is heavily armoured and towers over the other rather diminutive two; he cannot hide his astonishment when he recognises them as Sekla Torgut followed by Talienda and Rissi. The three women seem rather agitated and keep looking up, as if expecting some sort of menace to rain down on them at any moment.
"It appears I might," Talib says the Falcon. "Follow me."
The inquisitor strides into the street, moving determinedly and with projected authority—any casual onlookers would assume he is here to take care of the commotion, and carry on with their lives. He waves for everyone to move under the eaves, away from traffic, pausing for a moment when he notes Sekla's wild look.
"What is going on?" he asks in a low voice, his eyes on the rooftops. "A sniper?"
Once the danger is pointed out Rissi stays low and watches as Sekla is affected by, something? With her very strange reaction Rissi knows there must be something magical affecting the guardian, but doesn't recognize it.
She glances out the window just before leaving, and scans the area as the group leaves the house, looking again for the attacker.
Following a few paces behind Talib is a man in a rich azure cloak with the hood drawn up. Even inside the hood, his face isn't visible. He seems to be wearing a mask that is decorated with a falcon's beak. Beneath the cloak he's dressed in snug clothing in warm shades of tan and brown, along with an articulated piece of armor that covers his torso. In his left hand he holds a wrapped bundle of weapons.
The man stays close enough to hear the conversation but doesn't speak. He first observes his surrounding, then look at the three woman that Talib pulled over. A young woman, a ratfolk and a hobgoblin? Talib keeps some interesting company. The Shining Falcon has enough self-awareness to smile at this observation. I won't have to worry about fitting in, I suppose.
The calmest of the three, Rissi observed the rooftops with great attention, but could not see anything out of the ordinary — if the robed figure is still around, it was surely obscuring its presence with magic, but somehow she felt sure that was not the case. Her search was largely aided by Sekla’s fury, which managed to very quickly and efficiently scare away most of the passersby and provide an unusually quiet environment.
It is a relief to the three of them when, out of a small alley comes Talib, apparently accompanied by a masked man. As much as he try, the inquisitor cannot fathom what might have gotten Sekla into such a state, since, at least as far as he can see it, there is nothing of interest in the surrounding rooftops.
"I dunno," Talienda says as they slow after finding Talib, or Talib finding them. "There was someone on the roof of hte home across from mine looking in. Sekla said to get away from the windows, then... Something happened and she said for us to leave. Alina is fetching the watch."
Sekla tears her gaze away from the rooftops at Talib's approach; for a moment she stares right through him, as if he were a stranger to her, and then he sees awareness, recognition flash in their depths, and something about her settles.
"Al-Abadar," she says with a curt nod. "There was a cursed magic user," she all but snarls, turning to regard the rooftops once more. "Outside Lady Blackhorn's home. Struck at me with some foul witchcraft that turned my guts to ice and my knees to jelly. Size of a dwarf, all swaddled in robes. If I see it now, I'll tear its damned head off."
The hobgoblin pauses a moment to study Talib's companion, eyes narrowing as she takes in the mask, but she chooses to make no comment.
"A friend," Talib says, gesturing in the Falcon's direction. "We can make introductions later."
The inquisitor frowns as he mulls over the strange occurrence. Was this an intentional act of terror, or a misstep? "What roof, exactly? I think we should go and inspect the scene. Afterwards, we need to go through the house and make sure nothing has snuck in while you were away."
Glad to see Talib Rissi nods. "I didn't see anything but you are right. We should verify that no trap was placed after we left the property. And now, while we are all fresh and alert. Sekla should stay by Talienda, to the rear of us, and we can inspect the home for magical or mundane dangers."
"And once the watch arrives we can explain... Unless... Maybe we should go after Alina! She could be targeted to hurt Talienda!"
The Shining Falcon gives a short nod of his head to Sekla when Talib introduces him, but takes his cue and doesn't speak yet. He listens intently, dealing with lots of new names at once. His head makes small movements from person to person as they speak. It seems the lady finds herself a target. From these gangs, or something unrelated?
He adds his voice when Talid suggests searching the roof. "I may be of assistance there," he says, his way of speaking direct but not presumptuous. "I'm at home on the rooftops, and maybe my sharp eyes can pick up on some traces this assailant left behind."