Clearly shaken, Kasit forced a weak smile. ”My..ah...friend here, just wants to speak with me.” There was cold sweat on his face. ”He is, how do you say?” ”Dangerous.” Switching back to common he continued ”That’s it. A nice fellow. No problems here.”
Kasit’s mind was racing. He was terrified, that was true, but he was also desperately trying to think of a way out, which wouldn’t involve any broken fingers. His powers were certainly getting stronger. Maybe he could kill Ionacu? The mere thought of trying sent a shiver down his spine. What would his tormentor do if he tried and failed? At the same time he *liked* his fingers. He especially liked having them all face the right direction. He prayed to the black butterfly for a miracle, given that it was the only god(dess) he could think of at the moment.
Ioncacu doesn't seem to have caught the meaning hidden in Kasit's words, but Jorgas certainly has. Still appearing nervous Jorgas steps closer, "Come now lad, let's sit down and chat. Your, uh, friend can join us."
At this point you've drawn the eyes of Llewellyn and Sariah as well. Ioncacu doesn't seem to appreciate all of the attention.
Ionacu squeezes Kasit's shoulder again, hard enough it hurts, before releasing him. "Nevermind dwarf, Kasit and I can speak later." He then gives Kasit a meaningful stare before leaving the chamber.
Kasit breathed a sigh of relief. ”Thank you. By the Forge that one is scary. If you didn’t come by...ah...what am I going to do about this?” He said, miserably.
"That I can't tell you, but you'll need to do something that much is sure." Jorgas grabs another mug if ale and sits down at one of the tables. "You have three options as I see it, pay him off, quit the competition, or bring it up with the Lord if the keep."
Kasit nodded, staring at the table. ”Thank you. I’ll...I’ll think about it. Also be careful yourself. If he tried anything against you because you helped me, I wouldn’t forgive myself.”
Jorgas nods and the takes a deep pull on his mug. "So, setting that mess aside. how'd you do in the game? Myself I did quite well." Jorgas smiles and pats a belt pouch that clacks faintly.
"What about you? What will you do if either of you win? I must say I'm jealous that you have both of you in the tournament. Twice the chance to win, though twice the entry fee."
"Well, twice the entry fee, double the chance to win, half the prize. In summary, we're worse off", Sonira shrugs, then continues:"But even half that much means we can be free as birds, for plenty of years. And since we share everything, most expenses, like buying a new wagon, won't be that harsh. Well, first, we'll have to win, of course - " she offers a winning smile to Sir Bredwir.
Jorgas nods and the takes a deep pull on his mug. "So, setting that mess aside. how'd you do in the game? Myself I did quite well." Jorgas smiles and pats a belt pouch that clacks faintly.
”Myself as well.” Kasit patted the pouch on his side. ”My luck, it seems, comes in waves. But that aside, what do you think the next round will be like? And any idea what the purpose behind all of this is? I can’t get my head around it. Usually when rich people show off their money it is to other rich people. Why bring all of these gamblers to his place?”
"I suppose that's true. I hadn't thought of it that way. I hope you do well, though I can't honestly say that I hope you win, for purely selfish reasons" Sit Bredwir smiles. "Anyways, I'll see you this evening." He then turns to leave.
"Can't that I know any better than you lad. I do know the young Lord Kent was living in Durauch before he returned to Blackstone. Mayhaps, he got some bored being here in the backwaters."
"See you then!", Sonira says her farewell to Sir Bredwir, then finds Sariah:"I have thought about your question. I think the most amazing thing we ever saw took place when we were still children. We were in a caravan, then, and the apprentice of the wise-woman had a gift, you see. One day she called a companion given form by her mind alone. Seeing that creature manifest in the real world and be in service to her was frightening and amazing, felt spiritual and empowering. In all our travels, we had not experienced such a wonder again. What about you? What most amazed you in your life, so far?"
"That sounds amazing. I've seen all sorts of things, but nothing so special. Once I saw some elves visiting the city, I'm from Durauch, and one of them had leaves growing right outta his skin! That's probably the oddest I've seen."
"As long as he's good for the prize money I reckon I don't care what his reasons be. Rich folk do all sorts of odd things."
After concluding all the small talk that comes up, Sorina wanders to the main entrance, inquiring of the guards if they were permitted to take a walk - feeling constrained inside the castle area, wishing to be in a more open area again.
In fact, Sorina and Sonira intended to circle around the castle once, carefully looking for any hidden entrances or secured side gates. Most fortifications had something of the sort, and it would allow the Lords "guests" to come and go without drawing undue attention.
Sorina an Sonira are allowed to leave the keep without incident. As you step out you see the village of Blackstone below villagers wander about or are working in their gardens. On your left you see the castle's stables. You circle around the the castle to your right moving slowly chatting. On the front of the castle and and west side (the entrance is on the south side) you find nothing of particular note, though the view is nice. As you circle to the back of the castle however you notice a few things.
You notice an odd footprint/track.
You notice there is a place in the wall where the sones line up in a roughly retangular shape, and on closer inspection finds a scraping in the dirt than indicates there is a door that swings out here. Though you aren't able to determine how to open the door.
On the east side of the castle you have quite a view. You can see all the way to the far side of the valley including the bridge you crossed over the stream as you entered. As you move towards the front of the castle you see the backside of the stables and the south westerly breeze fills your nose with the smell of horse manure. You see man rolling a wheel barrow out the back entrance to dump manure on a pile next to the castle wall.
Edit: You aren't able to determine how to open the door. I also updated the map.
Circling around the castle, the sisters enjoy the view - it was good to be able to see far...while the window in the room provided that, it was something else to walk on the ground with no walls restraining one.
And so many interesting things to see...in the back of the castle, Sonira noticed some odd footprints - Sorina took a look and was pretty certain it matched up with Gnoll Feet, which they had seen in the locked room just yesterday.
It pretty obviously led to some place in the castle wall - albeit neither of the girls found a way to open it from the outside...that did not mean much, since neither of them were familiar with such mechanisms, but it also seemed to make sense to have a hidden escape door that could only be used from the inside.
As they walked on, they even managed to find a hidden trail going down the cliff. After making sure no Crows were watching, and hiding in some tall vegetation(as if to make water) all the same, Sorina unfettered Sonira, and the latter started to hike down the trail.
Sonira begins working her way down the faint trail which is tough going. After about fifteen minutes she comes to a drop-off of twenty or more feet. From her vantage she can see the Anduan below flowing between banks where tall pines give way to willows and brush near the waters edge. She estimates that she's about a quarter of the way down the bluff which rises around 350 ft above the valley floor below.
After Sonira returned back up the trail and reuniting with Sorina, the two finished their walk around the castle, making sure to remember the position of the secret door as clearly as possible with what points of reference are available.
Returning back inside, they hope for a chance to tell Kasit their findings - but will be content to go for dinner and wait for the second game round, expecting a busy night.
Sorina and Sonira finish their walk passing by the stables. You can see that there the stables, which have been buiolt almost as an afterthought along the side of the keep, are not large and with the extra guests at the keep some of the horses have been tied to a hitching post rather than put into stalls. They then he'd to dinner.
Tired from his late night Kasit bids Jorgas farwell then carefully heads up to his room keeping an eye out for Ioncacu. There he locks the door and lays down to take a nap. He gets up and heads to dinner when he hears the bell.
Dinner is a simple affair, but many of the contestants seem to be spending thier evening in the great hall together waiting for the next gaming session. You all eat, then decide to head to your rooms to discuss privately the days events and plan how to best coordinate during the next session. As reach the foot of the stairs you see Sariah playing dice with one of Lord Mevinter's men. They break off thier game as you enter the hallways and he follows you up the stairs. Sonira notices the man's nervousness and mentally warns Sornia something is up, putting both on guard, but Kasit is unaware of the impending danger.
As you turn the corner into the wider section of hall you see Markus and his other lackey waiting weapons out. "Well well well, this is convenient. I need chips for tonight's session, and these wenches owe me. Kasit, Dank tells me you're with them, so you probably cheated in our game, so you owe me too. Now each of you give me fifty of your chips or we'll take them."
Sorina sighs. And things were going so well.
"We don't owe you anywhere near that much. In fact, we hoped you'd take it like a champ when you were civil during the game and lunch."
Both Sorina and Sonira, forwarned, have a Starblade in hands: "Tell you what, you only need chips so you can play. How many won't matter if you are not disqualified. So there's a counter-offer: Both of us give you 25 chips as compensation for past misunderstandings, and Kasit nothing. You get to play, and we all have a decent evening."
Sonira picks up the chatter: "Or, you insist on the full fifty and this turns ugly. We'll cut down Dack, or Dank, or whatever your name was - sorry, never really cared - and rush to the courtyard. I have a feeling our Hosts guards, with whom we had a decent chat yesterday, will take our side, and things may turn ugly for you from there, Markus."
She pats her pouch with one hand, while raising the Starblade towards the minion blocking their retreat: "So, what will it be?"
Sorina adds, with a slick smile: "You'll also want to leave us with enough chips to stay in the tournament. Otherwise who are you gonna extort the next time you run out..."
A calculated procovation, certainly, but one that needed to be aired - as she also raised her blade, mirroring Sonira without looking at her.
"I guess I'll be taking my payback out of your hides."
”Woah! Woah woah, let’s think this through.” Kasit said, his hands in the air. He’d never been in a real fight before. Well, none in which he fought back, or where he didn’t outnumber the other guy by a significant margin. ”Think of...” And it was too late to talk his way out of it. A small part of his mind said that if he lived through this, he’d at least have an idea of whether his powers actually worked in a fight.
As Kasit backtracked he caused his dagger to come out of it’s sheathe and fly towards Markus.
Obviously catching the man by surprise, the dagger cut deep into his side. Kasit’s eyes widened, almost as surprised as they were that it actually worked.
The man goes down the dagger in his chest, having pierced his hide shirt.
Markus curses and steps up to Sorina taking his heavy blade in two hands."Damnit all! Come here wench, I'll make you bleed before this is through." His quick movement let's him get in close and land a heavy blow to Sorina's leg.
Markus's other lackey steps up as well swinging his mace in a great two handed swing which takes Kasit on the shoulder barley missing his head.
”GUARDS! MURDERS! HELP!” Kasit yelled. It wasn’t very heroic, but then again, he was far from a hero. As he quickly stepped backwards he willed his attacker’s blade to fly back towards him, threatening to cut the wielder.
"You bastard"
Sonira steps forward, holding her Starknife in a defensive Stance.
"You have choosen poorly, Markus."
"Uugh", Sorina stammers out when the heavy blade cuts her by surprise.
Stepping back between Sonira and Kasit, the moves her hand a certain way and a small vial shoots forward into her hand, which she quickly drinks.
Markus and his lackey both step up again and keep up the attack. Markus swings at Sorina again but slips on the blood slick stone and the swing goes wide causing his laceky to pull back during his own attack on Sonira.
”GUARDS!” Kasit backstepped again. He noticed...blood on the floor. The enemy was stepping into it....first he took the fallen thug’s knife and floated it into the dead man’s hand. Then he took Markus’ leg and mentally yanked it, causing the foe to slip in the blood. The sudden fall brought the man down...right on to the now raised dagger. It was the momentum of his own fall which did the rest.
Kasit's attack catches Markus as he's recovering, wounding him in his back though his breatplate prevents the wound from being fatal.
Markus slips and the dagger slides beneath his breatplate at the shoulder and deep into his chest. He does not rise.
"Oh...by the gods...what...?", Sorina kneels down, trying to stabilize Markus.
"Stand down! Drop your weapon and I will try and save your Lord, if such can be done!", Sonira shouts at the lackey still standing.
The man curses and drops his mace. "What about Dank? You gonna help him too?" He moves to look at the first man downed.
With Markus stabilizing if not already dead, Sorina switches her Attention to the Henchmen named Dank.
"Help her. I'll not turn my back to you after you ambushed us!", Sonira responds to the man, stepping aside to let him pass.
Kasit stood in mute horror at what he had done. His hands were clean, but there was blood on them. It was a strange mixture of feeling both guilty and powerful at the same time. It was not a good feeling. As Sorina saw to the fallen, Kasit just stood there, paralyzed by what had just happened.
After a quick look at Dank, the second lackey sees an opportunity and makes a break, running toward the stairs.
Kasit watched him go, unwilling to engage in further violence when his life wasn’t on the line.
With the lackey gone, both of the sister turn their attention towards Dank. They were not skilled in the medical arts, but stopping a wound from bleeding by binding tightly was simple enough - he may lose the arm, but better than his life...
Working together the sisters were able to staunch the worst of Dank's bloodloss and it seems that the dagger amazingly missed his heart. He will live.
Shortly after the lackey bolts you hear a commotion. Though the voices are muffled you catch the word "murder." A few moments later two guards come barreling down the hall shields raised and spears at the ready.
Visibly shaken Kasit backed up, his hands in the air.
”They attacked us! Tried to kill us for our chips.” He said as way of explanation.
The guards slow and look confused glancing at the sisters obviously administering first aid to Dank. "What do you mean they attacked you?! What is going on here?!"
Kasit took a deep breath. ”As you can see, these men came at us armed and armored. My companion here is still wounded from their attack. They demanded our chips and when we refused they tried to take it by lethal force. It was my voice you heard calling for your help. We were lucky though. In our struggle he had his blade knocked into himself...” He pointed at the first injured man ”And he slipped on the blood on the floor and fell on that dagger. There was a third man, but he ran away as I was calling for you. None of us wanted anyone to be hurt, or let alone die, and that is why you saw us administering first aid.”