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Completed Chapter V: Out of Sight

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Henvei v. R. Daltzen

Master of Cards

​



The Hisper's explanation made sense, although Henvei's paranoia refused to be placated, snarling and snapping against the walls of his head. "Of course. Yes. You would have heard such stories by now." The Folk's face sunk into an agitated calm. "But I am still curious. What stories would those be? What have you heard of my travels so far? My efforts as of yet have sought to keep the Daltzens at peace, but it seems that they have misread my intentions. I am sure that you have heard many things, rumor and otherwise. Share, share! I will correct what mistakes I hear. It is the least I can do in exchange for some news of home."
 

Dina Ailsa

Lost Child of Asgard

​



Thankful for the passage her friend provided, Dina continued inside. She couldn't help but feel bad for Sara now... She was just doing her job after all.


Dina assessed the situation. With lady Zarra not as approachable as one would desire, young girl's will wavered a little. She looked over to Violet hoping she would take the lead here as she did so far.
 



Maggie smiles sweetly at the shop owner. "Good morning to you!" she says, as cheerful as if Ms. Zarra had been welcoming instead of demanding. "Don't mind us, we're just in a bit of a rush, what with Lord Brook asking us to talk to all the merchants in town - well, the important ones at any rate. And you're certainly on that list!" She pauses quite deliberately, hoping Ms. Zarra's hostility will give way to curiosity about what a motley group like theirs would be doing for the lord of the city. And a bit of flattery never hurt anyone!
 
"They say many things. That you'd turned traitor to your own family, that you deceived them and stole a great treasure. Defiled the family name at the very least, possibly even tainted the College's image." Ricard spoke in the familiar tone of the beholder - impartial and lacking subjectivity. "They say many things, but not all believe them. In fact, the only irrefutable fact in the entire matter is that you had disappeared, for better or for worse, from the Wastes altogether. Is this where you were hiding? Not a very long way from home, I must say. Interesting."

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"Oh?" Lady Zarra raises a brow. "Flattery will only get you so far, but it's a start. You don't look like the Lord's men - pardon, women," she broke a brief laugh there, "On official business, but let's hear it. Lest my time be completely wasted."


Violet did speak then. "I am Violet Robbins, second-in-command of the Resistance. These two women are my compatriots on a task for Lord Brook. I will be blunt. The current... condition... of the city is likely to endure. Cut off as they are, the people will soon be in dire need of supplies. That includes those who can't afford them."


Zarra listened patiently and simply said: "Not blunt enough. What does that have to do with me?"


"Lord Brook wants all of the major businesses to begin dispensing goods at significantly discounted prices, or wherever possible, for free."


A few moments passed. Lady Zarra seemed faintly amused. "I've built my business coming from nothing. Do you know how? Let me tell you. It involves plenty of technical gibberish but can be summed up to one thing: By making good deals. And this," she waved her hand as if the matter was tangible, "Does not sound like a good deal to me. I renounce my profits, and when the storm passes will be left crippled, ripe to be trampled over by other merchants - not just those from Dunn. Why should I risk that for a bunch of peasants when there will always be - even in a time like this - those who can afford my prices? Let the Resistance take care of the poor if they love them so much."
 



A'kal advanced with the party up to the entrance of the graveyard, his great sword in hand. He followed close behind Meric as he seemed to dance through the undead ranks to be followed by the onslaught that Sanya, Bartholomew, and A'kal laid down as well.


"We must proceed with extensive caution in the crypt Meric. It will provide us with no safe haven," A'kal shouted over the fighting. The crypt is the sanctuary of the dead... Maker knows what horrors lie within...
 
"To say the least." Meric replied. "But whatever has caused this must lie within."


As the two spoke the others took down what turned out to be the last of the Undead, shockingly. Not that the realization took place in a moment. Due to all the fog surrounding them, it took a full minute of tense anticipation to finally be able to say with some certainty that the enemy had simply stopped coming.


The elf lowered his sword and afforded to ease up a bit, though his guard was only seemingly down. "Now where the hell did they go? Valtieri?" Heads turned towards the expert at hand. In the tranquility that ensued, the necromancer could feel the power emanating from the crypt clearer, feel it take on tangible sensations that could be described as... Well, brewing.


The party had reached the entrance to the crypt. Perhaps this had something to do it?
 

Dina Ailsa

Lost Child of Asgard

​



"You must know how it is to have nothing, then. Have you no symphaty for those in need? You say you made it this far by making good deals. Sometimes, a deal can be of a different kind. Not just a material one. Good word travels far." , Dina jumped in," And I hear a bad one travels even farther. "she pushed her luck. Dina's heart was pounding as if she was fighting on a battle field. One could say she was on one right now... In her heart, the young girl started to understand the importance of this more subtle battles.
 



Maggie smiles as her tactic pays off and Lady Zarra's attitude warms - only slightly, perhaps, but long journeys are made of small steps, and every one counts. She tilts her head, listening as the others present their case, nodding at particular points she understands (Lady Zarra's concern for her business's future, Dina's point about reputation). "And, then, you know, even rich people are more likely to shop where prices are lower - as you say, that's how they got rich to begin with. Zarra's isn't the only place we're speaking to merchants, and what if you're the only one not offering the discounts? People will go where the best deals are - and if you haven't lowered your prices, that won't be here." Maggie carefully adjusts her tone to sound concerned - the wrong word or tone here could sound like a threat, and she doesn't want that at all, even aside from the fact that Lady Zarra would probably get offended by it. Better if everyone can get something good out of this, and best if they're all happy about it! "And they might get used to going to the other stores, even after this is over and prices go back to normal. Deals can be both short- and long-term, right? This could be one of those long-term decision moments." She smiles hopefully.
 

Henvei v. R. Daltzen

Master of Cards

​



"Disappear? To here?" The wizard snorted, amused and relieved by the lack of any evident scheme behind the Hisper's words. Still, he maintained degree of reserve in his subsequent words. "Certainly, I have missed their propensity for theatrics. It appears that they have not held back any reserves in their opinions. Even a stranger to the Daltzen way would call their cries scandalous."


"But I assure you, there is nothing as sinister as they have made out. Indeed, I am surprised to hear of such a fuss. Our recent loss -" And here, Henvei cast his eyes into a deep melancholy, "-has left our affairs in disarray. I am sure you know this. Most of the city, after all, has not been spared our fiery rhetoric, and we have been too in flames to hush our debates. Thus, I think, we have developed a disposition to quick tempers, and quicker accusations. I suspect, then, that they have taken my absence as a personal offense, or else, some dark scheme in a dark plan."


"No, I am here on assignment. Fulfilling my daily duties has taken me beyond the walls; the Daltzens, meanwhile, have forgotten how to keep the college running, so caught up are we in our sorrows and our pains. In such a state, it is easy to mistake a benign action for a cancerous cyst. Take, for example, their cries of thievery. Yes: I have taken precious things - notebooks, tomes, a traveling kit. But, look deeper than that: had they delved into the ledgers, as is proper, they would have found a clear signature, dates of delivery, and expected times of return, all in their proper place. Deception? I say misunderstanding, and I say so with a clear and even tone. There is no ill-will or dark plots to be found in this Daltzen. It is my duty to continue with the business of the College; I have no budget to indulge in wild emotions, as torn as I am by our misfortune."
 
"You needn't worry about my reputation, girl. I don't." Lady Zarra said to Dina, but Maggie's words struck a chord. "I... I would not expect a woman of the cloth to be wise in such affairs. Are you certain you're not in the wrong profession?" She smiled a cunning smile, then sighed and spoke again at long last. "Though it does not make me happy, I cannot fail to see the point of your deliberation. Be glad, for I have decided to accept Lord Brook's request and will knock down the prices of all relevant articles for the duration of this crisis. And that's the best I can do. Now, does that settle our little talk? I've matters to attend to."


"Certainly, Lady Zarra." Violet bows with her head readily. "We have elsewhere to be as well. Thank you for your cooperation." The elf slowly makes to leave, signaling Dina and Maggie to follow with a meaningful look.

*** *** ***

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Ricard Hisper listened to the scholar's words intently and with interest written all over his face. After Henvei was done talking, a long moment of silence ensued during which his conversational partner said nothing, seemingly dazed with his words. It took the strong scent of bloodleaf tea entering the room in expensive-looking cups on an equally expensive-looking platter carried by the old maester to rouse him.


"Ah, bloodleaf! Excellent...!" said the Folk, sizing up the three steaming cups with ravenous eyes. "And most interesting, Henvei. I had not heard the story from this angle. Come to think of it, I don't think that anyone has. Most interesting..." The rest of his thoughts were drowned by deliberate consummation of the fiery liquid.


"Please, help yourself. And we have Henvei vech Daltzen to thank." maester Roderick nodded politely and sat down to enjoy his cup without another word.
 



Maggie smiles once more, this time with real gratitude. "Yes, thank you very much! I know everyone involved will appreciate it. Maker's blessing upon you and yours." She bows, slightly but in honest respect, and follows Violet out.
 

Dina Ailsa

Lost Child of Asgard

​



"That was not as hard as I thought it would be. Nice work, Maggie." Dina spoke after they felt the shop. She smiled brightly at the newcomer.


With only one merchant left Dina felt like they already finished the job.
 
"You two handled that well." said Violet, leading the girls out of Market Square, northwards. "If we got Zarra on our side, we can get anyone. But we only need one more: A man named Filch who controls most of the businesses on the Riverfront. You know, it was his establishments that we saved last night from the river monsters; perhaps we can use that." she suggested.


Under the grey, cloudy skies above Dunn, the streets were next to empty as the trio neared the Riverfront Gates. Aside from the occasional passerby it was mostly soldiers who came and went. The gates ahead were open but under heavy watch. People shouted. There seemed to be some kind of commotion going on. Then someone broke through the line of soldiers; a young man, no older than twenty-five, in tattered clothes. He ran right up to Maggie and fell down at her feet.


"Maker help us!" he began screaming in desparation, looking past the priestess' face and into the heavens. "The devils will take us all! Blood will fill the gutters... Only He can set us free! Help us, sister, help..." his chanting was interrupted by two bulky City Watch soldiers that had followed him and were now restraining him with the clear intention to drag him back to the gates.

*** *** ***

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"Valtieri?" Meric called on the necromancer again, but the man seemed to be ignoring him. The elf walked up to him; the necromancer was standing right next to the crypt entrance, staring at the wall to the right. Meric was about to protest for the third time, until he saw what it was that the man was staring at. "What the hell...?"


Written across the wall in red, possibly blood, was a message:


kiLbn7T.jpg
 
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Maggie smiled at the other two. "I think we're turning into a pretty good team, myself. Mr. Filch, is it? Like you say, maybe he'll start out being grateful to us instead of impatient..." She trailed off as the tattered young man ran at them screaming. As the guards started to drag him off, she cried, "No, wait! Let me talk to him. What's going on?" That last question was mainly directed at the young man, but she wouldn't turn down an explanation from anyone else, given the commotion at the gate.
 
"It's no use, priestess. They're like rabid dogs." the older of the two soldiers paused in his task just long enough to provide an explanation, but it was enough for the hysteric to break free from the grip of the other guard and rush again, this time past Maggie as if she didn't exist, screaming incoherently. In fact, some words could be discerned. It was something about devils, blood, and death. So nothing new to be divulged.


The soldiers caught up with him though, and Maggie had a nice close up view of the older one liberally knocking the youth out. Satisfyingly glancing at the limp body, the soldier says to the other one: "Goddamn. I'll drag him back on my own. Go and find the captain! Tell him things are getting out of control here." He watched his colleague leave the scene, then began dragging the unconscious body back towards the gate, muttering as he left: "My pardon, Sister."


Violet just gave a significant look to Maggie and Dina. One of trouble.
 



Maggie shakes her head regretfully as the poor young man is dragged off. "Oh dear. We'd best find out what's going on. Maybe there's something we can do." Without waiting for a response, she follows the soldier to the gate to search for someone who looks like they're in charge - or at least who looks like they know what's happening. Once she finds him (or her), she calls out, "Excuse me! What's all this about? Is there some way we can help?"
 
Quickly, into the crypt.


Now there's something you don't hear every day. But it's what happened. Hurriedly all of them entered the crypt after Meric pushed its heavy iron gates open: A'kal, Sanya, Battojutsu, Valtieri. Because there were no windows, inside was dark. Meric grabbed a torch from a holder and lit up the small antechamber they were in. A short, narrow hallway led out into the next room that couldn't have been too big given the size of the building as seen from the outside. This was quickly proven by Meric who carefully advanced and explored the place, lighting up torches as he went so by the end visibility was no longer an issue.


The second room was circular and no more than thirty feet in diameter. Statues depicting hooded figures surrounded the room, among decorations such as bat candle holders and wall carvings related to death. In the center was a stone spiral staircase that plunged into thick darkness.


When everyone was gathered around the stairs Meric made a remark. "It would probably be a good idea to leave a rearguard before we descend into the dark crypt full of Undead. Valtieri needs to come. Any takers?"


"I will." said Sanya after a moment of silence. "If something does try to follow you, the whole point of the rearguard is that it is able to stop them. Make no mistake - I would much rather join you below, but I could be just as useful up here."


"Indeed. Thank you." Meric nods and is the first to start the descent. "We will proceed in a column. A'kal, after me, and Battojutsu should go last with Valtieri in front of him. Grab a torch off the wall each, and let us be done with this."




*** *** ***​



Back topside, Maggie is effectively ignored by everyone including the person she beckoned to. The soldier in question was clearly not in command based on his standard uniform, but he stood isolated and shouted instructions to others which was good enough. But he didn't notice the priestess, or if he did, he was paying her no heed.


Until Violet came up to him and addressed him in a loud, affirmative tone. "You were asked a question, soldier! Are you deaf?"


The man turned around with a startled expression and looked equally confused when he saw the trio behind him. "Commander Robbins! I..."


"Well are you just going to stand there muttering like an imbecile or are you going to explain what the hell is going on here?" asked Violet in a well-trained manner that could only be executed by someone who had done it a hundred times before.


The Riverfront Gates were wide open, but an orderly line of soldiers was blocking passage, facing outwards. Beyond the gates, however, it was downright chaotic. People were running around, shouting. Some were kneeling on the ground, chanting or screaming. A small group of desperate men and women were clawing at the soldiers that blocked the entrance to the city, their faces twisted by fear and panic. They were repelled, again and again, more violently each time. Some were lying down on the ground, still.


A single man was standing amid the chaos across the street, right where last night's fight against the river monsters took place. His arms were up in the air and he was giving a speech to a mass of people who bowed down before him. Things were so out of place that one would have difficulty describing them, but the soldier tried.


"Madness, commander. The whole district went mad overnight! They're blundering about devils and death, calling upon all the known gods to save them. Some are aggressive, others just shriek on their knees." The soldier was visibly nervous. "We rallied reinforcements and called upon the captain. In the meantime we're denying access in and out of the city."


Violet glanced cautiously at Dina and Maggie, but to the soldier she said: "We have business in the Riverfront. Will you deny us?"


The soldier gasped. "By the Maker, Commander! Certainly not! We've just no idea what to do. Those are our compatriots out there, but they're behaving like madmen. If you must go, no one will stop you though I wouldn't advise it. What should we do?" The man looked at Violet with anticipation.


"Wait for the captain. I'll see things for myself."


The soldier saluted and went to make way for Violet's group to pass. The elf looked after him for a spell, then turned towards Maggie and Dina.


"It sounds dangerous out there. I'm not inclined to take you two with me." She looked at both of them as she said it, but her gaze fell heaviest on Dina.
 

Dina Ailsa

Lost Child of Asgard

​



This new development shook Dina...


But this young girl made herself a promise, a promise to give all of herself for their cause. Even as she listened to the soldier's explanation she was trying to mimic Violet's posture and gestures. She had large shoes to fill. Dina did her mimicry on a smaller scale, though, not to draw attention. Despite all this, when Violet spoke to Maggie and her Dina did not boldly offer to follow. It was not enough to say that she was scared...


With her thoughts running wild, the girl was almost shaking. One course of her train of thoughts was of the example she needed to set. Courage, loyalty, concern. It was this that she saw fit to show her future subjects. She had to move, she had to set this high example if she was worthy of a throne. But then, if she did this the chances are there would be no one left to rule. If she endangers herself so, she might die on the spot. And, she was not ready to even set the example she wanted to. She is still taking only baby steps toward the expected image of a royal heiress.


"How could I ever leave you to go alone in a face of peril? You are the only family I have left." Dina spoke, almost crying. Despite everything she was stuck at only this question: How far is she willing to go to protect someone dear to her heart? Dina gazed at her arm covered in purple vines. At this moment she was willing to pay the price, any price, for more power. Those who knew Dina long enough to notice subtle changes in her eyes could see that something shifted in her mind. Something maybe dangerous.


The final answer was for Violet to mouth.
 
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Vittorio Valtieri

The Gentleman Necromancer

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Valtieri takes a torch, then slips a hand into his bag to feel the comfortable weight of the runes there interred. There will be need of them 'ere long - I only hope I have enough of sufficient power
 



Maggie laid a reassuring hand gently on Dina's shoulder. "I'm going, so she won't be alone. And Violet, it doesn't look like these people are violent so far, just, well, crazy. If it does turn bad, I can hold my own well enough." She looked out at the chaotic scene beyond the gate, pity clearly in her eyes. "Besides, I think this is something I need to do - especially if they're calling on the gods for help."
 
Violet was quiet for several long moments, and then delivered her judgement. "That's fine if you want to come along, you can take care of yourself at least, but Dina... Dina is important. To me, at least. I don't want to risk her welfare if I don't have to."


The elf lowers herself on one knee by Dina and takes the girl by the hand gently. "Wait here, ok? You don't need to take unnecessary risks. Wait for us here. You'll be safe behind the soldiers' line." And she signals the soldier she spoke to before to approach.
 

Dina Ailsa

Lost Child of Asgard
​



Dina switched her gaze to Violet now. "Please be safe. I would never forgive myself if something happened and I just... Waited right here doing nothing. I..." The girl spoke afraid to lose her precious friend. Dina also dropped on her knees now. She hugged Violet tightly. "Please..." Dina whispered. At this point her thought was a plea to the Maker. She let go of Violet a moment after and stood up.


She would wait for them here, as long as it takes. "Good luck to you both." She gave an intense look to both of them in turn.
 
After freeing herself from Dina's embrace, Violet looked cheerful. "Well it's not like we're marching off to battle, you know!" she joked. By then the soldier approached and Violet firmly instructed him to keep an eye on the girl as she was not to come to any harm. After waving a final goodbye, Violet led Maggie through the gates; the soldiers skillfully cleared the way for them and reformed the line afterwards.


Dina could only see the two for a little while afterwards, for they were soon out of sight.


"This has to be more than it seems." the elf commander said to the priestess, loosening her blade. "We'll go to the merchant. I know the way. But I intend to learn what is going here as well. Any guesses?" She didn't really look at Maggie. Instead she kept her vigil and maintained distance from the most suspicious-looking individuals. No one seemed to care that they were passing through for now.
 



Maggie smiled at Dina and followed Violet through the gates. Just before passing out of sight, she looked back to give Dina one last confident wave, then continued onward. "Not more river creatures, I'd guess. This looks more...mental in nature. I wonder if this part of the city uses its own water supply? Or maybe there's something in the air..." She looked sidelong at Violet. "If you start to feel strange, let me know, just in case."
 
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