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Fantasy Sorcery!!! (Completed)

>> Turn left <<

As they emerged from the dark Aquila couldn't help but feel the sheer relief washing over her and sigh with it. So, they'd managed to escape their jail after all, but their jailers were still after them and Aquila had no intention of being caught. Reaching out she steadied the Elf, unwilling to let him trip and fall now when he'd finally experienced freedom. She pulled him to the left with her, disorientated on which direction to go and acting purely on auto-pilot.
 
At the first junction they turned left. The Elf was steadied slightly by her help, but he was still flagging.

"That way." He pointed ahead to an alley that turned to the right. The guards were behind them still, but a bit farther than before. The Elf however, could not run any more. "Go on." He gasped, holding onto the wall to keep his balance. "I'll only slow you down. I'll delay them."

- Leave him.
- Drag him with you.
- Set up an ambush for the guards.
 
>> Set up an ambush for the guards <<

"I'm not leaving you," Aquila hissed, as if appalled that he'd even suggested it. "You only just got out of that cell!" Leaving him was out of the question, and pulling him along wouldn't work for long, soon the guards would be upon them. Their best chance for an escape now was an ambush, whether Aquila had the stamina to achieve such a feat was debatable. And the amount of guards on their tail was an unknown that she'd have to face. Aquila drew her bow and arrow before she passed Rhain's dagger to the Elf -- he'd need something to defend himself. "We'll ambush them," She said with a grim expression before getting into position.
 
"You are too kind to strangers." The Elf gave a small sigh but he did not protest. In the alley, just next to them were stacked crates and barrels which used as a good hiding spot. The Elf pointed toward it and the two of them ducked behind the crates, waiting for the Red-eyes to appear.

It did not take long. Just a couple of quick breaths later the Red-eyes jogged up to their hiding spot. Aquila could not dawdle. She sprung up and loosened an arrow at the first guard, striking him clear in the chest. His eyes opened and the crates in front of her burst into flames, pushing her backwards, stumbling. The Elf held the dagger, but he was barely keeping his balance and made no move to attack the other two guards. And he did not look like he would be able to do it even if he tried to.

The two remaining Red-eyes now approached the crates with caution.

- Fire another arrow.
- Cast a spell.
- Run.
 
>> Fire another arrow <<

"I am not kind enough," Aquila replied softly, regret coloured her voice. They hid behind the crates at the Elf's suggestion and waited for the guards to appear, Aquila kept her bow in hand with an arrow cocked at the ready. She took a deep breath to steady her frayed nerves and prepared herself for what was to come. And then the guards were upon them -- Aquila stood from her hiding spot, turned and set loose the arrow. It found its mark in the chest of an unsuspecting guard, the same flames erupting from the sockets of his eyes.

Aquila stepped away from the blaze of the crates, drawing another arrow in the same movement. She drew back the bow string and aimed for the closest guard's chest, setting it free once again. Quickness was important at this point, she had to avoid them opening their terrifying eyes.
 
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Firing another arrow did not prove quick enough. The guards sensed her and one of them opened their eyes. No fire came for Aquila, though, only dizziness. Her body swayed and darkness swam at the edge of her vision. There were hands around her and she felt her body slumping into someone's arms. Then, everything was black.

--

This kind of thing happened to her often. Being knocked out. However, this time she did not wake up with a huge bump on her head in a hull of a ship or on top of someone in a prison cell. When her eyes opened she saw wooden beams on the ceiling and faint light of the waning sun coming in through thick red curtains. And when she turned her head just slightly to the left - there was another shape sleeping in the bed next to her. The Elven prisoner, his face mostly covered by his silver hair, expression serene, though his cheeks were gaunt and eyes sunken. Aquila's stirring caused him to open his eyes slowly, lids fluttering as he focused on her.

"I apologise." He spoke, not trying to move from the spot. "I'm afraid I have exhausted every bit of energy I had left. I brought you here and I just could not make another step." He yawned, visibly barely succeeded to stay awake.

Aquila felt much better. Her strength was back, although her singed wrist throbbed with dull pain. Her belonging were just next to the bed, though she had no idea where she was.

- Ask where are you.
- Ask what happened.
- Ask the Elf's name.
- Let the Elf sleep.
 
>> Ask what happened <<

Unfamiliar wooden beams arched over head and it took a long moment for Aquila to realize that she was somewhere comfortable for once. Carefully she turned onto her side, facing the Elf, and cradled her injured wrist to her chest -- when had that happened? The faces of the guards with their horrible eyes rushed back to her and Aquila's eyes widened as she took in the exhausted form of the Elf. "What happened?" Aquila whispered, not wanting to raise her voice in the face of his clear exhaustion. "Are you injured?" She'd left him alone to fight those guards and rendered useless, Aquila seemed to be doing that a lot recently.
 
"I'm not." The Elf yawned again. He tried to straighten up, but gave up on it after a feeble attempt. "Just exhausted. I haven't used my sorcery in such a long time, I forgot how draining it was." He took a deep breath and continued. "Your arrow hit the second guard's shoulder, but he hypnotised you, knocked you unconscious. I dealt with them, somehow, I'm not even sure how I managed it. And then I carried you here. This..." He raised a hand to gesture at the surroundings. "Is my home. Partially looted now, by my former servants no doubt, but mostly still there. Though I don't think either of us we'll be safe here for too long." His eyes were half lidded and he looked like he would doze off in the middle of the conversation. "Could you please do me a favour, Aquila? There must be some tea left in the pantry down below. Please make us some." Even as he spoke his eyes closed and his breathing deepened.

- Go make tea.
- Wake him up.
 
>> Go make tea <<
Aquila couldn't help but grimace at his description of the ambush, it had slipped out of her hands so quickly and in the end she'd been more of a burden than a help. It bothered her immensely, and for the first time Aquila began to wonder how many people end up hurt, or worse, for her. The fact that this was the Elf's former house took her by surprise, and the fact he had servants, perhaps he'd been somebody important once. Before he'd been left in that cell to simply rot away.

His request for tea was met with a soft, fond smile -- though the Elf's eyes were already closed. "Rest now," Aquila murmured softly and stood slowly from the bed, careful not to jostle him more than necessary. She headed out the door with the intention of searching the house for something to make tea. Would his former servants have bothered with the tea too? She could only wonder. Sometime today she'd need to send up some prayers to Panther, it'd been a long while since Aquila had last prayed to her Guardian.
 
The Panther stirred with her thoughts, even the slightest mention of its name would make the guardian spirit purr in her mind. It did not speak, however, but the presence of it was as warm as usual.

Aquila found the tea in the pantry. It was a small sack of dried herbs that smelled like mint. She also found that a fireplace in the living room was lit and a pot was already placed above it, the water boiling. The Elf must have done so before collapsing on the bed. His home was huge. The upper floor had at least five rooms, judging by the number of doors Aquila passed by on her way down. The living room was very large and nicely decorated, though it was clear that there were paintings missing from the walls and there were lighter circles on the tables where a chandelier or a vase might have been once.

She found the cups in the kitchen and poured the tea from the pot, taking it up the stairs. The Elf looked to be out of it still, he did not stir when she opened the doors. The bedroom had a king size bed with silk awning, a large dresser and a heavy wooden desk covered in papers. If it was the former prisoner's room, then he could have been a busy man indeed.

- Wake him up to talk to him.
- Leave the tea and examine the papers on the desk.
 
>> Wake him up to talk to him <<

Aquila's previous conclusion on the Elf being somebody of importance was only further cemented by the sheer scale of his home. It was sprawling in its size and had once been lavishly decorated, though he hadn't been wrong in his assumptions of it being ransacked. After she'd prepared the tea she brought it back upstairs, keeping her steps light to offer the Elf some peace while he rested. For a moment she was surely tempted to look over the papers he'd left behind before he'd been taken by the Red-Eyes, but she refrained. Aquila was curious but she wasn't going to snoop through the Elf's belongings. She paused for a long moment as she didn't want to wake the exhausted male, but in the end she sighed and leaned forward to wake him.

"Wake up, Elf," Aquila said softly, still refusing to call him by the address of Six. "I've brought the tea, I think it's mint?"
 
"I can smell it." The Elf said, opening one eye lazily. Then he very slowly stretched and sat up in bed. "Smells wonderful. Thank you." He said, taking the offered cup. After a small, careful sip, he let out a satisfied noise. "Ah, I missed this."

- Ask for his name.
- Ask about his home.
- Ask something else.
 
>> Ask for his name <<

Amusement flickered across Aquila's features as the Elf stretched out lazily, reminding her of a particularly large cat. She hid her smile behind her own cup of tea and settled herself on the edge of the bed. Again she wondered how long he'd been in that cell -- he looked so tired and fragile, Aquila resolved to get him some food after this. She wouldn't let him fade away. "You know," Aquila began quietly, blue eyes tentative over the rim of her cup. "You still haven't told me your name."
 
"I did not." The Elf looked at her putting the cup on the end table. He folded his fingers in his lap, looking at her for a moment, judging what he should say. Then, very silently, like there could be a spy just around the corner, he whispered. "Xirin."

Aquila remembered that Xirin was the name written on one of the chairs of the Nobles in the Council chamber. Xirin, the Sixth Noble. Rhain had thought all of them dead or driven away by the First Noble. If this Elf was indeed one of the Nobles, he could have useful information about Khare and the North Gate.

- Ask about his imprisonment.
- Ask about the Nobles.
- Ask about the North Gate.
 
>> Ask about the North Gate <<

Not even the cup that she held could've hidden Aquila's surprise, her eyebrows rose up and eyes widened. She had seen his name written upon the council chairs and thought them all gone. Aquila had so many questions that she wanted to ask him: How did he end up imprisioned? Where were the other Nobles now? Where was Lorag? Did he know any of the lines to the North Gate? And if not, did he know where she could find them? For a second she was overwhelmed by indecision of what to ask him, but then settled for lowering her cup to clasp between two hands in her lap.

"You're one of the Council Nobles," Aquila said softly, hushed by Xirin's own whisper. "Do.. you know any of the lines for the North Gate?" Out of all the questions she wanted to ask, this was the most pressing. After all, Aquila's first priority was to get out of Khare and to continue on her quest. Everything else, unfortunately, had to come second.
 
"Ah, so you know about the spell." Xirin nodded, looking at her intently. "Four of my friends knew the lines. I'm sure that all of them are dead or captured by now." He answered, the expression on his face pained. "If Lorag was here, he would be able to help you better. He is one miserable gentleman, but he knows everything about everything. Or at least... he used to know." He took a deep breath, rubbing his eyes to drive the sleep away. "I know but a small fragment of the spell, it is just one half of one line." He cleared his throat, leaning into the armchair again. "With Courga's grace." He recited, then gave a small shrug. "I know, very anticlimactic. But, that's all I know, I'm afraid. If you are intent on finding out more, there's your clue. Courga is a god worshiped in Khare. His temple is south and east from here. You'd have to go through the cemetery to reach it, though, and be careful around there. The citizens of Khare are never at peace, even when they are dead."

Aquila had just learned half a line of the North Gate spell. She would need to learn the other half of it and find three more if she wanted to eventually leave Khare. She had two clues where to find them. One given by the poachers, to find Lorag south of the Red Quarter. And the other given by Xirin to find the temple of Courga. The poachers had mentioned Courga as well. It could not have been a coincidence.

- Ask about Lorag.
- Ask about Courga.
- Ask about his imprisonment.
- Drink the tea in silence.
 
>> Ask about his imprisonment <<

Aquila nodded along to show that she was listening intently and hummed thoughtfully when he finished. It seemed that things were never as easy as they appeared, and in the end Aquila wasn't that surprised. She took a delicate sip of her tea and deliberated on what to ask next; Aquila needed to find Lorag and question him about the lines, by the sounds of things she'd also need to speak with Courga, and then, possibly, find Rhain and update him. However, there was something else that she was curious about: How had Xirin ended up imprisioned in the first place? Aquila approached the topic hesitantly.

"Your friend that betrayed you," Aquila began, speaking in that soft voice she reserved for when approaching delicate subjects. "Was it the First Noble?" It was a guess and a long-shot but she was curious on what had happened to the Nobles. Xirin had mentioned they'd all been captured, killed, or worse, and yet he'd been betrayed.
 
"He betrayed us all." The Elf spoke, closing his eyes. "Khare is a pirate city, despite what anyone says. It will always be a city of thugs, cheats and killers. Us, Nobles, we were some sort of a law, though we fought among each other in our pretty halls the same as the pirates did on the streets. Now, finally everything went to hell. My friends, my enemies, all the Nobles are gone. It was Sansas, I'm sure of it. He was acting strange for a whole year, we all have noticed it. We should not have let him stay in his throne." He gritted his teeth, taking a moment of silence, before turning to Aquila. "You will have a hard time gathering all the lines, now that the Nobles are scattered."

- Ask who knew the lines.
- Ask about north of Khare.
- Ask something else.
 
>> Ask who knew the lines <<

"I am sorry to hear that," Aquila murmured quietly, she reached out and placed her uninjured hand over his to give it a comforting squeeze. There was nothing worse than betrayal; she had learned that from her own parents. "May I ask who knew about the lines?" She asked, a more determined expression taking the place of her gentle sympathies. It'd be easier if Xirin could give her names, then she'd know exactly whom she was tracking down. Despite what the Elf believed Aquila wasn't going to give up because it was hard, everything on this quest would challenge her and it was Aquila's duty to continue meeting those challenges without fail. She couldn't falter now.
 
"Thank you." The Elf looked up at her with a gentle smile. "Lorag, Teetah, Shinva and Moulag." He answered. "If you intend to look for all of them, I can tell you for certainty that Shinva is long dead. I have witnessed his death myself. I do fear that the others have met the same fate, though I was caught and thrown in prison so I cannot be certain. I am not the most optimistic person, as you might have noticed." He tried another smile again, but it quickly fell away. "Well, I'm gonna rest. You are welcome to stay here for however long you would like, though I don't recommend to linger too long. I'm sure that Sansas's goons will seek me out here soon. It would be better for you not to be here then. I know I don't intend to."

- Go explore.
- Stay and rest.
 
>> Go explore <<

Luckily for him, Aquila had enough optimism for the two of them and she merely beamed at Xirin as if he'd supplied her with the lines himself. "I've heard rumors of Lorag lingering in the Red Quarter," Aquila supplied, it was all the hope that she could currently offer him before she grabbed her bag and headed for the door. The red head paused in the doorway and then retrieved one of the rations she'd bought earlier. "I will return later, please eat this and regain your strength." She placed one of her rations on the bed before she finally departed. Aquila's first order of business was tracking down this Lorag Noble, it seemed that he'd have the most information out of the two.
 
"I wish you would find him alive. But, I don't have much hope." Xiring answered before turning away from Aquila on the bed, preparing to rest.

Aquila walked out of Xirin's home and through a couple of side alleys, following the noise. It was late afternoon now and she would have a couple of hours for exploring. Soon enough she emerged onto a square filled with people. On the other side of the square, the main road continued on through a low arch. A thousand other alleyways led off in all directions into Upper Khare.

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The arch at the far end of the square is thronged with more creatures, all of different races and mixes. There seemed to be a bustling hub beyond. A market district. From a side alley two Red-eye guards emerged, looking around intently. They turned their faces this way and that, however, they were unable to catch a whiff of Aquila. After a couple of moments they disappeared from view.

A pedlar with a tray around his neck walked past Aquila in the square. "Ankleworth! Blimberry! Poultice of Millweed!" He hawked his wares.

- Explore the square.
- Talk to the herbalist.
- Continue south on the main road.
 
>> Continue south on the main road <<
Aquila stepped out into the bustling square, cloak pulled tight to her figure as blue eyes glanced over the gathered crowd. Various unfamiliar faces passed as they went about their business of the market place -- different creatures of different classes living separate and complex lives outside of her quest. Her gaze fell on a pair of Red-Eyes where they stood at the mouth of an alley, their looks were intense as they faced out over the crowd, obviously looking for their escapees. Aquila tugged up the hood of her cloak and turned, away from the market, and continued down the south road that would lead her away from the guards and toward her destination. She wouldn't risk another run-in with them so soon.
 
The main road continued on Aquila's right hand side, on the river bank. She slipped into the shadow of tall buildings. The houses on either side were well built and well defended - there were iron railings on the windows, and some even had arrow slits and porticullises. One householder had dug a moat across his front door. It was a neighbourhood of miniature fortresses.

Outside one such building a tall man stood, holding a grappling hook. As Aquila approached his way he swung the grappling hook twice, aiming for one of the windows on the floor above. The hook missed and clattered to the street below, and the man cursed, before gathering up the rope for another try.

- Ask what's he doing.
- Ignore him and continue.
 
>> Ask what he's doing <<

With the market place to her back, the red head was quick to move onward and away from the crowds. Blue eyes flickered over the fortresses of houses with genuine interest -- they obviously took home security quite seriously in this part of the neighborhood. Aquila supposed that it made sense, at least when she thought about it, after all Khare was the city of thieves and assassins. Had she lived in such a place she'd be paranoid too. Still, none of that explained why there was a strange man in the street with a grappling hook. He seemed to be trying to break into one of the fortified houses, but to no avail.

Aquila chewed on her bottom lip and kept her amusement at bay. She approached quietly as her gaze flickered between himself and the window he was attempting to enter. Logically she probably shouldn't approach a stranger, especially a stranger trying to break into a home. But that didn't stop her from doing exactly. "Good afternoon," Aquila said as she approached with a smile, "May I ask what you're doing?"
 

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