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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3335025" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p>The foursome sat within the inn and talked for over an hour. They watched a few of the patrons come and go and quickly realized that there were a number of the clientele who were likely here for the long haul. Besides the woman sitting at the counter, the rest of the patrons who looked as though they weren’t going anywhere looked to be of an age of retirement. They probably had long given up the sword and shield and dropped out of Lord Ironblood’s army. Perhaps they had already sold their stores. It was quite possible that some of the patrons who were present had already handed over the control of the family land to their eldest son or daughter and thus could afford to work the land only sparingly.</p><p></p><p>Semeion had spent a good deal of the time perusing through his smaller spell book. He had brought his large grimoire to Ausaphaborishan’s valley so that he could continue his studies while the final preparations for the wedding were taking place. When he had heard that the villa had been destroyed, Semeion decided that the safest place for his grimoire was in the valley until the remaining Drakontai who had come from the villa returned. They would bring the grimoire with them. Until then, Semeion only had his traveling spell book to study. While considerably smaller, it had all the spells that he needed for this particular day.</p><p></p><p>Semeion leaned forward and drew the right side of his lips back as he looked around the room and thought. The effect that this motion had on his face was the formation of a significant dimple in the middle of his right cheek. He leaned forward in his chair so that the majority of his torso was over the table and spoke softly. <span style="color: Plum">“I don’t know, guys. This doesn’t have the right feel. The majority of the people who appear to be more than just occasionally patrons look rather old. I just imagined Bloodseeker to be a younger man than the majority of the people spending their afternoon here.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis leaned slightly towards Semeion and put her arm around her husband’s shoulders. <span style="color: Orange">“Oh, come on, Semeion. Whether or not this is exactly the right place doesn’t particularly matter. We could use a little practice with our plan, so if it doesn’t happen to be the right place then that’s fine, too. You can’t honestly think that the first place we choose to walk into is going to have exactly what we need, can you?”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema and Ischarus nodded in agreement to Charis’ words. Rhema leaned back in her chair and winked to Semeion. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Besides, you and I have the easiest roles to play. It is Charis and Ischarus who truly have anything at stake in the plan. If we play our part right, nobody will even know that we were involved.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked directly into Semeion’s eyes and then grinned broadly. <span style="color: Lightblue">“Since it is typically a wise thing to do, anyway, I agree with the women. Now, go and make yourself scarce.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis interrupted Semeion before he could start into motion. <span style="color: Orange">“Ischarus, slip me the handle of your sword under the table as quietly as you can. I need to touch the blade, but I don’t want the scabbard. As soon as I’ve touched the blade, it needs to go back into your scabbard as quickly as possible.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus wrinkled his eyebrows in slight confusion, but he knew enough to trust his fellow Drakontos companion. <span style="color: Lightblue">“Very well. I’ll hold onto the scabbard while you draw out the blade. The sword is longer than the table is wide, so it won’t come out from the scabbard. When you are done, slide it in rather quickly. You won’t hurt me, just keep the noise down.”</span></p><p></p><p>A slight metallic sound rang out for just a moment as the hilt of the sword was drawn away from the scabbard and passed underneath the table. Few in the tavern even heard the noise, and even fewer in the tavern bothered to turn and try and find the origin of the sound. Those who did were unsuccessful in looking for what they knew should be there.</p><p></p><p>Charis looked down toward the table as her hands fished for the sharp blade underneath and out of view. She searched gingerly, knowing that Ischarus kept his blade meticulously sharpened. One wrong move and she could cut herself badly. After a few seconds of blind searching, her fingers found the flat of the blade. She pressed one hand over the blade and then cradled the underside with her other hand. Her lips moved, but the sounds coming from her mouth was nearly inaudible. <span style="color: Orange">“Arack.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion had used the spell often enough that everyone at the table knew immediately what she had done. With recognition in his eyes, Ischarus gripped the end of his scabbard and prepared for Charis to shove the blade quickly into its holder so that few if any of the patrons would see the magical light cast upon the blade. Charis did not disappoint Ischarus. With a firm thrust, she gripped the handle and drove the blade toward him until she could feel the blade lock closed in the scabbard. <span style="color: Orange">“We’re ready.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema rose from the table with a bit of a nervous look on her face. She spoke with a louder than normal voice so that eavesdropping upon the conversation would be made easier. Her only fear was that it would grow too obvious that she was speaking loudly. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“I don’t really need to hear your bickering again! We’ve already been down this route several times. If you two can’t settle your differences in a normal fashion then I don’t want to be around when you chose another way! I’m checking on the horses.”</span></p><p></p><p>Several patrons in the inn looked in her direction, but they quickly turned their heads back to their tables. Rhema was pleased to know that she only got a passing glance. As she walked over to where Wolf stood talking to the woman she was confident that she had pulled her part off. As she approached the bar, she spoke softly. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Wolf, I’d keep an eye on those two, if I were you. Especially keep an eye on the female. She’s more powerful than first appears. I might even suggest eavesdropping a bit on their conversation in case it starts to get ugly.”</span></p><p></p><p>The barkeeper nodded slightly upon hearing Rhema’s words. Both the barkeeper and the woman sitting at the bar turned their heads towards the threesome still sitting at the table. What neither of them was aware of was Rhema’s subtle use of her mind control powers upon the barkeeper. Rhema had emphasized her last sentence with the help of her mental control. She had planted the desire to eavesdrop into Wolf’s mind. The barkeeper turned his head back to Rhema and said, <span style="color: Lime">“Will do, lady. I’ll keep an eye on them while you check on your horses.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema looked kindly into Wolf’s eyes. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Thanks, Wolf. I knew I could trust you.”</span> She smiled pleasantly and touched the back of his thick dwarven hand with her fingers. Once he smiled at her, she removed them and strutted towards the door.</p><p></p><p>Semeion waited a few minutes before sliding his chair backwards across the floor. The feet of the chair scraped across the polished wooden floors and the majority of the patrons inside the tavern turned their heads to look at him. So far, things were going as planned. In order to pull this off, he needed to continue to draw the attention of the patrons to the table and make it clear that he was leaving as Rhema had also done. While nearly everyone was at least partially still paying attention to him, Semeion stood up and spoke. <span style="color: Plum">“I’m going outside to find Rhema. If you two can’t handle your differences, then don’t come out. I’d rather leave than do business with the both of you if this is how you are going to act!”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion rose violently, tipping his chair backwards. He barely paused long enough to tip it upright, much less push it in. In a matter of seconds he was outside the tavern and walking toward the horses. Once he had moved far enough from the building to be away from all of the windows, Semeion crouched down to the ground and spoke the desired magical words as quietly as he possibly could. <span style="color: Plum">“Para Doithican Fael-tru.”</span> Within the time span of a single second, Semeion vanished from sight completely. </p><p></p><p>Rhema stood by the horses until she felt Semeion come up from behind her and touch her elbow. That was her cue to head back inside the tavern. When she returned, she would let Semeion inside without anyone realizing that he had come in.</p><p></p><p>Inside the tavern, Charis and Ischarus began to have a much more heated debate across the table. Charis spoke first. <span style="color: Orange">“See? Because of your inept abilities, you have driven away my business!”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus called back, making it appear as though he was trying to keep his volume in check. <span style="color: LightBlue">“My ineptness? You sent me on some foolhardy mission that was impossible to complete! Nobody in their right mind could accomplish that task. But at least I was willing to try!”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis narrowed her eyes as her volume increased slightly. <span style="color: Orange">“Try? You call that trying? You didn’t do anything except drink a bunch of ale for a few weeks on my tab!”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus leaned forward as if to make it appear that Charis had pushed a nerve. <span style="color: LightBlue">“So you are calling me a drunk now? Is that it? You are going to dismiss my work as the work of some sot? You really think you can accuse me of being a lush and get away with it?”</span></p><p></p><p>Wolf the Stout had seen enough. He began to step around the end of the bar and head towards the table. Rhema had been watching discretely from the outside and the bartender’s movement was her cue. She opened the door, drawing the attention of all those inside to her. Rhema stood in the doorway for a second, as if she were trying to get a look at what had happened since she had left. It was clear that the whole inn had gone quiet as the patrons grew worried about the argument raging between Charis and Ischarus. Things typically got ugly when one person accused another about being a drunk.</p><p></p><p>In truth, Rhema was holding the door open to allow Semeion to cross in front of her. Once the invisible mage was inside, he tapped her on the elbow so that Rhema would know that it was safe to close the door. His last responsibility was to find a place where he could sit that offered a good view of the table but wouldn’t run the risk of anyone accidentally striking his invisible form. He spotted an unused table across the room and quickly slid into a seated position on top of the table. He knew that he wouldn’t leave an indentation upon the table like he would upon the seat of a chair. Once he was on top of the table he was in position.</p><p></p><p>Charis paused in her speech and turned her head to Rhema. There was silence in the inn for several seconds until Rhema closed the door. Once the door was closed, Charis knew that she could begin the tirade once more. The closing of the door signaled that everything was in place. <span style="color: Orange">“Do not doubt who I am, Ischarus. There is little limit to my power. Most people know me as Darkbringer.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion knew the cue. He extended his finger toward Charis and softly spoke the magical incantation. <span style="color: Plum">“Parzuhs Egro.”</span> Instantly Charis’ body altered its shape to look nearly identical to that of the priestess of Yrraxea. Her clothes remained the same, but her face, height, and even hair color had become that of Darkbringer. As her body shifted in form, most of the people in the tavern gasped in awe. </p><p></p><p>As Semeion quickly looked around the room, he could see that the alteration had the desired effect. The people in the tavern were completely drawn into what was happening at the table. The magical effects were drawing them in so well that they weren’t able to realize that this was a huge dramatic performance.</p><p></p><p>Once Charis could feel that she had shifted form, her demands became even more violent. <span style="color: Orange">“Do you not see the power that I can wield? This is but a simple taste of what I can do to anyone that disobeys me!”</span> Charis’ fist slammed down upon the top of the table as she concluded her sentence.</p><p></p><p>Semeion was prepared with the next magical trick and waiting for the physical cue. The magical words slowly released from his lips. <span style="color: Plum">“Par Ah-sahn.”</span> In the same moment that Charis’ fist slammed against the table, Semeion used the magic within his latest spell to lift up the saltshakers sitting in the middle of the surrounding tables. </p><p></p><p>The people in the tavern gasped noticeably when the salt shakers seemed to jump on the surrounding tables due to the force of Charis’ fist. Of course, they had no idea that it was actually the invisible spell caster who was working out the timing. From their perspective, Charis was demonstrating her power quite effectively. However, Semeion knew that the most convincing portions of her argument were yet to come.</p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>The foursome sat within the inn and talked for over an hour. They watched a few of the patrons come and go and quickly realized that there were a number of the clientele who were likely here for the long haul. Besides the woman sitting at the counter, the rest of the patrons who looked as though they weren’t going anywhere looked to be of an age of retirement. They probably had long given up the sword and shield and dropped out of Lord Ironblood’s army. Perhaps they had already sold their stores. It was quite possible that some of the patrons who were present had already handed over the control of the family land to their eldest son or daughter and thus could afford to work the land only sparingly.</p><p></p><p>Semeion had spent a good deal of the time perusing through his smaller spell book. He had brought his large grimoire to Ausaphaborishan’s valley so that he could continue his studies while the final preparations for the wedding were taking place. When he had heard that the villa had been destroyed, Semeion decided that the safest place for his grimoire was in the valley until the remaining Drakontai who had come from the villa returned. They would bring the grimoire with them. Until then, Semeion only had his traveling spell book to study. While considerably smaller, it had all the spells that he needed for this particular day.</p><p></p><p>Semeion leaned forward and drew the right side of his lips back as he looked around the room and thought. The effect that this motion had on his face was the formation of a significant dimple in the middle of his right cheek. He leaned forward in his chair so that the majority of his torso was over the table and spoke softly. “I don’t know, guys. This doesn’t have the right feel. The majority of the people who appear to be more than just occasionally patrons look rather old. I just imagined Bloodseeker to be a younger man than the majority of the people spending their afternoon here.”</p><p></p><p>Charis leaned slightly towards Semeion and put her arm around her husband’s shoulders. “Oh, come on, Semeion. Whether or not this is exactly the right place doesn’t particularly matter. We could use a little practice with our plan, so if it doesn’t happen to be the right place then that’s fine, too. You can’t honestly think that the first place we choose to walk into is going to have exactly what we need, can you?”</p><p></p><p>Rhema and Ischarus nodded in agreement to Charis’ words. Rhema leaned back in her chair and winked to Semeion. “Besides, you and I have the easiest roles to play. It is Charis and Ischarus who truly have anything at stake in the plan. If we play our part right, nobody will even know that we were involved.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked directly into Semeion’s eyes and then grinned broadly. “Since it is typically a wise thing to do, anyway, I agree with the women. Now, go and make yourself scarce.”</p><p></p><p>Charis interrupted Semeion before he could start into motion. “Ischarus, slip me the handle of your sword under the table as quietly as you can. I need to touch the blade, but I don’t want the scabbard. As soon as I’ve touched the blade, it needs to go back into your scabbard as quickly as possible.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus wrinkled his eyebrows in slight confusion, but he knew enough to trust his fellow Drakontos companion. “Very well. I’ll hold onto the scabbard while you draw out the blade. The sword is longer than the table is wide, so it won’t come out from the scabbard. When you are done, slide it in rather quickly. You won’t hurt me, just keep the noise down.”</p><p></p><p>A slight metallic sound rang out for just a moment as the hilt of the sword was drawn away from the scabbard and passed underneath the table. Few in the tavern even heard the noise, and even fewer in the tavern bothered to turn and try and find the origin of the sound. Those who did were unsuccessful in looking for what they knew should be there.</p><p></p><p>Charis looked down toward the table as her hands fished for the sharp blade underneath and out of view. She searched gingerly, knowing that Ischarus kept his blade meticulously sharpened. One wrong move and she could cut herself badly. After a few seconds of blind searching, her fingers found the flat of the blade. She pressed one hand over the blade and then cradled the underside with her other hand. Her lips moved, but the sounds coming from her mouth was nearly inaudible. “Arack.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion had used the spell often enough that everyone at the table knew immediately what she had done. With recognition in his eyes, Ischarus gripped the end of his scabbard and prepared for Charis to shove the blade quickly into its holder so that few if any of the patrons would see the magical light cast upon the blade. Charis did not disappoint Ischarus. With a firm thrust, she gripped the handle and drove the blade toward him until she could feel the blade lock closed in the scabbard. “We’re ready.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema rose from the table with a bit of a nervous look on her face. She spoke with a louder than normal voice so that eavesdropping upon the conversation would be made easier. Her only fear was that it would grow too obvious that she was speaking loudly. “I don’t really need to hear your bickering again! We’ve already been down this route several times. If you two can’t settle your differences in a normal fashion then I don’t want to be around when you chose another way! I’m checking on the horses.”</p><p></p><p>Several patrons in the inn looked in her direction, but they quickly turned their heads back to their tables. Rhema was pleased to know that she only got a passing glance. As she walked over to where Wolf stood talking to the woman she was confident that she had pulled her part off. As she approached the bar, she spoke softly. “Wolf, I’d keep an eye on those two, if I were you. Especially keep an eye on the female. She’s more powerful than first appears. I might even suggest eavesdropping a bit on their conversation in case it starts to get ugly.”</p><p></p><p>The barkeeper nodded slightly upon hearing Rhema’s words. Both the barkeeper and the woman sitting at the bar turned their heads towards the threesome still sitting at the table. What neither of them was aware of was Rhema’s subtle use of her mind control powers upon the barkeeper. Rhema had emphasized her last sentence with the help of her mental control. She had planted the desire to eavesdrop into Wolf’s mind. The barkeeper turned his head back to Rhema and said, “Will do, lady. I’ll keep an eye on them while you check on your horses.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema looked kindly into Wolf’s eyes. “Thanks, Wolf. I knew I could trust you.” She smiled pleasantly and touched the back of his thick dwarven hand with her fingers. Once he smiled at her, she removed them and strutted towards the door.</p><p></p><p>Semeion waited a few minutes before sliding his chair backwards across the floor. The feet of the chair scraped across the polished wooden floors and the majority of the patrons inside the tavern turned their heads to look at him. So far, things were going as planned. In order to pull this off, he needed to continue to draw the attention of the patrons to the table and make it clear that he was leaving as Rhema had also done. While nearly everyone was at least partially still paying attention to him, Semeion stood up and spoke. “I’m going outside to find Rhema. If you two can’t handle your differences, then don’t come out. I’d rather leave than do business with the both of you if this is how you are going to act!”</p><p></p><p>Semeion rose violently, tipping his chair backwards. He barely paused long enough to tip it upright, much less push it in. In a matter of seconds he was outside the tavern and walking toward the horses. Once he had moved far enough from the building to be away from all of the windows, Semeion crouched down to the ground and spoke the desired magical words as quietly as he possibly could. “Para Doithican Fael-tru.” Within the time span of a single second, Semeion vanished from sight completely. </p><p></p><p>Rhema stood by the horses until she felt Semeion come up from behind her and touch her elbow. That was her cue to head back inside the tavern. When she returned, she would let Semeion inside without anyone realizing that he had come in.</p><p></p><p>Inside the tavern, Charis and Ischarus began to have a much more heated debate across the table. Charis spoke first. “See? Because of your inept abilities, you have driven away my business!”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus called back, making it appear as though he was trying to keep his volume in check. “My ineptness? You sent me on some foolhardy mission that was impossible to complete! Nobody in their right mind could accomplish that task. But at least I was willing to try!”</p><p></p><p>Charis narrowed her eyes as her volume increased slightly. “Try? You call that trying? You didn’t do anything except drink a bunch of ale for a few weeks on my tab!”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus leaned forward as if to make it appear that Charis had pushed a nerve. “So you are calling me a drunk now? Is that it? You are going to dismiss my work as the work of some sot? You really think you can accuse me of being a lush and get away with it?”</p><p></p><p>Wolf the Stout had seen enough. He began to step around the end of the bar and head towards the table. Rhema had been watching discretely from the outside and the bartender’s movement was her cue. She opened the door, drawing the attention of all those inside to her. Rhema stood in the doorway for a second, as if she were trying to get a look at what had happened since she had left. It was clear that the whole inn had gone quiet as the patrons grew worried about the argument raging between Charis and Ischarus. Things typically got ugly when one person accused another about being a drunk.</p><p></p><p>In truth, Rhema was holding the door open to allow Semeion to cross in front of her. Once the invisible mage was inside, he tapped her on the elbow so that Rhema would know that it was safe to close the door. His last responsibility was to find a place where he could sit that offered a good view of the table but wouldn’t run the risk of anyone accidentally striking his invisible form. He spotted an unused table across the room and quickly slid into a seated position on top of the table. He knew that he wouldn’t leave an indentation upon the table like he would upon the seat of a chair. Once he was on top of the table he was in position.</p><p></p><p>Charis paused in her speech and turned her head to Rhema. There was silence in the inn for several seconds until Rhema closed the door. Once the door was closed, Charis knew that she could begin the tirade once more. The closing of the door signaled that everything was in place. “Do not doubt who I am, Ischarus. There is little limit to my power. Most people know me as Darkbringer.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion knew the cue. He extended his finger toward Charis and softly spoke the magical incantation. “Parzuhs Egro.” Instantly Charis’ body altered its shape to look nearly identical to that of the priestess of Yrraxea. Her clothes remained the same, but her face, height, and even hair color had become that of Darkbringer. As her body shifted in form, most of the people in the tavern gasped in awe. </p><p></p><p>As Semeion quickly looked around the room, he could see that the alteration had the desired effect. The people in the tavern were completely drawn into what was happening at the table. The magical effects were drawing them in so well that they weren’t able to realize that this was a huge dramatic performance.</p><p></p><p>Once Charis could feel that she had shifted form, her demands became even more violent. “Do you not see the power that I can wield? This is but a simple taste of what I can do to anyone that disobeys me!” Charis’ fist slammed down upon the top of the table as she concluded her sentence.</p><p></p><p>Semeion was prepared with the next magical trick and waiting for the physical cue. The magical words slowly released from his lips. “Par Ah-sahn.” In the same moment that Charis’ fist slammed against the table, Semeion used the magic within his latest spell to lift up the saltshakers sitting in the middle of the surrounding tables. </p><p></p><p>The people in the tavern gasped noticeably when the salt shakers seemed to jump on the surrounding tables due to the force of Charis’ fist. Of course, they had no idea that it was actually the invisible spell caster who was working out the timing. From their perspective, Charis was demonstrating her power quite effectively. However, Semeion knew that the most convincing portions of her argument were yet to come.</p><p>[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3335025, member: 35788"] The foursome sat within the inn and talked for over an hour. They watched a few of the patrons come and go and quickly realized that there were a number of the clientele who were likely here for the long haul. Besides the woman sitting at the counter, the rest of the patrons who looked as though they weren’t going anywhere looked to be of an age of retirement. They probably had long given up the sword and shield and dropped out of Lord Ironblood’s army. Perhaps they had already sold their stores. It was quite possible that some of the patrons who were present had already handed over the control of the family land to their eldest son or daughter and thus could afford to work the land only sparingly. Semeion had spent a good deal of the time perusing through his smaller spell book. He had brought his large grimoire to Ausaphaborishan’s valley so that he could continue his studies while the final preparations for the wedding were taking place. When he had heard that the villa had been destroyed, Semeion decided that the safest place for his grimoire was in the valley until the remaining Drakontai who had come from the villa returned. They would bring the grimoire with them. Until then, Semeion only had his traveling spell book to study. While considerably smaller, it had all the spells that he needed for this particular day. Semeion leaned forward and drew the right side of his lips back as he looked around the room and thought. The effect that this motion had on his face was the formation of a significant dimple in the middle of his right cheek. He leaned forward in his chair so that the majority of his torso was over the table and spoke softly. [Color=Plum]“I don’t know, guys. This doesn’t have the right feel. The majority of the people who appear to be more than just occasionally patrons look rather old. I just imagined Bloodseeker to be a younger man than the majority of the people spending their afternoon here.”[/Color] Charis leaned slightly towards Semeion and put her arm around her husband’s shoulders. [Color=Orange]“Oh, come on, Semeion. Whether or not this is exactly the right place doesn’t particularly matter. We could use a little practice with our plan, so if it doesn’t happen to be the right place then that’s fine, too. You can’t honestly think that the first place we choose to walk into is going to have exactly what we need, can you?”[/Color] Rhema and Ischarus nodded in agreement to Charis’ words. Rhema leaned back in her chair and winked to Semeion. [Color=PaleGreen]“Besides, you and I have the easiest roles to play. It is Charis and Ischarus who truly have anything at stake in the plan. If we play our part right, nobody will even know that we were involved.”[/Color] Ischarus looked directly into Semeion’s eyes and then grinned broadly. [Color=Lightblue]“Since it is typically a wise thing to do, anyway, I agree with the women. Now, go and make yourself scarce.”[/Color] Charis interrupted Semeion before he could start into motion. [Color=Orange]“Ischarus, slip me the handle of your sword under the table as quietly as you can. I need to touch the blade, but I don’t want the scabbard. As soon as I’ve touched the blade, it needs to go back into your scabbard as quickly as possible.”[/Color] Ischarus wrinkled his eyebrows in slight confusion, but he knew enough to trust his fellow Drakontos companion. [Color=Lightblue]“Very well. I’ll hold onto the scabbard while you draw out the blade. The sword is longer than the table is wide, so it won’t come out from the scabbard. When you are done, slide it in rather quickly. You won’t hurt me, just keep the noise down.”[/Color] A slight metallic sound rang out for just a moment as the hilt of the sword was drawn away from the scabbard and passed underneath the table. Few in the tavern even heard the noise, and even fewer in the tavern bothered to turn and try and find the origin of the sound. Those who did were unsuccessful in looking for what they knew should be there. Charis looked down toward the table as her hands fished for the sharp blade underneath and out of view. She searched gingerly, knowing that Ischarus kept his blade meticulously sharpened. One wrong move and she could cut herself badly. After a few seconds of blind searching, her fingers found the flat of the blade. She pressed one hand over the blade and then cradled the underside with her other hand. Her lips moved, but the sounds coming from her mouth was nearly inaudible. [Color=Orange]“Arack.”[/Color] Semeion had used the spell often enough that everyone at the table knew immediately what she had done. With recognition in his eyes, Ischarus gripped the end of his scabbard and prepared for Charis to shove the blade quickly into its holder so that few if any of the patrons would see the magical light cast upon the blade. Charis did not disappoint Ischarus. With a firm thrust, she gripped the handle and drove the blade toward him until she could feel the blade lock closed in the scabbard. [Color=Orange]“We’re ready.”[/Color] Rhema rose from the table with a bit of a nervous look on her face. She spoke with a louder than normal voice so that eavesdropping upon the conversation would be made easier. Her only fear was that it would grow too obvious that she was speaking loudly. [Color=PaleGreen]“I don’t really need to hear your bickering again! We’ve already been down this route several times. If you two can’t settle your differences in a normal fashion then I don’t want to be around when you chose another way! I’m checking on the horses.”[/Color] Several patrons in the inn looked in her direction, but they quickly turned their heads back to their tables. Rhema was pleased to know that she only got a passing glance. As she walked over to where Wolf stood talking to the woman she was confident that she had pulled her part off. As she approached the bar, she spoke softly. [Color=PaleGreen]“Wolf, I’d keep an eye on those two, if I were you. Especially keep an eye on the female. She’s more powerful than first appears. I might even suggest eavesdropping a bit on their conversation in case it starts to get ugly.”[/Color] The barkeeper nodded slightly upon hearing Rhema’s words. Both the barkeeper and the woman sitting at the bar turned their heads towards the threesome still sitting at the table. What neither of them was aware of was Rhema’s subtle use of her mind control powers upon the barkeeper. Rhema had emphasized her last sentence with the help of her mental control. She had planted the desire to eavesdrop into Wolf’s mind. The barkeeper turned his head back to Rhema and said, [Color=Lime]“Will do, lady. I’ll keep an eye on them while you check on your horses.”[/Color] Rhema looked kindly into Wolf’s eyes. [Color=PaleGreen]“Thanks, Wolf. I knew I could trust you.”[/Color] She smiled pleasantly and touched the back of his thick dwarven hand with her fingers. Once he smiled at her, she removed them and strutted towards the door. Semeion waited a few minutes before sliding his chair backwards across the floor. The feet of the chair scraped across the polished wooden floors and the majority of the patrons inside the tavern turned their heads to look at him. So far, things were going as planned. In order to pull this off, he needed to continue to draw the attention of the patrons to the table and make it clear that he was leaving as Rhema had also done. While nearly everyone was at least partially still paying attention to him, Semeion stood up and spoke. [Color=Plum]“I’m going outside to find Rhema. If you two can’t handle your differences, then don’t come out. I’d rather leave than do business with the both of you if this is how you are going to act!”[/Color] Semeion rose violently, tipping his chair backwards. He barely paused long enough to tip it upright, much less push it in. In a matter of seconds he was outside the tavern and walking toward the horses. Once he had moved far enough from the building to be away from all of the windows, Semeion crouched down to the ground and spoke the desired magical words as quietly as he possibly could. [Color=Plum]“Para Doithican Fael-tru.”[/Color] Within the time span of a single second, Semeion vanished from sight completely. Rhema stood by the horses until she felt Semeion come up from behind her and touch her elbow. That was her cue to head back inside the tavern. When she returned, she would let Semeion inside without anyone realizing that he had come in. Inside the tavern, Charis and Ischarus began to have a much more heated debate across the table. Charis spoke first. [Color=Orange]“See? Because of your inept abilities, you have driven away my business!”[/Color] Ischarus called back, making it appear as though he was trying to keep his volume in check. [Color=LightBlue]“My ineptness? You sent me on some foolhardy mission that was impossible to complete! Nobody in their right mind could accomplish that task. But at least I was willing to try!”[/Color] Charis narrowed her eyes as her volume increased slightly. [Color=Orange]“Try? You call that trying? You didn’t do anything except drink a bunch of ale for a few weeks on my tab!”[/Color] Ischarus leaned forward as if to make it appear that Charis had pushed a nerve. [Color=LightBlue]“So you are calling me a drunk now? Is that it? You are going to dismiss my work as the work of some sot? You really think you can accuse me of being a lush and get away with it?”[/Color] Wolf the Stout had seen enough. He began to step around the end of the bar and head towards the table. Rhema had been watching discretely from the outside and the bartender’s movement was her cue. She opened the door, drawing the attention of all those inside to her. Rhema stood in the doorway for a second, as if she were trying to get a look at what had happened since she had left. It was clear that the whole inn had gone quiet as the patrons grew worried about the argument raging between Charis and Ischarus. Things typically got ugly when one person accused another about being a drunk. In truth, Rhema was holding the door open to allow Semeion to cross in front of her. Once the invisible mage was inside, he tapped her on the elbow so that Rhema would know that it was safe to close the door. His last responsibility was to find a place where he could sit that offered a good view of the table but wouldn’t run the risk of anyone accidentally striking his invisible form. He spotted an unused table across the room and quickly slid into a seated position on top of the table. He knew that he wouldn’t leave an indentation upon the table like he would upon the seat of a chair. Once he was on top of the table he was in position. Charis paused in her speech and turned her head to Rhema. There was silence in the inn for several seconds until Rhema closed the door. Once the door was closed, Charis knew that she could begin the tirade once more. The closing of the door signaled that everything was in place. [Color=Orange]“Do not doubt who I am, Ischarus. There is little limit to my power. Most people know me as Darkbringer.”[/Color] Semeion knew the cue. He extended his finger toward Charis and softly spoke the magical incantation. [Color=Plum]“Parzuhs Egro.”[/Color] Instantly Charis’ body altered its shape to look nearly identical to that of the priestess of Yrraxea. Her clothes remained the same, but her face, height, and even hair color had become that of Darkbringer. As her body shifted in form, most of the people in the tavern gasped in awe. As Semeion quickly looked around the room, he could see that the alteration had the desired effect. The people in the tavern were completely drawn into what was happening at the table. The magical effects were drawing them in so well that they weren’t able to realize that this was a huge dramatic performance. Once Charis could feel that she had shifted form, her demands became even more violent. [Color=Orange]“Do you not see the power that I can wield? This is but a simple taste of what I can do to anyone that disobeys me!”[/Color] Charis’ fist slammed down upon the top of the table as she concluded her sentence. Semeion was prepared with the next magical trick and waiting for the physical cue. The magical words slowly released from his lips. [Color=Plum]“Par Ah-sahn.”[/Color] In the same moment that Charis’ fist slammed against the table, Semeion used the magic within his latest spell to lift up the saltshakers sitting in the middle of the surrounding tables. The people in the tavern gasped noticeably when the salt shakers seemed to jump on the surrounding tables due to the force of Charis’ fist. Of course, they had no idea that it was actually the invisible spell caster who was working out the timing. From their perspective, Charis was demonstrating her power quite effectively. However, Semeion knew that the most convincing portions of her argument were yet to come. [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] The foursome sat within the inn and talked for over an hour. They watched a few of the patrons come and go and quickly realized that there were a number of the clientele who were likely here for the long haul. Besides the woman sitting at the counter, the rest of the patrons who looked as though they weren’t going anywhere looked to be of an age of retirement. They probably had long given up the sword and shield and dropped out of Lord Ironblood’s army. Perhaps they had already sold their stores. It was quite possible that some of the patrons who were present had already handed over the control of the family land to their eldest son or daughter and thus could afford to work the land only sparingly. Semeion had spent a good deal of the time perusing through his smaller spell book. He had brought his large grimoire to Ausaphaborishan’s valley so that he could continue his studies while the final preparations for the wedding were taking place. When he had heard that the villa had been destroyed, Semeion decided that the safest place for his grimoire was in the valley until the remaining Drakontai who had come from the villa returned. They would bring the grimoire with them. Until then, Semeion only had his traveling spell book to study. While considerably smaller, it had all the spells that he needed for this particular day. Semeion leaned forward and drew the right side of his lips back as he looked around the room and thought. The effect that this motion had on his face was the formation of a significant dimple in the middle of his right cheek. He leaned forward in his chair so that the majority of his torso was over the table and spoke softly. “I don’t know, guys. This doesn’t have the right feel. The majority of the people who appear to be more than just occasionally patrons look rather old. I just imagined Bloodseeker to be a younger man than the majority of the people spending their afternoon here.” Charis leaned slightly towards Semeion and put her arm around her husband’s shoulders. “Oh, come on, Semeion. Whether or not this is exactly the right place doesn’t particularly matter. We could use a little practice with our plan, so if it doesn’t happen to be the right place then that’s fine, too. You can’t honestly think that the first place we choose to walk into is going to have exactly what we need, can you?” Rhema and Ischarus nodded in agreement to Charis’ words. Rhema leaned back in her chair and winked to Semeion. “Besides, you and I have the easiest roles to play. It is Charis and Ischarus who truly have anything at stake in the plan. If we play our part right, nobody will even know that we were involved.” Ischarus looked directly into Semeion’s eyes and then grinned broadly. “Since it is typically a wise thing to do, anyway, I agree with the women. Now, go and make yourself scarce.” Charis interrupted Semeion before he could start into motion. “Ischarus, slip me the handle of your sword under the table as quietly as you can. I need to touch the blade, but I don’t want the scabbard. As soon as I’ve touched the blade, it needs to go back into your scabbard as quickly as possible.” Ischarus wrinkled his eyebrows in slight confusion, but he knew enough to trust his fellow Drakontos companion. “Very well. I’ll hold onto the scabbard while you draw out the blade. The sword is longer than the table is wide, so it won’t come out from the scabbard. When you are done, slide it in rather quickly. You won’t hurt me, just keep the noise down.” A slight metallic sound rang out for just a moment as the hilt of the sword was drawn away from the scabbard and passed underneath the table. Few in the tavern even heard the noise, and even fewer in the tavern bothered to turn and try and find the origin of the sound. Those who did were unsuccessful in looking for what they knew should be there. Charis looked down toward the table as her hands fished for the sharp blade underneath and out of view. She searched gingerly, knowing that Ischarus kept his blade meticulously sharpened. One wrong move and she could cut herself badly. After a few seconds of blind searching, her fingers found the flat of the blade. She pressed one hand over the blade and then cradled the underside with her other hand. Her lips moved, but the sounds coming from her mouth was nearly inaudible. “Arack.” Semeion had used the spell often enough that everyone at the table knew immediately what she had done. With recognition in his eyes, Ischarus gripped the end of his scabbard and prepared for Charis to shove the blade quickly into its holder so that few if any of the patrons would see the magical light cast upon the blade. Charis did not disappoint Ischarus. With a firm thrust, she gripped the handle and drove the blade toward him until she could feel the blade lock closed in the scabbard. “We’re ready.” Rhema rose from the table with a bit of a nervous look on her face. She spoke with a louder than normal voice so that eavesdropping upon the conversation would be made easier. Her only fear was that it would grow too obvious that she was speaking loudly. “I don’t really need to hear your bickering again! We’ve already been down this route several times. If you two can’t settle your differences in a normal fashion then I don’t want to be around when you chose another way! I’m checking on the horses.” Several patrons in the inn looked in her direction, but they quickly turned their heads back to their tables. Rhema was pleased to know that she only got a passing glance. As she walked over to where Wolf stood talking to the woman she was confident that she had pulled her part off. As she approached the bar, she spoke softly. “Wolf, I’d keep an eye on those two, if I were you. Especially keep an eye on the female. She’s more powerful than first appears. I might even suggest eavesdropping a bit on their conversation in case it starts to get ugly.” The barkeeper nodded slightly upon hearing Rhema’s words. Both the barkeeper and the woman sitting at the bar turned their heads towards the threesome still sitting at the table. What neither of them was aware of was Rhema’s subtle use of her mind control powers upon the barkeeper. Rhema had emphasized her last sentence with the help of her mental control. She had planted the desire to eavesdrop into Wolf’s mind. The barkeeper turned his head back to Rhema and said, “Will do, lady. I’ll keep an eye on them while you check on your horses.” Rhema looked kindly into Wolf’s eyes. “Thanks, Wolf. I knew I could trust you.” She smiled pleasantly and touched the back of his thick dwarven hand with her fingers. Once he smiled at her, she removed them and strutted towards the door. Semeion waited a few minutes before sliding his chair backwards across the floor. The feet of the chair scraped across the polished wooden floors and the majority of the patrons inside the tavern turned their heads to look at him. So far, things were going as planned. In order to pull this off, he needed to continue to draw the attention of the patrons to the table and make it clear that he was leaving as Rhema had also done. While nearly everyone was at least partially still paying attention to him, Semeion stood up and spoke. “I’m going outside to find Rhema. If you two can’t handle your differences, then don’t come out. I’d rather leave than do business with the both of you if this is how you are going to act!” Semeion rose violently, tipping his chair backwards. He barely paused long enough to tip it upright, much less push it in. In a matter of seconds he was outside the tavern and walking toward the horses. Once he had moved far enough from the building to be away from all of the windows, Semeion crouched down to the ground and spoke the desired magical words as quietly as he possibly could. “Para Doithican Fael-tru.” Within the time span of a single second, Semeion vanished from sight completely. Rhema stood by the horses until she felt Semeion come up from behind her and touch her elbow. That was her cue to head back inside the tavern. When she returned, she would let Semeion inside without anyone realizing that he had come in. Inside the tavern, Charis and Ischarus began to have a much more heated debate across the table. Charis spoke first. “See? Because of your inept abilities, you have driven away my business!” Ischarus called back, making it appear as though he was trying to keep his volume in check. “My ineptness? You sent me on some foolhardy mission that was impossible to complete! Nobody in their right mind could accomplish that task. But at least I was willing to try!” Charis narrowed her eyes as her volume increased slightly. “Try? You call that trying? You didn’t do anything except drink a bunch of ale for a few weeks on my tab!” Ischarus leaned forward as if to make it appear that Charis had pushed a nerve. “So you are calling me a drunk now? Is that it? You are going to dismiss my work as the work of some sot? You really think you can accuse me of being a lush and get away with it?” Wolf the Stout had seen enough. He began to step around the end of the bar and head towards the table. Rhema had been watching discretely from the outside and the bartender’s movement was her cue. She opened the door, drawing the attention of all those inside to her. Rhema stood in the doorway for a second, as if she were trying to get a look at what had happened since she had left. It was clear that the whole inn had gone quiet as the patrons grew worried about the argument raging between Charis and Ischarus. Things typically got ugly when one person accused another about being a drunk. In truth, Rhema was holding the door open to allow Semeion to cross in front of her. Once the invisible mage was inside, he tapped her on the elbow so that Rhema would know that it was safe to close the door. His last responsibility was to find a place where he could sit that offered a good view of the table but wouldn’t run the risk of anyone accidentally striking his invisible form. He spotted an unused table across the room and quickly slid into a seated position on top of the table. He knew that he wouldn’t leave an indentation upon the table like he would upon the seat of a chair. Once he was on top of the table he was in position. Charis paused in her speech and turned her head to Rhema. There was silence in the inn for several seconds until Rhema closed the door. Once the door was closed, Charis knew that she could begin the tirade once more. The closing of the door signaled that everything was in place. “Do not doubt who I am, Ischarus. There is little limit to my power. Most people know me as Darkbringer.” Semeion knew the cue. He extended his finger toward Charis and softly spoke the magical incantation. “Parzuhs Egro.” Instantly Charis’ body altered its shape to look nearly identical to that of the priestess of Yrraxea. Her clothes remained the same, but her face, height, and even hair color had become that of Darkbringer. As her body shifted in form, most of the people in the tavern gasped in awe. As Semeion quickly looked around the room, he could see that the alteration had the desired effect. The people in the tavern were completely drawn into what was happening at the table. The magical effects were drawing them in so well that they weren’t able to realize that this was a huge dramatic performance. Once Charis could feel that she had shifted form, her demands became even more violent. “Do you not see the power that I can wield? This is but a simple taste of what I can do to anyone that disobeys me!” Charis’ fist slammed down upon the top of the table as she concluded her sentence. Semeion was prepared with the next magical trick and waiting for the physical cue. The magical words slowly released from his lips. “Par Ah-sahn.” In the same moment that Charis’ fist slammed against the table, Semeion used the magic within his latest spell to lift up the saltshakers sitting in the middle of the surrounding tables. The people in the tavern gasped noticeably when the salt shakers seemed to jump on the surrounding tables due to the force of Charis’ fist. Of course, they had no idea that it was actually the invisible spell caster who was working out the timing. From their perspective, Charis was demonstrating her power quite effectively. However, Semeion knew that the most convincing portions of her argument were yet to come. [/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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