Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 3987033" data-attributes="member: 812">Frying Pan, Fire: 8"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements."The goatee-d proprietor of the dingy tavern regarded Nevid with a grin."Well, that's no trick at all.""Really?""Yeah, we do it all the time. How many of you?"Nevid peered through the smoke and haze of the interior of the Diamond Spider. Isaac sat at the next table with Arrafin, Kaley, and Etienne. Elena and Zuleika had gone back down to the main floor, ostensibly to procure drinks, but he could see them down there, lounging against the bar and talking, making no apparent effort to complete their mission.Isaac and Arrafin sat with their heads close together, talking quietly. Both Kaley and Etienne ignored their conversation, both of them staring -- Kaley at Nevid, and Etienne over the railing and at the young woman dancing on stage. Nevid sighed.At least his del Maraviez connections were paying off, if what this greasy man was telling him turned out to be true."There's seven of us. To Cadençia.""Give me a few hours to see who's in harbour and has room for you. We'll stuff you lot in crates and sway you aboard, but it shouldn't be a big deal."He nodded and grinned again."Always happy to help a friend of Isabella's. You folks just sit tight and I'll get back to you. Have a drink. Enjoy the floor show."*****"Some show."Elena shrugged at Zuleika's sour comment."At least she can dance. It's when you're in these places and the girl can't even dance that it really sucks."She followed the Naridic woman's gaze to the upper balcony where Etienne smirked at the dancer on stage."Look. Maybe it's none of my business but, uh.""What am I doing with a kid like Etienne?""Yeah."Zuleika sighed and finished her drink, signaled the bartender for another."Don't get me wrong, I like Etienne, pretty much, but...""I know. I just."A faint smile pasted itself onto Zuleika's face."Back when you... found me? With my sister and her husband and their kids?"Memories of shrieking and blood made Elena swallow."You missed the earlier. Those bandits, they came to our farm. My. It wasn't just my sister and her husband. I."Another toss of a glass poured another shot of liquor into Zuleika's mouth. She swallowed and took a deep breath."My husband died there so we could get away. We'd been married six months.""Oh, Zuleika.""So I guess I'm. You know. Hiding.""You don't have to explain."The two women stared at each other. Elena's serious face broke into a sudden grin."Well, except for your taste. Seriously. Etienne?"Both burst into laughter. Zuleika shrugged."Well, who else? Nevid? No Saijadani pretty-boys for me, thank you.""Fair enough.""And I thought Isaac was with you."Elena's laughter died in a sudden choking frenzy."What?""Well, I know now, but you guys are pretty close.""I guess. We've been through some s**t."Elena looked consideringly up at her friend who sat talking with Arrafin."I had two older brothers, growing up. I guess I think of him the same way I do them.""So no guy for you?""Not these days."Zuleika smirked."But then there is Mr. Farouk Ibn Zaoud. Holy hubba."Elena blushed."I know. Wow. I could eat him with a spoon.""He'll do whatever you tell him to, won't he?""I think so."*****Upstairs, Isaac and Arrafin both turned at the sudden eruption of high-pitched hilarity down at the bar, to see Elena and Zuleika leaning against each other, crying with laughter.Arrafin smiled."I'm glad they're getting along. Zuleika can sure be a sour one, can't she?""Yeah."Isaac had another sip, wincing against the sourness of the wine. He was very glad they were returning to Saijadan."Do you have any thoughts about our new genie friend, Arrafin?""I've been wondering about what. Kani. Said about spirits as opposed to ghosts. I wonder if there isn't two kinds of these things, sort of like there's two kinds of magic; sorcery and then the stuff Elena can do with her brain.""So you think this genie is something like that? Something... brain-related?""Well, you see, sorcery is essentially a way of isolating certain resonant frequencies between one elevation and another. When those align and are combined with the right sort of recursive process, a self-reinforcing cycle develops that...""Uh-huh."Isaac kept his listening face on and considered the first drink he was going to have when he got back to civilization. He looked up as a hand descended on Nevid's shoulder.A mustachioed fellow with his blond hair pulled back in a braid grinned at them all."I understand you are a group of del Maraviez patsies."Isaac noted the red and gold badge on the bravo's cloak and shoved backwards, knocking Arrafin around the far end of the table as his chair slid across greasy floorboards. He stood up, well clear of the stranger."And you are a del Orofin lapdog."The blond man sneered."At least I don't buy the loyalty of the first whore who comes past. If you care to trust that de Maynard bitch, that's your business, but we at least have standards."Nevid, Arrafin and Isaac all frowned. Isaac was the first to be able to put their thoughts into words."What?""Collette de Maynard. Everyone's talking about how she actually works for Isabella del Maraviez."Isaac glowered at Nevid."We're going to have to have a little talk with your boss when we get back to Saijadan."*****Zuleika looked up at a sudden crashing and banging from the balcony above."What's that?""Isaac, killing someone. Come on, let's have another drink. That big guy down the other end of the bar is checking you out."</blockquote>

Verification