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<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 2173957" data-attributes="member: 5203">Guilded CagesThe funeral proceedings for the Emperor of Tlaxan, and the coronation of the new Emperor took up the next week.&nbsp; Leaders of other nations might have suggested that having the two events so close together was a breach of decorum, but for the practical elves it seemed only logical not to delay the investiture of their new leader any longer than necessary.&nbsp; The party went through the expected rite and ceremonies with quiet dignity, except perhaps for Osborn, who was still chafing at being forced to wear white (although he was only required to wear a full white outfit the day of the funeral, and the rest of the week only needed to bear a white armband, the presence of anything not black on the hin was mortifying to him).&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; For a few days it almost felt to the party like they were being ignored, which in a way was a slight relief, as they could then walk about and experiment with the items they’d been given as gifts from the Imperial Treasury without feeling like they were showing off or being disrespectful to the departed Emperor’s family.&nbsp; Only Kavan and Tolly’s gifts had not come from the palace’s vaults; instead they now carried relics from their respective churches, having been granted the privilege after the Imperial Family impressed upon their superiors the two priests’ dedication to their faith (and made a large donation to each church’s coffers).&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It wasn’t until five days after the funeral that they discovered their impressions had been correct; with everything else going on, the presence of the party at the palace had been overlooked.&nbsp; Once Prince Herion and Princess Aralda realized this, they quickly organized a formal dinner to allow the party to meet their oldest brother, Emperor Haxhta, in person.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The dinner itself was less awkward than they’d expected.&nbsp; Although Emperor Haxtha didn’t know them, he’d heard of them through his younger siblings, and thus was familiar enough to be able to add some depth to his polite conversation.&nbsp; Much of the talk revolved around making plans to return to Tlaxan at some point in the future for a reunion; it had been agreed by the group that with the funeral and coronation concluded, they should be on their way within the day or two so as not to strain the palace’s hospitality.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; There was an unexpected commotion as a page rushed into the room from a side door.&nbsp; He bowed to the Emperor, then looked up at him.&nbsp; His face was white, and sweat trickled down his brow.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Your Majesty,” he said, fear causing his voice to tremble, “your son… he’s…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Then they all heard the pealing tone echoing through the room, the sounding of the Crystal Chime; the bell that only sounded upon the death of a member of the Imperial Family.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Emperor Haxtha fainted.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Herion was there in a flash, catching his brother before he fell to the floor.&nbsp; Aralda sat still as a marble statue, and nearly as white.&nbsp; Lanara, who was looking at the princess when the bell had sounded, thought she saw a look of guilt flash across Aralda’s face.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Was there any more to your message?” Autumn asked the page.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No, My Lady,” he said, shaking his head.&nbsp; “Only that his son has died.&nbsp; We do not know the cause.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Emperor recovered shortly, and Herion led him to his chambers to recover.&nbsp; Several of the party offered to go to see the prince, to see if they could learn what had happened.&nbsp; Aralda remained behind, as did Kyle and Lanara; the former because he thought that the death of the Emperor’s son was none of his affair, and the latter because she wanted to talk to Aralda about the strange reaction she’d seen.&nbsp; Tolly helped Herion with the Emperor, and offered words of comfort to both.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; There were guards posted around the room as the party entered.&nbsp; The Emperor’s son was only ten years of age, barely out of infancy by elven standards.&nbsp; His body lay in the middle of his bed, surrounded by wooden rails as if it were a large crib.&nbsp; There were no marks on the body.&nbsp; Autumn concentrated for a moment, then shook her head slightly at Arrie; there was no taint of evil in the room.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The only other person in the room was a round-faced elf sitting in the corner, brow creased with grief and frustration.&nbsp; Kavan asked one of the guards, and learned that this was Jey’ri, from the palace infirmary.&nbsp; Kavan walked up and introduced himself, then sat beside the elf.&nbsp; “What happened here?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “One of the guards had come in to check on the young prince,” Jey’ri said.&nbsp; “They noticed that he was not breathing, and could not be roused.&nbsp; That was when I was sent for.&nbsp; The death must have just happened – the prince had not been asleep long, and the… body is still warm.&nbsp; But I can find no trace of what killed him.&nbsp; Were the prince human, I might call it a simple cribdeath.&nbsp; But elves do not sleep as humans do, and the prince was well beyond the age for such things to happen.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Where is the boy’s mother?” asked Kavan.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The prince was conceived near the end of his mother’s service to Haxtha,” Jey’ri explained.&nbsp; “After he was weaned, she left the palace.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan nodded.&nbsp; Such was the custom with the Emperor and his chosen heir; rather than marry one wife, and endure endless political wrangling and accusations over whom that woman (or man, in the case of Empresses) would be, they chose a consort to give them children and provide companionship.&nbsp; The Imperial Consorts served for a period of one hundred years, and then left with a sizeable dowry.&nbsp; It was likely that Haxtha, Herion, and Aralda came from three different mothers.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan looked around.&nbsp; Osborn was carefully looking around the room for anything amiss, but seemed to be having no luck.&nbsp; Arrie had left, presumably to find her fiancée Herion.&nbsp; Autumn was about to leave, telling Xu that she was going back to the dining hall to check up on Aralda, Lanara, and Kyle.&nbsp; Xu herself had been talking to the guards, to see if they’d heard or seen anything odd while watching over the prince.&nbsp; Kavan realized that there was only one person they weren’t talking to in the room.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan thanked Jey’ri for his time, and stood slowly.&nbsp; He made his way to the side of the crib, and looked down at the small, still form.&nbsp; For a moment, thoughts of his own son flashed in his mind, and Kavan grimaced, wondering how things might have been different if he’d known of Marrek’s existence when he was still at this tender age, rather than meeting him for the first time as an adult, an adult who apparently wanted his father to suffer for some unknown worng.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan began quietly chanting the words to his spell.&nbsp; As a priest of Erito, Guardian of the Dead, he had been granted some ability to pierce the veil between this life and the next.&nbsp; For a moment he considered that he should probably ask permission for what he was doing, but it would take too long explaining how what was lying in this crib was nothing but an empty vessel, that the essence of what the prince was had already departed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He hoped to connect to a tiny portion of that essence now.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The spell finished, Kavan saw the boy’s eyelids flutter open, and his jaw begin to quiver.&nbsp; Kavan decided to keep his conversation with the boy quick and quiet, so as not to alarm any of the armed palace guards.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What happened to you?” whispered Kavan.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I fell asleep, and I didn’t wake up,” the boy’s body answered.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Where are you now?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’m in my bed.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan cursed to himself.&nbsp; The question had been answered quite literally by a ten-year-old child.&nbsp; Not only had he failed to consider that, but he forgot that it was the prince’s corpse he was conversing with, not his soul, and the questions would be answered from that perspective.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Have you been here the whole time you’ve been asleep?” he asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yes.”&nbsp; The eyes closed again.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan sighed.&nbsp; Though not terribly useful, at least he knew that the prince had not perceived being moved or leaving his room at any point.&nbsp; Looking up at his companions, he saw that their investigations had been no more fruitful.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I think we should find the others,” he said.*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara had news for them all when they came back.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; While Kyle had pushed food around on his plate with a fork, not knowing quite what to say to Aralda but thinking that continuing to eat wasn’t the proper thing to do, Lanara had used her prodigiously more advanced conversational skills to talk with the princess.&nbsp; The cansin had managed to obliquely reference Aralda’s odd expressions upon hearing of her nephew’s death.&nbsp; Finally, the princess had asked to talk to Lanara privately in a corner of the room.&nbsp; They talked for several minutes, but when Lanara returned to the table, Aralda didn’t follow her, but returned to her own rooms.&nbsp; Autumn passed her on the way, and noticed that she was crying for the first time that evening.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As the rest of her companions wandered back to the dining hall, Lanara asked them all to gather around her.&nbsp; In a low voice, so as not to be overheard by the handful of servants who were somberly clearing away the remains of dinner, she spoke.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We need to meet with Aralda at midnight tonight in the Western Gardens.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Why?” asked Arrie.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Because she has information about this situation to give us that could be helpful,” Lanara replied.&nbsp; “It seems that the princess has gotten herself in trouble with a couple of groups here in the city, and she thinks one of them is responsible for her nephew.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; There were several incredulous stares, but they all had the sense not to cry out and alert the servants that something was wrong.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Here’s the situation,” Lanara continued.&nbsp; “The local druid’s circle has been pressuring Aralda for some time.&nbsp; I’m sure you’ve all noticed her fondness for animals and green things.&nbsp; Well, the druids want her to give up the royalty thing and go live in the woods with them, and stop trying to live two lives.&nbsp; But she’s also been dabbling with the thieves guild, and…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; She was interrupted by a loud cough from Osborn.&nbsp; “I know,” Lanara sighed, “they don’t ‘really’ exist.&nbsp; Well, one of these groups sent her a note saying that they would kill her father if she didn’t give in to their demands.&nbsp; But the former Emperor was so damn old that nobody suspected foul play when he died, least of all Aralda.&nbsp; But then she got another note, saying that since she hadn’t paid attention the first time, they would take someone else close to her.&nbsp; The death of her nephew is a little too coincidental for her taste.”&nbsp; Lanara looked around at them before going on.&nbsp; “She asked if we might be able to help.&nbsp; She can’t turn to her own family, or anyone at the palace.&nbsp; I said that we would probably be able to help – I know that Autumn’s all about smiting evil, and we have Tolly with his ‘scalpel of Ardara’ business.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Was that disrespect?” Tolly asked, one eyebrow raised.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No, it wasn’t,” Lanara said.&nbsp; “It was actually a compliment.&nbsp; And of course Osborn, clever as he is, might be able to find something out if it does turn out to involve the guild.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, if Aralda’s in trouble,” said Arrie, “then it’s my business.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “And if its Arrie’s business,” said Tolly, “Then it’s our business, too.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Can she tell who wrote the notes?” Osborn asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara shook her head.&nbsp; “Though obviously she hasn’t taken them to be analyzed by anyone.&nbsp; But Aralda suspects it’s the thieves, as this doesn’t strike her as the way the druids would act.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It doesn’t seem like something a druid would do,” Autumn agreed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “But there was that one crazy hin druid in the swamp,” Lanara pointed out.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “And don’t forget Ghurka,” Kyle said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The point is, anyone can turn hinky on us,” Lanara said.&nbsp; “But regardless, I think we should go to our rooms and prepare for a late meeting.&nbsp; In the end, I think it’s kind of rude to accept their hospitality and then not help.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They all agreed, and went to their individual rooms to rest and prepare for their meeting with Aralda, with Xu only pausing long enough to ask Lanara what ‘hinky’ meant.&nbsp; They each made their own way to the Western Gardens, gathering in a small, private glade where there was little chance of being overheard.&nbsp; Aralda was already there, holding an arrow in one hand and a rolled piece of parchment in the other.&nbsp; She seemed slightly unsteady on her feet.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’ve received a new message,” she said, holding out both arrow and parchment.&nbsp; “It says, that now that they’ve demonstrated their power, they want me to meet them tomorrow night in the city.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Osborn took the note and studied it.&nbsp; “It’s in Elven, of course,” he said, “but the writer isn’t an elf.&nbsp; Elves have longer fingers, and their pen strokes tend to be lighter and more flowing.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That’s not much help,” said Kyle.&nbsp; “Half the people in the city aren’t elves.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Do you know where they want you to meet them, Aralda?” asked Autumn.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It’s in the city, near the outer gates,” she said.&nbsp; “I’m supposed to meet them at midnight.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, since the meeting place is in the city, and not out in the forest, it seems more likely that the thieves’ guild is behind this.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I think we should go scout it out in the morning,” Osborn said.&nbsp; “We can check out the situation, and maybe set up some sort of surprise.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The group nodded in agreement, but Arrie frowned.&nbsp; “Look, I don’t know how this clandestine stuff is supposed to work, but I’d think that a bunch of thieves and assassins would set something up themselves, an ambush in case there was trouble.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “True,” said Xu.&nbsp; “They have set the time and place for the meeting, and thus have the advantage.&nbsp; They will have watchers.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Perhaps this would be a good time to use my chain of eyes spell,” said Tolly.&nbsp; “If I place it on Aralda, she might get in the position to touch whoever she’s meeting.&nbsp; We can then follow them back to wherever they came from.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “One problem,” Arrie said.&nbsp; “I don’t think Aralda’s in any condition to meet anyone.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They all looked at the pale, trembling elven princess, and realized Arrie was right.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “And there’s also the possibility that these people just plan to jump the princess when she gets there, and kill her or kidnap her,” said Lanara.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “So, someone should stand in for her,” said Arrie.&nbsp; She looked around at her female companions, but the shortest of them was a foot taller than the very young Aralda.&nbsp; “We’d need someone very good at disguise.”&nbsp; She glanced pointedly at Lanara.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What, you think I want to be the one who gets killed or kidnapped?” snapped Lanara.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Look, Lanara…” Arrie began.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The cansin waved her off.&nbsp; “Oh, I’ll do it.&nbsp; I’m just complaining for the sake of complaining.”&nbsp; She threw a crooked smile at Arrie.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrie returned the grin.&nbsp; “Well, you’re still a bit tall for the role.”&nbsp; Arrie turned to Kyle.&nbsp; “Do you have anything that would help that?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He shook his head.&nbsp; “There’s a spell that would help, but it’s not one I know,” he said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Aralda stepped forward.&nbsp; “Kyle, I think I know the spell you speak of, and I know that my brother Herion has used it in the past.&nbsp; I can bring you his spellbook tomorrow morning; he will be distracted all day with our nephew’s death.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, then, I can use that to help,” he said.&nbsp; “I also have magic that enhances persuasiveness.&nbsp; It’s the same magic you have in your cloak, Lanara, but I might be able to boost it for a few hours.&nbsp; It could help you convince these men you’re the real princess.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Thanks, Kyle.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No problem.&nbsp; It’s better used on you than on me, anyway,” he said with a slight wink toward Autumn.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We should set up an ambush plan of our own, to come to Lanara’s aid if she’s discovered or attacked,” said Tolly.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Or to follow the thieves back to their lair,” agreed Autumn.&nbsp; “Hopefully we’ll be able to get to the source of the problem and eliminate it.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly nodded appreciatively at Autumn.&nbsp; He and the sentinel shared many ideals about how to handle a problem.&nbsp; And she was a woman of both martial accomplishment and spiritual devotion; as dedicated a seeker of corruption as he was, even if they looked for it in different places.&nbsp; Tolly felt a stirring in his chest, one he’d been feeling more frequently of late, and found he was having trouble taking his eyes off Autumn’s exquisite features, which looked to him as though they’d been carved in marble.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrie held out her hands to quiet her friends, who had begun calling out suggestions and making plans.&nbsp; “I think we should wait to make any concrete plans until we’ve seen the place Aralda’s supposed to go to and know what we’re working with.&nbsp; Lanara, Xu and Osborn can check it out in the morning.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I should spend the day with Aralda,” said Lanara.&nbsp; “We don’t know how well these people know the princess, and I should practice some of her mannerisms.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Aralda nodded.&nbsp; “That’s wise.&nbsp; And given some of the wonderful performances you’ve given while here, no one will think it odd that I’ve asked you to be at my side.&nbsp; They’ll assume I’ve requested you play to soothe my grief.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Sounds great,” said Osborn.&nbsp; “Now, we’ve got a busy day ahead of us, so let’s get some rest.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As the group began to break up, wandering off singly or in pairs so as not to attract the attention of any observers, Lanara sighed.&nbsp; “This didn’t turn out to be the vacation I’d hoped for.”*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; By the time all the details had been worked out, the party agreed that their plan was about the best they’d ever come up with.&nbsp; Simple and elegant, it still covered every possibility they could think of.&nbsp; They all knew with a certainty that their plan would allow Lanara to complete her mission unharmed, and get them the information they needed.&nbsp; When talking about it, much later, each of them expressed some level of regret that they’d never had a chance to execute it.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Osborn came back to the palace and reported that the meeting was being held in a narrow alley littered with garbage and old crates, between two large warehouse-type buildings.&nbsp; There were a few small balconies overlooking the alley, which Osborn assumed would be filled with observant rogues that evening.&nbsp; Both ends of the alley were open, and though there were plenty of places to duck behind, fully hiding from view would have been impossible.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As promised, Aralda brought Kyle her brother’s spellbook, hidden in a new pack.&nbsp; After preparing the alter self spell from that tome, the group made preparations.&nbsp; Xu climbed to the roof of one of the buildings, watching for any snipers or scouts.&nbsp; Osborn, disguised as a beggar, remained at one end of the alley camped under a balcony; Arrie hung out at the other end just around the corner.&nbsp; Kyle, Tolly, Autumn, and Kavan were all safely tucked away inside a rope trick that Kyle had conjured an hour before the meeting, hovering just over the meeting spot at the widest part of the alley.&nbsp; Just before climbing into the extra-dimensional space, Kyle had cast both splendor and alter self on Lanara, allowing her to take the form of Princess Aralda.&nbsp; Some borrowed clothes completed the disguise.&nbsp; Tolly also spelled the bard with chain of eyes, instructing her to try and touch whoever she met with in the hopes of transferring the spell to them.&nbsp; Once secure inside the rope trick, Tolly activated the spell, and watched through Lanara’s eyes.&nbsp; His instructions were clear; keep them informed of what was happening in the alley, and if there were any violence Kyle would end the rope trick and allow them to drop right into the middle of the thieves.&nbsp; Arrie and Osborn were responsible for keeping people from escaping out of the alley, and Xu would handle any thieves on the roof or balconies.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As the appointed hour approached, Xu and Osborn noticed people begin to take up positions at the balconies.&nbsp; When one of the rogues climbed over the wall to take up a position on the roof, Xu decided to be proactive, shoving him over the edge and then following him down to the alley below to make sure he didn’t get up.&nbsp; Xu hid quickly as others approached, and listened as the thief’s partners found him lying in the alley, and assumed he’d fallen and broken his neck. Xu ascended back to the roof as they threw the corpse onto a nearby trash heap and covered it over.&nbsp; Soon the monk saw another thief climb up to the roof, but this time decided to stay hidden and bide her time. One fall was unlucky; two would be suspicious.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Just before midnight, Lanara walked into the alley.&nbsp; If her companions had not known about the ruse, they would have sworn that Princess Aralda herself had just arrived.&nbsp; Lanara was dressed in Aralda’s hunting clothes, with a heavy cloak draped over her shoulders.&nbsp; The cloak helped hide the suit of fine chain that Arrie had loaned to her; as a druid herself, the real Aralda wouldn’t have worn metal armor, but the group felt the extra protection was worth the flaw in Lanara’s disguise.&nbsp; Lanara was also protected by as many enhancement spells as the group could place on her without visible effect.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A short, balding human was waiting there.&nbsp; He was only a scant inch or so taller than the princess was.&nbsp; “Princess,” the man said, “I’m glad you’ve finally decided to see the light.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Inside the rope trick, just above their heads, Tolly sat quietly, his own eyes closed.&nbsp; “She’s met someone,” he said.&nbsp; At that signal, Kyle began reciting arcane words, casting spells in rapid succession on himself and his companions inside the dimensional hole.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Is there something wrong with being a princess?” said Lanara, perfectly affecting someone who was terrified but trying to sound brave (in truth, she didn’t have to stretch far to reach that state).&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Not at all.” The man smiled. “We’re just glad you’ll be working with us instead of against us.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I wasn’t aware I was working against anyone.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You kept stymieing our overtures,” he explained.&nbsp; Then he shrugged.&nbsp; “What’s passed is past.&nbsp; Are you ready to go?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Depends on where we’re heading.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Down.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara frowned.&nbsp; “What do you mean ‘down’?&nbsp; How far down?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Far enough,” the man said.&nbsp; “We should get there by morning.” He grinned, then swept his arm out in a mockery of a polite invitation.&nbsp; “If Her Highness is ready to go?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Tolly frowned.&nbsp; “He’s wanting Lanara to follow him.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Do we need to move?” Kyle asked, ready to dismiss his spell.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly shook his head.&nbsp; “No one else is making a move.&nbsp; I think we’re planning on following.&nbsp; Wait a second…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; At the end of the alley (where a quick glance spotted Arrie hunkered down behind a crate), Lanara grabbed the man’s shoulder.&nbsp; “Was all this really necessary?&nbsp; Did you have to kill members of my family?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’m not the one to answer your questions, Princess.&nbsp; I’m just a simple guide.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Simple guide?&nbsp; I think not.&nbsp; Lanara kept her thought to herself, however, and kept following the bald rogue.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly concentrated as soon as Lanara touched the balding man, trying to transfer the chain of eyes spell to him.&nbsp; Unfortunately, the boundary between the rope trick and the real world interfered with his control, and he was unable to relocate the magic.&nbsp; “My spell’s still on Lanara,” he said.&nbsp; “I think she’ll want us to follow her to see where they’re taking her.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara and the rogue began walking down the street.&nbsp; Arrie immediately began to trail them, as did Xu, following on the rooftops.&nbsp; Osborn waited and checked to make sure the watchers in the alley had moved off, then crossed through the alley and signaled the four people in the rope trick that the coast was clear.&nbsp; The five of them moved off, following behind at a safe distance.&nbsp; Tolly was able to track Lanara’s movements through the city by his spell, giving directions to his companions while Autumn helped guide him along.&nbsp; The streets of Noxolt were surprisingly busy for that time of night, and the crowds slowed their progress.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The bald rogue walked with the ‘princess’ for almost an hour, walking along the outer edge of the city almost to the other side.&nbsp; Lanara took what opportunities she could to make physical contact with the man, not knowing if Tolly had been able to transfer his spell or not.&nbsp; She played up her role as the young princess, jumping and clutching his arm at every loud noise or sudden movement.&nbsp; The rogue, seemingly unaware, just shrugged her off and kept walking.&nbsp; Finally, they approached a non-descript house in the worst part of town; drunks and prostitutes were scattered all over.&nbsp; The rogue turned to say something to his guest, but then his eyes went wide in shock. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The alter self spell had worn off.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara stepped forward, trying to intimidate the man.&nbsp; “We don’t appreciate your treatment of the Princess,” she said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I don’t know anything!&nbsp; I’m just a middle-man!&nbsp; I was just told to bring the princess to this house!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Who told you to do this?” Lanara said, grabbing the man by the shirt and putting his face mere inches from hers.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “He was…” the rogue suddenly jerked, and began spasming.&nbsp; As he slumped forward in Lanara’s grasp, she saw a crossbow bolt protruding from his back.&nbsp; There was a bit of black paste smeared on the shaft.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara looked around.&nbsp; She could see the shot had come from a nearby alley, but could see no one running or making themselves obvious.&nbsp; She moved toward the nearest wall, keeping the body held up in front of her as a shield.&nbsp; A group of people had begun to gather around Lanara as she interrogated the thief, but had scattered when the bolt hit home, making spotting anyone specific even more difficult.&nbsp; But then she saw something jump down off a nearby roof, and heard something snap even over the noise of the crowd.&nbsp; A moment later, Xu walked out of the alley, tossing a broken crossbow aside as she gripped a rogue in a headlock.&nbsp; Osborn had also crept up on the snipers, slicing one of them across his Achilles’ tendon and sent him down like a sack of wet potatoes.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara heard a whistling sound in the air, and she saw another person go down, his legs wrapped in Arrie’s bolas.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The others ran up quickly.&nbsp; “I was able to transfer the spell while you were walking,” Tolly said.&nbsp; “I saw when your disguise failed, and knew you’d need help.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Fortunately, we get the chance to find out what he knows,” said Arrie, kicking the man at her feet.&nbsp; She wrenched his arm around behind his back, causing him to yell in pain.&nbsp; “We need any more prisoners?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I don’t think so,” Autumn said.&nbsp; “Let’s find out who is behind this, and kill them.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “While I agree that their actions are unlawful, and I agree with you in principle, Autumn,” said Tolly, “in the eyes of the law we have no proof that these people are behind the deaths of the former Emperor and the young prince.&nbsp; Until we have it, we can’t just ‘kill them’.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What about those letters that Aralda has?” Autumn asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly’s eyes brightened, and he looked admiringly at his aasimar companion.&nbsp; “I’d forgotten about those.&nbsp; Good enough.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, let’s see where they were taking me, anyway,” said Lanara, pointing at the house.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party went to the house, taking the body of the guide with them as well as their three prisoners.&nbsp; Osborn picked the lock, and swung the door open.&nbsp; &nbsp; Upon entering, Osborn had to quickly step back to avoid a tripwire across the door, but once he discovered the trap it was easy to disable.&nbsp; It was obvious there had once been people waiting in the house, but they’d fled when the commotion started.&nbsp; A quick search revealed a trap door in the floor, under a threadbare rug.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The interrogation of the prisoners didn’t result in much useful information.&nbsp; The men were all thieves with the guild, and had been told to watch the house and make sure Princess Aralda arrived.&nbsp; Their orders had come from immediate superiors, and they had no idea who was calling the shots or where the tunnels below the house led.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The guy said he was taking me ‘down’ to meet the person behind all this,” Lanara said, pointing at the trap door.&nbsp; “This looks ‘down’ to me.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Agreed,” Autumn said, as she threw open the trapdoor and peered into the gloom.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Hey, guys?” asked Kyle.&nbsp; “Are we sure this is such a good idea?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Maybe, maybe not,” said Arrie.&nbsp; “But the truth is that whoever was waiting here to take Aralda is probably going to tell the person behind all this.&nbsp; We already know they can get to the Imperial Family without being discovered.&nbsp; We don’t have time to wait and see what happens.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; And, with that, they descended into the darkness.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 2173957, member: 5203"] [b]Guilded Cages[/b] The funeral proceedings for the Emperor of Tlaxan, and the coronation of the new Emperor took up the next week. Leaders of other nations might have suggested that having the two events so close together was a breach of decorum, but for the practical elves it seemed only logical not to delay the investiture of their new leader any longer than necessary. The party went through the expected rite and ceremonies with quiet dignity, except perhaps for Osborn, who was still chafing at being forced to wear white (although he was only required to wear a full white outfit the day of the funeral, and the rest of the week only needed to bear a white armband, the presence of anything not black on the hin was mortifying to him). For a few days it almost felt to the party like they were being ignored, which in a way was a slight relief, as they could then walk about and experiment with the items they’d been given as gifts from the Imperial Treasury without feeling like they were showing off or being disrespectful to the departed Emperor’s family. Only Kavan and Tolly’s gifts had not come from the palace’s vaults; instead they now carried relics from their respective churches, having been granted the privilege after the Imperial Family impressed upon their superiors the two priests’ dedication to their faith (and made a large donation to each church’s coffers). It wasn’t until five days after the funeral that they discovered their impressions had been correct; with everything else going on, the presence of the party at the palace had been overlooked. Once Prince Herion and Princess Aralda realized this, they quickly organized a formal dinner to allow the party to meet their oldest brother, Emperor Haxhta, in person. The dinner itself was less awkward than they’d expected. Although Emperor Haxtha didn’t know them, he’d heard of them through his younger siblings, and thus was familiar enough to be able to add some depth to his polite conversation. Much of the talk revolved around making plans to return to Tlaxan at some point in the future for a reunion; it had been agreed by the group that with the funeral and coronation concluded, they should be on their way within the day or two so as not to strain the palace’s hospitality. There was an unexpected commotion as a page rushed into the room from a side door. He bowed to the Emperor, then looked up at him. His face was white, and sweat trickled down his brow. “Your Majesty,” he said, fear causing his voice to tremble, “your son… he’s…” Then they all heard the pealing tone echoing through the room, the sounding of the Crystal Chime; the bell that only sounded upon the death of a member of the Imperial Family. Emperor Haxtha fainted. Herion was there in a flash, catching his brother before he fell to the floor. Aralda sat still as a marble statue, and nearly as white. Lanara, who was looking at the princess when the bell had sounded, thought she saw a look of guilt flash across Aralda’s face. “Was there any more to your message?” Autumn asked the page. “No, My Lady,” he said, shaking his head. “Only that his son has died. We do not know the cause.” The Emperor recovered shortly, and Herion led him to his chambers to recover. Several of the party offered to go to see the prince, to see if they could learn what had happened. Aralda remained behind, as did Kyle and Lanara; the former because he thought that the death of the Emperor’s son was none of his affair, and the latter because she wanted to talk to Aralda about the strange reaction she’d seen. Tolly helped Herion with the Emperor, and offered words of comfort to both. There were guards posted around the room as the party entered. The Emperor’s son was only ten years of age, barely out of infancy by elven standards. His body lay in the middle of his bed, surrounded by wooden rails as if it were a large crib. There were no marks on the body. Autumn concentrated for a moment, then shook her head slightly at Arrie; there was no taint of evil in the room. The only other person in the room was a round-faced elf sitting in the corner, brow creased with grief and frustration. Kavan asked one of the guards, and learned that this was Jey’ri, from the palace infirmary. Kavan walked up and introduced himself, then sat beside the elf. “What happened here?” “One of the guards had come in to check on the young prince,” Jey’ri said. “They noticed that he was not breathing, and could not be roused. That was when I was sent for. The death must have just happened – the prince had not been asleep long, and the… body is still warm. But I can find no trace of what killed him. Were the prince human, I might call it a simple cribdeath. But elves do not sleep as humans do, and the prince was well beyond the age for such things to happen.” “Where is the boy’s mother?” asked Kavan. “The prince was conceived near the end of his mother’s service to Haxtha,” Jey’ri explained. “After he was weaned, she left the palace.” Kavan nodded. Such was the custom with the Emperor and his chosen heir; rather than marry one wife, and endure endless political wrangling and accusations over whom that woman (or man, in the case of Empresses) would be, they chose a consort to give them children and provide companionship. The Imperial Consorts served for a period of one hundred years, and then left with a sizeable dowry. It was likely that Haxtha, Herion, and Aralda came from three different mothers. Kavan looked around. Osborn was carefully looking around the room for anything amiss, but seemed to be having no luck. Arrie had left, presumably to find her fiancée Herion. Autumn was about to leave, telling Xu that she was going back to the dining hall to check up on Aralda, Lanara, and Kyle. Xu herself had been talking to the guards, to see if they’d heard or seen anything odd while watching over the prince. Kavan realized that there was only one person they weren’t talking to in the room. Kavan thanked Jey’ri for his time, and stood slowly. He made his way to the side of the crib, and looked down at the small, still form. For a moment, thoughts of his own son flashed in his mind, and Kavan grimaced, wondering how things might have been different if he’d known of Marrek’s existence when he was still at this tender age, rather than meeting him for the first time as an adult, an adult who apparently wanted his father to suffer for some unknown worng. Kavan began quietly chanting the words to his spell. As a priest of Erito, Guardian of the Dead, he had been granted some ability to pierce the veil between this life and the next. For a moment he considered that he should probably ask permission for what he was doing, but it would take too long explaining how what was lying in this crib was nothing but an empty vessel, that the essence of what the prince was had already departed. He hoped to connect to a tiny portion of that essence now. The spell finished, Kavan saw the boy’s eyelids flutter open, and his jaw begin to quiver. Kavan decided to keep his conversation with the boy quick and quiet, so as not to alarm any of the armed palace guards. “What happened to you?” whispered Kavan. “I fell asleep, and I didn’t wake up,” the boy’s body answered. “Where are you now?” “I’m in my bed.” Kavan cursed to himself. The question had been answered quite literally by a ten-year-old child. Not only had he failed to consider that, but he forgot that it was the prince’s corpse he was conversing with, not his soul, and the questions would be answered from that perspective. “Have you been here the whole time you’ve been asleep?” he asked. “Yes.” The eyes closed again. Kavan sighed. Though not terribly useful, at least he knew that the prince had not perceived being moved or leaving his room at any point. Looking up at his companions, he saw that their investigations had been no more fruitful. “I think we should find the others,” he said. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] Lanara had news for them all when they came back. While Kyle had pushed food around on his plate with a fork, not knowing quite what to say to Aralda but thinking that continuing to eat wasn’t the proper thing to do, Lanara had used her prodigiously more advanced conversational skills to talk with the princess. The cansin had managed to obliquely reference Aralda’s odd expressions upon hearing of her nephew’s death. Finally, the princess had asked to talk to Lanara privately in a corner of the room. They talked for several minutes, but when Lanara returned to the table, Aralda didn’t follow her, but returned to her own rooms. Autumn passed her on the way, and noticed that she was crying for the first time that evening. As the rest of her companions wandered back to the dining hall, Lanara asked them all to gather around her. In a low voice, so as not to be overheard by the handful of servants who were somberly clearing away the remains of dinner, she spoke. “We need to meet with Aralda at midnight tonight in the Western Gardens.” “Why?” asked Arrie. “Because she has information about this situation to give us that could be helpful,” Lanara replied. “It seems that the princess has gotten herself in trouble with a couple of groups here in the city, and she thinks one of them is responsible for her nephew.” There were several incredulous stares, but they all had the sense not to cry out and alert the servants that something was wrong. “Here’s the situation,” Lanara continued. “The local druid’s circle has been pressuring Aralda for some time. I’m sure you’ve all noticed her fondness for animals and green things. Well, the druids want her to give up the royalty thing and go live in the woods with them, and stop trying to live two lives. But she’s also been dabbling with the thieves guild, and…” She was interrupted by a loud cough from Osborn. “I know,” Lanara sighed, “they don’t ‘really’ exist. Well, one of these groups sent her a note saying that they would kill her father if she didn’t give in to their demands. But the former Emperor was so damn old that nobody suspected foul play when he died, least of all Aralda. But then she got another note, saying that since she hadn’t paid attention the first time, they would take someone else close to her. The death of her nephew is a little too coincidental for her taste.” Lanara looked around at them before going on. “She asked if we might be able to help. She can’t turn to her own family, or anyone at the palace. I said that we would probably be able to help – I know that Autumn’s all about smiting evil, and we have Tolly with his ‘scalpel of Ardara’ business.” “Was that disrespect?” Tolly asked, one eyebrow raised. “No, it wasn’t,” Lanara said. “It was actually a compliment. And of course Osborn, clever as he is, might be able to find something out if it does turn out to involve the guild.” “Well, if Aralda’s in trouble,” said Arrie, “then it’s my business.” “And if its Arrie’s business,” said Tolly, “Then it’s our business, too.” “Can she tell who wrote the notes?” Osborn asked. Lanara shook her head. “Though obviously she hasn’t taken them to be analyzed by anyone. But Aralda suspects it’s the thieves, as this doesn’t strike her as the way the druids would act.” “It doesn’t seem like something a druid would do,” Autumn agreed. “But there was that one crazy hin druid in the swamp,” Lanara pointed out. “And don’t forget Ghurka,” Kyle said. “The point is, anyone can turn hinky on us,” Lanara said. “But regardless, I think we should go to our rooms and prepare for a late meeting. In the end, I think it’s kind of rude to accept their hospitality and then not help.” They all agreed, and went to their individual rooms to rest and prepare for their meeting with Aralda, with Xu only pausing long enough to ask Lanara what ‘hinky’ meant. They each made their own way to the Western Gardens, gathering in a small, private glade where there was little chance of being overheard. Aralda was already there, holding an arrow in one hand and a rolled piece of parchment in the other. She seemed slightly unsteady on her feet. “I’ve received a new message,” she said, holding out both arrow and parchment. “It says, that now that they’ve demonstrated their power, they want me to meet them tomorrow night in the city.” Osborn took the note and studied it. “It’s in Elven, of course,” he said, “but the writer isn’t an elf. Elves have longer fingers, and their pen strokes tend to be lighter and more flowing.” “That’s not much help,” said Kyle. “Half the people in the city aren’t elves.” “Do you know where they want you to meet them, Aralda?” asked Autumn. “It’s in the city, near the outer gates,” she said. “I’m supposed to meet them at midnight.” “Well, since the meeting place is in the city, and not out in the forest, it seems more likely that the thieves’ guild is behind this.” “I think we should go scout it out in the morning,” Osborn said. “We can check out the situation, and maybe set up some sort of surprise.” The group nodded in agreement, but Arrie frowned. “Look, I don’t know how this clandestine stuff is supposed to work, but I’d think that a bunch of thieves and assassins would set something up themselves, an ambush in case there was trouble.” “True,” said Xu. “They have set the time and place for the meeting, and thus have the advantage. They will have watchers.” “Perhaps this would be a good time to use my [I]chain of eyes[/I] spell,” said Tolly. “If I place it on Aralda, she might get in the position to touch whoever she’s meeting. We can then follow them back to wherever they came from.” “One problem,” Arrie said. “I don’t think Aralda’s in any condition to meet anyone.” They all looked at the pale, trembling elven princess, and realized Arrie was right. “And there’s also the possibility that these people just plan to jump the princess when she gets there, and kill her or kidnap her,” said Lanara. “So, someone should stand in for her,” said Arrie. She looked around at her female companions, but the shortest of them was a foot taller than the very young Aralda. “We’d need someone very good at disguise.” She glanced pointedly at Lanara. “What, you think I want to be the one who gets killed or kidnapped?” snapped Lanara. “Look, Lanara…” Arrie began. The cansin waved her off. “Oh, I’ll do it. I’m just complaining for the sake of complaining.” She threw a crooked smile at Arrie. Arrie returned the grin. “Well, you’re still a bit tall for the role.” Arrie turned to Kyle. “Do you have anything that would help that?” He shook his head. “There’s a spell that would help, but it’s not one I know,” he said. Aralda stepped forward. “Kyle, I think I know the spell you speak of, and I know that my brother Herion has used it in the past. I can bring you his spellbook tomorrow morning; he will be distracted all day with our nephew’s death.” “Well, then, I can use that to help,” he said. “I also have magic that enhances persuasiveness. It’s the same magic you have in your cloak, Lanara, but I might be able to boost it for a few hours. It could help you convince these men you’re the real princess.” “Thanks, Kyle.” “No problem. It’s better used on you than on me, anyway,” he said with a slight wink toward Autumn. “We should set up an ambush plan of our own, to come to Lanara’s aid if she’s discovered or attacked,” said Tolly. “Or to follow the thieves back to their lair,” agreed Autumn. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get to the source of the problem and eliminate it.” Tolly nodded appreciatively at Autumn. He and the sentinel shared many ideals about how to handle a problem. And she was a woman of both martial accomplishment and spiritual devotion; as dedicated a seeker of corruption as he was, even if they looked for it in different places. Tolly felt a stirring in his chest, one he’d been feeling more frequently of late, and found he was having trouble taking his eyes off Autumn’s exquisite features, which looked to him as though they’d been carved in marble. Arrie held out her hands to quiet her friends, who had begun calling out suggestions and making plans. “I think we should wait to make any concrete plans until we’ve seen the place Aralda’s supposed to go to and know what we’re working with. Lanara, Xu and Osborn can check it out in the morning.” “I should spend the day with Aralda,” said Lanara. “We don’t know how well these people know the princess, and I should practice some of her mannerisms.” Aralda nodded. “That’s wise. And given some of the wonderful performances you’ve given while here, no one will think it odd that I’ve asked you to be at my side. They’ll assume I’ve requested you play to soothe my grief.” “Sounds great,” said Osborn. “Now, we’ve got a busy day ahead of us, so let’s get some rest.” As the group began to break up, wandering off singly or in pairs so as not to attract the attention of any observers, Lanara sighed. “This didn’t turn out to be the vacation I’d hoped for.” [I]* * *[/I] By the time all the details had been worked out, the party agreed that their plan was about the best they’d ever come up with. Simple and elegant, it still covered every possibility they could think of. They all knew with a certainty that their plan would allow Lanara to complete her mission unharmed, and get them the information they needed. When talking about it, much later, each of them expressed some level of regret that they’d never had a chance to execute it. Osborn came back to the palace and reported that the meeting was being held in a narrow alley littered with garbage and old crates, between two large warehouse-type buildings. There were a few small balconies overlooking the alley, which Osborn assumed would be filled with observant rogues that evening. Both ends of the alley were open, and though there were plenty of places to duck behind, fully hiding from view would have been impossible. As promised, Aralda brought Kyle her brother’s spellbook, hidden in a new pack. After preparing the [I]alter self [/I] spell from that tome, the group made preparations. Xu climbed to the roof of one of the buildings, watching for any snipers or scouts. Osborn, disguised as a beggar, remained at one end of the alley camped under a balcony; Arrie hung out at the other end just around the corner. Kyle, Tolly, Autumn, and Kavan were all safely tucked away inside a [I]rope trick[/I] that Kyle had conjured an hour before the meeting, hovering just over the meeting spot at the widest part of the alley. Just before climbing into the extra-dimensional space, Kyle had cast both [I]splendor [/I] and [I]alter self[/I] on Lanara, allowing her to take the form of Princess Aralda. Some borrowed clothes completed the disguise. Tolly also spelled the bard with [I]chain of eyes[/I], instructing her to try and touch whoever she met with in the hopes of transferring the spell to them. Once secure inside the [I]rope trick[/I], Tolly activated the spell, and watched through Lanara’s eyes. His instructions were clear; keep them informed of what was happening in the alley, and if there were any violence Kyle would end the [I]rope trick[/I] and allow them to drop right into the middle of the thieves. Arrie and Osborn were responsible for keeping people from escaping out of the alley, and Xu would handle any thieves on the roof or balconies. As the appointed hour approached, Xu and Osborn noticed people begin to take up positions at the balconies. When one of the rogues climbed over the wall to take up a position on the roof, Xu decided to be proactive, shoving him over the edge and then following him down to the alley below to make sure he didn’t get up. Xu hid quickly as others approached, and listened as the thief’s partners found him lying in the alley, and assumed he’d fallen and broken his neck. Xu ascended back to the roof as they threw the corpse onto a nearby trash heap and covered it over. Soon the monk saw another thief climb up to the roof, but this time decided to stay hidden and bide her time. One fall was unlucky; two would be suspicious. Just before midnight, Lanara walked into the alley. If her companions had not known about the ruse, they would have sworn that Princess Aralda herself had just arrived. Lanara was dressed in Aralda’s hunting clothes, with a heavy cloak draped over her shoulders. The cloak helped hide the suit of fine chain that Arrie had loaned to her; as a druid herself, the real Aralda wouldn’t have worn metal armor, but the group felt the extra protection was worth the flaw in Lanara’s disguise. Lanara was also protected by as many enhancement spells as the group could place on her without visible effect. A short, balding human was waiting there. He was only a scant inch or so taller than the princess was. “Princess,” the man said, “I’m glad you’ve finally decided to see the light.” Inside the [I]rope trick[/I], just above their heads, Tolly sat quietly, his own eyes closed. “She’s met someone,” he said. At that signal, Kyle began reciting arcane words, casting spells in rapid succession on himself and his companions inside the dimensional hole. “Is there something wrong with being a princess?” said Lanara, perfectly affecting someone who was terrified but trying to sound brave (in truth, she didn’t have to stretch far to reach that state). “Not at all.” The man smiled. “We’re just glad you’ll be working with us instead of against us.” “I wasn’t aware I was working against anyone.” “You kept stymieing our overtures,” he explained. Then he shrugged. “What’s passed is past. Are you ready to go?” “Depends on where we’re heading.” “Down.” Lanara frowned. “What do you mean ‘down’? How far down?” “Far enough,” the man said. “We should get there by morning.” He grinned, then swept his arm out in a mockery of a polite invitation. “If Her Highness is ready to go?” Tolly frowned. “He’s wanting Lanara to follow him.” “Do we need to move?” Kyle asked, ready to dismiss his spell. Tolly shook his head. “No one else is making a move. I think we’re planning on following. Wait a second…” At the end of the alley (where a quick glance spotted Arrie hunkered down behind a crate), Lanara grabbed the man’s shoulder. “Was all this really necessary? Did you have to kill members of my family?” “I’m not the one to answer your questions, Princess. I’m just a simple guide.” [I]Simple guide? I think not.[/I] Lanara kept her thought to herself, however, and kept following the bald rogue. Tolly concentrated as soon as Lanara touched the balding man, trying to transfer the [I]chain of eyes[/I] spell to him. Unfortunately, the boundary between the [I]rope trick[/I] and the real world interfered with his control, and he was unable to relocate the magic. “My spell’s still on Lanara,” he said. “I think she’ll want us to follow her to see where they’re taking her.” Lanara and the rogue began walking down the street. Arrie immediately began to trail them, as did Xu, following on the rooftops. Osborn waited and checked to make sure the watchers in the alley had moved off, then crossed through the alley and signaled the four people in the [I]rope trick[/I] that the coast was clear. The five of them moved off, following behind at a safe distance. Tolly was able to track Lanara’s movements through the city by his spell, giving directions to his companions while Autumn helped guide him along. The streets of Noxolt were surprisingly busy for that time of night, and the crowds slowed their progress. The bald rogue walked with the ‘princess’ for almost an hour, walking along the outer edge of the city almost to the other side. Lanara took what opportunities she could to make physical contact with the man, not knowing if Tolly had been able to transfer his spell or not. She played up her role as the young princess, jumping and clutching his arm at every loud noise or sudden movement. The rogue, seemingly unaware, just shrugged her off and kept walking. Finally, they approached a non-descript house in the worst part of town; drunks and prostitutes were scattered all over. The rogue turned to say something to his guest, but then his eyes went wide in shock. The [I]alter self[/I] spell had worn off. Lanara stepped forward, trying to intimidate the man. “We don’t appreciate your treatment of the Princess,” she said. “I don’t know anything! I’m just a middle-man! I was just told to bring the princess to this house!” “Who told you to do this?” Lanara said, grabbing the man by the shirt and putting his face mere inches from hers. “He was…” the rogue suddenly jerked, and began spasming. As he slumped forward in Lanara’s grasp, she saw a crossbow bolt protruding from his back. There was a bit of black paste smeared on the shaft. Lanara looked around. She could see the shot had come from a nearby alley, but could see no one running or making themselves obvious. She moved toward the nearest wall, keeping the body held up in front of her as a shield. A group of people had begun to gather around Lanara as she interrogated the thief, but had scattered when the bolt hit home, making spotting anyone specific even more difficult. But then she saw something jump down off a nearby roof, and heard something snap even over the noise of the crowd. A moment later, Xu walked out of the alley, tossing a broken crossbow aside as she gripped a rogue in a headlock. Osborn had also crept up on the snipers, slicing one of them across his Achilles’ tendon and sent him down like a sack of wet potatoes. Lanara heard a whistling sound in the air, and she saw another person go down, his legs wrapped in Arrie’s bolas. The others ran up quickly. “I was able to transfer the spell while you were walking,” Tolly said. “I saw when your disguise failed, and knew you’d need help.” “Fortunately, we get the chance to find out what he knows,” said Arrie, kicking the man at her feet. She wrenched his arm around behind his back, causing him to yell in pain. “We need any more prisoners?” “I don’t think so,” Autumn said. “Let’s find out who is behind this, and kill them.” “While I agree that their actions are unlawful, and I agree with you in principle, Autumn,” said Tolly, “in the eyes of the law we have no proof that these people are behind the deaths of the former Emperor and the young prince. Until we have it, we can’t just ‘kill them’.” “What about those letters that Aralda has?” Autumn asked. Tolly’s eyes brightened, and he looked admiringly at his aasimar companion. “I’d forgotten about those. Good enough.” “Well, let’s see where they were taking me, anyway,” said Lanara, pointing at the house. The party went to the house, taking the body of the guide with them as well as their three prisoners. Osborn picked the lock, and swung the door open. Upon entering, Osborn had to quickly step back to avoid a tripwire across the door, but once he discovered the trap it was easy to disable. It was obvious there had once been people waiting in the house, but they’d fled when the commotion started. A quick search revealed a trap door in the floor, under a threadbare rug. The interrogation of the prisoners didn’t result in much useful information. The men were all thieves with the guild, and had been told to watch the house and make sure Princess Aralda arrived. Their orders had come from immediate superiors, and they had no idea who was calling the shots or where the tunnels below the house led. “The guy said he was taking me ‘down’ to meet the person behind all this,” Lanara said, pointing at the trap door. “This looks ‘down’ to me.” “Agreed,” Autumn said, as she threw open the trapdoor and peered into the gloom. “Hey, guys?” asked Kyle. “Are we sure this is such a good idea?” “Maybe, maybe not,” said Arrie. “But the truth is that whoever was waiting here to take Aralda is probably going to tell the person behind all this. We already know they can get to the Imperial Family without being discovered. We don’t have time to wait and see what happens.” And, with that, they descended into the darkness. [/QUOTE]

Verification