Getsemiel, part 2

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose turned toward Argus. "Soon, when all this is done ... I'd like you to meet my family," she said softly. If that statement was what it sounded like, well, it was what it was, and if it wasn't, then what the hell. Or something like that.

She was just starting to examine another little magical figure -- this one dressed like a lifemage, Luminosita alone knew what it could do as a toy -- when she noticed Argus rubbing his shoulder. Gently, she put her own hand on the spot, fancying that it felt less stony and jagged than before. Maybe that strange gadget of Maduin's was healing him ... so that he could have a full life ahead of him. With me, hopefully. "Does it hurt?" she asked. "Can I help?"

Thus distracted, they didn't notice that Keyes had walked into the toy shop, having concluded that the "dwarven artifacts" in that other shop were so clearly bogus that he'd have as much of a chance of finding something useful here as there.

[Drannin]

"I'm alright," Argus said honestly. "Whatever Maduin slapped on me is doing an admirable job, really." He had to admit, the feel of Rose's hand on his shoulder was not at all unpleasant. "...I'd be interested in meeting your family. What are they like? You've never brought them up before."

(OOC: If it has been brought up before, I've completely forgotten about it.)

[Graybeard]

[OOC:

"I'm alright," Argus said honestly. "Whatever Maduin slapped on me is doing an admirable job, really." He had to admit, the feel of Rose's hand on his shoulder was not at all unpleasant. "...I'd be interested in meeting your family. What are they like? You've never brought them up before."

(OOC: If it has been brought up before, I've completely forgotten about it.)

A bit of relevant backstory appeared here, and another one here. Rose might or might not have ever discussed the contents with Argus, however. /OOC:]

"One brother, one sister," Sister Rose answered, releasing Argus' shoulder with a wee bit of reluctance. "My brother Aron is a schoolteacher in Saus. He has a son and a daughter. His little Ruth would like that juggler, I think." She half-chuckled, half-sighed. "'Little.' She'll be a teenager in two years. Anyway, Aron would remind you a lot of Brad, except married. He's still that same head-over-heels-in-love way with Gretta, even though they've been married for almost fifteen years now." Somehow it seemed like a good idea to reassure Argus about Brad's potential as a son-in-law, that his almost overwhelming passion for Lillith was going to last. "Margot, my sister -- she's still single, I think. She's almost ten years younger than I am, and she went a little wild as a teenager. It's all worked out now --" sure it is, I just have to keep telling myself that -- "but I don't know as much about what she's doing. My father died several years ago, and mom re-married, to a rather well-to-do widower who made his money building the first magical, advanced airships in Veracia. They all live in Saus."

She started to reach for an ingenious little figurine that looked like an airship crewman, or maybe an engineer; nephew Neil would like that, she thought. However, a tall, slender man picked it up first to examine it, so she returned to the theme. Dare she inquire? She thought so. "Do you have any brothers or sisters in -- the other country? I'd like to meet them too --"

She was starting to expand on that thought, but she'd noticed something, something that she didn't want to mention aloud. She switched to mind-speech. <"That guy looking at the little airman -- I think he's a half elf.">

Indeed he was; the combination of the Tsuirakuan toy and his own magical skills was giving Keyes an idea.

[OOC: So isn't Tamina going to make introductions? BTW, a much-delayed retcon here to bring it into line with things we've learned about the Errant World; doesn't affect the "plot" any. /OOC:]

------------

The Eisenfaust thugs split up, one going to alert Elke to the presence of "competitors" approaching the warehouse, the other settling in to continue the stake-out (or more accurately, to continue checking out Desiree through the binoculars). Their attention was diverted from the approaching group, and they missed that two of the newcomers had themselves split off to perform a small errand. Small, and fatal. The second watcher's eyes were still on Desiree when he had the last sensory experience of his life, which was considerably less pleasurable.

The garroting wire that had been slipped over his head, blocking the view for just a moment, pulled taut, and there was an audible snap of something breaking, but it definitely wasn't the wire.

[Drannin]

"I was an only child," Argus commented. "Though I do have some extended family. Haven't seen them in ages. Fayna's about it, and you've met her." I'd like for the two of you to talk, get to know each other.

Mind speech followed: <"He is. I wonder what his story is.">

[Jack Rothwell]

OOC Sorry, been busy./OOC

Tamina made introductions in her usual disjointed style as the groups came together.

"Keyeth! Been looking for you! The peoples want to speak to you! 'Bout the dead man!" Not much tact given the circumstances. A few passers by were giving the kobold an appraising look, and not a positive one.

"This is Rose. Doing investigating! Very important!"

................

Eli stood by impassively with a hand resting on the pommel of his sword as Telan went to meet the arriving group. It occured to the half-elf that his uncle was probably involved in something under the table if he required a bodyguard for a simple negociation. If Telan was nervous, however, he gave no sign as he extended a hand to the leader of the quartet.

[Graybeard]

[OOC: I must say that, years ago when I thought of Rose and Keyes, I had no idea they'd ever meet -- but it makes sense in the game. So:]

Keyes put the mechanic-looking thing down and inspected the newcomers. A (very attractive) Veracian nun, a young and uncomfortable-looking Veracian priest, a Tsuirakuan mage, a large soldier from somewhere unfamiliar, an effeminate (maybe) Tsuirakuan who seemed to have something for the soldier, and a kobold ... it sounded like the warm-up to a "so these six guys walk into a bar" joke. However, the group didn't seem to be joking. He paused before speaking; it didn't feel like a dangerous situation, but one couldn't be too careful.

Sister Rose, for her part, had the feeling she'd seen this man before, but she couldn't place where. Apart from being tall and having shaggy hair (the better to hide the pointed ears she was pretty sure he had), he was nondescript in appearance, perhaps studiedly so, as a man might be who preferred not to stand out in a crowd. That got her attention: many rather dangerous people adopted that same pose of anonymity. And he'd been around Blaise.

Keyes was the first to speak, addressing first Tamina, then the nun, who seemed to be leading this small group (a curious concept, but this wasn't Veracia). "Tank you, Tammy," he said, then turned to Rose. "Like te taid, my name it Keyeth, and yet, I wat trying to heal a man who died, terrible ting. He looked like he wat prom your temple. I'm torry, we weren't able to tabe him. What can I do por you?"

The speech impediment triggered a memory in Rose. I know who he is. "Thank you for trying," she smiled, putting an element of wistfulness in the expression. "I think we've met before. I am Sister Rose of the Veracian Temple in Kiyoka. One of my jobs there is to get the supplies for our mission from the merchants in town. You worked on a fishing boat in the harbor, isn't that right? I think we bought some of your goods from time to time."

Now it was Keyes' turn to remember. "Ah! Yet, I tink we did tome butinet dere." Indeed they had; she'd been just another customer of Mr. Stagpoole's "cover" operation, but he'd never expected to see a nun who looked like that. He put on a neutral, tentative smile; the mission had been good customers, as he remembered it. "To what bringt you here?"

I wish I knew for sure ... and I wish I could ask you the same question, but I can't, Rose thought. I'll have to dance around some things. "It's a long story," she said, "but the long and the short of it is that we're looking for a man." Uh, oh. What did I do wrong?

[Jack Rothwell]

"... so we have an accord?"

"Agreed." Telan replied, looking a little worn from the facts and figures he'd been pouring over with his associates over the last ten minutes. "Our newest imports will be arriving tomorrow morning."

Eli had observed the proceedings with a frown on his face that tilted more from aggression to confusion the longer the talks went on. The 'imports' his uncle and his customers had been hinted at rather than outright stated. All the information he had gleaned from the negociations was that Telan had ships and crew working at every direction of the compass bringing... Gods knew what back to the Port for distribution. His suspicions only grew as the older half-elf turned to him with a wink and made a 'wait' motion as he walked with the arrivals to his office door.

"One last detail to work out." he murmured, as they left ahead of him. "You did well son. Your father would be proud."

"You don't want me to come?"

"It's alright." Telan replied, sparing a glance as he got to the door at the pretty Preistess who'd waited outside (Eli didn't see it and wouldn't have remarked upon it if he had). "I don't think there's any danger from these men" He reached into his pockets and handed his nephew a bag a coin. "Why don't you find something to do with that?"

Eli pocketed the bag with an uneasy mind, and went to find Desiree.

[Graybeard]

Keyes didn't like the way this interaction was going. Passengers that he took on the "special" boat were not normally a matter of polite conversation. On the other hand, they also weren't normally this much trouble, either. Any incentive he'd had to protect the man had disappeared by now, partly as a result of the way he'd behaved, but mainly because of Mr. Stagpoole's curiously diffident reaction to Keyes' report that Blaise had disappeared.

"De man I wad gibing a ride to Kiyoka, right?" he guessed, and Sister Rose's expression made it clear that he'd guessed right.

------------

As Eli went looking for Desiree, he had no way of knowing that the two men who'd -- eliminated the watcher were doing the same, and that one of them was equipped with a certain item smelling of chloroform, while the other was carrying something rather more lethal.

[Drusia]

Well, this is boring. When Eli got hired to do some body-guarding, I didn't realize his uncle meant right that second. I would have gone back to the inn... or maybe wandered around the town a little, seen what there was to do.

I'm peering out a window, being bored by the view, when I hear the door open. Finally! I smile as I turn around and -

No one's there. Huh. I could have sworn -

Everything goes suddenly black as a bag is pulled over my head. I try to scream, but there's something wet in the bag, and it smells terrible, and I can't breathe....

***

I awaken, sore and cold, lying naked on a stone floor. I can feel a blindfold on covering my eyes and a gag in my mouth. My hands are tied uncomfortably behind my back, and my feet are bound as well.

That's good, I tell myself. If it was an elf, I'd be dead already. So... that's... something. I feel my stomach clench and I fight against a wave of nausia. I really, really don't want to vomit with a gag in my mouth. I might drown.

I try to choke down my panic - and bile - and breathe as deeply as my nose will allow. As I do so, I realize I can hear voices nearby.

"-on, Boss," someone is saying, "It ain't like she's a virgin. I checked. Who's gonna know?"

"Keep your diseased cock away from her," another voice replies. ... female? "Clean, she's worth a whole lot more than you are. If I even think you might have done something to damage her, I'll cut your balls off myself."

The first voice mumbles something that I hope is agreement. Well... nice to know I'm not going to be raped. Yet. I didn't particularly care for that bit where... she? ... talked about how much I was worth. So... slavery then? I might be able to survive in a brothel - at least there's honor in that - but if I get sold to an individual... trapped forever with my very own private rapist, my sanity being slowly ground down until I'm some sort of sad, broken shell... I think I'd have prefered death by elf ranger.

I manage to keep myself from vomiting, but I can't stop myself from crying. Does Eli even know I'm gone? Did Eli tell Rose where we were going? What if no one realizes what happened to me?

Help! Please... Anilis... Senilis... anyone, please....

[Graybeard]

[OOC: Well, THAT was most certainly worth waiting for ... Well done!]

"Right," Sister Rose confirmed. Interesting. He figured that out quickly, and without knowing that we'd seen the boat he was transporting Blaise in. This guy is bright ... or he's been tipped off. "Did you see where he went?"

Keyes shook his head. "Only approkimately. At toon at he pigured out dat de guy we were working on wadn't going to come around, he took op like a bat out ob hell -- ekcute me, Titer." He blushed slightly; this nun seemed nice enough, and that probably wasn't the best expression to have used. However, Rose didn't seem offended, and indeed she wasn't. "He taid he wat going downtown, to tell de 'autoritied' what happened ... to I don't get why he wat heading por de warehoute ditrict intead."

Ah, but I think I know, thought Rose. That would be just the kind of place where he could find another ride to wherever he was going ... a low-profile ride that would be nice and deniable. "Thank you," she smiled. "We appreciate your help. I see you've taken an interest in that little figurine. Can we get that for you as a token of our appreciation?"

The transaction was made, and Rose and the party were ready to head for the warehouse district ... apart from one thing. "Did anyone see where Eli and Desiree were going?" she asked no one in particular, or anyone.