Tsuiraku-town, part 3

As we play, occasionally we'll close a thread and open a new one to keep the size of threads (and relative complexity) down to a dull roar. Here's where we store the closed posts from the history of Errant Road.
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Sareth
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Re: Tsuiraku-town, part 3

Post by Sareth »

"Somehow I suspect that the escort would be amongst the pro-explosives crowd," Jasmine quipped. Never-the-less she smiled. "But sure. Why not?"
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Re: Tsuiraku-town, part 3

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The Rinkaiel airship terminal wasn't as busy as in some of the larger, more southerly cities in Farrel, and Layla and Ace (and Jade and Leo) had no trouble getting passage for Jasmine on the noon express to Port Lorrel. The exchange left them with time to kill before boarding, so they retired to the rather seedy terminal bar, not exactly sure why, but for want of anything better to do ... and almost immediately, Layla noticed something, more accurately somebody, unexpected. Unexpected, and unwelcome.

Ace was getting to where he could read his girlfriend's mind from a look at her eyes, and her eyes were clear enough. "Something wrong, sweetheart?"

Layla nodded, leaned her head toward Ace's (and Jade's), and dropped her voice a couple of notches. "That arch-mage from Tsuiraku-town. The one that we saw out at the shack, that we think is with the Oshimas, Galina and I saw him in town later. He just walked into this bar with his flunky ... and he looks pissed."
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Re: Tsuiraku-town, part 3

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Jade remembered the man Layla described, she also remembered the tight feeling in her gut when they'd realised the power of the man they were spying on. As she stole a glance over her shoulder the feeling returned. Leo too, was looking a lttle pale at the concept of an arch-mage working with the men he'd spent most of yesterday stealing from.

"You know." Jade whispered back. "When you said 'pissed' I was really, really, hoping you meant drunk. What do you want to do? Go over there and rough him up?" She saw the alarmed looks in the faces of the people opposite her and grinned. "Just kidding. We could eavesdrop, maybe track him when he leaves."

Leo jogged her arm with his elbow. "We can use the 'make-out' camouflage."

She shot the merc a look, but indulged him just the same. "Are pining for some affection?"

"You know me, dear heart, any excuse'll do."

The blacksmith patted his arm affectionately and nodded, the group fell silent for the moment, all ears straining to hear what the dangerous new customer had to say.
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Re: Tsuiraku-town, part 3

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Layla had good hearing, and she tried to put it to good use as the archmage and his subaltern started a muttered conversation, hoping her eavesdropping wouldn't be too obvious. In fact, it didn't matter. The two were using a language she didn't speak -- that, or they had some kind of spell that scrambled their words (they were Tsuirakuan mages, after all).

Whatever, she couldn't make out a thing they were saying, but she didn't really need to. Their body language and facial expression spoke volumes, and it was clear that her initial impression had been right: these were not happy campers. Their baleful glares scanned across the people in the bar, as though searching for something ... and lingered a moment longer on the table where Layla, Jasmine, Jade and Leo were sitting than on the others.

Layla's skin began to crawl as the archmage muttered something unintelligible -- and the sensation intensified as the man and his underling rose without a word and headed for the gate for the airship to Lorrel.

"Looks like you might have some unpleasant company on that flight," she mused to Jasmine, with a nod at the retreating Tsuirakuans.
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Re: Tsuiraku-town, part 3

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"They're only Tsuirakuans. What's the worst that can happen?" Jasmine asked. "I'm just trying to get my daughter and granddaughter back. They've nothing to do with me." Hiking up her pack she turned to the boarding ramp. "Thanks for the fun and the food," she said.
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Re: Tsuiraku-town, part 3

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"Good luck!"

As the group watched Jasmine leave Jade mentally crossed her fingers. She tried not to worry about the older lady; hadn't she proven her toughness at the rebel's weapon compound? But an archmage was an archmage, and good luck was what they all would need if they were to survive a faction with such dangerous resources. She reached into her pocket for her tabacco while Leo (who was somewhat better at subtley than she was) kept an observing eye on the sorcerous pair disappearing from sight.

"Think she'll find her?" He murmured.
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Re: Tsuiraku-town, part 3

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"Think she'll find her?"

Layla startled the other two with as hearty a laugh as she'd produced in weeks.

"Jasmine? You must be joking," she said. "that woman is equipped with some kind of homing technology that would make the Tsuirakuans envious, I swear. She chased her daughter across half the world, if I understand her story correctly, and found her with no trouble. Down there, she's only got a city to do it in."

She started back for the hansom. "So where can I take you two on the way to my lessons?" she said. "Our errand here is done -- although I have this strange feeling that we'll be hearing from that arch-mage again."
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Re: Tsuiraku-town, part 3

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Jade shuddered. "I hope not. But I suppose it might be unavoidable." She finished her ciggarette and stood up. "We're going to head back to the Smith's, it's the one just round the corner from your liquor store. What's left of it, anyway."

"The one on Anilis Road." Leo supplied, then a thought occured to him. "Are you much of a sorcerer Layla?"
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Re: Tsuiraku-town, part 3

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"Are you much of a sorcerer Layla?"

That seemed a rather odd question, Layla thought. "No, I'm a complete beginner," she said neutrally. "We Farrelites don't normally get any magical training as we're growing up. They did a test that says I have a little aptitude for it, though, and so I'm trying to learn some healing magic." That's true, and if I learn some other stuff too, well, all the better. "Sort of an adult-education project."

She smiled ironically and continued. "It won't be long until my son is walking, and being able to fix bumps, scrapes and owies seems like a nice skill for a mommy to have. Now if you don't mind, why do you ask?"
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Re: Tsuiraku-town, part 3

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"Now if you don't mind, why do you ask?"

Leo shrugged, might as well tell the truth.

"Because, under this rugged, manly exterior beats the heart of an optimist." He said, with a touch of self-mockery. "An optimist who entertained the possibility that you might've, just might've, had the talent to stand against an archmage."

"We'll win through." Jade quietly interjected.

Leo gave the blacksmith a look of pure love and took her hand. "Can't blame a man for hoping. Shall we go?"
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