Kartakass: Chapter Seven

[A G Thing]

"I am glad for the help from all of you and I wish to show it... I was here to finish this assignment to get answers for the local guardsmen and I was afraid I underestimated them... I am willing to share the reward with you though I just need the money to travel on... I was hoping to find further work but I have little options except for these dangerous assignments!" She smile assuringly!

[Ail]

Lucius feels a bit relieved after his spells, and nodding at Deary, he turns to the gendarmes that still look at all of them with less than friendly eyes.

Standing carefully, and still with a bit of pain coming from his shoulder, unsure yet of the effect of that substance, he approached the captain limping, in a curious side effect of the (phantom) pain.

He addressed the authority in a warm voice and in an impeccable Mordentish:

"Dear sir, my respects to you. I am Lucius Plancturus, currently a teacher on leave-duty from the University of Port-a-Lucine. I am also a priest of the Church of Ezra in this city, and it was to better fulfil my duty to the congregation that I asked the afore mentioned leave in the first place.

These you see here are my companions. We were merely resting from a hard journey and enjoying our meal, as the other patrons, when the whole room was invaded by a group of thugs, perhaps 15, perhaps 20, I can not tell with certainty.

Well... they began rounding up the fine customers of this superlative establishment and robbing them blind. We merely tried to prevent them from their success, and we tried to make certain none of the people here were harmed... except the thugs themselves.

Dear captain, please accord us some reprieve, we were merely trying to uphold the law of the land. "

[steveflam]

The large man approaches the party, Deari included. "Ah, please excuse us, Father Plancturus. Wea re merely doing our travail as you might well know, being a resident of the city. Miss," he turns to Deari,

"I am aware of your work, but I fear there is no more for you at this time. It looks like you and your companions have taken care of this band of ne'er do wells. I thank you all. Well let you be now. Ah miss," he removes a pouch from his belt and hands it over to Deari, "Your reward for a job well done."

Turning to Lucius, he tips his hat, "Father." He and the other gendarmes round up the gang of thugs. After having questioned the patrons thoroughly, they depart.

Jacob waits for the hubbub to die down and for the patrons and gendarmes to exit the dining room. "Well I for one am hungry. Lucius can you suggest a good place to eat? I'm not really a fancy Inn fanatical. Deari, you are most welcome to join us. Seeing as your present job has been terminated, perhaps you'd care to join us? We can always use an extra hand in our endeavours. But this is not the place to discuss such details. I say we find a good hearty meal, but come back here to sleep, as we've rooms already. I am sure we cna arrange a room for Deari."

[steveflam]

Martira Bay, Darkon

The old man smiled at his young accomplice. "I tell you, they left yesterday. Lupzig tells me they left on the same ship we arrived here on."

"Balfour, I value your judgement. I wonder, will they recover the items the Temple asked them to? So far they seem to have dilly-dallied from their task. I suppose the mists had something to do with that. Are they capable enough?"

The old man looked at the younger. "I am positive they will do their utmost to retrieve the items. If I were younger, I'd have followed or more likely accompanied them on their voyage. They seem a capable enough bunch. There is something about them that inspires me to think they'll succeed. The elf is a big part of my reasoning. He exudes power." Balfour looked off, as if in a trance. Then stopped himself and smiled.

"I'll tell the others of your thoughts and findings. Continue keeping an eye on them. We expect they'll return soon enough to the Temple here. Report to me as soon as they do."

Once the young man had departed, Balfour retired to his room. He pondered the importance of these young people searching out the items. Yes, it was important to retrieve them. Was it worth all this effort to keep an eye on them continuously? To ask the question was to answer it. Once the items were in the Temple's possession, he could concentrate on other endeavours. These items were quite powerful. He'd do what he could to ensure they returned. No matter who held the items, as long as they were safe in Martira Bay. Kartakass was too far to the Fraternity's liking.

The old man laughed inwardly at that. Most recently they'd been on that accursed island of Souragne searching for answers to the Van Rijn dilemma. That was a fiasco if he ever saw one. Oh well, If i were younger I'd join in more, but alas given my age, well, never mind.

The old man retires to his room. Once secure the door was closed, he moved to the table in his room. Reaching under it, he retrieves a carton. Placing it on the table, he smiles. Opening it he places the contents of the carton on the table. He places the box on the floor. Eyeing the crystal ball, he actually grins. Concentrating, he closes his eyes. He gets a glimpse of the party, though foggy. Then the image goes dead.

He curses to himself. He should have known he'd not get much information on the party as they were in another land.

[BigBadQDaddy]

William curiously watches as the authority figures as the exit the scene with a noticeable look of curiosity on his face.
"Well, that went rather well...so, aye, Jacob is right. A bit to eat would be appropriate."
He then looks to Lucius expectantly.

[Ail]

"Well, right... If you insist on going to a less daunting place, I can suggest Chez Léon. It has a small diner where people can be more at ease than here. It may be small, but still has very good quality. Let's see if they still remember me..."

[A G Thing]

"That sounds fine to my tastes... I am greatful for the invitation, and will gladly join you if your outlook to this task is amenable to mine own. You seem to have been quite effective and back there and I am more than eager to see this reward divided between the five of us..." She hefts the bag in her hand to hear it rattle and fall gently back to her hand...

Her dog nuzzles her side gently...

"And Hobert, of course!" She smiles gently and brushes her hair slightly behind her ear but it snaps right back into place...

[VAN]

Van tries hard to mask his pleasure to share the reward. The wizard just cannot help it...get money always makes him happy!

"You did very well your bow too. You seem a skilled archer, or better say a ranger?"

[ewancummins]

Cornelius looks dolefully at the remains of his meal- spilled across the floor and trampled in the fight.

''Ugh. Waste of good food.''

[A G Thing]

Deari fidgits at the mention of her skill, "Well one arrow hardly did as much as, you Van, and you Cornelius. But lets be off to eat... I feel our conversation may fare better with food and ale!" A slight Falkovnian accent leaks near the end of her Mordentish speech, and she notices somewhat with a slight self concious correction...

[steveflam]

The evening passes without incident. In the morning you requisition a Dragon/Steam boat. The credit note you have helps. The trip via Steamboat will take a few weeks.

You've three days to resuppply and rest. With Lucius knowledge of the city you get around easily. Thus comes the day for the long voyage to Kartakass. There will be a week layover in Har Thelen of Sithicus for one week.

[ewancummins]

When the morning of departure arrives, it finds Cornelius at his most animated.


As he'll tell anyone in the party who bothers to listen:

''Well, this ought to be something- a dragonboat ride down nearly the whole length of the river. Think of all the countries we'll cross, and towns we'll see along the way! I'll have to pay attention, so I can add to my maps and notes. ''

He has taken time to stock up on dried beetles to share with his pet lizard.

[A G Thing]

Deari seems somewhat anxious about the travel... She has much of what she thinks she should need, but she has been shopping with her four companions to make sense on what they are doing. Hobert wonders with her and they begin to prepare and learn, but for a moment she wanders to the water front.

She stares out at the water and reflects on the situations of the past couple of days. She can't seem to focus on it as she gets the paranoid feeling of eyes on her back, but brushes it off. People often give her strange looks due to her scar and her strange eyes, not to mention the outward hate from her 'supposed' native tongue...

Van, Cornelius, William, and Jacob... They seem to be trustworthy and kind enough... While she had recieved some of the looks, she felt they where more appraising, then frightened suspicion or the gawking of others.

One more chance on a random road, and perhaps they will be a sign post to the road home.

Her voice is but a whisper on the wind, "But still... I wonder which way my home is?" and with a sigh, "Will I be traveling further from it or toward it?" She smiles at the thought but only gently.

[VAN]

"I prefer travel by horse actually, but yes this is a very good opportunity to visit new lands. I adore travels and I'm sure this experience will be a good one. We can also swap spells, if you want guys. All of us have learned some new spells and if it's ok with you I'd like to talk about them and if possible get a couple I may like. I can give you any of my spells you want."

[A G Thing]

A little startled by the sound of her companions coming up behind her Deari turns to join them.

"Oh... So your, all here!" She smiles nervously, "Uh... I have my horse stabled here and I prefer to ride as well, but perhaps I should sell it or let it out to someone in need, if we will be back this way... Will it fit Cornelius on the boat with us?" She straightens herself up as she talks, looking at the various wares purchased by the group, taking a second appraising glance at Lucius's new outfit.

She is still smiling as a questioning look crosses her face. "Are we meeting someone important on the way to or in Kartakass, to need more fancy clothes? I only have my basic travel outfits on hand, and I only thought we were going to retrieve something and return..."