The Eye of Anubis: Book Ten

[DocBeard]

Tomas looks kind of relieved at this reassurance, even as they bravely run away.

Some time later, Tomas reflects on what plans they should be making, whom they should be speaking to, and...

groooaaaannnnn.

"...vas dat me?" Tomas asks, blushing a freakish shade of red. "Golly, musti've been a longer day than I wast thinking. I'll just go get a quick snack..."

[Nathan of the FoS]

Charles, having lighted on the ground, decides that this is an excellent time (most times are excellent times, really) for a discussion of...horses!

"A fine fellow, isn't he?" Charles says, looking up at Flea. "Er...I don't quite know how you fellows train your warhorses--will he let anyone besides you handle him?"

[The Whistler]

Otto brushes off his vest (airborne dust gets everywhere if you're traveling through it quickly enough) and nods pleasantly at Tomas. "A splendid idea, yes? It is being some time since we are having a standing kitchen available, and I myself could use a small something."

Funny how I can't tell whether he's legitimately hungry or just wants another chance at getting info from that serving girl...though I guess *both* of those apply to me right now. Who am I to talk?


"Good evening to you, Lieutenant Schiffer." The gunsmith gives Lebrecht a bow that's nothing if not polite, and follows Tomas toward the kitchens.

[NeoTiamat]

Courtyard, Falkovnian Compound, Muhar, Har'Akir
August 26th, 761, 7:22 PM; Day 162 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"A fine fellow, isn't he?" Charles says, looking up at Flea. "Er...I don't quite know how you fellows train your warhorses--will he let anyone besides you handle him?"

"Flea? He's a good boy, if a bit high-spirited." Lieutenant Schiffer scratched the horse's nose absently, then went to unbuckle the saddle. "Go ahead, Flea's pretty much harmless off-duty."

The aforementioned Flea was an absolutely huge horse, seventeen hands at the shoulder and weighing over half a ton easily. His coat was midnight black, and his dark eyes were not kind or gentle or loving. Flea snorted lightly as he looked at Charles, a gaze that said quite plainly: Lay a single finger upon me, sirrah, and I shall rip thy throat out with main force and sup upon thy rich, warm lifeblood.

"I bought Flea from a Valachani merchant back in '58." Lieutenant Schiffer busied himself with the straps as Flea waited patiently, a noble lord submitting to the attentions of his lessers. "The Vaasi still have the horse market tied up, but Valachan is going to give them a run for their money, I think."

Kitchens, Falkovnian Compound, Muhar, Har'Akir
August 26th, 761, 7:22 PM; Day 162 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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The kitchen was hot. More so even than the rest of the sweltering Akiri desert, in large part due to trio of firepits in the middle of the room, each one with either a pot or a roast or something edible over it. The small bakery near the wall didn't exactly improve affairs. It reminded the two Lamordians very strongly of a sauna. It smelled a little better than most saunas, faintly of... cheese. Perhaps it didn't smell better than a sauna after all.

It was also bustling with activity. An Akiri cook stood over a soup pot and stirred it with a critical eye, while another man watched the bread baking in the oven. A young boy washed a pot near the back of the kitchen, and an alert and obviously bored Falkovnian guard leaned against a wall and surveyed these possibly dangerous Akiri insurgents. Mandisa, for her part, was close to the door.

The Akiri girl had obviously come in only scant minutes before you had, as her black hair was all mussed and she appeared to be trying to do several things at once. With one hand she tried to put on a wooden sandal that had fallen off at some point, while her other hand was putting a kettle, presumably full of tea, onto a smaller fire. She was doing all this while listening to a steady stream of gossip and complaints from the baker, occasionally replying in rapid-fire Akiri. Say what you would about Mandisa, but she could multitask.

"O-oh... would you like some coffee?" She also spotted Tomas and Otto first, causing the girl to flush, a difficult feat when one had her color of skin. Not quite waiting for a response, Mandisa opened one of the shelves with her elbow and tried to pick up a clay pot with her forearm. She nodded nervously towards you again. "I'm very sorry! I was stupid and I was late..."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Lia turns to Andre and Kuzan and tries to get them into a little side-talk without appearing too suspicious. "Please tell me," she whispers to them, "that one or both of you can cast the True Seeing spell, or some other incantation to reveal the true nature of things. If Cavendish is, indeed, here, he might already be disguised as anyone at all."

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan was about to walk off, well, somewhere when Lia caught him. He turned, listened to her plea, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"To request that sort of power from the gods requires an expensive offering," he replied, "And the gods' sight does not last very long, nor will they grant it to me often. If I had the offering, it would have to be used sparingly and carefully."

[DocBeard]

Tomas remains an enigma, even to himself. He's not sure why he came, other than a strange feeling of dissatisfaction. He does hold his hands up when Mandisa starts bowing, however, not wanting their mutual clumsiness to cause any collateral damage.

The fact that it gives him a second to give the room a proper swordsman's look is mostly coincidental.

"Please, miss, I appreciated your time and your good manners." Tomas insists, doing his very best not to appear threatening. He's even buttoned his coat up to make his armor seem less obvious. "I-that is to say, my friend and I," Tomas motions at Otto, tipping his hat to the room and acknowledging the gunsmith for the first time, "Were looking for something to eat. I'm sorry if that was rude, I know kitchen etiquette can be very different from place to place."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"To request that sort of power from the gods requires an expensive offering," he replied, "And the gods' sight does not last very long, nor will they grant it to me often. If I had the offering, it would have to be used sparingly and carefully."

"I know that much," Lia says, waving her hand in the air between them. "The prohibitive price of the component is the reason I did not research this incantation myself, though I did ... ahem, 'acquire' a spell to be able to see what is invisible. I can probably recall the recipe for the component, or the offering if you prefer ... Yes! Mushroom powder, saffron and fat! A high grade of each, to be mixed into an ointment. If we could get out to Faruq's unobserved, he would probably be able to provide the ointment. If this household has the needed grade of those substances, we might be able to mix up some ourselves. ... If necessary, I might be able to get to Faruq in the morning, after recharging my selection of spells, and then return without being seen."

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan raised an eyebrow at Lia's implications, but said nothing to that effect. "If you can get several offerings' worth, I will be willing to ask for the sight each day."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I doubt Faruq will hand me the ointment for free," Lia says in a meaningful tone. "So if everyone would be willing to make a small donation to the cause, that would be most welcome."

[yalenusveler]

"I can't call up the sight, I fear...I could ask for the ability..but the price for me would be steeper than most." Andre said with a wince, as he settled into a pace. "Everything about this seems wrong. Suicide doesn't fit with their faith at all...it's near a violation of the negative confession, honestly. Cavendish is here, he HAS to be. This has his filthy hands all over it, all we need is the staked corpses performing serenades, and there'll be proof."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Please do not even joke about that," Lia says with obvious distaste. "But I agree. This situation reeks of the necromantic clown. We are going to have to be extremely careful."

[Nathan of the FoS]

"I bought Flea from a Valachani merchant back in '58." Lieutenant Schiffer busied himself with the straps as Flea waited patiently, a noble lord submitting to the attentions of his lessers. "The Vaasi still have the horse market tied up, but Valachan is going to give them a run for their money, I think."

It is probably all attitude. Charles ventures to give Flea a pat on the shoulder before replying (wishing for a carrot or an apple as he does--rare is the horse than can resist a treat). "I've heard a little about the Valachani stock. My father is breeding some Vaasi lines, actually; they don't export much breeding stock, but he's got connections. I don't know if anyone in our group mentioned it, but I think your troubles with the Akiri are being engineered--much like the little charade this afternoon."

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan pondered for a moment or two. "I think I still have some credit left with Faruq, and I have a bit of money and tradeable goods still. I'll do some numbers tonight and let you know tomorrow. But it does sound like Cavendish and I don't want to be caught off-guard again if it can be helped."

[The Whistler]

The gunsmith nods cheerily at the serving girl, internally kicking himself--necessity aside, he still feels rather worse about plying someone for information if that person is scared to death of him. Light touch, Herr Schultheiss, light touch. Take it slow.

"Otto Schultheiss, of Lamordia. A pleasure, Miss." He forgoes the usual handshake (Don't want to be *overly* familiar, given the girl's expectations), and hopes the emphasis falls properly on "Lamordia." (As opposed to Falkovnia. Opposed! Hope that comes across.)

"O-oh... would you like some coffee?"

"I am appreciating the offer, but no thank you--we wish to make no imposing, yes? Simply whatever small snacking can be laid to hand without troubling you; the day has been rather a long one, and we would be happy with anything".