Disclaimer: I do not own Everquest. The franchise is the property of Sony Online Entertainment. I am not receiving any money for this story. I am writing it for entertainment purposes only.
Kattarrin Silverwing and her various aliases are my creation, as are the characters Jaina and The Fixer. Other characters and organizations appearing in this story are copyright of their respective owners. Some characters featured have been made up on the spur of the moment, and any resemblance to any fictional or actual individuals are purely coincidental.
Author's Note: Kattarrin was my character when I used to play on the Erollisi Marr server. All equipment that she has was earned in game, though my interpretations of certain items may be different from their online counterparts. Additionally, information has been borrowed from the Everquest Tabletop RPG books when information could not be easily gathered from the online game. Certain events in this story may not have taken place in canon history, and certain guilds and organizations do not exist there either as they are borrowed from their creators among the playerbase of Everquest, and not from SOE material.
~ J Chaos
Blood Ties
Chapter One
by J Chaos
"I see. So your kind has no names."
It was one voice on the edge of perception. It was somehow important, but at the same time it was completely foreign. Then it was gone. For a moment, as it left, there was a face. It looked to be an older human man, with graying hair. Then it too was gone, absorbed in a swirl of light and darkness.
"I can't believe you did that!" Another voice. "Could you think of how I feel?"
Gone. Again. Was there another face? It didn't seem that way. But there was a scent on the air. A salty sea spray, maybe? It was lost to the spinning abyss before it was successfully identified.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot leave him in your hands. I will return though, I promise." A third voice spoke this time.
Then everything was gone. The voices, the swirling abyss, the other visions; all of them were cast away by the approaching presence of consciousness.
Inn
Neriak, Commons
Kattarrin cracked her eyes open as the door of her room creaked on its hinges. The muddle of voices, visions, and other senses that had filled her dream faded to the back of her mind, lost to the clouds of mystery that had been there for as long as she could remember. She didn't bother trying to recall what had been going through her mind in her sleep; experience had taught her that it would prove to be futile. Besides that, there was an intruder in her room.
"I hope you know that a girl needs her beauty sleep," she said as she slid her hand to the edge of her mattress where one of her swords was resting.
"Beauty sleep? If that's what that was, you must have been asleep for a decade," a quiet male voice replied, a smirk evident in his tone.
Katt relaxed and pulled her hand back from her sword. She would have to get a new pass-phrase from The Fixer, this exchange had been entirely too much like a bad pickup at a bar. Of course, it was entirely probable that he'd chosen the phrase just to get under her skin. It was one of the things that she'd come to expect when the organization that she worked for was lead by a dark elf. She yawned, brushed the sleep from her eyes and then looked over to the door to see the outline of the agent that had come to her. She could make out that he was a dark elf, but his garb made it difficult to discern anything more about him. She supposed that she shouldn't have expected more when she was in Neriak.
"It's too early to be getting an assignment," she complained half-heartedly.
"So you're not interested?" the dark elven man asked her in an amused tone.
"I'm plenty interested, but The Fixer seems to have forgotten that I like to sleep in when I'm not working," Katt said, giving no indication that she was going to move from beneath the covers of her bed.
"I'll be certain to let him know,"
The agent then tossed a sealed scroll onto the blankets over Katt's midsection. She didn't bother to give the man a second look as she picked up the scroll and broke the wax seal with her thumbnail. "I hope that this is worth waking up for," she muttered as she unrolled the scroll and began roaming her eyes over its contents.
"Does it really matter whether or not it's worth it? The Fixer has assigned this to you, and to you alone."
Kattarrin was silent as she read the scroll. Her eyes widened briefly in surprise at the details of the job, and then she narrowed them and continued to read about the task. "Yes, I can see that now," she responded quietly.
The contents of the scroll explained how the daughter of one of the noble houses of Neriak was missing, and The Fixer wanted one of the best of his agents to take on the responsibility of bringing her back. The payment for the job would likely be astronomical. The only catch was that the head of the house wanted a meeting with the agent who would be accepting this undertaking. Further details for the job would be given then.
"I guess I've got to dress up for this?" Katt asked as she slid her legs out from under the blankets.
She didn't particularly care if the messenger saw her in her current state of undress, or in her natural wood elven body. She'd learned long ago that her body was just another tool that could be used to ensure success on a job, and any sense of shame would only interfere with her duties. If someone wanted to press themself upon her, she was more than capable of taking care of herself. Given that this was one of The Fixer's personal messengers, though, she didn't worry much about his behavior or his ability to keep her true identity secret. The Fixer had a reputation for what he did to people in his employ that acted so poorly that would make most people prefer to insult Queen Thex to her face rather than cross him.
The agent, for his part, only stammered for a minute as his eyes roamed over Katt's form. She knew that he was admiring her. "Ah," the agent began, then shook his head and refocused his attention on his task. "What is important is to make a good first impression."
"Aw, and here I was scheduled to wrestle with the Bashers in the foreign quarter." She replied with a smirk.
"Please tell me you're joking."
"Nobody understands my sense of humor," Katt said with an over-dramatic sigh. "Relax, I know my job. I'll handle this."
"Good. I will inform The Fixer," the messenger told her, and then he turned and left the room.
Kattarrin cast one final look at the scroll, and then she muttered quietly to herself, "so much for sleeping in."
Outside of the V`Zen Estate
Neriak, Third Gate
Just inside the Third Gate, past the temple of the Priests of Innoruuk, Kattarrin walked up to the gate of a small mansion. The family may have been nobility, but the size of their home and their proximity to the commons suggested to Katt that these Tier'Dal were just barely holding to their social position. It wouldn't have surprised her in the slightest if this request for a meeting were actually a ploy to hire her to do something to elevate their house above the rest of their peers.
She was decked out in an ensemble that would strike awe in all but the most powerful of the Third Gate's inhabitants. The pale lights of the city seemed to be absorbed into the blackened crystals that adorned her robes. Around her shoulders she wore a thick, dark cloak that seemed to shift and waver its colors between any number of dark hues. Around her waist was tied a clean white sash, and from it hung several pouches as well as a richly jeweled skull. Her smooth black hair was tied back with a thin and silky red band of fine material from Odus. Complimenting the look was a wicked looking Harvester scythe in her hands that anyone in Neriak would recognize as being held by an advanced necromancer willing to brave the trials of Solusek Ro. To finish the disguise she wore the guise of a dark elf, an impenetrable illusion granted to her by her mask of deception, to enable her to freely wander the streets of the dark city.
It wasn't the first time she went out like this, though. It would be suicide, to stroll through Neriak clad so richly without anyone having ever seen her before. No, she'd built this identity up with meticulous care, and she held it for many years. She may not have owned any property in the city, but she had served Neriak on countless expeditions across the reaches of Norrath. Years of loyal service to The Dead and not having a single failure associated with her in that time had earned her a strong reputation. The clothing and equipment she'd earned in her travels only aided her further. Her reputation was so strong that she, as an unknown orphan, could ascend through Tier'Dal society to the point where she could take on a name for herself, and be allowed to roam through all of the Third Gate with the blessings of those who inhabited it.
As far as anyone in Neriak besides The Fixer knew, she was Katt R`Win, accomplished necromancer and faithful servant of Innoruuk.
"I can't wait to see their faces when they get a look at the agent that they've called for. They'll probably think The Fixer is Innoruuk himself," she mused to herself as she lifted the pole of her Harvester to strike at the bell on the gate.
The bell's ring resounded throughout the cavern, and several moments later a gray robed wood elven woman came out of the mansion and approached the gate. She stood just under five feet tall, and had long red hair that fell to her shoulders. Several bruises marred her face, and her expression had very little life to it. She studied Katt for just a moment before she opened the gate and lowered her gaze respectfully.
"Welcome," she whispered. "Master Kulan has been expecting you. Please, come with me."
Katt was a little surprised. "Master?" she asked. "You mean to tell me that I am not meeting with the lady of the house?"
The slave cringed back slightly and gave a very quick shake of her head. "No," she whispered fearfully, "the mistress does not know that you are here. It is the master that has requested this meeting."
This further surprised Katt, though she didn't give any indication of it in her body language. The fact that it was a man requesting the meeting was not unusual in and of itself, but that he would keep it from his wife was another matter entirely. She wondered what was going on here, and evidently she had paused for too long. The slave was starting to shrink back with growing fear. "Oh, relax and take me inside to meet Kulan already." Katt told her coolly.
The slave relaxed visibly when she realized that Katt wasn't going to be leaving. "Yes, of course, please follow me."
Katt said nothing; instead she just nodded again and started walking to the doors of the mansion. The slave started walking beside Katt, but it was clear that she wasn't in the best of shape because she had to jog to keep up. By the time that the two of them reached the stairs, the slave was winded and had to bend over slightly and catch her breath. Katt stood at the closed doors and she cast an expectant gaze towards the slave. She was actually concerned for the girl's welfare, but for her cover she could do little more than feign impatience.
"What is the problem?" she asked the slave coldly.
"There is no… no problem, ma'am." The slave responded quickly, though her gasps for breath indicated otherwise.
"Just stop," Katt said in a harsh tone.
Her left hand quickly released the pole of her scythe and shot out to grab the slave's wrist. The slave gasped fearfully as she was gripped, and she tried to pull away. Her body didn't have the strength to get free of Katt's grip, though. Katt put on a display of ignoring the girl's struggles, but she was actually gauging the girl's health by this. It was clear to her that she barely had the strength to keep working, and she doubted that her master would accept that.
Hastily, Kattarrin began uttering the words of a spell and made the gestures with the hand that held her Harvester. The slave gave a shriek of fear and continued trying to escape from her grip, but her efforts were for naught. At the spells completion, Kattarrin's hands took on a dull green aura that faded quickly into a thin stream that flew into the slave's body. The aura then reformed itself around the slave's body, and all of the girl's struggles came to a halt.
A moment passed in complete stillness as the spell's effects went to work. When the aura faded a moment later, the slave was quick to pull her hand away with a renewed vigor. The bruises had faded from her appearance, and she looked a great deal stronger. Katt studied her for a moment as she lowered her hands. She quickly braced herself on the pole of her scythe so she could recover her strength from the spell of life transference that had just been cast.
"What are you waiting for? Open the door," she whispered sharply.
For a few seconds, the slave stood back with a look of confusion on her face. When Katt's words finally processed in her mind, she uttered a quick apology and pulled the mansion's doors open. Katt entered the foyer when the doors were out of her way, and she continued to support herself on her scythe. The Fier'Dal slave pulled the doors closed once they had both entered, and she wasted no time in putting her newfound energy to more work.
"Please, follow me. Master Kulan is waiting in the dining room," she told Katt as she hurried past her to lead the way through the mansion.
Katt silently shook her head as she followed her to her master. Upon their arrival, Katt was greeted to the sight of a feast laid out on the table, presumably for herself and for Kulan. She gave a quiet chuckle to herself as she pictured what the mistress of the house would do if she didn't know about this either and were to find out somehow.
Seated at the table, wearing a purple tunic, azure sleeves, and a pair of black leggings, was Kulan. He appeared to be a firmly built dark elf, and his pearl white hair was cut very short. From his appearance, as well as the spread before her and what she knew of the family, she suspected that he had at least been a member of The Dead at one time. "Probably a Shadow Knight," she thought as she moved over to the table and gave a bow of her head.
"Kulan V`Zen, I'm guessing?" she asked as she straightened back up.
"That's correct. I would presume that you are the individual that I have been hoping to meet with?" Kulan asked, standing to inspect her.
"I am," Kattarrin replied.
She then pulled the letter she'd been given from the sash at her waist. She held it out to him and continued speaking, "You made a request for a meeting. I am here to hear you out further, as I will be the one to undertake this task."
Kulan took the letter from her and read it briefly to verify its authenticity. When he was satisfied, he handed the letter back to her and gestured to the table. "Wonderful," he told her, and then added, "please take a seat. What is your name?"
Kattarrin sat down at the setting laid out for her, and she rested her scythe against the edge of the table. Kulan also took his seat at the head of the table, and he looked at her with expectant eyes.
"The Fixer." It was all that Katt had to say at first, after she got comfortable.
She was expecting the look of apprehension that crossed the client's features. Before he could question her identity, she continued speaking. "I could be a male dwarf or a drooling ogre and you would still be dealing with The Fixer. This job is taken care of for you, so my personal identity is not important. All you need to know is that your request will be taken care of."
They sat at the table in silence for nearly a minute, both of them staring at the other intensely while Katt's words sank in. The slave stood at the side of the room, looking nervously between the two of them. Katt didn't particularly care whether or not he was willing to accept her answer. If he demanded more, she would leave. The Fixer made very clear that it was his reputation that would carry their organization, and it was his name that would be given to the clients. Katt was merely following the procedures that he had laid out.
Finally Kulan gave a quiet chuckle of concession and nodded. "Very well, Fixer, I'm grateful that you're here," he said.
"Especially since this is a matter that you don't even want your wife to find out about, let alone the rest of Neriak," she commented with a tone so casual that it bordered on disinterest. "Am I right?"
Another uncomfortable silence fell over the room as Katt's words hung in the air. Kulan's face twisted to one of anger as he stared at her. She didn't bother to meet his gaze this time. She was quite pleased with the reaction that she was getting from him. She lifted a filled wine glass from the setting in front of her rather than look at him. Lazily, she swirled the red liquid around the glass as she waited for him to make his next move.
"You are a bold one, Fixer," the man hissed out through tight lips.
"I don't care if I'm bold. I care if I'm right." Katt said in the same tone as before as she set down the wine glass. "Also, I appreciate the thought, but my drink of choice is Blackburrow Stout. If you had any, I would be very grateful."
The slave girl looked as though she wanted to flee for her life, but she obediently held her place as she waited for her master's orders. Kulan's eyebrow twitched, but whether it was from rage or simply from the baseness of Katt's request, nobody knew. Finally, he gave a stiff nod towards his slave and spoke quietly, "get our guest a bottle of her swill, Jaina."
The slave, Jaina, nodded obediently and left the room. After she'd left, Kattarrin raised her gaze and gave a delighted smirk. Kulan was incensed, but she could see that he was struggling to bring his temper under control. Finally, he gave a very short nod, "You're correct, woman. Nobody must know of this meeting."
"Of course not. Rest assured, you've hired The Fixer. Unlike those wretches in the Ebon Mask, my tongue will not slip for any reason," she assured him.
Kulan gave another nod, stiff with anger. He then leaned back in his chair and swept his arm over the food on the table. When the motion was complete, he brought his arm back and rested the tips of his fingers together in front of his face while placing his elbows on the armrests of his chair. "If this gets out, I will be ruined," he explained.
Katt accepted the gesture as an invitation to help herself to some of the food. Out of politeness more than hunger, she started to fill her plate before she made her next inquiry. A little bit of pheasant, plenty of sweet fruits and some bitter breads soon filled her plate, and she began to cut the food with grace. "So tell me, is your daughter really missing, or was that just a lie to attempt to garner some sympathy from us?" she asked as she prepared her food to eat.
She knew the answer before the man was able to open his mouth. His fist clenched suddenly and the burning hatred in his eyes redoubled as he listened to her question. "My daughter is not missing. She has been taken from me, and I can do nothing about it!" he bellowed angrily.
Perhaps she had misjudged the intention of the letter. Could a Tier'Dal really care about his daughter like this? She wanted to know more, but she suspected that she wouldn't have to wait long for that. "I'm sorry that I questioned it. Go on. It seems that you know where she is?" she asked curiously as she started eating, continuing to put on a show of ignoring his rage.
"I know exactly where she is, as well as who has her," the noble replied harshly.
"Well then, don't waste time," Katt said impatiently. "If your daughter is so important to you, spit it out already."
Innoruuk would have been proud of the hate that she was inspiring in the man. She would probably take more pride in that fact if she hadn't sworn herself to Tunare. Still, she was playing her part well, and Kulan's reactions only encouraged her to keep pressing onward. He lowered his gaze to his wine glass and he began to speak. "If you must know…"
"I must," Katt interrupted.
He raised his eyes from his glass to shoot a baleful glare towards her. "A week ago, an envoy arrived from Castle Mistmoore," he continued in quiet rage. "My wife was eager to receive her."
"Now we're getting somewhere. Go on," Katt said, and then she took another bite from her plate.
"There is little to tell of the meeting," he explained. "We were offered an alliance with Lord Mayong, and my wife accepted. We would give him our daughters as they reached the peak of their beauty and their training. In turn, he would give us enormous wealth and power."
Mayong Mistmoore. The name almost made Katt drop her fork. The vampire lord was a great concern to all whom dwelled on the continent of Faydwer. She'd spent much time near his castle, both on missions from the Scouts of Tunare, and on her personal quests for information. She didn't relish the thought of having to return to the place again. A job was a job, though. She had to keep up appearances.
"And the problem with this is…?" she asked him with practiced technique of baiting.
"I did not call you here to ask such questions, Fixer!" Kulan responded angrily.
"Of course not," she replied with a voice that dripped with venom so sweet that it could have been extracted from a bixie's stinger. "How rude of me."
He fell silent and motionless, save for the shaking of his hands from his rage. Katt continued to eat her meal without pause as she waited for him to continue his explanation. A minute passed in silence, and he still hadn't resumed speaking. Katt was starting to see just how much the man's daughter meant to him, for one purpose or another. She felt sorry for all that he was going through, and she almost wished that this meeting were being held in a region other than Neriak so that she could at least show some sympathy.
Another minute passed, and Katt could hear footsteps from the hall. Jaina returned to the room with the bottle of outlawed liquor, and Katt was grateful to have the uneasy silence broken. Both Katt and Kulan's eyes were on the slave as she poured the dark black brew into a tall glass and set it before Katt.
"Leave now, Jaina," Kulan finally said when the beverage was served.
Katt worried for the girl's safety if she should get out of her sight. She had little doubt that Kulan would take out his rage on her when she left. "No, stay," Katt calmly contradicted him.
Jaina looked between the two of them with an expression of confusion and fear on her face. Kulan returned his attention to Katt and curled his lip up in outrage. "I said leave, Jaina."
The Fier'Dal girl quickly started to move towards the door at the order, but again Katt spoke up to stop her. "And I said stay. You are very much a part of this."
"What?!" Kulan demanded. "Who are you to say that?! What makes you think such a thing?!"
"I did not come here to answer these questions," Katt said coldly. "She is a part of this because I said she is. Are you going to continue, or shall I attempt to complete this task without the information I need to bring your daughter back to you in one piece?"
He stared at her in shock for a moment, then he looked to his slave and gave her a faint nod. "Very well. Stay here, and wait for your next order," he told her.
Jaina nodded obediently and stepped over to the side of the room as she was told. Kulan turned back to Katt and resumed his tale from where he left off, acting as though nothing had just taken place. "As I was saying, my wife agreed to this arrangement. I did not. I do not see this as a fair trade, I want my daughter back."
"If you just wanted her back, why would you go to such lengths to keep this a secret?" Katt questioned suspiciously, continuing to speak before he could respond. "Or are you not telling me everything? You want me to keep the alliance intact, don't you?"
He didn't speak, choosing instead to only nod in response. Katt set down her knife and fork at this point, and she picked up the glass to take a drink. This was starting to go just how she wanted it. She had control of the situation. "This isn't about agreeing or disagreeing with the alliance, it's only about your daughter isn't it?" she asked.
"I never said that this was about the alliance. I said I did not agree with it. I always said that this was about my daughter," he replied defensively.
"That is not what I meant, and you know it," Katt told him in an accusatory tone, "unless you plan to keep hiring me each time that one of your daughters goes to Mistmoore, in which case you have the sense of a troll at supper time. Now tell me what you really want, or the job will not get done properly."
"Fine. Bring my daughter back to me, dissuade Mistmoore from coming after her again, and maintain our alliance otherwise," Kulan told her quickly, his tone guarded.
"That's better," Katt said dryly. "You make it sound so easy. So where are they now?"
"They are on their way to Freeport now, to sail to Faydwer. They left the same day that they arrived two weeks ago," he told her.
"Then they're nearly at the port already, while I am still talking to you," she said in quiet annoyance. "Very well. I shall work your miracle for you. You know that this will not be cheap."
"Money is no object. Bring my daughter back, and I will pay any price," Kulan replied, his voice growing steadier as the moments passed.
"Good. I'll take my down payment now," Katt told him and she turned her gaze towards Jaina.
Kulan looked startled as he followed her gaze. He uttered a curse under his breath and looked back at Katt. "You want my slave?!" he questioned disbelievingly.
"That, and other things," she answered calmly. "Unless you value a slave over your daughter."
This would be the hardest part of the negotiation. Her words would have to be carefully chosen, for it would not take much to push him too far into rage. If that happened, she had little doubt that their business relationship would come to a quick end. She suspected that The Fixer wouldn't appreciate her choice for his down payment, but she also had no doubt that he would understand when she provided her own funds in equal value to the slave's worth. She just had to get the job and get out, and The Fixer would be pleased.
She finally turned her gaze back to the nobleman and locked her eyes with his. He looked back at her with an angry expression, and they were locked into a stare-down. Katt would not back down on her part until she had what she wanted. She did not allow her own expression to change, trusting that her cold and unchanging face would put him even more ill at ease. Kulan didn't appear willing to break his gaze either, but she could see his anger mounting and it was only a matter of time before he lost his composure, as well as the contest.
A short while later, Kulan lowered his gaze with a disgusted shudder. Katt twisted her lips into a satisfied smirk and she leaned back in her chair. She looked back over to Jaina and observed the slave watching them both with a fearful expression. It was enough to steel Katt's resolve further and make her press this issue for a quicker response. "Well?" she asked with a widening smirk.
"Jaina is yours. Now bring me my daughter, or the next bounty I pay will be for your head." Kulan threatened.
"Of course. You will prepare four thousand platinum coins, or items that have been appraised to equal that value, for the successful completion of this job. I shall return with your daughter no later than three months from today, at which point you will give me the payment," Katt said matter-of-factly. "Is there anything else that I should be on the lookout for?"
"No, just go, and do not return without my daughter."
Katt finished her drink in one long swig, and then she sat the glass down and pushed her plate away from her. She then stood up and folded her napkin on the table while she looked down the table at him. "I do not plan to. If you have given me everything I need, then I will be back within three months. Now, if you will get me the papers for the slave, I will leave."
Kulan muttered out of frustration and he rose from his chair. It was clear to Katt that he wanted her out of his home as quickly as possible. As he left the room, she turned to look at Jaina and beckoned for her to come over to her. "You, Jaina, come to me. Let me take a better look at you."
Jaina had a look of fear on her face as she approached her, and Katt could only imagine what thoughts were going through the slave's mind. She didn't doubt that the girl was envisioning all of the terrible spells that might be cast on her if she didn't do as she was ordered. When Jaina reached her, she started to kneel in submission to her. It took quite a bit of willpower to keep from giving a disgusted groan, and Katt reached out her hand to grab Jaina's shoulder. "Remain on your feet, I want a good look at you," she said sternly.
Jaina straightened back up, and she appeared to be holding her breath while Katt looked her over. She didn't appear to have any more serious injuries that her earlier spell may have been unable to heal. That was a definite plus. Upon closer inspection, Katt guessed that she was barely an adult. She also appeared to have at least been getting some degree of proper nutrition, which was one less thing to worry about as well. It was hard to tell how fit she was while she was wearing those baggy robes, but Katt didn't think that she'd have gotten that much exercise here outside of whatever tasks Kulan and his wife demanded of her.
"Well, I just need to get you some proper gear, and you should be fine to travel," Katt said to the girl quietly after a minute.
"Whatever you say, mistress," Jaina replied meekly.
"Don't call me mistress," Katt ordered.
"I'm sorry, mistress," The slave said, "What would you have me call you?"
A look of amused frustration crossed Katt's features as she reached up to check the collar on the girl. She had no doubt that she would have to work with her for a while to break her of several habits that she had been trained to follow. The crest on the collar had a faint trace of a spell laid upon it, probably just a locater spell, maybe something for discipline as well. Whatever it was, the collar would be coming off. "For now, 'ma'am' will do. We will discuss this further at a later time," she said, drawing her hand back from her.
"Yes, mis--… Ma'am," Jaina said quietly.
"Tell me, Jaina, do you have any personal possessions here?"
"No ma'am."
"Just the robes on your back, then. I will have to see to it that you're outfitted better," Katt said quietly and took a step back.
By this time, her keen hearing had picked up the sound of footsteps out in the hall, and she turned to look at the doorway Kulan had departed through minutes before. As if on cue, the nobleman reentered the dining room with a thin folder in his hand and he was quick to make his way over to Katt to present it to her. "Here, Jaina's documents. That is all that you need. Now…" Kulan told her, but Katt was quick to cut him off once he said something that she didn't agree with.
"No, that is not everything. Remove her collar," she told him.
The one-time shadow knight glowered at her then, and he shook his head and shoved the folder into her hands. "The command word for the collar is…"
Again, Katt was quick to cut him off. "Somewhere in the papers, yes. I don't care. I want you to release her into my hands, and I do not wish to trifle myself with the collar. Remove it."
The baleful glare he shot at her then would probably have chilled the blood of a less traveled individual. Katt, on the other hand, gave no response to it other than to continue looking at him expectantly. Perhaps sensing that it would just be easier to do as she said, Kulan raised his hand to Jaina's neck and uttered a word under his breath. Katt felt the magic of the collar grow dormant, and she gave a pleased smirk as Kulan removed the collar.
"That wasn't so hard. We'll depart, now. If you would be so kind as to escort us to the door?" she asked in the same sweet tone that she had used earlier.
"Of course."
Jaina moved to Katt's other side as the three of them started to walk towards the front doors. It amused Katt greatly that she sought to get something between herself and her former master. She suspected that the act added more fuel to the fire of Kulan's rage, but if it did it was not visible on his face. Still, the thought alone was sufficient enough to bring a faint smile to her lips for the simple reason that a slave was freed and the master could do nothing but fume about it.
The trio quickly arrived at the mansion's entrance, and Kulan was even so gracious as to open the doors for them. "Leave now."
"Certainly," Katt said, and nodded for Jaina to exit first.
When the girl was safely out of the doors, Katt smiled a little wider and turned to face Kulan fully. It was time for the parting blow. "Don't worry. You'll have your daughter back."
"I had better." Kulan replied with a low voice.
"I must say, though, it is such a surprise to see that even in Neriak, Erollisi has some followers," she added quickly, then she bowed her head and stepped out of the door before she could be thrown out. "Farewell."
The statement had the desired effect, and Kulan's expression twisted to a seething rage. So incensed was he that he was unable to respond verbally. Instead, there was only a moment of silence, followed immediately by the slam of the door as it was hurled shut. Jaina jumped at the sound, and she cast a fearful glance over her shoulder, then towards Katt.
"Ma'am, was that… did you have to provoke him?"
"It is the way of Innoruuk, Jaina," Katt explained. "Do not worry yourself. Just come with me. We must get you properly equipped."
to be continued...
Kattarrin Silverwing and her various aliases are my creation, as are the characters Jaina and The Fixer. Other characters and organizations appearing in this story are copyright of their respective owners. Some characters featured have been made up on the spur of the moment, and any resemblance to any fictional or actual individuals are purely coincidental.
Author's Note: Kattarrin was my character when I used to play on the Erollisi Marr server. All equipment that she has was earned in game, though my interpretations of certain items may be different from their online counterparts. Additionally, information has been borrowed from the Everquest Tabletop RPG books when information could not be easily gathered from the online game. Certain events in this story may not have taken place in canon history, and certain guilds and organizations do not exist there either as they are borrowed from their creators among the playerbase of Everquest, and not from SOE material.
~ J Chaos
Chapter One
by J Chaos
"I see. So your kind has no names."
It was one voice on the edge of perception. It was somehow important, but at the same time it was completely foreign. Then it was gone. For a moment, as it left, there was a face. It looked to be an older human man, with graying hair. Then it too was gone, absorbed in a swirl of light and darkness.
"I can't believe you did that!" Another voice. "Could you think of how I feel?"
Gone. Again. Was there another face? It didn't seem that way. But there was a scent on the air. A salty sea spray, maybe? It was lost to the spinning abyss before it was successfully identified.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot leave him in your hands. I will return though, I promise." A third voice spoke this time.
Then everything was gone. The voices, the swirling abyss, the other visions; all of them were cast away by the approaching presence of consciousness.
Inn
Neriak, Commons
Kattarrin cracked her eyes open as the door of her room creaked on its hinges. The muddle of voices, visions, and other senses that had filled her dream faded to the back of her mind, lost to the clouds of mystery that had been there for as long as she could remember. She didn't bother trying to recall what had been going through her mind in her sleep; experience had taught her that it would prove to be futile. Besides that, there was an intruder in her room.
"I hope you know that a girl needs her beauty sleep," she said as she slid her hand to the edge of her mattress where one of her swords was resting.
"Beauty sleep? If that's what that was, you must have been asleep for a decade," a quiet male voice replied, a smirk evident in his tone.
Katt relaxed and pulled her hand back from her sword. She would have to get a new pass-phrase from The Fixer, this exchange had been entirely too much like a bad pickup at a bar. Of course, it was entirely probable that he'd chosen the phrase just to get under her skin. It was one of the things that she'd come to expect when the organization that she worked for was lead by a dark elf. She yawned, brushed the sleep from her eyes and then looked over to the door to see the outline of the agent that had come to her. She could make out that he was a dark elf, but his garb made it difficult to discern anything more about him. She supposed that she shouldn't have expected more when she was in Neriak.
"It's too early to be getting an assignment," she complained half-heartedly.
"So you're not interested?" the dark elven man asked her in an amused tone.
"I'm plenty interested, but The Fixer seems to have forgotten that I like to sleep in when I'm not working," Katt said, giving no indication that she was going to move from beneath the covers of her bed.
"I'll be certain to let him know,"
The agent then tossed a sealed scroll onto the blankets over Katt's midsection. She didn't bother to give the man a second look as she picked up the scroll and broke the wax seal with her thumbnail. "I hope that this is worth waking up for," she muttered as she unrolled the scroll and began roaming her eyes over its contents.
"Does it really matter whether or not it's worth it? The Fixer has assigned this to you, and to you alone."
Kattarrin was silent as she read the scroll. Her eyes widened briefly in surprise at the details of the job, and then she narrowed them and continued to read about the task. "Yes, I can see that now," she responded quietly.
The contents of the scroll explained how the daughter of one of the noble houses of Neriak was missing, and The Fixer wanted one of the best of his agents to take on the responsibility of bringing her back. The payment for the job would likely be astronomical. The only catch was that the head of the house wanted a meeting with the agent who would be accepting this undertaking. Further details for the job would be given then.
"I guess I've got to dress up for this?" Katt asked as she slid her legs out from under the blankets.
She didn't particularly care if the messenger saw her in her current state of undress, or in her natural wood elven body. She'd learned long ago that her body was just another tool that could be used to ensure success on a job, and any sense of shame would only interfere with her duties. If someone wanted to press themself upon her, she was more than capable of taking care of herself. Given that this was one of The Fixer's personal messengers, though, she didn't worry much about his behavior or his ability to keep her true identity secret. The Fixer had a reputation for what he did to people in his employ that acted so poorly that would make most people prefer to insult Queen Thex to her face rather than cross him.
The agent, for his part, only stammered for a minute as his eyes roamed over Katt's form. She knew that he was admiring her. "Ah," the agent began, then shook his head and refocused his attention on his task. "What is important is to make a good first impression."
"Aw, and here I was scheduled to wrestle with the Bashers in the foreign quarter." She replied with a smirk.
"Please tell me you're joking."
"Nobody understands my sense of humor," Katt said with an over-dramatic sigh. "Relax, I know my job. I'll handle this."
"Good. I will inform The Fixer," the messenger told her, and then he turned and left the room.
Kattarrin cast one final look at the scroll, and then she muttered quietly to herself, "so much for sleeping in."
Outside of the V`Zen Estate
Neriak, Third Gate
Just inside the Third Gate, past the temple of the Priests of Innoruuk, Kattarrin walked up to the gate of a small mansion. The family may have been nobility, but the size of their home and their proximity to the commons suggested to Katt that these Tier'Dal were just barely holding to their social position. It wouldn't have surprised her in the slightest if this request for a meeting were actually a ploy to hire her to do something to elevate their house above the rest of their peers.
She was decked out in an ensemble that would strike awe in all but the most powerful of the Third Gate's inhabitants. The pale lights of the city seemed to be absorbed into the blackened crystals that adorned her robes. Around her shoulders she wore a thick, dark cloak that seemed to shift and waver its colors between any number of dark hues. Around her waist was tied a clean white sash, and from it hung several pouches as well as a richly jeweled skull. Her smooth black hair was tied back with a thin and silky red band of fine material from Odus. Complimenting the look was a wicked looking Harvester scythe in her hands that anyone in Neriak would recognize as being held by an advanced necromancer willing to brave the trials of Solusek Ro. To finish the disguise she wore the guise of a dark elf, an impenetrable illusion granted to her by her mask of deception, to enable her to freely wander the streets of the dark city.
It wasn't the first time she went out like this, though. It would be suicide, to stroll through Neriak clad so richly without anyone having ever seen her before. No, she'd built this identity up with meticulous care, and she held it for many years. She may not have owned any property in the city, but she had served Neriak on countless expeditions across the reaches of Norrath. Years of loyal service to The Dead and not having a single failure associated with her in that time had earned her a strong reputation. The clothing and equipment she'd earned in her travels only aided her further. Her reputation was so strong that she, as an unknown orphan, could ascend through Tier'Dal society to the point where she could take on a name for herself, and be allowed to roam through all of the Third Gate with the blessings of those who inhabited it.
As far as anyone in Neriak besides The Fixer knew, she was Katt R`Win, accomplished necromancer and faithful servant of Innoruuk.
"I can't wait to see their faces when they get a look at the agent that they've called for. They'll probably think The Fixer is Innoruuk himself," she mused to herself as she lifted the pole of her Harvester to strike at the bell on the gate.
The bell's ring resounded throughout the cavern, and several moments later a gray robed wood elven woman came out of the mansion and approached the gate. She stood just under five feet tall, and had long red hair that fell to her shoulders. Several bruises marred her face, and her expression had very little life to it. She studied Katt for just a moment before she opened the gate and lowered her gaze respectfully.
"Welcome," she whispered. "Master Kulan has been expecting you. Please, come with me."
Katt was a little surprised. "Master?" she asked. "You mean to tell me that I am not meeting with the lady of the house?"
The slave cringed back slightly and gave a very quick shake of her head. "No," she whispered fearfully, "the mistress does not know that you are here. It is the master that has requested this meeting."
This further surprised Katt, though she didn't give any indication of it in her body language. The fact that it was a man requesting the meeting was not unusual in and of itself, but that he would keep it from his wife was another matter entirely. She wondered what was going on here, and evidently she had paused for too long. The slave was starting to shrink back with growing fear. "Oh, relax and take me inside to meet Kulan already." Katt told her coolly.
The slave relaxed visibly when she realized that Katt wasn't going to be leaving. "Yes, of course, please follow me."
Katt said nothing; instead she just nodded again and started walking to the doors of the mansion. The slave started walking beside Katt, but it was clear that she wasn't in the best of shape because she had to jog to keep up. By the time that the two of them reached the stairs, the slave was winded and had to bend over slightly and catch her breath. Katt stood at the closed doors and she cast an expectant gaze towards the slave. She was actually concerned for the girl's welfare, but for her cover she could do little more than feign impatience.
"What is the problem?" she asked the slave coldly.
"There is no… no problem, ma'am." The slave responded quickly, though her gasps for breath indicated otherwise.
"Just stop," Katt said in a harsh tone.
Her left hand quickly released the pole of her scythe and shot out to grab the slave's wrist. The slave gasped fearfully as she was gripped, and she tried to pull away. Her body didn't have the strength to get free of Katt's grip, though. Katt put on a display of ignoring the girl's struggles, but she was actually gauging the girl's health by this. It was clear to her that she barely had the strength to keep working, and she doubted that her master would accept that.
Hastily, Kattarrin began uttering the words of a spell and made the gestures with the hand that held her Harvester. The slave gave a shriek of fear and continued trying to escape from her grip, but her efforts were for naught. At the spells completion, Kattarrin's hands took on a dull green aura that faded quickly into a thin stream that flew into the slave's body. The aura then reformed itself around the slave's body, and all of the girl's struggles came to a halt.
A moment passed in complete stillness as the spell's effects went to work. When the aura faded a moment later, the slave was quick to pull her hand away with a renewed vigor. The bruises had faded from her appearance, and she looked a great deal stronger. Katt studied her for a moment as she lowered her hands. She quickly braced herself on the pole of her scythe so she could recover her strength from the spell of life transference that had just been cast.
"What are you waiting for? Open the door," she whispered sharply.
For a few seconds, the slave stood back with a look of confusion on her face. When Katt's words finally processed in her mind, she uttered a quick apology and pulled the mansion's doors open. Katt entered the foyer when the doors were out of her way, and she continued to support herself on her scythe. The Fier'Dal slave pulled the doors closed once they had both entered, and she wasted no time in putting her newfound energy to more work.
"Please, follow me. Master Kulan is waiting in the dining room," she told Katt as she hurried past her to lead the way through the mansion.
Katt silently shook her head as she followed her to her master. Upon their arrival, Katt was greeted to the sight of a feast laid out on the table, presumably for herself and for Kulan. She gave a quiet chuckle to herself as she pictured what the mistress of the house would do if she didn't know about this either and were to find out somehow.
Seated at the table, wearing a purple tunic, azure sleeves, and a pair of black leggings, was Kulan. He appeared to be a firmly built dark elf, and his pearl white hair was cut very short. From his appearance, as well as the spread before her and what she knew of the family, she suspected that he had at least been a member of The Dead at one time. "Probably a Shadow Knight," she thought as she moved over to the table and gave a bow of her head.
"Kulan V`Zen, I'm guessing?" she asked as she straightened back up.
"That's correct. I would presume that you are the individual that I have been hoping to meet with?" Kulan asked, standing to inspect her.
"I am," Kattarrin replied.
She then pulled the letter she'd been given from the sash at her waist. She held it out to him and continued speaking, "You made a request for a meeting. I am here to hear you out further, as I will be the one to undertake this task."
Kulan took the letter from her and read it briefly to verify its authenticity. When he was satisfied, he handed the letter back to her and gestured to the table. "Wonderful," he told her, and then added, "please take a seat. What is your name?"
Kattarrin sat down at the setting laid out for her, and she rested her scythe against the edge of the table. Kulan also took his seat at the head of the table, and he looked at her with expectant eyes.
"The Fixer." It was all that Katt had to say at first, after she got comfortable.
She was expecting the look of apprehension that crossed the client's features. Before he could question her identity, she continued speaking. "I could be a male dwarf or a drooling ogre and you would still be dealing with The Fixer. This job is taken care of for you, so my personal identity is not important. All you need to know is that your request will be taken care of."
They sat at the table in silence for nearly a minute, both of them staring at the other intensely while Katt's words sank in. The slave stood at the side of the room, looking nervously between the two of them. Katt didn't particularly care whether or not he was willing to accept her answer. If he demanded more, she would leave. The Fixer made very clear that it was his reputation that would carry their organization, and it was his name that would be given to the clients. Katt was merely following the procedures that he had laid out.
Finally Kulan gave a quiet chuckle of concession and nodded. "Very well, Fixer, I'm grateful that you're here," he said.
"Especially since this is a matter that you don't even want your wife to find out about, let alone the rest of Neriak," she commented with a tone so casual that it bordered on disinterest. "Am I right?"
Another uncomfortable silence fell over the room as Katt's words hung in the air. Kulan's face twisted to one of anger as he stared at her. She didn't bother to meet his gaze this time. She was quite pleased with the reaction that she was getting from him. She lifted a filled wine glass from the setting in front of her rather than look at him. Lazily, she swirled the red liquid around the glass as she waited for him to make his next move.
"You are a bold one, Fixer," the man hissed out through tight lips.
"I don't care if I'm bold. I care if I'm right." Katt said in the same tone as before as she set down the wine glass. "Also, I appreciate the thought, but my drink of choice is Blackburrow Stout. If you had any, I would be very grateful."
The slave girl looked as though she wanted to flee for her life, but she obediently held her place as she waited for her master's orders. Kulan's eyebrow twitched, but whether it was from rage or simply from the baseness of Katt's request, nobody knew. Finally, he gave a stiff nod towards his slave and spoke quietly, "get our guest a bottle of her swill, Jaina."
The slave, Jaina, nodded obediently and left the room. After she'd left, Kattarrin raised her gaze and gave a delighted smirk. Kulan was incensed, but she could see that he was struggling to bring his temper under control. Finally, he gave a very short nod, "You're correct, woman. Nobody must know of this meeting."
"Of course not. Rest assured, you've hired The Fixer. Unlike those wretches in the Ebon Mask, my tongue will not slip for any reason," she assured him.
Kulan gave another nod, stiff with anger. He then leaned back in his chair and swept his arm over the food on the table. When the motion was complete, he brought his arm back and rested the tips of his fingers together in front of his face while placing his elbows on the armrests of his chair. "If this gets out, I will be ruined," he explained.
Katt accepted the gesture as an invitation to help herself to some of the food. Out of politeness more than hunger, she started to fill her plate before she made her next inquiry. A little bit of pheasant, plenty of sweet fruits and some bitter breads soon filled her plate, and she began to cut the food with grace. "So tell me, is your daughter really missing, or was that just a lie to attempt to garner some sympathy from us?" she asked as she prepared her food to eat.
She knew the answer before the man was able to open his mouth. His fist clenched suddenly and the burning hatred in his eyes redoubled as he listened to her question. "My daughter is not missing. She has been taken from me, and I can do nothing about it!" he bellowed angrily.
Perhaps she had misjudged the intention of the letter. Could a Tier'Dal really care about his daughter like this? She wanted to know more, but she suspected that she wouldn't have to wait long for that. "I'm sorry that I questioned it. Go on. It seems that you know where she is?" she asked curiously as she started eating, continuing to put on a show of ignoring his rage.
"I know exactly where she is, as well as who has her," the noble replied harshly.
"Well then, don't waste time," Katt said impatiently. "If your daughter is so important to you, spit it out already."
Innoruuk would have been proud of the hate that she was inspiring in the man. She would probably take more pride in that fact if she hadn't sworn herself to Tunare. Still, she was playing her part well, and Kulan's reactions only encouraged her to keep pressing onward. He lowered his gaze to his wine glass and he began to speak. "If you must know…"
"I must," Katt interrupted.
He raised his eyes from his glass to shoot a baleful glare towards her. "A week ago, an envoy arrived from Castle Mistmoore," he continued in quiet rage. "My wife was eager to receive her."
"Now we're getting somewhere. Go on," Katt said, and then she took another bite from her plate.
"There is little to tell of the meeting," he explained. "We were offered an alliance with Lord Mayong, and my wife accepted. We would give him our daughters as they reached the peak of their beauty and their training. In turn, he would give us enormous wealth and power."
Mayong Mistmoore. The name almost made Katt drop her fork. The vampire lord was a great concern to all whom dwelled on the continent of Faydwer. She'd spent much time near his castle, both on missions from the Scouts of Tunare, and on her personal quests for information. She didn't relish the thought of having to return to the place again. A job was a job, though. She had to keep up appearances.
"And the problem with this is…?" she asked him with practiced technique of baiting.
"I did not call you here to ask such questions, Fixer!" Kulan responded angrily.
"Of course not," she replied with a voice that dripped with venom so sweet that it could have been extracted from a bixie's stinger. "How rude of me."
He fell silent and motionless, save for the shaking of his hands from his rage. Katt continued to eat her meal without pause as she waited for him to continue his explanation. A minute passed in silence, and he still hadn't resumed speaking. Katt was starting to see just how much the man's daughter meant to him, for one purpose or another. She felt sorry for all that he was going through, and she almost wished that this meeting were being held in a region other than Neriak so that she could at least show some sympathy.
Another minute passed, and Katt could hear footsteps from the hall. Jaina returned to the room with the bottle of outlawed liquor, and Katt was grateful to have the uneasy silence broken. Both Katt and Kulan's eyes were on the slave as she poured the dark black brew into a tall glass and set it before Katt.
"Leave now, Jaina," Kulan finally said when the beverage was served.
Katt worried for the girl's safety if she should get out of her sight. She had little doubt that Kulan would take out his rage on her when she left. "No, stay," Katt calmly contradicted him.
Jaina looked between the two of them with an expression of confusion and fear on her face. Kulan returned his attention to Katt and curled his lip up in outrage. "I said leave, Jaina."
The Fier'Dal girl quickly started to move towards the door at the order, but again Katt spoke up to stop her. "And I said stay. You are very much a part of this."
"What?!" Kulan demanded. "Who are you to say that?! What makes you think such a thing?!"
"I did not come here to answer these questions," Katt said coldly. "She is a part of this because I said she is. Are you going to continue, or shall I attempt to complete this task without the information I need to bring your daughter back to you in one piece?"
He stared at her in shock for a moment, then he looked to his slave and gave her a faint nod. "Very well. Stay here, and wait for your next order," he told her.
Jaina nodded obediently and stepped over to the side of the room as she was told. Kulan turned back to Katt and resumed his tale from where he left off, acting as though nothing had just taken place. "As I was saying, my wife agreed to this arrangement. I did not. I do not see this as a fair trade, I want my daughter back."
"If you just wanted her back, why would you go to such lengths to keep this a secret?" Katt questioned suspiciously, continuing to speak before he could respond. "Or are you not telling me everything? You want me to keep the alliance intact, don't you?"
He didn't speak, choosing instead to only nod in response. Katt set down her knife and fork at this point, and she picked up the glass to take a drink. This was starting to go just how she wanted it. She had control of the situation. "This isn't about agreeing or disagreeing with the alliance, it's only about your daughter isn't it?" she asked.
"I never said that this was about the alliance. I said I did not agree with it. I always said that this was about my daughter," he replied defensively.
"That is not what I meant, and you know it," Katt told him in an accusatory tone, "unless you plan to keep hiring me each time that one of your daughters goes to Mistmoore, in which case you have the sense of a troll at supper time. Now tell me what you really want, or the job will not get done properly."
"Fine. Bring my daughter back to me, dissuade Mistmoore from coming after her again, and maintain our alliance otherwise," Kulan told her quickly, his tone guarded.
"That's better," Katt said dryly. "You make it sound so easy. So where are they now?"
"They are on their way to Freeport now, to sail to Faydwer. They left the same day that they arrived two weeks ago," he told her.
"Then they're nearly at the port already, while I am still talking to you," she said in quiet annoyance. "Very well. I shall work your miracle for you. You know that this will not be cheap."
"Money is no object. Bring my daughter back, and I will pay any price," Kulan replied, his voice growing steadier as the moments passed.
"Good. I'll take my down payment now," Katt told him and she turned her gaze towards Jaina.
Kulan looked startled as he followed her gaze. He uttered a curse under his breath and looked back at Katt. "You want my slave?!" he questioned disbelievingly.
"That, and other things," she answered calmly. "Unless you value a slave over your daughter."
This would be the hardest part of the negotiation. Her words would have to be carefully chosen, for it would not take much to push him too far into rage. If that happened, she had little doubt that their business relationship would come to a quick end. She suspected that The Fixer wouldn't appreciate her choice for his down payment, but she also had no doubt that he would understand when she provided her own funds in equal value to the slave's worth. She just had to get the job and get out, and The Fixer would be pleased.
She finally turned her gaze back to the nobleman and locked her eyes with his. He looked back at her with an angry expression, and they were locked into a stare-down. Katt would not back down on her part until she had what she wanted. She did not allow her own expression to change, trusting that her cold and unchanging face would put him even more ill at ease. Kulan didn't appear willing to break his gaze either, but she could see his anger mounting and it was only a matter of time before he lost his composure, as well as the contest.
A short while later, Kulan lowered his gaze with a disgusted shudder. Katt twisted her lips into a satisfied smirk and she leaned back in her chair. She looked back over to Jaina and observed the slave watching them both with a fearful expression. It was enough to steel Katt's resolve further and make her press this issue for a quicker response. "Well?" she asked with a widening smirk.
"Jaina is yours. Now bring me my daughter, or the next bounty I pay will be for your head." Kulan threatened.
"Of course. You will prepare four thousand platinum coins, or items that have been appraised to equal that value, for the successful completion of this job. I shall return with your daughter no later than three months from today, at which point you will give me the payment," Katt said matter-of-factly. "Is there anything else that I should be on the lookout for?"
"No, just go, and do not return without my daughter."
Katt finished her drink in one long swig, and then she sat the glass down and pushed her plate away from her. She then stood up and folded her napkin on the table while she looked down the table at him. "I do not plan to. If you have given me everything I need, then I will be back within three months. Now, if you will get me the papers for the slave, I will leave."
Kulan muttered out of frustration and he rose from his chair. It was clear to Katt that he wanted her out of his home as quickly as possible. As he left the room, she turned to look at Jaina and beckoned for her to come over to her. "You, Jaina, come to me. Let me take a better look at you."
Jaina had a look of fear on her face as she approached her, and Katt could only imagine what thoughts were going through the slave's mind. She didn't doubt that the girl was envisioning all of the terrible spells that might be cast on her if she didn't do as she was ordered. When Jaina reached her, she started to kneel in submission to her. It took quite a bit of willpower to keep from giving a disgusted groan, and Katt reached out her hand to grab Jaina's shoulder. "Remain on your feet, I want a good look at you," she said sternly.
Jaina straightened back up, and she appeared to be holding her breath while Katt looked her over. She didn't appear to have any more serious injuries that her earlier spell may have been unable to heal. That was a definite plus. Upon closer inspection, Katt guessed that she was barely an adult. She also appeared to have at least been getting some degree of proper nutrition, which was one less thing to worry about as well. It was hard to tell how fit she was while she was wearing those baggy robes, but Katt didn't think that she'd have gotten that much exercise here outside of whatever tasks Kulan and his wife demanded of her.
"Well, I just need to get you some proper gear, and you should be fine to travel," Katt said to the girl quietly after a minute.
"Whatever you say, mistress," Jaina replied meekly.
"Don't call me mistress," Katt ordered.
"I'm sorry, mistress," The slave said, "What would you have me call you?"
A look of amused frustration crossed Katt's features as she reached up to check the collar on the girl. She had no doubt that she would have to work with her for a while to break her of several habits that she had been trained to follow. The crest on the collar had a faint trace of a spell laid upon it, probably just a locater spell, maybe something for discipline as well. Whatever it was, the collar would be coming off. "For now, 'ma'am' will do. We will discuss this further at a later time," she said, drawing her hand back from her.
"Yes, mis--… Ma'am," Jaina said quietly.
"Tell me, Jaina, do you have any personal possessions here?"
"No ma'am."
"Just the robes on your back, then. I will have to see to it that you're outfitted better," Katt said quietly and took a step back.
By this time, her keen hearing had picked up the sound of footsteps out in the hall, and she turned to look at the doorway Kulan had departed through minutes before. As if on cue, the nobleman reentered the dining room with a thin folder in his hand and he was quick to make his way over to Katt to present it to her. "Here, Jaina's documents. That is all that you need. Now…" Kulan told her, but Katt was quick to cut him off once he said something that she didn't agree with.
"No, that is not everything. Remove her collar," she told him.
The one-time shadow knight glowered at her then, and he shook his head and shoved the folder into her hands. "The command word for the collar is…"
Again, Katt was quick to cut him off. "Somewhere in the papers, yes. I don't care. I want you to release her into my hands, and I do not wish to trifle myself with the collar. Remove it."
The baleful glare he shot at her then would probably have chilled the blood of a less traveled individual. Katt, on the other hand, gave no response to it other than to continue looking at him expectantly. Perhaps sensing that it would just be easier to do as she said, Kulan raised his hand to Jaina's neck and uttered a word under his breath. Katt felt the magic of the collar grow dormant, and she gave a pleased smirk as Kulan removed the collar.
"That wasn't so hard. We'll depart, now. If you would be so kind as to escort us to the door?" she asked in the same sweet tone that she had used earlier.
"Of course."
Jaina moved to Katt's other side as the three of them started to walk towards the front doors. It amused Katt greatly that she sought to get something between herself and her former master. She suspected that the act added more fuel to the fire of Kulan's rage, but if it did it was not visible on his face. Still, the thought alone was sufficient enough to bring a faint smile to her lips for the simple reason that a slave was freed and the master could do nothing but fume about it.
The trio quickly arrived at the mansion's entrance, and Kulan was even so gracious as to open the doors for them. "Leave now."
"Certainly," Katt said, and nodded for Jaina to exit first.
When the girl was safely out of the doors, Katt smiled a little wider and turned to face Kulan fully. It was time for the parting blow. "Don't worry. You'll have your daughter back."
"I had better." Kulan replied with a low voice.
"I must say, though, it is such a surprise to see that even in Neriak, Erollisi has some followers," she added quickly, then she bowed her head and stepped out of the door before she could be thrown out. "Farewell."
The statement had the desired effect, and Kulan's expression twisted to a seething rage. So incensed was he that he was unable to respond verbally. Instead, there was only a moment of silence, followed immediately by the slam of the door as it was hurled shut. Jaina jumped at the sound, and she cast a fearful glance over her shoulder, then towards Katt.
"Ma'am, was that… did you have to provoke him?"
"It is the way of Innoruuk, Jaina," Katt explained. "Do not worry yourself. Just come with me. We must get you properly equipped."
to be continued...