"Let me get this straight, your going to disguise yourself as a Leaden Key member in order to get in and find out what they're doing here?"
Cera stares at Aloth's expression, which she thinks is a mix of surprise, concern, and the idea that she's just said the craziest thing he's ever heard. "Yeah. Seeing as the soul of one didn't know the name or even the face of the guy he walked past, it's pretty safe to assume they won't know I'm not one of them. Or I can say I'm a new member. And, if all else fails, I can read their souls after they're dead."
She shrugs, and Eder says "Fair enough. But how are you going to convince them that you are one of them?"
"I can just say I'm nervous about the meeting or something - so nervous I don't remember anything I'm supposed to say. Or I can read their minds and learn what it is I'm supposed to say."
"Okay. Well, first we'd have to find them down here."
Cera stares at the hood for a moment, then says "There's a set of stairs down at the far end of the catacombs, straight from the entrance and the last right followed by an immediate left."
Eder blinks, and Pallegina asks "What just happened?"
"While most Watchers aren't psychic, this one is. It comes in rather useful at times. And nobody is ready for my Mind Blades. As for what happened, I read this hood's past, where it's been and all." She shrugs, and starts off towards whatever staircase she knows of now - but freezes in front of a door that's locked. "There's…someone in there."
Sagani says "It's locked though, and I don't know how to unlock it."
"Lucky for us, I do."
She kneels at the door and starts working at the keyhole with a set of wires, and Aloth asks "When did you learn this?"
"Taught myself, with a little help from the wires. One of the many things my parents find a complete embarrassment. It comes in useful for stuff like this though." Click.
The door swings open to reveal a very dirty Orlan sitting by a pitiful campfire. His story is rather tragic - came to Defiance Bay to make a name for himself, made it and lost it, now he's hiding from the Crucible Knights. Cera gives him enough money to buy his way out of Defiance Bay, an argument about shipping agreements and defending himself from a man twice his height shouldn't be the reason a person goes to jail or gets hung.
Cera stops dead in the middle of the room, staring at nothing and mumbling to herself. Aloth hears the name 'Creitum' along with being born there, she's not sure about something, and she's ready for something. She seems to snap out of it when he puts a hand on her shoulder, asking "Are you alright, Cera?"
"Yeah, fine…I'm fine, Aloth." She sounded dazed for a minute, distracted - he so dearly hopes her past life didn't just surge up and attempt to make her have an episode like Maerwald was having every other sentence.
They've just learned the passphrases from one of the initiates, who was nervous because he's worried the woman will see he's wondering what she looks like under the mask when she enters his head, and are heading towards the chamber with the Acolyte.
Aloth can feel Iselmyr stirring and scraping at him more with every step - and she suddenly says "Back, ye clod. These hooded fiends are nye to be trusted."
Her very, very sudden eruption leaves him coughing and sputtering, even as Cera pounds him on the back a few times. Her eyes are wide, both with concern and worry for him and quick glances stolen at their companions.
Eder says "Aloth, maybe now's not the best time for…that."
He hasn't told them yet, was still trying to figure out how to break it to them - looks like he doesn't have a choice now. D
amn it, Iselmyr!
He grimaces, and says "I'm fine, I'll explain after all this. We probably shouldn't linger here anyway."
Aloth, now you have to tell them!
I know, Cera. I wish I didn't, but I do. If only to have a few more days to figure out how to tell them.
Aloth, Pallegina's covered in feathers, Sagani's looking for a long-dead village elder that could be anyone, Kana's on a search for a stone tablet that's taken him all across Eora, and Eder fought on the side that blew up his god in the last war here - do you honestly think they'll react that badly? Besides, its…its not me. You won't go crazy like I will.
Cera, we won't let you go insane. We'll figure out how to stop this.
They break off the mental connection just as they reach the door, and Cera says "I'll go in alone. If you hear the sounds of crossbow bolts being fired, by all means come in and start shooting, swinging, and casting." They have to chuckle a little, and then she's through the door.
Aloth's decided he hates the sight of the Woedica hood on her - far too wrong for her, it doesn't suit her whatsoever. That might also be because she's also in the Dyrwoodan clothing she picked up shortly after arriving in Gilded Vale, but he still wants to burn the hood to nothing.
She comes back out after what feels like a few more moments - he was musing to himself and Iselmyr for about five minutes - and closes the door. She very quietly says, after checking for any eavesdropping minds, "Ok, we've got three leads. A man in Heritage Hill, there's someone in the Sanitarium, and a group of people in Dyrford. I vote we start in Heritage Hill, as the Acolyte said to 'stop him.' A man at the top of a tower like the one in Cilant Lis. And not to let him meet a woman with a scar over her heart."
Kana says "Yes, that sounds like the most pressing matter."
Pallegina says "I've heard for over two weeks now that something truly horrible has been happening in that district. Nobody is allowed in there, and Crucible Knights keep disappearing during watches."
Eder says "Sounds like the place to go then."
Aloth's not so sure about that, he doesn't know what they've done to the place though, but doesn't voice his thoughts - he's still got to figure out how he's going to explain Iselmyr's all-too-obvious appearance to them all. Nearly all, Cera already knows - and she offered to support him before. W
hen they get out of the catacombs, after he explained everything rather awkwardly - he's kept this secret for so long that telling it to someone now is near-impossible, even for the second time - he quietly takes Cera aside for a minute. He puts his hands behind his back to stop the fidgeting, he's pretty sure she can see it anyway though, and says "I've heard there's an entire institution dedicated to the study of the soul and Awakenings in Defiance Bay. If we ended up around there…"
"Aloth, of course! If it'll help you, then of course we'll go pay them a visit."
Aloth relaxes a fraction, and says "And maybe they can help you as well. At the very least, it'd be easier than trying to track down the Leaden Key."
She cracks a grin and says "And fresher to. Plus I probably wouldn't have to pick any locks." Yeah, that - why would her parents be ashamed of that? The question must be written all over his face, because she says "My parents and I disagree on a lot of things. Most of which involve me being able to do something useful." She shrugs and adds "Not like I care though."
That's a lie, he can tell. The way she stiffens up for a second, the way her posture goes straight as his scepter, all of it. He knows how to read people as well as he knows how to cast spells, and he's reading the fact that she does care what her parents think - but she's too upset to admit it. He changes the subject though, saying "Thank you, Cera. For everything. And, well, seeing as you found me a useful item…"
He pulls the necklace from his pocket, and her breath catches in her throat for an instant. "Aloth, its…" Beautiful. Means more to me than all the jewelry my parents made me wear whenever we went out in public. Is the best gift anyone's ever given me. She keeps the thoughts to herself, and finally manages to come out with the not-at-all satisfactory "lovely."
Aloth undoes the clasp and puts it around her neck, making her skin tingle when the back of his hand grazes her neck. It's almost like she's getting another vision, except she's firmly grounded in this life of hers - but she can't think, can't move, doesn't really want to move.
It must just be his magical abilities or something. That's the only explanation that makes sense, right?
She so hopes so, because her life has taken a few turns for the dangerous and is likely going to take a few more down that path - can she really get her hopes up that a friendship with a fellow Elf from Aedyr could be more? Can she afford to? Especially if…if her feelings aren't returned?
AN: Alright, Heritage Hill it is! That honestly seemed like the most important thing to get to, as opposed to people entering a town on the other side of the Plains and a guy sitting in the Sanitarium. As for Pallegina, if anyone is confused, she's been given the mission to get to Twin Elms and broker a trade agreement - the ambassador doesn't really care how she gets there though, giving her the freedom to help with other problems until the floodwaters go back down. Will be doing White March, along with soulbound weapons. And Master Below, will also be doing a chapter for that as well. Enjoy! More chapters coming soon!