General disclaimer: I own nothing, even Maiyn generally decides her own path.

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Errands and Investigations

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Life in Athkatla was the same as usual, helping Coran to feel slightly more stable within his own life. He still seemed to have far too much on his mind to concentrate on anything for too long, but the matters that had popped up back at the Keep had been resolved before they left, and the procession of four had made their way back to the city and in the search of employment and adventure.

When Patch and the other horses were taken off to be stabled at the Crooked Crane, Coran voiced his intention to rent out rooms at the Seas' Bounty again, in the hope that being close to the Thieves Guild would aid them in knowing when Maiyn and her companions returned to the city. The others nodded mutely though Edwin had wrinkled his nose slightly. Coran was relieved to have no objections, and steadily made his way through the throngs of people as he marched along the streets.

It was market day in the city, and stalls and counters had been erected everywhere with merchants trading their goods and calling out their sales pitches. Men and women alike bustled around perusing the wares and selection, but still Coran's heart felt heavy. The activity around him didn't have the effect on him it once would have; he was now aware of what was missing in his life that he'd blissfully ignored before, and it was beginning to annoy him.

When the rooms were secured and their belongings were deposited, the party met up in the common room and Valygar fetched a round of drinks. He'd offered the use of his home while they were in the city as they rode from the Keep, but also warned Coran that he was unsure how long his path would allow him to remain with the group. Coran had expressed his desire to keep the ranger's company, but Valygar had just thanked him quietly and offered no more explanation; only nodding when Coran decided to use the services of an Inn so that the stalker could leave at any point without feeling obligated to stay, if that was what he wished.

The atmosphere was fairly heavy and subdued, Coran eventually stating his intention to seek out Ajantis and see if he knew of anything they could do while in the city with spare time. Edwin snorted loudly, but was ignored in general, and Nalia and Valygar nodded in approval. With that settled, they finished their beverages and set off towards the Order's Headquarters, a disgruntled Red Wizard in tow.

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Ajantis looked worried. His face was lined with creases of concern, and a permanent frown seemed to adorn his face as he slowly wandered along the paths between the temples with the four companions. Pleasantries had been exchanged, and the paladin had seemed briefly relieved to find Coran wished to remain on good terms after their last meeting; he did, however, sem to have a lot on his mind, and the friends encouraged him to talk about it.

"The task of being a paladin is not easy," he mused. "Many break under the demands of our path, and leave to pursue avenues of life more appropriate to their talents."

Edwin mumbled something from the rear of the group, but he was ignored with practiced ease.

"You have internal problems to deal with?" asked Coran.

"Of a sort, yes," admitted Ajantis. He paused to look across one of the prettier sections of canals and sighed heavily. "Sometimes our members bend instead of break, twisting their paladin-hood to serve their own purpose. These are hard to detect, but when found they are quickly cast out."

"I can imagine," offered Coran.

"How do they twist their actions?" asked Nalia curiously. "It must be something extremely bad for you to throw them out of the Order, must it not?"

Ajantis smiled weakly. "It is in this occasion, Lady Nalia, of that I can assure you. One of our members, a man named Anarg, has recently been expelled from our number. He was a knight when I was a squire -- he became a good friend, a loyal companion. I would never have thought it possible to see a day when he would fall so low."

"What did he do?" enquired Valygar.

"He was implicated in smuggling slaves," sighed Ajantis wearily, rubbing the back of his hand across his forehead. "We thought his removal from our organisation would be the end of it; enough shame for him to see the wrongness in his actions and to reconsider what he was doing. But we were wrong."

"He has not taken the decision lightly?" Coran's frown was now matching the one the paladin wore.

"Not at all, no. He took others when he left, persuaded them to follow him in his exclusion. He is a charismatic man, and a lot of our younger members were swayed by his words. They followed him."

"But surely you have plenty in your ranks, regardless," noted Valygar. "Is the loss of a few younger knights such an issue?"

"No, ordinarily not," acknowledged Ajantis. "But they are masking as paladins and abusing our good name. They extort, smuggle slaves, and spit on all that we honour."

"We can see why this would offend you," said Nalia soothingly. Coran nodded his agreement.

"Our problem is that these Fallen Paladins recognise their former comrades, and our members fear conflict with former friends. It is a quandary I have been assigned to deal with, and one I am unsure as to how to tackle."

"Perhaps we can help," mused Coran thoughtfully. "We are looking for activities to perform while we wait for news to come back to us, and if you are in need of assistance, we'd be only too welcome to offer it."

Ajantis' frown lessened slightly. "I'm not sure what you could do for us. Perhaps some investigations into them to establish fully, for once and for all, what they are up to. Getting close to them may be difficult, however."

"Well, we can hardly pretend to be members of the Order seeking to jump ship," admitted Coran as he examined his companions. Edwin glared back at him, standing just far enough away to be able to hear what was going on while not immediately appearing to be in their company. "We could, however, be prospective business associates of theirs perhaps."

Ajantis nodded slowly. "That may work," he admitted. "Apart gathering what information you can on their activities and concerns, there is little else I can think of right now to solve the dilemma."

"Perhaps a little more information will help that," suggested Coran.

"Information we can provide," added Nalia with a smile.

Ajantis returned her smile and regarded Coran warmly. "Thank you, my friend," he said sincerely. "Your offer of aid is most welcome and readily accepted. We shall liase whenever possible, although we shall need to make sure we are not seen together after this day in public. Perhaps when the matter is a bit clearer, we can discover an answer to the problem at the root of it."

"We will do what we can," affirmed Coran, suddenly relieved. Something to focus on, something to work with. His days would be less empty, and he had a purpose once more. He took Ajantis' hand and shook it firmly as they silently made their promise to work together.

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"And how do you propose we find these 'Fallen Paladins'?" enquired Edwin as they sat around their table back at the inn. He was sneering, but that was nothing out of the ordinary.

"I don't know," admitted Coran. "You're a mage though, aren't you? Can't you do some divination for us and find their location?"

Edwin choked on the wine he was delicately sipping, causing him to turn red as he fought for breath, almost mirroring the shade of his robes. Nalia and Coran looked on with amusement as Valygar proceeded to hit him on the back very firmly -- some might argue a bit too firmly -- until he'd recovered.

"Enough!" he finally spluttered. "Your barbaric attempts to relieve me are unnecessary! (And not to mention unwanted.)"

Nalia's eyes narrowed as she studied her wizardly companion. "Can you actually use divination spells?"

The Red Wizard cleared his throat pointedly. "If I chose to, I would have no doubt at all that I could master such basic cantrips. (Though why anyone would wish to partake in such simian endeavours is beyond me.)"

"So you can't?"

"Edwin Odesseiron is a mage of magnificent magnitude (especially compared to you, though that hardly says much)," he remarked.

"You're better at avoiding a question than using divination magic, I'm guessing," chuckled Coran as he watched the exchange. Edwin threw him a poisonous look.

"Your young wench claims to be a mage," he sniffed, "and such a spell is safe for apprentices to use. Let her cast it. (She could do with the practice after all.)"

Nalia glared at him, but Edwin ignored her and went back to his wine, drawing out his own spellbook and pouring over it until he was sure the others would be conversing amongst themselves and ignoring him. Coran and Valygar exchanged an amused glance as Nalia drummed her fingers on the tabletop, only stopping when Coran's hand went on hers. She withdrew her own quickly, flushing slightly.

"I'll see what I can do with the spell tomorrow," she said, her voice sounding strained. "I might need something to go on -- a rough location or some such. I can work with the name, but I'm not sure how well it'll go."

Coran nodded encouragingly to her as Edwin sniggered. "We'll see what else we can find out in the morning," he said. "We have plenty of time to work on this, so there is no rush; but it should be interesting. Will you be assisting us with this?" His question was levelled at Valygar and the ranger raised his eyes from his drink.

"I will," he said quietly.

"Why wouldn't he be?" asked Nalia. She had missed the conversation earlier and looked at the two men with confusion.

"I have other things I need to do," explained Valygar briefly. "I'm not sure when I will need to go and do them, but it will be soon I fear."

"Can we not assist you? It's the least we could do..."

"No, Nalia, though your words are kind." The stalker smiled -- a genuine smile that was warm and gentle. "What I need to do is best done on my own. If I discover I need help, though, I'll know I can find you again."

"You're our friend," replied Nalia quietly. "We've... we've been through so much together, the three of us. I can't imagine what it'll be like to part ways."

"Urgh," gargled Edwin as he stood up abruptly. "I am going to bed. (Before I am sick with this display of vomit-inducing emotion.)" Nalia scowled as the Red Wizard stalked off towards the stairs, and Coran and Valygar chuckled quietly.

"Best to just ignore him," noted Coran. "He seems to be a bit strange."

"Why is he still with us?" asked Nalia. "I can't remember any of us actually asking him to stay after Mae'Var."

"I don't think any of us did," noted Valygar. "He just seemed to assume he could."

Coran raised an eyebrow. "That's not why you're leaving, is it?" he asked. "I mean, I know how you are with mages, and I admit, I haven't been thinking-"

The ranger shook his head. "No, not at all. I find him distasteful and repulsive, but I have travelled with you long enough to not question your choice of companions too much. And you didn't as much choose him as he seemed to choose us."

"So what is it you need to do?" asked Nalia.

Valygar gave her a serious look. "Do you really want to know?" She nodded. "I want to avenge my friend and servant who died in my home."

"But, how?" Nalia frowned with confusion.

"I have my suspicions as to who may have been involved."

"Are you sure you will not reconsider letting us go with you?" asked Coran. "We would have no objections to helping."

"I think you would," mumbled Valygar. "You have already stayed your blade once against them; I cannot ask you to help me kill those who have saved the one you love before."

Coran stared. "Montaron and Xzar." It wasn't a question.

Valygar nodded. "I'm not asking you to understand why I must do it, but for the sake of our friendship I'm asking you to allow me to leave your company to do what I must. I will not allow you to have conflict in your loyalty by coming with me, but do not think that I hold you in any less regard for it. We all see people differently -- though I cannot see any good in the two you mention, and I will have no qualms about ending their lives if I can. For you to know they have saved someone dear to you -- that is enough for me, and I respect your opinion. Please, respect mine."

Several long minutes passed without anyone speaking. Nalia had drifted from the conversation, almost into the background, allowing the men to sort it out. Valygar's eyes had gone back to his drink, the light from the crackling fire occasionally causing them to glint. Coran's own gaze was fixed somewhere in the distance, but eventually he spoke.

"I respect it and I understand," he said. "If you achieve whatever it is you set out to do, and wish to find us again, I urge you not to hesitate. I would always be happy to adventure in your company."

Valygar smiled and raised his glass to both of his companions. They did likewise and the glass chinked as they knocked together. "For friendship," the ranger stated sincerely.

"For friendship," Coran and Nalia chorused, joining him in draining their mugs.

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Much to Edwin's annoyance, Nalia's divination spell had much more success than any of them had imagined. A faint outline of a house appeared which Valygar recognised as being in the Bridge District of the town. It was there that the group were heading when they were interrupted by a member of the guard.

"Greetings, citizens, I am Lieutenant Aegisfield," he said amiably, though his tone also had an edge of warning to it. "I trust you'll be keeping your weapons at your sides. I should hate to have to run you by the garrison if anything should happen."

Coran instantly wondered if their motives for visiting the area were known. "No need for that, sir," he replied cautiously. "We're not here looking for trouble."

The lieutenant smiled slightly. "I am sure, but I extend the warning even so. It is not so much your conduct that I am worried about, but that with all your gear you will look a rich target."

Coran looked around at his companions -- the man had a point. Nalia had raided her Keep's weaponry before they left, and he himself had her family heirloom hanging from his belt. The Flail of Ages was a stunning weapon, and it seemed to shine with an eerie glow even in the subdued light. A battleaxe was strapped to his pack and his trusty two-handed sword was on his back. The beautiful green bow he carried would also, likely, draw attention, and Valygar's Shadow Armour -- made from the scales of the dragon they'd defeated, and crafted during their last visit to the city -- and Nalia's flowing robes from the Adventurer's Mart were also fairly noticeable. He grinned crookedly.

"I'm warning everyone, so as to get the word out that there are guards on the streets," continued the man with a trace of amusement. "We've had a... a string of killings, and I don't want any more happening."

"Bandits or thieves, perhaps?" asked Nalia.

"I don't think so, my Lady," replied Aegisfield. "They'd be easy enough to figure out, but what's happening here... well, it's like nothing I've ever seen before. There's a disgustingly sick person out there and I simply don't have the manpower to protect everyone. He's been killing paupers, sometimes in the alley where they sleep."

"Then we have nothing to worry about, I'm sure," muttered Edwin with barely concealed impatience.

"He kills when the opportunity comes up," stated the guard sharply, eyeing the Red Wizard with suspicion. "Recent victims were poor, but one was middle-class. Do not dismiss this -- you do not want to end up a victim."

"Why would someone prey on the poor?" asked Nalia with disbelief. "What could they have to take?"

"Nothing. They have nothing to take. He kills them and that is all; not only is it pointless, but he does it in as painful a way as possible. It's... it's sick."

"What do you mean?" asked Valygar.

Aegisfield sighed. "He flays them... alive." Nalia shuddered visibly, and even Valygar and Coran winced. Edwin suddenly looked interested. "There has been blood all over the area. Little Faraji, a local urchin, found the latest victim. I hate to think of a child seeing that."

"It sounds like the work of a very sadistic person," said Nalia quietly. "Perhaps we could find clues where others could not, Coran?" Her eyes met his and showed a pleading that he'd expected. He nodded to her.

"We can certainly see what we can find out," he stated.

"I must go about my rounds," remarked Aegisfield. "If you find any information about the murders, be sure to let me know. Don't go looking for trouble though. I have enough problems with walkers and beggars; Old Rampah was damn near killed, and a street woman in the area, Rose, was plain lucky. Don't be like them."

"We won't," Coran assured him, waving as the lieutenant wandered away. "This reminds me of an old Tethyrian proverb I once heard."

"What's that?" asked Nalia as they began walking on.

"'It never rains, but it pours'", smiled Coran. "Just as I thought we would be struggling to find intrigue enough to keep us busy, it seems to be assaulting us from every direction."

They wandered around the corner of a building and were met with a fairly gory scene which interrupted their conversation. Several raggedly clothed men and women were standing around, looking at the bodies littering the ground. Their skin was torn away, and pieces of flesh were strewn around between their corpses. Nalia immediately threw her hand up over her mouth while the men stared impassively.

"Excuse me, are you Mister Coran?" A young scruffy boy was pulling at the elf's sleeve, distracting him from his morbid view. Coran nodded distractedly as he turned to regard the messenger -- a boy with a shock of bright orange hair and a face covered with freckles and grime. The lad smiled cheekily. "Master Quayle at the circus wonders if you'd have the time to visit him, sir. He's needin' a bit o' aid with somethin', and he remembered how good you'd been to his Aerie. He says there ain't no rush, he'll be in town for a bit yet, but he'd appreciate your help."

"Tell him we'll see him as soon as we can," replied Coran, pushing a few gold pieces into the boy's palm, causing him to squeal in delight as he ran off.

"Your old proverb seems to be taking on a life of its own," remarked Nalia dryly, having turned away from the corpses.

"It does, doesn't it?" sighed Coran. "Well, we need to decide what we're going to do and when. And what better way to decide than to visit the nearest inn and have a vote over a mug of ale?"

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Almost an hour later the group were scouring the area, trying to find the small beggar boy known as Faraji. He proved to be an elusive subject, and Edwin appeared to be finding it hard to keep his temper reigned in whenever Nalia made a quip about the usefulness of divination.

The Red Wizard managed to get the last laugh though -- as he stood back, watching them interrogate some of the locals, he felt something tug slightly at his belt. Instinctively he spun round, only just remembering that casting a fireball would be a bad idea in the City of Coin. Instead he reached out and grabbed the boy's hand, ignoring his pitiful screams.

"What do you think you were doing? (And don't try to lie to me; I know exactly what you were up to.)"

"If you already know, why are ye botherin' to ask?" sulked the boy.

"It was a rhetorical... oh never mind. (Why do I bother with these... these... simians?!)"

"What's going on?" asked Coran as he approached, curious as to the noise and commotion.

"This worthless vagrant was attempting to steal from me," sniffed Edwin haughtily. "I think we should remove his hand as payment for the crime."

The boy burst into tears. "Don't hurt Faraji!" he wailed. "I was just ever so hungry and-"

"Wait!" exclaimed Coran. "You are Faraji? Let him go!"

Edwin frowned but released his iron grip on the boy's wrist. As Nalia caught his eye he just smiled at her smugly. The beggar rubbed his injured arm as he scowled up at the Red Wizard but nodded at Coran's question.

"We have been looking for you," continued the elf.

A panicked expression came across Faraji's face. "It weren't me! I ain't done it!" He turned and tried to dart away, but only succeeded in running into Valygar. The ranger caught him by the scruff of the neck with the minimum of effort.

"Stop being so flighty," remarked Coran reproachfully. "We only wanted to ask you a few questions about the local occurrences."

The boy stopped his struggling and slowly turned back round to face them. "You mean all those deaths? I... I found the body of... of old Bilver. He never hurt no one! He was all bloody an'... an'... Maybe other beggars know more. All I did was see him."

Nalia crouched down and took the boy's hand -- he'd begun to tremble and looked at them nervously, the memories of his discovery fresh in his mind once more.

"Who do you think would want to hurt old Bilver?" she asked softly.

"That old witch!" Faraji exclaimed triumphantly after a few moments thought. "She's the mean ol' Missus Cragmoon. Mean evil witch! She smacks you for stealin' cookies, that's how I know she's mean!" He paused for a moment and his panicked expression returned. "You won't tell her I told, will you? I... I don't wanna be incarc'rated, or whatever she gonna do!"

"Don't worry," Nalia assured him. "We won't let you come to any more harm. When did you last eat?"

"I dunno, miss," he sniffed, wiping his nose with his sleeve. Edwin looked disgusted. "Yesterday, maybe."

Nalia stood back up, taking the boy's hand firmly. "I'm going to make sure he gets something to eat then see if the local Temple will be able to provide him with some shelter. Do you have any family, Faraji?"

He shook his head forlornly and Nalia sighed sadly.

"If only we could do more," she said quietly. Coran squeezed her shoulder as she passed and she gave him a thankful smile, wandering into the crowd with the boy in tow as she went about her mission. The elf looked at his remaining companions.

"Time to find this 'Mrs Cragmoon', I guess."

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"What can I get for you, deary? Something to ease your aches? A potion or two for the dangers of the road?"

Edwin allowed the woman to guide him over to a well secreted stall, hidden behind a flap of canvas that covered a discrete alcove situated in a gap between two houses. Coran could hear him almost purring over the more magical specimens before he idly swatted her away, demanding peace and quiet to deliberate on his choices.

She turned to Coran and Valygar and smiled. Her eyes were small and black; constantly darting around as she watched the passers-by. A purple shawl was draped over her narrow shoulders, contrasting quite vividly with the bright orange shirt she wore underneath, and the green skirt that finished off her colourful clothing. Her grey hair was neatly tied back into a bun on her head, secured rigidly in place by several golden-tipped pins. She frowned slightly as she observed their careful examination of her appearance.

"You look a little... preoccupied," she said carefully. "Like you have a question or two."

"Ah, I do," smiled Coran pleasantly, hoping to put her more at ease. He failed miserably, and her beady eyes narrowed even more as she peered at him. "I am checking on the murders around here. I talked to Faraji."

A hint of a smile crossed her lips and her gaze softened. "He's a delightful boy," she said warmly. "Light fingers though -- poor thing doesn't have parents to help him. I let him get away with stealing far more often than he thinks, though I likely shouldn't encourage such behaviour."

Valygar smiled slightly as he studied the crowds in the distance, and Coran couldn't fight the amused expression his own face took on.

"He is certainly a very... lively child," agreed Coran, clearing his throat. "He said... well. He said you were an 'evil witch'." There was a sound of Valygar stifling a snigger.

The woman rolled her eyes slightly. "I see. This child, that finds me old and a little off my noodle, has called me a witch and you have taken that as basis for murder accusations?"

"Er..." Coran shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. It reminded him of his mother when he'd been caught with one of the girls in the village. "Not exactly..."

"No?"

"Well... all right, we just wanted to see what you knew about it all, if anything."

"And to make sure I wasn't really an 'evil witch'," noted Mrs Cragmoon. Her tone was still disapproving, but there was a twinkle in her eyes that Coran didn't miss. "So... am I?"

"Certainly not," replied the elf smoothly, causing Valygar to take his turn at eye-rolling. "And any assistance you could offer would be most appreciated, and an aid to your own safety in general too!"

The woman snorted. "I can look after myself! Let me tell you why the boy thinks I am a witch, hmm? It's because I am a witch. What do you think your friend is looking at? Bottles of soup?"

"Uh-"

"It's a crime in this city, you know," she continued, ignoring Coran's half-hearted attempts to interrupt her. Valygar had wandered away slightly. "A magic user is an outcast, a criminal! It's not right!"

"I know-"

"All I do is make potions to help those who need it. It's illegal, but the people who need what I sell would disagree -- there are potions of healing that have saved their loved ones! Potions of speed that have helped them make several meetings across the city! Potions of genius that have helped young apprentices pass their-" The woman scowled and stopped mid sentence. "Well, you get the idea."

"Indeed we do," agreed Coran. "We've caused you enough trouble, and I apologise. We'll be on our way."

Mrs Cragmoon nodded to them. "Safe travels. Oh, and keep this between us, will you? You know what it is like to have something to hide. Yes, I think you do."

She strode off to wrestle Edwin away from her merchandise while Coran wondered at her parting words. When the Red Wizard had been returned to their company, complaining and glaring at the old woman, the elf led them off towards the local Temple of Helm to meet Nalia so they could move on with their investigation, and find the others that Lieutenant Aegisfield had mentioned.