Where the Heart Is, Part 5

The timing will be tight... but you decide that it will be worth it to make sure you're up to date on all the latest happenings in Nelin's underworld. After all, if you're supposed to be an agent hired by the incubus to hunt for Mockingbird then it could help you considerably in maintaining that cover.

Fortunately, you already know the location of some contacts you can leverage from talking to Rysanial. In fact, given how pressed for time you are—and how you don't want to risk this research getting connected to your Kavia identity—you shapeshift into the form of Rysanial herself. These criminals are, after all, already devoted to her, making this the fastest and safest way to get information out of them.

You dart through the streets, pulling the hood of your cloak over your head as you weave your way toward the seedier outskirts of the gleaming city. There's a fair bit of distance to cover, but the run doesn't even put a dent in your improved stamina, which means you're able to take it at an impressive pace.

The streets are far more cramped and dirty here, replete with sounds and smells far less appetizing than those found in the more pristine areas of the city. Few people meet your gaze here, all of them wary as they go about their business. Still, no one accosts you, and your trip is uneventful. Before long you arrive at a dingy little shop that, according to what Rysanial shared with you, houses her foremost source of information. The fence named Cavros.

His shop is squeezed between two other buildings, just one in a long, crooked row of them. The sign proclaiming "Cavros' Pawnshop" hangs askew, several of the letters faded to nigh-illegibility. You open the door, and find the inside to be no less cramped. A man you assume to be Cavros sits behind the counter. He's short, middle-aged and balding, though you do detect that his hefty frame is actually more muscle than it seems at first glance. He carries himself with the world-weary air of a man who has seen it all.

That world-weary air, however, evaporates the instant he sees you enter. "You're back!" he says, his eyes lighting up. "It's good to see you, girl. I... was afraid you were going to be away for months again, like last time."

You recall everything Rysanial said about her persona for this seduction, and follow suit in your own impersonation of her. "I'm sorry..." you say apologetically, twisting your fingers together while not meeting his eyes. "The truth is, I... won't be able to stay for long. I have to leave again really soon, so I won't have time to... do anything. But... I wanted to at least stop by, to see how you were."

The weathered lines of the human's face don't look like they've seen an overabundance of smiles over the years... but he still gives a warm one to you. "I'm doing fine for myself, girl. Same as always. Even if the whole damn world's going crazy around us."

You give him a wide-eyed look of puzzlement, cocking your head to one side. "What do you mean? Is it something to do with the war? I heard people saying that there was something big going on, but... I thought it was just rumors. What have you heard?"

Cavros snorts. "What haven't I heard?" he says ruefully. "All kinds of stories going around, stories about Kovora summoning the forces of hell to turn our own heroines against us. Sure, a lot of it is probably exaggeration and bullshit. But mark my words... there's something behind all of this. Something big. And it's got a lot of important people scared."

He looks up at you, and you see a hint of worry creep into his eyes. "You're the one who ought to be careful. The way things are going... it's not a good time to be a tiefling. Not that it ever was. But people are going to be even more scared the more this goes on. And when people get this scared..." His voice trails off, but his meaning is clear.

"I understand," you say. "Don't worry, I can take care of myself. But... what about you? Has the unrest affected your work?"

"Oh, the wheels of vice never stop turning, girl," Cavros says with a wry chuckle. "Not even for something as big as this. Why, just yesterday I had a deal with Hersk—you remember I told you about him?—that'll net me enough silver to set me for the rest of the month, just on that alone!"

From there, it takes very little effort to just keep the man talking. All it requires from you is to occasionally guide the conversation down the exact paths you desire. Really, it's Rysanial who did the lion's share of the work this time. She ingratiated herself into the man's trust, making herself his trusted confidant who he utterly adores. You don't need to do much more than reap the benefits of her labor.

As the hours go by, you coax out story after story from him about life in Nelin's criminal underworld. You take particular note of any minute details you could use to give your cover an extra ring of truth, should someone familiar with that life decide to question you about it. Your mind is already racing, considering possible refinements to Kavia's backstory. You need enough information to spin a tale that justifies her getting the job, while also being low-profile enough that Mockingbird could plausibly not have heard of her before now. In that respect, Cavros is a gold mine.

You also make sure to subtly fish for anything new he's heard about Mockingbird, just in case. And to your surprise, there are some recent developments, even though Rysanial had just visited herself.

"I really worry about that kid..." Cavros muses, when you contrive to steer the conversation in Mockingbird's direction. "Don't get me wrong. She's the most amazing thief I've ever seen. The scores she's pulled off... I can't think of anyone else who's come even close, not in all my years at this job. But..."

He sighs, before continuing. "But even if her skills are one of a kind... I've seen that look she has in her eyes too many times before. The kind of look that says she doesn't really care all that much whether she lives or dies. I'm afraid that sooner or later, she's going to take one job too many. Make one enemy too many. Even for her. And when that happens... I'm afraid she's going to go out in some damn-fool blaze of glory."

With your insight into Mockingbird's origins, you suspect you know the guilt, regret and loss that is behind the young rogue's reckless lack of concern for her own well-being. But it's what Cavros says next that really makes you take note. "Fame isn't good for people like us, no matter The more attention a thief attracts, the more chances there are for it to all go wrong for them. And... she's been attracting even more attention than usual lately."

You frown. Something in the way he said that suggests that he has something particular in mind. "What do you mean? What kind of attention has she attracted?"

"Mmmm." Cavros hesitates. Then he leans in closer, lowering his voice. "All I know is, not too long after you left, a man came around making inquiries about her. Digging for information. I'm familiar with a lot of the thieves and killers and bounty hunters that operate around these parts, but... this guy was someone new. I'd never seen him before. Never even heard of him before."

"Surely that's not too unusual," you respond, puzzled. "This can't be the first time an aspiring nobody from out of town came here looking to make a name for themselves by going after the famous Mockingbird? Is that really something to get worried about?"

"Normally you'd be right," says Cavros, his expression dark. "But this guy... he was no novice hotshot. I'd bet every last silver I own on it. You'd probably need a king's ransom to hire someone of his caliber. He showed up here—in this shop, right where you're standing right now—asking about the kid. And... when I told him I didn't know anything about her..."

The fence's face twists, betraying equal parts unease and shame. "It was like he could see right through me. But... the scariest part was how calm he was. He didn't even need to raise his voice. He just told me that he didn't have time for 'infantile games'. And then..."

"Then... he told me exactly what he was going to do to me, if I didn't tell him everything I knew. And it only took one look in his eyes for me to know that I was a dead man if he thought I'd concealed even the slightest detail. That he could kill me. And that there was nothing I could do to stop him. And that it would mean less to him than crushing an ant would mean to me."

Cavros lets out a shuddering breath. "So... I told him everything. Just like that. And he left, and I never saw him again. The only thing I dared to do to make up for it was to slip a warning to Mockingbird that he was after her. But I don't know what happened next. Maybe she tracked him down, and they had it out. Or... maybe she didn't believe how dangerous he was. Maybe he's still out there, waiting for his moment."

An uneasy feeling starts to build in your stomach. This kind of complication, on top of everything else, is not what you need right now. "What did he look like?"

"He was human," says Cavros. "Tall and thin, almost to the point of being gaunt. Black hair. Probably in his late forties from the amount of gray that was starting to creep in. There wasn't much else that stood out about him, though. His clothes were plain, and even I didn't think much of him at first glance. Not until he decided he wanted to threaten me."

Then he leans across the counter for emphasis. "Listen, girl, if you ever even think you see the bastard, make sure you stay away. He is not the sort of person you want to get mixed up with, understand?"

"I understand," you say, nodding with all the earnest appearance of taking his advice to heart. Though you doubt that it will be that easy.

You continue your conversation, making sure to squeeze out as much information as you can, bolstering your cover to the utmost possible extent. But night is falling, and eventually you do need to leave if you want to make your meeting with Elianna.

You bid Cavros goodbye, thanking him for spending the time with you. He's clearly sad to see you go, and makes one last offer before you leave. "Remember, girl, if things start to get bad for you out there, you can always hole up with me. I've got some favors I can call in, and I should be able to keep you safe."

You reply with a beaming, grateful smile. "Thank you so much," you say. "You're so kind. But... I'm afraid there are some things I really need to take care of."

With that you depart, racing through the now-darkened streets in order to reach the meeting in time. You shapeshift once again as you go, returning to Kavia's form in mid-run. You have to push yourself even harder on the trip back, but your newfound endurance proves more than up to the task. And fortunately, the distance from the pawnshop to the meeting place isn't as far as the distance from the Cathedral to the pawnshop was.

Soon enough, you find yourself standing in front of the dilapidated wooden structure. This is definitely not a place that members of high society would expect a venerable cleric to be entertaining visitors. Which once again prompts the question of why she had a place like this so handy. Still, there's no time to waste standing around pondering it, not when your prey awaits above.

You enter the cramped building, the floorboards creaking unsteadily beneath your feet as you ascend the stairs to the second floor, then walk out into the hallway until you reach the flimsy door that Elianna's instructions directed you to. You raise your hand and give it a few quick knocks.

The response from inside is immediate. "Come in," you hear Elianna say, and you waste no time in obeying. The tiny room on the other side is just as cramped and claustrophobic as the rest of the building, and you can see the buxom elf sitting at the small table with a candle burning on it, one of the very few furnishings this place has.

You also see that Elianna is not alone.

While the holy mother sits at the table in the center of the room, another cloaked figure stands with its back to you, gazing out through the slim cracks in the shutters of the window as moonlight filters through them. You freeze, your gaze focusing on the figure, then shifting back to Elianna to give her a questioning look.

"Don't worry!" Elianna assures you hurriedly. "She's a friend. This place is actually where she's been staying. It's something we arranged for her recently. And it's vital that she hears what you have to say."

It's then that the other figure in the room speaks up... in a voice that you recognize instantly. "Indeed," she says, pulling back the hood of her cloak, revealing her shoulder-length blonde hair. She turns to face you, her clear blue eyes meeting yours, her gaze somehow even more piercing than it was when you saw it through the remembrance of a dream. She isn't wearing her armor at the moment, but you can see the hint of a sword concealed within her cloak. Her strong, perfectly proportioned body radiates angelic beauty and power, a testament to the celestial ancestry that forms the royal family's heritage.

"I'm glad to meet you, Kavia," says Alicia Silverstone. She speaks in a warm tone, intended to put you at ease. "Elianna wasn't able to tell me much about you, due to the seal of the confessional. But I trust her judgment, that what you have to say is of the utmost importance."

Your throat goes dry as you meet the paladin's gaze, countless calculations flying through your mind in an instant. Would Kavia recognize the former princess by face alone? Perhaps from some public function? Would she show shock? Awe? Fear? You have only a fraction of a second to decide... but you elect not to show any sign that you know who she is. No, safer to keep your composure, and pretend to simply not realize who you're dealing with.

Still, a paranoid rogue would absolutely be wary at any new arrival, no matter who they were. And it requires no great effort of acting to let that worry play across your face. Seeing this, Elianna rises to her feet and walks over to place a hand on your shoulder.

"You can trust her, Kavia," she urges you. "She is our best chance to stop this demon. And if you help us fix this, then she can even petition the empress for an imperial pardon. Not just for the mistakes you told me about, either. With her connections, she can arrange to wipe your entire record clean of anything you might have done."

She conceals it well... but you can hear the anxiety in Elianna's voice. You shook her composure badly by revealing Mockingbird's true identity. And now, on top of that, she's now had several hours to sit with the knowledge that the child she'd thought lost for so long is somewhere out there. Alone, ashamed and vulnerable. And targeted by a sex demon who plans to use her guilt to sink his claws into her.

Your opening move has already made Elianna desperate. And desperate people make mistakes.

Now Alicia speaks up. "What the holy mother says is true," she says. "However... I must ask that you not tell anyone else of my presence here. I have recently gone to significant effort to make it appear as though I have left the city. And it is crucial that that appearance be maintained."

In other words, she must have noticed that Janessa had taken to spying on her from that window. When she loaded her horse with all those extra provisions for a long trip, she did so knowing that your mole in her camp would report it back to you. All in an attempt to guide your choice, to create the impression that Nelin was the one safe place you could strike. But now that subterfuge has been compromised by the frantic mistake you provoked from her friend. Whatever Alicia's original plan was, she no longer has the element of surprise.

Now all you need to do is survive a meeting that you weren't prepared for either.

"I understand," you say, nodding. "Please... don't think ill of the holy mother for arranging this meeting so suddenly. She did it because I confessed to her that..." You take a deep breath, pretend to steel yourself, and then press on. "...that I had helped a demon in disguise, without realizing it. There's an incubus who wants to know more about Mockingbird, and he's been sending agents to investigate her. But the holy mother told me that I could make up for what I'd done if I helped you lay a trap for him."

You stare at the floor, fidgeting in place, as though ashamed. Even without looking, however, you can feel the intensity of Lady Alicia's gaze on you as she studies you. Finally she speaks. "She is right," the paladin says, her words full of conviction. "I do not believe that it is ever too late for redemption. Not for anyone."

The floorboards creak as she walks closer to you. "However... before we can help each other against that demon, there are questions I must ask you first," she says. You look up, hesitantly meeting her eyes, as she studies you.

Then she begins to list her questions. "Do you truly intend to help us capture this incubus?" she asks, every single word intent and focused. "Do you have any intention of betraying us? Do you have any idea what the demon intends to do next? And..."

Here, for the first time, she hesitates. For just a moment, you can see pain and grief in her eyes, and she asks a question that is as much personal as it is tactical. "Did... he have anyone with him? Any allies supporting him? Any women he'd seduced?"

In that brief moment of vulnerability, you can see that Alicia is wracked with worry for the heroines that you've seduced. She doubtless has her own idea of what would be required to subvert her friends' loyalty... and she probably imagines it as a drastic warping of their fundamental personality. She's clearly heartsick at the thought of her friends being subjected to what she imagines you did to them. And she's still hoping to rescue any of them that she can.

For now, though, you need to concentrate on answering her questions. You cannot afford a misstep here. You're in close quarters with the paladin and the cleric, the two heroines whose powers are most dangerous to the unholy and the demonic. Not to mention that Melca is almost certainly looking over your shoulder as well, the evil deity scrutinizing your every move for signs of betrayal. Which means that—even should things go badly—openly admitting your true goals won't be a viable option either.

You'll need to pick each word very, very carefully, and you'll need to take into account everything that you've learned or observed about your opponent, even down to the tiniest detail or suspicion. Power won't avail you, not in a situation like this. Everything will hinge on how you respond, what outcomes you wish to prioritize... and how much suspicion the combination of your answers will raise.

Finally, even if you do manage to make it through Alicia's questioning intact, you'll also need to decide what goal to focus on in the remainder of the conversation. You could concentrate on worming your way closer to Elianna, continuing what you began in the confessional and positioning yourself to better slip under her guard. Alternatively, you could take advantage of this time with the most dangerous of the heroines, concentrating on Alicia and building a rapport with her, while learning more about what makes her tick.

If you wanted to play it safe, you could just focus on supporting your cover, and playing down any suspicion you might or might not have accrued from your answers during the questioning, but that will mean you make little actual progress with either. Also, there is the matter you just learned about, the menacing man who was researching Mockingbird as well. You could warn them about him, making them aware of a potential danger, though that would also mean making no direct temptation progress. And suddenly bringing that up now might raise additional questions about the details of your story that could prove tricky to maneuver without adding at least a little extra suspicion.

How do you approach this conversation?

Current Lust: 160/240 (-30, 2 uses of base shapeshifting)