Where the Heart Is, Part 14

You continue to listen in on the two heroines' conversation for a while, but you don't overhear anything else that could help you in your seductive endeavors. After enough time has gone by, you decide to make your own appearance. You back away from the door to the tiny apartment, retreating to what you judge to be a safe distance. Then—after some brief reflection—you retreat even more, just to be safe, to an alley well outside the building. You've no inclination to take chances, not with Alicia in the picture.

Moments later, you're wearing your Kavia form once again. This time you approach and enter without concealing yourself, walking into the cramped tenement and knocking on the door to Alicia's room. She calls you in, and soon you're standing among your foes once again.

"It's good to see you, Kavia," Alicia says. "I was concerned when you didn't return last night. How is your task going?"

"I think my efforts should bear fruit soon," you respond. "I've put the message out through channels that should reach her ears before long. In fact, it likely already has."

"I see." The paladin nods. "Did you encounter the incubus again during any of your efforts?"

"He didn't try to approach me, at least not in an obvious way," you say. "Except... he can shapeshift, right? Then who knows what he might have looked like at any given time?"

"Yes, that ability is a dangerous one," says Alicia. Then she takes the segue your comment has offered her, using it to bring up her true trap in a way that emphasizes its importance. "In fact... that very danger is why I have decided to enforce an extra precaution. To catch the demon if he tries to infiltrate this place wearing any of your forms."

Here she takes out the familiar case, opening it up to show its deadly contents. "I must ask that all my visitors prove that they are who they seem to be. By trial of holy water."

She's watching you intently as she makes her demand, those piercing blue eyes alert for even the slightest hint of panic. Elianna is watching close as well, though her expression is more worried. Mostly it's worry that the lost soul she's trying to help will take this distrust in the wrong way. But—just perhaps—mixed in with that might also be a hint of worry that Alicia might be right. That the thief who she's started to have the stirrings of impure feelings for might truly be the incubus after all.

You blink in feigned surprise, unable to resist the temptation to let the dramatic tension hang in the air for just a moment longer. Then you nod, showing no sign of distress. "Of course," you say, stepping forward and pulling up your sleeve to offer your arm. "That makes perfect sense. Please, go ahead."

There's a brief moment of gut-churning tension as Alicia reaches down toward the case... but she does start with the first vial. Thank the Abyss for orderly paladins. She uncorks it, then walks toward you. It's subtle, but you can read the tension in her stance. She's ready for you to try something, to make a last-second play. Instead, you simply stand there as she comes up to you and pours the water out along your forearm.

To absolutely no effect.

Elianna's shoulders relax, and she smiles in obvious relief. Alicia looks up from the water to meet your eyes, and you meet her gaze without flinching. Despite her impressive control over her emotions, you can tell that she's surprised. She really did suspect that you were the incubus. Except now she's been confronted with powerful evidence to the contrary.

She recovers quickly, however. "Thank you," she says. "I had to be sure."

Then she turns to Elianna and repeats the process. Of course, you know that Alicia already knows that the cleric is who she appears to be from her earlier, far more blatant questioning. But she still uses a vial of holy water anyway, so that the cleric doesn't stand out. It fits with what you overheard earlier, about how she wants to conceal this mysterious "vow" of hers as much as possible.

Then Alicia turns back to you. "Let us proceed under the assumption that Mockingbird will hear your message, and that she will join us when she is able," she says. "Either way, we must plan for our next moves. The incubus appears to be targeting her, so we will require countermeasures to catch the fiend before he can harm her."

You speak up. "Earlier, we talked about having me try and contact him again. The idea was to feed him information that could lead him into a trap."

"That is a possibility," says Alicia thoughtfully. "Though it would mean putting you at significant risk. If we do pursue that option, I would prefer to have Mockingbird trail you as backup. Her stealth skills are exemplary, and she could intervene if anything goes wrong."

"Maybe," you respond. "But this is a demon you're talking about. What if he detects her anyway? With some... demon power? Are you sure a bodyguard won't just give me away instead? It might be safer if I go alone."

"If Mockingbird accompanies you, there is a risk that the fiend will realize your intentions and avoid them," acknowledges Alicia. "But if she does not accompany you, the risk will instead be that the fiend corrupts you and turns you against us, gaining an agent and learning all our plans to date. Given the choice, I would prefer the former risk to the latter."

She isn't wrong. Especially since with the proposal she's offering, she'd at least be betting on a heroine's abilities rather than a more normal human like Kavia is supposed to be. Even so, having Mockingbird following you would certainly limit what you can do while she's your shadow. Though it might provide you with some excellent opportunities to work on the rogue herself.

On the other hand, you could insist that you need to operate alone for this to work, despite all the good points to the contrary. That would allow you more freedom in your actions... but it could also be somewhat suspicious. Of course, you have just reduced that suspicion level quite a bit today. Is this how you want to spend some of that? Or will you go along with Alicia's plan, using it to your own advantge? Or even suggest something completely different?

"We may not even need to approach him so directly to draw him in..." you muse. "We know he wants Mockingbird. What if... what if I spread the word around that she was planning a big heist? The kind of crazy score that she's known for going after? If he thinks he knows a place where she'll be, do you think he might investigate it himself? You could try to catch him in the act that way!"

The heroines consider your suggestion. "That... could be less risky while you're setting it up," agrees Elianna. "No one would have to face him directly, not until we make the capture in force."

"But it would also involve far more uncertainty," says Alicia, frowning. "We don't know how he would investigate. If he even takes the bait at all."

The three of you continue to discuss your options without coming to any firm conclusions. Until at length, your inhuman hearing detects barely-audible movement approaching the door to the apartment. At the same time, to your surprise, Alicia also glances over to the door. Unless you're very much mistaken, she heard the movement at the same time you did. Which suggests that, even after the boost given by your brand, her senses are an even match for yours.

A moment later the door opens, and a small figure in a dark mask and hood slips inside. Mockingbird stares at the three of you warily, fidgeting slightly in place. It's clear that she doesn't like being out in the open like this, especially in front of strangers, preferring to lurk in the shadows. The halfling looks at you with particular distrust, like she's decided you're a threat already.

On the other hand, she is completely unable to meet Elianna's eyes at all, only managing to give the briefest of guilty glances in her direction before looking back to you again.

"The... word on the street is that you wanted to talk to me," she says, allowing you to hear her for the first time. "What's so important? I'm a busy woman."

You refrain from revealing that the only thing she's "busy" with is keeping a frantic guard over the same person who is in this room anyway. You also notice how she puts insecure emphasis on the word "woman". But from the pitch of her voice, you can tell that, behind her mask, out of all the heroines you've encountered she's easily the youngest. Early twenties at the very most, and more likely in her late teens.

"Thanks to Kavia, we've received a warning that the incubus is in the city as we speak," says Alicia gravely. Mockingbird's eyes go wide, as the paladin continues. "What's more, we believe that he is targeting you. This is not a time for any of us to be operating independently. We need to work together and find a way to trap our enemy."

"He's targeting... me?" says Mockingbird, a note of uncertainty entering her voice that she cannot entirely hide. But then she forces a laugh. "Ha! Let him try. There's no way he'll be able to even find me. And even if he does, I'll... I'll take him down the instant he shows his face!"

"Mockingbird, we cannot afford to underestimate the threat he poses," Alicia warns, her voice patient and earnest. "Please. For all our sakes. Work with us to find a solution. No matter how strong you are on your own... we will be even stronger together."

The rogue hesitates, conflicted. Then she points at you. "We won't be stronger if we can't trust everyone," she says. "What's she doing here? How do we know she isn't the incubus in disguise?"

It's obvious that she distrusts you based on what she saw of your encounter with Elianna. Both how the cleric reacted to you, and how you gave her the slip afterward. But she can't exactly say that straight-out, not without admitting that she's been stalking the cleric, putting her own secret at risk.

Of course, thanks to you Elianna already knows her secret. But no matter how much it pains Elianna, she isn't forcing the issue. Not until Mockingbird is ready to talk. Elianna probably doesn't want to scare the halfling girl into running away again.

Alicia, meanwhile, responds to Mockingbird's accusation. "I tested Kavia with holy water before you arrived," she says. "There was no reaction. If she had been the incubus, it would have burned her."

The rogue looks from Alicia back to you, still unwilling to let go of the suspicion you can see lurking in her eyes. She doesn't seem as educated as Alicia or Elianna... but in a way, that makes her a unique sort of threat. Alica and Elianna are both entirely aware of just how impossible it would be to pour holy water over a demon without any visible reaction. Meaning that, with the proper setup, they can be misled by what they think they know.

But Mockingbird? Her suspicion is a far more instinctual, emotional thing. No doubt prompted in large part by simple, painful jealousy for how close you can be with Elianna, while she holds herself at a distance. It's not a method of deduction that you would consider reliable, in most cases. But in this case—through whatever combination of luck or intuition—she happens to be right. And it may be difficult to convince her otherwise, when her motives for suspecting you aren't entirely reasonable to begin with.

Alicia, meanwhile, continues to speak. "Also, there is one other danger that I need to warn you about," she says. "Last night... this incubus appeared to me in my sleep and spoke to me. He has the power to enter our dreams."

Elianna sucks in a quick breath. "That... is a dangerous power indeed," she says. "Who is this demon? Even one such power would mark him as a fiend of uncommon strength. But how many has he displayed now? Dreamwalking... shapeshifting... not to mention the granting of sexual powers to the Great Forest itself..."

"He is a threat entirely unlike anything we have faced before," agrees Alicia. "Which makes it all the more imperative that we find a way to stop him. Elianna, is there any way you could shield us from this sort of invasion while we're asleep?"

The cleric thinks for a while, then nods. "I can ward your souls with Selal's blessing," she says. "Each casting will only last for a day at a time... but it should protect your dreams from malign influence."

That does sound worrisome... although not overly so. If your brand hadn't previously boosted your intelligence and your knowledge of things magical, you expect that a heroine-level protective ward would indeed have been enough to lock you out of the dreams of anyone she applied it to. With your ridiculously improved skill, however, you expect that you'll still be able to bypass this level of defense.

Still, they'll be on alert for anything you send their way now. Whereas before you might have been able to pass your interference off as ordinary erotic dreams, with this revelation any such dreams will likely be seen for what they truly are. And if the heroines do realize that Elianna's current wards aren't working, they may try to research even more costly and powerful rites to keep themselves safe.

For now, Elianna approaches Mockingbird and lays a hand on her shoulder, closing her eyes and reciting an invocation. "Oh righteous Selal, grant that the sleep of your faithful remain untroubled by the scourge of the wicked, and let your servant be granted reprieve from the snares of their enemies. May your protection be the shield that stands between us and evil, and may we share that light to all who have need of it."

A golden glow suffuses the halfling, before fading again. Mockingbird mumbles an earnest thank you, her eyes locked on the floor. Elianna, for her part, looks like she's barely resisting the urge to just pull Mockingbird into a hug and hold her as tight as she can.

But instead, all the maternal elf can do is turn to you and repeat the same invocation. The divine power prickles as it washes over you, causing your skin to crawl. There isn't any actual pain, however. Unlike holy water, a blessing like this isn't inherently dangerous to anyone.

Next the cleric turns to Alicia. But he paladin holds up her hand. "No. Don't give it to me. At least not yet. I know it's a risk, but if he tries to contact me again, like he did last night... I want to hear what he has to say."

Elianna gives her friend a worried look. "Are you sure?"

Alicia nods. "I am. Please... trust me on this."

The cleric still doesn't look happy, but she nods and applies the ward to herself. With their first try at a dream-defense in place, Alica then proceeds to test Mockingbird with the holy water as well. She, of course, shows no signs of burning either. And with that, the very next vial in the row is the only other vial that contains ordinary water.

And with that, the four of you circle in, and begin to discuss in earnest how best to hunt you down.

The question is, how will you try to influence this planning? The more you push for approaches you can exploit, the more suspicious it may look. But the more you go along with their plans, the more you will limit your own options. How overt can you afford to be? And what dreamwalking, if any, will you do tonight?