Blog Post

Blog Post 58: The Adventure Shop: Part 25

5/13/24

A knock on the gate startled Aislin and she flew back quickly running into Ainia. 

“Sorry! That made me jump!” She noted looking at the centaur who held the basket of treats for the guards.

“Sshhh! Both of you! I swear, I should think we should be able to accomplish this with no issues.” Hazel reprimanded. 

“Do we have to do this? What is the likelihood they will even know? And what if an emergency happens and other need them?” Ainia asked, unsure about drugging the guards with a sleeping potion.

“Don’t worry silly! Hazel is the best at what she does. In a true emergency the spell will be broken when the gongs sounds three times! It is perfect really because there is no reason we should set off the town alarm!” Aislin giggled as she became almost translucent when she played with a bush. 

Going in one side and out the other, out one side and in the other. 

Ainia wondered how she could have been paired with these two for something so important. Usually she was the one who made sure everyone was protected, safe from any unknown factors. Not the one starting the whole process.

“Both of you keep your mouths silenced if you can not refrain from speaking about things that are left unsaid.” Hazel noted again as the gate began to open.

A knight of the town peeked his head out the gate and assessed the the three before promptly shutting it in their faces.

Hazel sighed and pounded the door again.

“What?” The knight, guard of the gate shouted, as Hazel promptly hit him in the head. The timing unfortunate since Hazel was not aware he would open the gate so easily, letting his head take the place of the gate in her request for entry.

“Oh my poor lad! I am so sorry! You must forgive an old woman, my eye sight isn’t what it was. And just when we were trying to show our appreciation.” Hazel crouched lower and made herself somehow look more frail than she usually did as an adventure at her age. 

The guard waved his hand and noted, “It is fine. It is my fault. I should have not been so hasty to close the gate on you. Tell me why you are here?”

He rubbed the spot between his brows that had become red where Hazel knocked and she began to explain the story they were given to play out, “We have been residents for quite awhile and we have never felt safer than in this place. In all our travels I have not seen a land more cared for than by you noble guardians.”

The knight, guard of the gate, blushed bright red and seemed to be more than willingly to listen to her next request. 

“As such my granddaughters and I have taken our time to make a gift in thanks to your protection. You and the others who make this city feel safer than any we have been to.”

Hazel took the basket from Ainia and shoved it out for the guard to take. He took it over inspecting the contents. 

“Your granddaughters?” He questioned, raising his brow.

“Yes, adopted and found on my adventures when I was a younger woman. At least younger than I am now.” Hazel chuckled as the guard picked up a cookie to take a bight.

“Not so fast young man!” Hazel spoke up, “You must share these treats with the others. I will not have it said I brought a gift for only one of our finest protectors.”

He nodded and opened the door to let them and called out for the others in the fortress to join him.

As they began to enjoy the sweet confection, Hazel smiled at the others and waved Aislin on. 

The first part of the plan was complete. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Aster waited with the others on a side street where they could view the house, but not cause suspicions. The woman in yellow’s friend had left the house earlier and according to their surveillance that meant that they had approximately four hours to try to solve any riddle or trap and find the music box.

“Hello everyone!” Aislin greeted as she phased through a building. Startling the newer members in their party. 

“Aislin, good to see ya! What news do you have?” Borg asked, getting to the point of what they all wanted to know. 

“Oh! Yes! Ha ha! I almost forgot why I came here!” She giggled as Lothar waved to her and she floated down to his level, “Hazel and Ainia gave the guards the treats! They all loved them! I wanted to try them, but Hazel said no. She knows those are my favorite.” Aislin pouted.

“We know dear, I am sorry we could not have used something else. What are the guards doing now?” Caridad asked as she repositioned her weapon in nervous anticipation.

“Oh! They are sleeping. They didn’t leave me any cookies and they all fell asleep. Serves them right for being so greedy.” She pouted as Lothar walked up and sat on her shoulder.

Jubair looked at Aster, “Are you ready then?”

Aster nodded, “Let’s go do a heist.”

Jubair laughed with the others in his group, “You do not keep having to call it that. You don’t really have to say anything about what we are or are not technically doing in the home of a person we thought might be a friend.”

Aster nodded remembering the story they had planned in case anything did go awry and they were caught. 

“Alright! You know what you all must do.” Aster looked at everyone and smiled at Jubair, “Let’s get to it then!”

Caridad, Borg, Pertinax, Kamali and Valentina positioned themselves slowly around the exterior of the home. Whether it across the street, or just down an alley, they were prepared and ever watchful in case the alarm was raised.

Aster, Jubair, Riskar, Laz, Tadgh, and Lothar made their way to the front door. 

“It has a charm in place. Give me a moment.” Aster said, assessing the first of what he assumed was many barricades to getting what they needed to help Dahlia.

Jubair stood back and motioned for the others as well as Aster struggled with the complexities of the charm. It was like a carefully woven web, if he started to untangle one portion it pulled taunt the other making it impossible to work both sides separately. 

“May I assist?” Jubair asked, stepping up.

“Of course! How could I be so blinded? If you can work that side, I can clear this one.”

“It is a twin link charm. We must dispel each section at the same time, otherwise it will reset and we will have to start the process over again.” Jubair explained.

“I have never worked with charm like this before.” Aster admitted as they slowly began, making small talk as they moved in sync. 

“You must have not had anything to protect then.” Jubair noted, looking at Aster momentarily. 

Aster laughed, “True, most of the time I am the one taking off with treasures and spending them on upgrades to help other adventurers. I do not think I have ever had anything to protect.” 

Aster became silent as Dahlia flashed into his mind. Her smile. Her laugh. The way she lit up preparing new tools for someone she anticipated coming into her shop. 

A form flashed in his mind. Lifeless, still, and covered in ash and soot. 

He should have protected her then. He should find a way to protect her now. To keep her from losing more than she had.

“Aster, focus on the task at hand. You are moving to hastily through the process. I can not keep up with the knots you are making for me.” Jubair warned, pulling Aster from his thoughts.

“Sorry, I was lost in thought.” 

“Keep your mind here. Dwelling on the future or the past will get you caught. And I would not like to risk that.”

“Good point.”

They worked in silence as the others waited in anticipation behind them. 

The sun seemed to settle when the final portion was untangled, allowing them all to enter the home.

“That took longer than I would have liked.” Jubair noted as they found the door locked. With a regular lock that would further prevent access.

“If it isn’t the magical defenses that get you it is always the normal ones.” Jubair rolled his eyes, “Luckily we came prepared.” 

Tadgh stepped forward as he removed a set from his cloak and selected pieces of metal that were worked into specific shapes he had not seen before.

“Tadgh requested these be made specially for him. By your shopkeeper incidentally.”

Tadgh began to play with the lock, everyone stayed silent with bated breath. 

Waiting to see if they too could hear the sound of success, 

Tadgh sighed and pushed opened the door, “It wasn’t even that hard. Why is it always feeling too easy now?”

Jubair patted him on the back, “It is because you are becoming an expert in your craft.”

Tadgh shrugged as a shield went right before him and the sound of metal hitting wood making his nerves stand on end.

“You lot may be good at the technical stuff, but it is always a warrior who expects to be stabbed every other day.”  Caridad noted, as she proceeded to walk a little farther into the home. 

Joining the group as now acting as a protector against and other flying sharp objects.

“What happened to her?” Laz asked Riskar.

Riskar shook his head, “She, well, she is used to being in the middle of a brawl. Either that or some of the adventurers we have been on. It seems like something is always trying to maim, bludgeon, or otherwise alter her physical form. Although that is what I hear, I am still fairly new to this.” 

Caridad made her way into the home without tripping any boobytraps that would send anything menacing to her friends. Turing to the group she smiled and made her way through them as they parted for her. 

“Is she a,” Jubair began to ask.

“Nope, just leave it. I swear it is not worth the answer.” Aster noted. 

Caridad did not like to be reminded of where her elite sense for danger came from, let alone her strength on the battlefield. It was better left unsaid, unless brought up by her alone.

“Point noted, now we search.” Jubair told them each where to look as they tried to find any signs of the music box that would lead them to hopefully some sort of resolution.

They searched everywhere, but could not find the little box that supposedly had been gifted to the woman in yellow’s friend. 

If they could not find it they were further away from all their goals. Further away from protecting Dahlia against the woman who was trying to steal her life.

Laz began to inspect himself in the mirror and frowned, “Well this is infuriating. Who uses silver anymore? Haven’t they learned by now to update these things? No wonder this city is not visited by more Vampires. There is nothing we would want anyway.”

Laz tried to find any other surface that might allow him to see his reflection and allow him to check his appearance, but nothing else had the same clearness of the mirror made from the one thing that caused him so many issues. 

He inspected the mirror more closely and saw that it was in fact not a typical mirror, but a door of sorts. Allowing one to see to the other side if one was observant enough to see it. Luckily he was very observant when it came to his appearance so he would naturally notice little discrepancies like these. 

He lifted it slowly and saw that it had stairs that were blocked by an gate with a key just out of reach on the other side.

“Well look what I found! Think it may be in there?” He asked, happy to be contributing more to this pursuit than he originally thought he might. 

“Well done!” Jubair clapped his friend on the back as they inspected the problem. 

Jubair tried to use his magic to guide the key to him, but something blocked his power. 

Aster came over and tried, but to no avail. 

Aislin and Lothar floated in at that moment and it seemed like the perfect time to have their assistance in letting the others through.

Lothar wiggled his way through the gate while Aislin slipped through easily as she fazed through the bars.

“Stop right there!” They all heard a shout from the outside of the house. 

Valentina ran inside out of breath, “Run.” She breathed out, barely audible from her panting. “Run!” 

They looked at eachother not know a way to exit the house tied up in charms.

Knights entered the house with their comrades in shackles and the woman who owned the home very put out by the idea of it being robbed.

“You scoundrels. You will pay for this.” She threatened as a knight stepped forward. 

The crest she bore was not one of the city, it was of a kingdom Jubair once knew. 

“You are under arrest for the attempted theft of this woman’s home. You will be taken in for questioning and released to the guard of the city. Who conveniently all seem to be taking a nice afternoon nap, thanks to your other two accomplices.” The knight spoke as she inspected them. 

She walked up to Aster and Jubair, “Do you know of a woman who owns a shop for adventurers?” 

Aster remained silent, thinking of his last letter, where Dahlia was forced from the Mother Tree’s protection because knights were looking for her. Could they have gotten here that quickly? 

How did they pick up on their movements? 

The metal bit into his skin as he was placed in shackles of his own and lead from the home. Shaking his head he wondered how they could have known their plan. How it could have gone so horribly wrong. 

A guard, who held the city’s crest on his armor stood outside. Upon further inspection it looked like the guard had sleep marks on the pillow and judging how he kept blinking his eyes, the poor man was not quite awake yet.

“We can take them from here, thank you. After all, it is our city they were caught in.” He said trying to sound authoritative, but it came off as a sleepy yawn.

“No. We have business with them. Once we have integrated the lot, you may do whatever you see fit, but I am here on behalf of my king and queen. I do not see why our matter should be delayed when your incompetence almost lost them entirely!” She fumed as he seemed to be trying not to lean against the wall for support.

“We have been tracking these criminals through many treacherous lands. I do not have the patience to wait any longer for my answers to the questions my sovereigns require me to find.”

The guard had since leaned against the wall and was snoring with a well placed snot bubble coming from one nostril. Aster tried not to laugh as the knight rolled her eyes and told the knights in her charge to lead them away. 

Aster wondered what they would do know without the music box and no way to contact Dahlia.

Out of the corner of his eye his saw the flap of wings and the plan began to form in his mind of what they could do next. Maybe there was a way to escape the prison and find the music box.

He looked around at his comrades’ sunken faces and realized there was little hope in the lot of them. But there had to be something they could do. After all the knights intentions with them seemed suspicious at best as she locked eyes with Aster and seemed to search for more in his gaze. 

Aster turned away as he looked again to his comrades and smiled. Someone was missing. Two someone’s actually that may have been able to complete the task at hand.

They sat him in a large wagon with bars and he found himself sitting next to Hazel.

“Send the little winged creature to her.” She whispered, low enough so only he could hear.

“That is what I was thinking. But at the right moment.”

“Where are the small friends when you need them?” She asked cryptically.

“Farther away without a destination, I am sad to admit.”

“Better that than close at hand.”

“Silence! The lot of you. I will not have you conspiring.” The knight ordered as she walked passed.

Aster could only hope on three things, one was a little bird, and the other was a mischievous Brownie and flighty Wraith. 

All of which he hoped would provide an escape from their current predicament. And luckily he had seen worse odds. He just could not quite remember when.