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Blog Post 57: The Adventure Shop: Part 24:

4/13/24

Two days before the heist and three days before Aster ends up in prison.

“Do we seriously have to play?” Caridad asked, looking at the clues that started the scavenger hunt.

She turned next to her to Laz, her partner, uncertain about the pairings for this game. 

“Aislin and Lothar worked hard,” Aster began as Aislin raised her hand, “Yes, Aislin?”

“We didn’t work hard. It was easy!” she said, before getting distracted by a bird.

“Aislin and Lothar worked,” Aster began again as Lothar raised his hand this time. “And what would you like to say?”

“I wouldn’t call it work if you enjoy it.” He noted with a shrug as Aislin pointed to the bird she was watching.

Aster breathed in deeply, and looked at Jubair who smiled amused and was content to watch the events unfold,  “Aislin and Lothar.” 

Aster shook his head not sure what to say at this point. 

“We have decided we will play as a way to ensure our teams can work effectively together to reach our collective goal. Does that sound correct?” Aster turned to Lothar and Aislin.

They nodded and gave a thumbs up as Aster began to look at the pairings wondering how this would all end up.

“Why are we split like this? The teams are not even who we will be working with during the heist.” Valentina questioned looking skeptically at Pertinax. 

Jubair had suggested the pairings, the only things that Lothar and Aislin had them decide, hoping that it would help some of his crew. Valentia in particular, but Aster was not sure of the healing assistance the Pertinax would be able to provide during this ventour. 

“Alright! Enough questions! You are making this boring!” Aislin clapped her hands happily, “Let’s play!” 

“Follow your clues. Each team have a different set so you all wouldn’t cheat. And before you argue I know all of you- well most of you. Aislin has told me about the rest of you. Play nice. Play smart. And have fun!” Lothar noted as he walked up Aislin’s arm to sit on her shoulder.

They disappeared before anyone could ask any questions. Like if the scavenger hunt actually had a purpose? If they were trying to win? Basic questions most players hand before joining games. 

Jubair laughed and held up his own set of clues and handed them to Aster to review. 

Aster laughed as he looked at the starting clues, “Where did you get these?”

“Lothar must have placed them in my pocket when we were trying to get all of this started.” 

Jubair looked as their teams slowly wandered off in pairs through different routes.  

“Shall I read this out loud?” With a nod from his partner, Aster began to read the first clue. “I’m green, I flutter in the breeze. Your first step is to go to the?” 

“Tree obviously. But what trees? There is a forest that literally surrounds the city.” 

“Sounds like Aislin. I would say logically we go to the edge of the city closest to us.”

“Alright, it is a start somewhere! I wonder if the other are having the same interesting start?”

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

“I don’t understand this blasted clue. If you are Able, look under the biggest Table? Do they not realize how large this city is? We can’t possibly look under every table or even find the biggest table!” Borg bellowed, clearing the space formerly crowded with city folk running their errands.

“I understand. I am frustrated as well. I don’t quite understand how we look for the biggest table and then look under it without encouraging breaking and entering charges.” Tadgh looked around the street. It was far too crowded for his liking. 

“Are you alright? You look a little-off.” Borg reviewed his companion, noting the Banshee’s discomfort and how exhausted he already seemed to be. 

“The crowds. I don’t like being around, this.” He looked around at the people who seemed to have no sense of personal space. 

“Then let’s go to a quieter place.” Borg suggested as they moved through between the artisan’s to a few streets over. 

Tadgh began to relax as they walked down the quiterer road. This road was filled with artisan’s. The only sounds being the striking of metal and the quiets voices of the artisan’s occasionally conversing while they made their wares.

They wandered down the road slowly, trying to think through the clue. 

Tadgh gasped and began laughing. A sound that came out like a short burst of screeches rather than a true laugh.

“What is so funny? We can’t find any tables and we need to get going?”

Tadgh pointed at what caused his amusement.

Borg looked up and saw something that made him join his thunderous laugh with Tadgh’s high pitch screechy one.

In the distance was a carpenter and displayed all over their shop exterior space were tables of various sizes. Some that seemed as small as a thimble and other that were larger. 

But from their vantage point they could not make out what would be the ‘biggest’.

“Well shall we go see what we can find?” Tadgh asked.

“Hopefully, this is it. It would save some time.” 

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

“Would you hurry up? You are slower than a fire slug!” Caridad shouted back behind her.

“But we’ve been walking forever! My feet hurt. I am hot. And it is far too sunny for me.” Laz loudly shouted from several feet behind her.

“Do you do anything more than complain and sit around? I am surprised you people even look after you.”

“I’m the face. I don’t have to do things to be helpful.” 

“So you are just kept around because you are the fall guy if things go wrong?” 

“Yes! And it is perfect because generally I never leave the house!” Laz sighed, “Until this horrible day!” 

“Would you hurry up and help me find out what this means?” 

“What does it say again?” 

“Go looking for a novella and you’ll find the perfect umbrella. I don’t even understand why we would need that.” Caridad huffed looking down the rows of shops they passed a thousand times already. 

She paused waiting on Laz and when he didn’t catch up she turned frustrated. “What are you,” She paused when we saw Laz huddled under one of the shop’s awnings. 

When he caught her looking his stance when from uncomfortable to charming, but she saw pain in his eyes.

Caridad walked over to him and noticed hives everywhere his skin was not covered. 

“What is wrong with your skin? That looks uncomfortable.”

Laz shrugged, wincing in pain. Not wanting to admit the truth.

It embarrassed him to show any real weakness. Anyone who knew him made fun of his oddities and he did not mind, but the weaknesses he would not even admit to his team? 

He was not willing to tell anyone, let alone someone like Caridad.

“If you are in pain we can stop and go wait for the others?” Caridad offered.

“I forgot to place on my salve before going out. I don’t go out much as you now know. And it is rather bright today.”

Caridad looked at Laz and then thought through the situation. 

“You’re allergic to the sun? Isn’t sun stuff and vampires an over exaggerated myth?” 

“Exaggerated, yes, but for every myth there is a spark of truth. The sun doesn’t kill me, but it is not my favorite thing.” 

“I’m sorry. I should have seen you were in pain. I’m usually better at noticing, well that is not true. Aislin notices things. I tend to push on and not always think things through. Which is probably why we haven’t found it. If you want you can use my cloak. And I don’t know what you use, but I have something that helps with my skin irritation from my armor.” She dug through her bag then handed him a container.

“Thank you.” Laz said looking at and sniffing the contents. “This will be great! I’ve heard of this before.” 

The salve cooled the irritated skin and felt better on his skin than the other he used to prevent the reaction. 

“When you are ready we can go on, but I have no idea where to go.” Caridad admitted.

“It is probably a bookstore. I think Lothar knew I would forget my cream. I don’t leave often and sometimes forget it. They were probably making sure I had something to hide from the sun.” 

“Which means it would be back at the beginning where we started.” Caridad noted, looking at how far they had come. “I can go back. So you don’t have to try get through the crowds with my cloak. I don’t want you to run into anyone trying to hold it up. If you would prefer that?”

Laz thought a moment, but shook his head, “We are meant to do this together. I’ll come with you, but we might have to go slow.” 

He tilted his head to the side thinking, “We may finish last, but at least it will be together.”

“Better together than to win. Afterall it should be fun right?”

Laz laughed, “I have a feeling you have never that before. Not once in your life.”

“You would be right. I’m horribly competitive. Pertinax and I always play games and we’ve had our share of fights over who has won. So no, I’ve never said that before.”

Laz smiled and placed the cloak over himself, walking away quickly.

“Why are you going so fast?” Caridad asked, catching up to him.

“Because for you we will win and not be the last one there!” He turned around smiling, “Together?”

Caridad nodded, “Together.

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

“Go to the supply shop and ask for Quarley.” Hazel read as she rolled her eyes. 

“Isn’t that a little too straightforward for a game like this?” Ainia asked as the city folk began to notice her and look at her, like they had never seen a Centaur before.

“It is, but I believe that is because our next task will be harder.” 

“Of course it will. Can I ask you a question?” 

“Apart from the one you just asked?” Hazel smirked as Ainia groaned.

“That is my least favorite joke people tell. And yes, one more.” She looked at Hazel, uncertain if her question may too be invasive.

“Just ask, I will tell you if I am willing to answer.”

“How do you still adventure? You are so much older, I am just uncertain why you still travel.”

Hazel  sighed, the answer heavy on her heart, “I do not deserve the rest. I adventure to help others.”

“Why would you not deserve to rest?”

“I have done things in my life that make settling down make it too easy to think on. Adventuring keeps my mind on the present and I can help people now.  It helps.” Hazel shrugged, not sure how much more she was willing to admit.

Ainia watched Hazel for a few moments before speaking. “Everyone at one point should rest. And just because you did a horrible thing, I am assuming. It does not make you a horrible person. It is your character. And from the little Riskar has told me about all of you, I don’t think they would travel with you if they were not good judges of character.”

Hazel nodded, taking in what Ainia said. It was the truth she needed to hear, but accepting it was another thing.

“If you need someone to help with that, I can. I like to rest and have come up with a few great methods to relax. Hazel, we can never make up what we have done. Once it is done, we can’t take it back or make up for it. It’s like trying to keep a pot of water full with a crack in it. You can keep putting water in the bucket, but your job will never be done. You will never fill it up no matter how many hours you put in. Stop Hazel. Stop trying to make up for something that will never be fixed. Good or bad you made a choice. You can change that choice now, but you can learn to make better ones.” Ainia’s eyes widened as she realized all she said, “I am sorry, was that too much?”

Hazel laughed, “No, it was not. It is true what you have said. But it feels better to continue to strive to fill up that cracked bucket you spoke of, than stand still and watch all the water leak out.”

“The water, or consequence from your choice, is already leaking out. You can’t change that. The water is still flowing out even if you keep trying to fill it up. The consequences still happen. At that point you are trying to make yourself feel better, and harming yourself doesn’t make it go away. You need to stop trying Hazel, accept what you did. Learn from it and choose better.” 

“You are very astute. I find myself at a loss for words.”

“Well we have a whole scavenger hunt for you to find them.” Ainia smiled.

“Thank you.” Hazel said as they made their way into the supply story to talk to Quarley.

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

“Where do you think they are?” Riskar asked Kamali as they sat at the tavern and waited for their lunch.

“I don’t know, but the scavenger hunt wasn’t that hard. I am surprised we finished first.” Kamali responded as took she took a drink and looked at the door.

Lothar and Aislin drifted through and let out a shocked gasp, “Did you even play?” 

“Yes, we just got finished and ordered our lunch. We can put in an order for you too?” Kamali asked.

“Sure, but did you cheat?” Lothar walked across the table and stared at Kamali trying to get her to break.

“No, we didn’t cheat. We just got through it quickly. It was fun, but kind of easy.”

“I am shocked that it was easy, some of those clues even confused me. And I made them!” Aislin laughed, her airy laugh as Lothar nodded in agreement. 

“We didn’t say it was easy, we said we solved it and we had fun and it said to go here.” Riskar stated, ready to eat.

“You weren’t supposed to be here for lunch. You were supposed to be here for dinner.” Lothar raised an eyebrow as he made them show him the clues. “I don’t understand it, but if you didn’t cheat.”

“That means we’ll be here for a while then, huh?” Kamali asked.

“Yes. And now we can tell who the least dysfunctional of our crew are. Clearly we should be the brains of the operation.” Aislin held up her newly delivered drink. 

“Here. Here.” Lothar agreed, followed by Kamli and Riskar. 

They waited at the tavern till the sun began to set and the others were still not back.

“Shall we go find them?” Riskar asked.

“If we don’t, who will?” Lothar asked.

They all sighed and rose from the table to find the rest of their crew as the sun set.

They wondered as they went out, where in the city they might be and if they needed snacks.