(Collab) In the Mists of Madness PT2

Soon after a brief journey through the shortcuts of town Red and Shenara were hidden by the docks.

"Remember, incapacitating them is preferable to killing." Red reminded her friend

There were two rats on the left, three on the right, loading boxes onto dollies. A female otter in swashbuckler’s clothes was directing them. All of the rats were armed with scimitars, while the otter had a rapier at her side.

From out of the shadows an arrow arced out and caught one of the ratpair in the thigh. He screamed; his companions all turned drawing blades.

That's when Shenara struck, two of the trio had their heads knocked together; the third turned only to have the lioness fall upon him. Red rushed forward and met the last rat head on, scimitar clashed against Daedalian blade.

Red closed the distance as she blocked an overhead blow and drove an elbow into the rat's snout.

"Arrrgh!!" The rat shouted staggering back. Red followed up with a slash to his leg and he fell over.

"You! Jackal!" The otter said advancing with her rapier. "I know you Red. You've been a thorn in our side for too long."

The otter lunged; Red parried and stepped in with a slash, the otter fell back using her length advantage to keep the jackal at the end of her slender sword.

Red found herself forced on the defensive as she parried thrusts aimed for her torso. Changing tactics she feinted a high slash and stepped forward with a kick to the otter's chest.

The otter gritted her teeth from the blow. As Red moved in she suddenly leapt back as the blade slashed for her belly. Clothing was cut just over her navel and she felt the sting of a shallow cut.

Growling she moved forward. But as the otter moved back she was clotheslined by Shenara. A blow to the head and she was out.

"Nice work. Let's dispose of these crates in the sea." Red said satisfied as they trussed up the smugglers.

Shenara and Red looked at each other with a knowing glance of: ‘That was pretty bad-ass,’ and even felt the approving nod of the gods of the world: without any further hesitation they pushed the crates into the sea.

Something was different though: As the crates entered the salty sea and sank, purple bubbles poured forth. The bubbles continued and continued for a while, but the crates sank completely.

Shenara grabbed Red by the arm, “We did it, my friend!”

The otter pirate, from the distance, groaned in pain.

"Yes," Red said tilting her head at the odd bubbles. She moved to the otter

"Care to share something useful?" She asked.

Shenara looked confused.

The otter coughed up a little blood into Red’s face: “You’ll have to be more specific, jackal. I know --co-cough-- many useful things.”

"How about next shipment? Or you can go for a swim hogtied." Red bluffed.

“Now wait, miss Jackal, just wait-- I know you’ve never killed one of Jack’s henchmen before and I doubt you’ll do it now... but just in case: That wasn’t wine you dumped over. That shipment was meant for someone else...” Her face melted into a cool grimace.

Shenara grabbed the otter out of Red’s hands: “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, OTTER?! WHO WERE THE CRATES SUPPOSED TO GO TO?!?!?”

The otter, very believably, starts whimpering as Shenara shakes her back into unconsciousness and drops her back to the cobblestones.

“I suppose she wasn’t interested in telling us,” Shenara said as she put the otter onto her shoulders, ready to go wherever Red told her to go.

“Something's going on here. Know somewhere we can stash her?" Red asked.

Shenara threw the otter in a large dumpster behind the Temple of Virtue and hid the body under some more garbage.

“Is that good enough, Red? She’ll be awake in the morning; long after we’re gone...What did we need to ask her about, anyway?”

"I was hoping for more intel on shipments, or on Jack's activities." She swiveled an ear back, "Wonder what was in the crates?"

Shenara hadn’t noticed the purple bubbles. Red had seen that the crates had the Veilwinter symbol on them a pair of vixens in mage robes, a bunch of grapes between them. Usually the crates would sink to the bottom without a fuss.

A voice from behind the duo: “Interesting.”

Shenara whirled around to see a little white cat muzzle poking out from a brown overcloak.

Red knocked an arrow. "Who're you?"

The White Cat held up her hands: “I mean no harm. I am just glad to meet the fabled Red. Bothering our friend Jack again, are we? What--” She pointed behind both of them. “Why is there a purple fog rising from the sea...?”

Red's thoughts went to the crates. She had Shnenara look behind them to confirm as she focused on the cat. "I don't know, probably whatever was in that last shipment. Nothing good I'm sure."

A purple fog seemed to be seeping over the dock, but as the sun rose it dissipated.

“Ha ha, well, I’m afraid that my time is up, here.” The cat turned to an unseen person: “Ready?”

The White Cat disappeared in front of the two’s eyes, but Red could hear faint and quick footsteps leading away toward the college. Very soon though, she could hear nothing.

"Invisibility spell?" Red wondered aloud. "Think we should try and track her down? Or call it for the night?"

Shenara yawns, but then looked startled. As the rain comes down, she did a double-take at where the cat had been standing, but then slowly turned to Red.

“Track down the invisible White Cat? I’m not sure that’s even possible, Red. I’m going to get out of here before anybody tracks ME back to our hideout.”

The rats and the otter are starting to moan back to the land of the conscious. The rats are strewn on the dock, but the otter is starting to make movements from the dumpster.

"Alright let's get out of here." Red said as they left the scene. The cat still bothered her though.

As they started walking back to their hideout, Red got the distinct feeling that they were being followed. Whenever she looked back, however, there was no one to see. The rain continued, though, and sometimes she could see the outline of a shape... or could she?...  As soon as she tried to focus on the shape, however, it vanished.

Red flattened her ears. Moving so she was walking right beside Shenara.

"Shenara, don't look at me, just listen. I think that cat's following us. We can't lead her to our hideout." She paused. "We'll split up, we'll take roundabout ways and meet at Yura’s bookstore. We’ll see who gets followed. Be careful."

Red headed in her original direction of the college. She had to pull her cloak up around her in order to not be recognized, as the streets became more busy. She walked past all sorts of hammering shops making barrels and harnesses and the like, manned mostly by larger animals. It was difficult to tell through the rain and noise whether she was being followed, but it was close to the rendezvous point with Shenara of that strange little book store run by Remi’s cousin...

Moving into the bookstore, Red found a shelf to hide behind. She nodded to the proprietor beforehand.

"I'm waiting on someone. Maybe two." She said. "One is not a friend."

She hoped that was vague enough as she stood still in her hiding place, senses attuned for any sign of her invisible stalker. It wasn't much different from hunting in the woods.

Remi’s cousin Yura gave a quick glance. A ding-aling-aling announced someone entering the shop.

“Your eminence! Welcome to my humble store.”

A familiar Irish accent announced the entrance of a certain fox priest: “Good afternoon to you, Yura!” Red could tell that Jack is walking among the shelves. “Anything interesting come in lately?”

“Yes, actually!”

Red saw Jack pause rummaging through the shelves, the white tip of his fluffy tail was barely visible. “Do tell!”

“A book on goat maintenance from the silver coast!”

Red can barely hear the vulpine’s light footstpeps to the counter. “Actually,” --the sound of coins clinking-- “I’m looking for something from the Scarlet Coast...”

There he was. The priest who was secretly running the smuggling operations. Red put a hand to her hunting knife: She considered attacking Jack.

But kidnapping or killing him would just bring more heat than she would like. He was a beloved public figure except for a few in the know.

She looked for a way out. Did he know she was there? Crimson coast could mean her. Red backed away some more, searching for an exit or some sign of Shenara.

Red could see Shenara outside, walking toward the store.

Yura was stammering, “I-I’m sorry sir, not this week...”

The scraping of coins.

“Your rent is due, soon, isn’t it Yura?” Jack purred.

Shenara, cloaked, waited outside.

A pause.

“Ah... nevermind, Yura. See you in a few days. ...Go in the back room for a while.”

A door closes, and Red heard Jack chanting a spell and then there was a light “WOOSH”: He was casting buffing spells on himself.

Waving Shenara away Red moved back behind a shelf.

"Hey Jack! You looking for me?" Red asked. Hoping he'd go to investigate. She drew her Daedalian blade just in case.

Red could hear Jack’s footsteps... much heavier footsteps than before... coming toward her.

She waited, her heart pounding in her heaving chest. She counted down the seconds as the footfalls came closer then Red threw herself against the bookshelf. Buffering spell or not it was a heavy shelf if it didn't knock him down it'd slow him down.

Red sprinted for the door as the shelf fell.

“OOF!”

Red grabbed Shenara as a crash emanated from the store. Shenara looked at the slightly smaller jackal and followed her. The gloaming gives the two extra cover as the archmage emerged from the building in the distance, his burning blue eyes visible from a block away.

"Something tells me we'd lose if we fought right now," Red grumbled as she pulled her friend along down a sidestreet: "It's time we got home."

They rushed in to the Wooden Box, dashed into the kitchen, into the cupboard and up the hidden staircase to their apartment.

Shenara looked around: “...Where’s Remi?”

Flattening her ears, Red searched the room for anything out of place, or a note.

"She doesn't wander off like this." Red said concerned.

There was no note, but Red knew that Remi should have been home.

Shenara was on the verge of panic, her tail cracking like a whip “She could be out there, Red! She could be wandering around with that fox on the loose!”

Red lowered her ears. "The thought crossed my mind. Let's retrace her route back. She usually takes the same route. Hopefully we'll find a clue. But first."

She grabbed some charcoal and rubbed it into her fur that wasn't concealed by her clothing. Granted it was still raining but hopefully it would hold up for a bit, or the rain would stop.

"Let’s find Remi. And if that fox has done something to her, by all that is sacred I'll tear his throat out."

Shenara looked out the window her mouth fell open and her ears flattened.  “Red...”

Not only was it still raining, but a violet fog seemed to be stalking the streets. Slowly creeping its way up the street toward the Wooden Box.

Shenara took some of the coal too: “To hell with the fog: Let’s go.”

Red's muzzle parted as her ears went up in alarm. "Fell forces are at work tonight." She murmured.

"Remi might be caught out in, whatever that is. Let's go." Red checked her weapons, she hoped they would be all they needed. With that they started out.

***

It was already growing dark, the clouds overhead made it even darker. Farah pulled her cloak around her as she scoped out the constable's tower, determining how well guarded it was and where to enter from.

"Hmm, time for some fun." Farah smirked.

The constable tower that held the item was three stories tall: easily climbable for someone like Farah. There was also a first floor window with a gentle yellow light coming from it, along with a heavy wooden front door with the same faint light emanating from below it. There were windows on the second and third stories too, they were darker but still had a little light coming from them: Those floors were where prisoners were held.

Farah moved closer, she didn't want to end up in the tower permanently. Making for the first story window she peered in. Her ears twitching.

There it was: a happy looking straw doll of a rabbit lying down on the nightman’s table next to some notes and a single candle. The inside was deserted, and it didn’t look as if anyone, such as the dogs that normally served as guards, had been in there recently. The room itself was circular and the walls were of stone. A torch hung on the stone wall next to stairs leading up.

"This seems too easy," The ferret sighed. That usually wasn't a good sign. Drawing her shortsword she slipped it under the window and pried at it.

The window proved fast-shut, and Farah couldn’t open it using her blade as leverage.

She sighed and took a glass cutting tool from her pouch. Slowly and carefully she cut in a circular pattern. She hated the scraping sound but it was still quieter than smashing the window.

Farah reached up inside the window and unlocked it. As she reached and unlocked the window’s lock, she heard a distinct “TWA-ANG”

"Booby trap, hmm... odd for a guardhouse." Farah said as he leaned back letting herself and her hand fall away from the rigged window.

As Farah fell onto the cobblestones a little ways below -- enough to jolt her -- she saw a bolt fly through the circular space that she left and fall to the ground about 30 feet away.

"Ohhh," Farah groaned. "Crossbow." She got to her feet and rubbed at her head. She had to move quickly now. Making for the latch she tried to open the window again.

Farah opens the window with no further incident: It slid open easily this time. Farah looked in the other side of the room and saw a crossbow rigged to go off when the window was opened via a fishing wire. The front door was rigged too, using the same mechanism. There did not seem to be any more booby traps inside, however.

"Odd, I'd expect this in a tomb or temple. But a guard tower?" Farah reflected. Slowly and cautiously she advanced on the doll.

"Hey, dollie. Did someone throw you out?" Farah asked as she studied the area, she felt lightly around the doll, and the surrounding area for more surprises.

There did not seem to be any more mechanical booby traps or the like, other than the one at the front door which was still armed. The note next to the doll simply said “Duskmane evidence so far: ForgetitIneedadrink.”

Farah shook her head at the unprofessionalism She snatched the doll quickly and tossed it in a bag before moving swiftly toward the window.

She pocketed the toy easily and headed for the window when suddenly she heard a clear female voice behind her:

“Why did you attack that day? What did you have to gain, hare? What did you have to gain?!”

When Farah spun around, there was no one there. The voice continues from other places, varying from whispering to screaming.

“They were defenseless! You promised! We signed a truce!!

Farah spun around the room, trying to find the source of the voice.

She heard feminine weeping, and then a growling, haggard female voice: “I... I’m NOT sorry, hare...”and then the sounds of lips smacking and licking. “I’m so hungry... I’m so hungry!!”

The candle flame and the torch flame both slowly turn from an inviting gold to the color of panic, blood red, bathing the room in unnatural red light. The window was still open, as it was before.

The ferret continued toward the window. "Ah, great. Haunted doll." She groaned. "I knew this had a catch." She patted her crystal hoping it'd do its job and not let her be possessed or cursed.

The doll seemed to have recorded a murder. A gruesome murder.

The unearthly noises continued.

"Shut up," Farah muttered. "I'm going to be glad to hand you over."

As Farah jumped out the window, she noticed that the room was still glowing red. Down the street, she saw some kind of... yes, it must have been, some kind of stuffed owl on a pedestal slowly scraping its way toward her on the street. It was about 5 in the morning now, and dawn was slowly creeping up. The creature or object or whatever it was turned a corner down the street.

The doll would either have to be delivered to the White Cat herself or to the White Cat’s office - the location of which was unknown to most. Farah’s crystal was burning hot, scalding the ferret’s fur underneath her thief’s gear, but at least the doll stopped talking now. Farah knew there were religions in town that might also be able to help, such as the Tyrians and the Frithians. The Reynardians, such as they were, might be able to shed light on it too. Farah could also start hunting the cat down at the College of Elements.

"Ooh, ah. Hot." Farah said as she pulled the crystal to hand on the outside of her clothing. She wasn't sure if the owl she'd seen was an animated object or an illusion. Either way it probably was best to avoid it as she set out for the college.

"This had better be worth it." She grumbled.

The town was starting to wake up, and the commercial district is opening its doors. Farah herself looks a little worse for wear, but she stays to the shadows. It was still raining, as always. There were a few blacksmiths, barbers, and bakeries in the shadow of the college’s towers and walls.

"Another day in the life," Farah said as she pulled her cloak closer. She started looking for an entrance to the college. "Now if I was a renowned thief."

She chuckled "I am a renowned thief. But if I had a position here where would my office be?"

Farah walked to the huge gates of the fortress that was the Vulane College of Elements. She slipped into the robes of a ferret that looked similar to her and stole her student identifcation note: Harrah Subtleback. Using the crowd to maneuver, Farah made her way toward a kiosk with a young weasel handing out campus maps and stole one out of habit, even though they were free.

She noticed that the campus had four main sections: The buildings with the classrooms and offices, the student quarters, a very large park that was ill-defined.

The office buildings were connected to the student quarters that they represented-- for example, the student mages of light lived connected to the faculty that were also mages of light. The thievery building was near the outskirts. Farah could also see a group of rogueish looking weasels, stoats, and cats walking along the promenade. A similar group of pirate students were walking the same way, causing quite a raucous.

"Harrah" Skirted along the thieves and pirates, the old rivalry of land vs sea never dies. She made her way to the thievery building as she ignored the rowdy students.

She didn't need to be drawn into petty squabbles. She already had angry spirits to contend with. She kept her eyes alert for anything that could be a concern.

"Just a student here," Farah said.
The pirates sang and the thieves jeered, the two groups kept harassing each other as Farah slipped past to a large, three-story wooden building.

It seemed like a gymnasium: ropes and platforms were everywhere. The teacher, a male tabby cat with an eyepatch, pointed at Farah after a rat ran the obstacle course: “Your turn, newcomer.”

She looked at the rope course, her tail twitched eagerly at the thought of running the thieves course. But she had business. Oh, what was a little bit of fun?

Grinning widely the nimble ferret leapt upon one of the ropes and scrambled up to a platform.

"Watch and learn boys." She said as she jumped for the next platform. It was easier than leaping from rooftops. She swung from a robe to the next platform.

For a time Farah forgot everything as she just reveled in the thrill of the obstacle course.

Farah finished the routine with a flourish and scattered applause from below.

The teacher calls up: “OK, so you are obviously in the wrong class. Care explaining why you... Forget it, class is over anyway. Stranger, any recommendations for the students before we adjurn?”

"Follow your dreams! Don't hesitate if you see a good score!" Farah advised as she gave a bow before sliding down to the floor.

"Forgive me. I couldn't resist. I have some business with Professor "White" If you know who I mean."

The students begin to file out, but about a dozen remain.

The male teacher tilts his head and grins for a second: “Pardon me, ma’am. Yes, yes, The Professor. She should be back shortly ...And you are?” He offers his hand.

Farah eyed the remaining students. "Just call me Harrah for now." She said shaking hands.

“I am Velick.” He bows. “Harrah, she should be back at sunset-- in about thirty minutes. Go ahead and sign in and if she feels like seeing you, I’ll lead you to her hideout.”

Velick hands her a note and a pen while Farah’s crystal begins to warm up again. Farah got the sense that if she wrote down a fake name the White Cat won’t know that she had retrieved the item.

Sighing, Farah signed her actual name. "Ignore that, she'll understand." She said by way of explanation.

Velick calls out: “Anyone not here to see The Professor, please leave.” Everyone except a nerdy looking female raccoon leaves the building. The door closed behind Velick.

Slowly as the room darkened, a gentle music-box lullaby starts eminating from the other side of a door on the far side of the room. The raccoon looks up at Farah, slightly nervous, then looks at the door.

"Huh, can we cut the theatrics?" Farah muttered. "I'm a busy girl." She started for the door.

The candles in the room blare to life.

As Farah approaches the closet, the voices began again: “Hi miss foxy! You’re pretty! I’m Sarah, what’s your name?”

Another voice, a seductive whisper: “I am the devil.”

The candles begin to glow red, yet again, as Farah’s hand was almost on the handle.

"Not this again." Farah muttered feeling the crystal.