The Lady’s Hand (A Dickings & Dalliances Adventure) - (Closed Except By Invitation)

[justspitballing]

Sprite felt a little down knowing the Tiefling wouldn’t be joining them, but she would never disrespect someone’s wishes. Of course she would believe it was to dangerous, but Sprite was unconcerned about such a thing. She felt she could handle herself just fine.

“You’re directions will be a help. We just have the slightest of slightest ideas of where we are headed. I was given some parchment of the area, but it’s not drawn the best I’m afraid,” she then said.

Sprite then proceeded to pull out the map and quickly handed it to Mellavia.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Mellavia begrudgingly rolled off Arx, still sprawling languidly on the side of the bed.

She took the map from Sprite and looked it over, pursing her lips in concentration. “It’s not. Not that I could draw one better, but…”

She bit her lip, clearly conflicted. “I really shouldn’t help you.” After a moment of thought, she reach a hand out towards a dresser on the side of the room. “Fine. There’s a bit of charcoal in the top drawer. Would you hand it to me, please?”

 

[Poprockz]

Arx huffed, putting her hands behind her head and watching that purple ass as it moved away. It was too bad they couldn't just stay for a day and fuck themselves silly, but as Sprite reminded her with her actions, the work still needed to be done. Whether they were going to do it for themselves or the noble was another story entirely. She was going to have to discuss it more with the group and see if they could all get on the same page. The changeling was pretty sure that the half-orc would be into fucking over the noble once he learned how hard they were being fucked in the ass, but she wasn't yet sure about Sprite. The harpy didn't seem to be the type to forsake her employer, but she had to hope that she would be amenable to having a discussion about it.

With a sigh, she rolled herself off the bed and walked over to the dresser, opening the top drawer and finding the charcoal. Once she had it, she returned to the tiefling, her thighs, chest, face, and hair still slick with fluids. She reached out and put the charcoal into Mellavia's hand, though she held onto it for a moment more and spoke softly, "are you sure you won't come with us?"

 

[justspitballing]

Sprite could tell the pain in the Tiefling’s words. She clearly felt she couldn’t risk things and pressing her more would just make light of her stance. Sprite was not by any means the best reader of other people, but you picked up on some things when you worked at the kind of establishment she did. Arx meant very well, but any more pushing would likely just push Mellavia farther away.

As such Sprite walked over to the two and put her hand softly on Arx’s. “She will be with us in spirit I am sure,” Sprite said soflty, trying to convey that Mellavia’s wishes were well respected.

After that she withdrew her hand and started to fidget a bit. Everyone was naked now except for her but her sexual needs had been very well met, so now she just had the awkwardness of standing before these two unblushing women. She turned a bit giving the two women their privacy if they did want to talk some more.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Mellavia nodded at Sprite's words, but her face was still knitted up in concentration. Her lithe, gorgeous legs folded underneath her as she rotated herself into a sitting position and drew a large, rough circle on Sprite's map. Then, she frowned, looking at her work before adding another, smaller circle inside it.



"It's somewhere here, I'm almost positive it's inside the smaller circle, north of where the Green River comes out of the mountains, near the southern edge of the forest east of Rionne, but..."

She took a deep breath, then let it out. "I wasn't our cartographer. Annion was. He...might be able to help, but I doubt you'll be able to convince him. He's probably still in Rionne."

Mellavia's face became grim. "You can't let anyone else in Rionne know what you're after." She said it slowly, impressing its importance to her new friends.

 

[justspitballing]

Sprite nodded to herself taking in Mellavia’s statements. Looking for Annion would be risky and there would be no guarantee that they could seduce him like they seduced Mellavia. The area circled would be big, but flying around it with Sprite’s wings looking for this hidden place could very well take less time then finding this Annion in Rionne, which was to be sure just a sea of people. Her suggestion would be just to go straight to the likely ruin area, cut out the fat and deal directly with the main task.

“We wont. We’ll be as quite as mice,” Sprite said, which would be easy to do since they wouldn’t be going to Rionne.

Sprite wasn’t sure about payment for their new friend. She had clearly provided a service that was worth a good bit of a tip. She put her hand into her pocket and put down the coin that seemed right, at least to her. It was a good twenty-five gold. Then she took back her map and pocketed it once more.

"I thank you for all your help."

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Mellavia waved away Sprite's money. "This session was paid for already. It's the only way Javi lets customers book specific whores."

She looks at Sprite first, and then Arx. "Be careful, though, especially in Rionne."

 

[Poprockz]

“Yes… I didn’t tell you earlier, Sprite, but I already covered the visit,” she said it nonchalantly, as though she hadn’t thought it pertinent to tell her all the details of their rendezvous with the purple temptress.

Her attention turned to Mellavia and she nodded seriously, grateful for the helpful advice and information. Though, it tugged at her conscience a bit that the once great archeologist was now a whore by necessity rather than by choice. Being a whore could be a good profession for some, and she knew Mellavia could earn a lot of coin doing it, but it was true that she might have a hard time finding someone to settle down with in this line of work.

Walking over to her clothes and pack, she rummaged around and handed the Tiefling a card. The card was simply directions to a specific building in her own home city, one which was frequently used as one of their recruitment offices.

“If you ever tire of this life, the guild I’m with would gladly take you on. It’s not all… strictly above board, but you would be paid well for what you do. You might even have a chance at settling down with a family once you make enough coin. Tell them your background, and that you heard Arx likes eating pudding at night, and they’ll certainly hire you.” She gave the woman a grin and straightened up a bit. The guild was always looking for scholars and people who could identify an item’s worth, so she figured Mellavia would fit right in.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Mellavia took the card, distraction on her face. After a moment, she seemed to make a decision.

“Could I…” She finally seemed to actually hear what Arx said, after she opened her mouth to speak. “Oh, I…I may do that someday. I’ve no intention of doing this forever, though. I have other plans.”

A short exhale, and she got back to what she was going to ask originally. “Could I ask you a favor?” Her eyes drifted from Arx to Sprite, making it clear she was asking both of them. “If you find a succubus inside…tell her Mellavia’s looking for her?”

 

[justspitballing]

Sprite nodded quickly to Mellavia request even though it could very well be impossible. A succubus could shape shift and thus hide their form and they weren’t the most well trusted, though they didn’t tend to actually cause harm, so they tended to hide what they were. Sprite would try her best though. She wouldn’t be looking through this place from top to bottom, that could lead to her being lost, but she would keep her eyes peeled.

“If I find them you know I will,” Sprite said, which was the most honest answer she could give.

“We’ll be off then, if you see a half-orc let him know we are looking for him,” Sprite requested herself and then headed out of the room.

She proceeded to do her best to head back the way she came. It wasn’t the easiest, she did go down one wrong hallway, but then she righted herself and proceeded forward. She was ready to get to these ruins.

 

[Poprockz]

Arx redressed while she listened to the request, thinking to herself that succubus weren’t as common a folk in these lands. If they found one, odds were that it would be the one she sought. She gave a complimentary nod to Sprite, indicating that she too felt the same way. Who knows? Perhaps the temple was safer than they thought, in which case she would be glad to linger and look for her. If not… well, she was saving her own skin first before playing messenger.

“Thank you, and goodbye Mellavia,” she twiddled her fingers farewell before striding out behind Sprite, her pack slung over her shoulder. To be honest, she hadn’t the faintest clue how to get out of there, but Sprite walked with such confidence that she assumed she knew the way by heart. Thus, she followed the bird while admiring the sounds of sex from the rooms they passed.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

The tiefling watched them go with a nod and a content sigh. She hadn't started to dress yet when the door closed behind the two adventurers. The hallways that made up the majority of the building were nondescript, and navigating them was difficult, but through some combination of artful design and subtle enchantment, the difficulty was all in finding one's way unguided anywhere *but* out. Thus, in no time at all, Sprite and Arx found a doorway to the street outside.

It was dark now, and though the sounds of revelry punctuating the night air, those sounds were very different from the bustle of the day. They were in the north of the city of Qelaz, near the Great Twin Bridge, one of three bridges that spanned the Green River that divided Qelaz and Rionne. The street that lined the Qelazi side of the river was a wide boulevard full of gambling halls, taverns, inns, and cafes. Carts hawking streetmeats or streetsweets puttered back and forth. During the day, buskers would be dispersed along the way, but this late there was only one musician in sight.

 

[justspitballing]

With Sprite’s ability to fly and her knowledge of the forest her first thought was to fallow the river to the woods and then cross over the Green River to the ruins sight. She knew she could handle herself just fine, but Arx was with her and that way, it could be very risky in some cases. The safe root was going through Rionne, so for Arx sake that was the way to take. On the up side it made finding the succubus a tiny little bit more likely.

“Arx, I’m going to be going as fast as I can to where the ruins themselves will likely be. We are running against the clock, I don’t really want to chase down a different stranger for more directions when the ones we have will work well enough,” Sprite said, making her plans to skip to the ruins known.

She then pressed forward. If Arx felt this was a bad idea then she wouldn’t fallow along and then they could talk things out, but being dedicated in her own actions never did her wrong. Arx would fallow well enough if she agreed. That being said she did not fly, she didn’t want to get to ahead of Arx in the possible city traffic, even if it was late.

Sprite passed the musician, taking note of their skill, and headed for Rionne.

 

[Poprockz]

Arx shrugged, "sure. I don't mind cutting the foreplay every now and again." With that, she continued to follow the harpy, her head nodding to the tune of the musician. Rooting around in her purse, she took out a silver coin and flicked it to them, a tribute to the jaunty tune. Life was much more enjoyable with some background music here and there. Once, on a particularly good day for pay, she had hired a whore as well as a lute-player to play music as they fucked. The lute-player eventually became part of the festivities, and Arx got a new appreciation for those with such nimble fingers.

As far as the changeling was concerned, it would be just fine to cut out some time from their journey. The more time they earned for themselves, the longer they had until that "noble" expected them back. If they decided to run... it would give them that much more of a head-start. Speaking of which, she decided to get a feel for Sprite's feelings in that matter, the changeling putting her hands behind her head in a relaxed manner as they walked.

"Sooo... What do you think of that noble? This seems like a pretty big task even for 400 gold." She had a noncommittal expression, prepared to to shrug it off should the bird say that she was loyal to their task-master.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

As the two of them crossed the Great Twin Bridge, a massive stone structure of two interconnected bridges supporting each other across the Green river, the crowd thinned. The Qelaz side of the river was bustling, but the Rionne side was much more subdued than normal. What few people could be seen were either crossing the bridge, or hurrying home to disappear within the city streets.

 

[justspitballing]

"I think the noble gave us a lot less info then we needed for a reason. These ruins are being taken over by the higher ups which can only mean there is a lot more profit here, but it also means selling it to someone else will be harder to do. I take it that's what you have in mind? We don't want to be caught by The Lady of Rionne if we do part with the noble. I trust that you have the capabilities to get us somewhere a bit more safe after we leave the ruins. You, being part of a thieves guild and all," Sprite stated back to Arx.

Of course this is what Sprite was hoping for. Before Arx responded though Sprite noticed how empty the city had gotten. Being calmer at night was expected, but this was a drastic shift, which suggested danger was about.

"The people here seem to be aware of something we aren't. They hide from the streets for a reason. Do you want to fallow their advise, get a room for the night?" Sprite asked. She was confident enough in herself, but her job was going to be dependent on Arx so she kind of needed to make sure they stayed safe.

 

[Poprockz]

Arx's eyebrows shot up in surprise when Sprite brought up the guild, though she supposed having heard her sales pitch to the tiefling, she was able to put two and two together. True, the changeling could have been part of a different illegal organization like the assassins guild, or perhaps even the snooty collectors guild (fuck those guys), but Arx liked to think that perhaps Sprite judged her as someone who would be part of a more reputable establishment. Judging by her tone, it didn't seem like she was condemning Arx for her choice of associates, so she took it as a good sign that Sprite was fine with her nimble-fingered family.

Each city had its own thieves guild outpost, or at least a fence. Arx hadn't visited Rionne before so she vaguely knew where it might be, but wasn't entirely sure. Whatever the case, as long as she could get back to her own home city, she could be among friends who were slippery as hell and armed to the teeth. There was a reason the thieves guild was still a thriving organization- they were good at avoiding capture. She was about to open her mouth and relay this when Sprite continued speaking, drawing her attention back to the way in which everyone seemed to be skittering back into safe places like cockroaches under a lamp.

"Hmm..." Arx mused, her sharp eyes scanning the town. "I'm not typically one for head-to-head armed combat, so if things get too sticky I might have to slip away during the fight. However, I'm willing to risk cutting through the town as long as we keep a quick pace." Having said that, she started to walk more briskly, though she kept her head up and stood straight. People often didn't realize that when they tried being inconspicuous, they often made themselves a beacon for those looking for them. What they needed was to look like a noble and her bodyguard cutting through town.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Crossing the bridge and actually entering Rionne only further highlights the emptiness of the public areas of the city. There is still the occasional errand-runner trying to quickly make it home, but the streets are nearly entirely empty except for multiple patrols, pairs of guards in Rionne’s colors (gold trimmed with a blue to match a bright, clear sky) marching up and down the streets.

Some of them look bored, or tired, but the more responsible of the guards seem to be looking for something. One pair can be seen knocking aggressively on the door of an old inn.

 

[justspitballing]

Sprite could only assume the best idea was to avoid the city guards as much as possible. There was a good chance they were what everyone else was avoiding. The Lady of Rionne likely had a tight grip on this place. She tried her best to give the guards knocking on the inn a wide birth. This likely wasn’t the quick pace Arx wanted, but Sprite took her time walking around. She was never built for stealth, but these guards could call about other guards and a fair fight would quickly tumble into something more dangerous. She kept Arx behind her, almost acting like a wall, her protective duties kicking in.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

As the two of them walk further into the city, on their way eastward, several of the armed guards notice them, coming from the river. A few of them scowl at them, but none move to intercept them.

 

[Poprockz]

Arx got the distinct impression that Sprite was trying to be subtle but it only seemed to draw more attention. Thus, she stopped trying to take the lead in a quick way and instead slowed her pace a bit until she was almost hugging Sprite’s heels slightly to the side and back of her. The scowls they got weren’t dangerous per se, but she didn’t like the fact that the guards were paying them any attention.

Part of her wondered if they were going to the inn to search for travelers. Whether that was because they got wind of their journey or because they had some other purpose for the passers-through, Arx didn’t want to stick around and find out.

In a low voice she spoke to Sprite as they walked,”If they ask, you’re my bodyguard and I’m Ansipia Snide, a Merchant from Seafoam here to survey the trade prospects here.”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

The architecture of Rionne was grander than that of Qelaz, with ornate arches and intricately carved columns supporting the geometries of the homes, businesses, and temples. They weaved between domes, facades, and verandas that jutted out beside the streets. The two of them were noticed as they walked, both by the guards who knocked on several more buildings as they passed, and by eyes that peered out from window after window as they made their way southeast to the city gates until they eventually reached it. The gate was closed, guarded by two individuals in the same uniforms that were patrolling the city. There was an elven woman leaning against the wall, eyes darting back and forth without settling on either Sprite or Arx. The other guard, a dwarven man with a short, neatly trimmed golden beard, took a step towards the two travelers.

“Names and business.” he asked without really asking. He was just as distracted as his counterpart, his eyes never resting on the two of them for long, looking out into the street and into what alleyways could be seen from here.

 

[justspitballing]

“I am but a body guard for Ansipia Snide. My own name is, Cherry Flint, but I will not talk for my owner any longer,” Sprite said and stood back.

Arx was the one that was good at pretending to be others, hopefully they would do the heavy lifting from here. These guards seemed a little preoccupied so hopefully that would help them in their cause.

 

[Poprockz]

Alright, it was time to pull the wool over their eyes with a convincing act, one that she had used once or twice before: the relatable merchant.

“Yeah, she speaks true. I’m a merchant from Seagreene surveying whether Rionne would be a good place to set up shop, and if there are good natural resources I might be able to close a deal on around here.”

Arx shrugged and picked at her clothing as though it was slightly uncomfortable, “we were planning on camping for the night after looking at the nearby flora. I’d stay at the inn, but I don’t really like spending my coin if I don’t have to, you know.” She winked and put her hands on her hips. “Those nobles might be able to throw coins to the wind, but I like to keep mine close to the bosom. I wouldn’t have even bought this ridiculous get up if I didn’t have to meet with nobles here and there to get through the red tape.”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

The guard ignores most of Arx’s story, simply waving over his partner.

“Alright. Just need to cast a Detect Magic spell on you and you’re free to go.”

The elvish woman walks toward the pair before sitting on the ground, eyes closed, hands raised in a ritual casting.

“It’ll just be a few minutes,” the man explains.