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Date Posted: 13:16:57 04/16/02 Tue
Author: Jade
Subject: The Return
In reply to: Noyko, Marz, and co 's message, "Decisions" on 10:13:20 04/16/02 Tue

Jade checked her pack, making sure everything was as it should be. She looked around her small room. She'd been on the move since she was a child, and her ability to just pack up and go was one of the things that made her job easier. People knew they could count on her to get started right away without having to take care of messy home details before she set off on her mission to retrieve whatever it was they were after.

She had turned the book over to the Mage, who fancied himself something of a Necromancer - she had no idea if he was or not and didn't care. He had paid her to get the book and she got the book. Period. She didn't generally make it a habit of questioning the motives of her clients. He had paid her the exorbitant sum of 5,000 gold for her trouble (she had received both her half of the fee and her partner's, since he had never returned). The money had been added to what she already had saved. It amounted to a very large sum now. She was able to charge very steep prices for her services because she was good at what she did. She didn't need the money - her expenses were really rather modest - but charging such fees increased her reputation and ensured she would get the more interesting tasks, rather than some jaunt into the local sewer to retrieve a dropped wedding ring.

After turning the book over to the mage, she had paid to have the rings and gems she had brought back from Neromba evaluated. Some which she thought would be useful she kept, others she sold and added that gold to her small fortune.

Now she had outfitted herself, purchased a pack of holding for an exhorbitant sum from a thief of a merchant, procured additional weapons including a garrot which might come in handy someday, and even bought a book: "Toxicology of Kor-Toi". It was a gift for Erlic, who she thought might find it useful.

She checked once more to make sure she had everything she needed then stepped out into the hallway of the secure Inn she had been calling home for several weeks prior to her journey to Neromba. She smiled at the young woman standing beside the doorway. "It's all yours now," she said, handing over the key. "Don't forget to water the plants." Jade had a fondness for plants and had many of them all over her room. She always bought them when she stayed in one place for more than a few days.

She made her way out of the Inn and to the home of the mage who had been her recent employer. There, she took a back entrance and kocked on an inner door. She was escorted to his study by an ancient woman who was the mage's only servant. "He's in there," the old woman croaked, gesturing to the study.

Jade thanked her and opened the door, stepping into a large room lined with shelves of books. An enormous window behind a huge desk was the focal point of the room. Behind the desk sat an elderly man with a bald head and a long grey beard. The mage looked up from the book he'd been studying and nodded briefly. "Amost finished. Wait just a bit. Patience is a virtue," he said distractedly.

Jade sighed. The man was intolerable sometimes, but she never insulted a client. One never knew when one's services might be needed again. It wouldn't do to have them call someone else.

Finally the mage stood up and moved around the desk to stand in front of her. "Are you all ready to go now?" He asked.

"Yes. The money has been paid to the man you specified," briefly Jade wondered if this were some sort of gambling debt the old fellow had made her pay off for him as payment for the service he was about to render.

"All of it?" he asked sharply.

"Yes, yes. Every last copper. He was quite happy to have it, too. Said something about plucking every hair from your beard if you had taken much longer," Jade replied, amused.

The old mage just nodded. "Good... very good. All right then. Where did you say you wanted to go?"

"Neromba... the city of Twilight."

"Yes yes... but where?" the old man snapped. "You wouldn't want to end up stepping out into the middle of a wall or in the midst of a sandworm's belly, would you?"

Jade nodded. "That would be most unfortunate indeed," she said. "I want to go to the west tower. Can you put me near that?"

The mage went to his bookshelves and peered at several books before taking down a large leather-bound volume. He opened it and consulted whatever was written in it. "Yes... here it is. Very well. Prepare yourself."

Jade nodded... she was already prepared but resisted the urge to point out the obvious to the old man.

The mage began to speak the incantation to the spell, gesturing in rhythm with the words that soon took on an almost hypnotic tone. At last a swirling portal of light opened right in front of his desk.

"There you go... the Neromba express!" The mage grinned.

"Thank you, Mondain. I am grateful for your assistance," Jade said, bowing slightly.

"Yes yes... just be sure you keep the callstone I gave you in case I need your services again," he muttered.

"Of course. Farewell." And with that, Jade stepped into the portal.

She felt an odd pulling sensation, then began to feel as if her body was coming apart, scattering to the cosmos. She had travelled by portal many times and always hated the feeling of loss of control that it gave her. Just when she thought she would scream she found herself stepping out into the daylight. She stood in front of the west tower in the city of Twilight.

Jade smiled, her heart beating a little faster. She wondered idly if Erlic would be surprised to see her. Perhaps he hadn't expected her to return. But she felt inexplicably drawn to him and could see no reason not to return to continue what they had started. Once they got to know each other better, if things did not work out she could always simply return to what she had been doing. But she hoped she would be here for a long while.

She made her way up into the kitchen of the tower, where she knew the others often gathered. She hoped they weren't all out searching for their branches. As she approached the kitchen she heard many voices, including Erlic's. She grinned. Perfect timing!

She entered the room quietly and stood beside the doorway, her arms folded over her chest as she lounged against the wall, listening. It would seem there had been a few problems since she'd left. And there were children here. What an awful place for them! They could be hurt or worse here. Well... she was sure these people would do everything they could to keep the children out of harm's way.

Her eyes followed Erlic, her gaze smouldering as she remembered their shared passion. Finally she moved up behind Erlic, putting a finger to her lips as the others spotted her. But Erlic was, of course, always perceptive and spun to see what was behind him.

Jade smiled and stepped close, brushing her lips across his cheek as she said softly, "Did you miss me, darling?"

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Replies:

Good to go -- Isobel and Argus, 13:38:36 04/16/02 Tue