The thick, blue fluid did indeed do a great deal to improve the taste of her coffee. Both of her companions, in the meantime, seemed quite interested in the answer to Kiah's question as well, and Dove nonchalantly replied; "It was a wizard's tower, but he died a long time ago. I doubt you'd find anything in there that's more dangerous than a few stray wild animals, but it might be good to be careful anyway."
"You are not exactly incapable yourself, nor afraid to get your hands dirty. I saw that last night. So... why hire someone else to do this for you? There has to be some catch to this that's making you spend coin that could be easily saved," Kiah said quietly, not wanting the inn keep to hear any more than he had to.
She downed the rest of her coffee quickly, and grimaced, deciding that one cup was enough. When she saw the inn keep coming over with the larger pot that held the steaming black liquid she shook her head and gestured for him to keep away. No point in purposely poisoning herself.
Dove smiled sheepishly following Kiah's question, and took a sip of his coffee before issuing a sigh and replying in a voice clearly meant to keep the innkeeper from hearing; "Well... I'm not incapable of defending myself, no... But as you saw last night, I'm not exactly... Good at it. I've had some training, but that's no replacement for honest-to-gods experience. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm not exactly the bravest man in the world either, particularly where my neck is concerned. Besides, what I am most definitely NOT is starved for coin! After the invasion hit, I was basically one of the last members of the oldest, richest family in Badaria. I've got a distant cousin, but she's off on the ocean doing who knows what, and an aunt somewhere over in the Amazon that was exiled by my stepfather, but they're basically all that's left other than me. My half sister's not from the rich half, and she's all over the place anyway, and my father... Is indisposed. Illness. So, the entire fortune's mine!"
He lifted his glass and smirked, as if offering a toast, "If you're going to suddenly become insanely rich after being the family pariah for the better part of twenty seven years, why not enjoy it a little... And get exceptionally beautiful women to do all of your hard work for you?" He took another sip of his coffee, emptying his cup. Their breakfast arrived only a few seconds later, carried by the innkeeper and distributed quite efficiently and without any error in placement. The food smelled excellent, and a taste would reveal the same. "Mmmm, good... Thank you!" Dove said earnestly and dismissively to the innkeeper as he chewed his own first bite, and the man beamed and departed once more, leaving them to their meal.
"Look, I know this sounds way too easy," he began as he chewed, pausing to take another bite. "But really, it doesn't serve my interests to send you into danger without seeing you prepared for it! The place is supposed to be abandoned, but you've probably learned by now that no place is ever truly abandoned... Particularly when mages are involved. If I could prepare you any better than I have, I would. I'm not interesting in sending anyone off to get themselves killed on my behalf, least of all a group of ladies that I quite enjoy looking at!" Neither Anna nor Angelina seemed particularly impressed by the nobleman's attempts at flattery, but as they had mostly been aimed at Kiah, the two opted to let it drop. "So you really don't know anything else? About the tower, or the book?" Angelina asked sharply, momentarily placing down her fork.
"I know that it used to belong to a mage, a golem-crafter by trade, that defected from the Empire, but that he or she died at least thirty years ago. As far as I've been able to determine, no one else have moved in since then, or even been to the place. The book I'm looking for is an old tome, it should be in a green binding with blue text as I said, and I'll draw up the symbols along the spine for you before you head off. They stole it from the Incantarium among a few other things and fled North, eventually settling here. The mage was killed by the Inquisition, but that book was reportedly left behind to rot."
Kiah slowly ate her food, savouring each bite. It was indeed delicious, but while small towns in the north had trouble finding good beans for their coffee, they tended to care for their food better, and the rich flavour of the bacon was a testament to that.
She listened to Dove, unable to stop her vanity peeking out and curling her lips in a slight smile at his flattery. Though she couldn't help but wonder what else he got exceptionally beautiful women to do with the coin he had jangling in his pocket. Sucking some egg yolk from the tip of her finger she finally looked up.
"Golem-crafter. Could be some are waiting to be activated by intruders. Good to know.," she said, and then looked towards the two women on either side of her.
"So. Who's up for a little extra coin on the side?" she asked her companions.
("woman he had jangling in his pocket" wins the award for most amusing typo. )
Anna shrugged, "Depends on how much coin's on the table. I still haven't heard an explicit number." Dove immediately replied; "Two hundred apiece." Hearing the total, Anna's eyes widened, and she momentarily widened her eyes as if she were about to faint. "Uhh... I guess I'm in then!"
Angelina had a slightly more reserved reaction, as the elf was merely taken aback by the offered reward. "Well... It's hard to say no to a sum like that..." she replied, though she still sounded unsure of her decision. "I'll have to consult with my kin before I decide. Give me a moment," she rose from the bench smoothly and bowed, heading out the front door of the inn. The innkeeper came by while she was away, asking if they wanted anything else and taking their cleared plates. Dove asked for a bit more, ordering some waffles, but Anna shook her head.
When Angelina came back in, she sat back down and proclaimed; "I'm in. I'll meet up with the rest of my group on the road." Dove clapped his hands together and beamed, "Excellent! Safety in numbers and all that!"
The succubus waved away offers of further food. She had fed enough to satiate her physical form, especially now that the spiritual had been taken care of.
"Glad you could join us," Kiah said with a playful smirk when the Elf returned, and let her eyes slide along the other woman's curves for the briefest of moments before rising to her feet.
"I don't see any true need to waste time then. I'm sure Dove here would love to be on his merry way back home, and we could all use the coins in our pockets," the half-demon said, quickly checking her gear over before moving towards the door.
She knew the others would follow, so didn't even look over her shoulder as she quickly made her way through the town, the usual sway of her hips softened by the quick walk along the road to the gates and beyond. Where the tower awaited.
Angelina nodded and grinned back at Kiah, "I wouldn't miss it, not for the reward he's offering." When she rose to depart, she heard Anna rise just after her and follow while Angelina fell into step beside her, and Dove called out after them; "Good luck! And stay safe out there!" The three of them stepped out into the street and started towards the gate opposite the one that Kiah had entered the small village through, passing in relative silence as the citizens of the small isolated community bustled about around them. A light dusting of snow coated the ground, leftovers from the previous night's storm, and it got thicker after they stepped out of the open gates.
The path to the tower was not well traveled, but neither Anna nor Angelina seemed bothered by the cold or the rough terrain. Wrapped in heavy cloaks much like Kiah was, they easily kept pace with her as they headed off into the wilderness. The trees and hills sometimes obscured the tower, but it was hardly a challenge to navigate towards the fairly obvious building, and about two and a half hours later they stood at the bottom of the hill on which the tower stood. There were signs of movement in the area, tracks in the mud and in the snow, but they were varied. Wolves were the most common, but booted prints were among them as well, and at least one set of horse prints that were a good bit deeper than the rest. Angelina examined them even as Kiah did, and wondered aloud; "There aren't any paths fit for a horse around here... Where did these come from?"
The buildings clustered around the bottom of the tower looked to have seen recent upkeep, and many of the footprints were going up in that direction... Including those of the wolves.
Her gaze following the tracks to the tower and the few buildings around it, Kiah frowned before rising to her feet, following after them in a low crouch. Years of hunting and surviving in the wilderness made it easy for her to move through the snow somewhat quietly.
"I'm not sure, but be ready for anything. Someone else may know about this damn book," the succubus whispered to her Elf companion, whilst slowly drawing her sword from its scabbard.
She looked between the surprisingly well kept structures built around the base, and chose the one furthest from the tower, making her way as quietly as she could towards the entrance.
"Possibly..." Angelina said as she unlimbered a bow from her back, pulling an arrow out of a quiver at her hip and holding both loosely at the ready. "What's the problem with that? Taking a book from somebody else would be a helluva lot easier than finding it in some ruin!" Anna said jovially as she followed them up towards the cluster of building. Angelina was being quiet and stealthy, her skill nearly parallel with Kiah's in that respect, but the human woman was casually strolling up towards the fallen tower like she owned the place.
Moving up to the closest structure, an open stable, Kiah would spot a trio of horses sitting in it, all of them alive and healthy. They were each in a stall, with riding gear situated around them and a well stocked supply of spare food, clean water, and cleaning supplies necessary for the care of the beasts. There were no people present, however, and the beasts gave little heed to their presence beyond a few confused snorts. Beyond the stables were a small stone hut right behind it that had a light in one of the windows, a barn over on the far right just before the tower doors, a squat building just past the shack that was dark inside with a closed door facing them, a small silo just to the left of the tower itself, and a slightly taller building just next to the door into the shack who's door stood open, but faced to their right rather than directly towards them.
"Hut first I think," Kiah whispered to her companions, having decided to ignore Anna's statement for the moment. She made sure her sword was drawn, unsure of what she could very well be facing in the next few moments.
Creeping as quietly as she could, she made her way to one of the windows, hoping to get a quick peek at whatever lay within.
"Works for me~" Anna said, and started through the stable towards the hut in more or less a straight line, making no effort to hide the noise of her motions. Angelina winced and grabbed her before she'd gone more than a few steps, "What are you doing? Are you trying to get us all killed!?" the elf spat, her voice high with irritation. Anna blinked, "I'm, uhhh... Going over there. Where things are." Angelina looked about ready to slap the human woman, but held herself in check. Instead, she stated, "Dammit... Just, stay here! Kiah and I will check it out, you... Just keep a look out for anything strange, alright!"
Anna blinked again and nodded, crouching behind the wall of the barn, now largely out of sight of anyone that might be coming from anywhere but the direction from which they had come. Angelina and Kiah were then free to proceed on to the hut, the elf momentarily grumbling to herself about the oafishness of humans as they crept up on the only building showing any light. The journey across the yard was brief and uneventful, and Angelina was as silent as she as they moved over to the wall of the hut. The elf nodded to her, standing on the opposite side of the open doorway into the hut, and Kiah was able to glance inside without much risk of detection unless someone was staring right out the door.
As it turned out, the single occupant of the room was not. Inside was little more than a shack, but it was scattered with discarded clothing and assorted knick-knacks, but across from the door was a low, wooden frame that supported a dirty mattress. Lying on his back on that mattress was man from whom emanated the mixed stenches of tobacco, alcohol, and body odor. He wasn't impressively tall nor particularly short, and his dark hair had receded past the crown of his head. He had apparently gone unshaven for several days at least, and his complexion was ruddy beneath the layer of grime that caked his face. His clothes were of a similar state, brown burlap with numerous stains on them, and a dirty cloak was tossed over the bottom half of his body as a makeshift blanket. The only thing clean about the man was the pair of glasses that hung over his face, allowing him to read the beaten, battered tome that he clutched in his hands. It definitely wasn't the book that they were looking for, but it was entirely possible that he had taken it from the tower somehow. The only way that Kiah was likely to find out any time soon was by asking him.
Moving quickly, feet as quiet as she could manage against the floor, Kiah moved into the building, and moved the point of her sword to the man's throat. The cold steel rested against skin, needing only a little pressure to push through and end his life.
"What brings you to the tower," she asked. If these people had no involvement with her job, then she'd rather not be butchering innocent people.
Stepping silently into the room, Kiah had the edge of her sword against the dirty man's throat within seconds, having not made even a single sound. The man didn't even realize that her sword was there until after she'd spoken, and at the sound of her voice he jumped just enough to nick himself on the edge of her sword. "Giah! Huh... Who are you?" he said, his voice full of fright. It took him a moment of tense shaking to process her words, after which he settled back onto the bed and slowly spread his hands. "I work here! I'm the groundskeeper!" he said, now beginning to mix indignation in with the fear. Angelina remained outside, no doubt keeping watch for anyone else that might be creeping about the place.
"The groundskeeper for an abandoned tower? Tell me, why keep the grounds? Who lives here, what's so important about this place? Kiah asked pushing her sword down just a little more, making sure the man would not try anything stupid.
"Sorry if I'm not a believer right away. Who else is here? she continued, baring her teeth at the man.
Kiah's bombardment of questions - and the increased pressure of the sharpened steel against his throat - did little to ensure the man's calm response, but he couldn't do much to fight her in so helpless position. "It's not abandoned!" he began loudly, "They pay me! The... The Kerenkovs, they hired me in Therion and... And brought me here! To clean the place up! They just moved in, a couple of weeks ago... There's nothing! Nothing important about this place, they just sort of... Took it! There's just me, the family, and a couple of other people to help clean up inside! I swear, that's all I know of! " He didn't seem quite ready to panic, but her sword pressed against his throat had him close, and his pushed himself against his bed tightly to try and shy farther away from the razor edge of her blade.
Kiah let out a long sigh and looked up towards Angelina. "Well, what do you think?" she asked. The man's fear was genuine enough, but a sword point to the throat would cause that.
"This certainly complicates matters. I was under the impression this place was abandoned," Kiah continued, letting just enough pressure off the man's throat that he wasn't on the verge of impalement anymore, though the sword never wavered, and the half demon kept her gaze upon him.
She suddenly felt second thoughts coming in her mind, this job was starting to stink.
Angelina shot a quick glance back at Kiah, and then quickly ducked into the small hut so that she completely out of sight from anyone outside, shutting the door and sealing them in. "I'm not sure.... But "Dove" is, or at least claims to be, a Badarian noble. The humans from the South lie and cheat as a matter of course, so I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if he lied to us, even if I can't offer a guess as to why. However... This man did say he was only hear for a matter of weeks, and the locals avoid this tower. Perhaps our benefactor is simply a coward, and offered us inaccurate information rather than come here and verify what he said himself first?"
The elf turned her gaze to the man whom Kiah still held at sword point, who was no less visibly terrified despite the decreased pressure of the blade against his throat, and said; "We were told that this tower was abandoned, and asked to retrieve something from it. You say that you were only brought here a few weeks ago? How long exactly?" The man quickly replied; "Yes! Only about two weeks! It was abandoned when we got here!"
With a long sigh, Kiah let the tip of her blade move away from the man's throat, but kept it ready at her side to strike swiftly if the need called for it.
"Who are you here with then? Perhaps we can retrieve what we were sent for without any blood shed. I'm sure we can both agree that would be best, yes?" the succubus said slowly, almost seductively. She really didn't want more enemies hunting her through the wilds than she needed.
Kiah's mildly seductive tone was lost on the man, who just looked immensely relieved that her sword was no longer about to stick a hole in his throat. He seemed to latch onto one sentence in particular, as he nodded exuberantly and quickly said; "Y..Yes! No bloodshed necessary! This is all just.... Just a big misunderstanding!" Angelina looked wary, but if Kiah allowed it the man would slowly lead the way outside, purposefully not making any sudden moves lest the deadly succubus run her blade through his heart. "I'll just take you to the family, and you can tell them what you're here looking for! I'm sure you... Can come to some kind of agreement!" he said quickly, and if Kiah opted to follow the alleged groundskeeper Angelina would put up a hand to stop her just before getting out of the door, and quickly mouth; "What about Anna?"
"Hold up a moment," Kiah said to the grounds keeper. She knew Angelina wasn't comfortable with any of this, and one extra person might help should things go south. It didn't help that this whole situation reeked.
"Run and tell the others what's happening, then bring our fair maiden back here so we can talk to this family alright?" Kiah said... no point in giving away their numbers just yet.
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