Quest Bones and Daggers (Brandon Blackwing)

[Verilian]

Lirana noticed Brandon's distress immediately. One did not spend their entire life manipulating the minds of others without learning to read faces, and the frowns and hesitation were all she needed. She backed off on the familiarity. Not completely, that would be too obvious, but mostly. She left a little, and used her djed to push down Brandon's suspicion ever so slightly. For good measure, she added in a little attraction, even if there was already some there. It always helped when the people she spoke to were more interested in her body than what she was doing to their mind. Overall, the goal was to make him think that she was familiar, but perhaps not as much as he originally thought. Maybe she reminded him of an old acquaintance? The subtle touches on his mind would go completely unnoticed by most people, but Brandon was already suspicious, and had encountered her type of magic before. He could still notice the changes if he looked closely.

It wasn't as if she was actually trying to get him to do something. Lirana had been manipulating people so long that it was almost second nature to her, especially when first meeting her. Over time, with enough interactions and layers of suggestion, she could slowly make a person hers. While she wasn't actively after Brandon, she still had the habit of priming anyone she met for that possible eventuality. If Brandon made himself a regular, well, then she might consider going further. Having a combat instructor as one of her loyal "volunteers" might come in handy one day. But, those were thoughts for the future, and as it was, she had to deal with the present.

"Sorry, I don't think we've met. Maybe I just reminded you of someone. It happens sometimes. I've been old we Inarta all look alike."

It was unfortunate that her manipulations had brought on some unpleasant memory for Brandon. So often hypnotism was associated with unpleasantness. Granted, Lirana did like to make slaves out of people with her power. She might call them volunteers, but that didn't change what they really were. She doubted any of them would refer to their time volunteering as unpleasant, however. Lirana quashed such feelings in them early on. Her volunteers knew only pleasure.

"I was just saying hello. I believe it was you who came to speak with me. I was told the matter was delicate."

[Brandon Blackwing]

Behind the mask made of a positively neutral expression, Brandon’s mind still raced, the unpleasant memories continuing to bubble up, his brain bring all of them back to the surface to help the bat. It brought up information, his way of dealing with it last time, and all knowledge he had of the magic, in hopes it would be of use. This time though, the Kelvic took care to split his attention, listening to what the woman was saying. He’d just about caught her reply on his query, before his mind had descended into a spiral of deductive reasoning.

As to be expected, Brandon hadn’t met the Inarta with the eyepatch before, though her suggestion that she perhaps reminded him of someone else was preposterous… although, now he thought about it. She did indeed resemble another person. A Hypnotist that had once tried to get Brandon to give him money. That fool wouldn’t try that again, the Kelvic recalled he’d scared the man stiff. But other than that, there was no resemblance. Perhaps the Inarta did look the same, yes, but that did not mean a thing to a Kelvic who used scent and sound to recognize people. Nevertheless, this time Brandon just lifted his hands and shoulders in a half-shrug, a faint smile on his face.

“Perhaps. I will not deny the possibility, miss…?” his voice trailed off, subtly inquiring for the woman’s name. Onto business then, now that he no longer was trapped inside his own thoughts. “Indeed. The matter is quite delicate.” He started, eyes running up and down her body for a split-tick, then focusing on her one eye, staring intensely. “I came to understand you have a number of different drugs in your possession,” the bat began, finding himself become a little bit too distracted by the figure of the woman before him.

While he would certainly not deny he did indeed think she was quite attractive, this level of attraction was not quite normal for Brandon. Sure, he was male, and he was straight, but he was also Kelvic. Being this interested in the body of a female was completely unlike him. He had seen naked women before, he had scrutinized some thoroughly, but even then he had been in full control of his body and mind. Now he could feel a slight bit of lust floating about his mind, guiding his eyes, and a certain part of his thoughts. Almost as if it was mating season, only way less powerful. There was no confusion this time, his mind reaching a conclusion far sooner than it had before, all thanks to the intelligence he’d received during the first bout of manipulation in this very room.

A sigh escaped the bat, and he crossed his arms. Forget about playing dumb, this was becoming annoying. “I would appreciate it if you would refrain from trying to manipulate me.” Although the Kelvic’s voice was only a tad bit colder than usual, and his expression remained the same, his eyes sparked with intense annoyance, and perhaps a certain amount of loathing. “Anyways. As I was saying, I believe you are in possession of a number of drugs and sedatives, correct?” A small pause was implemented to allow the manipulator to answer. “Now, I happen to be looking for a drug with a specific set of attributes. And this is where things get delicate.” The time to cut to the chase had finally arrived. “I am searching for a drug strong enough to sedate a Wind Eagle. Something odorless, colorless, and flavorless. Preferably something that can be dissolved in water. And it has to work fast. A couple bells until the effect if not sooner. Do you have something like that?”

Credit goes to Cylos Marn

[Verilian]

At his request, the unnatural attraction he felt toward the woman went away, at least, so far as he could tell it did. For all Brandon knew, that could be exactly what she wanted him to think. There was really no way to be sure, not without using magic of his own, and even then there were ways around that.

"Lirana. And all social interaction is manipulation, my friend. If a child wants a cookie, he will be cute, or whine and complain. Perhaps he will promise to do extra chores, or lament that it has been soooo long since he last had a sweet. In the end , his efforts will pay off, and he will get what he wants. Or he will fail. It's no different than a woman wearing a provocative dress to attract the man she wants, or a merchant making his wares seem more appealing so he can sell them for a higher price. Or a thug flexing his muscles and making threats to frighten his victims before robbing them. It is all manipulation. We all do it. What does it matter the method? You are about to manipulate me into giving you the drugs you want. Perhaps you will use simple means, such a offering me pinions, or perhaps you will try something else. I, in turn, will manipulate you into giving me whatever price I want. We will both manipulate each other, and hopefully, we will both walk away satisfied."

There were no more signs of emotional tampering from that point on, though again there was no way of knowing for sure. She as much told him that she was going to be manipulating him, though perhaps not with magical means now. Lirana listened to his actual request, and didn't bother to hide the curiosity that registered on her face when he mentioned the wind eagle. There were few in Wind Reach he could have admitted such a thing to and gotten away with it. Even Lirana felt a tingle down her spine at the thought of it, despite herself. Like all Inarta, she was raised to basically worship the eagles. But Lirana served a greater master.. And perhaps she could use this to her advantage.

"Well now, that is a rather delicate request? I suppose it would be to much to ask why? Don't worry, I don't need an answer to that, just curiosity. I do indeed have such a drug. It will take me some time to prepare it, perhaps a bell."

It would, in fact, take her no time at all to prepare it, but Brandon didn't need to know that.

"This delicate matter.. you do understand that if you get caught, you will die. Not before leading your captors to me, most likely. And then I would die. I might die anyway, since I am one of the few people in wind reach with the means to come up with such a drug. Maybe the healers, but I doubt you could convince them to give you such a powerful sedative. Besides, they would want to see the wind eagle and apply it themselves. So the question is, how will you manipulate me into believing this is worth the risk?"

[Brandon Blackwing]

Brandon scowled ever so slightly at Lirana’s words, hating the fact she was not wrong. Nevertheless, whether she was right or wrong did not matter at all. At least she seemed to have stopped messing with his head, and that was the important thing. “You know what I mean, Lirana,” the Kelvic spoke rather flatly, “Manipulation through magic is different. Intimidation through flexing or through projecting a sense of fright into someone’s mind are completely different things.” He frowned. Technically he couldn’t say a thing about whether it was morally right to use hypnotism to get what you wanted. As someone with twisted ethical views himself that would be hypocritical. “Though I have to admit you do have a point. Everything might indeed be manipulation.” He crossed his arms, and cocked his head slightly, signaling he was done with the subject. “But I did not come here to discuss these kind of things.”

Liran’s reaction to his request was… fascinating, really. The surprise was written all over her face, as was a certain amount of curiosity. No real unexpected turn there, he’d figured the mention of one of the dire eagles would have that effect. What was really surprising though, was the fact that she just seemed to accept it and move on. She was a professional alright. “Is it not, then? I was under the impression that you Inarta were rather fond of your … Wind Eagles.” He’d almost called them “oversized birds”, but he’d figured that no matter how professional Lirana may have been, that blatant lack of respect would not do him any favors. Once again he had to admit that the woman had indeed been right; social interactions were games of manipulation.

“Not to mention that I am aware that harming a bird -any bird- here can have nasty consequences.” He sighed. While he wasn’t actively looking to cause harm to whatever kind of animal, he did find that rule a little over the top. The same went for the Okomo in Lhavit. Sure, they were gifts of Chaiya, but weren’t all animals? People got a little too zealous over certain things… though he wasn’t one to speak. “I have still time; waiting a bell should not be too much trouble.” In fact, when Lirana had said it would take some time to prepare, Bran had thought it would take a couple days.

“Of course. But don’t worry, I am a professional, just like you.”He smiled using just his mouth. “I don’t get caught. And even if I was discovered, who do you think I am? I might not look like it, but I have yet to be defeated in the fighting pits.” He smiled again, this time smugly. “Besides, I doubt someone like you couldn’t …hm… persuade your way out of trouble.” He gave a half-shrug then, thinking for a couple ticks. “It’s as you said. I am a simple man who uses simple methods to get what he wants. Pinions, intimidation, …” His voice trailed off. “Still, you don’t strike me as the type to give in for either… Not that I’d have tried intimidation here of course,” he laughed briefly, “That’s bad for business after all. In all seriousness; it depends on what you want.”

Once more he crossed his arms. “No person is without desires. Some want material wealth, others want to be at peace. The question is not whether what I can offer you is what you desire. It’s whether what you desire is something I can offer you. Name your price, and I’ll see whether I can manage to pay.”

Credit goes to Cylos Marn

[Verilian]

"Oh, we are indeed quite fond of our eagles, but it's not like you are going to kill one. You just want to put it to sleep. I'd guess you were after its eggs? Or maybe one of the trinkets in the aerie. Some eagles do like to collect shiny things, often valuable shiny things. They use them as toys, or decorations, and I doubt they have any idea what they're worth."

Lirana listened to Brandon's confident reply, and finally his offer, which wasn't really an offer, but simply a request that she tell him what she wants. Easy enough, what she wanted wasn't difficult. She was just curious if he might offer her anything special. Oh well, not everyone had something special to offer.

"We might be professionals, but so too will be those who finally catch us. At least, lets hope they are. It would be a shame to be taken down by some incompetent simpleton purely by accident. But, I suppose that happens as well. Wait outside, I'll prepare the drugs. Feel free to enjoy all we have to offer, I'll be back in a bell."

Lirana waited for Brandon to leave the room, then locked the door behind him. If he listened, he'd hear that other door, wherever it might be, open and close. It was a little less then a bell when Lirana called him back inside, but close enough. On her desk was a brown cloth bag, inside which was a small vial of liquid clear liquid, only slightly cloudy. It had only the faintest of scents.. slightly sweet. A normal human's nose would not be able to pick it out, but a kelvic's might.

"If you put that in a wind eagles watering trough, it should dissipate fully and you wont see a thing. Even an eagle's keen vision shouldn't be able to pick out the difference."

Lirana reached beneath her desk and pulled out another bag, a coin purse, and offered it to him. It was filled with ten glass pinions.

"If you have to bribe anyone, pay them with this. If you end up not needing them, share them with other random people. You can keep some for yourself if you want, but at least half you should spend or give away. That is your payment to me. I'll know if you keep them all, by the way, so don't."

Lirana sat back down, eyeing Brandon thoughtfully for a moment. If he examined the bag and the pinions, he would find nothing out of the ordinary about them. They did not smell funny or taste funny. They were the right weight, and looked just like any other pinion one might find in Wind Reach.

"I suppose unless you have anything else you'd like to talk about, we're done for now. Feel free visit us again. At the very least I'd like to know you survived whatever it is you're planning to do."

[Brandon Blackwing]

Brandon grinned, though merely because he was quite amused by the statement. The endal of Wind Reach might be professional enough to deal with their own people, but with someone such as the Kelvic? Ridiculous. Even if they came after him with three, he could take them; they weren’t as skilled as they believed themselves to be. Not in close combat anyway, from afar was another matter. The eagles were the only threat, but they were useless in the city. Nevertheless, it didn’t hurt to be careful, and indeed, it would be rather humiliating to be caught by pure coincidence. However, Brandon had never underestimated the power of coincidence, and he never would –he wouldn’t have been able to do what he did for as long as he had if he were overly confident.

“Like I said; don’t worry.” With that he exited the room as requested, hearing a door within the back room open as he closed the one behind him. Interesting… if possible he’d like to sniff out the location of the portal one day, though he figured it wouldn’t really encourage a healthy business relation with the proprietress of the Lost Sense. Bummer. Ah well, perhaps he’d be invited there some day, if he continued to do business with the establishment… and Lirana in particular.

For a moment, the Kelvic considered making use of the special services most personnel would no doubt be overjoyed to provide, but he ultimately decided against it. He could use this bell far more effectively by planning this little project. Usually, Brandon didn’t mind working on the fly, but this was not Lhavit, a city he knew like the inside of his pockets. Not to mention he needed to find a way to slip the drug into the Wind Eagle’s water. Not the most difficult thing he’d ever done, but he’d need multiple scenarios and multiple plans so he could stay versatile and adapt quickly. Three should do it, he figured. With a few long strides the bat made his way to an empty seat and sat himself down, politely dismissing the interested people that approached him, ensuring that he’d visit again, for pleasure and not work.

Alright, plan A; the thief pondered, running through the steps in his head. First he’d go to the aeries, and wait for the dek to come with buckets of water to refill the trough of the eagle. If he passed by and dropped the drugs in there, it shouldn’t be a problem… although… wouldn’t that be extremely noisy? Perhaps not if it was powder, but that wasn’t a certainty. Maybe it was a small cube, like the sugars that Lhavitian teahouses served with the tea. Or perhaps it was a liquid… A distraction was in order then. No problem, nor a need to be creative; just walk into the dek while slipping the sedative in the water, yell at the drudges for walking into him, maybe beat them up a bit… This sort of thing would be overboard in Lhavit, but here that was completely natural. Then he only had to let the dek finish the task and sneak into the aerie after having waited for the drug to take effect. A pretty decent and easy plan. Shouldn’t be too hard.

If however, he somehow couldn’t slip the drugs in the water, he would have to convince the dek to allow him to take over… perhaps he’d need to bribe them… Once the Kelvic was the one delivering the water, there would be ample opportunities to mix the sedative in the water. Then he’d just give the water to the eagle, leave and come back later once the bird had been put to sleep. That was plan B. The possibility existed though, that the dek wouldn’t accept the bribe, nor allow Bran to take their place. In that case the only thing Brandon could do was sneak into the aerie, and drug the eagle while he was there, preferably while staying undetected.

It all was really simple and uncomplicated; the “plans” felt kind of useless too, due to the obviousness of the steps. Either way, it did keep Brandon busy for a good couple chimes, as did running some simulations, going through each step in his mind. After a bell or so Lirana called the bat back into her office, an inconspicuous brown bag sitting on her desk. Brandon approached, reaching out and into the bag, his hand returning with a small vial with clear liquid inside. After uncorking, the bat sniffed it warily, detecting a very faint, almost unnoticeable sweet scent. Too faint to pick up when not paying attention, and when dissipated in water it would probably be entirely undetectable. The thief nodded contently, turning back to the proprietress, raising an eyebrow was she handed him a bag of coin.

A small frown creased his brow momentarily, and he attempted to detect anything special about the bag, but didn’t find a thing. The pinions too looked normal. Brandon held one against the light, comparing it with a feather-shaped coin he’d pulled out of a pocket, though he didn’t see any difference. He shrugged, and put both coins back, careful not to switch them. Maybe they’re magicked… his mind suggested, something that made a lot of sense. If they were ordinary coins she probably wouldn’t bother handing them to me. However, the purpose of the supposed spell woven into the coins was a mystery, and the bat had no way of finding out the truth about them. Keeping them sounded like a bad plan, especially if they really were magical.

“Alright then,” he spoke, asking no questions whatsoever, “I’ll be off. I’ll return within three days, to set your mind at ease.” He grinned, storing the vial along with the coin pouch in a pocket of his bryda, and strode to the door. The preparations were complete; now all that rested was executing the plan successfully. Brandon wasn’t too worried though, something like this shouldn’t be too much trouble.

Credit goes to Cylos Marn