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Post by kelantar on Apr 27, 2019 2:19:45 GMT
One could say that things were not going according to plan, but as far as his experience with Waterdeep went they never really did. Ever since his inception in the strangely cosmopolitan city he had lost both his belongings and his memory. And due to the loss of the abeforementioned, he didn't even know which one of both was worse, as he had no margin for reference. His attempt to get inside what could only be called a urban fortress had failed, which had led him to enact plan B. Plan A involved him getting inside through charm and guile, concocting a meticulously crafted plan about pretending to be someone he was not and effectively buying his belongings back without further ado. It had the critical flaw of not knowing exactly what he was missing, and that was what got him into trouble when things got spiffy and he couldn't quite provide the satisfactory answer the agents of crime were after. One thing led to another and he had to enact plan B in order to move forward.
Plan B was to try and force his way through and then fail in such a way that would make them want to take him prisioner instead of kicking him out, or killing him outright. Of course. That was another way to get inside and provide him with the opportunity of exploring the place, though it was similarly risky and not at all optimal. It could hardly be called a plan, but he was currently out of ideas and out of friends, and time was running out, as he guessed the more he waited the more likely the odds whatever goods he had on himself would be shipped out or exit the city were. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so much, he learned that his body could take a substantial amount of punishment before being thrown into the cell.
The lack of food or care he experienced afterwards was, no doubt, meant to weaken him for further encounters and also discourage him in regards to opposing their authority as he was at their mercy. Nonetheless, he needn't eat, or drink, or sleep, so the stony accomodations were not much of a problem. The smell however, he could have done without. Thus for hours, at least twelve, he sat in a dark cell paying close attention to the sounds around him trying to learn whatever shifts the guards could have in such a place, and what kind of numbers he would be dealing with there.
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 27, 2019 2:24:16 GMT
The fight in the Red Stallion had left Kara with a scar down her side and a bad taste in her mouth. She hadn’t been able to stop Uryon, the orc-kin who’d come to rob the place; she had at least put up more of a fight than the waitress whose mouth he’d destroyed against the bar. Worse, afterwards, Kara had learned that stopping him alone wouldn’t really be enough. She would, of course; she would fight him again, and next time she would win. But that wouldn’t necessarily fix Iara’s problems.
Of course, even stopping the Ajisha that Sofia and Iara had mentioned wouldn’t fix all of Waterdeep. But all of Waterdeep hadn’t fallen into Kara’s lap; Ajisha had. Kara didn’t worry about the bigger picture; she was only one woman, after all. She would tackle what she could, slowly and steadily. There were plenty of others out there to look beyond.
In honesty, Kara hadn’t come to that attitude right away. She had felt overwhelmed – defeated, in spirit as much as in body. Right after the fight, it hadn’t hit her; it had taken a few days to sink in, as the little indignities of life in Waterdeep ground at her, slowly, and the wound in her side took its time to heal. That had driven her to the woods, and the bear. Since coming back to the city, Kara hadn’t forgotten about the Red Stallion or Ajisha – or her orckin minion. She had done her best to learn more about them. Careful planning was better than rushed action, or so she had learned in the Hall of Vigilance.
Unfortunately, Kara wasn’t necessarily very good at information gathering.
The second punch hit her stomach. Kara thrashed, using the grip on her arms to haul back and lifting her legs up mostly with the strength of her core, flailing out with both feet into her attacker’s stomach. He groaned and doubled over, coughing for a moment. “What part of HOLD HER - ” He yelled, as soon as he had the breath, then broke off and began to cough again.
A cut on her forehead was steadily trickling blood into her face. Kara ignored it, eyes fixed on the man who’d been asking the questions, the one standing behind the man she’d just kicked in the stomach. There was the half-orc behind her, and the other hurrying to grab a hold of her as well, leaving her glaive behind him against the wall. There had been three others, now all lying on the ground. At least one wouldn’t be getting up again, Kara knew; maybe all three.
“Hold her,” the man she’d hit straightened up. He waited until the other two had a firmer grip on Kara, then slammed his fist into her face, jerking her head to the side. Kara spat blood and saliva onto the ground, and looked back at him, still and silent.
“Stop,” The first man, the one who really mattered, stepped forward. He sighed. “Bind her and toss her into the holding cell. Maybe in a day or two she’ll be more ready to tell us what she was up to.”
The prisoner would find his quiet ruminations on the strength of the guards interrupted by the door banging open. A bound, gagged and bloody woman well more than a foot shorter than him would come flying through the air, smacking directly into him.
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Post by kelantar on Apr 27, 2019 2:28:54 GMT
Kal would not waste his chance and when the guards came tried to engage them in conversation to feel the mood.
"Hey I was-"
He began to say and was promptly silenced when a body hit against him. By reflex, he catched as if he was tossed a really heavy bag, but he did not possess right then the necessary strength to remain unfazed when tossed such a weight, so he stumbled back on to the wall and before he could say a thing the men left leaving him alone with the newest cell companion. That did not factor into his plans. He took the opportunity to ascertain whether the person was hurt or not, but firstly, whether she was concious or not.
He complained at the hit, but not too much. Just a well deserved "Oof". His powers were also something he was exploring and getting used to, it felt like a skill he hadn't practiced in a very long time. Unknown and strange, but once he started to cast things the knowledge about how to do it came naturally to him. Thus, his first question was the one he deemed to be of common sense.
"Are you alright?"
The elf would ask, trying to take a peek into her eyes, seeing if he could drop her without her hitting the ground.
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 27, 2019 2:31:19 GMT
Kara wouldn’t really leave Kal a choice when it came to dropping her. Her hands were bound behind her back and her feet and knees were bound together, but she was distinctly conscious. She was scowling, the expression mostly hidden behind the cloth tied around her face and shoved into her mouth. She thrashed against him, hard enough that she’d hit him if he didn’t let go, and landed hard on her knees on the cell floor with an audible thunk, although if it hurt she didn’t seem to notice it.
It was clear that Kara had gotten much the same treatment Kal had. Her lip was swollen, there was blood crusting both of her nostrils, and the skin around one eye was darkening rapidly. There was a small cut on her head, with trails of blood leading down the side of her face, and a spreading bruise around it. She wore a well-patched black tunic, a black shirt beneath and cloth wrappings covering her arms, along with black leggings, so it was hard to tell how the rest of her had fared.
The gag in her mouth was a little loose, and Kara gave her head a vigorous shake, managing to use her shoulder to dig the rest of the gag out. She gasped for breath; the fabric that had been in her mouth was wet and bloody.
Finally, she coughed, chest rasping in a way that suggested she had taken at least some damage to the ribs, and squinted up at Kal.
“Fine.” Kara answered. She scowled, looking down at the floor, twisting to examine her bound hands and legs.
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Post by kelantar on Apr 27, 2019 2:35:01 GMT
What could have she possibly done to receive such a treatment, he wondered, almost indignated. The voice in his head, echoing his toughts carried with it slightly more emotion that he would have expected. At the very least, the same thing he had done. But was it really necessary to beat a woman like that? He didn't have much time to contemplate the reason, as soon she started to wiggle and writhe and he would simply let go of her as if instead of a person he had accidentally picked up a bundle of ants. Her body however, had felt strangely hard during the brief time they were in touch with one another. He doubted a simple merchant would have a body like that, and that anyone would have enough strength and energy left to still writhe and wiggle like that with those kind of wounds. Perhaps there was some more legitimate reasons for her beating, even if those were concern about what she could do if she was in good condition.
For the moment being, Kel'antar just observed her, waiting to see if she really was fighting the bindings or she would start frothing at the mouth any moment. Even though he didn't know her, he would avoid her death in the cell if he could. However, the only thing that came out of her mouth was the gag in her mouth, accompanied by some blood and other unsavory bits. Fine, she said. The elf was puzzled, to say the least.
"You have a strange definition of fine"
He said, before taking a more careful look at her, head to heels.
"And by strange I mean wrong, you're clearly wounded"
He stopped then, eeying her with care, there was a bit of kindness in his eyes but also caution.
"Do you want me to examine your wounds?"
He offered, still laying in the same spot he had been when she arrived in the cell via being flown through the air.
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 27, 2019 2:40:12 GMT
Kara scowled at the elf at his first response, but something about the – frankness of it disarmed her, slightly, and left her blinking, face smoothing out slightly. She looked slightly suspicious at the offer to examine her wounds, but – if it was a trick, if he was with Ajisha and meant to ingratiate himself with her to find out why she was there, then he could do his worst. At least he likely really would bind her wounds, if that was the purpose of this. “Yes,” Kara decided, after a moment, then added, in a much more polite tone. “In a moment. Thank you.” Kara squinted back over her shoulder – her vision was rapidly becoming limited to one eye – at the cloth tied around her wrists. It was fraying a bit at the edges; there was a solid knot holding it together as well. She could try to pick it apart, or… Kara inhaled, deeply, then exhaled, gritting her teeth, a vein throbbing in her forehead, and pushed her arms apart with all her strength. Hard corded muscle expanded beneath the straps of fabric, visible in the dim light of the cell. ((Athletics to break the cloth - DC set to 17, as with rope: zKkSyjV11d20+5))
The muscles in her arms strained, Kara gritted her teeth, and the cloth flew apart, scraps littering the ground. Satisfied, she rolled over and sat on the ground, bringing her legs close and setting to work on the knots holding her knees and ankles together. Those, at least, she unpicked with her fingers, tugging at the cloth until she could slide the bonds off. Last, she pulled the cloth around her neck free, dropping the damp, bloody fabric next to the rest.
Only once she was free did Kara look up at the elf, and give him a slight nod. 1d20+5 |
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Post by kelantar on Apr 27, 2019 3:07:05 GMT
He nodded when she replied, a silent acknowledgment that he would when it was appropiate to do so. However, what moment could she be requesting? It was not like she was going to go anywhere with the cell closed, and both her hands and feet tied. Maybe it was about mental preparation. Nonetheless he waited and remained vigilant, and also quite curious. And when she started to struggle he could not help but feel a certain kind of entertainment to it, watching her fight her bindings breathing heavily, seeing the muscles tense up. She certainly had a high opinion of her strength, enough to be absolutely confident that she would be able to break free by just using enough force. Kel'antar naturally, knew it to be folly and simply waited until she would stop struggling.
However as she kept doing it he started to wonder if she actually was serious about it, if she really could simply destroy it by using enough strenght against the cloth. On one hand, it was cloth, it wasn't a fabric known by being resistant. On the other hand, it was binding her. It was in a position in which it was noticeably hard to summon strength. And as seconds went by his initial disbelief started to turn into surprise, and then into legitimate awe as the sound of cloth ripping eventually took over the cell before scraps of it went flying, along with her arms. For one moment he wondered if she would do the same with the bindings across her legs, just powering through with a grunt.
And then felt both slightly silly, and slightly disappointed when she didn't and instead resorted to use her hands to untie them. It was the logical thing to do, but during that brief moment he definitely thought it a possibility. He, for once, was now concerned about being trapped in a cell with a potentially dangerous individual but was reluctant to jump to conclusions. His initial offering still stood. After the second nod, he nodded back, waited a few seconds and then approached.
His hands reached out to the wounded areas trying to ascertain the damage; his touch, his grip, was firm but gentle at the same time. He only used the precise, necessary force and nothing else, not unlike a skilled surgeon or a massagist. It came natural to him, and it looked like she was wounded pretty badly. It shocked him a bit that she wasn't writhing in pain in the ground, however he kept that realisation to himself. The girl, he decided then, was something else and appart from most other individuals he had met thus far.
"You will live"
He declared then
"I thought you would... well. How to put it. I don't think you are in any fighting shape, but after what you just did I think I'll question my own judgement on the subject where you are concerned."
A small pause with a faint, kind smile, the worry in his eyes briefly flashing through, before it went back to normal.
"I can however, heal your wounds if you'd like"
He did not mention that said healing would happen instantly, however.
"How did you end up here?"
Asked
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 27, 2019 3:08:32 GMT
Kara sat still and silent, patient, as the elf explored her injuries. Her nose was unbroken, but thoroughly bloodied; the cut on her lip was just that, a cut. It looked like there might be a slight fracture of one of the bones near the eye, but the eye itself seemed unharmed, although it wouldn’t be useable much longer. Both eyes tracked with him if he checked, and her pupils were a normal size for a human, suggesting neither that hit or the one on her scalp had concussed her. Her scalp had bled heavily, but the injury itself wasn’t so bad; it was typical for wounds on the scalp to bleed like that.
Her breathing was slightly labored; there was at least bruising to her ribs, maybe a fracture or two. Probably not worse. She had been hit elsewhere, on the arms and legs and stomach, but there were no signs of internal bleeding, or anything worse than severe bruising. Her knuckles were bruised and scraped as well, painful looking but not serious; some of the bruising was deep, suggesting potential damage to some of the bones in the hand, but she could use them freely, and if it hurt she didn’t say anything. In short, she’d been thoroughly beaten, and clearly done some beating of her own, but she wasn’t in any danger.
And so he concluded.
Kara raised an eyebrow at the news that she would live; it wasn’t news to her. She knew perfectly well that she was injured, but also that it wasn’t serious. She could fight if necessary, but she didn’t let on about that. Better that no one know her full capabilities – in case the elf examining her wasn’t really an enemy of her enemy.
He offered to heal her wounds, but then asked how she’d ended up there. Kara was quiet, weighing it. So far, she had said nothing to her interrogators; they had really only wanted to know why she’d been watching the building, why they’d kept seeing her outside. She had kept silent on it. Was the elf offering to heal her in exchange for the information they wanted, or was he just offering, and also curious?
Kara took a deep, careful breath. She had a bad feeling that she would need to fight her way out of this place. Better to take the healing. She was a terrible liar, though; she didn’t think it was even worth trying.
“I would like that,” Kara said, still polite. “Thank you.” She was quiet, rolling the other question over in her mind. “How did you?” Kara asked, finally, looking steadily at the elf.
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Post by kelantar on Apr 27, 2019 3:22:07 GMT
The elf nodded and then reached forward with one hand, it was a strange thing but every time he used said magic it he felt connected to something he had lost, a strangely warm feeling of loss filled him, like something slipping of his hand, hard to define. He sighed and then willed her body to heal itself; his fingers touched her skin and that heat he radiated seeped into her like a leak, flowing inside her and filling the cracks that were her wounds, replenishing lost vitality, flesh and blood.
Cure Wounds (Level 1)
Bco21Ry51d8+3
"Well, they dragged me down here after we had a disagreement. I am looking for belongings of mine which were stolen, and after some inquiring I learned that a woman by the name of Ajisha seemed to have them in her possession. I tried buying my way in, and talking my way in. When neither worked well... Let's just say I attempted a third option, and it worked. Kind of. Now I'm inside. The only problem is I don't know the layout."
With those words said he got up to his feet and began to walk around the cell, which to be fair wasn't that large to begin with, eventually he stopped and rested his back agains the wall taking a deep sigh as he crossed his arms across his chest, looking at her. She was clearly a fighter, but seemed reluctant to tell her why she was down there. Understandable, given that they were strangers in a violent situation, in a dangerous place, known for being a den of scum, villany and treason. Nonetheless, he felt certain about what he wanted to do, and knew for a fact that him being a random encounter for these kind of fellas would not warrant a method of interrogation such as getting an agent of them bound and gagged inside so they would chat with him.
First, because if it was so she was thus far being terrible at her job about being talkative. Secondly, and most importantly, because he had already made it clear what was it that he wanted.
How she got there, he decided, was none of his business. She looked like she had been roughed up and then tossed in there with him. Maybe a member of a rival gang? After the beating she had endured he doubted she was simply a thief.
"So... You wouldn't happen to have seen the way around as they brought you down, did you?"1d8+3
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 27, 2019 4:21:29 GMT
((Kara starts at 40/55 hp; plus 4 from healing puts her at 44))
Plus two hit die:
44 + yj0lTtfz2d12 = 55 hp
The elf touched her, and Kara felt healing energy flow through her, familiar and soothing. The energy seeped into her ribs, and she felt a deep coolness there and in her fingers, the worst of the damage easing.
The elf seemed not at all shy about explaining why he was there. Kara listened, quietly. It was hard to be sure; she didn’t fully trust him, but he’d used magic to heal her, and she found that she believed what he was saying. They had stolen his belongings – she didn’t put it past Ajisha. Better still, where ever they had put his things might be where Kara could find her glaive. She wanted to get out, but she wouldn’t leave it behind; they had been through too much together.
Kara stayed sitting on the floor as the elf paced back and forth in the cell. She closed her eyes more than halfway, breathing slowly and deeply in and out, letting the air fill her lungs and her body. She accepted the pain of the wounds that remained, and let it flow through her and out with her exhales, regaining her strength in an almost meditative state.
Kara’s eyes opened when the elf began to speak again, and she looked up at him. “Not much,” Kara admitted. She had been – distracted, still trying to fight the bonds, and the way they had carried her had strained her ribs, and put rather a lot of pressure on them. She rose, slowly, stretching herself out. She felt nearly as good as new, fresh and strong; she didn’t want to wait around any longer, getting hungry and thirsty until she was too weak to fight. Kara had had a lifetime fill of being caged; she didn’t intend to linger longer than necessary.
“Can you get us out?” Kara asked.2d12
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Post by kelantar on Apr 27, 2019 4:55:46 GMT
"That does put us in a pickle then"
The elf said bringing one hand up to his chin, caressing the shape of his jaw until the tip of his fingers tapped softly on his lips. He looked at the gates and contemplated possibilities. Without knowledge about the layout of the place...
"Without knowledge about the layout of the place we could be getting lost trying to find our way out. All that I'm certain of is that we are below ground, and of that only. And worse, we would be unnarmed the entire way through, and I don't imagine that the guards would be so kind as to bring us weapons in case things don't go our way."
He paused and took a deep breath, then nodded with almost a shy smile, a very small gesture.
"I can get us out of here at any time"
Said softly, to avoid anyone overhearing casually, as if that was more important than everything else he had just said about plotting to escape.
"The only problem is what we will do when we're out... So I propose something. I already tried calling for the guards, to no avail. But there must be guards, I just don't think they really care much for the well being of their prisioners. Or whether they are comfortable or not, seeing how they just tossed us in here. So I... have a plan. Though, if you don't wish to take part in it, we can certainly try something else."
That said he shifted almost uncomfortably where he was and found it hard suddenly to look at her in the eyes, but then he did, locking gazes with her.
"I do belive that it is only the prisioner's suffering that which they will avoid. Should you start..." He paused, took a deep sigh summoning the strength needed to go over the following with a straight face and then just said it "Moaning loud enough, surely, a guard will come to see what's happening. It's something basic about human nature, and from what I've gathered, the guards are humans. They are in a position of power. I do belive that while they have no problem with our suffering they won't waste a chance at stopping something pleasurable, or having a chance to laugh or humiliate their prisioners, if prompted to do so. In any case, I'd have the lock unlocked by then, so when the guard shows up, we make a sprint for him to take his weapons."
He took another deep breath, he had no idea how she would react to that but given how flexibly talkative she had been thus far he... He simply didn't feel it was within her to do that. She seemed mistrustful of him, understandably, and overall tough. To be tough was one thing, but to also be shameless... He shook his head.
"Alternatively, I could unlock the door when appropiate and we could try to sneak our way through, but I fear we might run into someone in a long hallway and he could sound the alarm before we get to persuade him otherwise. Last time I didn't fare so well against the brutes, and I'm sure they didn't bring out everyone they had just for poor old me. I'll defer to your judgement on this."
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 27, 2019 5:06:24 GMT
Kara’s brows lifted slightly at the news that the elf could get them out at any time. She paused. She didn’t need the guard to bring her a weapon; if they had one, she was confident that she could wield it. There was almost nothing she hadn’t used, one time or another.
Before Kara could say anything, the elf was continuing. Kara shifted something, not liking the way he was starting to talk around his point. He looked down, then up, meeting her eyes, and made his suggestion.
Kara gritted her teeth, arms crossing over her chest, looking visibly tense and uncomfortable, muscles bulging. She glared at him, her face settling into a firm, hard scowl, the sort that made the recipient think that violence was very – very likely to follow.
“No,” Kara said, with absolutely no give in her voice. She paused, as if daring the elf to try and press the issue. “You do it,” there was almost a challenge in her voice. She didn’t approach, not really trying to intimidate him in any way. If it was such a good plan – why was she the only one who could carry it out?
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Post by kelantar on Apr 27, 2019 5:33:50 GMT
He understood the woman's reluctance to perform, and he didn't laugh at her when she proposed that he'd be the one to do it. He smiled with kindness in return, and replied.
"If you were a guard stuck during duty in a heated basement. What would you be more inclined to want to see, an attractive human, a member of your species, alluring you, or an elf of the same sex? It's really pivotal that you picture yourself as an out of shape, probably drunk, angry single man. I can try to do it myself since we have nothing to lose, though I doubt it will work. Will you give it a try, after me?"
He proposed, though he didn't think she would. So far, she hadn't even told her what was she doing down there, and their interactions had mostly comprised themselves of "You first" for anything. And it was okay, he had no expectations out of her, other than she wanting to get out of there and being willing to fight for that. For Kel'antar the inherent embarassment was not in doing such an act himself but in proposing it to someone he did not know at all.
"What will you do after we... if we manage to arm ourselves?"
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 27, 2019 5:41:10 GMT
Kara stared the elf down. She had to admit, she didn’t think it was the worst idea she’d ever heard, in terms of attracting the attention of the guards. She glanced down at herself, and then back at the elf, objecting slightly to the description of herself as an attractive human. Personally, she thought that if the guards heard her moaning after the beating she’d been given, they’d be more likely to think she was dying.
Kara didn’t argue; arguing suggested there was something to argue about, some room for quarter. She did answer Kel, very simply. “No.” Her arms uncrossed; his willingness to try the plan had defused the last of her anger at the very suggestion of it. He was very straightforward, and he smiled easily enough. Kara had a hard time believing he meant to humiliate her; rather, she thought he really was trying.
Kara exhaled. He had given quite a bit; Kara could admit that. He had told her what he was doing there. It was her turn to pace, ever so slightly. She looked down at the floor of the cell, then at Kel. If he was a spy – if they were listening – let them.
“They have my glaive,” Kara said, simply. “I will get it back.” She was quiet, looking at Kel for a moment later, arms crossing tightly. “I will stop Ajisha,” She said, finally, firmly, something unshakeable burning deep in her blue-gray eyes. Let them know she was coming. They would know it soon enough. "If not today, then - soon."
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Post by kelantar on Apr 27, 2019 6:04:27 GMT
For him, however, the plan was simple even if a bit dark. Kara was bound hands and legs when they tossed her inside, and as far as he knew, the people in there knew nothing about him at all. It would stand to reason that he was "taking advantage" of her situation. It would not be about helping her, but preventing him from having "fun" with her. In his mind he figured he knew the kind of people that run those kind of places. He had no love for them, as he was sure Kara herself had not love for them either, but he was also far from being one of them. He knew from the start that the plan would require her cooperation and he was not interested in forcing her in any way. He knew it was, by all means, far from the optimal plan. But also he was not an expert in infiltrating the slumbs of cities and dealing with their kind. Or maybe he was. And that was the problem, he couldn't remember anything. And it was more than a little frustrating at times.
Kel nodded at the woman's resolve, he had no doubt that she would, possibly, be a force to be reckoned with after seeing her stand up like that. He had no idea what her beef was with Ajisha, and he felt like he didn't have to know in order to cooperate. Only know that for the time being they were allies in what was to come.
"I am more interested in today"
The elf said then, politely and slowly
"If I try to get my things, while you get your glaive and go away to fight another day... I would like to know, so I can do the same as well. I would not like to be trapped here again. When I asked you what you would do... It was because of that. If you will try to stop Ajisha right now, then I would like to be a part of it, I do think we would have a better chance that way. I only ask however that you do not kill her, before I can learn where my things are if I don't find them here."
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