Final Fantasy Hacktics

Xun watches the comings and goings with some concern.  When ordered to identify himself, he gives a polite nod of his head.  "Xun Huan.  Cook, traveler, priest of Way.  Honored to make acquaintance."  He watches Seap be led away.  "Hope no trouble.  Seap kind boy, play music very good."  He offers a friendly smile to the clerk and guards, hoping for a peaceful resolution even as he readies himself for conflict.

"Be there a way to check on Seap?
Since from wait zone can't hear a peep
Why'd they just take him?
Was it just a whim?
How long do they want us to keep?"

"You ask more than this humble player knows.  My master had a summer villa in the port of Depstan and a manse in the wine country of Highland.  His fortune came from fruit of the vine, from which we players received the most generous patronage.  During the summer festivals, our performances would attract everyone, high and low, native and foreigner.  Even the Prince of Highland himself attended one year, and before the war, so did many nobles of Verun.  In winter, we performed for the Baron, his knights, and the young Master.  Sometimes a dignitary from the Crown would discuss matters of state with my master, but their names escape me."
Seap sighed, as he tried to decide his next set of words.  There was no point in telling the truth, but there was no way to lie.  "That...that was my life, until last year.  The Baron...he...last year, he simply vanished."

          "What do you mean he vanished? You already implied he was dead. Which is it, boy?" Lagrand demands angrily. "I'm beginning to think you play me for the fool and you're simply seeking a position above your station in life. A nobleman doesn't simply vanish without a trace. No, I think perhaps we've never heard of this Baron Emal because there never was such a man and you're simply trumping up your own image in hopes of being hired into a House and not playing for pennies on a street corner where you belong." The huge man scowls darkly at Seap, "Come now, out with the truth, minstrel. Or I swear by Toroth's wrath I'll beat the truth out of you myself."

          One of the Patrolmen sees Elia trying to inch her way closer to the door of the interrogation room and shouts at her to stay with her caravan, ruining any attempt to get close enough to listen by the door.

Elia looks at the guard, and just decides to lean against the wall, to wait for seap.

   Yvonne has spent the last several minutes making a game out of drawing random symbols in the air with the sparkling fragments of magic flung off her wings as she flits around. "Why are they keepin' Leaky so long?" she wonders aloud, forming the word for cat in Corithonian. "Are they so enthralled by 'is music that they're getting' a private performance?" she makes several sharp angles to produce apple in Draconic. "How much longer we gotta wait?" she arcs gracefully through the curves of water in Alynthi.

"Well Madam, he said 'When I'm done with him, you may go. Or you may go on without him,'." She pushes against the wall to stand up completely. "I doubt we will get Seap back. I think the man will get what he wants out of him, or not. After that, Seap maybe killed, or used for more info. So from what I see that man means, we may wait here, or leave sooner." She pauses for a moment, watching Yvonne make crazy symbols. "You are quite amazing at flying Madam Incendam."

   "Killed?!" the flame fairy exclaims in surprise, cutting short a Celestial word for which there is no Common translation. "Why'd they wanna kill Leaky? 'E wou'dn' 'urt a fly!" She pauses for a moment before tracing out one of the many words for fire in Ignan. "And of course I'm a good flier." She says pridefuly as she draws another Ignan fire word. "I'm a Lirai."

"Its not a matter of what harm the bard would do, it his use, and how much he knows." Elia looks around the area. "This place seems.... As though it is hiding something... Or maybe its just me." She turns to face the fairy. "Liral? I don't believe I have heard much at all about them. Where do they live?"

   "Huh..." Yvonne utters, scribbling out her favorite dwarven curse. "Leaky di'n' strike me as the knowledgeable type..." and following it with an orc one. "Well, in any case, I hope 'es alright." She slips through giant in Giant. "As fer us Lirai, we hail from a far off plane known to some as the Lofty Dominion. Regardless of our elemental affiliation, we are all born of various flora in the Irikok jungle. Early in life I was tasked by my progenitor, the Ancient Uked Shrub to 'elp a young woman named Splice in 'er mission ta kidnap the prince Adlez." She accents her story by tracing key words she says, usually in Common. "It was a grand adventure, lemme tell ya." She smiles as she recalls the events. "We hunted bonenid spiders an' explored the Air Temple and the Earth Cavern. I'd 'elp 'er by providing key infermation tha' was given ta me by the Ancient Uke Shrub, and a' night she'd serenade me wi' lovely melodies from 'er magical lyre. We made a great team. But after we kidnapped the prince, she started spendin' all 'er time with 'im. So I go' bored. After a while I left withou' warnin' and wandered som'a the other planes fer a few centuries. Now I'm 'ere. Does tha' answer yer question?" She finishes by scribing the word question in Sylvan.

"Above what I asked, but not a problem. Although, I am quite amazed! You were wondering around other planes, for centuries, yet you don't look a day over twenty!" Elia looks at the ground and picks up a small rock off the floor. "I have heard many stories of alternate planes, but..." She looks up at Ryqo. "I grew up on stories. All I have to image the planes I hear of, are words." She tosses it in the air and catches it. "oh! How it would be amazing to see them with my own eyes!" Elia looks around to see if guards are nearby.
[spot check to see if a guard is watching me]
Elia whispers to Yvonne. "I want to get in that room, but it appears as though there are many guards. And that guy that yelled at me is in front of the door... I don't think we can get in. Without of course, a distraction. Or a fight."

   "Twenty?" Yvonne laughs, forming the number in Common. "You humans and yer short little lifespans..." she writes short in Halfling. "I suppose you don' know that we Lirai are nigh immortal. Sure, I suppose we c'n be killed and such, bu' really the Ancient Uked Shrub woul'n'a even thou' 'bout given me a big quest like that at twenty." She rewrites the number several times in . She lowers her voice so only Elia can hear. "I don' thin' this is the best place to be fightin'..." she says as she continues her run through various forms of twenty.

Whispers to Yvonne. "I agree with you there."
[Spot check for a hole thats big enough for a fairy to fit in]
Elia says aloud. "How hard, would you gather it to be for a human, such as myself, to learn a language from the planes?"

   Yvonne cannot contain her amusement and chortles wholeheartedly. "You, a human? Learn the languages of the planes?" She laughs so hard her wings miss a beat and she falls about a foot before catching herself. "It took me decades ta learn all the languages I know! And why..." she cackles "why do you even wanna know?" She tries to calm down a little. "Alright fine, fine, I c'n try ta teach ya a little Sylvan, but honestly, I'm not expectin' much..."

Elia face brightens up at Yvonne's offer. "Thank you! This will surly be interesting." She glances over at the cart. "I think, we should move onward. To an Inn while we wait?" Elia walks over to the man standing in front of the wooden door. "Hello good sir. I am quite parched, do you happen to know of a good Inn?" She says with a big fake smile.

          The guard has his hand to the hilt of his sword before Elia is even within a pike's length of him, a testament to the rigid training of the Verunian military. "Return to your caravan, harlot, or forfeit your life." He draws the blade with frightening speed, the blade flashing in the early-morning sun. "I know how sluts like you only understand being on their backsides with a man betwixt their legs but I'll try to put this in words even your feeble mind can understand. You've already been warned once before. Unless you want this blade through your guts and your pretty little head on a pike, I suggest you stop trying my patience. I'll not warn you a third time." The man raises the blade a bit, as if ready to strike in an instant.

Elia turns around and walks toward Yvonne. "Well then! Looks like the Inn is not an option today!"

   The fire sprite laughs and falls to the ground, rolling and giggling up a fit.

"I wouldn't be on the ground for two reasons Madam. Dirty, and you might get stepped on." Elia walks over and picks Yvonne up off the ground, and holds her in open palms, so she can easily get up. "Shame too, I was hoping to get my first drink too..." Elia looks at Yvonne. "Got any ideas? I'm open to anything."