The heroes from Deneval sit around a table in the sitting room to continue discussing their findings. Maldrek looks to Zilo and says, "Right, so Zilo, we've given our findings. How did blending into the people go?" Zilo tensed up in an instant, and rubbed the back of his neck as he began,
"Well, it started out fine. The noble quarter loved me, and then I found a tavern with some swell folks... until one of them tried to clock me." Maldrek grins as he puts out an expectant hand for Cruxis to throw some coins into. Zilo continues,
"Then... Well... I just wanna say this wasn't my fault." May gives him a deadpan stay and speaks plainly, "I knew it was going too well, what did you do?" Zilo smiles with a shrug and says, "Just a rousing fun round of kidnapping."
The three of them look in stunned silence, Zilo looks left and right to them all before he speaks, "To clarify I was kidnapped, not me doing the kidnapping." Cruxis's head falls into his hands as May begins to stifle a small giggle from her mouth. Maldrek twitches his eyebrow before asking, "What do you mean, you got kidnapped."
Zilo begins maneuvering his hands around and speaks practiced and in a mockingly teacher-like-tone, "Well, bards are legendary for our appeal to the common folk, and it's not uncommon for them too-" Maldrek slams his fist into the table and shouts, "Is this another groupie like the orc chieftess situation!"
"First of all, she was the daughter of the chief, and second I'm not betrothed this time." May begins a sarcastic mocking clap and says, "Congratulations, third time's the charm I guess, you finally didn't bumble into another marriage." Cruxis twitches and speaks,
"Wait, you had an orc chief's daughter as a groupie?" Zilo nodded and recalled, "Yeah, Aria got stuck in a fight for my hand. Sparky had to tag in and the little guy got more fangirls out of it than me." Cruxis breathes heavy and says, "Glad I'm not a tribal, sounds needlessly violent."
Cruxis has a new thought cross his mind and rises from the table saying, "Time out, why is it always Zilo? There are seven other guys on the team, you'd think that for once they would go for Maldrek or me?" Maldrek looks like he is trying to tell him to drop it, but as he begins to speak, he gets a puzzled look and turns toward May with a tilt of his head.
May raises an eyebrow and says, "Gods above, look at him." She says motioning to Zilo and says, "Strong square jaw, perfect length facial hair, grey fox but still young, literal dark mysterious past, but a genuinely nice guy. He's like junk food for girls cracking on their diet."
She then motions to Maldrek and Cruxis and says, "Plus his parents didn't give him red beady eyes and tusks, how would you even kiss with those?" both men get a hurt expression on their face as Maldrek press a finger just below his eye and Cruxis tries ineffectively to hide his tusks under his upper lip.
Zilo smiles brightly, looks to May, and says, "Thank you May, I didn't realize you thought I was that good looking." May waves him off dismissively and says, "Slow your roll, guy. You forget I know you. Personality can do a lot when it comes to women, and you don't check that box for me."
Zilo's smile fades slightly and he continues, "Either way, after I was knocked out, a noble-born girl and I presume her entourage carried me to her manor and she tended to my wounds while I was out cold. One thing led to another and now I'm her date to the ball."
Maldrek furrows his brow and Cruxis and May begin to rail on the bard for accidentally agreeing to go on a date. Just as he always had, Maldrek begins to work the angles. After he stews it over a bit he cuts off May, who was about to threaten to tell Aria.
"Zilo, what was her name?" Zilo snaps back right away and says, "She's called Ai Rai."
Maldrek makes a quick fist pump and goes, "Like it was planned from the beginning. I know just how to recover this." Zilo looks to Maldrek with a hopefully expression and says, "You can get her off my back." Maldrek response confidently,
"Nope"
Zilo's smile twitches slowly into a frown as Maldrek explains, "I've been trying to put together a contingency plan in case we get found out while looking for the Order. As the prince's entourage and the stars of the ball, it is obvious to assassins that we are gonna be trying to thwart the assassination on our lord's wife to be."
May nods along concurring with all his points as an evil grin begin to form on Maldrek's face, "But a doofy bard who lucked his way into the ball is much less suspicious when it comes to counter assassination plans. You are going to the ball with Ai under that guise, but we have to sell the cover."
Zilo's hopefully face has fully transformed into one of fear as he echos, "Sell the cover?" Maldrek nods and says, "The Umies may rule, but the Rais have far more money, and love making a show of their exotic imports and such."
Cruxis' face shifts backward as he realizes the wizard's plan. Shortly after May too understands and suddenly begins laughing so hard that she falls out of her seat and Maldrek says, "We've only been here a day, not long enough to draw a pattern. Who's to say you, Zilo Realms, aren't just visiting independently when you scored an invite to an extravagant ball..."
Zilo's eyes blast open wide as the next words leave the tiefling's mouth, "With your new sugar momma letting you stay at her manor until the ball." Zilo shoots up off the table and shouts
"I HAVE A FIANCE!" Maldrek presses his fingers to his chin and says, "Good point, make sure not to mention that. Thank the gods only Aria has a ring right now."
Zilo points the wizard down and says, "That's not what I mean! I am not going to risk my future with Aria, no matter how good your plan is. If she finds out then this whole trip is pointless!" As Zilo shouts, May squints at him and comments, "Why's the trip pointless. The pay is still at the royal standard... Unless."
Zilo clamps on his mouth and May smiles, "You're getting paid some other way!?" The fetchling sighs deep, hangs his head, and confesses, "The prince promised that he'd let me and Aria get married at the castle... I want her to have the best wedding ever, so it seemed like a good deal."
The rest of the heroes go silent for a few seconds. The pause is broken by Cruxis turning to May and Maldrek and scolds, "He's not doing it Maldrek. I don't care if the entire Order learns our plan. Zilo shouldn't have to deal with-"
"I'll do it." Says the bard.
The others look at the bard who has a new level of resolve on his face as he says, "This ball needs to go off without a hitch or I might not get that dream wedding. I can play keep-away with some noble for a month easy."
No comments:
Post a Comment