Meanwhile . . .
She had not known that Roen escaped. This news hit her even harder than the rumored intruders as Brynnalia Callae explained the situation to her over linkpearl. "What?! Where is she?" Desperate words from an equally desperate woman who had seen her every attempt at bringing the man to justice thwarted or subverted by incompetence. And now she was to believe the man himself was leading some haphazard assault on a secret prison?
"...I have no idea. But ye want tae get Lazarov? This be the perfect chance."
"Fine, fine. I will be there. I only know of the entrance from the manse."
"We gatherin' in the office now."
She was met just outside by a Brass Blade she did not recognize. Most likely a new recruit. He stopped her with a halt before questioning her business. She pulled off her visor and glared. "My business with him is rather private." There was a moment before the blade realized who she was from a description given and quickly backed off. "Un, in there, milady." he stammered.
Muttering to herself about 'bureaucratic inconveniences' in security, she pulled the turban and visor back down over her eyes and pushed her way through the door into the office. Inside she was immediately greeted by what could have amounted to the small army of those assembled. Miss Callae stood to the side of the room while Jameson's latest security asset stood silently by the door per usual. A cloaked figure that Coatleque remembered from days before was also there, though nowhere nearly as dark and mysterious as the last time they met.
An argument was being waged between Brynnalia and the cloaked man, whom appeared to be a thaumaturge of some sort. She was reminding the man of his contractual obligations while he did his best to weasel out of them. Coatleque nodded her approval to the heavily armored figure by the wall before inclining her ear to focus on what was being said beyond the office division. Jameson was there with his valet, and his well-being was of more import than cowards to her at the moment.
"The guards posted underground reported a group, one of whom matches the description. Headin' toward the Black Cells. I can only imagine it be Lazarov." Brynnalia began to relay what little information they had when she realized Coatleque had arrived.
"Heading? They simply let them pass?" The sworn asked rhetorically. Their thoughts were cut short though when Jameson rounded the corner of the division in full-plate armor matching the heavily armored guard by the door. She quirked an eyebrow almost amusingly at the sight of him before stepping forward. "James? What are you doing?" The man lifted his visor.
"They think it's Lazarov."
"Yes, I've heard but..." Her weak objection was only met with a smile.
"Well it seems for once we'll be engaging in intense physicality back-to-back."
"Milord, is that... are you...?"
"Insane? Yes. I have considered that. Do try not to point me out in combat. I require surprise to be on my side."
"Your side? An unnecessary risk!" She stepped forward again as if she could personally stop him or change his mind. He could not see the worry behind her eyes through the mask. "You do not mean to face this man yourself?!"
Jameson's expression turned suddenly serious. "Oh, I do." She opened her mouth once more to object but the familiar look in his eyes silenced her. Her lips pursed as her defiance began to fade before stepping to his side and bowing her head submissively. "I will stand with you."
He directed his attention to the guard by the door then. "You will flank with me. We will take the fight straight to the teeth of Lazarov and remove them, tooth by tooth. Coatleque, I will require you to take whomever is leading their charge. If it's Lazarov, and he is not leading from the rear, let him through to me."
She and the guard nodded almost in unison. "As you will, milord.", Coatleque replied.
"Mr. North, I fear your finery is at risk."
"Sir...?"
"Your clothes. I am afraid you will have to bill me for the bloodstains to come. Apologies in advance."
"... I am sure I will manage, sir."
The raven-haired rogue, meanwhile, regarded them from the side of the room, touching her linkpearl now and again as more information was fed to her from below. A glance was thrown to Gideon momentarily, but he valet merely stared blankly ahead as he awaited further instruction. Perhaps it was his eerie calm or maybe the buzzing in her ear, but the woman began to shift her weight from one foot to another.
"We all understand? No names." Jameson said with stern command to he acknowledgement of all.
Brynnalia inhaled and took up her bow to test the string before looking back up to the others. "I'm goin' tae scout ahead."
"Take the guard out front with you." Jameson ordered.
"Will do." The woman turned on her heals pausing only to glance at Coatleque. "I'll keep in touch with the pearl."
The table at the side of the room was then brushed clear and a map thrown down. Coatleque wandered over from the desk to the table at the side of the room to stand by Jameson as they perused over the map, making notes of where the tunnels turned, intersected, and doubled back. Another map was laid down by the robed man with a slight nod of acknowledgement from the Lord and the two compared.
"Our chance to rid ourselves of this vermin once and for all. A risk worth taking, no?" Jameson pointed to a particular straight away in the map before glancing to her at his side. She returned a sly smile.
"In one fell swoop then? I did not expect him to be so brash." She would not admit that something felt off about all of this. She had spoke to Nero over the linkpearl. He made it clear there was no intention of coming for Roen. Why now would he change his mind?
"Let us also assume he has tricks up his sleeve." Jameson added.
"Of course. Even he could not make it far alone. Though I doubt a rabble of Limsan pirates would make it far past the bar."
The buzz of the linkpearl broke her train of thought as Brynnalia reported in. Coatleque held a hand to her ear listening. "Shall we follow? We have the advantage of knowing these tunnels." Another moment before her hand lowered with a pensive glance to the man beside her. "She counts four targets."
"Good." was all the man would say.
"Best get down here now. Quick." came a whispered hiss over the linkpearl.
Coatleque looked back up to Jameson as the group began to huddle closer to each other. There was a light in his eyes she had not seen for what seemed weeks now. A certain thrill at ending this once and for all that pushed all tiredness aside in the face of what had to be done. He glanced at her one last time before closing the visor of his helmet. "We go."
She had not known that Roen escaped. This news hit her even harder than the rumored intruders as Brynnalia Callae explained the situation to her over linkpearl. "What?! Where is she?" Desperate words from an equally desperate woman who had seen her every attempt at bringing the man to justice thwarted or subverted by incompetence. And now she was to believe the man himself was leading some haphazard assault on a secret prison?
"...I have no idea. But ye want tae get Lazarov? This be the perfect chance."
"Fine, fine. I will be there. I only know of the entrance from the manse."
"We gatherin' in the office now."
She was met just outside by a Brass Blade she did not recognize. Most likely a new recruit. He stopped her with a halt before questioning her business. She pulled off her visor and glared. "My business with him is rather private." There was a moment before the blade realized who she was from a description given and quickly backed off. "Un, in there, milady." he stammered.
Muttering to herself about 'bureaucratic inconveniences' in security, she pulled the turban and visor back down over her eyes and pushed her way through the door into the office. Inside she was immediately greeted by what could have amounted to the small army of those assembled. Miss Callae stood to the side of the room while Jameson's latest security asset stood silently by the door per usual. A cloaked figure that Coatleque remembered from days before was also there, though nowhere nearly as dark and mysterious as the last time they met.
An argument was being waged between Brynnalia and the cloaked man, whom appeared to be a thaumaturge of some sort. She was reminding the man of his contractual obligations while he did his best to weasel out of them. Coatleque nodded her approval to the heavily armored figure by the wall before inclining her ear to focus on what was being said beyond the office division. Jameson was there with his valet, and his well-being was of more import than cowards to her at the moment.
"The guards posted underground reported a group, one of whom matches the description. Headin' toward the Black Cells. I can only imagine it be Lazarov." Brynnalia began to relay what little information they had when she realized Coatleque had arrived.
"Heading? They simply let them pass?" The sworn asked rhetorically. Their thoughts were cut short though when Jameson rounded the corner of the division in full-plate armor matching the heavily armored guard by the door. She quirked an eyebrow almost amusingly at the sight of him before stepping forward. "James? What are you doing?" The man lifted his visor.
"They think it's Lazarov."
"Yes, I've heard but..." Her weak objection was only met with a smile.
"Well it seems for once we'll be engaging in intense physicality back-to-back."
"Milord, is that... are you...?"
"Insane? Yes. I have considered that. Do try not to point me out in combat. I require surprise to be on my side."
"Your side? An unnecessary risk!" She stepped forward again as if she could personally stop him or change his mind. He could not see the worry behind her eyes through the mask. "You do not mean to face this man yourself?!"
Jameson's expression turned suddenly serious. "Oh, I do." She opened her mouth once more to object but the familiar look in his eyes silenced her. Her lips pursed as her defiance began to fade before stepping to his side and bowing her head submissively. "I will stand with you."
He directed his attention to the guard by the door then. "You will flank with me. We will take the fight straight to the teeth of Lazarov and remove them, tooth by tooth. Coatleque, I will require you to take whomever is leading their charge. If it's Lazarov, and he is not leading from the rear, let him through to me."
She and the guard nodded almost in unison. "As you will, milord.", Coatleque replied.
"Mr. North, I fear your finery is at risk."
"Sir...?"
"Your clothes. I am afraid you will have to bill me for the bloodstains to come. Apologies in advance."
"... I am sure I will manage, sir."
The raven-haired rogue, meanwhile, regarded them from the side of the room, touching her linkpearl now and again as more information was fed to her from below. A glance was thrown to Gideon momentarily, but he valet merely stared blankly ahead as he awaited further instruction. Perhaps it was his eerie calm or maybe the buzzing in her ear, but the woman began to shift her weight from one foot to another.
"We all understand? No names." Jameson said with stern command to he acknowledgement of all.
Brynnalia inhaled and took up her bow to test the string before looking back up to the others. "I'm goin' tae scout ahead."
"Take the guard out front with you." Jameson ordered.
"Will do." The woman turned on her heals pausing only to glance at Coatleque. "I'll keep in touch with the pearl."
The table at the side of the room was then brushed clear and a map thrown down. Coatleque wandered over from the desk to the table at the side of the room to stand by Jameson as they perused over the map, making notes of where the tunnels turned, intersected, and doubled back. Another map was laid down by the robed man with a slight nod of acknowledgement from the Lord and the two compared.
"Our chance to rid ourselves of this vermin once and for all. A risk worth taking, no?" Jameson pointed to a particular straight away in the map before glancing to her at his side. She returned a sly smile.
"In one fell swoop then? I did not expect him to be so brash." She would not admit that something felt off about all of this. She had spoke to Nero over the linkpearl. He made it clear there was no intention of coming for Roen. Why now would he change his mind?
"Let us also assume he has tricks up his sleeve." Jameson added.
"Of course. Even he could not make it far alone. Though I doubt a rabble of Limsan pirates would make it far past the bar."
The buzz of the linkpearl broke her train of thought as Brynnalia reported in. Coatleque held a hand to her ear listening. "Shall we follow? We have the advantage of knowing these tunnels." Another moment before her hand lowered with a pensive glance to the man beside her. "She counts four targets."
"Good." was all the man would say.
"Best get down here now. Quick." came a whispered hiss over the linkpearl.
Coatleque looked back up to Jameson as the group began to huddle closer to each other. There was a light in his eyes she had not seen for what seemed weeks now. A certain thrill at ending this once and for all that pushed all tiredness aside in the face of what had to be done. He glanced at her one last time before closing the visor of his helmet. "We go."
