Raam on fire 02JAN20
12
JAN/21
Seek Pakku for advice:
It was day three for the freedom fighters of the sewer. Niki was out on the town searching for people again. He was not sure how many he could still help. They might need to find a second location. Niki was actually not looking for new people when he heard a voice behind him, “you must be the messiah I am looking for.” Niki turned to see the most beautiful man he had ever seen. Time stopped for a moment, music from the angles played in his mind, and he found himself just trusting everything about this man. Niki had never thought about sex with a man, but for this man he would reconsider that idea. Without concern about staying hidden, Niki walked across the street to be next to this adonis.
Niki bowing slightly: “I am Niki, how can I help you my friend.”
Yetto: “You have the glow. You are the chosen one, or one of the chosen ones.”
Niki: “I assure you my friend, I am no messiah. I am but a simple man next to you.”
Yetto: “I can see the glow of gods and you have it.”
Niki: “I am heading back to my hideout. Would you like to come with me?”
Yetto with a big smile: “of course.”
Niki: “and what should I call you by?”
Yetto: “Yetto.”
Niki: “come with me…Yetto”
Niki led Yetto back to the sewer entrance. Two guards were in the street just in front of the entrance. Niki snuck across and in the entrance. Yetto stooled over to talk to the guards. Niki could not hear every word, but he understood that the guards were searching for people. He was not sure who, but they were looking for some specific people. Yetto talked to them very openly and they responded like he was their best friend. Niki was both concerned and not concerned at all. Yetto was the most trusted man in the world, he would never do anything to harm anyone.
The two guards wandered off. Yetto watched them go and headed over to where Niki had disappeared, “the are gone oh great messiah.” Niki loved this man but being called messiah was worse than being called lord. Worse yet it could get him killed if others heard and believed it. As Yetto moved up to him in the sewer, “You cannot call me Messiah. It is too dangerous.” Yetto through a great little smile, “sure thing.” They headed down and into the clubhouse.
Yetto looked around as if looking for something. He moved his vision to each and every person in the room. Wink revealed herself. Yetto looked at her, “Your called Wink. There is a reward out for you.” Yetto smiled like the cat that had just swallowed a bird. He came back over to Niki. Arnia had walked up as well. Another pot of soup was cooking in a far-off corner. Niki had known that Inex had been around and likely delivered the meat for the soup, but he stepped out of the sewer proper and into the room. Niki was a part of a group. The group Pakku had put together. They were Pakku’s Warriors.
Yetto: “Oh my, you two have the glow of the divine as well. More messiahs”
Niki: “I asked you to stop that.”
Arnia: “what is he talking about?”
Yetto: “I see the glow of the gods in you.”
Niki: “My most beautiful friend can see those that are blessed by the gods.”
Arnia: “that seems weird.”
Niki: “and dangerous.”
Arnia: “What’s Next M..”
Niki jumping before Arnia finished her sentence: “not now!”
Arnia laughing a little: “sorry, … what’s next.”
Niki: “I think we should find Pakku.”
Wink standing just behand Arnia: “Pakku, yes.”
Arnia: “who is Pakku and why.”
Wink: “he is the best.”
Yetto: “the flying guard.”
Niki looking at Yetto in a strange manor: “He might know the center of all this. I think if we know the center we can go there and fix this chaos. He will have eyes in the sky.”
Inex: “He is great warrior as well.”
Wink: “The greatest of all warriors.”
Niki looking at Arnia for support: “do we all agree, …search for Pakku”
Everyone nodded in agreement. The group gathered up at the entrance. Niki went over to Murray, “make sure you keep up the watch. And watch for Mul that might be dropped off at the cart.” Murray nodded and headed off to find someone to handle the watch. Niki wanted some wine to calm his nerves. He looked at his stash, “Selune give me peace of mind.” He felt better. His nerves felt calm, but he was not drunk. He rejoined his friends at the door.
Yetto looked over to Niki and then Arnia. Wink was mostly staying out his sight. He looked at Niki, “where to.” Niki grimmest to think about it and thought out loud, “well, he is a part of the Flying Guard, and that is run from House Whitehal. We will go to barrack and ask for him.” Arnia shifted her weight on her feet, “we are just going to walk up to the door and ask for him.” Niki looked over to the Yetto, “Yep. We will keep him with us, and everyone will just love him as I do.”
All of them started to stare at Inex. He looked back, “Whatsssss.” Arnia broke the silence, “What are we going to do with him. A gold dragonborn can’t walk around in the city.” Yetto pulled some supplies out of his backpack, “we will make him look like a black dragonborn.” He smeared some black pasty material on his scales, “this will not hold up to scrutiny but at close glance will disguise him.. or her. I can never tell with them.” Ixen took the paint, “HIM.”
With a plan they headed out into the sewer. Inex led them. He stopped, “someone is ahead.” The tunnels were small, and the group split to try to surround them. There were three spies in the sewers: in Inex’s sewers. He wanted them dead, this was his domain. Niki thinking they were just going to circle around them, and escape out into the light of the day rushed forward. Inex and Arnia circled around to finally kill the three. It was time to search their bodies. A few weapons and a couple of posters.
The entire party had seen these posters in the past. They had words upon them that most could not read but everyone could see the image and the coin available for their death. They had two of these, one with Inex’s image and the other with Yetto’s image. It somehow made Niki feel better that Yetto was a wanted man. On the Inex poster twenty gold pieces was the price on his head. A lifetimes fortune for his death. They all looked at Inex in a new manor. Every single one of them had to think about and then dismiss the thought of turning him in. twenty gold pieces was a lot of money.
Niki grabbed the two posters. He could read. Most of the group and people he knew could not, but the painful scars of his grandfather flowed through him. He read the two posters, “So, they want Inex for being the gold scrurge of the underworld.” He handed the posters to Yetto, “and you. Someone from house Augustbow wants you for calling their relative a messiah. That caused them to be burned at the stake. Well done my friend.” Yetto looked at the posters. Niki could not tell if he could read or not. The two men made eye contact. Niki spoke to break the silence between them, “You know you are my most beloved friend, but you must stop calling people the messiah. It will get them killed.” Yetto placed the posters in his pack.
They went out into the light. Niki and Wink helped them move quietly through the street. They were in the order parts of the Whitehal complex. This was their area of the city but outside their controlled walls. Three white armored guards were beating a man in the street. Niki had seen this and wanted to charge in and kill them. Yetto and Arnia had calmer heads and moved up a little. Yetto’s calm speech disturbed them, “excuse me gentlemen, can we help you?” They stopped beating him. One guard moved a little closer to the group, “what is it of your concern?” Yetto smiled, he had a personal charm that often turned these oafs into his comrades, “I am with these messiahs, and we want to help.” Niki moved up behind Yetto. He placed his dagger into his back, “I love you my friend, but if you do not stop that, I will end you.” Yetto cleared his throat, “yes.”
Yetto’s charm did the trick. The three guards gave the man to us. They slowly walked off, this was now beneath them and their concerns. Niki and Arnia walked up to the man on the street. She bent down and laid her hand upon him, “Lathander bring you warm dawn onto this man.” His wounds healed. Niki looked into his eyes. He had seen this many times. He was crazed. Niki took his dagger and slit him open, “I offer the only peace I can give.” The man slumped at his feet.
Yetto gave all of them a sign. He had spotted someone watching them. The group gathered at a street corner near the main gate to the Whitehal complex. Wink stashed herself as the rest moved forward. A little boy was following them. She gave a little signal and Niki moved back to see the boy. Arnia walked up as well. The little boy was hiding but they all saw him now.
Arnia called to him: “come on out. We will not hurt you.”
Nihl stepped out: “I was just hiding.”
Arnia: “who are you?”
Nihl: “I am Nihl. Hiding from the guards is easy, but not my parents.”
Wink moved up to take Arnia’s hand: “where are your parents?”
Nihl seeming a little more relaxed: “My mom is over there. Our house burned down, and I ran away.”
Arnia: “come with us until we find your mother.”
Nihl looking at Wink: “are you going to kill me?”
Arnia: “why would you ask that?”
Nihl: “you killed that man.”
Wink with complete belief: “no! they just knocked him out. He will be fine.”
With the little boy in toe, they headed up to the main gate for house Whitehal. Two guards stood at the gate. They were standing there with nervous fear. Neither of them wanted to be there. they both had mild scars and had been in combat recently. Half of the group stayed back, while Niki and Yetto went up to the guards. Yetto had his infectious smile upon his face. Niki just enjoyed being next to him. One of the guards smiled a little as he placed his hand out to halt them, “stop right there.”
The Guard speaking to Yetto and not Niki: “how can I help you.”
Niki: “we are hoping to speak to Pakku.”
The Guard: “and what do you want with him?”
Niki: “he is a friend, and we are hoping to help.”
The Guard: “he is not here. He is off on a mission.”
Niki: “do you know where he is,… we could go find him.”
The Guard: “no, only Commander Sandini can tell you that.”
Yetto throwing on the Charm: “good sir, is it possible for us to speak to Commander Sandini?”
The Guard smiled bigger: “he is the command hall inside.”
Yetto stood there with his head at a slight tilt. The guard looked at his cohort who opened the door. The guard stepped out of the way. Niki and Yetto started to move through the gate. Somehow Wink moved without anyone knowing through the gate. She had skills. Niki never saw her, but knew she joined them in the main complex. Niki felt safer, with Yetto on his side and Wink watching his back. The place was in chaos as well. This was the chaos of an organized group, not the chaos of the rest of the city. Men were moving supplies and preparing for the worst.
Niki yelled: “Commander Sandini, can we talk.”
A man stuck his head out a window. He looked confused. After a few minutes a group at six men came pouring out of the building. Sandini, the man from the window was leading them straight up to Niki and Yetto. Sandini marched right up to them. He scanned them from foot to head. He was looking for any weakness that they might have. He saw them like he saw everyone, a future enemy. Without giving them any orders, his men moved to flank the two of them. This was starting out great, Niki thought. Yetto seemed perfectly in his element here.
Sandini: “what do you want?”
Niki: “we are looking for Pakku.”
Sandini: “Why!”
Niki worried he overstepped: “he is a friend. We know there is trouble and wanted to help.”
Sandini: “what kind of help.”
Niki: “well if you tell us where Pakku is, we will go there and help him maintain control.”
Yetto reading this better than Niki: “we could maybe help you as well.”
Sandini now with a big smile: “Pakku is out looking for Pricess Shadalah of Gulg. She is missing and I have all my men looking for her. I want to be the first to find her.”
Niki: “we could help with that. Where was she last.”
Sandini: “the Sandvoyages guild were going to bring her here from Gulg. She is betrothed.”
Sandini pulled a pin off of his chest. It looked like a little shackle attacked to a pin, “this should tell them that I sent you. It should help open the door for you.” Niki took the pin, “where can we find the Sandvoyagors?” Sandini squinted one eye. He looked like he was about done with them, “you can find them in House Cliffster.” He turned and started to walk back to the command building, “now go.”
Niki and Yetto knowing they had been dismissed turned and headed back to the gate. Niki whispering to Yetto, “we will need to distract the guards at the gate a little when we get there.” Yetto, maybe not understanding responded far louder than Niki would have liked, “why?” Niki grimmest and turned to look at Yetto, “I did not see her, but I bet Wink snuck in to see if she could find Pakku… and watch our backs. He stopped for a moment forcing Yetto to stop and turn to him, “we need to give her a second to sneak back out into the street.” Yetto nodded. The two of them continued to walk towards the gate. They came and Yetto took control of the conversation with the guards. He could charm bandages away from a bleeding man. They stood next to the guards. Yetto talked to them and moved their sightlines away from the gate. Still never seeing her, Niki thought they had given her enough time.
They walked down the street a little. They gathered up these new freedom fighters. Arnia, with the little boy right behind her came up to talk to them. Inex still looking mostly like a black dragonborn came up from another direction, “where is Wink?” Stepping out of the shadows behind Niki, Wink appeared, “I am here.”
Arnia: “what did you find out, did you find Pakku?”
Niki: “No we did not find Pakku.”
Yetto: “we might know where he is.”
Niki: “a commander Sandini is looking for the princess from Gulg.”
Yetto: “yeah, he has all his man, including Pakku looking for her.”
Arnia: “why”
Yetto: “he said he wants to protect her.”
Niki: “I think that is not true. I think he wants her for leverage.”
Yetto: “yep, I agree. That guy is a piece of shit.”
Arnia: “why are we helping him?”
Wink: “where is Pakku”
Niki: “Pakku is looking for her as well. So, if we find her, we might find Pakku.”
Yetto: “I know this type; we should find her before Sandini finds her.”
Arnia: “Where is this princess?
Niki: “who knows, but the SandVoyagers Guild were the ones that were supposed to bring her here.”
Yetto: “they are within house Cliffster.”
Arnia: “what is the plan, … we just walk up to the front door and ask about her?”
Niki: “I think yes. Sandini gave us this little pin to help us into the door.”
Niki started to stare at Nihl. The little boy shifted behind Arnia. She was guarding him, even if she did not know it. Arnia now seeing what Niki was staring at, “what do we do with the kid.” Niki having a little less compassion than he should, “leave him here. He is part of house Whitehal.”
Yetto looked at the boy: “that is not how this house works.”
Niki: “we could give him peace in this world.”
Arnia snapped: “no.”
Wink: “peace would be good.”
Arnia turned to Wink: “no.”
Niki: “well let’s see if we can find someone to for him, maybe his mother.”
Arnia going to one knee: “Nihl, what is your mother’s name?”
Nihl: “Alice, but I am hiding from her.”
Arnia: “why?”
Nihl: “the fire. She is mad and I am hiding. Hiding from the guards is easy but hiding from her is hard.”
Arnia: “I am sure it will be okay. Show us your home.”
Saying Ok Nihl takes them into the outer areas of the Whitehal complex. He led them on a strange path. Niki understood it as the more discreet places within the Whitehal. He had learned to keep himself hidden as much as possible. Even now with the whole group, he paused many times to let others walk by and stay hidden. It is amazing to watch kids who should be playing with toys play real life and death games. Wink was one of those kids. She and Nihl had instincts that none of the adults had.
Nihl stopped at the edge of a building, “my house is right around the corner.” Arnia pulled him back. Niki and Yetto moved up to the edge. Niki went low and Yetto went high as they peered around the corner at the same time. They both looked out and stared longer than expected. No one was around so they just stared. The house had been burned. The second floor was mostly destroyed, but the lower level was intact. It was damaged and no one should live there but it was intact. Niki and Yetto looked at each other. They both knew they should not leave the kid there but might need too.
A man was walking up to the house. Yetto knew who he was. He was the tax man for this area. He would collect taxes and graft from the residence, lining his pocket and those of house Whitehal. They walked up to him. Arnia and the rest followed shortly behind them. He looked a little startled as they approached.
The Taxman: “Hu chums.”
Yetto with all his charm: “do you know this child.”
The Taxman: “yes”
Yetto: “can we leave him with you.”
The Taxman: “no, and the family owes rent. Two ceramics.”
Niki: “the house is burned, what would they pay rent for.”
The Taxman: “living in the great Whitehal grounds.”
Niki looking at Wink: “here is the two pieces for the rent.”
The Taxman slipping them into a pouch: “that should give him a few day.”
The Taxman walked off. He never saw it, but Wink was there to get the ceramics back. Just as the man walked out of sight, she handed the two coins back to Niki. He thought to himself, “that might not end well.” Arnia stepped up to the burned-out husk. It did not even look like anyone tried to put it out. Niki moved in and went upstairs. Yetto and the others started to search for lower level. The second floor was mostly destroyed but he found a stashed pouch with twenty ceramic pieces in it.
As Niki made his way down the mostly burned and broken steps, he saw the others gathered outside. A woman was out there with them. He saw in her eyes the craze of the other people. Nihl still hid behind Arnia. The woman had terrible burn wounds from years before, but she had the same eyes as him. This was his mother. Niki shifted his daggers hoping to not need them. He did not relish the thought of killing this woman in front of her own kid. As Niki approached, they were already in the middle of a conversation.
The Woman: “there was the fire, and he needs to be disciplined.”
Arnia: “Wink can you take Nihl over there to play?”
Wink: “yep, hi my lord.”
Niki: “great, let’s leave the kid and move on.”
Arnia: “of course we will leave him with this woman. That makes sense.”
Niki: “great what’s to hold up?”
Arnia: “I think we need to play a little hide and seek first.”
Niki: “OOOKay”
The Woman starting to walk into the house: “it will take forever to clean this up.”
Arnia: “Wink, can you Nihl go hide and we will seek?”
Wink: “yep”
Arnia started to walk off. Niki was close behind, “what is going on?” Arnia waiting until they were out of ear shot of the woman, “We can’t leave that kid here with her.” Niki processing it all. He was ready to leave the kid for the greater good, but Arnia was a better person than him. She was helping him become better. He knew the day of two dawns had changed him but wondered if it affected her too. Did it make her this better person? Niki turned with his hand on his hip, “what are we going to do with him?” Arnia huffed out a little air as she looked around. She was searching for the answer, “we will take him back to the clubhouse.” She looked directly into his eyes and partially looking through him, “you know, your manor house, My Lord.” Niki mouthed “fuck” as he knew he lost and that she was right, “Stop doing that.”
Playing hide and seek back across town they headed back to the clubhouse. Niki started to process if one of the families would take the kid. He hoped Murray would take in the boy. Niki caught up to Arnia, “why were you so sure we should not keep the kid with the mom.” She kept walking, “did you look at her. She has the craze.” She shifted something out of her pouch, “Yetto found this, I can’t read but it looks like a ledger.” Niki opened it and saw the lists of names on it. He pulled the shackle pin out of his pocket, “it is a slave ledger.” He shoved the pin deep into his pouch, “and I think Sandini is one too.”
Once in the club house, Wink took care of selecting the family. She introduced Nihl to Seaton. Niki had to think about Arnia and her calling him the lord of this manor. He did not feel that way, but he presumed this was his problem to solve. But Wink had it solved before he could even think about it. Wink sat on one side of the clubhouse with the two kids. They are were playing some little game. The smell of soup still filled the room. Niki walked over to get a small bowl. He wished he had wine, but that was now gone. He would get more.
Niki with his mouth a little full: Inex can you get us over to house Cliffster?”
Inex: “indeed”
Yetto: “I think we should rest.”
Arnia: “I agree. We should rest before going House Cliffster.”
Wink: “rest sound good.”
Niki still eating: “let’s eat thissss ssssoup.”
They looked for places to rest. The space was starting to look a little full. Inex moved out into the sewer. Wink disappeared. Niki headed over to Murray, “how is it going?” Murray looked around, “we have a few issues, but we are solving them. A second Mul was left for us. I think he might die.” The two of them looked over to the two Mul’s, Arnia was over by them giving aide. Niki smiled, “well if anyone can do something, it is her.” They looked over to the stacks of supplies, “how are supplies?” Murray grimmest, “not great. We have about a week’s food and water. We are down to about four extra candles, and almost no cooking oil. The Mul’s left some weapons and armor so I think we are okay there.” Niki nodded, “we are on a mission now, but if I can, I will bring you some food and other supplies. I need to find some wine. You might want to train a little with the weapons and armor.” Niki’s smile turned huge, “now to rest.”
They rested. Niki prayed in the middle of the night to Selune. He felt closer to this god at night. He noticed that Arnia prayed in the morning. She was connected to the dawn in a way that he was not. She almost seemed to go through her prayers twice. She was her own second dawn. Murray and the others did not want to waste cooking oil so the soup in the morning was cold. As a cold sludge, it needed salt even more. Niki needed to find two things, wine and salt. In that order.
They headed out towards house Cliffster. They moved through the sewers. There are parts of the city where the ancient sewers are unsafe or just broken. Inex was a master of the labyrinth of tunnels, and even when he had to pop the group up to the surface, they were very discreet private spots. The chaos in the city continued. Many people now refused to leave their homes, so less chaos but still a lot of chaos. Niki knew this was just delaying it for many people, as they would all need to leave their homes soon.
As they approached house Cliffster, Inex stopped the group. He came back. This was his home, and he could feel people moving in it. He whispered, “up ahead there are four people moving through the sewer. They seem to have sacks with them. Niki felt that rage flowing up in him, “filled with people?” Wink who had snuck up to take a look, “no. I think they are just looting.” Niki wanted to follow them, “Okay Inex and Wink, you follow them. I will follow you, and the rest of the group will follow me.” Arnia looked at Niki with a tilted head of disapproval. Wink and Inex ran off to follow them. Niki looked at Arnia, “Sorry, but it was the right thing to do here.” As Niki ran off to follow Inex, Arnia whispered out, “yes My Lord.”
With Lord Niki’s plan in place, they moved through the tunnels. The four men stayed blissfully ignorant of their followers as they moved towards their rogue camp. At each turn Niki thought about attacking them, but the group never did. The came to a ladder. The men scrambled the sacks up the ladder and pulled the ladder up. They gathered in the chamber just beyond the ladder. Niki wanted to see about attacking this location. This would be a lot better place to stash all of the folks in the clubhouse or create a second clubhouse. This might be the future home of the safe peoples of Pakku.
Inex guided them through the sewers to House Cliffster. He popped out to look out on the surface. He came back down, “their main gate is just down the street up there. I think that door up ahead could be a sewer entrance to the complex.” Yetto came up to the group, “Sandini gave us his pin, we should go up to the front door.” Niki pulled it out, and showed it to the group, “It is a shackle. I think Sandini and the Whitehal are slavers. Having this pin could be a trap.”
Wink moved up: “maybe the only way to know is to go in and see.”
Yetto coughed: “well we could try this door.
Niki: “what do we know about the Sandvoyagers Guild?”
Yetto: “they have a great reputation. They offer good services at the highest quality.”
Niki: “I presume they move any cargo, including slaves”
Yetto: “I presume.”
They stood at the door preparing to enter it.