Yalia 

 

I smelt the docks before I saw them. The salt from the sea mixed with the run off from the cities sewers and the local fish market gave the entire area an aroma that was as pleasant as a slap in the face. 

 

Seeing Captain Noreko’s ship the Kalaraya unmoved from where it had been docked earlier this morning I picked up the pace a little bit and soon found myself dodging between the ships crew and the teamsters on the dock. Captain Noreko was on the deck of his ship haggling with a well dressed male Lamia. His clothes were ]fine, but not adorned with any jewelry, so probably not a merchant, perhaps a nobles servant? Captain Noreko’s expression was stern and unyielding while the Lamia looked annoyed, and a little irate. 

 

During the voyage to the Islands aboard his ship the Captain had told me many times of his prowess as both a sailor and a merchant, it seemed that this wasn’t just an idle boast. 

 

Captain Noreko glanced in my direction for just a moment as I walked up the gangway onto his ship but otherwise gave no indication that he had seen me. I tried to stay out of the way of the crew while the captain finished their work. 

 

It took almost a half an hour, and when the Captain finished I was actually feeling sorry for the Lamia. As the talks progressed he seemed to get more and more angry, before slowly deflating in apparent defeat. Finally he sulked his way off the ship with a sway to his hips that I couldn’t help but notice. Lamia might look a little bit odd to my eyes but I couldn’t deny that they did have a strange sort of grace. 

 

His work done I saw a smile split the face of Captain Noreko as he walked towards me. “Miss Jones, you should have come over to watch that, those negotiations were a thing of beauty!” 

 

Matching his smile with my own I responded. “I saw from where I was standing that the talks didn’t seem to be going very well for him, who was that? A merchant?” I said fishing for information. 

 

“Not a merchant, a representative of the leaders of the city. It seems that there is an Imperial delegation in the city and they have been showering the Chief and other important people with gifts, and so they have developed a taste for foreign products, including wine. When I told them that Genoseon wine is far better than anything the Empire makes he was practically beside himself to get the entire shipment.” Captain Noreko said with the biggest smile I had ever seen on the man. “I might have to make this a more regular trade route. But I am sure that you did not return just to hear about wine sales, is something the matter Miss Jones? We’re you unable to find your fathers contact here?” 

 

“No Captain, I was able to find my father’s contact with little trouble. However it seems I am too late my father’s captors have already left the city and are heading towards the interior of the island.” 

 

“I have heard stories of the interior of this Island. Many of the smaller islands in this area are entirely civilized, if a little backwards. Even this island is perfectly safe on the coasts and inland for several hundred miles, but beyond that, they do not take kindly to outsiders. Even other Lamia are not free from this. If you wish to pursue them, well you would need a small army.” 

 

“I have heard much the same Captain. However my father’s contact has recommended an alternative course of action. I was hoping Captain you would be willing to make another small trip to the south side of the Island to a city called Kallamachu.” 

 

“Kallamachu? That used to be the main hub of trade on this island, at least until Puna was founded by the Lamia. You are planning to cross the mountain range.” As Captain Noreko gave me a knowing look I returned his smile as best I could. This man was too clever by far. 

 

“I was told it is both possible, and far quicker to cross the mountains then go up river.” 

 

“Miss Jones, I have seen this mountain range, this would be madness. The mountains tower over everything. Even the valleys between the peeks are still several kilometers tall.” 

 

“I know, but it is still safer than the river, and I do have experience climbing mountains.” 

 

“I cannot convince you to change your mind?” 

 

“You would have to convince me to abandon my father Captain.” 

 

Frowning he looked unhappy with my answer but slowly started nodding his head. “I can see it would be pointless to try and convince you. However I cannot leave today, I need to take on a new cargo, and I have promised my men some leave, tired sailors make for poor sailors.” 

 

“I need a few days to gather supplies as well, when do you think you would be able to leave?” 

 

Hand on his chin Captain Noreko stood in the classic thinkers pose mulling the question over for a moment before saying. “Three days, that should be time to find a new cargo and give the crew some time to relax. Does that work with your schedule?” 

 

Frowning I considered his answer, that was actually longer than I had been thinking. Two nights and one day would be ideal, but I really had no idea how long it would take to get climbing equipment, gifts and anything else that I needed. “That should be fine, I have some shopping to do so is it alright if I keep my things here?” 

 

“Yes, yes of course, please feel free to use the same room you used last time.” 

 

Thanking the Captain I placed my bags downstairs in my room and then left the ship. I headed back to the markets in the city and after making sure I had no pursuers this time I began my shopping spree. I was looking for rope, warm clothes, preserved foods, and finally some good quality tools. I mostly purchased small things, knives, hammers, nails and a few saws. Things that they would hopefully need or at least want but didn’t take up too much space in my pack. Most of it I was able to find right away but I did have to wait a day or two for a warmer jacket to be made for me. It seems the tropical island didn’t have warm weather gear on hand. 

 

Paying a small premium I had everything delivered to the Kalaraya while I rented a small room above a tavern. On the second day I made sure that I had a spy from the empire on my tail and I talked to several boat captains about renting their craft to take me up the river. None of the talks went anywhere and I made a show of looking angrier and angrier as the day went on.  

 

One the third day I received a message from one of Captain Norekos crew that the Captain and his ship would be ready to leave port tomorrow morning. That left just one thing to do. 

 

When the Moons were high in the sky, the red of Nobulous only peeking out from behind the blue of Nautilus I left my rented room through a small window. Making my way across the rooftops I used light magic to weave a small illusion across myself, not true invisibility, just something to make me harder to spot, although khaki colored pants and shirt I wore blended into the buildings fairly well an extra precaution never hurt. Crossing several blocks before dropping back down to the street I started walking to the Empires safe house.  

 

 

Walking through the deserted streets I was surprised by how dark everything was, it seemed the locals didn’t bother with the street lights that most cities on Eurastia liked to use. I stopped at the end of the street that the safe house was on and looked for any signs of movement. Aside from some small snakes scurrying through the gutters eating trash the streets were deserted, looks could be deceiving however. 

 

I turned the corner and walked down the side street my hands trailing against the wall that separated the yard from the street. Making sure that no one was looking at me I jumped up, placed my hands on the wall and pulled myself up quickly checking the backyard to ensure that there were no guards or people wandering around before going over the wall landing silently in a crouch. 

 

I ran through their small backyard to the other wall and jumped on top of it. The safe house was five houses away and I had no intention of running through the backyards to get there. Running along the wall I reached a spot where a tree would allow me access to the roof of the house. Pulling myself up easily using the dark element to silence my foot falls and any other sounds I knelt down and checked my surroundings. Tying a rope to the roof I left it coiled near the edge of the roof ready to be thrown down into the street. 

 

Crouching down I made my way across the roof tops avoiding windows and using the light element to subtly extend shadows and make myself darker to blend into them. 

 

Counting the roof tops as I ran I stopped when I reached my target. The house was three stories tall and there were several windows in the roof looking out into the street or into the back yard. Taking my satchel off of my back I tied one end of the rope to the roof and slowly lowered myself over the ledge. Most people would try to enter from the top floor, which in most houses would usually be a good idea.  

 

During the last two days I had been counting the number of people following me and decided that there were at least 3 different people following me, if there were at least 2 guards assigned to the house and a few administrators then that meant 7-10 people in the house total. While tall, the house was also not very wide and was probably not meant to hold more than 5 or 6, in order to make up the difference the top floors would likely have been converted into extra bedrooms. Whoever had been left in charge of this operation would want his own office, and it would likely not be on the top floor. Why walk upstairs when other people could after all? That meant that the bedrooms were probably on the 3rd floor, the offices on the 2nd floor with the 1st floor being the kitchen and other rooms. 

 

Looking into a window I smiled to myself at the office inside. There were several bookshelves, a desk, boxes stacked on top of each other and a distinct lack of people. Swinging closer to the window I grasped the window sill then held the rope between my legs. Using my now free hand I jimmied the lock using magic to silence the noises that I made and check for alarms that were on the window. Sensing nothing, I frowned. Opening the window I slipped in stepping onto the desk and walking onto the chair and then on solid ground. Closing the window behind me I surveyed the room. 

 

Confirming that the room was just as devoid of people as I had thought from the outside I walked over to the door, cracked it open and confirmed that the hallway was empty as well. Closing the door I crept back to the desk and using a quick application of magic I enhanced my eyes to better see in the darkness. Opening the drawers in the desk I started pulling out papers and placing them in my bag. I could read them later. Finding a small lockbox I made sure there was no magic on it and then started to pick that lock as well. 

 

This was all far too easy. I was good but these locks were a joke, and the consortium always used magic to secure its sites and offices. It was possible they had taken everyone capable of magic with them into the deep jungle and this group was meant to lay low and stay beneath my notice. It was of course also possible this was a trap. 

 

Opening the lock box I was rewarded for my efforts when I found a small stack of letters bound together with a piece of string. Placing them in my bag I made ready to check the rest of the tables, drawers and boxes when I heard steps outside the door and saw a faint light. Darting behind a bookshelf on the side of the room I placed myself against it as much as I could and wove a small illusion around myself to make the corner look empty. 

 

Feeling the drain on my magic and stamina, my heart started beating faster in my chest as my body started compensating for the strain of my magic. I was just congratulating myself on tidying the desk up as I had gone on along when I realized that the lockbox was still in my hands.  

 

Cursing my own stupidity, the door opened and I was forced to stand as still as possible. In such close quarters it was difficult to make illusions that could stand up to too much scrutiny and I had to manually alter it to account for the small light source moving around. It wouldn’t do for this corner to be shrouded in shadow when the rest of the room wasn’t. 

 

I watched in surprise as a small figure walked into the room. They came up to my hips if I had been standing and from his body size almost looked like a child. A Gnome? Large parts of the Gnomish kingdom had been annexed by the Empire 15 years ago but from what I understood it was slow to integrate into the Empire and it was not common to see them in positions of power in the empire, or outside of the Empire. The figure closed the door then walked over to the desk fiddling with a small lamp, cancelling the night eye spell just in time I watched as the man opened the drawers one by one muttering to himself. Of course he was probably looking for the lockbox in my hands, this was just how my luck ran. 

 

Opening drawers in an increasingly frantic manner he suddenly stopped and looked at the desk. While I had put things back after I touched them I had not been so careful that my presence would go completely unnoticed. 

 

He turned around an alarmed look on his face his mouth open to cry for help when the lockbox I had been holding collided with the side of his head. 

 

With a loud crack he went down in a heap, I ran towards the window and threw it open as I heard footsteps thundering down the stairs and towards the room.  

 

Jumping from the window I felt the window sill hit the top of my ears and I had to bite down a curse from the sudden pain. 

 

Grabbing the rope I scrambled up as quickly as I could I pulled myself on top of the roof. Seeing the rope waving and hearing someone climb after me I cut the rope with one of my knives and I heard a brief scream then thud from far below. 

 

Running across the roof tops I made it to the end of the row and threw the rope I had prepared down, sliding down I reached the ground and used another illusion to disguise my clothes and appearance. Breathing hard at the extra effort of maintaining the spell at a dead sprint I let it drop as I turned a corner I checked for pursuit and seeing none I let the illusion drop. Reapplying the night eyes spell I ran towards the docks. 

 

Skidding to a halt at the dock I peeked around the corner and saw the docks were still deserted. Moving towards the ocean I jumped in hoping the letters wouldn’t get too damaged.  

 

By this time my arms felt like they were weighed down by lead, my breathing was coming in short gasps and I felt all the signs of mana exhaustion. If I wasn’t careful I might pass out and drown.  

 

Slowly I made my way towards where the Kalaraya was anchored in the bay, around the ship and then struggling and cursing I pulled myself up the chain that held the anchor and fell onto the deck. Immediately a crew member ran towards me brandishing a weapon and a lantern but he recognized me as I shouted at him. 

 

Taking a few moments to get my breathing under control I smiled. While that didn’t really go the way I had wanted it to, any breaking and entering you could walk away from was a success as my mother used to say. 

 

The rest of the crew, roused by the alarm of the sentry started running onto the deck, Captain Noreko leading them. At the sight of me soaking wet and struggling to make it to my feet he started barking orders to the crew having them get the ship ready to sail. It took a few minutes but in short order we started sailing away as the first light of the morning began peeking over the horizon. Making my way back to my room, I assured the Captain I was alright and I put the letters on my small desk. Closing the door I stripped out of my clothes and collapsed on the bed exhausted. I could read through those later, for now I needed to rest.