Private Tales Contraband

[Sibylla]

|| Vale ||

Alone with Henry, Sibylla mentally ran over the various situations she could potentially find herself with. He could try and attack her or be as much of a sleazeball as the other four. Or he'd want to talk first to discover what she wanted with him. For all she knew, he might even tell her to leave -- again, we don't know if women were really Henry's cup of tea.

A sweep across the room revealed the desk at the rear of the room, two windows to the right, and a series of bookshelves that lined the left side of the room. A few knickknacks lined them, a lantern, a couple of books. Ledgers and quill pens littered the desk, as did what appeared to be a large lockbox of sorts. She couldn't tell from here if it was locked, but before she could peer closer, the man barked out, "What do you want?"

Not one to startle easily, but even the bark from the towering man was enough to prompt a small jerk from the Knight. Perhaps in her favor, making her appear a little more like a dock whore. Maybe?

"Oh, right!" she began, pushing her hair away from her face, revealing the two moles along the corner of the left side of her eye and over her cheekbone on the right.

"Godfrey told me to come here." she was not going to add anything else besides that. Sibylla wasn't sure she could keep a straight face if she had to say anything else.

All the while, she was wondering where the hell was that Dreadlord?

 

[Vale]

Vale found his luck with the next window. He crouched down and ran his fingers along the edge of it until he could get the latch. When he found it, he lifted the window and gazed down inside, his eyes flicking left and right in case of anyone else inside. After nothing, not even a sound, the Dreadlord slid inside and dropped onto the wooden floor with barely a sound.

He found himself on the floor as well, the office on the other side of where he was, a section of tinted glass revealing both Sibylla's and Henry's frame. On the first floor, half of it was converted into a small ship dock and most likely where the transport would pull into. There were a few workers but they were preoccupied with their tasks at hand. Vale silently made his way to the office and closed the distance.

Henry's eyes were hungrily locked onto Sibylla and when she mentioned a Godfrey, a smile spread across his face. He slowly started to walk toward her with his arms spread a little. "Well, what are you waiting for miss?" As the man started to pass the second door, the Knight would be able to see someone's shadow move outside of the door. A second later, the shadow from under the door would expand from out under the door like it was a pool of water, the rest of the shadows having a similar effect in the office. A tendril from the black pool slid up from the door and into the lock.

The lock gave an audible click and it made the man spin around to face the Dreadlord as he smoothly walked in and shut the door behind him. "Hello, Henry." The man's hands balled into fists as his back was completely turned away from Sibylla. "Who the hell are you?" Unfortunately for the man, he didn't know that she was armed with him. "Let's introduce ourselves."

 

[Sibylla]

|| Vale ||

Well, it was about blasted time!

An expression of exasperated relief went washing over Sibylla's olive features, giving the Dreadlord a pointed look that conveyed, Glad to see you join the party, my lord.

However, the Knight wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. The distraction by the Dreadlord's appearance meant that Sibylla could take advantage of the situation. Pulling the knife Vale had given her from where she'd tucked it away, she grasped the hilt and flipped it in her hand, moving quickly to come behind the broad brute and press the knife along the delicate skin of his throat.

A swear made Henry's adam's apple bob, causing a thin red line to appear where the knife was pressed tightly to.

"Careful, don't want you bleeding out," Sibylla murmured, ice blue eyes flaring to stare over at the Dreadlord as if indicating, okay, what now?

 

[Vale]

Henry was about to charge forward but before he could even take a step, Sibylla's blade was at his throat and he immediately put his hands up halfway in the air and stopped in his tracks. Vale grinned as he appreciated the fact she sized the initiative when she saw it. "Please, sit him down in his office chair." While she did that, he opened the door he came through once again but only stuck his arm outside and pulled in the Knight's equipment.

The Dreadlord placed it in the corner before walking back to the desk with two chairs in hands for him and Sibylla. When Henry sat in his chair, Vale gave a nod to her before he sat down and offered the other to her, "Well done." She may have messed up the name but she recovered well enough and both of them were at least now inside and that's all that mattered. Henry glanced at the two of questionably and without the woman near him, he tried to bolt out from his chair. He didn't even manage to lift himself an inch from it however and he glanced down to see the shadows wrapping around limbs and could even feel them constrict slightly. "What the hell is this?" With a casual shrug of his shoulders, the Dreadlord replied, "Me, in some way or another."

Henry didn't really understand his answer but he could realize that this was magic and any type of magic to him was foul. His eyes were then brought over to Sibylla as they shot daggers toward her with the red line still visible on his throat. "And then who the hell are you whore?"

 

[Sibylla]

|| Vale ||

What was it? More like a makeshift bondage session that went wrong... Even in such situation, one couldn't stop Sibylla's mind from forming quips. As it was, things were going back towards the really creepy and weird shadow tendrils. Sibylla would be lying if she said the use of magic made her comfortable; to be honest, it was downright disconcerting.

A slight mental shudder ran through the Knight. While she may have preconceived notions on the Dreadlords, she had to admit, she did not want to be on the receiving end of their magic. That, in itself, much like her own training, deserved a measure of respect.

Even if it did result in turning the bulk into arseholes.

"Just here for the show," Sibylla responded, however, she did not take the offered seat. Instead, the woman took to quietly walking throughout the perimeter of the room, doing her best to look out the windows and see if anyone would be coming -- or would be within earshot of any potential encouragement in discussing details.

The last thing they needed was anyone investigating the matter. Thankfully, perhaps the guard thought Henry was having a grand ol time rutting with the whore.

It was the other drunken three that she wasn't too sure about. They would be a future problem.

 

[Vale]

Sibylla rejected the chair and instead went to the windows to stay as a lookout for them. He was impressed with the fact that the Knight didn't immediately go for her equipment and understood that her disguise still could be utilized. The offered chair didn't matter to Vale, it was just a courtesy and he returned his attention back to Henry. The man stared back at him, sweating bullets but he was smart enough to be silent when he wasn't being spoken to.

"Let's just make this simple and smooth. We know you're transporting goods. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you don't know the contents of the cargo. All I want to know is when is the boat is going to arrive and what marking you use to distinguish them from the rest." The Dreadlord just shrugged his shoulders casually once again like it was a simple request. Henry shifted in his seat as best he could as he stared at Vale back. "Fuck you."

The Dreadlord just exhaled softly before repeating his question again calmly, "When will the boat arrive and what cargo is transporting the contraband?" Henry stared him again before repeating his phrase, "Fuck you." Vale chuckled, as he leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees, "You're quite resistant. That must mean you fear what will happen to you more from whoever paid you than me."

Henry shifted once again, "I don't know shit about you, I don't know shit about no cargo, I don't know shit abou-" This time Vale didn't let him finish, as he slammed a closed fist on the table that shut him up and made the items on the desk shake a little. "I have been rather pleasant with you Henry. I will offer the choice once more. Give me what I want to know or this will go another way."

 

[Sibylla]

|| Vale ||

It was always weird to see these sorts of interrogations go on. Truth be told, Sibylla didn't participate much in them. Out in the Army of the West, she wasn't cast into the role of information gathering as much as be one instrument among the masses within the army. She had a sword and the skill to use it. She could survive out in the wild and could give any other knight a run for their money when it came to gambling or drinking. She even had a few Dreadlord made items that assisted her with dealing with the Mages.

She just wasn’t the sort to be inconspicuous or information gathering. More of the ‘I’ll punch you in the face’ type.

“Do what you want.” Henry said, but there were beads of sweat visibly forming on his temples and his face was a shade paler.

Was there more than met the eye? A frown drew the woman’s brow. Ambling back towards the desk, Sibylla took a closer look, trying to see if she could find anything.

Henry’s eyes followed her, and the corner of his eye seemed to give a tick, his jaw flexing.

“Don’t know nuthin.” But the way he seemed to pay attention to her instead of the mage was telling.

 

[Vale]

Vale just observed and he noticed the little tick in the man's jaw and how his eyes tried their best to be able to see Sibylla. It made the Dreadlord tilt his head slightly as his own gaze went from Henry and then slowly down to the desk. He stood up and walked over to Henry's side of the table as the man's attention was fixed back on the mage. "Gonna get physical now?" He threw anything out there to try and take Vale's attention but it was useless.

The Dreadlord knocked a closed fist under the belly of the desk and heard the normal sound of wood reacting. He then went to the drawers on the left, simply grabbing onto the handle and flinging the drawer out until it collided against the wall. Crouching slightly, he stared into the new hole he created before be did the same maneuver with the drawer below it, the piece colliding against the wall as well before falling to the floor. Nothing was there as well and Vale moved to the right side of the desk and did the same action once again with the drawer. Nothing once again and the Dreadlord moved his hand down to the final drawer and tugged on it but it resisted and was firmly stuck in place.

He crouched down once more and ran his hand over the wooden surface of it. When his fingers touched the handle and found that it jiggled slightly, he discovered that it was actually a counterfeit and with a simple twist, he could lift it halfway up and reveal a keyhole. Vale sighed softly before fixing his gaze on Henry, "Last chance. Where is the key?" Henry stared back before he spat on the ground between them. "So be it."

Vale stood up and went back to the chair that sat across from the man. He scooted the chair closer as he stared at him even though his hood was drawn and covered most of his face. "You want to know the interesting thing about shadows? They can find and fit in any small crevice or nook." He pointed to Henry's ear while the man just peered at him suspiciously. "Even in your ear, the way the light hits you, it creates all little shadows." Henry continued to stare at him suspiciously until he felt it, a sort of feeling that someone would get when a bug flew close to their ear.

He rubbed his ear against his shoulder but to no avail. "What the hell is this?!" Vale just simply met his eyes with his own, "My patience running thin." The shadows that had collected in his ear naturally acted of their own accord, slowly crawled into his head. Henry opened his mouth but couldn't scream, the veins on his neck becoming highly pronounced and practically popped out his neck. He was completely drenched in sweat now with his skin flushed as he started to shake, having a sort of mini seizure as Vale twirled his fingers like he dragged an invisible string through them. The Dreadlord's eyes were closed and a blood drop fell from his nose and onto the ground. His other hand was closed in a tight fist that shook softly.

Henry's eyes started to roll to the back of his head but that's when Vale finally opened his eyes and his hand. The dockmaster leaned forward in his chair as he took a huge gulp of air like he had been underwater the entire time. Snot and tears flowed freely from his nose and eyes as he coughed and tried to collect his breath. Vale wiped his gloved thumb to clean up the small flow of blood coming from his nose before asking again, "The key?"

 

[Sibylla]

|| Vale ||

The longer Sibylla heard the choked cries, the gurgled coughs, and the staggered breaths, the more that the Knight simply chose to keep her attention on searching the confines of the desk and its surrounding areas. Sure, she was a Knight and had her fair share of gore out on the battlefield; one couldn't survive one battle without coming face to face with decapitated heads, eviscerated torsos, or the amputation of a limb or two. She'd even bore witness to the combustion of bodies by mage fire, smelt the acrid, bloody, burnt scent of burning flesh that would linger for days.

Prolonged torture, however, was not an event or entertainment that Sibylla enjoyed.

Did the Dreadlords take a specific class on how to do this? Likely. Oh there were members of the guard or the rangers who were tasked with such information-gathering techniques. Strong, persuasive cohesion. Or magical, for she'd heard rumors of a Dreadlord who was able to painfully rip out the answers they sought right from a person's mind. It made her shudder, giving her another wave of goosebumps and a chill down her spine.

Perhaps it was enough torture for Henry, for as his bloodshot eyes bulged and snot and blood went oozing down his mouth and throat, he managed in a weak, guttural voice, " top.... top of the bookshelf."

Turning towards the right, Sibylla's eyes went scanning the wall of bookshelves behind her. Moving quickly, her hand went reaching up, sweeping the pads of her fingers across the highest shelf. A few seconds of grazing along the wood and she came away with dusty fingers and one small bronze key.

One key.

Turning towards the Dreadlord, she held it out to him quietly.

 

[Vale]

Vale remained his seat, still breathing with some control as his eyes followed the Knight to the bookshelf. He would've gotten up himself but the use of his powers was beginning to take effect against him. His body felt tired and what kept his balance was the fact that he had received training from the academy. When Sibylla produced the key, the Dreadlord used the armrests to stand himself up before picking up the key.

Vale noticed the way she was utterly silent but didn't comment about it. Back to the drawer that was locked, he gently placed the key in the hole before turning it as he heard a soft click. "Perfect." He pulled out the drawer and reached his hand in there and felt around until he pulled out a book with a plain black cover. Vale inspected it for a second before he opened it and started to come through. Once again, the dates were on the corner of the page and he scrolled through until they got to the day there presently in.

Once he found it, he went back a few pages as he expected this wasn't the first day they had been shipping goods. Vale eventually found what he was looking for and placed the open book on the table, allowing Henry to see it as each page was filled to the brim, but a time was underlined and there was a black symbol of crisscrossed lines forming a unique symbol that appeared incomplete. "Is this it?" Vale politely asked and the man only gave a nod in response.

"Good." The Dreadlord put the book down and Henry still practically stared at the ground. Whatever he went through, it utterly defeated him and he had no intention of offering resistance anymore. "Thank you for your service." Vale pulled out another knife from his boot but instead of thrusting it blade first, he flipped it around so the hilt was out and slammed it in the center of Henry's head. It knocked him out instantly and he fell backward into his chair as the shadows that had restained him slipped away and returned to their normal positions in the room.

Vale glanced at him to make sure that he was out before looking over to Sibylla as he pulled his hood free and let his long white hair loose. "Now, we wait until the boat arrives. That wasn't so terrible, was it?" It was time for the best part of her disguise. It would offer them both peace of being disturbed until the boat arrived as most of the guards and workers would think Henry was occupied with her. If someone decided to check up on them, then the pair would deal with whoever it was accordingly.

 

[Sibylla]

|| Vale ||

Well, if he wanted a play by play of Sibylla's internal musings about how Dreadlord mages were perhaps, a little too into what they do, he wasn't going to hear it. Instead, Sibylla took a turn about the room, wandering off just shy of the window to get a better look at their surroundings and see if anyone had picked up on the interrogation, the man's muffled squeals, or anything out of tune.

Odds were they were all confusing the gurgling sounds as Henry rutting. An expression of disgust quickly rose over the Anirian's Knight's expression, her nose curling up in distaste.

Sorry, Henry, you are not my type.

Not that the potentially dead man would be concerned about the matter. Turning back towards Vale, twin dark slashes of brows rose, and she gave a curt roll of her right shoulder as if to silently indicate, sure, my lord, whatever you say, my lord.

Should I kiss your ass now, my lord?

Oh, if the mages could ever get a brief glance in her mind, well, things may not go so swimmingly for the Knight.

"I presume that it is safe enough for me to get back into my armor?" who cares if they smelled like shit when there was the guy on the chair bleeding on the wood floor.

A brief survey swept over Vale, a courtesy glance as she told herself that, yeah, even despite the scar, the blood splatter, and that super creepy shadow magic vibe, he was still pretty.

Is this what magic did? Was it a side effect? It seemed every Dreadlord she met was just as equally pretty.

Maybe they had some elf blood in them. Oh, that would be a terrible thing to say aloud. All would consider it an insult and it was a killable offense.

As it was, who knew how long they had until the boat arrived. Great, did this mean she had to mingle with the Dreadlord? Small talk?

 

[Vale]

While Sibylla may have had a fear of having her thoughts read, her body betrayed her because of how expressive she was. Vale just observed her and it was like he could read her thoughts clear as day and that only earned a slight grin from him. He turned towards Henry who was still slightly in the chair and made his way over to him. Vale lifted the man up and into the chair before he placed his foot on the base and kicked it into the corner of the room. The shadows only covered half of Henry's body as his legs and arms stuck out.

The Dreadlord stood in front of him and extended his hand out slightly, his fingers flexing as the shadows visibly started to expand and envelop the manfully as he disappeared into the corner. Vale answered Sibylla's question as he did this, "And what do you think their reaction will be when a fully armed whore answers the door if they decide to check on us?" He pretty much answered her question with his own but he thought it wouldn't need much more explaining than that.

With the body hidden enough, Vale just went to the nearby bookshelf and picked out random books before continuing to flip the pages of each one. He had caught her glances before and with his back turned, there was a slight whisper that touched his ear and he chuckled softly as he continued to go through the books with his back to Sibylla, "I can pose too if you would like that." She had her own beauty that had been highlighted with her hair let loose that had caught his eye but they were on a mission and that took precedence.

After a few more pages, he finally turned around and walked to the original chair he sat down in and put his feet onto the desk with one crossed over the other. His attention was still on the book as he read through one of them but he asked her a question as he did so, "Where are you from?" Vale's eyes didn't leave the book but there was genuine curiosity in his voice.

 

[Sibylla]

|| Vale ||

"Well, I'd figured I'd just punch them in the face first" Came Sibylla's quip in reply to the Dreadlord's deadpan sarcasm to her query. Another roll of her shoulder, another flick of the dagger that he'd given her to use in her sword's stead. It had a nice balance, she was happy to admit. An admiration of weapons wasn't something she'd stick her nose up for.

However, it was his rather abrupt, and perhaps - spot-on - reference about posing that managed to jerk Sibylla into a more attentive pose. While she wasn't one to blush readily, the pinpointing of her scrutiny meant it had not gone unnoticed.

"Simply observing for your well-being, my lord," did that sound like the truth? A half-truth? Maybe. Being caught with her hand in the pot made her slightly defensive, shoulders rolling back and that thick hair of hers being swept back with a run of her fingers.

At his query regarding her origins, however, she simply indicated, "Beyond the city walls. Near the low desert." it was spoken to indicate that no one of real interest to a Dreadlord stationed with a House at Vel Anir.

As he was likely to ask for further clarification, she added, "I was reassigned from the Army of the West." as if to elaborate she wasn't the typical home guard.

 

[Vale]

"Well, then I'm hopeful you graciously approve of my well being." The same amount of satire in her answers would be in his as well. Vale was preoccupied with the book as she gave her answer. Vale put the item down on the table and glanced toward her, his eyes locking with hers as he silently gave her the message that he did want to know specifics and not just the broad answers that she was giving him.

The Dreadlord picked up another book and leaned back in the chair with his feet on the desk once again. He opened to a random page and went through it like the previous ones. "So, who did you piss off then? I assume being disguised as a whore and sneaking around in a dock isn't something that you ultimately dreamed of doing." Unless of course she didn't want to take part in the active fighting anymore and wanted to remain home in Vel-Anir. Homesickness was a serious thing for some who finally decide to leave the vast walls of the city.

Vale finally glanced up from his book again as he looked over to Sibylla and noted the distance between them. Ever since he actually revealed his powers, she had become much quieter and much more physically distant from him. It was something he's grown to expect with himself not controlling the usual fireball like others. "I don't bite." It was the only thing he was gonna offer on the matter as he would return his attention to the book. The Dreadlord wasn't going to push her and with her being a Knight, he realized that this wasn't the usual environment she found herself in. "I'm guessing you're only serving an allotted time before you head back to the army?"

 

[Sibylla]

|| Vale ||

Oh, were we really going to do the small talk?

A subtle grimace would twist upon Sibylla's full lips, ending with a small exhale of resignation. The trading of personal information was not the Knight's favorite pass time; not that talking over a pint of ale was bad. It was more the artificial interests that were commonplace in the city that grated on her nerves.

Much like when the Dreadlord poked fun at her having to act the part of the whore. A roll of her eyes and a leveled deadpan stare was shown towards Vale's direction, her arms crossing over her unbound breasts in a defensive posture. Was he trying to provoke her by jabbing at her pissing someone off?

Yeah, they always were.

"Correct," she replied towards waiting for her allotted time, grey eyes drifting down back to the window, using the shadows to keep herself hidden from anyone on the street. Off towards the end of the route, she caught movement, her eyes narrowing.

"Rotations are commonplace." there was a level of truth as much as a lie in that comment. Sibylla honestly still didn't know why Commander Raj suddenly transferred her home. He wouldn't even give her an explanation, simply that it was an order. It made her lips purse in displeasure and contemplation. If she could find out why perhaps it would be a little easier to swallow.

Actually, no that was a lie - she'd still be kicking and screaming to be sent back.

"I take it you work along with Dreadlord Srash to be House Luana's investigators?" That was another Dreadlord who enjoyed poking fun at her. She knew him a bit longer and he always enjoyed trying to get her into situations she wasn't comfortable with.

Really, the majority of these mages were bullies.

 

[Vale]

Vale flipped through the pages once more just to check if there was anything else he could possibly be missing. When she commented that rotations were commonplace, she would be able to hear him laugh softly. "Yes but not for you." Sibylla was an open book and it really wasn't a challenge to read her and what she thought of a situation.

When asked if he worked beside Dreadlord Srash, Vale gave a brief nod, "Correct. But we've only met in passing. I've found myself to work alone most of the time." It was nothing against the other Dreadlord and probably something that he should work on. He just never considered himself a noble or anything of the like and regulated himself to work like they were doing. Finished with the book, he tossed it onto the desk before he heard the soft horn that ripped through the night. "That's our cue." The Dreadlord lifted his feet off the table before standing up and pulling his hood up once more.

"Now would be the opportune time to put on your equipment." As she would do that, Vale would walk over the doorway and nearby window. He leaned against the wall and let his eyes wander outside to track anything that approached or stood out. It also gave her some privacy and time to don her armor as his eyes eventually found the longboat that was slowly navigating down the river and right towards them.

 

[Sibylla]

|| Vale ||

It grated on Sibylla's nerves when the Dreadlord's barb struck true regarding that the rotation was likely not merely commonplace. Again, one particular item that rubbed Sibylla the wrong way. If there were any way she could return to the Army of the West, she would. However, the reason why she was stationed back in the Home Guard and not in the Army of the West was just out of reach.

The beauty mark at the corner of her eye gave a twitch, and her eyes would flash silver in irritation. These mages training seemed to allow them the ability to hyperfocus on every nuance and telling detail. Or really, perhaps Sibylla was that much of an open book.

"Thank you for granting me leave, my lord." she sang out, uncrossing her arms. A slight huff and glare at the white-haired mage's back were all she could afford to do. Either way, she was glad for the ability to put on her armor again. It would take a few minutes to strap everything in, but having the firm pressure of the scale leather armor made her feel right at home.

Even if it did stink like shit.

All the while, the Dreadlord was observing through the threshold of the window, Sibylla watched him. Every strap she drew taunt, every lacing she tied back on, the Knight would take the time to study him some more.

Outside, the longboat was rowed towards the dock. There were at least nine other men within, with one overseeing. There was a man at the stern, seemed to be in charge. Alongside them were a stack of crates, likely what the Dreadlord was investigating.

 

[Vale]

Vale's eyes didn't leave the ship, the silver orbs drinking in every detail as it slowly rowed to the building. There were quite a few men aboard the ship but that didn't bother him. He planned to avoid them entirely as the two of them couldn't apprehend every single person they ran across that was involved in whatever operation was happening. The stack of crates did draw his attention as he saw them as a way onto the ship.

The Dreadlord could hear the tightening of lace and strap and when the last one was tied, he finally turned around and made his way to the other door of the office that led inside instead. "Time to go." He opened the door and it led them onto the wooden catwalk that allowed them an eagle view over the dock and ground floor. The ship pulled in, the man on the stern approaching the very front of the ship as he shouted out, "Load up!" The loaders started to get to work and lifted crates onto the ship in an assembly line fashion.

Vale glanced toward Sibylla, "You're going to need to stay close to me. You'll be somewhat blind temporarily and I'll have to lead you." The Dreadlord was about to shadow walk but because he performed shadowmancy, it was a natural ability for him since he could see in the dark. For Sibylla, she would see nothing but him and black during it like light had been eradicated itself. He made his way toward the stairs and waited for her, "Ready?"

 

[Sibylla]

|| Vale ||

Sibylla's right brow rose high in confusion at the Dreadlord's commentary about being temporarily blinded. She had both of her arms up, grabbing the thick mass of her hair up into a ponytail to keep the strange away from her face. Thankfully, she had enough time to don the rest of her armor.

"What exactly are you doing?" she didn't bother with the 'my lord'. There was a notable sense of wariness in her expression once her arms came down and would cross across her chest. She managed to sheath her sword at her hip and by all accounts would be ready for what came next. As long it dealt with normal fighting.

Magic, well, she at least needed some forewarning of what the mage was going to do.

 

[Vale]

Vale didn't seem bothered by the fact that she had given up on calling him lord. In fact, he actually preferred that it wasn't added as he didn't feel like one and found it annoying when it was added after every other sentence. "Giving you a window into my world." There was no sure way to explain it, so he was registered to just letting her witnessing it for herself. He stuck out a gloved hand of his for her to touch and grab onto.

If she placed her hand on his, his grip around it would gently tighten as everything around them would start to turn black. It was as if each shadow in the world was being extended for her until they swallow all light and everything it touched. The darkness under Vale's hood would expand, completely cloaking his face and making it appear like a black hole more than anything else. Black wispy trails would rise from his shoulders, hood, and other parts of his body as appeared more like a wraith than a normal human. If she looked down at herself, the same black wispy trails would be rising from her as well. It was incredibly cold as well, not a chill to the bone but close enough to be one.

The only thing visible to her would be Vale while he could still see everything perfectly. His hand dropped from hers as he turned towards the stairs, "Come on." His voice would echo around her head as if the two of them were in a never-ending and empty hallway. The Dreadlord started to lead the way for Sibylla, walking forward into the consuming darkness as he would take random turns here and there as they made their way to the ship. In reality, it was him avoiding objects and even patrols of people but she wouldn't be able to see any of it.

 

[Sibylla]

|| Vale ||

Giving a window into your world? Why did that come off as a pick-up line from scoundrel caught in the company of bandits? There was a notable amount of suspicion in her ice-blue eyes, her right eyebrow arching ever higher.

You will regret this, Sibylla told herself, finding herself resting her hand upon his outstretched palm. What happened next made her glad that she had a better constitution than most. Otherwise, the sensation might have made her throw up the stew she had for dinner earlier.

Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. It just gave Sibylla an uncanny feeling. No wonder she felt as if the Dreadlord had been watching despite being unable to see him. The point was once again for the Knight on the power of the mages and what they could do with it.

Even after he released her hand, it was still bizarre. Otherworldly.

Talk about still waters running deep.

If that is what one could call it, the shadow walk brought the pair down the office and towards the docks. The longboat was down the pier about 15 meters. The lanterns along the pier seemed to dim, the shadows enveloping them until they appeared to snuff out of existence.

Mog Ben knew he was biding his time until he was discovered. However, the payout for these particular runs meant that he could make enough to high-tail it back to Cerak At'Thul with enough gold in his pocket to warrant getting his own ship and a crew. Slaves were high in demand and to get into that particular market required ensuring that he could get the gear and the men to pack as many bodies as he could. Smuggling goods in and out of Vel Anir was the perfect gold mining opportunity.

As the longboat came to the dock, two smugglers jumped off onto the dock to secure it. They came at night to ensure little chance of scrutiny, making a deal with Harry to look the other way. It had worked fine the past month. To their unfortunate luck, it wouldn't work so well this time around.

 

[Vale]

Vale led the way forward as it would be deathly silent for the two. As they remained in the shadow walk, everything had become muted incredibly it seemed but could still hear a sound if a pair approached wherever it came, albeit completely muffled. The two had been walking in a straight line until the Dreadlord just stopped and waited there. If Sibylla continued to try and walk, he would place a hand out to stop her but if she didn't then he would just wait.

It would take a few seconds until the two smugglers who had jumped off walked directly past them. They appeared to move in slow-motion as they were covered in a hazy veil. Vale's eyes tracked them as they moved past, the previous motions they committed as they walked trailing behind them until they completely disappeared. The Dreadlord waited one more second before finally stepping forward and being the signal for Sibylla to follow again.

As they walked, the Knight would start to feel the sensation that she was being watched from multiple pairs of eyes. It wasn't from the real world but things from the darkness that had filled in the world for her. If she really focused, it would sound like a sort of combination of a dog and a human. But it wouldn't last long as Vale would heave himself up in the darkness before turning around in the air and offering a hand to Sibylla.

If she took it, then he would pull her up and out of the darkness. It would feel like she just erupted from underwater, the air lighter and clearer, sound and color returning back to her, as well as warmth. She would be able to see the black wispy trails cascade off her like water and him as well until they disappeared completely with the rest of the shadows returning to their regular position. Vale sat near a crate, his hand on the corner of it to support himself as he remained there with his eyes closed.

His grip around the grate tightened until his knuckles were white and the veins in his neck and face were pronounced. After a few seconds, it subsided and Vale slowly exhaled before casting his gaze over to the knight, "Are you alright?" It was the first time he had asked about her well being.

 

[Sibylla]

Vale

How did she feel? As if she'd been walking a tightrope and finally managed to land safely on the other side. There was a certain level of queasiness there, but at least she wasn't going to faint.

"Fine," she told him, turning to face him only to notice him visibly shaking and seeming to be under some sort of strain. It was her turn to immediately ask, "Are you alright?"

The concern in her voice was not artificial. Not in the way she took a step forward and touched the bow of his elbow as if to help steady him.

 

[Vale]

It was the first time he had taken a non-magic user through his ability as well. Thankfully, it appeared it didn't affect her as much as him. She came over and touched his elbow but Vale gave her a nod as the effects subsided further, "I'm fine. It will pass." With his hand on the crate, he at least got to his feet again somewhat and glanced over to her and probably longer then he intended, "We should keep moving." The Dreadlord pushed on as he navigated the two of them through the crates.

As they found a spot to view the walk plank, the smugglers that had departed first came back, each carrying a crate with another as two guards would be following behind them. Those had to be the crates they were searching for as no other treatment was offered to the same cargo. Upon closer inspection, he was able to see that the symbol from the book they found, was etched into the corners of each one. The Dreadlord still didn't know what it meant or what it was but they at least knew where the items were.

Vale had found some empty space for the two of them to sit down. It was between some more crates that were stacked with enough room for the two of them to stretch their legs out but that was pretty much it. The spot was well hidden and the Dreadlord slid right into their crated paradise as he leaned against a box with his head back, arms crossed and legs stretched out. "And now we wait, again."

Mog Ben glanced around the dock. Everything was going smoothly and he was happy about that. Henry usually sat outside and watched him to make sure nothing went belly up but it seemed he remained in his office this time. Mog thought it was weird but then again, this would be the last shipment, and the fat man probably finally trusted him. Mog put two fingers in his mouth before letting out a sharp whistle, "Time to head to the water! Get a move on you sods!" With the cargo loaded, the smugglers started to untie the ship and push back out to the waterway.

 

[Sibylla]

Vale


It was weird. The whole experience of traveling within the shadows was strange, but what was even more bizarre was seeing a mage appear struck by some sort of after-effects. Magic was a strange concept for Sibylla, and she would be the first to admit that its use made her more than a little leery. However, this didn't affect the seriousness that she conducted her responsibilities.

A dark brow rose when Vale indicated he was alright as if Sibylla wasn't sure. She decided to keep a better watch on him just in case. The Dreadlord might be a mage, but he was still made of flesh and blood.

Well, as far as I could tell, anyway.

As the minutes ticked by and the pair observed Mog Ben and the other smugglers, Sibylla glanced over at the Dreadlord. It was another venture into 'hurry up and wait,' but now that it appeared that the smugglers were going to push back out into the waterway, Sibylla wondered what would be their next step.

"They are heading back out," Sibylla murmured quietly, those thick fringed grey eyes peering over the side of a cargo crate over towards the dock.

A little further out, she caught sight of a larger ship, its masts barely visible within the fog. Was that their objective?

Turning to Vale, she inquired, hoping she was wrong. "Are we going to get them now... or end up taking a swim?"

She really hoped it wasn't the latter. As she couldn't.