Private Tales In the Pursuit of Power

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Khorvayne rested her chin on the back of a hand, eyes half-lidded, drinking in the flattery with an easy receptiveness. No coyness, no reticence. She enjoyed it and made this clear to be known.

Dauner downplayed the danger, as was his wont, and Kristen by now had surmised such an answer from him. His confidence, even its attending eagerness, was a reassurance certainly. What lay ahead was their most perilous task, the culmination of their efforts. Titus, if his ability matched even half of his grandiose talk, would be a foe stronger yet than packs of Desecrators, Naya, or the Wraith. Dauner's presence shored up the strength of Kristen's convictions, providing that tangible edge to see justice for the slain delivered.

His flirtatious remark however, the extent of what said tongue might be adept at, went over Kristen's head. "A sharp wit to match a sharp sword."

But not over Khorvayne's. She shifted that hand from beneath her chin to cover her spreading smile. "The bright summer days of youth are a joy to behold."

"And at what might you be getting?"

"I am not the only one who enjoys speaking through implication." And the sorceress winked at Dauner.

Kristen huffed. "Regardless, we must assess where Titus is to be found within Ashol. Aionus help us if he has somehow ingratiated himself with the nobility of the city."

Dauner
 
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"Somehow, I fear that your fear has long come to realization" Dauner responded. "It would be very difficult for any organization to establish itself in the capital of a nation without the backing of someone influential enough. Perhaps the nobility. Or maybe even the royal family itself" he added, his eyes scanning the city's exterior. "What we need right now, is information, lest we become sheep heading for the slaughter" he finished, returning his eyes onto Kristen. "And I know just where to get that"

Ashol has been home to the order's spies for nearly half a year. That means, even before the tensions between the two entities came to exist, Dauner had already planted eyes and ears within the walls of his potential enemy. Koda wasn't the only one to host sovereign spies. In fact, there was hardly a place in the reach that didn't have the order's eyes watching it. Most of the agents, were not actually members of the order itself, and had no idea they were working for the order, with agents from the order only at key locations, serving as a bridge to the order proper. That helped protect the order if any of these agents were to ever be discovered.

"We shall meet again within the walls, Vey" Dauner said, offering her a smile. Then he turned to Kristen, "Let me do the talking" he said, as they rode on towards the gates. Entering the city was fairly easy. Dauner and Kristen sharing a horse, with Kristen's clothes in tatters, but still clean, would suggest they had escaped from someplace, but still had the time to clean themselves up on the way there.

"Another eloping couple I see" a guard commented, as he saw them ride up to him. Dauner had dismounted the horse, pulling it along towards the gates when they got there. The guard turned to record of them. "State your name and the reason for your visit?"

"My name is Rai, and I am but a humble woodcutter. Beside me is Frea, daughter to a local farmer from my village. We had to flee together, because her father wanted to have her marry an ugly old man" he said, as a disgusted expression took its place on his face. "So what if he had money? I couldn't let them take my love away from me" he continued in a very emotional tone, almost dropping a tear, which he hurriedly wiped away. "So I took her with me, as we escaped under the cover of night. And now, we've come to Ashol in hopes of starting a new life"

Whoever said, there was no such thing as a king of liars had clearly never seen Dauner go at it, for his words may have been deceptive, but his emotions and mannerism would make it hard for even the most experienced to see through.
 
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"Soon," was all Khorvayne said. She lifted a hand and with a cascade of fingers bid them farewell, but otherwise stood where she was and watched them go.

Kristen...well, it would be a lie to say that she wasn't a little glad to be rid of the sorceress's company again. Even if Khorvayne ended up being instrumental in finding and isolating Titus (which, as Dauner postulated, could be quite the challenge indeed), she wouldn't be all too happy about it being the case. Her bias was simple: she plainly did not like Dark Magic, for, even if it was not drawn directly from the Dark Ones, it was still quite close to their influence—within the same sphere, one could say. Her faith in Aionus demanded she rightly despise such magic's corrupting effects and all the devastation it wrought, whether this be upon a single person's soul or the whole of the Allir Reach.

They approached the gates. And it was quite good that Dauner did the talking—lying remained decisively not one of Kristen's strong suits.

In support of Dauner's story, something that certainly felt the narrative and the actual truth of the matter: "I've come because I must," she said quietly to the questioning guard, nodding in affirmation.

Dauner
 
Quickly scribbling down on a ledger, the guard, without looking back up at them, waved his hand. "You may enter. Next" he said, as the couple finally made their way into the city proper.

Although unfamiliar with the new area, Dauner managed to make his way through town, with the help of directions from civilians, finally arriving at "The Drunken Boar" tavern.

"Well, that wasn't hard" Dauner would comment, as he looked upon the building. This tavern was in fact a branch of the Sovereign Order's department of covert operations. Most of the intelligence from the region went through here before making it to headquarters. Acting as a tavern, provided it with a good cover, under which to carry out its business away from prying eyes. First, Dauner would get his horse to the stables, and then head into the tavern.

Inside, the tavern was as rowdy as a tavern would. Craftsmen unwinding from a long day's work over a mug or two of ale. Voices from all corners stacking on each other, as conversations flared. The bard in the corner playing a tune, while trying to not let his music get drowned out by the noise.

Dauner would lead Kristen to a table, where he would drop all his weight onto the chair with a deep sigh, as though succumbing to fatigue.

"What a day. Right now, I just want to sleep, in a warm, soft, bed" he said, yawning and then stretching his body as he did.
 
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Taverns had quickly become some of Kristen's least favorite environs. It was only after her enrollment into the Dreadlord Academy that she even had any occasions to enter one. Sordid places through and through.

She of course knew nothing of Dauner's true purpose in coming to this particular tavern out of the doubtless slew of options throughout Ashol.

Kristen sat down opposite Dauner at the table. She had to make a conscious effort to sit in a manner that was not so...prim. Such was her nature to sit like this without even thinking about it, with her back straight and legs together and hands neatly placed in her lap. Relaxed, more relaxed, that was how she was going to sell the idea that she was not indeed someone of a more lofty background. Maybe she was overthinking this, maybe she was placing too much stock on herself and Dauner being constantly observed by suspicious eyes, but a little caution here couldn't hurt, could it? Some careless mistake, growing like snowball rolling down a mountain, would be disastrous.

"Far better than the sleep one finds while on the road," she agreed. Then she looked down to her garments, battle damaged and travel worn as they were. "And a change of clothes would be grand."

Dauner
 
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Dauner nodded in agreement. "You're right. The state of your clothes right now is a little too revealing for my liking" he said, glancing over to some men that had been leering for a while now. Well, he couldn't blame them. Even with her clothes intact, Kristen was a beauty to behold, and now, with all the extra skin on display, there was nary a man who wouldn't want to sneak a peek.

"I'll be right back" he said as he got up and headed for the counter. "I'd like a sip of midnight's glory" he requested. The tavern keeper scanned him for a bit before replying.

"You'll need more than a sip to quench your thirst" she said, pouring him a mug of the tavern's specialty drink. The 'midnight glory' it was called.

Dauner then took a sip from the mug and placed it back on the counter. "My thirst cannot be quenched by a drink alone" he replied, letting out a sigh. "Anyway, I'd like a room for two if you please. One with a couple's bed instead of two separate beds" he said, grinning from ear to ear as he did. "And who knows. Perhaps this thirst of mine will be quenched under the veil of midnight" he finished, turning back to the tavern, to look at Kristen, before then turning back abruptly. "Oh! And, may I trouble you for a change of clothes for my wife?"

The tavern keeper asked one of the waitresses to lead Dauner and Kristen up to the room they'd ordered, and to provide Kristen with one something more decent to wear. It was a rather simple dress, which may have lacked the pomp and elegance of noble attire, but it would cover her up nicely, and that was enough.

As for the information they sought. Their agent would find them on their own when the city slept sound.
 
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Even though she herself had brought the subject up, Kristen couldn't stifle the blush that arose. The manner in which he said it! Yet it was true, that tears left by the Wraith's sickles were ghastly; Mother might well call the state of her garb horrid if she could so see it. Kristen might be playing the part of an unassuming lowborn girl, but even so there was in common between girls of both high and low station a shared sense of chastity and its due preservation (or, at least, there ought to be).

She was relieved when one of the barmaids directed her and Dauner up to the room—the better to be away from those leering eyes. This relief was, of course, countered by a new trouble: the singular bed!

Kristen gratefully accepted the dress from the barmaid, did a little bow in the manner that lowborn girls do, and waited until the door was shut to speak.

"I suppose this was all they had available then?" she asked, the slightest bit anxious for reasons she could both discern and not. Thank goodness the sorceress was not here! The last thing she desired was some smart remark from her.

Dauner
 
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"It would appear so" Dauner responded innocently. He wasn't about to let out that this was by his request.

He immediately pounced onto the left side of the bed, like it didn't bother him at all, to have to share it with someone of the opposite sex. And it didn't. He'd done it an uncountable number of times before already, and he was going to do it an even greater number of times in the future ahead.

He then pulled himself up into a sitting position, his legs crossed over each other.

"You can go ahead and change. I won't look" he said, as he covered his face with his palms, leaving slight gaps between his fingers, so he could still see. He wasn't exactly subtle about it, either, as the gaps between his fingers were big enough for Kristen to notice in no time.
 
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Kristen looked to the bundled dress in her hands. Normally she would be aghast at this sort of thing, insistent on privacy brought from a whole separate room or at least a partition, but he did say that he wouldn't look, and, well, she had come to trust him. Dauner might give himself leave for a slightly salacious remark here and there, such was true, but when it came to action he had thus far conducted himself like a gentleman.

She nibbled her bottom lip, still thinking about it, still chiseling away reluctance despite the trust that had been built.

"Oh...very well. But you truly mustn't look." She glanced back up from the dress and to him. "I would even—DAUNER!"

Only a couple of seconds after glancing back up did she see the conspicuous gaps between his fingers. Indignance and embarrassment both flared into a stark red in her cheeks and indeed across the whole of her countenance.

"I was going to politely ask that you turn around as well but now I must demand that you do so!" She said hotly, pointing a finger toward the opposite wall.

Kristen, so caught up in the flustering moment, completely missed the fact that she had just shouted his name. His actual name. If fortune was theirs and the name was muted by the walls of the room, drowned out by the general din of the tavern downstairs, if nothing would come of it, all remained to be seen.

Dauner
 
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Dauner might act like a gentleman every so often to a beautiful lady, but if asked, he was very open about the fact that he wasn't one. Pride, greed, wrath, envy, sloth, gluttony and lust, were the seven precepts that made up the core of his divinity and power, and each greatly influenced his personality. As such, it took an exponentially greater amount of restraint to stop himself from giving into the temptations of lust, especially when he knew there was a beauty undressing in the same room as him.

"Pooh! You're no fun at all" he pouted, as he turned around to face the wall. "Ok, I won't look this time" he added. Dauner acted as though he hadn't noticed she'd shouted out his name. It was not secret to him that his name was quite famous among the Kodan nobility and military, but the chances of the common folk knowing about it was pretty low. Anyway, he'll resolve any problem that could potentially arise if and when it does. There was no use crying over spilled milk.

For now, he had a greater battle to fight. The urge to sneak a peak was strong. Although Dauner's will was exponentially stronger, he'd long shelved it to live a life a little closer to an average human, which meant, he no longer tried hard enough to resist temptations, unless such temptations came at a cost he was unwilling to bear.

Was it 1 minute? 5? 10? Dauner couldn't tell, as he was too busy trying to resist the temptation, while trying not to resist it too hard, which was by no means easy. It was akin to stabbing someone in the heart, while trying not to kill him. He was getting along just fine, until he finally broke down.

"I can't take it anymore" he exclaimed, turning around hastily to take a look, but Kristen was already dressed. And so he pouted even more, with what seemed like a tear almost rolling out of his right eye.

"What a cruel world" he said as he wiped off the tear.
 
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Rustling could be heard then as Dauner faced about and looked toward the wall. It came with a somewhat delayed start, speaking to a hesitation or perhaps a wariness on Kristen's part, but nonetheless it came with a hurried rapidity in those initial seconds. The light sound of fabric, of Kristen's damaged arming pants and her shirt, plopping to the floor came next and then the even lighter sound of the modest dress being slipped on, adjusted and fussed with to exacting standards.

Right on cue as he turned around, Kristen had just finished the final touch of smoothing out the dress around her abdomen and waist.

What a cruel world.

Kristen just gave him a tiny, self-assured smile. "Some women treat their bodies like a tavern instead of a temple. I am not such a one."

She glanced for a fleeting second at the singular bed, but made no advance toward it, not even to sit. Instead she sighed and brought up a musing thought which had crossed her mind. "This is not the first time that my equipment—my armor, my garb—has been damaged enough to warrant replacements. I fear that Father may think it will become a regular occurrence."

At least she had a family wealthy enough to subsidize the wear-and-tear of expensive gear. Goodness, what of those Initiates, travelers, adventurers and all the rest of less means?

Dauner
 
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"Well, I guess it's up to preference" Dauner commented to Kristen's statement. Temple or tavern, at the end of the day, what mattered was the freedom of choice. Dauner wouldn't be caught dead forcing himself on a woman, so there was always the matter of consent. Not like he really needed to worry about it in the past. His charm was a real home wrecker, which is one of the reasons he chose to keep it under seal for now.

Following Kristen's next sentence, Dauner began to look rather pensive, as though thinking really hard about something. After a few seconds of this, he snapped back to life, hitting his clenched right fist, into his left palm with an, "AHA!"

"So, not only are you a mommy's girl, but you're also a daddy's girl!" he said in a tone that sounded like he'd just made a major discovery. "So I guess it wouldn't be wrong to call you the darling daughter of house Pirian" he finished.

"This kind of makes me wonder. Have you ever acted like a spoiled or entitled brat before?"
 
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Now that caught her off guard, and Kristen flushed for a whole host of reasons.

"I...! Well...! That is to say...I should like to say no, that I was a model child, yet my very own story about the snickerdoodle cookies betrays me. Though I hasten to say that my mother Josephine and my sister Amelia were both wonderful, molding me well into the image of a proper noblewoman, and any failing in this regard I would without hesitation claim as my own!"

Kristen, of course, took Dauner's question to be purely related to the past. Such were the lavish circumstances of her upbringing that many things she helplessly took for granted, despite her best attempts to show as much gratitude as she could whenever possible. Thoughts like the one she just had—Goodness, what of those of lesser means?—did not often occur to her even now.

In a tale as old as time, nurture quite often fought with nature in this way.

Dauner
 
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"I see they did a good job at that" Dauner commented. At this point, it seemed to Dauner like noble etiquette had been ingrained in Kristen's very soul, such that it was hard for her to act like a commoner even if she tried. Even while sitting in the tavern, earlier, she still exuded some degree of nobility, despite the tattered clothing.

"We should probably get some rest now. Tomorrow, we go hunting, and we'll need to be at our best then" he said, as he got off the bed, and took out a piece of paper, ink and quill from his jacket. He then wrote down some things, neatly folded the paper and placed it on the floor in front of the door, before returning to the bed. "I'll take the right side" he said, helping himself to the right side of the bed, and facing the direction of the wall. Then he instantly shut down completely, as though having fallen into a deep sleep in a fraction of a second. Since sleep was wholly unnecessary for him, Dauner lapsed into his soul space, from where he'd continue healing his injuries for the rest of the night.
 
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What mild curiosity Kristen had in watching Dauner jot down the note and slip it under the door was quite soon replaced by alarm.

"No, wait—!"

Yet, astoundingly, it seemed to be too late, just in the blink of an eye! How was such a thing possible? The second he closed his eyes Dauner was dead to the world! But never mind it! Hardly was there time to consider even this feat, for now the cause of her earlier reluctance and apprehension was right at hand.

Kristen brought a fist up to her mouth, pressed it hard against her lips and fretted, looking from the bed and to all other corners of the room. She couldn't! She couldn't possibly! To share a bed with a man with whom she was not married nor betrothed? It was a line she could not cross, no matter what their story was. It would simply send the wrong impression!

"I suppose I will just...sleep on the floor, ha ha," she said, reaching out to snatch one of the pillows from the bed at the tail end of her nervous laughter for just that purpose.

Dauner
 
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Once in his soul space, Dauner would prove hard to awaken. Within, aside, from the black and white sky, producing countless shades of gray, and the endless blue sea, there would be nothing to distract Dauner from his meditation, and as such, there was little chance of him awaking anytime soon. However, even in this state, Dauner was fully aware of all that transpired in the world around his body.

Soon enough, time would drift into the night, bringing out the moon, and sending the city into silence, as everyone returned home for the night. At moon's peak, Dauner would awaken, and immediately help move Kristen to the bed, together with her pillow. That was a more comfortable place to sleep, and it was much warmer under the sheets.

"Yeah, your parents did too good a job" he remarked in a whisper, as he pulled the sheets over her.

He then used the window to get himself onto the roof, where he slipped back into his soul space, and continued his healing.

As soon as the first rays of sunlight would grace the city, Dauner would snap back to reality, and return to the room before Kristen would awaken. He'd then walk over to the door, where a thick compilation of documents sat on the floor, just waiting for him to pick them up, and so he will.

He'd then put on his jacket and pull a chair over to the base of the bed, overlooking Kristen, before reading through the documents, as he waited for her to wake up.

 
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The first evidence of Kristen's slow awakening was a content and delighted moan as she nuzzled her face into her pillow and absentmindedly pulled the sheets just a nudge past her shoulder. She persisted in a state of denial that the morning had come and that it was time to open her eyes for another minute or so, and then at last she relented and one eye peeked open and lazily glanced around.

Her other eye opened. She blinked.

Then her eyes went wide and she bolted up from lying down, glancing frantically about the room until she saw Dauner sat there before the bed dutifully reading over his documents. A flurry of confused thoughts swirled about in her mind. How? How?? What happened? How did she wind up in the bed? What did she do?

"I'm sorry! Did I intrude?"

Dauner
 
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Finally taking his eyes off of the documents, Dauner offered Kristen a smile.

"No. You did not. I just thought it must have been awfully uncomfortable to sleep on the floor, whilst there remained a better alternative, so I moved you onto the bed" he explained. "I must say, you slept quite soundly. Almost like a log" he added.

Dauner thought it unnecessary to further explain the situation, lest she inquired about it herself. For now, he'd concentrate on the reason for their presence in Ashol. Titus.

The documents revealed quite a bit about their query, a testament to the efficiency of the order's spy network. Alas, the location of Titus' abode still remained obscure. However, little hints were littered here and there as to whom among his collaborators could possess such information, or at the very least, give them the right directions.

All that remained now, was to find the means of getting to these collaborators.

"I trust you had a good night's sleep"
 
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"Indeed I did," Kristen said with a slight hint of marvel in her voice. It was honestly astounding how much she valued a good night's sleep now. Where before the sound of a fly's buzzing wings might prove sufficient cause to stir her from sleep, in leaving the life of nobility and comfort behind, taking up the arduous life of combat and travel, she found that she indeed slept soundly under many circumstances. Sometimes she just didn't know how tired she actually was until she had a small moment of respite.

Nevertheless, her confusion and alarm were allayed. She trusted in Dauner's forthrightness, accepting his account as truth.

Kristen took full notice of the documents in Dauner's hand then.

"What might those be?"

Dauner
 
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Dauner had already thought of this before, but Kristen seemed very innocent and trusting. Too much so, even. This was an indication of a pretty sheltered upbringing, whereby he parents shielded her from the world, but failed to adequately prepare her for the treacherous world that awaited.

Had Dauner been someone with evil intentions, he would have already had a plethora of opportunities to cause her harm, mostly because, till now, she had taken his words to face value and trusted in almost everything he said. Perhaps along this way, as they sought to complete their quest, he would see to it that she comes to learn of the danger of such blind trust, for he knew first hand, that there was no blade that hurt more than the blade that struck you in the back, by the hand of one who had once borne your trust.

"This here, my dear, is all the information we need in order to start plotting Titus' demise" he replied. "Based on the information from our intelligence branch here, I have been able to make out some of Titus' accomplices within the nobility. If we can use them and play our cards right, they could lead us to his hideout"
 
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Kristen scooted along the bed and sat near the base, peering a bit more closely at the documents, yet she wasn't truly reading them per se. Many times had the thought crossed her mind that she was in over her head for this excursion, and here was another reminder thereof. In fairness, she thought, she did set out from Alliria knowing practically nothing of the scale of Titus's plans nor the locations involved, and it just so happened that Titus's hideaway was in the capital of a kingdom Dauner had already been preparing for war against.

Better that she had embarked on this excursion now, though. Goodness, what a mess she would have been—an even worse mess—if she had tried to do something like this a year ago.

"'And so he is like most devils, wearing a smile and standing right before your unknowing eyes,'" Kristen said, quoting a play, fittingly enough, about a group of demon hunters tracking down a shapeshifting villain, constantly one step behind until the very end.

She glanced up to Dauner, a touch of worry taking to her brow as a particular word sunk in.

"Accomplices. Do you think...they are willingly in league with him? That they would abandon their own people to ruin for whatever foul promise Titus has offered?"

Kristen didn't know the extent of Dauner dealt with in Alliria, with Naya Indigo's erstwhile cult, but...it was all too true that a good many people could be seduced by the sickly sweet temptations of ill-gotten power into committing atrocious acts.

Dauner
 
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Dauner paused for a second at Kristen's question. Not because of the question itself, but because of the ironic situation that brought about said questions. There was a time when Dauner bought the hearts of kings and emperors with the promise of great power. Never had he thought he'd be working to thwart someone doing the same thing he'd done so many times.

"Do not underestimate the extent of human greed. Be it for power or money, there are many that would readily sell their souls" he said. "I would know, for I myself have bought many in my time" he added.

He turned his attention back to the documents again. "There are many an accomplice within Ashol. Both willing and unknowing accomplices. It is up to us to find our way through them to Titus"
 
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...for I myself have bought many in my time.

One corner of Kristen's mouth pulled long in an hesitant half-smile, and she herself was uncertain whether she ought to laugh or not. But surely it was a joke? Surely? When was Dauner not apt to speak so casually, so facetiously, about things of an otherwise grave nature in order to make light of it? Such was his sense of humor, so far as Kristen could tell. Yes. Certainly. That was it.

And so as Dauner looked back to the documents, Kristen allowed herself a small titter before further business was discussed.

She pondered for a moment, considering options, and furthermore, considering limitations...in various forms.

"If this information of yours is sound, then I should like to start with those who are willingly aiding Titus." She drew in a breath through her nose, and her brow scrunched with a certain disdain, and she spoke somewhat darkly, "Against them, more is permitted. For them, all is deserved."

Dauner
 
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It wasn't like Dauner didn't understand Kristen's disdain for such people, but they were working with limited information. Mostly speculation. They had a number of names, but they were, at best, names of people suspected to be working with Titus. It was very likely some of those on the list were innocent, and more likely, that there were more guilty parties whose names had failed to make the list. Under such circumstance, it was hard to know who the ones willingly aiding Titus were.

Although Dauner had managed to filter out some of those who were indeed working with Titus, he had yet to find out their motive.

"That, my dear, is one of the dilemmas we now find ourselves caught in. We have names of accomplices, but nothing else. Their motives, we can only gleam upon further investigations. However, I would like to believe Marquis De Sardet and Count Riario to be most suspicious in that regard. They certainly have a lot to gain by selling their souls to the devil. Alas, these are no more than mere speculations" he said, almost sounding disappointed.

Though he phrased it the way he did, he was more than certain that these two were willingly in cahoots with Titus. Based on what information he had on them, he could immediately tell where exactly their allegiances laid. Mostly since he'd seen their likes before. Worked with them. Bought them. Perhaps his experiences in the art of playing devil and striking deals in exchange for his contractors' souls was going to be one of his most valuable assets going forward.

"I suggest we start with the marquis"
 
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Kristen, slightly abashed, pressed her lips into a line and looked down for a moment. Temperance, Kristen, she thought to herself. And indeed, such was a fine watchword. She had, in her zeal, gotten a little ahead of herself, hadn't she? She was quite eager to find and press the collaborators who had pledged themselves to Titus all of their own accord. Mayhap it was some noted intrusion of wishful thinking that there would be no further discernment needed outside of the Sovereign Order's scouting efforts.

All they had were suspects. "Dilemma," as Dauner put it, was a fair description. They, or at least Kristen, did not want to come down with a heavy hand upon those who were unwittingly duped, those who simply did not know what they were doing.

"You are right, of course. Mere speculations," Kristen said. Even though the facts on paper might look damning for the Marquis and the Count, closer inspection could reveal them to be innocent of Titus's truly nefarious ends. Care had to be taken.

For all her renewed caution, she could not yet know what Dauner knew of the de Sardet and Riario. Perhaps when all was revealed, her sentiments would duly shift to what she held before: more is permitted, all is deserved.

"The Marquis, then. Let us—"

There came a knock at the door, three soft raps of gentle knuckles, and a patient pause before Kristen's suspicion was confirmed. Khorvayne spoke on the other side of the door, "I hope I am not interrupting anything. May I come in?"

And the sorceress on the other side of the door, as it was, was clad not in her dark, sleek outfit as before, but in more unassuming, humble garb, entirely plausible that she might be the wife of a baker or a tailor. All the better to fit in amongst the locals of Ashol.

Dauner
 
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