Private Tales The Thal'addas Theorem

[Yrael]

The Black Toad was… damp. The pouring rain outside had no trouble winding its way through the warped and broken roof and down through the rafters of the tiny building. Buckets and pots of all sorts had been set around the establishment to catch the drips and streams, and the smell of mildew prevailed.

Yrael sat at the driest table he could find, drinking a mug of lukewarm tea… or what passed for tea here. It didn’t truly matter, it was merely something to occupy his hands while he waited. It had been a long time coming, but today was the day he would meet his newest employees… provided anyone actually responded to the letters he had sent.

He would not be surprised if no one came, the job was extremely dangerous, after all, and he had needed to be vague in his request. Still, the greed of others was always reliable, so he hoped that at least one of the thieves he had scoped out had the spine to take him up on the offer.

He wore a dark blue cloak over light violet clothing. All were made of fine fabric, but not so nice as to be eye-catching. On the table in front of him he had set a small wooden figurine: a sparrow.


Kala Grimscythe

 

[Qieane Andieln]

It wasn’t so much whether or not Qieane Andieln had a spine that brought her to the Black Toad, as much as it was a death wish that accurately described the inner workings of the elf’s mind. Between the hell she’d endured with Renzo and the way she’d been tossed aside by Velviare, it would be no surprise to those that knew her the state in which she arrived. Slinking like a cat in the night, she pushed her way through the door to the establishment and immediately set her eyes upon the bar.

“Perfect,” Qieane said, smirking. The woman made a beeline toward it, her vermillion gaze sweeping over the men seated on stools. Two were engaged in a heated debate, and beside one of them was a bottle of whiskey. The barkeep’s attention was on another patron for whom he was pouring a drink and Qieane reached forward. Curling her fingers around the neck of the bottle, she snatched it away and casually retreated. This time, she headed for Yrael’s table, having somehow seen the swallow on her cursory observation.

Standing at average height, the woman was clad in dark leather with a white blouse and a black cloak, the cowl of which was pulled low. Without a word, the elf slid into one of the seats and leaned back, propping a booted foot up on the corner of the table. The chair’s front legs weren’t touching the floor. With the grace of an elephant, as opposed to ladylike candor, the thief grabbed the bottle’s plug with her teeth and tugged it out. Spitting it on the floor, she raised it to her lips and drank deeply. Not that she really needed it, considering she already reeked of booze.

Qieane said nothing.

Yrael Kala

 

[Kala]

Kala stepped into the inn with all the swagger of a lioness.

She was coming off a high.

Three successful jobs in a row, two of them stealing from Kings and one an Anirian Noble House who had been as blind as bats. She'd never much cared who she'd stolen from, not really, but there was something extremely gratifying about taking from the latter.

She enjoyed the challenge of it, the fame that came with the work. That was why she was here in this Inn, why she'd answered the call.

Who could resist something like this?

The Tiefling moved across the tavern with reckless abandon, her tail reaching out and snatching a bottle of wine off of a table before she practically threw herself down into a chair across from Yrael and besides Qieane Andieln . "Hello there."

She said, taking a sip from the bottle in mirror of Qieane.

 

[Yrael]

The two that entered displayed their knack for taking what wasn't theirs almost immediately. It was difficult to tell much about the first woman as she entered, being hooded as she was, but as she sat two things became immediately clear: she was extremely pale, and her boots were quite muddy. She was silent, and Yrael waited only a minute as she gulped down her whiskey before the tiefling entered the tavern. Contrary to his first hire, this one was dark and did not cover her face in shadows, and she actually spoke as she sat down.

Yrael regarded the pair of them with curious violet eyes. They were just about as far you could get from the sort of people he normally worked with. For one, they weren't human. Yrael would not go so far as to say that humans were superior to other races, but a lifetime in the service of Vel Anir had not given him the greatest respect for elves or tieflings. Of course, he didn't have much respect for humans either.

Additionally, Yrael was most accustomed to ordering soldiers into battle and other military operations. He was not accustomed to criminals outside of delivering punishments, and skulking in the shadows had always been abhorrent to him. This new path he had embarked on had been fraught with new experiences, and he wasn't sure he liked it.

He realized that it had probably been too long since anyone had spoken, and decided to finally chime in.

"Hello," he said in reply to Kala. "Enjoy your drinks, we will see if anyone else decides to join us." When no one else entered for some time, he decided to get to it.

The air around the table suddenly became very still, and the sounds from beyond their little group were silenced.

"Welcome. You are here because you received a letter from me, and I thank you for answering." Silence. How long was he supposed to pause? He didn't have to when speaking to his knights. "As stated, Elbion College holds an item I would like retrieved. Naturally, it is well protected. The wizards of the College are legendary in their wit and power, and this effort will be extremely dangerous."

Another pause. He was not normally one to repeat information that had already been given in writing, but considering the "transient" nature of the parchment he had used, he figured a reminder may not hurt.

"We must enter the vaults beneath the college, retrieve the item within, and escape... ideally undetected. I have chosen you because of your past successes, and should everything go smoothly I can promise substantial compensation. Should we fail..." he shrugged, "we will die."

He took a drink from the now cool tea. "Are there any questions?"

 

[Qieane Andieln]

Qieane's gaze moved to the corner of her eye to glance at the tiefling that sat beside her, another swig taken from the bottle in her hands. Her chin lifted slightly to Kala, acknowledging her greeting in continued silence. She listened to Yrael's words, and upon the their conclusion and that inquiry, the thief's boots slid off the table and she leaned forward. Qieane set the bottle of whiskey down on the table, albeit a little harder than was necessary.

"Got any floor plans?" she asked, seemingly unfazed by the potential of dying in a place she'd never gone before. The thief gestured with a pale hand in Kala's direction. "Looks like we're the only thieves with the balls, or maybe the stupidity, to do this."

The elf grinned then, seemingly in good humor. Her words were slurred, but at least they were coherent. As long as no one mentioned her son, she'd be right as rain. That's what the whiskey was for, an emotional dampener of sorts. She tugged a blade from its place in her boot and drove its point against the flat wood of the table, creating a line in the wood. Qieane wasn't the first or the last to amuse themselves by damaging the property of others.

"And what do you know about any specifics regarding cantrips, wards, and the like?" If Yrael held a sort of unfavorable reservation regarding other races, it was clear in the timbre of Qieane's voice that she was equally disdainful of magic. Magic could hurt without touching you, and that was a bit more than the elf liked. And beneath that, there was the trademark tones of a thief: greed.

 

[Kala]

Elbion, lovely.

It was one of the few cities she usually didn't operate in. There wasn't a particular reason for it. The college didn't scare her any more than the Anirians did. Magic was...well magic was magic wherever the hell you went. Didn't matter if it was here nor there.

"How substantial?" Kala asked as she leaned back and took another sip from her bottle.

Qieane had asked the only other question that had been on the forefront of her mind. She had never been inside of the College, but she'd had heard rumor that it was almost a maze. Confusing turns, corners, illusions that broke up your pacing.

Getting in and out of a place wasn't even, even for someone like her.

Fingers drummed on the table.

Half of the reason she stole things was for the notoriety of it. If they did indeed manage to pull this off...then word would spread quickly. At least in underground circles.

She liked the thought of that.

 

[Fleur]

Fleur didn't consider herself a good person. She often tip-toed between the fine line of a cruel mercenary and an outlaw, leaving her reputation rather poor even for a fae. But she still had morals and often found herself committing little acts of kindness despite her vicious image.

However, she was sure that she'd fit in with a group of thieves. Robbers usually stole for things like reputation and money. She rarely had met a thief who committed other crimes like arson or murder.

Clad in a long, black cloak to cover her noticeable features, she entered the Black Toad and wrinkled her nose at the strong smell of decomposing wood. Fleur briefly winced underneath the hood of her cloak. Stupid water making such a disgusting smell.

She ambled towards Yrael and sat down gracefully at the table, clasping both of her hands in front of her. Now, she wasn't one to be respectful to most others but she was too tired to act haughtily. Clearly they were in the middle of an important discussion. Fleur didn't think that her presence was worth mentioning and settled for listening quietly to the three converse instead of introducing herself, which would likely prompt questions later.

But the fae was wet and uncomfortable, the constant stench of mildew invading her nose and leaving her slightly nauseous. Introductions could come later.

 

[Yrael]

His accomplices were to-the-point, and Yrael appreciated this. He had never liked wading through pleasantries, it felt dishonest. They were practical, and he was happy to answer their inquiries.

”The exact layout of the vaults is jealously guarded. However, I have managed to gather rough details. The vault we are seeking is number four-one-five. It is on the third level of the catacombs, and we will be able to enter the tunnels directly from the western edge of the college. We will cover exacts later… maps may attract prying eyes here.”

It was a prudent precaution, although likely unnecessary. The only other patrons in the place seemed like they couldn’t care less about the little group, although one fellow at the bar had seemed to just notice that his whiskey bottle was missing. Yrael kept an eye on him, and as he did so, he noticed a third woman enter the tavern.

”As for magical defenses, I expect there are many. I have experience with such things and am prepared to take point, but as in all things, your own wits will be key. Elbion’s knowledge is too vast to possibly know exactly what is in store. As for the item in question, I know that it is almost always in the presence of a living guard.” Yrael hoped that any thief bold enough to accept a job within the College would have some sense of how to avoid magical ensnarement. He was powerful enough to smash his way through most obstacles, but stealth was going to be their best ally here.

Fleur entered the sound-proof bubble and sat without a word. This one was also clearly non-human, although no more visually outlandish than the tiefling, he supposed. He turned his attention to Kala.

”Naturally, your pay will reflect the risks. Five thousand docatto each, more than enough to keep you in luxury for the better part of a year.” Yrael was not a noble, and while dreadlords were adequately paid they were by no means wealthy. However, being a ranking dreadlord in service to the royal family had its perks, the most notable of which was that no one paid particularly close attention to you. The Anirian monarchy was a sham, after all, and it had taken little effort to adjust a few ledgers and bend a few fingers so that certain incomes were directed to him.

”I am Yrael,” he continued. ”Now I have a question for each of you. Who are you, and what skills can you offer to this mission of… reacquisition?”

 

[Qieane Andieln]

"I figured you'd know that already, considering the letters you sent," Qieane remarked sardonically, nursing more of that honeyed liquor from her stolen bottle. Her gaze followed the fae, curiously watching Fleur as she drew nearer and joined them at the table. She could feel the magic in the air, and for once perhaps, she was grateful for the bubble of silence encircling them.

Nonetheless, the elf would also be the first one to answer. Tugging a cigarette from a small satchel strapped to her belt, Qieane stood up briefly and leaned over the table, taking advantage of the candle's flame to light it. She breathed in deeply as she sat back down, vermilion eyes sweeping back toward Yrael.

"You can call me Qie," the thief said, exhaling a plume of smoke. "And I pride myself on being light-footed, fast, and surprisingly resilient. No one can point their finger at you, if they don't see you in the first place."

Perhaps the elf sounded a little cocky, but she earnestly believed those skills to be valuable. After all, despite their lack of uniqueness, they were the sole reason that she was here now. Especially given her high pain tolerance.

 

[Kala]

For a few seconds Kala considered giving a psuedoym, but after a ment decided it probably didn't have a point. "Kala."

The word was said as she took another sip, though smaller this time.

She didn't feel nervous about breaking into the College. That part didn't even concern her in the least. What worried her was her partners. Entering into a situation like this was never easy, and it was even harder when you didn't know the people you were working with.

Trust was very thin when it came to thieves, and now was no different.

"I get in, I get out." Sight unseen. That had always been her way. "A bit of magic, but Ill leave that a mystery."

Was he looking for credits. "I can do this job well enough, but I have a condition."

She'd learned from her last job.

"I don't fancy getting stuck somewhere, so I want some insurance." Had to be smart. "Binding rune, make sure none of us stab another in the back."

The rune was a simple thing really, used by thieves and assassin's to make sure their partners didn't end up burying a knife where it didn't belong. It would go away after a few days. Just long enough to make sure the job completed

 

[Fleur]

Fleur mentally noted her new comrades' names and abilities as the conversation persisted. Her ears twitched underneath the hood of her cloak, uncomfortably pressed against her head.

Overall, she felt cramped. Like a strange sort of claustrophobia, it dwelled over her. It didn't help that her tail was confined within her shorts, sticking to her thighs. The damp air clung at her legs.

She swore to herself. Somehow the genes of a fae and k'i'ik'el had mixed and made the mess that was her. How did a fae and k'i'ik'el even fall in love, she wondered? Was it a deal? Arranged marriage?

Fleur cleared her thoughts, ignoring the feeling to jump out the nearest window.

Kala suddenly mentioned a binding rune, likely to prevent betrayal and such. She noted that the tiefling was quick-witted. Or perhaps, it was just a standard for most thieves, to use binding runes. Fleur worked mainly solo missions so she had little experience with something like this.

"I'm Len." She said, using her nickname instead of Fleur. It's not like she didn't like her first name. In fact, she adored it. However, Len was quicker to say. If something were to happen, every second counted. "I agree with Kala, a binding rune would help keep tensions down if an argument were to occur."

Fleur didn't really care about the rune. But if kept her teammates from doing something idiotic, then she couldn't complain.

 

[Yrael]

Yrael listened to the women describe themselves, brief as it was. It would not really have made a difference what they said, he wasn't going to send anyone away at this point, but perhaps it would help him devise a way to utilize everyone's strengths most efficiently.

Kala's notion of a binding rune merited consideration. Loyalty would be extremely important in a job as delicate as this, and perhaps knowing that they could not betray one another would ease everyone's tensions just a little bit. Of course, it did remove some of the upper hand that Yrael liked to keep for himself. No matter, if he couldn't trust these people for a few days then why had he written them in the first place?

"Agreed," he said simply. "Shall we?" There was no reason to wait. He didn't actually know how such a rune would be applied in this case, and waited for Kala's instruction. He was also eager to get a glimpse of her magic.

 

[Qieane Andieln]

“Tch,” Qieane’s tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth audibly. The idea of using a binding rune bothered her, and it bothered her because she was precisely that sort of thief. Underhanded tactics were how she singlehandedly took over her last group’s leadership and then wrecked it, leaving her with no one in her life but Tristyn.

Tristyn was why she was here now, she liked to tell herself. It wasn’t true though; Qieane lost any selfless bones she might have once possessed before her son could walk on his own two legs. Her nose twitched and she rinsed her mouth with more whiskey before tilting her chin upward.

“Fine, but that better be it’s only purpose,” the elf said finally, though the timbre of her voice better represented a scathing hiss than it did acquiescence.

The elf continued drinking from the bottle until it was empty and though she was clearly inebriated if one were judging by the rheuminess of her eyes and the smell of her breath, Qieane appeared to hold herself up well. Her words weren’t slurring nor was she falling out of her chair.

 

[Kala]

"You can double check my work." Kala said as she reached into her pack and pulled out a small piece of paper along with some ink and a quill.

She was hardly a master of Rune Magic, but certain things had to be learned in order for her to actually feel safe on the job. It was something that Lilla, her surrogate mother, had taught her when she joined the Reesh Reckoners.

Always make sure you look out for yourself.

Glancing at her three companions Kala quickly began to draw up the Rune she had in mind. Within a few moments she scribbled an intricate pattern that would do exactly as she had said. Any betrayal of the others would be painful to the one who did the betraying.

Easy enough magic.

"Here." She said as she placed the paper in the center of the table. "Touch the black tab at the corner, and that will apply the rune on your palm."

Simple magic, but effective. "It will last only a day and a night."

Yrael | Qieane Andieln | Fleur

 

[Yrael]

Yrael extended his hand purposefully and touched the black tab at the corner of the paper. He felt a strange sensation, not painful but not pleasant either. When he turned his hand over he could see the symbol standing out bold and dark.

"Then we'd best get moving." He said simply. There would be time for any further questions on the trip, should any more arise. He stood, picking up the small wooden figurine and depositing it in his cloak. The chair seemed to push itself in as he walked for the door, and motioned for the others to follow.

Outside they would see a carriage. It was as plain as could be, with dingy curtains and pulled by thoroughly mediocre horses. The coachman was picking at his nails with a bored expression when Yrael approached, but quickly jumped down to open the door for the team.

Once everyone was inside they would be on their way to Elbion.

| Kala Qieane Andieln Fleur |​

 

[Qieane Andieln]

Qieane begrudgingly reached forward, touching the edge of the paper. She grimaced, though whether it was from pain or her disdain and disgust of magic was hard to tell. When she pulled her hand back, like Yrael, she looked at the rune inked onto her flesh before shaking her hand. Her bottle was empty, but she tilted it back nonetheless, tongue hungrily awaiting any remaining drops that might slide out of it. When nothing came, she dropped the bottle and stood to her feet, following the others out of the building.

Of course, she took another bottle or two en route, sliding them into her bag with the finesse of a woman that's been doing her job for far too long. The moment the group found their seats inside the carriage, the thief produced one of those bottles and, just as before, ripped it open and discorded its seal. She showed no intention of being chatty during the trip, seemingly perfectly content to nip at her drink.

Some time would pass before she ultimately spoke again, if only to ask: "How long does it take to get to Elbion? I've never had reason to go there before."

 

[Kala]

A carriage?

Well that was about as fancy as anything Kala had ever experienced. She climbed up in and sat herself down, careful to ensure she did not take up too much space. With the runes in place she knew that none of them could hurt her, but old habits died hard and thus she sat with one hand closed to her knife.

She'd never liked taking chances. "Not long from where we are."

Kala answered for Travel, deciding that it didn't really matter who spoke.

She had never stolen from Elbion, not once, but she'd made frequent trips there. A dozen fences, mages mostly, bought various stolen items from her in the city. She was well known for snatching some of the rarer artifacts. The Tiefling had a knack for such things, listening to the rumor mill at all times to try and figure out just what would be best to take.

That was a skill as much as the taking.

Didn't do no one any good if you stole something they didn't want. A lesson that Kala had learned in her youth.

 

[Yrael]

Kala was correct, Elbion proper was quite close to the small town, albeit hidden behind the landscape. The ride wasn't the smoothest, but it got the job done. Yrael would normally have been as content as Qieane to remain silent during the trip, but there were plans to discuss.

He pulled out and unfurled a yellowing and cracked bit of parchment. It was large and had a somewhat faded layout of Elbion College. The date indicated that it was not the most current blueprint, but exact floorplans of the college were not readily available. This one had set him back quite a bit as it was, and while the upper levels did not reflect recent changes (especially following a pyromancer's attack), the foundations and subterranean levels had remained static for centuries.

"We will be dropped not far from the college. There is a blind spot in the school's defenses here where we will enter the lower levels," he indicated a western outer wall. "To get there we will need to scale an outer barrier. It is thirty feet of sheer stone, and our first obstacle. Afterwards we must cross fifty feet of open terrain before reaching the wall. Once inside we will descend to the third level and make our way to the vault." He indicated the various halls and staircases on the map.

Once he was sure that everyone had gotten a good look he rolled up the map and folded it back into the traveling cloak.

"Retrieving the item is paramount. Stealth is ideal, but compromise does not end the job." He looked at Qieane and Kala in turn. "I am sure you will not have any qualms should violence become necessary." He hadn't sent letters to anyone he thought would shy away from a fight, but the warning seemed pertinent.

Within a couple of hours, they were being let off onto a busy street. Dusk was approaching.

 

[Qieane Andieln]

"Thirty foot wall, nice," Qieane said, drinking from her bottle with the gusto of a suffocating fish. It had less in it than the elf had hoped when she'd acquired it. She cast the empty bottle out of the window, listening as it shattered against the ground behind them. "Guards or sentinels? Or do they rely solely on their wards?"

By the time they neared Elbion, the thief appeared more sober, but that was the cost of doing a job. If it were successful, she could go right back to her house for one and drink until she ran out of coin again. She welcomed the cover cover of night; but because it had not yet fallen, she kept her cowl in place.

 

[Kala]

"Gargoyles, I believe they're called." Kala said with a frown.

Everything that Yrael described wasn't really that much of a concern to her. None of it was really any more dangerous or challenging, yet Elbion had more than just that to defend itself. The College was a Maze, and the inside...well she dreaded what they might find.

"Constructs." She frowned. "Or maybe not. I'm not entirely sure, but I've seen them lurking about the College before."

Whatever they were, she had always been rather unnerved by them. "I don't have an issue with violence, but we should avoid being seen."

At the end of the day she was a thief, not a warrior.

 

[Yrael]

Yrael nodded to Kala in agreement, he had no desire to force his way through unless absolutely necessary, and he did not want to risk the college locking down their treasures even more securely. "Gargoyles are strong, but stupid. We should be able to get past them without too much trouble."

The city showed no signs of slowing down as the sky got darker. Lanterns were lit and while some businesses were shutting their doors others were just now opening up. A sea of exotic races walked these streets, humans only predominating by a slim margin. It was quite different than what Yrael was used to, though he did his best not to show this.

The way to the college was glaringly obvious. The towers dominated the skyline, and the windows glowed from within in all sorts of colors. As he looked at it, Yrael's heart quickened. His prize lay within, and this time he would not be leaving without it.

He lead the group to the western wall. As promised, it was tall and smooth. Scaling it would be no minor feat, but he had come up with some ideas of his own on the way here. Well... one idea actually.

"I can throw us to the top," he said plainly, as if this was not a bizarre suggestion, "but once I do, the job begins. Are we ready?"

 

[Qieane Andieln]

Qieane remained silent as they walked, and though she was by far not the strangest creature lurking in the area by appearance alone, she remained cloaked. It was simply easier that way, and it required changing none of her habits. When they arrived at the wall and Yrael stated his ability to throw them to the top, she looked at him. She was still drunk, even if she had sobered up a small amount.

"I'm sorry, you can do what?" the elf whispered sharply, crimson eyes wide. Scaling walls was one thing, but the thought of being thrown that high, with no control over where you were going... that terrified the thief. "I'd rather climb, honestly."

She meant it, too. Her head tilted upward, stare fixing at the top of the wall as her hood slid down. Ashen tresses framed an ashen face, and twin rubies stared out, inebriated, from her face. "If that's alright?"

 

[Kala]

Kala looked up the wall, then at the man, then back up the wall. A frown touched her features for a brief moment and she considered. She could probably climb the wall herself, but why exerty all the energy for that when the man already said he had a solution for it?

No need to bother. "Throw me."

The other woman might have been uncomfortable, but when it came to a job like this Kala had always found conserving as much of her strength as possible was for the better. She could have used one of her cards...but that too seemed a waste of resources when Yrael had a better suggestions.

She wouldn't dream of stabbing either of them in the back of course, with the mark on her flesh that would practically be suicide. Yet it was still better to let someone else do the heavy lifting. Easier to run from guards when you weren't tired.

"Just count down." The Tiefling said with a waffle of her fingers. "I presume I'll have to catch myself at the top."

Unless he was just somehow going to make them fly.

 

[Yrael]

Yrael shrugged at Qieane’s answer, not really minding one way or the other ”Suit yourself,” the wall seemed extremely sheer, but then again he would not have called on the elf if she were not resourceful.

To Kala, he nodded and added ”I will assist as best I can, but be ready to steady yourself at the top.” He shook back the deep blue cloak to free his right hand, which he lowered to his side with an open palm as if he were holding a heavy object he intended to hurl upwards. Which was of course exactly what he was about to do. ”Three... two... one.” His arm swung upwards in an underhand arc.

Kala would feel a gentle weightlessness for a moment as he counted the first number. Yrael had to test her weight, to see how much force would be needed to throw her. She was slight but muscular, so it was difficult to estimate on sight alone. When the count ended, she would feel a push from behind and beneath, starting gently but rapidly accelerating to propel her skywards. As she neared the top Yrael made tiny adjustments, small pushes from either side to keep her steady and to help her get just to the top of the wall.

Once she was stable, he did the same thing to himself. Naturally this was much easier, and he bolted upwards in a smooth arc and landed lightly atop the stone.

Mercifully, no alarms sounded as their feet hit the stone, but a gargoyle to his left started at their arrival. Not wanting it to call a warning, Yrael closed both of his fists and imploded the stone guardian in on itself so that it crumbled into large stones.

He hoped Qieane would climb quickly.

 

[Qieane Andieln]

By time Yrael reached for Kala, Qieane was no longer at their side. She gripped the bricks that comprised the wall with a familiarity honed by years of practice. Considering the amount they'd seen her imbibe, it was nearly impressive that she was still capable of moving as swiftly and gracefully as she did. It was almost as if she balanced herself perfectly on what little ledges were present.

The shower of crumbled gargoyle came immediately before her fingertips graced the top and she pulled herself up. She crouched at the top of the wall, balancing herself on the balls of her feet as she glanced toward the other two. If he wanted to throw her on the ground, that she could handle. Her crimson gaze moved over the expanse of land between the wall and the college.d

Qieane's hand dropped to her waist, where a satchel hung strapped to a belt. Tugging its drawstring open, she reached in and pulled free a vial. She passed it to Yrael to give to Kala before producing a second for him and a third for herself.

"Not much cover between here and there," she said quietly. "Hope you two are fast. Once we're on the ground, drink it. We'll have two minutes to make it to our point of entry. It'll alter the way we're perceived by magic. Never tried it with gargoyles, but I don't imagine it's a whole deal different than trying to hide from golems?"