In Troubled Waters Cast
Seventh Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC
You reach for magic almost instinctively, transmutation, something you had not tried before, something your enemies would not be expecting... then stop. You do not need to capture Zhabi right now, he does not seem to have caught on to your suspicions. You take a page from Lya's book and
borrow insight against the future. He would be suspicious of Varys if she just flew off as you 'abruptly remembered' more business to discuss.
But not if...
As you begin to speak of other agreements you might make with Galzerai, as though counting the alliance a foregone conclusion, your familiar rises from around your shoulders in a huff and projects to everyone present:
"Water water everywhere, even where there should be air. I'm off to get dry, assuming there is such a thing somewhere in this city."
You feign a sheepish shrug like you had done with Ser Erren Florent three months ago, then continue your discussion. Perhaps it is only that your suspicion had already been roused, but Zhabi seems to be presenting an oddly contradictory opinion of his lord. On the one hand, he is inflexible in so much as refusing to meet on neutral ground, but on the other hand he is generous and open handed in trade and shared studies. It is not beyond belief for a dragon missing the heart of his hoard, but still very odd for a wyrm that has lived as long as Galzerai.
With Varys gone you forge a
mind bond with Lya through a supposedly absent-minded touch.
"Divine what you can of this for when the Sea Guard arrives."
"Already casting," she replies. In spite of the circumstances, you cannot help but marvel at the fact that she does not feel the least distracted. Still she cannot use magic with both bodies at the same time you remind yourself. The envoy does not have the look of someone you would struggle to deal with on your own, but you cannot let your guard down. Any hint that he might flee and you would be
adding a few more gallons of water to the chamber.
"Zhabi is a willing servant of the Deep Ones, he was never an envoy of Galzerai. The instructions he gave are designed to make any approach look like a breech of his teritory, probably in conjuction with another agent approaching the brine dragon himself," Lya recounts grimly as moments stretch out into minutes.
"He is also going to explode into a cloud of poison or maybe some kind of magic sickness if he is restrained."
"That does not sound like something a willing agent would take on," you note in like tone. Part of you wonders if you should reorganize embassy procedures for recognizing envoys, but in the end you decide against it. The man had almost deceived you speaking face to face . No doubt any seals and documents he presented had an air of authenticity to them.
"He does not know about the contingency," Lya continues. After another moment, she adds,
"Whatever you are thinking of doing to him is going to work as long as you move fast enough."
You are tempted to ask what you are supposed to move fast enough to do, but know even the best divination is not that clear. You will just have to see it when it happens, hopefully soon...
Hopefully, they will take Varys at her word, you think behind the smiling facade, though your mind promptly conjures images of obstructive functionaries and disbelieving guards or any number of other tangles that could have barred her way. Thankfully, before you can delve delve too deeply into such thoughts, you hear Varys' mind-voice once more.
"I've got three investigators with me, including a mage. He says you should probably do the cursing as soon as they walk in. It's bending the rules a bit, but better a bent rule than an escaped spy," he recounts with obvious approval.
Your smile does not waver, nor do you betray the building spell-craft by word or motion, but still the false envoy's eyes widen in surprise and he reaches for the talisman in his pocket before you had even finished the spell. Too late. Your curse ripples though the air...
Face transmuted into a rictus of pain and hate, the spy casts it off. "I'll never be a dragon's toy again..." Perhaps if he had not bothered with the words he might have had some chance of escape, but fate and fortune
twist upon themselves and the spell takes hold. For one instant his form is still perfect in all its contours, save crafted of shimmering salt-water, then it begins to rush towards the floor so fast you only catch a glimpse of something dark and pulsating where his lower chest was.
Calling out one more
command you slip between one moment and the next and lunge for it, careful not to squeeze too tightly you pull the pulsating bag of flesh out of the torrent, just in time to catch your breath as three Sea Guard investigators rush into the room with Varys leading the way.
The only mortal among them, and obviously the sorcerer by his staff and robe, looks down at the puddle with something between pity and disgust.
"Careful, captain, you are stepping in the suspect," the golden-scaled locathah to his left calls in jest.
Ignoring his subordinate, the mage takes a deep breath, then in the somewhat wooden tone of someone wholly unaccustomed to any sort of diplomacy who is trying to remember something he learned by rote, he says. "Do you wish to claim the prisoner, share custody while he is investigated until judgement can be reached, or hand him over for interrogation?"
"I'll be honest with you, captain. The first would be simpler from where I am standing, but I am assuming there would be consequences of saying so," you reply ruefully, trying to cut through a bit of the tension.
"Not legally, and not from my report. That," he motions at the sack of flesh in your hand, "is manifest proof of Far Realm Infuence and this is your embassy, but, well...not everyone likely dragons. Easy enough to twist the tale with rumor and innuendo, especially given who that was."
"That being?" you ask, remembering the last words the undine had spoken before your curse had been laid.
"That was Islin al Rohut. The more militarist council members tote him out whenever they have a cause to bring up the danger of dragon aggression. I remember it because the last time it was to help increase funds for the guard. A good cause as far as we're concerned, you understand, but now this shit... a Deep One collaborator and trying to sabotage a dragon that's been doing naught but good," the mage shifts to his native tongue for what your translation spell informs you is some very creative profanity.
"Why was he a good spokesman for stoking fears of dragons?" Lya asks curiously.
"Some shit that happened to his family when he as a kid," the sea guard captain shakes his head, obviously deciding to drop the formalities given your tone and manner.
What do you do?
[] Take Zhabi/Islin into custody
[] Share custody with Vialesk until a judgement can be reached
[] Give up custody and ask for their investigation results later
OOC: That was the first time I ever saw a nat 20 and a nat 1 back to back on a re-rolled save. Not yet edited.
