A Veiled Journey (Part 2)

Its already an interesting trip. After a stay at Tashraan for supplies, you've made your first pair of jumps to bring you to your destination. You are close, at least. The great trees of the Forest of Whispers hang unsettlingly tall in the distance. More immediate, however, is the border fortress that you landed near, which seems to presently be very much on fire.

Malik, for his part, seems -- rather unsure what to do. He glances over to Seldan, his primary concern on this trip, raising an eyebrow as he waits for instruction. If there's any communication on their part, it's either entirely non-verbal, or done in a way that the others can't hear before glancing around at the others to see what they're doing. "Look," he deadpans. "A convenient conflagration. Who could have predicted that might occur?"

Seldan, next to Malik, lowers his eyes at the silent communication, and looks at the others. "A conflagration set by alchemy," he returns. "Not idly was this started, and I may not abandon them to their fate." Still, he seems undecided, uncertain, even, a thing not often the case.

Zeke lays a careful claw on Seldan's shoulder. "You may not, nor may I, but ssend thisss one in your ssstead Sseldan. You musst not be sseen, but thiss one isss not sssso." Zeke lets go and looks at Serene, offering her with his eyes the chance to come with him.

If the thought of possibly abandoning whoever might be inside the burning fortress to their fate ever crossed her mind, Serene gives no sign of it as she moves to get a better view. She removes one of her gauntlets, then puts her fingers to her lips to emit a short, sharp whistle. Her gryphon ought to be joining her soon. "We will investigate," she says, then, agreeing with Zeke. "Though if either of you," she goes on, looking at Malik and Seldan, "Have a means of magical reconnaissance.. and can use it without detection, now would be the time."

"That do I not have, for the spells I have mastered are not of the divination sort." Seldan lets out a breath, a tacit assent that holds perhaps a hint - all right, more than a hint - of relief. "I shall trust it to you, then. Have a care, for the fire is born of alchemy, from the look of it. Hot, persistent, and not readily quenched. I shall remain here."

Malik gives them a glance that is, at best, dubious. "Investigate? Investigate *what*?" He gestures with a hand. "'Tis a fortress. There is fire. Set by alchemy. The cause is *known*. What do you hope to investigate while it yet *burns*?" The wizard looks absolutely perplexed.

"We intend to investigate for sssurvivorsss. For those in need of aid." Zeke looks at Malik then shakes his head. "It issss dessided. Thisss one and Sserene will go." He makes his way toward the tower.

Serene gives a short nod, then hesitates, looking at the paired men. "I cannot turn my back on this. If there is no one to be found, we shall return shortly." Then she is following Zeke.

Seldan does not respond, expression stilling into a granite-like cast, his eyes remaining on the grass at his feet, shoulders tense. "Do what you may for them, with my gratitude," is all he says.

The fire is definitely increasing in strength as it spreads from the alchemical ignition point near the top floor. Finding your way to the gate is not hard. The fort is not exactly *huge*. It's an observation post with some mild defensive properties, more than anything else. Observing the movements of the Forest of whispers, not that they're likely to ever see anything the shadow elves don't want them to.

Still, the gate is open, and several soldiers of Charn are presently evacuating their comrades from inside, going in shifts. Your arrival goes a little unnoticed in all the chaos.

Zeke isn't the most circumspect of creatures, but he does do what he can to remain unnoticed. Being overlooked is a skill that he has cultivated over the years. Not invisibility, but rather the art of being unimportant. He looks over at Serene. "They ssseeem to have the evacuation in order, we will not be able to go in with-out being notisced." He had expected more chaos than this from the sounds coming from the tower. With so many already evacuated they might run some real risk of being captured by enemy forces, or being forced to fight those they might be trying to save.

Malik, for his part, seems content to let the others go in. He's already nocking an arrow in the bow, eyes scanning the horizon for the thing they're meant to *not* see while they stare at the fire. Paladins might paladin, but the wizard is not a paladin -- nor does he appear to be falling for this particular diversion.

Serene gives a single, sharp nod. She purses her lips for a moment, eyes moving from the organized evacuation to the damage done by the fire so far. "A mystery. I am uneasy with such a thing happening right when Seldan's mission happens to bring us here. Coincidences happen, but unknowns such as this left behind us have a way of sneaking back upon us. But you are correct... it is not as though we can simply wander up and ask them. That would complicate matters."

GAME: Malik rolls Perception: (16)+23: 39
GAME: Seldan rolls perception: (15)+25: 40
GAME: Zeke rolls perception: (9)+4: 13
GAME: Serene rolls perception: (6)+25: 31
GAME: Seldan casts Message. Caster Level: 16 DC: 18

From outside, Seldan's eyes too scan the forest, and pause on a point. Pause, and turn away, turns his back to the forest, and works a swift, simple sigil before himself. Nothing happens, and he frowns, lifts his gauntleted hand a little more, and tries again. This time, he seems satisfied, and mutters quietly into the air, a Message cantrip to Zeke and Serene. "We are observed. The mul are here, invisible. The fire may be theirs, a distraction perhaps."

GAME: Zeke rolls stealth: (8)+-2: 6
GAME: Serene rolls stealth: (19)+5: 24

"...what the hell? Is that a lizard?"

There's a lot of gesturing and pointing as Zeke is noticed. In fact, so many eyes are on Zeke over there that Serene manages to go utterly unnoticed. "You there! What are you doing There?"

While tensions, at least on Charn's side, towards the Sith-Makar are said to be lower these days, the hostility still exists for very, very obvious reasons. They're on their guard, weapons drawn, given the situation.

Zeke almost startles out of his scales when he hears Seldan's voice, but he nods quickly and turns his eyes on Serene. If this fire was set to deliberately capture them, they've already acted in grave error. He starts to motion to Serene when he's quite obviously spotted. He closes his eyes briefly. Lizard. He sighs. Turning he lifts his hands somewhat to show himself unarmed - well minus the quarterstaff he uses as a walking stick. "Thisss one sssaw the fire. Thisss one came to asssisst. Thisss one isss a healer. Thisss one would... tend your wounded? If you allow." He prays to Daeus that Serene takes the opportunity to run.

Run? Serene does take a moment to consider the options. Not of leaving Zeke behind; some things are just hard wired after all this time. No, about whether this is going to turn into a fight.. and if there is a way to get word to Malik and Seldan. And if the mul are currently watching what's going on just this minute. Whether that particular card ought to be played. The moment passes, and then she steps out from behind Zeke into full view, in all her Charnish Eldanar glory. "You seem to have your evacuation in order," she adds as her own response. "As my companion has stated, if help is required we are here to offer it. If we would be underfoot, we can continue on our way."

GAME: Serene rolls diplomacy: (12)+40: 52
GAME: Zeke rolls diplomacy: (18)+11: 29

They're soldiers. They're trained to be wary. They're soldiers of Charn, in fact, on the edge of the Forest of Whispers. Given how well they're handling their fort being on fire from alchemy, well, this may not be the first time they've encountered some serious trouble.

While they have their weapons ready, just in case, they seem to find Serene's presence ... believable.

"She's not an illusion, is she?"

"I don't know. If I was one of them, I'd probably pick something more believable than this pair."

"Right," answers another soldier, "just unbelievable enough to be believable. Shit. Are they that good?"

"Of COURSE they're that good." Another group of soldiers rotates into the fort, covering their faces, to help pull any remaining soldiers from the interior to the other outside. Others, rotating out, are carrying supplies gathered from what they still can. No way they can even put it out.

"Not sure there's a lot you can do to help, ma'am," says one of the soldiers.

Zeke slowly lowers his arms, but takes no offensive or defensive posture. "They?" He asks curiously then shakes his head. "Thisss one doess not know who thessse othersss are, but your wounded are thisss onesss conscern. There may be no-thing that can be done, and if ssso we will leave you in peassce, but if you have need of healing - we can aid you." He bows his head slightly. "It isss your choissce."

Waiting in the back, Seldan is silent, watching both observers and observed. He closes his eyes briefly, holding his silence, then opens them again, watching intently the direction his companions went. He can only hope that they come back safely.

Serene nods her agreement with Zeke, assessing what she sees of the destruction and the soldiers being pulled out. "Do you suspect you know who was responsible for this?" she adds to the Sith's query, though she, now, is eager to be moving on, doing her best to not come across as hurried.

"Most likely the Shadow Elves. They're screwing with us all the time, but I suppose an alchemical fire could've been accident. We do have a bunch of alchemical equipment ... but that could be what they WANT us to think."

He lets out a sigh. "You get stationed here long enough, you get used to being messed with. This is the armpit of the empire, as you well know."

Charn has many armpits. In most cases, it happens to be wherever you are.

"If you've healing skills, we'll tak them. A number of us were injured in the evacuation. No way we're fixing this fire, just gotta wait for it to burn out, then call the engineering corps."

There's a sigh.

"I'm Man at Arms and Imperial Adjunct Orvi Cole. And you lot are...?"

Stjepan stands near Seldan's position, non-descript but watching through his eye-lenses and casually holding his rather heavy draw bow. Not at the ready, not leaning on it, it's just there. He is, in the end, watching for things to go more-wrong.

Zeke's green eyes note the 'shadow elves' acutely, but doesn't comment on them. They've a clear division of labor in his mind. Him and Serene. His is to be as unobtrusive and helpful as possible - hers is to request whatever information that she might be able to glean. After all, they're more likely to trust her than him. "Thisss one isss called Zeke." He says his own name with a heavy accent, but it's still clear for what it is. He ties to be patient, thankfully this is another skill that he is well practiced in.

GAME: Seldan rolls bluff: (20)+13: 33

"Hailee," Serene offers. Indeed, as the conversation continues, she slips a little bit into her old Charnish accent. On purpose, or simply due to being once more immersed in it? "Do what you can, Zeke, but make haste if you can." She turns to the imperial soldier then. "Adjunct Cole. I realize you have had little time to investigate the cause. Have you found any evidence of sabotage, or is it merely what you suspect? Have they been sighted here recently?"

GAME: Zeke rolls heal: (11)+16: 27
GAME: Serene rolls heal: (2)+13: 15

Seldan's occasional looks in a particular direction have subsided, but there comes a point when he turns himself in a particular direction, silently and without explanation, and directs a level, steady gaze at - nothing. It is short-lived, and he turns away again, turning his attention back to the fort.

GAME: Stjepan rolls perception: (18)+23: 41

Stjepan scans the trees, turning slowly, using more head turns than body turns, but he seems to satisfy himself before subsiding.

-TBC