RP:Busting In
Part of the The End's Not Near Arc
Summary: Callum, Meri, and Sargaso have a job to do for Reginae. They do not manage to locate everything that Reginae asked them to, but they won't be at a loss financially either.
From Cenril Docks to Alithrya
The trio parted in Frostmaw last we saw them, accepting a job from a Queen that most believed to be dead -- in fact they were swore to the utmost secrecy, weren't they? Ten thousand gold, maybe fifteen contingent upon successful collection of two specific items, to travel to a place full of snake-like creatures that may very well be hostile toward just about any race that is not there own. Some nagas may have a superiority complex. It is well known that nagas are from a watery-world, so it stands to reason that just about every route there would likely involve the trio having to swim. Meri has asked both Callum and Sargaso to meet her at the docks of Cenril, where the three of them will hitch a ride on a ride on a boat out to a particular set of currents. How did they come across this boat? Sargaso has friends down at the docks, he was able to swindle them a deal. It was small enough to be ran by the trio but large enough that it could still drop an anchor so that it did not drift away while they were away. No crew would be hired to operate this boat, all three people had sufficient experience to smoothly run a small boat with ease. It afforded the trio a chance to speak freely about what they were about to do and how they were going to go about it. There would be loose explanation about how Reginae had provided plans of the castle and a map of Alithrya, so they were not floundering in where to do even though they had not successfully located the named guides. They would not be sneaking through the front entrance of the castle but rather an alternative, more secretive route. This discussion would take place while rowing toward their destination. It did not matter to her who was in charge of the rowing, it could be one per oar and the gang could alternate for all she cared. One way or another this gang would make it to a place some distance off the shores of Cenril where the currents of the ocean turn this strange hue of purple, an unnatural shade for the ocean. “No way around it. We have to swim to get there.” To Alithrya of course, that was obvious, right? Without further adieu, because she did not want to listen to argument from any of the men on this little row boat, Meri would dive right out of the boat and into the water, taking with her what one can only presume is a waterproof bag. Probably no matter, it looked fairly empty for the time being. The whole point of this was to make sure they arrived together, so Meri would not blaze ahead without Callum and Sargaso. When the group finally got moving, the currents they are swimming through would at first feel light upon their skin and seemed to be propelling them toward Alithrya, the swim was so effortless. At first. They were soon caught up on a whirlpool that would whip them around until the purple currents turned almost pitch black. There were a few pinpricks of light speckled throughout the waters but it was not advisable to linger in awe as the temperatures of the water dip to frigid levels. How to escape this area...As if on cue a giant pocket watch mysteriously floats through the waters, floating closer and closer to Sargaso. The watch is attached to a metal chain that leads…?
Before any of them jumped into the water, Cal would summon up an air bubble for each of them that would cover their mouths noses, somewhat like a snorkel mask. Of course, if Sargaso gave him any problem he’d probably just shrug and be like “Okay, I guess you try to breath underwater without it, then” before eventually doing it anyway. Sorry, dudebro. It’s for your own good. Onward through the ocean then (and hopefully they’re all decent swimmers or else this would likely be bad), until they get swept up in the whirlpool. It was magical, no doubt, but Callum did what he could to stem the tide, pushing back against it with a bit of his own water magic, just enough to keep the current from slamming them about and hopefully allowing Sargaso to grab the pocketwatch. Do what you’re probably really good at, Sarge, and yank the chain. Not too hard, though. Sheesh. All the while, Cal would continue to push back against the whirlpool, giving a side-eye to the other two occasionally to make sure that they’re not dying a horrible death in what was essentially a giant flushing toilet of doom.
Sargaso felt most comfortable sailing. He was raised on the docks, works on the sea, trusts in Selene, and unwinds on his sea-faring kayak. But his kayak is only for one or two, and it's cozy. So he cashed in a favor and got them a small boat. Before boarding, he crossed himself in the sign of a fish. He isn't scared, it's habit. Does Meri know how to sail? It doesn't matter. Sargaso explains everything about sailing to her, and the ocean, how to read waves and ripples, etc. (Mansplaining, it's happening.) If Callum asks questions, he'll answer them too, but otherwise his lessons are focused on Meri. He happily accepts the air bubble because he isn't a psychopath. "Thanks." He dives in after Meri and swims with powerful, measured strokes that conserve energy and get him far. He flushes the toilet/yanks the chain and suddenly the trio wash ashore ... on a beach... under water...somehow. He looks up at the sky and it looks like the underside of a pool. "...Whoa." He keeps low, not sure when and where they should expect to encounter naga, though Reginae's map suggests they won't hit the city proper for a while. "How did they build this down here..."
Meri was being mansplained at, this could also be part of the reason she could not help but jump out of that boat fast enough and into those currents. She was no expert sailor but she knew enough and had enough tattoos themed after the sea to rival most sailors. Somehow she would manage to smile and nod through the both of this, if only to keep the peace for the mission. Yes, mansplaining for the win. Pulling the pocket watch would indeed cause the trio to suddenly wash up on the pebbly shores of Alithrya but there was no time to waste muttering and sputtering about. How did the nagas manage to make this happen? "Magic, of course." Though the group was soaked from head to toe, there was job to be executed and as little time as possible should be spent lingering in this place right now. Everyone here has met a naga, right? There is the understanding that they could easily crush a human torso with their tails? This meant that the trio really needed to get moving. Maybe the resident storm mage had some trick up his sleeve so the group was not sopping wet anymore, this would be particularly useful. Using the shadows and the alleys of the city streets of Alithrya to their advantage, the group travels their Alithrya to the castle that Jaize has stolen from her sister. So far in their journey they have not actually encountered any nagas, the gang has Reginae’s suggested routes to thank for that. If she had not spelled out the better ways to travel, informed them of nice places to duck into, this group may have encountered more trouble. For most of the time spent traveling, Meri has not been one for idle chatter. The blonde did not want to draw attention to herself or the party by talking about senseless things. She is not entirely silent, there is one point as they near the castle where she voices this thought, “I mean I know her sister tried to kill her but I am really not used to the idea of someone telling me to break into her own home,” or her ex-home? I guess it made sense in context, even if it was a weird feeling for Meri, “...like you know that saying that if something is too good to be true it probably is?” This voyage would take them through a beaten path around the castle, weaving them to the backside of the palace. There may be the occasional guard on patrol of the yards, but sparingly so, but the darkness of night and the plant life surrounding the castle offer the ground plenty of coverage as they creep their way through the night. The gang finally comes to halt outside of the back side of the palace only to be facing wall that seems to have absolutely no door on it at all. An expectant look is cut toward Callum, like the guy might have some sort of inkling as to what they should be doing to get past this point.
Callum felt sorry for Meri. He really did. But, he also didn’t want to point out that Sarge was mansplaining and probably get into a fight or something. He did not need his face rearranged. He liked his face--and Meri probably did too for that matter. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any naga around because he also really did not want his ribcage crushed either. He liked his bones and organs in their proper spots, thankyouverymuch. He’d do his best to draw the water off the three of them and likely help with muttering and sputtering before continuing on. As Meri voices her concern, Cal frowns, though he keeps a careful lookout for any oncoming guards, “I know but all that gold, Meri. We could buy a house with that.” What he really meant was that -he- could finally get himself a house in Larket with it, but then he started to think about whether or not Meri would actually want to maybe live there...with him? Cal, this is really not the time for thoughts about your relationship with the super hot warrior woman. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” But, he was clearly skeptical still, concern written on his olive-tinted features. “Hopefully. I mean, Reginae didn’t seem that bad the first time I met her... “ This wasn’t actually a trap, was it? Naga really didn’t care much for those that weren’t their own race, unfortunately, so it was a possibility. Reaching the seemingly impassable wall, Cal would hit his head against it. “Of course.” This was it, right? Well, no. There was a column just near them, and on it a depiction of a sexy naga lady (if you’re into that type of thing anyway) with a rather large bust. An idea struck him and all he could do was just blink at it, then the column, then at Meri and Sargaso. Oh no. He’d actually voice this too. “Oh no.” Then, he’d promptly grab both of those stone lady-naga breasts and press forward into them. Hopefully this doesn’t count at cheating. Also, how did he even get an idea like this? But, huzzah! The door actually opens, as the column shifts, and leads into a super secret side room. “Whoa.” Okay, Keanu. Leading the way for the moment, he’d stop in the middle of the room, taking stock of all the books and artifacts and such on the bookshelves that surrounded them. On one nearby, the eye in a jar that Reginae would be sitting there. “Ah!” Kaching! That’s five thousand gold sitting there. “Sarge, get that and be careful with it--and see what else you can find. There’s got to be something good in all of this stuff. A queen wouldn’t keep it if it didn’t have value.” At least, that’s what Cal thought anyway. He’d also stop and hesitate a moment before going to look through a bookcase too, “Please.” Aw. Cal’s trying to be polite to Meri’s friend. So nice. Books, books, and more books. Oh! This one looks good. It’s about naga customs and such. Cal and Meri could probably learn something from this. “Meri. What’s in the next room? Anything? Not snakes, I hope.” He’ll probably hate snakes after all of this business with Reginae is done.
Sargaso has met exactly one naga, Reginae, and you were all witness to that. He keeps quiet as they enter the city and moves stealthily enough for a man who doesn't earn his income thieving. Going by what Meri says outside the castle, she might be a burglar? Wild. They hit the wall and Sarge jumps, holding on by his fingertips on a decorative embossed wall sculpture. Growing up in Cenril, he learned how to get on rooftops and across them easily. He's about to peek over the wall when Callum finds a better way through. While the busty naga mural does nothing for him (he likes his women bipedal), it clearly does something for Callum who grabs a pair of fake knockers. He drops back onto the floor. "Whoa..." Sarge says yet again, glancing sideways at Meri to see if she's cool with this (it's a bit desperate, feeling up walls, no?), but then Callum's intention becomes clear and the sailor relaxes. "Nice one," he says to Callum when the door leads to riches. He swipes the eye-thing off the table--hopefully no alarms go off?--then combs through the artifacts for anything of value. He doesn't bother with books or anything that looks too heavy. In truth, his heart isn't in this part of the thieving. Pushing naga goods on the black market will get you caught by the law. Besides, isn't this technically Reginae's stuff? They're stealing from their employer, and Sarge has mixed feelings about it, but he keeps mum. No one likes a narc.
Meri cannot with these guys right now. Did Cal just talk about buying a house? With the word 'we'? Of all times to make a statement like that. And Cal is grabbing a pair of fake boobs? It's hard to say if Meri does or does not care, what is obvious is she does not seem to be intent on lingering in this secret room. There is a door and Meri is going to find out what is on the other side, starting by slowing cracking it open to get a sliver of a view of the room. Once she was sure it was naga free, into the Queen's bedchambers she goes. Bye, boys. It should be noted that the route back into that secret room is not nearly as obvious and as soon as that door closed, it would blend in with the wall seamlessly. Meri quickly loses focuses once she makes it into the Queen’s currently empty bed chambers. Were there not two other perfectly capable individuals in the room Meri would probably be more inclined to stay on target and search for that necklace. Though arguably, she could very well be on the hunt for a necklace because it is a vanity laden with makeup and jewelry that happen to catch her attention the moment they are in the room. The tattooed blonde quickly moves over to the opulent piece of furniture and begins to open boxes and rummage through drawers. The focus is lost when she begins to put on every ring, necklace and bracelet she come across. Why hello pretty jewelry that I can try and turn around and sell for a pretty profit. Ten thousand gold my arse. It would soon become apparent that Meri is not finding the necklace that Reginae has described amongst the trinkets stuffed within the vanity. The truth was that the necklace was not left in the room as Reginae was hoping that it would be as Jaize would not have left such a treasured artifact behind. Without that necklace though, this trip is only worth five thousand gold by their employers standards, how sad. "Any luck?" Meri would whisper to her partners in crime. Nom there would be no luckto be had. It was probably sitting pretty around the self-proclaimed naga-queen's neck. There were plenty of other interesting objects be found though as everything in this room screamed 'I have so much gold that I can't figure out how to spend it so I have literally bought myself everything I could think of and filled this room with all the nice things.' None of these items were gaining Meri's attention who was currently rocking more than a little bling. Somewhere on the way back she would be taking all of this off and stuffing into that bag she thought to bring along with her so that it is not lost in the ocean during the escape. Honestly she probably should not have gone through the efforts of putting it on to begin with, what a time for the tough-girl to indulge in a girlish moment, having to wear all the jewelry she wants to steal.
Callum just so happens to know a guy who knows a guy who knows another guy that could get rid of some naga stuff. Just sayin’. But nah, no one -had- to take stuff from Reginae. To be fair though, he didn’t know Reg all that well and Cal -did- like money. But, ultimately, he stuck with the book. Maybe it could help the queen in some way? Maybe. Who knows. Also, ugh. Why did that column have to be shaped like that? Cal can’t tell if Meri is happy or not, but he expects not as she wanders on into the bedroom. And then she starts grabbing all of that jewelry. Ah, yes. Good woman. Cal would set off to search elsewhere for the necklace, like in the nearby wardrobe, and nearly shrieked as he found Reginae’s drawer of lacy underthings. Oh dear god plzno. The drawer was not properly looked through and was slammed shut as Cal stared at it with wide eyes. “What the frakking hell is wrong with females?! Put a damned warning label on your drawers, for Selene’s sake.” Oh right. There’s a female here. But. Um. Meri, don’t hate him. This is not what he wanted. He’d continue on, looking through the other totally not weird drawers and searched behind hanging clothes, “Absolutely frakking nothing. Maybe it was a frakking trap.” Goddamn it. The last drawer he looked through was pushed shut with obvious irritation before turning to spin around and face the rest of the room.
Sargaso follows Meri into the secret room, where his warped moral code can relax a bit as these things belong to an evil murderous snake sister, their employer's enemy. He swipes a few baubles and stuffs them in his own smaller bag. "No sign of the necklace," he says to Meri as he eyes her new bling. "That's probably worth more than 10 grand together. If that Jaize queen has the necklace we want... I don't know about mixing up with her. Sell this, call it even." Callum's whispered shouting gets his attention and he calls over, "Get some bras. The good ones retail for a lot." If he receives any weird looks he'll balk back, "What? My girl spends a fortune on those things. Hell, don't even need to resell them. Gift her a pair and I'm boyfriend of the month." He opens a trunk and finds a strange compass with none of the cardinal directions. It spins under a magic he doesn't understand, pointing to gods know what. He pockets it. "What's the plan?" he asks Meri.
Before long, the sound of the key clicks into place, audible from any point in the bedroom because the place is otherwise calm and soundless. A muffled voice on the other side, speaking to a guard at the door. “Just switching the sheets,” the female voice says, before the lock flips and the door starts to slowly open. Enchanted light spills into the room with the girl, a teen by the looks of her young features; wide hazel eyes and oceanic jade hair in two small symmetrical buns atop her head. She’s wearing a fluffy white apron over a light blue top, denoting her as cleaning staff and dragging her bleached wheat scales across the bedroom floor to the Queen’s Bedside. At first, she doesn’t see the trio. Her eyes on the prize, why would anyone expect trouble upon entering a locked and guarded room? Her keen sense of smell kick in and her shoulders tense, eyes scanning the room for trespassers. Humans. Their heartbeats loud in her ears. It only takes a second. “Guards!” Her voice shrills through the silence as she rushes back to the door to unlock it. “Guards!” Another call, more panicked. Her hands fumble for the key on the chain at her waist and the noise on the other side of the door intensifies. Guards shifting in place, their armor rat-tat-tating while they shift in place.
Meri has no time to explain any plan, which is fine for her because she had no plan for this. The tattooed woman freezes as soon as the door opens and a naga woman slithers into view, secretly hoping that if she did not move a muscle then maybe she would not be noticed. That is how it works with nagas, right? They are like raptors? Hunt by movement? Correct? No? Clearly not for the made soon sounds the alarm. Mentally she is blaming Callum just a little bit. He just had to freak out over opening a certain drawer, the contents of which she can only imagine, and promptly slammed it shut. So much noise, Cal! Meri cannot even partake in teaming up with Sarge to Cal's fear of lady's undergarments. Get some bras, Sarge says. No time to even dare Cal to touch a bra. So rude, Cal, so rude. Anyway, How far away were the guards? This was information that the group did not have, they did not look to be immediately outside of that open door. Strangely enough that door shuts without assistance from anyone in the room, as if some force was acting upon it. Even the naga maid looks surprised by this which suggests that she had nothing to do with it, it was not done by a quick flick of her tail to prevent the humans to escape. It was done by a certain blonde psion in the room, trying to keep the guards out of the room while the gang deals with this naga chick and hopefully finds the secret lever that they need to push or pull to make their escape. There are no statues of busty nagas in this room for you to feel up, Cal, frakkin' cheater. Perhaps more action could be taken on the part of the psionically inclined woman but she was backing her way up toward the wall, specifically the one that definitely had a secret door hidden somewhere on it. There had to be a way back into this room somehow...Surely Sargaso and Callum could handle one naga. Well it was one naga for now. If the group could not find their way out of the room then by the sounds of it, they would soon have other company joining them. The only thing keeping that door closed was the telekinetic hold Meri had upon it right now, which would last for how long....?
Callum could only gape in horror at Sarge. Oh man, that means he’s probably gotta buy Meri some bras too. Then there was a series of other thoughts that Cal never thought he’d think, let alone about Meri (What kind of bras does she wear? Wait, how big -are- her boobs underneath that corset and does that mean the bras are going to cost more? Does she like the lacy stuff or the bedazzled ones? Oh god, there’s underwear too to think about.) This does not bode well for Cal. And then the frakking maid shows up?! As she calls for the guards, Cal does indeed finally let out his shriek--mainly because ohgodwhy did -he- have to find the undergarments and also why are there snake-people--before he shuts up and summons up a wall of electricity. “Meri, you better figure out that door real quick-like!” Cal was a lover, not a fighter, but he did his best to hold them off. The wall itself wasn’t even that potent as he didn’t want to hurt them, though the naga very clearly did want to hurt the humans. “Come on. Can’t you just pretend like we’re not here? We’re totally best friends with Jaize. Why else would we be here?” Smooth, Cal. Real smooth. I don’t think you’re going to succeed your bluff check this time, guy.
Sargaso hides behind a tall curtain as soon as the door hinges creak so that the young maid only sees Meri and Callum upon entering the room. She sounds the alarm, tries to flee, but...can't? It takes him a second to realize Meri's keeping the door closed through sheer will, then Callum's throwing up an electric wall. The maid might be young, but she knows she's much stronger than even a full grown male human. She grabs a candlestick and is about to whack Meri behind the head when Sarge sneaks up behind the maid with a throw pillow and smothers her face from behind. The naga whips her tail around frantically, trying to grab Sarge who holds onto the naga's back to keep himself from being pried away. They knock over a standing mirror, then kick over a lamp, the nail shattered a window and yanks down curtains, but Sarge holds on for dear life like he's riding a bull at the rodeo (which he's never done, so let's hope he's a natural). After a couple minutes,the lack of oxygen weakens the naga, she sways woozily from side to side, and eventually faints Sarge drops the pillow. "She'll be fine," he says. She's unconscious, but not dead. He starts pushing and pulling on every wall fixture and knick knack he can find until finally a secret door opens. "Come on, come on!" He hisses as he waves for his co-heisters to duck into the dark passageway.
The door opens again, two male naga guards filter in and close the door. “How big are they?” The older male asks, scratching his chin uncertainly. The younger male shrugs, his armor adding just enough noise to hide any sharp exhales. “Naga sized, minus the tails I think??” The guards catch site of Sargaso and stop talking, the tips of their tails twitching like cats on the prowl. They make eye contact, some silent gestures that outline a primitive plan of attack, and spring into action with their tridents at the ready. There is not offer at humane treatment, no ‘show your hands and surrender’ speech. These are naga, which play by slightly dirtier rules if it means winning the game. Their tongues jut out at random intervals, ‘smelling’ the air around them for scents of sweat. Signs of fear. The younger naga’s head turns towards a sound, his trident prongs slamming into the wall opposite the Sanctuary. They’re aware there’s another room but they aren’t sure how to get there and they will beat the wall down trying to figure it out.
Meri can't with this shriek. A psion does operate like a mage and thus the unexpected shriek that comes from Cal serves as distraction enough for her telekinetic hold on the door to find an abrupt halt. That door definitely opens and two guards spill into the room with their banter only to set their sights on Sargaso. It Callum's field of electricity that holds them at bay long enough for the trio to make their way through the door that Sargaso manages to open just before the guards even enter the room. While the field of electricity will not actually hurt them, it seems that the nagas are not keen enough to test their limits and find out how much damage might or might not be dealt to them. Their attack is limited to a trident being thrown against the wall but outside of that? The group has every opportunity to escape back the way they came, door secured shut behind them. The guards would have to find the right object to push and by the sounds of it they were doing nothing but banging on the walls until giving up. There would be little time to waste and again Meri would not be one for conversation, the way out of Alithrya would be made with more haste than the way in. Meri was definitely in a full on sprint when they first made their way out the castle but that would slow the further away from the castle she got, not wanting ditch Cal or Sarge. Their exit would be made exactly the same way as their entrance was, just in reverse and with more speed. The guards were no doubt on the alert, best to hit that whirlpool with a quickness and find their way back to that boat....and then to the docks of Cenril.
Callum can’t with these naga, Meri. How did he manage to get them into this mess? Why did he have to grab those boobs? Why did have to find those bras? Why did he have to start thinking about Meri in those bras? This is not things that Cal thinks about!! Cal thinks about plants and rainstorms and the salty sea air as it passes over the ocean. This is not any of those things. Neither is getting eaten by a naga. Oh! Thanks, Sarge for knocking that frakking bitch out. Wow, you -are- kind of a natural at that. Props, bruh. Cal will probably congratulate you on this later on after we’re all not dead. Along the run to the beach, Cal’d shove that book he’d found into Meri’s hopefully waterproof bag before diving in without hesitation. Bye, snake bitches! Hello, deadly whirlpool. It’s even less deadly this time around as Cal focuses all of his energy on creating a geyser out of the ridiculously strong current to blast them out of the ocean. He may panic in certain situations, but at least Cal get definitely help with the escaping. Oh man. The boat. He never thought he’d be so happy to see a boat again. Along the way back to Cenril, Cal just collapses on the deck, arms and legs splayed out somewhat like a starfish. No more Naga Land, please. Ever.
Sargaso doesn't look back. All he can hear is the alarm bells ringing, guards shouting, and his own blood pumping in his ears. They escape the secret room unseen, but outside the palace, naga guards chase them out the city, all the way to the whirlpool, but none jump in after them. On the boat, Sarge rows and sails back as fast as he can. He prays to Selene that's the first and last time he ever visits Alithrya.