She did as told, leaping onto his shoulder, and positioning her torso to slump across his back. Anyone would be hard pressed to find if she was even still alive with her acting.
Joran nodded and started to carry her inside. The cave was dark and quiet, only the flicker of candles and fires lighting it, only the murmuring and occasional raised voice making noise. She could see dark shapes pass by, people in armor and people in robes, but Joran walked confidently past them, like he owned the place. It was a few minutes in, a few twists and turns, until he was stopped by a sentry.
Stop. State your business in the mage vaults. Joran's voice seemed to....shrink, becoming less otherwordly but still deep and powerful.
I Am Taking This One To The Cells To Be Sacrificed Later. An Innocent For The Elder Gods.
There was a moment while the guards talked it over. While they were turned away, Joran whispered to her reassuringly.
Do Not Fear, Small One. A Ruse, Nothing More.
Tallia "There are some things... that we all can't escape from..."
The guards let him pass, and Joran stepped into a dark chamber, slipping into an alcove and putting her down. She could see the other end of the chamber was well lit, and moonlight filtered down through a hole in the ceiling. Along one wall, basking in the moonlight, were rows and rows of blue flowers. Joran hunkered in the shadows, pointing them out. Every so often a robed figure would go among the flowers and harvest a few, carefully, carrying them into the shadows to another room.
There. This Will Be...Difficult.
Tallia "There are some things... that we all can't escape from..."
Although still lifeless, Tallia got a smell of the flowers. Yes, those were definitely them... She wanted to spring into action, but she could continuously hear the sound of footsteps as they harvested the flowers, one after another. She thought of grunting or signaling Joran in some away, but that could cause trouble. She'd have to wait this one out...
Joran had set her down. She could move. They wouldn't be detected in this dark corner of the cave. You May Have To Go Into The Next Room And Retrieve A Mage's Robe. The Guards Won't Let You Near The Flowers Without One. If You Can Get Near Them And Distract Them, I Will Discreetly Seal Them, And You Can Collect Your Specimen. They Won't Discover I Have Sealed Them Until Later, And They Will Clear Out Of Their Own Accord.
Tallia "There are some things... that we all can't escape from..."
With a slow nod, she headed off to collect a robe. Within the next room were a bunch of mages, but they seemed to be a bit distracted, possibly in some sort of trance state. The darkness also aided her, as it concealed her presence well enough for her to pass through unnoticed. She grabbed a robe, packed it into her arms, and quietly snuck back outside to meet Joran. Even with her equipment, the robe managed to fit her, with little to no problems. She examined herself to see how she looked. Considering how well it fit, she thought about keeping it, but quickly filed that under "very bad ideas". Thinking next about how to distract the guards around the flowers, she recalled seeing some ale in the other room... With her robe, she nonchalantly walked in and grabbed a few of them. She went back into the chamber housing the flowers, a few ales in hand.
"Fellow Brothers, I bear good news... a new recruit has brought in a fresh sacrifice for us! We must rejoice! Here, I've brought some fresh ale for us to begin celebrating."
She thrust the ale in front of her, hoping they would take the bait...
From the shadows, Tallia could see Joran's eyes light up in pride. The guards laughed, both of them walking over to her and taking the ale from her hand.
Thank you, little Sister. It's not often the mages even acknowledge us Blades. Have you seen what the sacrifice was? Both of them were turned to her, interested now. Joran was behind them, sneaking towards the flowers, putting a finger to his face.
Tallia "There are some things... that we all can't escape from..."
"Oh, it was but a meager little thing. A small human, smaller than me, but still full grown. To be honest, I could have caught it myself! Nonetheless, they are merely a recruit, and it is certainly an accomplishment, so I do not see a reason to withhold a celebration."
Catching Joran's eye, she couldn't help but smile. Luckily, it worked into what she was talking about.
As she talked, Joran sneaked over to the flowers and quickly waved his hands and a few tentacles over it, purple lines tracing in the air. Then he stood up, his voice becoming smaller again.
Come Sister, The Time Approaches. Gather Your Flower And We Will Be Ready. Joran nodded at the guards, who nodded, thanked Tallia, and went back to their posts. Joran looked to Tallia, his eyes gleaming under his hood.
Tallia "There are some things... that we all can't escape from..."
Nodding back to Joran, she reaches behind the guards and grabs a few flowers, stuffing them into her robe. She skips back over to Joran, eager to exit the dark cave before they are found out.
They walked out calmly, Joran's head down to hide his eyes. Everything seemed calm, but there was an undercurrent of something. As they walked, the cultists around them seemed embroiled in a whispered conversation. Tallia caught snatches of speech as she walked by, something about "a dead sentry" and "one of them, come back for us." She could feel Joran's pace begin to quicken, and he discreetly took her hand.
Then there came a call to stop behind them, and Joran took off running, pulling Tallia along as he went.
Tallia "There are some things... that we all can't escape from..."
Joran looked back, and as he did, his hood slipped off. His face was sort of humanoid, but dark green, and a mane of thin tentacles wreathed his head. He shot a look down to Tallia, his eyes glowing bright, and then picked her up and carried her.
The cave was longer than she remembered, as Joran doubled back and took alternate pathways as some were closed off. The talking got louder and louder as the whole cave system was alerted to them. Several times weapons were drawn, but Joran was too fast and too big to be stopped.
Finally he ducked down a dark hallway, then into an alcove, putting his hand over Tallia's mouth as he let his pursuers pass. After making sure they were gone, he led her into a room they had previously passed. It was a small stone room, lit by a single torch, and in the floor was a metal hatch. Joran closed and bolted the door, panting a little.
This Leads To The Underground Lake System. I Can Find Us A Way Out From There. They Will Know We Are Here.
He walked to the lever by the hatch and put his hand on it, looking around.
This Will Set Off An Alarm. We Will Have A Few Moments Before The Chain Tightens And The Door Opens. We Will Have To Defend Ourselves Until Then. He looked to her.
Are You Ready?
Tallia "There are some things... that we all can't escape from..."
She nodded. If fighting was the only way out of this alive, so be it. She certainly felt Joran was strong, but she would help out any way she could. Grabbing her sword from underneath her robe, she cut away any restrictive pieces of clothing and prepared for battle.