Karla's Tower: Leaf's Capture (Archive Repost)

[The Gray Witch]

To save all our history for posterity, and boost members' post counts, I'm reposting old threads from the yahoo group and old forum. It may be a long and tedious task, but hopefully it'll be done and we can find all our history in one place!

Karla stepped away from her scrying orb and looked to an empty space on the floor she had set as the location of the teleportation. Jet, Jleslie with Leaf over her shoulder, and Kilij appeared, caught in midstride. Karla had not met the two assassins, Jet hired them on his own, but she recognized their skill and usefulness.

Karla stood by patiently while they gathered their bearings, Orath's hands clasped infront of his body. Soon, she would dispose of this man's body and have a more useful one. She had never inhabited a half-elf's body, she just hoped that the elven mind wasn't stronger than a human's.

OOC: If you haven't read any of the threads with Karla yet, her current body is that of a rugged treasure hunter. He's a masculine fellow, but her mannerisms are still feminine and noble.

[Mana Link]

Jet led the way to Karla, quiet as he did so. "Here is the half-elf, as promised." He replied dryly. "Jleslie, Kilij: this is our humble employer. It seems he wants a war to start. More work for you two, that is."

[Alera Tai'var]

The desert dancer, hidden behind her veil, brought the unconscious elf-girl forward. "She put up no fight," she stated, holding her out. "What can I do with her?" Jleslie almost held the elf as if she was disgusted with her. I thought they were supposed to be tough, she thought. It was disappointing.

[Myel-Elina]

Kilij stood silently. Our humble employer? Not to bad. At least he seems able to pay.
He looked at Jleslie and the half-elf girl. Almost too easy. As always, Jleslie, you are the best. Then he stared his employer. "Do you want to start a war? I don't mind, as long as there are targets to kill and you have jobs for us."

[The Gray Witch]

"Set her down in the chair," Karla pointed to a chair next to the crackling hearth. Hopefully Leaf would stay unconscious for a while.

"Well, that is good," Karla replied to Kilij with a smirk. "I may have further missions for you. That group that you kidnapped the half-elf, I intend to test them. However, the half-elf knows too much about me, I had to have her removed."

Karla crossed the room and sat in the chair beside Leaf. She intended to ask for Jet's help in placing her on Leaf, but only after the assassins were gone. "Perhaps, Jleslie, you could infiltrate their party, since they didn't see you, while Kilij works in the shadows, leading them into danger on their way here."

[Myel-Elina]

For a very short moment, Kilij's face was marked with surprise. He wants to test them? What does that mean? "I don't care what's your business with them. But if you want someone to infiltrate them, Jleslie is the best person you may choose. I'll cover her from the shadows. That's my job."

He looked at Jleslie with an emotionless expression. Then he turned back to Karla again. "Just one question: are they to die?"

[Alera Tai'var]

"I'll wrap them around my finger..." she said with a smirk as she placed Leaf in the chair. The seductress glanced back to the elf girl. "If the rest of them are as easy as she was, it wouldn't be hard."

[The Gray Witch]

"I only want to kill them if they prove too weak or interfere with my plans. Focus on testing them, but if they fail your tests, then their deaths served to weed them out," Karla explained. Reaching into his/her cloak, Karla produced two small coin purses and offered each to the assassins. They contained three Raidens, more than enough to allow the average commoner to live in comfort the rest of their lives.

[Alera Tai'var]

Jleslie looked at the money with a certain amount of disgust when she took hers. This was not why she did this job, but it would keep her under a roof and in any man's confidence. Money was always a tool, never a goal. "Sure. Did you have something in mind?"

[The Gray Witch]

Karla produced a rolled up map from her/his robes and offered it to Kilij. She knew the group out of Blade would reach her far sooner than the ones from other cities. It would take little over a day for them to reach her from Hilt, and besides providing her with a new body, Leaf's capture could serve as a chance to better test them. The map she offered contained a route that led into the Wildlands and that would unite this party with the ones leaving Raiden.

"This map will lead them on a false trail after the half-elf's 'kidnapper'," she explained to the assassins. "Jleslie, you will meet them and inform them that you saw the person who kidnapped Leaf and lead them on a false trail that Kilij will lay. They will be beset by many enemies as I test them, so be prepared to fight."

[Myel-Elina]

Kilij took the money without consideration for it. Whatever the amount, money was just a way to gain his employer's respect. An employer who did not pay was making fun of him, and so deserved death.

“I only want to fight." He answered to Karla. "I just hope there will be more fun than the kidnapping. It was much too easy.”

[Alera Tai'var]

"As long as my blades get their exercise, the job doesn't matter," Jleslie said quietly. It was unfortunate that her lover couldn't fight as much as she might end up doing.

[The Gray Witch]

Karla nodded to Jleslie and Kilij. "I will teleport you back to a suitable point. Please, stand close together," the sorcerer requested the assassins. While Jleslie and Kilij gathered closer together, Karla turned to Jet and spoke in a lower tone. "Jet, I have a favor for you here. I will explain after they leave."

[Alera Tai'var]

Close together? Sure, Jleslie thought, leaning on Kilij. She practically hung on him. There was a certain amount of personal pleasure the assassiness seemed to get from simply draping herself around her blood-spilling lover. Only one thing could tear me away from you, she thought. Something with a sword at the ready...

[Mana Link]

"Of course." Jet stated bluntly. "You two have fun at the forefront, I will be drawing battle plans in the shadows." He rubbed his sore cheek from when he was punched earlier. He turned to Karla. "What favor would you need me for, although I would be happy to oblige."