36. The Other Warlock
General Summary
Mirage navigates a direct route to Cri's tower. As she joins the highway-like system of air vortices, she grins. It's been a long time since she traveled by airship, and she didn't realize the difference it being her ship would make.
I could go anywhere, she thinks, looking up to watch Nimbus flying joyful circles around the mainmast.
She blinks, recognizing a persistent cloudform as they pass under it. They're making better time than she'd figured.
...and still be home for dinner!
Turning off the vortex, she reaches for the tall brass lever next to the wheel, easing it forward and watching the fin-sails slant in her peripheral vision.
She cuts a wide turn around the mountaintops, tightening her grip on the wheel as the gravity of Primus instates itself. Locks the wheel, floats up to fuel the sails - a task that will hopefully be much easier with the party assembled - and cuts speed as she pulls up outside a familiar stone tower.
As soon as the ship stops, she floats backwards to the mast and begins shaking the ship's bell for all it was worth.
"Cri!" She hollers, "Get in, girl, we're going ghost hunting!"
Cri's head appears through a window, wide eyed and blinking, probably as much from surprise as the daylight.
"Oh! Mirage! I will be right out."
She hops from foot to foot as she waits. It only takes the aaracokra a few minutes to reappear at the front door, carefully locking it behind her.
Mirage hurries to drop a gangplank that she knows Cri doesn't need, but which she humours her by walking up, anyway.
"This is the ship Jadeira made for you? CRI asked, smiling as she rotates her head to look around.
"Yup!" Marwa beams. "Let me show you around!"
"Oh my."
Marwa proudly leads Cri on a tour of the ship, during which Cri is smiling and complimentary.
“Boss is gonna shit his PANTS when he see this," Mirage crows.
Cri agrees with a mischievousness that says she's excited to see his face.
"Oh! By the way, mama sent snacks for everyone - you liked the nut mix we had at the party, right?"
Cri beams as Marwa hands over the parcel. "I did! This is very kind. I'll have to send your mother my thanks later."
As they head off again, Marwa asks, " Hey Cri, did you get any detail about this haunted house gig?"
Cri shakes her head no. "Mika only said he 'might have found something,' and gave the address of an inn in Lantern Hill," she reports. " Perhaps Saeldor got more information? He should be waiting in Highdale, we were going to head to Mika's location together."
Saeldor is startled when they land, but grins and returns Mirage's enthusiastic, two-armed wave. They're not as jazzed about airship travel as they are about the fritters Lydia sent them, but they're politely appreciative of the vessel's style.
"How has your inquiries with the fey been going, by the way?" Marwa asks, as they wrap up the ship tour.
"Slow going," Saeldor says, "from what I can gather, a Wish is within the capabilities of a few archfey, but getting them to agree to cast one, and then being sure of how they'll word it, is difficult; they're capricious creatures"
Marwa nods. "Good to know."
Ta'lok has already set out from Stagwall when they get there, so they head east along the southern edge of the Ramble toward Lantern Hill.
There's no airship dock, but fortunately, Marwa's as-yet-unnamed vessel has struts that can land on flat and flat-ish ground, so they park it outside town, arm the wards, and disembark.
It's sundown, and the town walls and tall houses cast long shadows across the streets as they make their way - following a few polite inquiries - to the Brass Horn Inn & Tavern.
Once on the right street, the Inn's easy to find. A sturdy, log-and-stone building on a corner, with two sprawling floors and an attached stable.
They file inside. Its a cozy place! midsize taproom with a hearth, warm light, handful of townsfolk enjoying a brew after the workday.
Mika's at a table near a window, presumably so he can see when people get here, can but has forgotten to watch because he is working on his grimoire, tapping his pen on the table between careful, encoded letters.
“ hey check it out," Marwa greets, bringing his eyes up, "I’ve been practicing my Chultslang! Eu sou novo na cidade, pode me insinar o caminho ate seu coracao?"*
He's not eating/drinking anything but he still manages to choke on something.
"<Good - cough, porro, good to see you too??>"
Baffled, off-balance, flustered one might say
She winks at him
"Do I want to know where you learned that?"
“Trade secrets.”
he's not coughing anymore but he still looks a smidge overheated
I feel like Saeldor and Cri both have no idea what you said but are looking amused about it all the same
mirage is looking pretty satisfied: point for her. “So, haunted, you say," she says, sliding into a seat opposite him. "Where are the ghosts?”
"I don't know if its ghosts exactly, but its weird shit. chaos magic. got this manor outside town all fucked up, no one will go near it"
he's describing it in a way that like, a horror buff describes the gore in a slasher. like he's kind of excited about it, smiling
“Are we checking it out just for funsies. Or is this a lead? Cool either way.”
"The second. Possibly. Don't hold me to it just yet."
“Fantastic. I’m so in. Also here are your snacks from my mother. Said they were made with love, so.”
As she pushes the small box across the table, Mika gives an exasperated laugh like "of course she did."
"Seriously, you have to tell me what you want for your birthday," he says, "Falling star? the moon? Gimme a clue"
(Dontaskforakissdontaskforakissdontaskforakiss)
But she still doesn’t know he’s even in the market
“I’ll think of something.” she gives him a flirty smile, one he’s seen her aim at him before, but he probably can’t tell if that twinkle in her eye means something or if it is just…a mirage
I think Saeldor will ask if Ta'lok's there yet and Mika says no but shouldn't take him more than a day or two, Stagwall's not far
and the talk shifts to regular catching-up
Cri might point out that Mika's never been the one to call them together before
to which he'll shrug and say something to the effect of well y'know, things change.
So you're chatting
maybe the three of you who aren't on self-imposed prohibition get drinks
and out of nowhere Mika flinches, whips to look at the door. Anyone who follows his look sees a human standng in the doorway. Slight as a reed, pale as milk, making prodigious freckles stand out. Her blond hair is thin, almost white, and hangs down straight as a poker. Her light green eyes take up way too much of her face. Dressed in a traveller's cloak with a dagger by her side and a traveler's satchel resting on the other hip.
She's frowning, holding a hand close to her head like she's been struck. She takes a second and then marches over.
"Drop the wards, it's faster."
To Mika, doesn't even aknowledge the rest of you.
“Hi, can we fucking help you?”
Ignores you. Mika looks not as suspicious as you'd expect, you can see gears turning.
Mirage is poised for a fight
Just in case
"What're you going to do if I drop them?"
"Brief you."
he's thinking for a sec, chewing the inside of his lip
"Fine. But knock first."
The stranger doesn't move or say anything, she's still just standing next to the table where you're all seated, staring at him
But the cautious confusion on Mika's face is fading to amazement, then a grin - hope.
They're having some conversation none of you can hear. Neither of them say anything but the facial expressions shift back and forth
She might remember when she asked him about telepathy during the amir heist, but he kept refusing to use it
doesn't seem to have any compunctions now
“Hey there, friend. I’m Saeldor, nice to meet ya. Mika, this here a friend of yours?”
I think she spares a glance for Saeldor but doesn't reply. Mika kind of startles, like he forgot y'all were there for a sec
"oh, sorry - can I introduce you?"
pause, "....because they're my friends and its rude to- yeah I know its slower, but I think I'd prefer to speak aloud in mixed company, cool?"
and she kind of rolls her eyes breifely but says "cool." aloud.
"OKay. Saeldor, Cri, Mirage, this is Rochelle. Rochelle, these are friends of mine."
She regards the three of you, guarded. "Nice to meet you." flat
“Pleasure.”
Mirage returns in the same tone
“…do you want to be borrowed, Mika?” -Cri
"I don't think I have much of a choice on this one, Cri."
Notes
*"I'm new in town, can you show me the way to your heart?"