The Plan

We all bowed to her and walked inside. As we walked inside, I looked around the interior of the home. I had never seen anything like it, though it was starting to get dark the interior light still showed off how well decorated and well made the whole building was. Many doorways were decorated with gorgeous floral designs with various reds, greens, and blues, it all smelled of incense and freshly brewed tea. The salon area had three large sofas forming an unfinished square around a beautifully designed carpet, in the middle was a small coffee table where the tea I smelled earlier was sitting, still steaming warm. As we sat down we were offered the tea as the mistress spoke. "I must apologize once more, I should have asked my servants to let you in regardless of my absence, it has been difficult without my husband here, since then I have been alone and receiving several threats on my life. Many here are not in favor of a woman such as myself to hold such a high place in our society." She took a sip of her tea before continuing.

"When I first received these threats, I paid them no mind, however recent ones I have received had this mark, and then I knew they had to be serious. None who had threatened me beforehand had marked their letters, but these...these do strike fear into my heart." One of the servants handed each of us a marked letter, the symbol she had mentioned seemed far too familiar to me and then it hit me. I stood up and reached into my pack and pulled out a folded piece of purple cloth. There on that cloth was the same symbol, the symbol of a crow or raven in the shape of a crescent moon with an elegant dagger in its back. "I never thought I'd see this symbol ever again, I thought it was just a small band of criminals and assassins who were just starting, seems I might be wrong." Mistress Nulara took the cloth and gave it a long look, "You say...you have dealt with their kind before?" she asked handing the cloth back to me, "not face to face, it was back when I was rescuing a good friend of mine, this symbol seemed so familiar to me, yet...I couldn't place where I've seen it before." Breena, the wizard of this gathering of people, walked over to us.

She asked if I could hand her the cloth to identify it. I handed it over to her and she reached into her bag and pulled out two thick history books, which was strange since it looked like they were a little too big for a bag that size, Kevin then stood up out of his seat and pointed to the bag, "is that what I think it is?" he asked, "What do you think it is Mr.Littlefoot?" she asked him, "it has to be a bag of holding right?" Paavu looked confused, "A bag of what?" Kevin looked right at him and began explaining, "A bag of holding, it's a magical bag you can put a whole bunch of stuff in, it's like a portable pocket dimension, do you mind if I give a little demonstration?" he asked, Breena, without looking up said, "Sure, it's not even a third full yet so have at it." Excited Kevin took his larger crossbow and opened the bag, "Check this out." as he said that he dropped the crossbow in and it disappeared out of sight.

Everyone, except Breena, sat there in slight shock, Oz leaned in, "Where in the sam hells did it go?" he asked, "Watch" Kevin said maintaining eye contact with Oz, he pulled said crossbow right back out, "Well I'll be damned. Can you put yourself in there?" Kevin shook his head, "Living beings can only survive about five...six minutes at best in here, not too much air inside this thing being a pocket dimension and all." "Ah, understandable." Oz said, "Say, Mr. Oz, would you mind showing us those contraptions you have on you?" Kevin said, "Oh, right, see where I come from these are a bit older but, guessing 'round here these things are pretty new." he then pulled out one of the strange things he had at his side, "this right here, is what we call a pistol, long while ago, this would have been made of mostly wood and little bits of metal and could only shoot one tiny metal ball at high speed, now its all metal and that tiny ball is a little longer. This thing here, however," he said taking out the longer contraption, "works like a crossbow, only louder."

Breena with an open book in her hand walked over to me and the mistress ignoring the shenanigans going on with the bag of holding and the half-elf's weapons. "I believe I found our symbol." She handed me the book and in it was a symbol similar to that on the cloth and the letter, only slightly different, the bird did not have a dagger in its back, and its wings were out it was then it hit me, this was the symbol of the twilight crow organization, the assassins guild my father lead for years, it seems Dante has taken over the guild and changed a few things.

I felt something I didn't think I could ever feel, it felt hot, I could guess it might have been the rage I had been keeping down within, I wasn't always quick to anger, I was never focused whenever I was angry, but this hate this rage that I had built up, seemed to be noticeable to the others, "Mr.Crowfeather? Are you alright?" Asked the mistress, "That little rat bastard framed me for the murder of my father….left me with land that will take years to pay off….and took over my father's guild and is using it to kill and threaten innocent people….so my answer to you mistress, no. No, I am not alright...I want to kill that bastard the next time I see him and I will make sure he feels such agonizing pain, he will know what it was like having to live with the betrayal of someone you knew and loved your whole life. So tell me, what would you like us to do?" The mistress stood and waved her hand sending the servants and guards off to leave us alone to speak to us in private.

She took a deep breath before speaking, "I have been planning this festivity for months now, it was to be a celebration and a gathering of friends new and old, there was to be wine, music, food, and such great fun, it was going to be spectacular, now my guests and I must watch their backs for assassins. It would please me greatly if you would walk among the guests or at least find a way to be among them without arousing suspicion and take these assassins ut quietly as to not disturb or frighten the guests." Kevin spoke up after, "I believe we can do that. I think I gotta good plan figured out." We all leaned in as he placed a map of the building he requested onto the small table in the center of the salon, "My plan is simple, me and Oz will be here on the roof keeping an eye out for anyone planning any rooftop assassinations from above, luckily Oz has a way to make his loud boomsticks much quieter. Paavu, Bayar, and Breena will be among the crowd keeping an eye out on everyone and making sure to point out anyone who looks suspicious." "And how do we do that?" Asked Bayar, "Breena, you're a smart sexy gnome wizard woman correct?" Kevin said, obviously flirting, Breena rolled her eyes, "Yes I am, why do you ask?" "Would you happen to know the message spell?" Breena gave him a cocky smile, pulled out a copper wire, and walked into a different area of the building.

The next thing I knew I heard her voice in my head, "Mr.Shane? Can you hear me? You can reply to this message, but before you do, smack the back of Kevin's head for me." I shrugged and smacked the back of his head, "Ow! The hells man?!" "Breena told me to do it, oh, and Breena, yes, I could hear you, loud and clear." While rubbing the back of his head Kevin smiled slightly, "She thought of me as she left the room, nice." When Breena came back Kevin kept explaining his plan saying that I should accompany the mistress during the party and be her eyes and ears as she navigates the area meeting with guests and enjoying herself with the others so no one else is worried. "And if a fight breaks out, we let em have it. So how about it?" " I like it Mr.Littlefoot. I'll notify my guards of this plan and they will help you accordingly." "Wonderful. Now, where's the kitchen, I'm starving and heard meals made in the black dunes are some of the best in the world." Everyone laughed and followed the mistress over to the dining area where we would eventually be given some of the best food I've had in a long time.