Ah, the oldest trick of them all... Kamille wondered it wasn’t the first nor the last time it would be used against Sultan Adatian if he didn’t settle the problem of his heir soon enough. Royalty had its perks, but that was certainly something she didn’t envy about it: marriages were political affairs, she learned it the hard way, by falling for a noblemen. Now that was past, and she was happy enough to observe them from afar. She never lost her interest for the gossips and dramas of other people’s lives though, and as far as she could tell, the tiefling before her seemed to share some part of her enthusiasm.

The Witch took a sip of her tea, leaning closer to listen in to the tiefling. She was clearly having a lot of fun by prying on others dramas.


"A curious choice, in my opinion, for the Lady to require a mage for the job.... Mages are not known for being discrete, in general. But regardless."

For a moment, she fell silent. Kamille had hoped she wouldn’t fall to the temptation to interfere in the politics once again, but...... Falling in the good grace of the Sultan could always be beneficial. Having friends in high places was always good, but it didn’t come without a cost: was it worth it to make an enemy out of this Lady Jasnah? If what the tiefling said was true, her fortune was ruined and she wouldn’t be much of a threat. Kamille was sad the Lady had to use a small child to further her goals, but that's what they usually did, right?

"And what is your opinion on that, Morrigan? Whether we want it or not, the noble's schemes also affect us, directly or not..... The Sultan seems to be in the people's high regards around here, so I tend to think Lady Jasnah won'tbe a good replacement. By your unwillingness to help the Lady, I wonder you do not want any part in this."

After all, she was not from Zeinav, and had been feeding on the desert's drama only recently.

"Being a moderate, reasonable man, he will grant her an audience, eventually. I would love to know what she has planned for it, then...."

As her cobbalt eyes shone brightly at Morrigan, the implied was obvious: she wanted him to discover Lady Jasnah's de facto plan for the assassination of the Sultan. 

“I believe her thinking is that a mage will be powerful enough to get the job done and ensure the murder is swift and painful.” She had explained her convoluted plan to Morrigan in full detail, though there were parts of it Morrigan hadn’t quite understood. While she was clearly a financier’s wife from how she knew to carefully place investments and bide her time, the finer details of political sabotage were lost on her. A criminal, she was not. But armed with her husband’s money, she was easily capable of hiring those who were smarter and more cunning than her.

Morrigan considered Lady Kamille’s question. They did not consider themselves invested in politics- nobles and the Sultan himself mattered little to them beyond what money and influence they could offer. But they were fond of their country, and the people in it, and did not wish to watch the country crumble in the hands of a woman scorned.

“Lady Jasnah is a fool.” Morrigan did not mince their words. “She has had a taste of power and hungers for more. Her plan to usurp the sultan is little more than a petty attempt at revenge against the elite of Zeinav, rather than one from genuine political aspirations. She is not fit to rule anything bigger than her husband’s casino.”

Their words were not meant to be insulting- it was simply the truth. On one hand, they felt for the lady’s loss and pitied her for the scorn she received. As someone whose job depended on the perception of others, and constantly staying within the people’s good graces, they understood how hard it was to claw one’s way to the top once you’d been cast to the bottom. But her plan was hackneyed and inelegant at best.

They sipped at their drink while they formulated a response to Kamille’s question. “Aside from the obvious,” Being that they did not actually possess the capability to cast a single spell, much less one that would break through the Sultan’s ironclad defense and armed guards, “I don’t see any problems with our current rule.” Aside from his lack of heir, of course, but he offered more stability than most others who were vying for his seat.

Lady Kamille inquired further about Jasnah’s plan, leaving Morrigan delighted that they’d picked the right topic to cultivate intrigue. “Regretfully, she would not give me any more details when I denied her request.” They said with a nonchalant shrug, though they understood the message implicit in her voice and her sparkling eyes, which still radiated with power. “Although obtaining that information could easily be arranged. She hardly leaves her casino, and I believe she is still looking to hire someone to carry out the assassination.”

It would be all too easy to slip in and discover her plan, if that was what Lady Kamille was interested in. They had not planned on intervening in the matter further, but they wanted to further this potential relationship with the Witch of Moonglade, and it wouldn’t be bad to potentially get in the Sultan’s good favor…

Kamille herself hadn’t planned on interfering on Zeinav's affairs, but the possibility of the Sultan' friendship was one that made her think deeply about her assumed neutrality. Morrigan proposed infiltrating the cassino, and maybe that could be a good way to assess the tieflings abilities on that regard. She would watch over them, of course, maybe put Allan and Poe inside the cassino as well in case something goes wrong. Luckly, Morrigan hadn’t seen Allan and Poe, so they would just be a couple more unknown faces among the clients and staff. Not Edgar, since Edgar had wandered around her in plain sight and was fairly known. Also, he was kind of not built for this kind of job, more likely to punch before asking.

Their opinion of Lady Jasnah didn’t surprise her either. If her plan was as bad as it sounded - and she couldn’t know, since the details were still unknown to her - then she probably wouldn’t be fit to rule a nation such as Zeinav.

Rarely ever she would talk of politics with Bellighul, who seemed perpetually fixated on a state of distrust and distaste of the royalty. She would have to strike up a conversation with the Lord of Ghouls about what he thought of the Sultan, but she had a fairly good idea of his opinions on the matter. The Necromancer probably wouldn’t like to know she was meddling with Zeinav's politics, so she would need to proceed with care.

"What would you need to infiltrate this cassino? Name it, and I can provide. I would love to see what kind of stories we can get out of there...."

It was a request, but she still left them room to back out if they wanted. She still hadn’t spoken of what they would get out of this, but she was fairly positive her generosity could offer whatever was owed him.

"I will understand if you don’t want to take part in this. I'll let you decide until tomorrow. I hope you'll be here tomorrow, same time, right?"

It looked like, at least on her end, she was still interested in keeping their bargain. Morrigan had, indeed, chosen the right story for the night.

Lady Kamille’s inquiry about what Morrigan would possibly require to infiltrate the casino came as somewhat of a shock, even though Morrigan was the one to have brought it up in their own roundabout way. While they had expected her interest in the subject, her assistance was another thing entirely. Morrigan drummed their fingers against the table as they considered the resources they would need.

“I suppose the biggest thing I would need is a way to blend in…” Morrigan mused. “My look is very distinct, you see.” While their outlandish appearance, carefully designed to evoke a distinct impression and leave a mark on those that met them, did not lend well to missions that required subtlety and stealth. “Perhaps a way to change my appearance entirely, if at all possible.” They were beginning to form something of a plan in their mind. It was a rather simple one, all things considered, but all they really needed to do was find some way to pretend to be someone else to seek an audience with Lady Jasnah, and gently coax the plan out of her with promises of assassination.

“I am hardly afraid of matters one might consider illegal, Lady Kamille.” In fact, the danger that came from such risks was what made things fun. Not once had payment or compensation crossed their mind- they were simply interested in what this venture might yield. Their decision had already been made up, even though Kamille had offered them a day to deliberate on the matter.

“Very well. I will take the day to think about what you have offered-” Namely, what Morrigan might need to carry out such a scheme- “And if you are amenable, I will meet you at the same time and place tomorrow evening. Perhaps we will make our own mark on this story, yes?” They added with a sly wink before reaching for their drink and finishing off the glass.

Yes, this arrangement had proven to be very beneficial indeed. Morrigan was pleased they’d picked the right story to hold Lady Kamille’s attentions, going even so far as to earn the favor of her services. Fortune favored the bold, and if Morrigan could pull off such an infiltration to Lady Jasnah's casino, they had a feeling they would be richly rewarded for it, indeed.

Kamille listened in silence, but remained thoughtful for a moment longer. Yes, there was that. The Witch usually had the Black Quills carry out that kind of job, since it was pretty easy to have them dress up a certain way and incorporate other personas, specially when they were barely visible most of the time. People were rarely ever aware of the appearance of the
Black Quills. Even now, she knew Poe was around, and yet no one was aware of her location.

Their comment about them not being afraid of illegal affairs had her chuckle. Kamille had got a hint of that when they started to offer to read her fortune - they didn't got to the place to offer her anything [iljust yet[/i], but she knew the natural progression of their deal. They had a way
with words, were charming and clearly willing to take the risks. So far, all she could see was a self serving person. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it would be interesting to know more about the tiefling too - precisely, what drove him.

Kamille leaned back.

"Sadly, this is one of the things I don’t dispose of: I don’t have any magical means of changing ones appearance. Which is why I'm gonna offer a more indirect approach: these ladies will, more often than not, have a handmaid, best friend, or someone to confide in. If you already don’t know who might be such a person in Lady Jasnah's case, now would be the time to go after such information. It would be wise to change something in your appearance a little bit anyway."

This would bring, however, one step of difficulty more: they would probably have to avoid Lady Jasnah as to not raise suspicion. The Witch took the remaining of her tea and stood up, flashing one of those shinning, warm smiles at them.

"Make our own mark? This would be curious, right? I hear history favors the bold... And if that's the case, I'd believe our story will get interesting.... But this works perfectly for me! I hope to hear more of this story tomorrow night, Mr. Moonweaver."

---

And while she did show up the next night, she was far earlier than the night before, a cup of tea already empty in front of her. Kamille was reading a letter, it would seem, while the table to the side held a fairly rare sighting: all three Black Quills were sitting there, casually playing cards. The big one Morrigan already knew, but there was also a tall, lean one with a charming smile, and a small woman. While the big one didn’t seem to have any visible weapons, the other man had a bow leaning by his chair, and the woman had a katana strapped to her belt.

Morrigan leaned back in their seat thoughtfully while Lady Kamille proposed another solution to their problem. It was not an avenue that Morrigan had considered- while they were decently well versed in Lady Jasnah’s comings and goings, a handmaid was not something they had thought to investigate. Well, they supposed, there was no time like the present for such things.

They mulled over this possibility in their head while flashing her a confident- perhaps almost cocky, given her awareness of a lack of any actual magic on Morrigan’s part- grin. “Then it looks like I’ve some investigating to do on my end.” And by tomorrow, they would have a continuation to this lovely tale.

Yes, they were beginning to get excited now. What started off as a story had morphed into a collaborative tale, one that Morrigan and Lady Kamille would be telling together.

Morrigan couldn’t wait to discover how it would end.

“And I hope to be able to tell it to you, Lady Kamille.” Morrigan bid as their meeting for this evening came to a close.

The next morning was spent in painstaking investigation. Morrigan was not what one might call stealthy, but it was fortunate that even considering the negative reputation of Lady Jasnah’s name, the casino was still quite busy all hours of the day. Mortal vices had a grip on the common people of Zeinav, from fine ladies to drink and gambling, and Jasnah’s casino possessed all of these things in aplomb. It was all too easy for Morrigan to shed their usual fancy clothes and wear something more plain for once, becoming just another tiefling in the crowd that no one would pay much attention to while they gambled away their meager, hard-earned solars for a chance at fortune and success.

They saw hide nor hair of Lady Jasnah, but they did, however, spot a particularly mousy lady transporting what looked like baskets of laundry and other goods to the back rooms, where Lady Jasnah’s private office was. She was the kind of girl that one didn’t pay much attention to, which was why Morrigan might have missed her the first time around. But after a few hours of watching her scurry in and out, Morrigan decided to make their move. All it took was a bit of flirting and some honeyed words to coax her name out of her- Daisy. A little more conversation and promise of a date revealed some information about her schedule.

She had to leave not much long after that- apparently, Lady Jasnah did not like to be kept waiting. Morrigan wished they could have gotten a little more information from her, but this would have to do for Lady Kamille tonight.

That evening, they returned to the same tavern, surprised to find that Lady Kamille had already arrived and settled herself in. She was reading a letter while the three figures sat around her. Morrigan recognized the bigger man as the one who’d been following Kamille around in the market a few days ago, and though the others were unfamiliar to them, Morrigan already had an idea of who they were.

These must be the Black Quills…

It was a surprise, to say the least, seeing them gathered here all at once. Morrigan didn’t think they meant any harm- if Kamille had wanted Morrigan injured for attempting to scam her, this was a rather roundabout and public way to go about it. But they couldn’t help but wonder if the appearance of her agents meant she planned on involving them in this particular meddling scheme.

Morrigan approached the table, flashing all members a confident smile as they dipped at the waist in an attempt at a reverent bow, mostly for appearance’s sake. “Good evening, my lady. Looking as beautiful as ever, I see.” They took a seat, still acting as casual and flippant as always despite the armed entourage that was no doubt watching their every move.

“I trust you’ve had a wonderful day in our fine city. Myself, I had plenty of time to think and enjoy some… fine casinos in the area, and I think I’ve found some answers you might be interested in.” They said with a pointed look, mirth dancing in the candlelight reflected in their icy blue eyes.

Kamille was often aware of her own lack of finesse and discretion - the Black Quills were meant to cover some ground on that regard, and have been doing remarkably well - despite being initially what she often thought of as a happy mistake. So it came as a surprise when Lady Jasnah caught wind of her presence in Zeinav and invited her to have tea - this night, Kamille would also have a story to tell Morrigan.

Once her eyes rose to meet the tiefling already prancing her way, she shone that bright smile again, gesturing with a hand sparkling with few, elegant rings. Rolling back her scroll, she chuckled at their deep bow, returning with a bow of the head of her own.

"Charming as ever, Mr. Moonweaver. Come, sit quickly. I hope you don’t mind that I have asked for my drink already. Tonight, I have something to tell you too."

With a flick of the wrist, the chair beside her jumped out of its way to invite Morrigan to sit. The Black Quills all seemed to have acknowledged his presence... but nothing more. Kamille had changed her mind regarding keeping their identity a mystery for the tiefling - she thought if they eventually needed the intervention of the Black Quills, knowing them beforehand would spare them all a lot of trouble. The tiefling didn’t need to concern themselves with ill intentions of the pack, just because of their sight - no more than he normally would when they were not visible.

After all, they were always around.

"Before you tell me this night's story, however, let me tell you about this pleasant tea I had at a certain Lady Jasnah's house...."

The Witch would wait for the tiefling to settle down and his drink to come to start her own tale. It was clear in her starry eyes this whole ordeal was greatly appreciated, and for a moment she felt back at Court, gossiping lightly about all of the happenings of the castle. But this was no iddle chat of whose handmaiden is pregnant or whose son is a dissappointment to their parents. These were talks of Kings and Sultans, heirs and the future of Zeinav. Those carefree days were way past her, truly...

"This was a delightful afternoon, really...... Lady Jasnah was remarkably hospitable and... forward."

Truthfully, this encounter would only bring them more difficulties than anything else - the Lady had come to know her, what she looked like, and her position in this whole matter of succession.

"Much to my surprise, however, she didn’t strike me with the offer I thought she would.... She asked me if there were any means of.... Ah.... magically know of one's parenthood. Followed by a blatant attempt at buying my word."

Well... At least she was trying to cover several angles of her plan. Kamille leaned over the table, supporting her chin on her palm, eyes lustrous with uncontained curiosity.

"Now... I'm hoping your story will be more interesting than that...."

“Oh?” Morrigan perked up in interest as the lady Kamille announced that tonight, she had her own story to offer. The charlatan wasted no time taking a seat, though still mindful of the Quills that had decided to pick today of all days to make their presence known. They did nothing more than glance in Morrigan’s direction as they took up a chair, but unease still churned in their gut. Their appearance couldn’t have anything to do with this news Lady Kamille had… could it? “Do tell. If there’s one thing I love the most, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, it’s a good story.”

They listened with rapt attention as Lady Kamille described her encounter with Lady Jasnah, only mildly surprised when she reached the end. Admittedly, they’d believed that Lady Jasnah would jump at the bit to hire someone as powerful as Lady Kamille for this unfortunate assassination, but apparently, fate would not simply give the schemer what they wanted on a silver platter. Morrigan could only hope that this validated their information in her eyes. It was often difficult to trust a liar until one had the proof right in front of them, which was why Morrigan put a lot of effort in to not getting caught in the act. Lady Kamille had no reason to blindly believe their claims, but this piece of information- this was proof.

“How interesting.” They mused. “And rather inelegant. Such blatant attempts at bribery are childish.” They drummed their ringed fingers against the table in thought. “Though I must give her points for covering all her bases…” They paused, suddenly remembering where they were and the company they were with, “But now is not the time or place to critique her methods.”

They leaned forward as Lady Kamille finished her own tale and requested Morrigan’s own. With a wave of their hand they caught the attention of one of the bartenders, who returned a few minutes later with Morrigan’s regular drink. Morrigan took a long sip before returning to their own successful information gathering with the cheer and nonchalance of someone who was sharing idle gossip with a friend over a glass of wine.

“My own story tonight is not as exciting as your comings and goings, Lady Kamille, but I think you’ll be pleased to know that I have done my research. I myself paid a visit to Lady Jasnah’s casino, and had the pleasure of bumping into her handmaiden, a little spry woman named Daisy, with whom I had a rather lovely and enlightening chat.”

Most of it had been spent encouraging the shy girl to speak with showmanship and flattery, but what Morrigan found most interesting was Lady Jasnah’s schedule. Daisy had unintentionally revealed a bit when describing her own duties in attending the lady, probably hoping that Morrigan was too distracted to notice her slip. But Morrigan, despite what the current set of circumstances might lead one to believe, was a practiced liar and accustomed to picking out the details in another’s words. Listening was all part of the game, and crucial for pulling off any successful con. That afternoon, Daisy revealed far more than she meant to, and Morrigan had heard it all.

“She revealed to me that the Lady Jasnah normally spends her mornings going over finances in her office, her afternoons entertaining guests- as I see you’ve learned for yourself- and her evenings are normally spent overseeing the casino. However, there’s been a change as of late. For the past few weeks, Jasnah has been delegating her nightly business to her manager, and slipping off to parts unknown, somewhere not even her handmaiden and closest confidant knows. Rather salacious, don’t you think?”

That last part was spoken innocently as they batted their eyes at Lady Kamille.

Lady Jasnah was an ambitious, vengeful woman. For Kamille, the next true question was: how much discretion did she want to make use of? The Witch had very little to spare, fond of dramatic spectacles as she was and without a single stealthy bone in her body. Most of her capacity of being discrete actualy lied on the three people sitting on the table next to them, and not on her person. The day the world hinged on her capacity of being subtle and stealthy would be the start of the end of Charon.

But more than Lady Jasnah herself, Kamille's true interest went beyond the politics of Zeinav, and while her heart did feel for the people as well, she wouldn’t deny it brought her some pleasure to mess with the noble's schemes. Right now, the Sultan looked like the best option the people had, so it was likely her whimsical deliberations would not end in suffering for anyone buy Lady Jasnah. And, of course, winning favour with those in power was always on her to-do list.

That is not to say Kamille wasn't having fun, much the contrary! She was enchanted by the lovely tiefling and their mannerisms and theatrics; it didn’t escape her that they had shown themselves extremely compliant so far, dare she say eager to participate in this story, building up to the first impression she had. Morrigan was ambitious, promptly charming his way into the lives of the nobles for.... what, exactly? They haven’t named their heart's desire just yet, but his collaboration would indicate, at least, they thought the Witch could provide.

And, if she was to be completely honest, they seemed to be having some fun too.

A mischievous glint crept up her eyes, upturning her rosy lips just slightly as he delved into his story for the night. Rather than surprise - which so far had seemed like a difficult emotion to touch her features - her smile served as a warm, silent "excelent work". The words were not uttered out loud, but the expression was unmistakable. A soft chuckle escaped her lips at his remark.

"It won't be long before we get the details of the places she's been... And, more importantly, the people she's been meeting..."

A sideways glance to the table right next to them indicated the tiefling that that was a job for the Black Quills.

"But if I was a gambler, I would be quick to assume she's been meeting with prospects to take on her job. I commend you for your quick results, Mr. Moonweaver. I'm impressed."

Kamille was many things, but a good liar was not one of those. Her smile was genuine.

"I feel like I was left at a crossroads now, as I must split my attention over two fronts: the destination and partners for her nightly incursions or... the offer she made me. You see... I'm in no position to judge her lack of discretion, but..."

Kamille sipped on her tea as a way of buying her time to ponder. If her reputation - or rather, her perceived power - kept most betrayals at bay for fear of vengeance, her trusting nature often pulled at the other side. The Witch was quick to trust, and though there had been no huge betrayal to keep her at edge, she felt the fear starting to slither and eat at the corners of her mind.

"But the Lady does have something interesting in her possession. Most people are wise enough to not try to bribe me with solars, and Lady Jasnah is aware of that."

The piece of parchment Kamille had been reading now made sense, as she offered it to Morrigan to read. It was a ripped page of an old book, particularly one that made a passing comment that was circled by Kamille. It was about an ancient alchemist that supposedly wrote tomes upon tomes on... what, exactly, was not clear. Either something really dangerous or really cursed, for all his research was put to the torch.

Or so it was thought.

"Lady Jasnah claims to have one of the original journals of the ancient alchemist Belamor Valtenay." 

A connection with Lady Kamille was proving to be very fruitful indeed. She had connections in high places, and her Black Quills seemed quite a useful network for gathering information, as Kamille seemed intent to use them for. Morrigan nodded, understanding what she meant without her having to say anything herself. They twirled the drink in their hands, one that had been brought by a waitress who knew their usual order, wondering what kind of information on Lady Jasnah that the Black Quills might be able to dig up. Would they determine the identity of the mage Lady Jasnah wanted to hire for this job?

“I am nothing if not efficient, my lady.” Morrigan responded to Lady Kamille’s comment with a crooked grin. Showmanship was their bread and butter, but that did not come without its own caveats- in order to pull off a successful con, one needed to know their target, be able to read their wants and needs. While they had a difficult time reading Lady Kamille, a fact that made her so interesting, Lady Jasnah was like an open book. “When I put my mind to something, there’s not much that would stand in my way of getting it.”

It was true that Morrigan Moonweaver might not have possessed magic. They were an empty cup that had simply not been filled with Ginma’s blessing the way it should have, but for all that Morrigan lacked, it simply made them stronger in other areas. They had ambition and cunning in aplomb, the desire to reach out and grab anything they wanted for themselves. A scorpion’s stinger never missed, and now that Morrigan had their sights set on a connection with Lady Kamille, and even a possible debt from the Sultan himself, was too good to pass up.

Not to mention… it was fun working with Lady Kamille. Upon learning her true identity, Morrigan feared they might be on the receiving end of a nasty fireball, but Kamille seemed to be quite fond of mischief herself, if her bird was any indication. They were kindred spirits that way, Morrigan supposed. Both of them were invested in this plot now, not just for the boon it would yield them, but because it was fun.

And then Lady Kamille flipped the script.

Morrigan’s eyes widened at the mention of an alchemist’s journal. Morrigan did not recognize the name, but such knowledge contained in its pages… the chemist in Morrigan was beginning to grow elated at the thought. What kind of potion recipes might be contained in there? Morrigan drummed their fingers against the table, wondering what kind of ways they might make use of such power, how they might go behind Lady Kamille’s back and get that book for themselves-

No. Stop that.

Lady Kamille had proven a valuable ally to have, and a powerful one at that. Double-crossing someone like her would result in burning an important bridge, and likely getting burnt themselves. No, if they were going to do this, they needed to keep Kamille on their side. For once in their life, in a display of goodwill, Morrigan showed their hand.

They leaned forward, resting their chin in their palm.

“I wonder how she could have gotten her hands on an artifact like that… clearly, she doesn’t understand the value of what she holds if she is willing to offer it away so easily. I’m sure you’re quite interested in the knowledge it contains, and I… the power.” Alchemy was the necessary component to make real the illusion of magic that Morrigan had created. “If such a tome were be acquired, perhaps you would be amenable to learning its contents together…?”

Morrigan knew the value of such item, something beyond what solars and jewels and gold could provide. Kamille didn’t consider herself much different than the mischievous raven, even if her "shinnies" came in a different shape. Her "nest" was equally littered with scrolls, books and secrets - her "shinnies", as Mischief would put it. And, sure enough, she saw the same glint of expectation in the tiefling's eyes as she mentioned the tomes of the ancient alchemist.

Ah, yes.... There it was. Even if it was not by design, it would be an interesting test for the tiefling and how reliable they could actually be, as there seemed to be now something on the table that was tempting for them. The Witch could see such in their eyes. And while she valued what such tomes could contain, the potential for the conman's alliance was.... mysteriously tempting for her as well?

Her father would often say she would create attachments too easily. Maybe he was right, after all.

"We could certainly come to an agreement about sharing the contents of this journal. I do believe in spreading knowledge rather than gatekeeping."

There was truth in that statement, even if not absolute. There was such a thing as the kind of knowledge that should be kept locked away to not fall into the wrong hands, but she was positive they wouldn’t have to dwell on that realm for now. Sure, the alchemist's research was banned and put to the torch for some reason, but she doubted it was as grave as it was made out to be.

"Assuming this journal is the real thing and not a fake one, it makes me want to not openly cross Lady Jasnah. At least not for now. Which is why I didn’t reject her offer just yet. I'm not sure she is aware of its value, but she is not entirely on the dark, or else she wouldn’t try to offer it as payment."

This story was taking a wildly different direction for her. Kamille was not one to turn to stealing, but she was not prepared to close that door just yet.

"I also wonder what kind of valuables she must have promissed to whoever is assigned to this task... And I also wondered how she got it, yes. All I could think was that it must have come from her husband's treasures. Do you think we could find it out? Maybe there's more where it came from?"

While the Black Quills could cover some information gathering that would require stealth, Kamille was positive Morrigan could pull off anything that would need some coaxing. She leaned into the torn page for a moment, casting a sideways glance to the tiefling.

"You got some interesting stories about Lady Jasnah, Mr. Moonweaver. What about her husband? Maybe next night I'll be listening to a story about him? I do wonder how he got his riches in the first place.... Maybe that's a good way to start."

A playful, quick wink. Half words were all that they needed.

"I'll get myself busy with the Lady's comings and goings... And finding out when is her meeting with the Sultan." 

“I believe sharing the knowledge would be beneficial for both of us.” Mostly because they were convinced that stealing from Lady Kamille would result in them getting blasted with magic to kingdom come. Somehow, whether she was aware of it or not, she’d somehow managed to earn their loyalty- not born of genuine admiration, but out of self preservation. Morrigan did not bow to any man or woman, but they could certainly… bend the rules a little. “Either way, it should not be in the hands of someone like Lady Jasnah.”

How had she even gotten her hands on it, anyways? Clearly, the fool had no idea what she’d gotten her hands on, assuming the contents of the tome were legitimate. Morrigan hoped they were… and if Kamille had not outright turned down Jasnah’s offer…

Oh, the temptation burned.

Unlike Lady Kamille, Morrigan had no reservations against stealing.

“The origin of her treasure…?” Morrigan hummed, drumming sharp claws against the table. They knew little about the origin of her fortune, but given what Kamille had learned, it would be beneficial to find out. And Kamille seemed to think it could all be traced back to her husband, the original owner of the casino, if they’d read her implication correctly. The theory made sense- considering that he had been caught embezzling money from his establishment, it was not too farfetched to believe he’d stolen other treasures through his career as well.

Which left Morrigan only one question.

How the hell were they supposed to acquire such information?

“Lady Jasnah’s husband… Master Farzack.” Morrigan murmured, brow furrowing for a moment before they forcibly smoothed it out to a more confident expression. No matter their lack of ideas, they wouldn’t let Kamille see that they were at a loss. “I can handle that on my end. And by tomorrow night, we shall both have stories for one another, yes?”

They finished off their drink in another long sip before flashing Kamille an amused smirk in response to her wink. “Same time tomorrow then, my lady?”

With their own goals in mind, the two parted, leaving Morrigan to figure out how to find more information about Lady Jasnah’s husband. They had a decent network of criminals and fences in the city, but there was little that they could offer on Farzack that was not public, and none of them knew anything about this alleged treasure. It was around midday, just as Morrigan was about to give up the ghost, that inspiration struck.

The ledger.

If Morrigan wanted to learn more about Master Farzack, the best way to do so would be through his old business records and documentation. Perhaps Morrigan would get an idea of how he operated, where he’d pinched money for himself… and if they were lucky, maybe it would give Morrigan some inkling about a secret treasure.

All it took was a glitter bomb in one of the casino rooms, and the entire establishment was in an uproar by the evening.^[1] By the time Morrigan managed to slip into Lady Jasnah’s office through a back window, sneak out a leatherbound tome from her desk, and slip back out the window, Lady Jasnah hadn’t even realized what she’d lost.

It was incredibly risky. But what was life without a little challenge? Besides, they were fueled with a desperation to prove themselves useful to Kamille, and one couldn’t crack an omelet without breaking a few eggs, no? Pleased with their find, Morrigan spent their few hours before the meeting with Kamille pouring over the document’s contents, all the way back to when Master Farzack opened the casino.

And by the time their regular meeting time came around- the third night of stories- Morrigan had exactly the kind of information Kamille might want to hear. A tale of avarice.

They wondered what information she might have unveiled.

---

1. Smoke Flask

"Same time tomorrow, Mr. Moonweaver..."

There was no denying the Witch was enjoying these stories, and while the volatile nature of the tiefling didn't escape her, she seemed confident in their skills...

And their cooperation.

While she, herself, wouldn't want to openly cross Lady Jasnah for the moment, she had no trouble in sending out a middleman, even if indirectly, after her treasures. There was still a nagging feeling at the corner of her mind that she should be bracing herself for betrayal, and it felt warranted. Kamille started talking with the tiefling well aware of their nature and mischievousness. And while she still had faith - or hope? - that the tiefling had some kind of twisted sense of honor, the Witch should possibly prepare for some underhanded move on his end.

But... Honorable or not, she assumed they must have some sort of attachement to their own life.

Lady Jasnah was a busy woman, shooting her shots. The woman had the minimum clarity to not try and recruit a member of the Mage's guild for her wild quest - which was a shame, Kamille hoped to raise havoc if that was the case, completely flipping her own script and neutrality towards the Lady. That would've made things easier. But instead, Lady chose to go after a few questionable individuals, known for their power and lack of scruples. For a moment, a passing comment during the meeting she had with Lady Jasnah left Kamille on edge - because, of course, the Lady would meet the Witch again, trying to settle an arrangement once again.

"Sadly, I can't reach out for the Lord of Ghouls and his resources..." she had said.

Kamille looked confused, and for a moment thought if Lady Jasnah wasn't trying to fish for information. For a fraction of a second, she hesitated mid gesture to bring her cup of tea to her lips. She took a sip.

"And why is that?"

The woman chuckled.

"Don't be naive, dear. The man probably would want the throne of the Sultan for himself."

Hopefully, Lady Jasnah wasn't aware, at the time, of her association with the Lord of Ghouls. The implication weighed on the Witch, since that was a side of Bellighul she had not yet seen......

It took the Quills just one night to have the information on a person the Lady was trying to recruit, and it came both as good and bad news. That would be an interesting story to relay to the tiefling that night.

Morrigan's movements did not go unnoticed either - she had three Black Quills at her disposal, and while she put Poe on Lady Jasnah's track, Allan would be the one following the tiefling at a distance. The tale of the glitter bomb was already on Kamille's ears when they were supposed to meet that night, and Kamille would praise Morrigan for their bold approach and ingenuity.

Once again, Kamille would already be waiting for Morrigan at the inn, her drink already ahead of her, this time a fragrant red. Despite everything, her mood looked a bit sour.....

Once more, Morrigan was on time for their arranged meeting with lady Kamille with a promptness that one might not have expected for someone as flippant as the criminal. Just as last time, like routine clockwork, they found Kamille at the same table, immediately spotting something strange in her demeanor. This was no difficult feat - even the blind would have been able to notice the put-out expression plastered on her delicate features, a look that did not belong on someone as effortlessly otherworldly and ethereal as her.

That thought was not without its own bitterness, tucked back away in favor of pulling up a chair, a casual grin on her face as they decided to forgo the usual pleasantries this evening. “Why the long face, my lady? Information gathering not as fruitful as you’d hoped?” There was the barest hint of a smug tone in their voice as they delicately pulled out the ledger from their bag and set it on the table, almost as if this little game of storytelling and information gathering was a competition between them, and Morrigan had come out on top.

It had not occurred to them that lady Kamille’s dour mood was not because she’d failed to dig anything up, but rather, that she’d been successful in her own mission, and she didn’t like what she’d found.

It also did not occur to Morrigan to act with a little bit of fucking tact when dealing with complex political scandals rather than treating everything like some petty game.

They leaned forward, sliding the book over for Kamille to get a better look at their prize. The little leather thing looked like it had seen better days - the kind of old thing Morrigan might try to pawn off on some unsuspecting rube for merely a couple of solars. But despite its raggedy appearance, the contents of this particular book were worth more than items of monetary value. “Worry not, my lady. Perhaps this humble offering will lift your spirits, for in my own investigation, I have uncovered a rather valuable lead into where Lady Jasnah obtained her fortune, as well as a little information about the business dealings of Lord Farzack, all in written form.”

They tapped a clawed finger on the old, cracked leather.

“Here’s something interesting that never reached the public eye. Lord Farzack funded an excavation of a tomb out in the White Sand Sea.” That in itself was not particularly incriminating. But what had intrigued Morrigan was that this investigation, while on the surface might have appeared as the benign business practices of a man who loved knowledge, had ended in complete and terrible failure.

At least, that was the report on paper.

“After a couple of months of investigation of this underground trove-“ Belonging to some minor warlord whose name was irrelevant to this story- “Lord Farzack reported that the excavation ended in failure, but there are still bits and pieces in further expenditures that make no sense.” A little extra solars here and there that were unaccounted for. Farzack was clearly good at what he did, but it was easy to spot patterns when you knew what you were looking for. The money that Farzack had been stealing from his casino was being subtly funded into this same excavation project.

“It was an ingenious plan, really.” They commented, forgetting for a moment exactly who they were speaking with. Kamille was already aware of their criminal nature, but it probably wasn’t exactly the smartest thing to go around complimenting other people’s skills at fraud and embezzlement. It didn’t exactly paint the prettiest picture of Morrigan. But in a strange sense of irony, there was some honesty in Morrigan’s brazenness with their own sleazy nature. Kamille knew what to expect of them.

Enchanter, diviner, storyteller, they were not - perhaps more apt titles would be chemist, liar, and fraudsman.

“If I had to guess, I would say that Farzack started funding this project in earnest. But then he found something really valuable down there… something he wanted for himself. So he forcibly shut down the project and continued it in secret, all so he could keep the treasure. That must be where Lady Jasnah’s current fortune hails from.”

But she clearly had no clue what kind of trove she was really sitting on - this was merely a widower playing with her husband’s money, all the while with no understanding of its value. And Farzack clearly knew what he had been dealing with, but his greediness and overconfidence had been his end.

Childish and sloppy, the both of them.

Morrigan could have done it better.

“I’d wager Farzack found all manner of rarities from that warlord’s final resting place, a certain chemist’s tome included.” They surmised.

Morrigan's lack of tact didn’t seem to bother Kamille in the slightest - if anything, it only gave her motivation to prove them wrong. The tiefling's flamboyant and cheerful disposition never failed to bring a lighter tone to her night, so focused and down to earth as she had become. The mischiefs and petty still lifted her mood in any situation. She offered them a smile as they took their place, noticing how comfortable they had become near her. This is good.

"Oh, Mr. Moonweaver... You never fail to lift my spirit..."

The story they told was one she hadn’t heard of before, which was a testament to the tiefling's abilities in scouring for information. It came as a surprise as how many good choices she had been making these last years for people that were both capable and willing to procure information for her. The issue of loyalties still was something that loomed over her head sometimes, but.... so far so good.

Kamille leaned over the ledger, running her fingers along the binding as someone used to handle knowledge and its portents.

"That..... is very interesting, indeed.... A tomb in the White Sand Sea? How many tombs are there beneath the sands?"

It came in a somewhat exasperated tone - she had heard of many stories about tombs and hidden cities beneath the sands of the White Sand Sea. She and two more had already found what remained of the Lord of Ghouls' ancient home buried in the desert, it shouldn’t surprise her that the sands held even more secrets. Delicate, scholar fingers browsed slowly through the ledger, her eyes focused on the pages, running through the lines like one used to do the research, to spend the time over tomes and tomes of arcane knowledge.

"But regardless... That is good to know...."

There was no way to hide an understanding and amused grin she shot at the tiefling as they recounted how ingenious Lord Farzak had been in covering the source of his riches. It was clear for her that Morrigan didn’t concern themselves for laws, rules and honor, and while the Witch was somewhat stiffled in many senses because of those same laws, rules and morals...... well, there was always wriggle room for some things.

She has been stealing secrets already, hasn't she?

But she was a public figure of sorts - her image had been built and influenced directly her line of work. She wouldn’t put that at risk for some tome of promissing, but unknown contents. Still, there was a big leap between stealing and not leaving empty handed.

"A tomb full of treasures.... I wonder if the first expedition missed something on their way that we could claim..... Yes, I'd like to visit this tomb someday.... Not all treasures glitters, and I am often drawn to a different kind of.... "shinny""

"Caww! Shinny?"

For a moment, she took her attention out of the pages and back to Morrigan. She sighed in a somewhat dissatisfied way, as she was about to proceed with her part of the story.

"Lady Jasnah is not careful in many ways, and we may be able to take advantage of that - but we might need to press for it. I found out who's the best candidate to take on her job, a rookie scorned by the Mage's Guild a few years ago that goes by the nickname of Red Fist... It's....."

Kamille had mixed feelings about that one. While the plainsman's expulsion from the guild hadn’t been publicly disclosed, she had the feeling someone in the guild had set him up. A rookie at the time, a Master now, and somewhat also skilled with his fists too. Felt like sticking her hand into a wasps nest, and she would rather avoid it if she could

"He's one of those people with nothing to loose. Lost his connections in his homeland and among his peers. I assume a story about killing the Sultan might seem appealing..."

Kamille looked away, thoughtful for a moment. She didn’t know how to go about this without causing a ruckus.

"Lady Jasnah's lack of foresight has a limit. She promised him a reward after completing his task. Maybe............ Maybe we could do something to have her change her mind? Maybe the Red Fist might be compelled to ask for certain guaranties before the job is done? What is your opinion on the matter?"

Clearly she had her reservations against outright stealing from the Lady, but once the prize was with someone else... Specially if it was a prize for a job to take out the Sultan.... She could make that dissappear in a fantastic wizards duel among the zeinavian streets. She took a sip of her wine.

"She got her audience with the Sultan in a week. Our time is set now."