A Dream of Empire Ch. 011

A blunted sword, Kaisa mused, calming her throbbing heart. She gazed into the swordmaster's eyes seductively as her chest heaved from effort, and pressed her neck into his steel for three, hot, breaths. He eventually retreated from the fatal embrace when Kaisa bit her lip. She knew in that instant that she wanted him, and felt her nethers moisten.

"Quite the fighting style. I fear I don't recognize it," she said pompously, kneeling to retrieve her blackened blade from the dirt.

"I fear it has no name. Perhaps experience is its own style, my lady," the man replied gruffly, sheathing his own blade. Kaisa followed suit, smirking at his response.

"Perhaps it is." She smiled, extending a mailed hand in greeting. "Dame Kaisa. Imperial Investigator."

The man took it without skipping a beat, and not sparing his grip on account of Kaisa's gender. "Varian, drifter. My apologies, dame, but if I'd've known you were in the service of our Emperor, I'd simply have not agreed to our spar."

Drifter? Don't be too mysterious, Varian.

"The Emperor forgives. Tell me, drifter, what did I do wrong? Your effortless victory has me quite troubled."

"You're too confident," he replied immediately. "You have not yet faced one faster with the blade than yourself. This overconfidence leads you to parry and counterattack towards quick victory, rather than avoid the enemy's strike altogether. It's instinctive, and extremely difficult to overcome."

"Were you once as reckless as I am now?"

"Many moons ago," he answered curtly.

"Then there is hope for me yet. Tell me, Varian, is drifting a profession these days?" she asked coyly.

He shrugged. "So long as there's places to drift, I suppose." Kaisa chuckled appropriately at his jest.

"And would a drifter be looking for work, perchance?"

He smirked, folding his arms on his chest. "Depends on the work. If you're after what caused the green moon, though? No. Not a chance."

Kaisa smiled, placing a casual hand on her hip. Just beside her sword. She noticed his fleeting glance towards it, his smirk as unreadable as ever. "And if I was? Would you have information for me?"

Another shrug. "Nothin' you wouldn't already know, investigator. Elves just scare the piss outta me. I'm sure the sorceresses will be more helpful than me, in that regard," he said, rolling his head towards the College.

Kaisa gave him her own nodding smirk. The land bridge to the College of Catriona was only above the seas and available twice a day, one of those times being the early morning. College business would be the only reason one would be out here before the cocks have crowed.

"Indeed. You're quite perceptive, drifter. Tell me, would eighty silver Imperials give you the courage to hunt down the ghosts of the past with me?"

"Not particular-"

"Per week," she added, leaning on her heels with a seductive smile.

The drifter pursed his lips, and tilted his head skywards. He nodded after a moment of thought. "A week, huh? Might just do. Now you tell me, investigator; will you still be here in two day's time? I'm currently gainfully employed, unfortunately."

Two suns?! The insolence of these mercenaries.

"If I was?" Kaisa sweetly replied.

"Then I would advise visiting the Gilded Cauldron," Varian nodded, glancing over Kaisa's shoulder, "at noon on the second new sun."

Dictating the terms of a meeting as well?! You, sir...

"Very well," Kaisa accepted with a flowery enthusiasm. She shifted on her heels, then stepped towards the pathway to the College. "But I will hunt you down, Varian, if you're not present," she threatened with back turned.

"I would expect nothing less, investigator," the drifter smugly replied.

Kaisa let her smile fall away, now that she were turned from the mercenary with terrifying eyes. She straightened her stride, then strut down the now-accessible land bridge to the College. There wasn't much traffic this early in the morning; only three sorceresses leaving the island, and one sorceress entering. Most visitors would use the evening bridge instead.

One auburn-haired and ridiculously-proportioned sorceress greeted her good morning as they passed one another, the girl carrying quite the towering stack of tomes from the College. Kaisa may have mumbled a reply, not even sparing her a glance as she made her way towards the College isle.

-=-=-

Kaisa returned to her rented room at the inn late in the afternoon. She would have come sooner, had she not had to wait for the evening bridge from the College to appear, as questioning the Collegiate Council had been a less than fruitless venture. According to those unreadable witches, the College had no foreknowledge of the Emerald Moon event, but were researching into it.

They had just as little information as Kaisa had, according to their words aloud, and Kaisa could not read their minds. The questioning lasted no longer than half-an-hour, followed by seven hours of waiting. She had spent most of the time in swordplay, testing some of the moves and stances she had learned from Varian the Drifter in the morning.

She opened the door of her rented room to find her muscled, brutish puppy awaiting her arrival by the window. How unfortunate for him that he was to be replaced so soon, the inquisitor mused. It seemed like only yesterday that she had saved Jirolin from an Isbryggan raid in Farpoint, and tethered his loyalty to her by magic. At least the man would retire rich when he was replaced by the handsome Varian.

"Jirolin, I... demand your cock. Now," Kaisa ravenously greeted, only thinking of the swordsmaster she had encountered this morn. Some physical exertion was just what she needed to sober her mind and sharpen her will.

"By your demand, dame," Jirolin replied with a grin.

Both hurried to remove their own clothes, and Kaisa strode towards him when she was down to her white under-dress. She locked lips with him, and gave his hardening member a couple of impatient tugs before she pushed him to the bed.

Kaisa hungrily mounted her thrall, straddling the man's crotch with her knees. She kissed him once more before pushing him back to lay flat on the bed, then guided him into her with a satisfied sigh.

She then rode him without pause, moaning and crying to the heavens, for the better part of an hour. Kaisa did not cease until she came thrice atop his hardness, her eyes clenched shut to dream of other men.

-=-=-

Kaisa spent the remainder of the day, as well as the next, openly questioning the citizens of Catriona. She had little faith her investigaton would bear fruit here in Catriona, but followed her orders to the letter.

Kaisa, being an empath, had a simple method of questioning citizens. One-on-one conversations were time consuming, and would require her to spend weeks here in Catriona to even question a sizable portion of the population. Inquisitors were far more resourceful than this. Kaisa, instead, would enter a town square, a market, a tavern, and question all individuals in earshot at once. Reading the thoughts on the wind, Kaisa would then follow up with any citizens nervous of her words.

So far, after almost two days, her mass-interrogations had yet produced nothing of note. The citizens of Catriona were just as terrified of elves as most, and none knew of any elves hiding within the city.

None, at least, until she questioned the tavern-goers of the Crackling Kraken, a bar well-known for hosting only the best bards and troubadours.

A man, wearing a ridiculous green-and-gold getup, was just nearing the end of a sonnet about the death of some dragon far off to the east when Kaisa entered the establishment. The inquisitor neared the stage come song's end with her thrall right on her heels, clapping in turn with the citizens of the Kraken.

Kaisa, however, continued clapping as the applause died off, so she was the only one producing noise. She and Jirolin walked up the steps to the stage, turning towards a hundred nervous sets of eyes.

"Marvelous tune, truly," she snarked to the bard, twisting her gaze over her shoulder for a brief moment before returning to the crowd.

"Citizens of Catriona! My name is Dame Kaisa, Imperial Investigator. As you may guess, I'm here to gather any information on the Emerald Moon event. If any of you," she shouted, pointing a finger at random citizens in the audience, "holds information related to elves hiding within the city of Catriona, or what may have caused the event itself, I would have you come forth and speak to me! Else, I will have my man Jirolin question each and every one of you, to ensure no one hides knowledge from the wrath of the Emperor."

She scanned the thoughts of the murmuring crowd for a brief moment. Many were concerned about being held from home late into the night for questioning. Most were frightened from the idea that elves could be living right beside them in Catriona, right under their noses. And one nervous thought in particular, from behind her, noted that he must leave the establishment immediately.

Kaisa turned about, seeing the back door of the Kraken swing shut. She tugged on Jirolin's arm, and strode towards the doorway with ruinous intent. Jirolin kicked it open, revealing a side-street and a man in green-and-gold, running away.

"Halt!" Kaisa demanded with raised voice and pointed finger. The ridiculous bard obeyed without Kaisa having to use her magics, turning in place with a nervous grin. Kaisa closed the distance, the towering Jirolin right on her heels.

"A-a fine day to you, investigator," the ostentatiously-dressed man wobbily greeted, running a hand through his slick hair, "how may I assist you with your... labors?"

Kaisa had a hand on his shoulder in a second, rooting him in place.

"You know of what I asked inside. Of elves, hiding in Catriona. Speak, man, or I will declare you traitor to the Emperor and all his domains."

"I-I fear you're mistaken! I know nothing of elves, traitors, or safe havens!" he cried, whilst somehow keeping a bardic tune. Kaisa knew he was lying. She was already deep within his treasonous mind.

"Jirolin. Remind this..." she squinted, bringing the man's name to the fore of his mind, "Emmanuel what the punishment is for harboring an elf in Imperial territory, or for holding elvish-related information from an Imperial inquisitor?"

"In... inquisitor?"

"Death, my dame. For either count," Jirolin answered gruffly, forcing the opulent man to gulp nervously.

"Death," Kaisa repeated, her thin, icy eyes fixed on the bard's shattering orbs. "So. Tell me, Emmanuel. With your life on the line, would you dare sing the same tune?"

"I... would not..." he murmured with wide, terrified eyes. Kaisa shoved him away.

"Then speak. Tell me all you know."

-=-=-

Kaisa's evening, and following day, were marked by sudden tumultous intent. After questioning the bard, she had now investigated her new target's house, followed up with the city's records office, then continued on to the Catrionan port authority when records pointed her there.

Annabelle would be quite pleased with her findings in Catriona, Kaisa mused. An unexpected development surely. She put quill to parchment, and wrote a letter to her superior with finely-trained calligraphy.

--

Grand Matriarch Annabelle,

I have completed my investigations into the College, the castle, and the citizenry of Catriona. The Count and the Collegiate remain loyal to the Empire, as expected.

However, an elf known as 'Cass' by some locals had been granted refuge by one 'Lord Talos', of the house of Evora, and by one 'Alanna', a local enchantress both well-known and skilled. Their privately-owned vessel, known as the 'Alessia', departed the port of Catriona the day before the Emerald Moon event, and has not yet returned to the city.

I am requesting a diviner (Siren perhaps) to look into the ship's whereabouts. In the meantime, I will travel north to question the Count of Evora and root these traitors out.

The Empire endures.

Kaisa

--

Kaisa blew on the parchment to dry her ink, then rolled and sealed the note with wax. She handed it to her thrall, noting the time of day. The bard she had questioned had spoke true, in the end, but it had been too late in the eve when she had learned his tale. Kaisa was not capable of sending her discoveries to Annabelle until the following day.

"Jirolin, get this to Annabelle on Dun Aysla. You should be able to catch the afternoon transport from the docks."

He bowed unquestioningly. "By your will, dame."

Kaisa spared Jirolin a glancing smile as he departed, knowing the man would soon be released from his service. She would soon have a far superior warrior at her side, and one far more attractive as well. She could not wait to get that man in bed.

Speaking of...

Kaisa looked out the window, finding the sun nearly at its zenith. She glanced at her reflection, smiled once for herself, then re-laced her boots. She had an appointment to keep.

She pondered the least-intrusive method for enthrallment as she strode down the cobblestone street towards the College bridge. Since Varian was naturally warded, Kaisa would need to find a way to lift that first. Perhaps it disengages when he sleeps? Getting him in bed would be an easy solution, and likely a simple prospect, she mused.

-=-=-

It did not take long for Kaisa to reach the aforementioned meeting place of Varian the Drifter. Her steps were eager and bold as she walked up the steps to the tavern and through it's door, under a sign with a golden cauldron both depicted and written.

The tavern was somewhat busy for being such an early hour for drink, which didn't come as a particular surprise to Kaisa. Being this close to the College, many of the women here were likely magically-attuned, and awaiting the afternoon bridge to the College Isle. A curious meeting place for a man, however.

She half-expected Varian to have bailed out on their meeting, and was half-surprised when she spotted the man in the corner of the tavern. His boots were propped up on the table he was seated at, while his hands rested within his wavy brown hair. Two drinks were already on his table; one on his side, and one opposite. His piercing gaze was already fixed on her as she entered, and Kaisa felt her heart flutter. She calmly walked towards him, undeterred.

"Investigator," he greeted warmly, nodding towards the chair opposite him. He removed his feet from the table, then rested his chin on his fist, leaning in to the table. She sat opposite Varian, as he clearly intended her to.

"Drifter. A charming place to see you again," Kaisa replied, as flowery as she could. "I trust you have been relieved of your recent occupation?"

Varian nodded, smirking. "I have. And I'm ready to start anew, with a far more alluring employer."

A fleeting, genuine smile passed Kaisa's lips. "You flatter."

"I only speak the truth, dame. So, did you take my words of swordplay to heart?"

She smiled again. "I have, and put it to practice when I sparred with a fellow investigator yesternight. Truthfully, it will take me some time to get accustomed to your advice."

"As I said."

"As you said," she agreed.

Kaisa realized that getting this man's defenses down would likely be a far simpler prospect than she had originally intended. She saw him smirk at her curt reply, then take a swig of the luminous blue drink on his side of the table. Kaisa, following his lead, did the same of her own. She exhaled through her teeth when she set the glass down, to counteract the drink's spice.

"Now," the man said gruffly, sitting straight in his chair, "tell me of this Emerald Moon, and what my skills are needed for."

Kaisa cocked her head. "Don't be so forthright with your questions, Varian. I'm the investigator here, remember?" she said sweetly.

"And I haven't yet agreed to a job. Not until I hear details. Specifics of my tasks."

"What's to say I'd be interested in you, after all?" Kaisa rebuked.

"You're here," he answered reticently, crossing his arms and thinning his gaze. The inquisitor nodded, and gave herself a moment of thought by taking another sip of her blue drink.

"I am here. I'm afraid, however, that listing your future tasks aloud would be an impossible endeavor. You see, I would ask you to serve as my personal retainer, and join me at all times, to do what is needed to attain victory in all my personal battles. Both while I'm deployed... and while I'm not."

"And where's home to you, dame?" Varian asked in turn.

"The Citadel of Fire," she replied instantly, not pondering why she let that information go so freely.

"You're with the Inquisition?" he asked after a moment, raising a brow. Kaisa only smirked. At first. She absentmindedly took another gulp of her drink, replying aloud when glass returned to table.

"Indeed."

"Interesting. Well, inquisitor, have you any names for those responsible of the Emerald Moon?" he asked bluntly, his smirk disappearing from his visage. Kaisa felt her hand tremble at the sudden ask, and hid it under the table.

"Why... why would I answer that?" she asked with a hint of concern, nodding as she spoke.

"Because you're currently under subconscious enchantment," he shrugged, "well, conscious now, now that you know. I would advise in the future not to drink everything offered to you by a stranger, lest you find your wards disengaged without your consent."

No!

Kaisa shook her head in disbelief, glancing towards the glass filled with blue liquor before her. She couldn't be taken so easily. She hadn't been. She would have his head for this!

"I'm sorry, dame, but there won't be any head-taking done today," Varian chuckled. "But please, speak the names of those you suspect in the Emerald Moon case, and why they are suspected."

"Lor... Lord Talos, an exiled noble of Evora, and Alanna, a sorceress. A bard spoke their names under threat of death, admitting they housed an elf named Cass."

"Emmanuel?" he asked, forcing Kaisa to nod with wide eyes and mouth agape. She had to escape from this. She had to shout for this man to be arrested!

"You cannot stand, Kaisa, and you cannot speak unless allowed," Varian declared gruffly. She found him to be correct on both counts. "Tell me, do any of your colleagues know of your discovery?"

"One does. Jirolin."

"And where is he?"

"The port. He is to catch a transport ship, to deliver my findings to my superior."

"Has the transport already sailed?"

"It's unlikely, but possible."

Varian nodded, glancing towards the tavern's entrance while he casually took a sip of his drink. Kaisa heard the tavern's door open and shut.

"Thank you, dame, for your cooperation so far," he said warmly, to counteract the undeniable rage building in Kaisa's chest. "Where would you have looked for Talos and Alanna, if you did not find them home?"

"Evora," Kaisa muttered under her breath, now glaring at the man opposite the table.

Varian chuckled, clearly finding her answer humorous. "Evora indeed. Well, it's quite the fortunate day for you."

Oh is it, drifter?!

"For the man you seek sits across your table. Although, he is not the enemy of the Empire that you would suspect," the man said smugly, which only built on the seething rage within Kaisa. "Has your order learned of Dun Aysla's purpose? The purpose of the giant stone?"

"Not to my knowledge," Kaisa answered through gritted teeth. "My superior believes it a weapon of Tor Remilla, but I've seen no evidence which proves that claim."