The 13th Excursion

Sneaking

As the shift-change approached the two finished their tea and got ready. Klawz sharpened his claws once more and the two struck out into the night air. They took a short walk down the street towards the portal platforms and then doubled back, walking past the gate inconspicuously as the two guards stand watch. The guards yawn and step away from their posts, one loudly complains.
 "The fockers, lazy bastards." The two guards head inside the building leaving the gate temporarily unguarded. The guards were wearing the normal guard gear, that being bark masks and light green uniforms made from wrapped vines and with wooden chestplates. As the two step through the gate and start searching for a way in Klawz chirps in.
 ''Psst hey, want to hear something cool?''
 ''Klawz.. it's not the time!'' Isabelles eyes scour the door into the building, through a glass pane she sees the outline of a guard at a desk.
 ''Please? It'll be quick!'' The pair make their way around the side of the stone where they had seen some vents.
''Ugh, fine.'' They move along the left side of the building under the vents that seem to be sticking out.
 ''Ok ok, so you know how the guards wear bark masks like the Dúlra do?'' The vents are a little above the two, but the lids don't seem to be fastened tightly.
 ''Lazy fockers, get to work. It's your turn on the post, we're bloody exhausted.'' A rough masculine voice cuts through their chatter, they hear some muttering from inside the building, wafting through the night air.
 ''Klawz hurry.. and yes I do.'' Isabelle pries the lid off the vent as Klawz keeps an eye out.
 ''Well they're different! The guards have to carve theirs in their training.. apparently the Dúlra grow theirs! Crann says that the mask picks the person, some sorta Harry Potter wand nonsense..'' Isabelle gets the vent open as Klawz watches two frazzled guards leave the buidling.
 ''That's certainly weird.. but if they wear them all the time I suppose they must be comfortable.. ow!'' Isabelle cuts her fingers on the metal of the vent but she pulls the lid off. The latch is broken off but it looks as if she could just about manage to squeeze into the space.
 ''I'll guard you, you climb in and I'll follow..'' With that Isabelle climbs into the cramped vent and Klawz soon follows.

The vent is cramped and the smell of dead air attacks their nostrils but it seems to spread throughout the building. Isabelle looks through a grating as she crawls through and sees what looks like an office, it seems to be a couple of desks with paperwork and filing systems. Nothing immediately jumps out at the two, although the room is well lit and there is a cup of tea on the desk. Isabelle scrutinizes the papers that seem to be patrol reports but before she can pick anything out they hear footsteps and a woman enters the office. She sits down at the desk but doesn't appear to be wearing a bark mask. Her red hair is tied in a bun as she takes a bite from a plate of biscuits. There's a sharp intake of breath behind Isabelle as she kicks back, to remind Klawz about the mission. The two push in further, even as Isabelle feels her heart beating faster than normal, she isn't sure she could push herself back, let alone turn back in this space. The two take a left turn and push themselves down a much longer vent leading deeper into the building trying to be as quiet as possible. Each time they hear voices their hearts stop in panic, but when no alarms are raised they begin to relax. Another left and they come to a short dead end with gratings looking out into into something of a sleeping area. Throughout the room are bunkbeds and sleeping men and women, there are the usual sounds of sleep, stirs, snores, blerps but most seem to be either asleep or trying to sleep. The two watch the sleeping guards for a while, their eyes drifting to the chests sitting at the end of each bed. It's Klawz who whispers their next idea.
 ''Wait.. why don't we steal a uniform and blend in..''

Klawz gently lowers Isabelle to the ground and she wastes no time in sneaking over to one of the chests and looking in to find a uniform and mask. She grabs a set for herself before pausing and looking back up at Klawz hanging from the vent.
 ''A.. a little help please..'' He whispers. Isabelle holds his legs and together the two helps him reach the ground, Klawz opens another chest and borrows a mask and uniform from someone who looks like they might be of a similar size. It takes a little more time but the two of them manage to put on the loose fitting uniforms and masks. The wooden masks are smooth and polished on the inside and sit comfortably against their skins.
 ''My mask is biting into my cheeks..'' Klawz complains.
 ''Pick another.. they probably have a different face shape..''
''Ok ok.. fine..'' Klawz searches for another mask and finds one slightly more comfortable. Now disguised the two of them step out into the hallway and nod at the guard sitting by the front door, Isabelle grabs Klawz by the arm and she leads the two of them deeper into the complex. They walk down the halls with a forced sense of purpose, each of them acting as if they had walked those halls since they were little children. At the end of the hall is a set of stairs and they step down them, passing another masked figure who takes no notice of them. Another staircase later they come up to a large wooden door made of a thick oak, it's inlaid with a golden metal and has an iron handle set into it. With some effort Klawz pries open the door and the two slip into the room.

The room is long and cramped with racks upon racks of twisted metal holding various items along the entire length of the room. Isabelle and Klawz slowly walk down the hall together peering at the various items lining the walls and checking in various boxes, they weren't quite sure what the bindings would look like but they were sure it would make sense.
 ''Wow, look at this!'' The whisper breaks the silence as Klawz holds up a tangled spring.
 ''Klawz focus!'' Isabelle chides, running her hand along the shaft of a intricately carved spear.
 ''But there's so much stuff here!'' Klawz picks up a blue orb, ''Look at this! It's an egg but it's a rock!''
 ''It's going to be hard finding those bindings..'' She sighs as she peers into a box of rusted metal rings. ''What would bindings even look like?''
''I dunno, like a scarf?'' He swings a stick with another stick tied to it by means of a small chain around and over his shoulder One of the two sticks smacks into his back. ''Ow!''
''Damnit Namarill, why couldn't she have given us a description..'' Isabelle uses an overturned bucket to peek at the top shelf and coughs as she finds only dust.
''Is it even here? Wouldn't it be more secure than wasting away.'' Klawz rubs his shoulder and grimaces before cracking the lid off a wooden barrel. ''Eww.. I think that's well gone off..''
''Come on Klawz, if they're anything like normal people, they're lazy.. laziness trumps all.'' She wipes the water from her eyes and polishes the top of a dented shield. ''If you're lazy, wouldn't you just chuck them in here?''
 ''I guess..'' He holds up a small wooden box with vials of oil. ''I bet they won't miss one of these..'' Klawz pockets the vial of oil.
 ''Hold up.. I think I have it..'' Isabelle goes quiet as she approaches the rear of the hall. ''Quick come here!'' Isabelle and Klawz examine an unusual box, it is thick and wooden, carved with ornate symbols and images. A core image depicts a noble figure in a bark mask engaging in war with an infinite darkness. Taking a deep breath they crack open the lid, soon pushing it open completely.

The first thing to strike the two was the smell, the smell of preservatives, of age and of a cold breeze on a warm day. Inside the box a plush red pillow sat proudly, it's edges marked with a purple thread. A set of well preserved rags are curled on the pillow, they are of a simple brown but as the two examine the rags they seem to emanate a soft power.
 ''Well this must be them.. let's get out of here.'' They tuck the box into a satchel Klawz carried and head to leave.
 ''..can we take anything else?'' Klawz's voice is sheepish as he eyes the forgotten treasures of the storeroom.
''Klawz no, we're going to be suspicious enough with the box as it is.'' Keeping close the pair slowly make their way out of the storeroom and back into the hall, Klawz with a hand gingerly on the bag with the Bindings of the First. They make their way up the stairs and towards the front door, the freedom almost on their tongues. The guard sitting at the door simply nods to the two as they step out of the barracks and into the cool night air. The air is soft and the two smile at their fortune as they step out of the gate without a hitch, until they met the hitch. A voice calls out. A familiar voice, a voice that sends tingles of terror, rage and despair into Isabelles spine. A voice that brought pain where it goes.
 ''Stop right there.'' The red robed figure called out. Barely able to keep her voice steady Isabelle chokes out a question as they stop.
''Are you.. Yujen?''
 ''Don't ask stupid questions, you two come with me. I require assistance.'' The wizard's tone indicates there was no room to decline his request, that the idea his request would be denied was impossible.
 ''May I ask what we are assisting in specifically?'' Isabelle's heart is racing, her palms clammy. One wrong step, one mistaken word and he would kill her. Not again, she couldn't bear the thought.. and the bindings.. would they come with her? She didn't know. She couldn't risk ruining their mission. She locks eyes with Klawz and his eyes revealed similar feelings.
''No. Follow.'' Yujen turns and heads down the street, striding confidently, clearly expecting to be followed without any hesitation. Yujen leads the two to the end of the street to one of the circular platforms jutting out, to one of the portal platforms typically used to bring supplies and Dúlra members in and out of the treetop city. Yujen speaks a brief incantation, the very fabric of reality swirling around the centre of the platform as a portal of dark light slowly opens.
His voice is gruff.''Go through it. We have work to do.'' Taking a deep breath, Klawz and Isabelle step into the portal.