Iorrjaer

Chapter 23

Kârael decided to do what he does best and he scaled the walls of the house to get to the roof so that he could get a better view of the whole town. Upon reaching his rooftop peak, he saw the grounds that were going to be used for the feast – a large field that had been cleared and soldiers were preparing the tents and tables. Not too far from the feasting field was the ziggurat and its Tengu.

He observed them for a while, watching them come and go; gliding around the ziggurat's peak and eventually one of them caught a glimpse of him watching them. It started to make a turn towards him but seemingly got called back. It swooped down off of its course towards him and caught a current upwards where it landed on the topmost tower, perched, and then hopped around so that it was peering down at Kârael, peering up at it.

He then looked back down into the town and saw that many of the townsfolk were no longer on the streets. They were gone. Likely back in their homes preparing, which then got him to think about what the hour is. He glanced around and found the sun and it was already well into its descent.

"Gotta be around 3." He said to himself aloud.

There was a gentle breeze that carried a welcoming and sweet scent. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the fragrance. It was gone as quickly as it came and when he opened his eyes there was a rainbow speck floating before him. Just out of reach to be non threatening and just bright enough to be inviting. He watched the spec for a couple of long seconds until it disappeared. He heard something behind him, it was like something landed but did not. Like a leaf or something just as light.

"Care to do an errand for me?"

The voice was like the wind, there and then not, and it carried tones of what he had felt from the passing breeze. He turned and saw Rin floating on the other end of the roof. She was ethereally beautiful, olive skin, almond eyes, dark hair, and a light and flowing dress that covered everything but also had enough movement to tease features. Kârael lost himself in her beauty.

It was not until she spoke to him again that he realized that he had not answered her.

"Well?"

"S-sorry!" He averted his eyes but returned them in a way that told her that he was seeing her, not looking at her. "What kind of errand?"

"A simple one," She floated towards him. "One of retrieval."

"What's the catch?" He could see that she was elven and not just elven. Elven of an age longer than Sorâth's lineage. Elven in a primordial sense. Sorâth had been like royalty. She was divinity.

"Enter, gather, escape. Do not be seen. Do not be heard. Do not leave a trace or trail."

"What am I to gather?"

"Documents. Journals, if you will."

"Let me guess – from the mansion?"

"How astute."

"What's in it for me?" Kârael was no fool to suffer a favour without return.

"The journal is for you. The documents are for me. The journal has information that I believe that you and your Drowish companion will find most valuable. The other has information that my companion and I require."

"How will I know them?"

"That is for you to discern. For you to figure out. When you find them, find me. I am at the tavern."

With that she was gone like a passing reflection of a rainbow speck.

He inhaled deeply and then positioned himself to get a view of Victor's manor. It sat a little ways off the main road and quite a ways, relatively, from the feasting grounds. There was a fork in the path that going left would take him up to the manor while right would go to the grounds, and the ziggurat. He turned back to the grounds and saw whom he assumed was Granna – an elderly lady standing with Captain Alan.