Criss Cross: Remnant Tails

The Lure's Trap

He shook his head. "It means that the assault is much bigger than we planned for. Is that all?"

I shook my head and he narrowed his eyes at me.

I swallowed hard. 

"A Drome," I remembered Auswell calling the man who insulted her. "The Drome. He teased Auswell about her mission. He told her to check on the Sporran because their master would be furious if anything happened to it. The way he said it, though. It was as if his master was different from Auswell's. More powerful."

What was the name he said, though?

"This is too much," Collin said. "We're going to have to call in reinforcements. I thought this was a mission to find an infiltrator?" he asked Ever.

"It still is?" Ever told him. "I believe we stumbled onto something else. Even so, we can't let this run its course. The infiltrator will have to wait."

"Master Hisse!" I remembered.

Both Collin and Ever flinched at the name.

"Hisse?" Collin asked. "You're sure that's what you heard?"

"Mm," I nodded. "He specifically said 'If our Sporran dies Master Hisse will be furious. So he's someone important?"

"Take the Remnant upstairs, but leave the Portcullis here. She is no longer a threat. It wasn't by chance that our enemies revealed themselves. They were aiming for the Remnant and you were right to prioritize her. Keep that in mind. I'll notify Master Criss."

I gave Ever a weary look, but Collin picked me up.

"Augh. Uh, I beg your pardon? I can still walk." I told Collin that but he still ignored me. He ran faster than I ever could out the room.

"Do me a favor and shut up! This is serious. You've been reinstated as a lure," Collin told me.

When was I ever un-stated? I sighed, having no idea what was going on.

"I'd ask what's happening, but I don't care. Just don't tell me that I have to go to another party and stand there all day," I complained.

"Hisse has always been after the Vicera Major. He's one of the few people who probably knows how to use it. When we were attacked the last time we figured it was a ruse. A Magician pulling a few strings to protect his infiltrator. But if what you told us was true then it was an attempt to cover up a carefully devised coup."

"What?" I asked at coup, but instantly regretted it. I groaned when he began to explain more boring stuff I cared nothing about in grand detail. Collin ignored the steps and just began jumping up the rails in diagonals. I held onto him and squeaked.

"Shut up and listen because you're key. That Sporran has been controlling us. Even our own Sporran, and our only other Remnant has no power against a Sporran that powerful. It's manipulated all of us to the point where many of the enemy's familiars have slipped past right in front of our eyes.

"The other night, those familiars weren't trying to stop us from finding an infiltrator, they were trying to enact whatever plans they had laid out, but you lured them out, and wasn't affected by their Sporran. They were trying to get rid of you because you threatened their plans. They're trying to bide time now so they can further scatter our forces. We obviously can't let them do that. Otherwise, we'll be sitting ducks."

I groaned when he hopped to the final rail and we were on the main floor. I wanted nothing more but to walk to a stool and gag, but he began running again. I closed my eyes.