Without uttering a single word, both Danton and Jarvan tried to usher
everyone out of the room. Eryn looked towards them and could see their distress
at where they were. On the other hand, this was probably the nicest place Eryn
had ever ended up in after the execution and was more than happy to stay a
little longer. Raneaux too had similar ideas, searching through the bookcase
and side tables, next to the king sized, four poster bed. Xera started to
feel very out of place, his habitual sleeping arrangements in his lab in
Darkperch made this bedroom feel exotic and uneasy. He was out of the room before
Jarvan and Danton but didn't have any idea on which way to go. Danton turned to
his butler to ask for directions but even Jarvan replied he had his limits.
There was definite panic in his voice as he tried to ascertain which way they
should go. He peered out of the bedroom; to the left, a wooden door and to the
right the corridor extended to a right hand corner and further still with
servants running about like headless chickens, with some demanding to know
where their servants were. The fact that there were servants would most likely
mean they would alert the owner of this house to the groups presence, but the
shouting and the insubordination in Danton's eyes, were far more worrying.
With a little coercion the group turned left, through the door and found
themselves on a wrap around balcony overlooking the city. From what they could
see, the building was intact and undamaged. In fact the building itself was so
high from the city below that Eryn knew that there was only one place they
could be. A set of connected spires, towers, courtyards and gardens that
floated above the city; this wasn't the royal palace, or even a temple, it was
the private holdings of House Ethis. The only family in Auspar that could
afford to keep their buildings from even touching the ground. The fourteen or
so floor drop from where they were made Raneaux a little queasy and thankfully
eased her hunger pains. Eryn tried to press Danton for answers but he remained elusive
and carried on to the other door at the end of the walkway rather than
replying. With a little knowledge from Jarvan and a flash of something small
and metallic, this next door was soon unlocked. It revealed a small chamber
lined with books on three walls, with the fourth being a heavy curtained window
and the door they had just come through. Opposite where they had entered was
the door out framed the books, along with a single quilted chair, a pair of
glasses with optional extra lenses, a candle set in a mirror like liquid and a
plain wooden table, carved from a single piece of wood.
Xera was now in his element and was rifling through someone else's books
as if they were his own, much to the displeasure of Jarvan; who tidied them
back away after they had been discarded due to their uninteresting nature.
Tucked behind a set of fake books, was a small box containing aged scribed
notes and a small metal attachment to some sort of device. They detailed that
the metallic plate was once used in the reverence of the spirits and had
somehow harnessed their energy into a weaponized format. The notes further
detailed that the glasses that had seemed unsuspicious on the table, were
actually designed to indentify all the Numenera in visual range and transfer
the information directly to the wearer. By that point in the notes, Xera had
grabbed the glasses along with the plate and had stuffed them on his person.
Danton and Eryn meanwhile were scoping out the doorway and the hall that the
room lead to. The choice again was simple; either left or right. To the left
again there were doors but far heavier and lavishly decorated .The other
choice, two guards who stood at the entrance to the hallway itself and presumably
the carved doors as well.
Although everything about this situation was telling Danton to run he
had no real idea where he was. He discussed possible tactics with Eryn before
coming to the conclusion that it was in their best interests to find out who,
if anyone, was behind those doors. If they were important or rich enough to
need guards, they would possible be a help, or more than likely, the cause of
their deaths. Danton slipped down the corridor a few feet, noting the paintings
on the wall were again of the same woman from the bedroom. A wave of apprehension
knotted in his stomach and his head started to pound. Danton rubbed his face
with his palms before bending down to the keyhole. He had presumed that he
might have to enter the room but the keyhole at least would provide some
information.
The room beyond was a chaotic shambles of vast piles of parchment, books
littered where they could balance and all seemed to have been marred by an ink
well or two. Behind the paper landscape was a young woman, finely dressed. The refinement
of her clothes only served to accentuate her unkempt hair and the darkness
under her eyes. She brought a gloved hand to her face and pushed the hair from
her eyes and for a moment Danton thought she was staring straight at him. He
almost stumbled backwards, nearly forgetting the guards at the other end. He dove
back into the reading room and briefed everyone on the current situation. When
he had finished he told Jarvan to get rid of the guards anyway he sought fit.
The idea seemed as terrifying to Jarvan as if he was about to be eaten by some grotesque
creature from the Beyond. He protested over and over, emphasising that he would
be recognised, a fact that Danton assured him would not be a problem.
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