Leila and Zeke’s investigation to the whereabouts of the thief, Azmal, led the two to a tavern located by the docks. There they met an old drunkard named Ced, did not reveal much other than the name of another party interested in the Eye of Ashara. The name left Leila perturbed and they quickly dashed toward an elaborate bordello in another district within the city. Leila warned of mages, what sort of individual is Drakka? Find out!
The bordello was full of patrons, the aroma of sweet scents permeated the entrance. Various “entertainers” in thin silk robes paraded through the various hallways. The interior truly paid homage to its namesake as a “Palace of Love” in the Igstanpuri tongue. Gender and race were all equal in such an establishment, coin was the true king here. Every pleasure, every taste probably was satisfied here, Zeke thought. Even under his hood, there were glances from the free-standing women, some whisper amongst themselves and giggled when the young man caught them looking. Zeke was not used to the attention, but noticed a few of the stares were direct at his employer, Leila as well.
After several moments passed, a cleanly shaven young half-elf in purple robes walked to Leila and gave a bow.
“It is good to see you again Leila, how are you?”
“I’m not for pleasantries, Kef. Where’s Drakka?” Leila spoke sharply at the half-elf. Her eyes darted between the corridors and the balconies.
“Drakka is where Drakka is always. In the office upstairs, he has no appointments today. In fact, I heard he was a good mood,” the half-elf stuttered every so often, the sudden sharpness from Leila threw him off his character.
Without a word, Leila stormed up the grand staircase at the end of the foyer, Zeke trailed close behind. The patrons and their attendants were wise enough to sidestep out of their way. Leila’s red hair seemed to blaze like flames, at the end of the steps, she brandished her thin blade out of its scabbard and charged straight towards a set of double doors at the end of a hallway.
A swift kick and the doors were wide open, at the end of the large grandeur room, behind an ornate wooden desk was a female half-orc draped in tight collar dress. While muscular in stature, she possessed the mannerisms and charm of a skilled courtesan, the half-orc’s dark brown hair was died into a tight bun, her pale gray skin looked like polished marble.
The half-orc grinned at the sight of Leila and kept a calm demeanor, her voice as thick as black tar. “Why hello Leila dear, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
Leila eyed the half-orc with disgust. “You know damn well why I’m here Drakka, where is he?”
The half-orc maintained her composure behind the smug grin, her long orcish fingers trace along the edges of a stack of coins on the desk. “Who are you referring to? I deal with my individuals through my palace. You will have to more specific.”
Leila pointed her blade towards the half-orc, “just tell me what I want to know Drakka and we can both on our merry way.”
Several armed thugs carefully stood at the office threshold, Zeke kept a relative check on them to avoid being flanked. The situation had reached a stalemate, either side was poised to give the order to strike, the first to release details would lose this contest of wills and facades.
“Leila…” A cold voice spoke from the open threshold. Zeke turned halfway to face the newcomers and guards that stood ready.
A regal tan-skinned human with white and gray hairs stood at the aperture, he wore purple and gold clothes akin to some of the noble patrons that frequented the place. A polished black wooden cane with a griffin figurine at the top, there were several rings with precious jewels as well. Sizable jewels. He stood calmly when he addressed Leila.
Zeke’s left eye underneath the patch began to ache and burn, there was a presence of magic. Mostly importantly, there were arcane energies strung along the man’s words and voice. The sudden shift of attention made him cautious weary for Leila. Was she under the compulsion? Or did she possess the mental fortitude to withstand a budding mage’s tricks?
“I’m alright,” Leila managed. The compulsion failed with her as well. Zeke eyed the mage and the guards at the door squarely, he kept his hand on the scabbard while concealing the other underneath the cloak.
Leila gave a soft sigh and lowered her blade, “Drakka, please. This is bigger than either of us now, the Inquisitors came to see me the other day. They will no doubt–”
Before Leila could finish her sentence, a ruckus of screams and metallic armor echoed from the lower level. The half-orc maintained her composure but her thugs quickly scurried to get the mage out of sight and secure the perimeter. Many patrons tried to flee, some of the entertainers barricaded themselves in nearby rooms. Fear. Absolute fear.
The footsteps from the base of the stairwell grew louder as metal pressed against shagged carpeting. A familiar tall figure clad in plate armor marched up the steps and stood awaiting another set of steps not far behind. Veras’ blonde hair glided against the musky backdrop of the bordello, an aura of light emanated from his mere presence.
He cocked a grin as he approached the opened office. “Excellent, all parties are present. Let the trial commence.”
Thanks again for reading along! We look forward to bring another segment of the Anthology from the Land of Magic next week! Please like, comment, and share! If you want to stay updated with us, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We have an Instagram for anything nerdy and behind-the-scenes goodies. We also have a donate button and an Amazon store link for your D&D product needs, any help would highly appreciated! See you again soon!
Death By Mage 