The Sarcophagus Legion III

[HorizonsDream]

Imani lets out a small sigh of defeat, hanging he head a bit. "Yes," she says. "If I bring you back, Malik and I are free," she says. "But he never said anything about trying to kill you. We all thought he was taking you to his summer home like he has with the rest of us," she explains honestly.

[Breila]

Babushka had been following the exchange between the Khan's two wives. At Syriana's mention of being "escorted to her execution" she muttersto herself: "Why am I not surprised?" She steps up next to Imani, her hood lowered, and tells the girl in what she hopes is a reassuring voice:
"My name is Babushka, and we have come to rescue you. I assure you that we are not going to bring you anywhere you don't want to go."

[HorizonsDream]

Imani looks over to the gnome then shakes her head. "That decision really isn't yours to make. You entered into a deal with the Khan. He is not a forgiving man if you don't follow through, as you have seen," she tries to explain before she turns back to her sister wife. "What is all of this about hiring people to kill you? Why would he want to kill you?"

[Breila]

Babushka draws up her eyebrows at Imani's words, but says nothing more.

[Jenara]

"They are statues to Sargonnas, by the way." She stands motionless for a moment seeing the Girl, within seconds she steps forwards, offering her little hand. "I'm Locky by the way, pleased to meet you."

"That does sound awful, people trying to kill you, I am getting used to it myself."

[Jerrard]

"This concerns me a great deal." Jerrard looks at the young girl curiously, shrugging off his cloak he passes it to the girl, "Please, you look like you could use it."

"Imani, you have to tell us the whole story, please." He glances around. "But not here, we need to get your Sister Wife somewhere safe."

[JadedDM]

Syriana backs away from Locky's outstretched hand, not eager to allow anyone to get too close to her. Once the kender takes the hint, she drains what is left of the waterskin, then tosses it to Imani, wiping her mouth with her arm.

"One night two of the khan's guards came into our room as we were preparing for bed. They took me by the arm and dragged me into the hall. One of them took out a knife and cut my hand."

With this, Syrianna lifts her hand, revealing a pink scar in the skin between her thumb and forefinger.

"The other guard held out a bowl and collected a drop or two of my blood. Then they shoved me back to the floor and left without a word. Imani and one of the other wives tended my wound, and I managed to get some sleep in spite of my pain. Do you remember this, Imani?"

"The next day the khan told me I was going to his summer palace, and to be ready to leave at once. As I was packing, the guards returned with chains and shackles, binding me. They dragged me into the courtyard, where a few dozen more of his cutthroat guards were waiting with camels and supplies. They hoisted me into a sedan, tied me in place, and off we went.

"We headed west for a few days, then turned north. I don't know where they were taking me, but I knew it wasn't the summer palace." She smiles. "I resisted as best I could. One day one of the guards grew tired of my lip, and struck me across the face. He drew his scimitar, and I thought he was going to kill me right then. Another guard told him to control himself. 'If we kill her now,' he said, 'we can't kill her later like the khan told us to.' The first guard, the one who hit me, turned to his companion, his face red. 'Idiot,' he yelled, 'she wasn't supposed to know.'

"I rode along in silence, wondering what would happen next, when suddenly we were overtaken by bandits; the Midnight Jackals. I tried to escape amidst the chaos, but couldn't run very fast because my feet were chained. They captured me and rode off into the desert.

"They didn't get too far, though, before we were then attacked again, this time by some walking corpses. Only one Jackal managed to escape, and he took me with him. He said he knew of a place where we could hide out until he knew what to do. He brought me here. But he set off some kind of trap, and the room filled with gas. When he was down, I slit his throat, ran here...and have been here ever since."

Having told her story, she seems drained of energy, although she does not put the knife away. She accepts Jerrard's cloak and wraps herself up in it. "Thank you," she says. "But I will not go back to the Khan. So you can just forget that."

===========

Locky's Bless spell ends.

[HorizonsDream]

Imani catches the waterskin and puts it away as she listens to Syriana story. "I remember helping with the wound, but I thought it was just some sort of punishment," Imani admits. "Admittedly, it was a strange punishment, but I assumed he didn't want to hurt his newest wife too much just yet. Though, why would he want your blood?" she asks.

Imani let out a small sigh. This was something that was suppose to be easy, and it had grown extremely complicated now. Once Jerrard asks for the full story, Imani gives a small nod to him. "What Syriana says is true. I did help her with that wound, but everything after that I know nothing about. When I learned that Syriana had been taken by the Jackals, I approached the Khan with a proposal. I was taught how to fight when I was younger, so I knew this wouldn't be too much of a problem for me, so I asked if I could be the one to find Syriana on the terms that my son, Malik, and I would be freed if I brought Syriana back to the Khan, alive," she explains. "He agreed, providing I could find people willing to help me and that I left my son behind as assurance that I would come back."

[JadedDM]

"Looks like this wasn't as simple of a job than the khan led us to believe," Thuskar says, crossing his arms.

"Wait...you have a son?" asks Ulster, dumbfounded.

[HorizonsDream]

"Yes, I do. He's four years old." Imani nods to Ulster before she turns her attention back to the rest of the party. "I wasn't sure how the rest of you would react, so I decided not to tell any of you. It was quite possible that after learning that I had a child, you knew the stakes of my situation, then you wouldn't agree to help," she explains. She can only hope that it explains her reasoning enough for not telling them the whole story. "I was sure that this was something that would be simple enough. We would save my sister wife, bring her back, you guys would get paid, and my son and I would have our freedom."

[Jerrard]

"I did have my concerns, now." he pauses "I will still help, but no more lies or dishonesty. And I have my issues taking her back to the Khan."

"Perhaps this is different, the mine is, secondary now, your Son and Syriana are our first priority now. And yes, why her blood?"

[Breila]

Babushka had followed the exchange between the others, her arms crossed, her face set. Somehow, nothing Syriana and Imani told them was really surprising to her.

"Don't you remember the vizir?" she asks the others. "He looked exactly like the kind of man who would need a young woman's blood, perhaps even her body, for his sinister doings. And what kind of woman are you, Imani" she confronts the woman, "to buy your and you son's freedom with the continuing imprisonment of your sister wife?"

She now turns to Syriana. "I do not yet know what I can do about it, but I clearly don't want to give you back into the Khan's hands."

[JadedDM]

"Theirs is a different culture," Thuskar points out. "They don't see it as imprisonment. In many places, marriage is a contract, between the groom and bride's father."

Ulster sighs and slaps his forehead. "Aww, I should have known this was too good to be true when the khan offered us 5,000 steel to save her. I guess we won't be getting that horse back from the palace stables, either." He shakes his head. "So what's the plan? We can't take her back to Ak-Tubal, but we sure can't stay here, either."

[Jerrard]

"It is a different Culture, yet I cannot bring myself to take her back to that place. And no, I will not be leaving Wittchen there. Perhaps there is something we can do?" He rubs his beard, "What do you think the Khan would do if we said she was dead?"

[Jenara]

"Umm." Locky looks around, "I don't like this place, not at all, its really not fun or interesting, watching a bird peck a mans eyes out was fun at the start, but now. She lowers her head, "This isn't fun at all."

She goes quiet for a few moments. "We can't stay here, and someone is obviously looking for her, for a reason, it might not even be the Khan."