Force2reckon

  The inside of Sira's home was cozy and well appointed, if a little bit more like the dens of Bearbhaile then an actual home. Smoothed stone floors and walls led to a domed ceiling with recessed glowing crystals. Sira led them to what could only be the living room, by the couch, low table and a small shrine to Drear. The room itself was sparsely lit and Toni caught herself from cursing when she stubbed her toe on some low piece of furniture she'd missed.

  "Too dark for you surf?" Sira sniffed. Toni bit her tongue. Diplomacy girl, diplomacy.

  "Yeah, sorry do you have a candle or something we can-"

  By the entrance Sira flipped a small switch with a click and small covers slid away in front of some previously hidden recessed crystals to light the room up a bit more.

  "You softskins and your bad eyes. Wonder you have survived this long, now sit while I get some food." Sira pointed towards the stiff looking blue couch.

  "That's not necessary, wouldn't want you wasting food on a 'softskin', plus we ate on our way here." Toni said, unable to keep a slight twinge of irritation from her voice.

  "Nonsense, what you are and have done does not change how hospitality is given." Sira said and shuffled off further down the entrance corridor.

  Karje stood stiffly by the entrance to the room, one hand behind her back ready to grab her weapon should she need. Toni smiled at her and tousled her hair with a hand.

  "Rex, Mate and D'maak are outside watching, we're fine." Toni told her.

  "And if someone comes in a back way? Or the duergar tries to poison us? Or the- Ow! What was that for?"

  Toni's hand pulled back after batting one of Karje's ears. "You're being paranoid sweetheart."

  "I'm being careful." Karje huffed. Toni moved slowly toward the couch and carefully lowered herself toward the hard surface.

  "There's a fine line between caution and paranoia Karje I..." Toni stopped as her body started sinking slightly into the surface of the couch. "Oh my, this is actually really comfortable."

  "Course it is." Karje scoffed. "Why would they have it if it wasn't?"

  "Maybe she likes firmer furniture, I don't know." Toni replied.

  "Yeah well who's paranoid now?" Karje snapped back a bit.

  "Mmm, but I still sat." Toni patted the seat next to her. "Sure, I was worried it might be uncomfortable, and I sat carefully, but I still sat. Come sit with me kitten." Toni teased.

  Karje gred at her for a second, eyes focusing very carefully before she shook her head violently. Slowly Karje made her way over and, after removing the massive bardiche so she actually could sit, sat next to Toni.

  "There's a good girl, see? Rex a bit." Toni whispered to Karje as she began petting the girls head. "Let me worry for you. Be aware of what dangers might be, but don't try and pre-empt everything in your life. That's the difference." Toni smiled as Karje's ears and tail twitched slightly,

  "Here we go youhoo two." Sira announced as she came in carrying a rge ptter of strange meats, cheeses and small thin wraps. "Proper duergan speaking board."

  "Huh, we have something like this back home, we call it a charcuterie board." Toni said as she looked at the neatly arranged morsels. "May I?"

  "Well I did not bring it out here to taunt you now did I?" Sira said with a wave of her hand.

  Toni grabbed one of the small wrapping sheets and made a quick, small meat and cheese wrap. She popped it into her mouth and sighed happily, a reminder of home and visiting her grandma causing her eyes to wet.

  "Oh come on now, it is not so good to bring tears... Is it?" Sira said, squeezing her hands softly. Toni smiled at her and just ate another one in answer. She saw Sira smile softly and went to make another as she finally replied.

  "I'm pretty far from home. It reminds me of how my gram would make snack ptes for us when we came over for holidays." Toni said softly. "It's clear you're a good mother just from this one kindness. Thank you." Toni smiled to Sira who's entire body softened and smiled back at her.

  "That is... Thank you, I needed tohoo hear that. Have not felt like a good mother at all tely..." Sira trailed off, her eyes going distant.

  "And that's very understandable. As is why you would turn help away, but Ma'am I think it's important I tell you this." Toni made a fourth wrapped and handed it to Karje who looked confused. "Eat kitten. For you Ma'am neither I, nor D'maak or my companions, believe the person visiting you is your son."

  "You are wrong!" Sira said, her body hardening immediately. "You- he is exactly the same! Right down to rememberin what I gave him for the Warmtide st year!"

  Toni frowned very pointedly. "And we think that whoever took your son has him alive somewhere and is using a [Power] to tap into his memory." Toni replied. "To make a powerful illusion."

  "Why would they do that?! Who would do something so... so cruel!" Sira shouted.

  "We don't know, but you might be able to help us. And if we're right that means your son, and all the other kids who've gone missing, are alive Sira. And they need help." Toni reached a hand out with a fifth wrap in it toward Sira. "Will you help your son? All the missing children? Please?"

  Sira looked down at the wrap, then back up to Toni's face. Toni remained perfectly still as every emotion she could name fshed across Sira's face. Grief, fury, disbelief, wrath, hopelessness, hope, desire, pain, loss, and finally. Determination. Sira set her face and reached out to take the wrap, then pop it into her own mouth.

  "What can I do?" Sira asked.

  Toni smiled softly to her. "Tell me everything. Every small detail about the day he went missing, anything that stood out in the days after. And especially." Toni finished a sixth wrap and held it up to her lips. "About your st encounter with the monster pretending to be your son." She popped the wrap in her mouth as Sira began her story.

  -

  Temate stood outside on the edge of the sandy pyground. His [Magic Eye] casting across every person, every building, every object that caught it. The drain was pretty intense all things said, and he knew he couldn't keep it up for too much longer. As much as he'd been training with it, maintaining even this base level of scanning for more than an hour was painful. And if Toni did a good job, he knew it'd probably be multiple hours out here.

  Temate took a gnce over to where he knew D'maak was hiding, shrunk down to no rger then any of the children pying here. He could just barely make him out, hunkered down behind a few rge boxes. Impressive, and terrifying, skill on dispy. To think something so big could shrink down so small, for so long. If just his eye made him struggle, how much practice must D'maak have maintaining that size?

  As Temate flipped his gaze away to scour the ndscape again a duergar woman approached him. Temate turned toward her and smiled softly, until he saw the power on her. Then he widened his smile hoping to cover the tightening of his body.

  "Excuse me sir, but what are you doin here? I can't imagine you're watching one of the kids." She asked sweetly.

  "Oh no, I'm um... I'm supposed to meet someone here." Temate said, feigning as much sheepishness as he could. "I don't suppose you now a uh... Anubia?"

  "No I don't recognize that name. Can I ask why you're meeting here of all pces?" The woman asked.

  "Apologies, but can I ask your name first? I'm Mathew." Temate said, holding his hand out to the woman.

  The woman smiled but shook her head. "No no, it's fine, I'm just curious why a human is here of all pces. Sorry to have bothered you!" The woman said, then excused herself from the conversation.

  Temate watched her go, smiling until she'd rounded the corner out of sight. Immediately he stood up and made his way carefully toward the boxes D'maak was hiding behind. He pretended to be looking for something inside them as he spoke softly.

  "D'maak, can you follow that woman?" Temate hissed.

  "Why?" D'maak replied.

  "She's probably reted. My [Magic Eye] couldn't get passed the basic yer, something was shielding the actual person." Temate answered.

  "An illusion." D'maak snapped.

  "Or something simir. Yes. Go quick, before she shifts again." Temate hissed.

  With a soft nod D'maak took off to track down and follow the woman if possible. Temate created a small box of bone and hefted it out very intentionally, then stuffed it under his armor where he let it disappear. Then realized he was wearing armor. To a meeting with someone? He hoped the illusionist presumed it was precautionary.

  Temate made his way back over to the bench he'd been sitting on and returned to his watch. He let his [Magic Eye] fall for a minute and just kept an eye on the structure itself. For nearly two hours he waited before he spotted movement again. A small figure slipping into where D'maak had been hiding not long ago.

  But not D'maak.

  The same barrier protected this figure when Temate flicked his [Magic Eye] for a moment to investigate. So Temate stood up, feigned frustration and began pacing. After a few minutes longer, a young duergar boy popped his head out and started casually moving toward Sira's door. At the same time Temate cursed loudly.

  "Fuck this, I'm going home!" All eyes turned to look at Temate but he just stomped casually toward the closest exit to the young boy. The boy seemed to pay him no mind as he approached Sira's door, when his back was turned Temate angled himself directly toward the boy. The boys hand reached up to knock on the door, but right as he made to, it swung open.

  "Thank you for having us miss Sira, it was genuinely a pleasure and if we can- Huh?" Toni stopped as she spotted the boy just past Karje who stood at the door.

  "Salis!" Sira shouted. "Is that you baby?!"

  The boy saw the two strangers and immediately began to run.

  "Karje! Catch him! That's the illusionist!" Temate Ordered.

  Immediately Karje leapt into action smming to all fours as she snarled and bolted after the fake Salis. She flicked her bardiche with disturbing ease in an attempt to cut off the boys escape.

  THWING

  As if cshing against a metal barrier the bardiche flicked off to the side, caught in midair by a skillful leap by Karje. She nded on a wall and pistoned herself off like a torpedo as the boy moved to round a corner. The boys form shifted and Temate stood there.

  "Stop!" The fake Temate commanded with not an ounce of Temate's power. A snarl ripped from Karje's throat that stopped Temate in his own pursuit as he shivered. The bardiche, edge dimly glowing, arc'd toward the fake Temate.

  "I am the real Mathew, he is an imposter! I said stop!" the fake Temate tried to command Karje.

  The csh of metal rang out again, Karje's bardiche flicking to the side as the fake Temate hissed and stumbled. In a moment they shifted into Karje's form and pnted themselves on all four to begin running again. In this form Karje and the illusionist far outstripped Temate's speed. Temate sent a final command through [Dominion].

  Pursue.

  The thrilled response that rang back told him Karje was happy to oblige this order.

  Temate turned back to Sira's home where Toni was holding the sobbing woman firmly. Temate approached them slowly and knelt down low to match their position.

  "I'm sorry miss Sira. We will find your son." Temate told her.

  "Mhmm, remember what I told you ma'am. The fact they copied Karje and Mate is a good sign they can use living targets. It might even be that they need to see the target as well, otherwise why not be something or someone super fast y'know?" Toni said softly.

  "Y-you think so?" Sira said between sniffling sobs.

  "I'm actually more confident now then I was before." Toni said and looked to Temate with an 'I need to talk to you' expression.

  "As am I miss Sira. This is good news." Temate smiled and reached out his good arm to grasp Sira's shoulder. "We're going to get your son."

  "Th-thank you. Both of you, I am sorry I... I have never..." Sira began sobbing uncontrolbly. Slowly Temate joined Toni in hugging the poor woman for a long minute. Eventually Sira took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. You lot need to do your work to find my Salis right? I will be okay now." She said.

  Both humans stood up slowly, keeping on hand on Sira as they helped her rise.

  "Are you sure?" Toni asked softly.

  "Yes, I am duerg. We are tough folk, and even tougher still when it comes to our family. Now go get my boy back and miss Toni." Sira grabbed Toni's arm as she went to leave. "You make sure that bastard does not have a chance to hurt anyone else's kid you hear me?" Sira finished with hard eyes.

  Toni nodded and followed after Temate. When they were a decent distance away Temate spoke.

  "So you promised to kill them huh?" Temate asked.

  "What's with your sudden problems with killing?" Toni stopped and hissed.

  "There's a difference between killing people in self-defense in the wilderness, or at the behest of a besieged popution, and killing a criminal in a city with established w." Temate replied slowly.

  "So we just do nothing about someone who's kidnapping children and torturing their parents?" Toni said with crossed arms.

  "Oh no. There's also a difference between killing a guy who's a maniputive asshole, and killing a monster." Temate brushed off Toni's cold reply. He reached one arm out and put it on her shoulder, staring firmly at her. "However. If we can bring them to justice the right way. Capture them alive and present them to Brigire. Shouldn't we? Let the people see justice done."

  Toni faltered a bit, remembering her father having a simir conversation with her when she was young.

  -

  "But daddy, why not just kill the bad guys so they can't be bad?" She had asked.

  "Because sweetheart, if we killed everyone for anything bad they did, well we'd have to kill a lot of people. And a lot of people would get sad and do more bad things. It's important the punishment is dealt justly." Her father had said, hefting her up onto his knee. "But there's another important part."

  "What?" She'd asked as she giggled while his leg bounced.

  "If we just killed someone, and told the person they'd wronged, it wouldn't bring closure. People who are hurt need to see the punishment happen sometimes. Not always, but sometimes. So we have to make sure they're able to see justice done. Properly." He'd answered.

  "Why?" She'd asked as her head tilted in confusion.

  "Well think about it like this. If someone took your lunch at school, you'd want them to get in trouble for that right?" He'd asked.

  "Yeah... That's bad!" She'd said.

  "Well if a teacher just took them aside after school and told them off without telling you, would you be happy, or still upset?" He'd asked.

  "Mmmm, upset..." She'd replied.

  "Why?" He'd asked.

  She scrunched her face up and thought hard. "Cause... Cause I'd think he got away with it?"

  "Mhmm, and if they'd given him detention?" He'd asked.

  "Then happy! Cause he got in trouble!" She'd said proudly.

  He'd ughed heavily then. "That's not exactly why, but close enough. You see what I mean?"

  "I think so... Thanks daddy!" She'd said, and hugged him tight.

  -

  Toni sighed and let her arms down. "You're right. If we can, if we can't though!" Toni hardened her face as her hands tightened.

  "If it looks like there's any chance we can't take them alive, you'll be racing me to kill them." Temate said with a nod.

  "Pffff, that's not fair, I have bullets." Toni smirked.

  "Oi!" D'maak shouted as he came jogging over, now full sized again. He stopped next to them as his trunk flicked in what Temate read as frustration. "Sorry, I lost track of em, I had them up until a minute ago and then they just vanished!" He said.

  "When you say a minute ago..." Toni started.

  "Do you mean literally, or more 'until recently' ago." Temate finished.

  "No I mean I literally just lost em, they kept circlin the area and then all of a sudden they bolted."

  Temate and Toni looked to each other and immediately started running after Karje. D'maak, sensing something in their sudden urgency, followed right after. Quickly the three closed in on where Temate sensed Karje to be, she'd stopped gaining distance quickly and was now still. At a back alley Temate swung them directly into the darkness.

  Fire fred as Toni cast up a head sized globe of fme to light the way. Temate's [Magic Eye] ignited as he drew Guillotine from his back. He felt now the pain Karje was feeling, they'd been too far away before this. After a short sprint down the back alley they burst out into a small open space, two figures y dead on the ground.

  And 5 Karje's were fighting against each other in the open space, her bardiche having been cast aside. Temate gred at the combat going on, and charged in without missing a beat.