D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

Chapter 2103: Chapter 2103 Gimme the Y

--- Kat ---

”A thought has occurred to me,” Kat mused aloud as she distrusted the main course. ”While we know that they were after Appoline, as was fairly obvious based on the fact they were told to kill her... the question is why? Do you think this is someone trying to get back at her for the poisoning she didn’t do? Do you think it’s her family trying to ensure she can’t help either side? What about someone else trying to keep the poison up for some reason?”

”All good questions Kat,” agreed Steel. ”For the moment though, without knowing who hired her... I don’t think I can answer it. Though... hmm... let me try and remember the timeline for things. The assassins were hired after the poison went up but was it before you freed her? I’m not sure if we established that... hmmm... yes I think it might have been BEFORE she was freed now that you’ve mentioned it...”

”So what does that mean?” asked Appoline as she dug into the meat dish Kat provided. A bit odd for an elf, but considering her fascination with poisons perhaps the deaths of animals doesn’t bother her... or she just likes the taste. ”Does it really change the options?”

”I’m unsure,” admitted Steel. ”I’ve remember the particular conversation that got that info. While they were hired before Kat freed you, it wasn’t until earlier today that they were given your location and told to go after you. It’s possible that they were simply ’on retainer’ in case you escaped... but other options are possible as well.”

Kat nodded, ”Well let’s follow down some of these routes. What would it mean if it was Appoline’s family?”

”If we assume that’s true... I’m guessing they’d want a team of deniable assets in case you managed to escape? Is that something you would be capable of doing?” asked Hedera.

”Totally,” admitted Appoline... before pausing to rub at her neck. Wincing a bit while her fingers traced the scarring. ”I’m just not sure I’d have been willing to pay the price. I likely would’ve taken heavy damage and I’m not sure I could have easily gotten out of those cells without a bit of mutilation. If not for the escape part, then for materials to help with fighting my way out.

”Did you know you can make some pretty deadly potions with elf teeth? I do, and I really didn’t want to use my own for it. I suppose it depends on how desperate I became. While escape was on the table, and I’m confident I could’ve managed it... the costs...” Appoline shook her head. ”I was honestly quite sure that I’d be released at some point. Either because one side got desperate enough for my help or that the conflicted resolved itself and the winner would want to pretend they had nothing to do with imprisoning me.

”So... I wasn’t exactly planning an escape. Making what preparations I could? Obviously... but I wasn’t taking any extreme risk nor was I trying to really force the issue until Kat managed to break in and grab me. So... hmm... I’m not sure if they thought I’d try to escape or not.”

”So that’s a bit of a dead end,” sighed Hedera. ”The only person who really knows about how the Fleurs think is Appoline and if she doesn’t have anything for us...”

”Well I didn’t say that,” countered Appoline. ”While I don’t think I was likely to escape that doesn’t mean there was no chance of it. While Kat’s rescue was nice, I suspect that the thieves guild would’ve considered making an attempt to free me once I was cleared of suspicion for the big poison cloud.

”It was possible they targeted the group specifically because of Daryl’s inclusion. He was also kicked out of the guild after I removed him from my classes because of his lack of professionalism... but it might have given him an excuse to know that I’d been rescued or something along those lines.”

Steel nodded, ”I see. So it’s possible they were hoping to make use of Daryl’s connection to the thieves guild to either mask how much knowledge they had of the matter or simply as an excuse for the group to attack you. Alright, we could talk on this more but what about the other options you all suggested?”

”Well the revenge one doesn’t need to be talked about much,” Kat said with a shrug. ”If someone was mad at Appoline for poisoning their home, it hardly matters if it was later proved that she didn’t do it, the ball was already rolling. The group was paid earlier right?”

Steel nodded so Kat continued, ”Well in that case it could either be that they didn’t believe the news that she wasn’t truly responsible for what happened, or alternatively, that they knew enough about her to decide that they didn’t want her around and if they’d already paid for the job...”

”Yes many people take issue with my fascination for poisons. Though I will add a touch more to the previous point. The thieves guild likely knows the most about my more experimental and valuable potions. I suspect they’d want to request one in exchange for freeing me... and it’s possible a faction within the group wouldn’t want the rest to have access to whatever they decided was the most valuable.

”I can see them forcing me to share the recipe for some potent poisons, or perhaps my potions that help reduce the strain of age upon the body. Maybe the disguise potion someone stole. There are options,” Appoline added.

Kat nodded, ”So that’s, hopefully, everything for the ’her family did it’ and the ’someone wanted revenge’ ideas. Can anyone think of anything in the poison that might need to be kept secret?”

Steel rubbed his chin. ”Nothing comes to min and I don’t think I’ve had any reports of people trying to sneak inside. Idiots trying to go inside to get there stuff despite the fact it would kill them? Quite a few... but we’ve not caught anyone sneaking in. The barrier can’t detect that sadly, as we had to rush its construction for obvious reasons so it’s possible someone has been inside...

”But of course, the area is filled with deadly poison that even a specialised suit can’t properly protect you from,” Steel glared at Appoline as he mentioned the difficulty of surviving inside. Contrary to the normal reaction, Appoline puffed up her chest, looking quite proud of herself. ”Still it’s possible some got in despite that. We know there are some ways of countering it. I’m not sure what they could be looking for...”

Appoline shrugged, ”I mean, my lab is there but they could’ve made off with most of the good stuff before it was contaminated... and without too much trouble if they knew how to get inside.” Appoline paused to glare at Steel. ”Seeing as someone worked out where the secret exit was.”

Steel shrugged, ”It’s against the zoning laws, and a few building codes as well.”

Appoline rubbed her temples. ”I honestly can’t believe that’s what would’ve got me fined or jailed but whatever...”

”So there’s nothing else important inside?” asked Kat.

Steel shrugged. ”We have... a disturbing amount of stuff below the city in all sorts of places. I’m not sure if anything underground there is important other than Appoline’s lab... the barrier should stop the poison spread below ground, we accounted for that at least but... hmm... there’s no great way to know. We keep adding things down there and then sealing them up to do there work. I don’t know if there’s some interesting enchantment already there, or if someone hid something there later...”

”Is it really that likely they’re after something inside?” asked Hedera.

Steel shrugged, ”Well it could be an optics thing. Preventing it from getting cleaned up might lead to a bigger push to allow for people to resettle outside of the city. That’s another angle on the ’delay fixing the poison’ angle but keeping the poison around isn’t really an angle I was considering before Kat brought it up...”

”What about those rumours of the hidden royal vault? I think it might be in that area?” Tweedle offered in a tiny voice. So quiet that only those with enhanced hearing could hear it. Steel almost didn’t.

”Those aren’t real, at least, to the best of my knowledge anyway,” Steel commented. Kat noted he was telling the truth. She wondered if they were meant to be hidden even from him... or if they just didn’t exist.

”Right but they don’t need to exist,” countered Hedera. ”Someone just needs to THINK they exist. Though here’s a question, how much was the group paid? Or what were they paid in? Was it a lot for the job?”

”Hmm... not really. Not compared to how dangerous Appoline could potentially be in combat... but perhaps that’s my bias speaking out as someone who IS aware of her danger level...” mumbled Steel.