[center][url=https://biblehub.com/matthew/6-4.htm][img]https://i.imgur.com/ze7epWJ.png[/img][/url] [h1][color=slateblue]Queen of Diamonds: Liset's Interrogation[/color][/h1][/center] [hr] [hr] [center][h3]???[/h3][/center] Liset could not have known how long she waited in that dimly lit basement of the book store, separated from her comrades. One of the queen's escort had been tasked with questioning her—the man who had tried to save her leg—but he had gone away to convene with another "friend" of the queen. Perhaps he intended to foist the dirty job of an interrogation onto someone else? Unfortunate for her, but an understandable choice for a man with such obvious kindness in his heart and bearing. If she had tried to sense what was outside, to get a feel for who this unknown person was, she had found that her senses failed her. Everything beyond the top of that stairway—which itself seemed an insurmountable thing, now—was pure emptiness. Light came from there, and yet there was naught, until footsteps echoed from above. A small figure,[i]definitely[/i] a huusoi, descended, until Liset's eyes could meet hers. What she found instead were the eye slits of a mask bearing the face of a fox. A small ReTanese numeral "6" was etched high up on the cheek, just below the left eye. The mask may have been different, but her body shape and signature robes were a dead giveaway. So, the skull-masked mercenary who slaughtered the Colas was also the "Six-Tailed Fox," leader of a huusoi gang who played at being a charity organization—or a charity organization who played at being a gang, for it was impossible to see truth beneath their veil of absurdity. She was supposed to be supporting the yasoi refugees in secret, and yet she delivered death to the front door of some of the strongest yasoi in Mudville. She sat in a chair opposite Liset and made the sign of Dami in her lap. As she did, the table between them suddenly began to make a cacophony of sick crunching noises as it folded in on itself and was crushed to splinters. [color=orangered]"We don't need a table."[/color] At those words, the remains of the table appeared to catch fire. They were indoors, and such a thing was reckless—the only question that could have possibly been on Liset's mind was "why?!" ...It was an illusion. Nothing was consumed, and there was no smoke, but the heat and light were very real. [color=orangered]"There's nothing to put on the table—this is not a negotiation. You did what you did, and the only thing you can offer me now is the answer to [i]that[/i] question."[/color] She let her words linger in the air for a moment. [color=orangered]"Why?"[/color] [color=lightyellow]"Listen,"[/color] she fearfully smiled, [color=lightyellow]"I swear I didn't know that the lady was the Queen."[/color] She had been resting her hands on the table, which now lie on her thighs. [color=orangered]"Pleading stupidity is not a great start,"[/color] the woman replied. [color=orangered]"I don't think you appreciate just how much work goes into convincing the local huusoi that you yasoi are more than just a festering nuisance."[/color] She crossed both her arms and legs as her voice turned irritable. [color=orangered]"I had to rise above my peers—many of which are both my social and magical betters—to get close to the queen and convince her that the yasoi have allies in this town, however few they may be—and in one day, your actions could have jeopardized years of my life's work, and I can't help but find the timing rather convenient for my enemies. If you're saying someone saw you as a useful idiot, I want to know who they are, what they told you to do, what they promised you in return, and where they've gone. You should want me to know that too, if you have any pride."[/color] [color=lightyellow]"And my family had to eat!"[/color] her voice rosed but she quieted down, rubbing her head as the situation laid increasingly heavy on her. It was ever obvious to her that [i]this[/i] yanii thought of her people. [color=lightyellow]"We were asked to kill some fancy looking Suunei,"[/color] she admitted. [color=lightyellow]"An Oiyan grabbed us saying he had an opportunity to make some cash. He never said queen, not once."[/color] [color=lightyellow]"Please, you got to know that I would have never taken this job knowing it was a royal,"[/color] Liset pleaded. If any part of the woman's body had been fidgeting impatiently as Liset spoke, there was now a sudden stillness. If there had seemed to be threats of violence in her body language before, they were lowered.[color=orangered]"An Oiyan, you say. How sure are you of that? How long ago did you meet him prior to the attack? What was his offer? Did he pay up front? Where is he now?"[/color] The woman continued to press for details, either ignoring the pleas or setting them aside for the time being—it was impossible to tell—but the Fox seemed to think she was getting somewhere, and her voice turned more calm and purposeful. [color=lightyellow]"He [i]sounded[/i] Oiyan and we met a few days ago. Suurtor came into the place with an offer to make some cash, he paid a good chunk of Magus upfront and helped organize this. He was here with us but I guess he got away if you don't have him."[/color] [color=orangered]"He risked his own neck on this operation, too? Were there any outside contacts? Who tracked your target? What [i]did[/i] he tell you, if not who she was?"[/color] [color=lightyellow]"He led us here and rubbed that plushtail stuff on the scrolls. and I'm telling you, Suurtor didn't say anything about the target. I just assumed they were some Oiyan defector with info."[/color] she claimed. The Fox sat in silence for a moment, contemplating. [color=orangered][i]It would have been impossible for whoever was tracking the queen not to know, with how they fill her ears with 'Majesty, Majesty.' But if he's the one who did all the heavy lifting... it's really possible that she just didn't know.[/i] "He, at least, knew who his target was. You don't waste good plushtail on small fry. Bold of him to think he could try something so brazen with so many eyes on the queen. Did he seem competent to you? Or desperate? Perhaps just pressed for time?"[/color] She paused as she tried to recollect some memories of her limited time with him. [color=lightyellow]"I don't know, maybe? He had an air like he knew what he was doing. Like a bunch of coded words and shit. Nothing explicit."[/color] The Fox waited, perhaps hoping she might elaborate. Then, however, she rose, and the heat from the flames seemed to move. [color=orangered]"Well, I have enough for a report,"[/color] she replied, sounding dissatisfied somehow. The next few moments were a blur. Everything dissolved away, like fading into a dream, and Liset now found herself in a log cabin. The fire [i]had[/i] moved, back into its place. The Fox was gone, and instead there was the man who tried to save her leg: Tku. [hr] [color=orangered]"Her story is consistent with the others—almost completely—but not perfect, like it would be if they'd all rehearsed their story together in advance. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but what you see is what you get: they're not professionals, and I doubt they know much more than what they've told us. She gave me the most info, so I left her simmering on the idea that she didn't quite tell us enough. Maybe you can get more out of her, Tku, but I need to start working on a report now. This is terribly urgent."[/color] Tku gave a nod, [color=734960]"I'll do my best, thank you for coming quickly, by the way."[/color] Tku patted Xuiyang's shoulder before heading in. [hr] As he entered the room he gave a weary smile to Liset, [color=734960]"Would you like to sit near the fireplace? It's much warmer there,"[/color] he went to take a seat himself. Liset blinked, unable to process what just happened. She nodded, and nearly rose to her feet before remembering she only had the one. Her face scrunched up, like she could cry. [color=lightyellow]"What is this place? What's going to happen to me—to my family? That woman... I thought she'd take my other leg."[/color] She sniffled. Tku took some leftover material and formed it into a crutch for her. [color=734960]"We are in pocket dimension created via dark magic. I'm not sure that helped explain things but that is what it is. Sense as far as you can to your left and you should be able to sense a the chest of a woman."[/color] He summoned some fresh fruit and water for himself and left the pitcher for her to pour for herself. [color=734960]"As for what is going to happen to you I'm afraid nothing good Liset,"[/color] he grimaced. [color=734960]"Your family should be left alone but some of the queen's entourage are furious."[/color] When she stated that the fox had made her feel as if she was going to be maimed once more, [color=734960]"I would not have allowed it, I am here to find the truth. Not to bring you harm. So can you go over with me what you know. Withholding things only makes those who wish to punish you more justification."[/color] [color=lightyellow]"A... a what?"[/color] Liset stammered as she tried to use the crutch. It was impossible, though. Was it even two hours ago? Frustrated, she sat back down and used her one good leg to scrape her chair across the floor until she was closer to the fireplace. Now, she did cry. [color=lightyellow]"Curse him. Curse the day I met him."[/color] She buried her face in her hands. Given a moment, she went over her story yet again. [color=lightyellow]"Suurtor organized everything. He led us around and told us what to do. We just had to do what we were told, and we'd get the rest of the money. I needed it. After the Colas... there was nothing. He didn't say anything about it being the queen, or that Ersand'Enisers would be there. The money was good, but it just wasn't enough for a job like that! He didn't tell us shit!"[/color] she cried. Tku patted her on the back, [color=734960]"I know you are going through a lot but I ask you stay with me on this."[/color] he offered her a handkerchief. [color=734960]"I understand that and I syplathize with your struggles. But sadly, the best way for you to make it out of here to your family is to give whatever information you can. Even the smallest thing. You are sure he was Oiyan and that he was a militant?"[/color] [color=lightyellow]"I... I don't know..."[/color] she whimpered, wiping her tears. [color=lightyellow]"Sometimes, his accent was hard to place. He seemed like military, but not quite. He didn't have a stick up his ass, you know? It's why we trusted him, even when things seemed strange."[/color] Tku grasped onto that accent issue, [color=734960]"You think that a military man of Oiyac would have a very thick accent..."[/color] He offered her some food, [color=734960]"Eat, whether you are happy or sad, you still need to eat. I promise of Oraff it is just some grapes,"[/color] Tku popped one in his mouth. Whether she takes some grapes or not, Tku says, [color=734960]"Trusting someone is a always a risk. Sometimes you get it right and a relationship blooms. Sometimes you get it wrong and you get pushed down for it. Him taking your trust and using it is not on you Liset, How you act afterwards is. You have no allegiance to him. Can you tell me more about the 'strange' things."[/color] Liset took a grape with some reluctance. [color=lightyellow]"I told you, what was strange was how he wouldn't tell us anything. Just wanted us to do what we were told. He didn't give us that pretentious feeling you get when dealing with the Tarlonese—most of the time. He did get angry once, but we wanted to believe he was different. The Tarlonese would have kept things in-house, but there were no other Oiyans with us, just him and us locals. He seemed to know his way around this sort of work, but... the orders he gave us were weird, changing all the time. You know... he was kind of a pain in the ass!"[/color] she decided, indignant. [color=lightyellow]"At least if it were Tarlon, it would have been clear what we were supposed to do from the beginning, none of this running in circles. They would have offered more money, too. Not that I'd have taken it if they told me who our target was, but still!"[/color] [color=734960]"So a laid back Oiyan with military experience paid a bunch of locals to try and assasinate a yasoi woman. His accent was off, the orders were odd and most of all he didn't hire any other Oiyans?"[/color] Tku raised an eyebrow. [color=734960]"Seems rather suspicious considering how nationlist the Oiyans are."[/color] Tku commented. [color=lightyellow]"He wasn't stupid, but sometimes it seemed like he was making it up as he went along,"[/color] she replied. [color=lightyellow]"He was probably a lone actor. Nothing makes sense otherwise."[/color] [color=734960]"So you are unsure if they are actually connected to the Oiyans?"[/color] Liset fidgeted. [color=lightyellow]"I can't be sure either way. I've told you everything, okay?"[/color] She busied herself with the food, as anyone who couldn't be sure when their next meal would be would do. Perhaps it was unfair to expect her to decide who was ultimately to blame. Decisions that could change the course of history were nothing less than the burden of the crown, after all. [color=734960]"Liset,"[/color] Tku said in a solemn tone, [color=734960]"You know as well as I that your situation is rather poor."[/color] A silence took him. [color=734960]"I will do my best to prove you were unaware but your fate is in the hand of the Mycormish. As for your family, I will do my best to shield them from whatever ire they may gain from this."[/color] [hr] [color=slateblue][i]This concludes my report. Based on the information available to me, I can only presume that our enemies have tried to set you up. It appears the most logical conclusion. The timing is most convenient, though the operation was characterized as rather impromptu. They did not expect us students, leading me to believe that their intel may have been outdated. The leader of the attack did not seem to have much support. Perhaps the Oiyans have a traitor in their midst who works with Tarlon, or supposed that he did but was thrown before the carriage so to speak. But I trust this information is of more utility to you than to me, and should your conclusions differ from mine, they would prove to be the wiser between us. Mother Oirase bless and keep you. —六[/i][/color] [hr] [color=734960][i]Hello there, I assume my report will be mostly unused as Misses Solari's is undoubtedly more detailed and thorough. That being said, I do have some things I would like to bring up. The one who gave the most information was Liset, the one who was maimed. Her story corroborates with the other fellow assailants but she gives some more information that brings something into question. She lists several oddities about the Suurtor. From his manner of speaking to some pretentiousness, he showed from time to time. At first, I believed it was a Tarlonese agent acting as an Oiyan rather adeptly except for a few moments. Enough to give Liset a feeling of something off. I have another idea as well, though I wouldn't lend much credence to it. Suurtor seemed to know where we would be which is rather odd considering there was a tethered keeping watch and our itinerary was purposefully without direction. The ones within range of us who knew we were leaving for the bookstore were the queen’s replacement, the guards, and the 2 shop keeps. This proves little and this may have formed from the stress I have suffered but I believe that an internal investigation of people within the Queen's immediate and secondary circle. These are just the thoughts of a common man but I would be remiss to not say anything. May Dahmy lend you judgement.[/i][/color]