Post by Sir Haymar Glen on Mar 25, 2016 8:16:25 GMT -8
Hey all, here's my second free-build for March, and the next installment of Skye's story: Chronicles of A Spy: "Spy Got Here First!"
Chronicles of A Spy; "Spy Got Here First!"
------------------------------------------------------------
Standing on a ridge overlooking Durrough, I watched as the last rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon, as day gave way to night. Slowly, one after another, I watched little dots of light wink into existence, as the street-lamps were lit by the night watchmen.
I had finally arrived at my destination.
Now to get into the city.
Each night, at sundown, all gates into Durrough were sealed, and multiple guard detachments were stationed along the walls, rotated every four hours.
Two-man squads of guards also patrolled the streets, ensuring the citizens of Durrough were kept safe from assassins and ner’do’wells.
None of this was that much of a problem for me however, as I had done this many times before, and consequently developed a solid method for working getting through all of the above measures.
Approaching the wall, I would wait at the base, until I saw and heard the guard exchange, then I would scale the wall, using tiny cracks and imperfections no one else would notice as hand-and-toe holds.
Once at the top, I would wait for about five minutes, allowing enough time for the new guard to get settled in, and start to get bored. Then, waiting for the guard to turn his back briefly, and using the uncertain light from the torches along the wall as a cloak, I vaulted the crenellations, crossed the walkway, and started down the opposite side of the wall, making sure there were no guards below.
Having successfully gotten into Durrough (a feat which very few could have managed), I moved towards the docks, staying in the shadows and avoiding the patrols as much as possible.
After about twenty minutes, I reached the docks, and quickly found the unmistakable building I was looking for; The City Hall of Durrough, where my final destination was housed:
the office of Grand Duke Cartney, my superior and close friend.
Getting into the dark-tan building was easier then getting into the city itself, partly because I had sent a message to Cartney two days before reaching Durrough, telling him to leave his second-story office window open tonight.
I could see he had, and accessing it was easy, as, after making sure there was nobody on the streets, I simply climbed onto the windowsill of one of the windows lining the exterior wall of the hall’s lower-level stairwell, and boosted myself onto the stairwell roof, using the slanting dark-red roof as a makeshift set of stairs to reach the open window, which was just above the end of the roof, and thus easy to access. After checking around for anyone that could have seen me, I slipped through the window.
Upon entering Cartney’s office, I smiled, instantly remembering one of the things I liked so much about Cartneys office; Like my own home, it was filled with all sorts of interesting and mysterious items from all the factions, like an old spear, with strange runes carved on the haft, from Garheim, and the vibrant blue-and-yellow rug that covered the center of the floor, from one of the nomadic tribes of Loreos.
Tonight, however, I was not here to simply admire the duke’s collection of cool things, but to deliver the packet of papers Mr. Jal had given me, as well as my own report of the mission, which I had written while waiting for the chance to slip into the city.
I trusted Cartney completely, (he was perhaps the only living person besides my parents who knew of my secret talent), and the only things I had omitted from my report were the escapade at Heaven’s Lagoon, and my discovery of the nautilus shell, which I wanted to keep to myself for the moment.
Approaching his desk, packet and report in hand, I noticed a plate sitting on the duke’s desk, along side a sizable pouch of money, which I recognized as my normal pay.
The plate held two turkey legs, wrapped in bacon. They were still slightly warm, and the amazing aromas coming off them caused my stomach to growl.
I was suddenly acutely aware I was starving, having hadn’t eaten since midday.
Maybe, I thought, Cartney had left these out for me, as an extra treat perhaps.
But, said a voice inside my head, he’s never done that before. It could be a trap, laid by someone who’d already been here.
“Nonsense,” I said to myself out loud, “If that were the case they would have taken the money. Besides, what could it hurt if I took just one?”
I set the packet and my report on the desk, and before I could second-guess myself more, took one of the turkey legs, biting into it.
“Wow, this is delicious,” I said, as the full range of flavors exploded inside my mouth. I had had the pleasure of sampling the excellent cooking skills of Lady Fiona, Cartney’s wife, before, but this was even better than the food I had been served then, and I instantly wondered if I could wrangle the recipe from Cartney.
As I finished off the wonderful treat, I heard a slight noise behind me, and then an indignant voice.
“What are you doing?! That’s my payment!”
I spun around, bringing my crossbow up. Standing near the window I had entered through was a shadowy figure, clad in a dark cloak and hood, and looking somewhat furry.
“Who are you?” I demanded, keeping my crossbow fixed on the mysterious figure.
“I could ask you the same thing!” The figure replied heatedly.
I did not lower my crossbow or my guard.
“For all I know, you could be an intruder, here to steal valuable items and information.”
“An intruder!” the figure said, as if he was shocked by the very idea. “You look more like an intruder than I do, sneaking around, eating honest were- I mean peoples’ payment, and then accusing them of being the intruder!”
I noticed his slip-up, though I made no mention of it. Instead I questioned,
“If you’re not an intruder, than what are you doing in the duke’s office?”
“Delivering this,” he said, and to my surprise, he held up a fat envelope.
I smirked.
“So, you want me to believe that you’re a spy, working for Duke Cartney?”
“Well, yes. And that turkey leg you just ate was to be my payment,” the other replied, looking rather downcast.
I was taken aback. If he was telling the truth, and I suspected he was, then, given his furry appearance, the subtle slip-up, and the nature of his payment, I had a pretty good guess of who he really was.
“You’re the werewolf spy they call Wolfgang, aren’t you?” I said.
The other sighed, and drew back his hood. “Guilty as charged. What gave it away?”
I grinned, lowering my crossbow and engaging the safety.
“Your silhouette was furry.”
Wolfgang returned the smile, and I noticed he looked rather relieved.
Seeing my puzzled look, he nodded at my crossbow.
“I was starting to get worried you were going to shoot me if I couldn’t give you a good explanation.”
“The thought had crossed my mind,” I admitted, with a wicked grin.
Stepping forward, I stuck out my hand. “Skyelia Murdale. My friends call me Skye.”
The other shook it, saying “Wolfgang von Wolfgang. I assume you work for Cartney as well?”
“You assume correct, although I am actually an official spy for Lenfald. Cartney is just my immediate superior.”
“Ah,” Wolfgang said. “Well, I’ve worked as an occasional spy for the Duke since the War with the Queen, and since Cartney always appreciated the information, and the payment is so delicious”, here Wolfgang licked his lips, then held up the envelope, “I though he might like to know this one last interesting bit of info, so I decided to drop it off, and pick up my payment, before heading off to the Great Western Isles. Although,” he continued, suddenly looking sad, “It appears I got here too late to consume- I mean save my payment.”
I laughed, saying “Not quite,” and moved aside, so Wolfgang could see the desk.
When his eyes fell upon the plate, with the second turkey leg, his face lit up.
“But,” he said, and I could see the confusion forming on his face, “ I saw you eating the leg, Skye.”
Again I smiled.
“It appears our friend the duke left an extra leg on the plate. Whether that was foresight or just good luck is up to you, but I’m more than willing to share my payment with you if you’d like.”
Wolfgang had moved over to the duke’s desk, and was tucking into the turkey leg with gusto, but looked up when I spoke.
“Upmff Sfure.” He replied, with a mouthful of bacon and turkey. Then, finishing his bite, he asked, with a slightly worried look on his face,
“What kind of payment is it?”
“Gold coin,” I answered, confused.
“Ah, okay. That’s good then.” Then, seeing the look I gave him, he elaborated.
“If it had been sliver, I couldn’t have accepted it, what with werewolves being allergic to it and all. I’ve had some trouble with people attempting to pay me in silver before. Gold however, I can do.”
I nodded. His reaction made perfect sense now.
Pouring out the sizable pouch, I quickly began dividing the contents two ways, while Wolfgang finished off the leg.
After a few minutes, I noticed the envelope Wolfgang had set down, and though I tried to ignore it, my curiosity finally got the better of me. Can you blame me, being a spy and all?
“What’s the info?”
“Hmm?,” Wolfgang said, having been preoccupied with licking the plate of crumbs.
I pointed at the envelope and repeated my question.
Wolfgang looked reluctant to answer, so I added,
“We’re both spies working for the same side. You can trust me with the info.”
He nodded.
“It’s nothing too critical, just some strange stuff happening in Loreos, which, isn’t really out of the ordinary. There was some sort of fight in Dalmanutha the other day, and some minor Loreesi noble put out a bounty for an unnamed human female.”
I processed the information, filing it away for later, though none of it really caught my attention.
“Like I said, nothing out the ordinary for those desert dwellers,” Wolfgang continued, putting down the empty plate.
I handed him his half of the coin, which he accepted with a bow, before moving towards the window.
“Well,” he said, “that was a good treat, but I must be off now. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure was all mine, “ I replied, shaking hands with him once more.
As the other disappeared out the window, I turned a full circle in the room, making sure nothing had been disturbed, and no trace of our visit was left behind.
Then, I followed the werewolf out the window, into the shadow of night.
———————————
Hope you all like it!
Cheers,
Joshua
Chronicles of A Spy; "Spy Got Here First!"
------------------------------------------------------------
Standing on a ridge overlooking Durrough, I watched as the last rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon, as day gave way to night. Slowly, one after another, I watched little dots of light wink into existence, as the street-lamps were lit by the night watchmen.
I had finally arrived at my destination.
Now to get into the city.
Each night, at sundown, all gates into Durrough were sealed, and multiple guard detachments were stationed along the walls, rotated every four hours.
Two-man squads of guards also patrolled the streets, ensuring the citizens of Durrough were kept safe from assassins and ner’do’wells.
None of this was that much of a problem for me however, as I had done this many times before, and consequently developed a solid method for working getting through all of the above measures.
Approaching the wall, I would wait at the base, until I saw and heard the guard exchange, then I would scale the wall, using tiny cracks and imperfections no one else would notice as hand-and-toe holds.
Once at the top, I would wait for about five minutes, allowing enough time for the new guard to get settled in, and start to get bored. Then, waiting for the guard to turn his back briefly, and using the uncertain light from the torches along the wall as a cloak, I vaulted the crenellations, crossed the walkway, and started down the opposite side of the wall, making sure there were no guards below.
Having successfully gotten into Durrough (a feat which very few could have managed), I moved towards the docks, staying in the shadows and avoiding the patrols as much as possible.
After about twenty minutes, I reached the docks, and quickly found the unmistakable building I was looking for; The City Hall of Durrough, where my final destination was housed:
the office of Grand Duke Cartney, my superior and close friend.
Getting into the dark-tan building was easier then getting into the city itself, partly because I had sent a message to Cartney two days before reaching Durrough, telling him to leave his second-story office window open tonight.
I could see he had, and accessing it was easy, as, after making sure there was nobody on the streets, I simply climbed onto the windowsill of one of the windows lining the exterior wall of the hall’s lower-level stairwell, and boosted myself onto the stairwell roof, using the slanting dark-red roof as a makeshift set of stairs to reach the open window, which was just above the end of the roof, and thus easy to access. After checking around for anyone that could have seen me, I slipped through the window.
Upon entering Cartney’s office, I smiled, instantly remembering one of the things I liked so much about Cartneys office; Like my own home, it was filled with all sorts of interesting and mysterious items from all the factions, like an old spear, with strange runes carved on the haft, from Garheim, and the vibrant blue-and-yellow rug that covered the center of the floor, from one of the nomadic tribes of Loreos.
Tonight, however, I was not here to simply admire the duke’s collection of cool things, but to deliver the packet of papers Mr. Jal had given me, as well as my own report of the mission, which I had written while waiting for the chance to slip into the city.
I trusted Cartney completely, (he was perhaps the only living person besides my parents who knew of my secret talent), and the only things I had omitted from my report were the escapade at Heaven’s Lagoon, and my discovery of the nautilus shell, which I wanted to keep to myself for the moment.
Approaching his desk, packet and report in hand, I noticed a plate sitting on the duke’s desk, along side a sizable pouch of money, which I recognized as my normal pay.
The plate held two turkey legs, wrapped in bacon. They were still slightly warm, and the amazing aromas coming off them caused my stomach to growl.
I was suddenly acutely aware I was starving, having hadn’t eaten since midday.
Maybe, I thought, Cartney had left these out for me, as an extra treat perhaps.
But, said a voice inside my head, he’s never done that before. It could be a trap, laid by someone who’d already been here.
“Nonsense,” I said to myself out loud, “If that were the case they would have taken the money. Besides, what could it hurt if I took just one?”
I set the packet and my report on the desk, and before I could second-guess myself more, took one of the turkey legs, biting into it.
“Wow, this is delicious,” I said, as the full range of flavors exploded inside my mouth. I had had the pleasure of sampling the excellent cooking skills of Lady Fiona, Cartney’s wife, before, but this was even better than the food I had been served then, and I instantly wondered if I could wrangle the recipe from Cartney.
As I finished off the wonderful treat, I heard a slight noise behind me, and then an indignant voice.
“What are you doing?! That’s my payment!”
I spun around, bringing my crossbow up. Standing near the window I had entered through was a shadowy figure, clad in a dark cloak and hood, and looking somewhat furry.
“Who are you?” I demanded, keeping my crossbow fixed on the mysterious figure.
“I could ask you the same thing!” The figure replied heatedly.
I did not lower my crossbow or my guard.
“For all I know, you could be an intruder, here to steal valuable items and information.”
“An intruder!” the figure said, as if he was shocked by the very idea. “You look more like an intruder than I do, sneaking around, eating honest were- I mean peoples’ payment, and then accusing them of being the intruder!”
I noticed his slip-up, though I made no mention of it. Instead I questioned,
“If you’re not an intruder, than what are you doing in the duke’s office?”
“Delivering this,” he said, and to my surprise, he held up a fat envelope.
I smirked.
“So, you want me to believe that you’re a spy, working for Duke Cartney?”
“Well, yes. And that turkey leg you just ate was to be my payment,” the other replied, looking rather downcast.
I was taken aback. If he was telling the truth, and I suspected he was, then, given his furry appearance, the subtle slip-up, and the nature of his payment, I had a pretty good guess of who he really was.
“You’re the werewolf spy they call Wolfgang, aren’t you?” I said.
The other sighed, and drew back his hood. “Guilty as charged. What gave it away?”
I grinned, lowering my crossbow and engaging the safety.
“Your silhouette was furry.”
Wolfgang returned the smile, and I noticed he looked rather relieved.
Seeing my puzzled look, he nodded at my crossbow.
“I was starting to get worried you were going to shoot me if I couldn’t give you a good explanation.”
“The thought had crossed my mind,” I admitted, with a wicked grin.
Stepping forward, I stuck out my hand. “Skyelia Murdale. My friends call me Skye.”
The other shook it, saying “Wolfgang von Wolfgang. I assume you work for Cartney as well?”
“You assume correct, although I am actually an official spy for Lenfald. Cartney is just my immediate superior.”
“Ah,” Wolfgang said. “Well, I’ve worked as an occasional spy for the Duke since the War with the Queen, and since Cartney always appreciated the information, and the payment is so delicious”, here Wolfgang licked his lips, then held up the envelope, “I though he might like to know this one last interesting bit of info, so I decided to drop it off, and pick up my payment, before heading off to the Great Western Isles. Although,” he continued, suddenly looking sad, “It appears I got here too late to consume- I mean save my payment.”
I laughed, saying “Not quite,” and moved aside, so Wolfgang could see the desk.
When his eyes fell upon the plate, with the second turkey leg, his face lit up.
“But,” he said, and I could see the confusion forming on his face, “ I saw you eating the leg, Skye.”
Again I smiled.
“It appears our friend the duke left an extra leg on the plate. Whether that was foresight or just good luck is up to you, but I’m more than willing to share my payment with you if you’d like.”
Wolfgang had moved over to the duke’s desk, and was tucking into the turkey leg with gusto, but looked up when I spoke.
“Upmff Sfure.” He replied, with a mouthful of bacon and turkey. Then, finishing his bite, he asked, with a slightly worried look on his face,
“What kind of payment is it?”
“Gold coin,” I answered, confused.
“Ah, okay. That’s good then.” Then, seeing the look I gave him, he elaborated.
“If it had been sliver, I couldn’t have accepted it, what with werewolves being allergic to it and all. I’ve had some trouble with people attempting to pay me in silver before. Gold however, I can do.”
I nodded. His reaction made perfect sense now.
Pouring out the sizable pouch, I quickly began dividing the contents two ways, while Wolfgang finished off the leg.
After a few minutes, I noticed the envelope Wolfgang had set down, and though I tried to ignore it, my curiosity finally got the better of me. Can you blame me, being a spy and all?
“What’s the info?”
“Hmm?,” Wolfgang said, having been preoccupied with licking the plate of crumbs.
I pointed at the envelope and repeated my question.
Wolfgang looked reluctant to answer, so I added,
“We’re both spies working for the same side. You can trust me with the info.”
He nodded.
“It’s nothing too critical, just some strange stuff happening in Loreos, which, isn’t really out of the ordinary. There was some sort of fight in Dalmanutha the other day, and some minor Loreesi noble put out a bounty for an unnamed human female.”
I processed the information, filing it away for later, though none of it really caught my attention.
“Like I said, nothing out the ordinary for those desert dwellers,” Wolfgang continued, putting down the empty plate.
I handed him his half of the coin, which he accepted with a bow, before moving towards the window.
“Well,” he said, “that was a good treat, but I must be off now. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure was all mine, “ I replied, shaking hands with him once more.
As the other disappeared out the window, I turned a full circle in the room, making sure nothing had been disturbed, and no trace of our visit was left behind.
Then, I followed the werewolf out the window, into the shadow of night.
———————————
Hope you all like it!
Cheers,
Joshua
