he ron ist

Part One: Battle In The Sky

On his return to Lakeside house, Trimus packed up the crown and the ring that he had found in the caves near the hive and travelled into Akesoli. After asking a few of his contacts in the town he finally managed obtain the address of a sage. Rennart Hobson worked a stall on Frog Street and had wide-ranging interests. Trimus found the stall and after a few guarded questions took the ring and crown from a burlap sack and laid them on the sage's table.
"What can you tell me about them?" asked Trimus.
The sage turned them over in his hands, a jeweller's glass in his eye. "At the moment, nothing. I can make no guarantees for their safety while they are in my possession, I may get burgled."
"Then I can make no guarantees of YOUR safety." Replied Trimus, a harsh note in his voice. He then passed his hands over the items muttering a few arcane words under his breath. "I have placed a curse upon these items, in case any should be tempted to take them." He hoped the sage would not see through his bluff. "I will leave this amethyst as a deposit for your efforts."
"Thank you. I will send a note to you when I have finished my studies."

Satisfied that he had done all he could Trimus returned to Lakeside House where Darkhawk, Ako, Cain, Colloran and Jodotha were studying a letter.
"This arrived while you were out." Said Ako passing the parchment to Trimus who sat down and read it.

Dear Sir,
I am writing on behalf of my client, who is interested in buying the property known as Lakeside House.

If you are amenable to such a proposal, I should like to arrange a meeting to discuss this further, at a time that is convenient to you.
I am presently staying at the Tumbling Bear Inn in Akesoli and can be contacted there.

Your faithful servant,

Samus Nent

"I bet it is that elf again." Said Trimus, "The one that almost outbid us for the house. We should find out what we can about this Samus Nent, to see if he is on the level."
"Jodotha checked the seal for traps before we broke it." Said Ako, "There were none."
"A young boy brought it." Said Jodotha, "I have seen him before, he often run messages from the inns, he has no connection to the Guild as far as I know. I will pay them a visit this evening, to see if they know anything of this Nent."

That evening found Jodotha nursing a tankard of poor ale in one of the less respectable taverns in Akesoli while he waited for his contact in the local Thieves' Guild to show. When he did Jodotha ordered him a goblet of wine.
"Samus Nent, yes he is known to the guild but he does not work for us. He is a straight fellow, does things by the book. He has been seen in the company of an elf recently. This elf has been buying up properties recently. Strange behaviour, so we have been keeping an eye on him. He has already bought one of our 'safe houses' we don't want any more to go out of our hands. You know how difficult it is to establish even one in a city."
"I will let you know the time and place of our meeting." Promised Jodotha on leaving.

"The following day, shortly before noon, Trimus and the others arrived at the Traders' Arms and occupied a private room. As the guildhall bells rang out the hour the innkeeper showed a tall, slightly built middle-aged man. His frizzy red hair and large nose made him look slightly comical but his stern green eyes suggested that he was a man of business. Trimus stood and shook his hand.
"Samus Nent." The man said taking a seat. "I'm pleased to meet you, your adventures are becoming quite the talk of the town."
"Well as you know so much about us, perhaps you could tell us a little about yourself?" suggested Trimus.
"What is there to tell." Shrugged Samus. "I am a solicitor, I have had a small business here in Akesoli for some time. My current client, Rholen Brask is a merchant from Specularum looking for properties in Akesoli. He has interests in the Western Lands and beyond. He likes his privacy and liked the look of your house a potential base for his business. He is staying with some of his business associates in a house on the northern outskirts and saw your property while he was out riding."
"Which house would that be?" asked Jodotha innocently.
"Holsted House." Replied Samus. "Shall I say you'll meet him?"
"Yes. Tell him we will meet him tomorrow morning." Said Trimus.
"He will be pleased. Thank you." The solicitor rose and shook everyone's hands before bowing and leaving.
"Well I don't know about you but I have never heard of this Holsted House." Said Jodotha. "It sounds suspicious."
"I agree." Said Trimus. "This Nent appears to be on the level but I don't like the smell of this Brask character."
"How about if I and Jodotha pay a visit to Holsted House this evening?" suggested Ako.
"Makes sense." Nodded Jodotha. "I've got just the disguise."

Dusk that evening found a sweep walking the streets of the northern streets of Akesoli, the tools of his trade slung over his shoulder. Under the grime on his face was a puzzled look. He turned to an empty space beside him and muttered.
"I don't like this Ako. We have asked three people now, including a party of guardsmen and none of them have even heard of this Holsted House. I'm beginning to smell a rat."
"Here's another pair of guards. Ask them, if they don't know lets go back." Replied the invisible Ako.
Jodotha settled himself into his disguise, hunkering down under the weight of his gear and contorting his face.
"Sorry guv. Can you tell me where Holsted House is. Got an emergency job there, possible chimney fire if I don't clean it sharpish like." His voice was much harsher than normal and he finished speech with a hacking cough and a spit into the gutter.
The guards looked at each other and shrugged. "Looks like someone's been stringing you along. There isn't any such place. Least ways not around here."
"Arse!" cursed Jodotha and spat into the gutter again. "Looks like I was got out of bed for nought. Thank you for your time." With that Jodotha and Ako stomped off into the night and back to Lakeside House.

"I am liking this less and less." Muttered Cain over breakfast. "I don't think we misheard the name of the house nor the location. Perhaps mister Nant was not being entirely truthful."
Jodotha shook his head. "No I think he was telling the truth. Whoever is paying him must have been string him along."
"Well we shall see, we have been told to meet there this morning." Said Trimus.
"But meet where? If the house doesn't exist?" asked a confused Darkhawk.
Trimus shrugged and said nothing.

Colloran stayed behind to continue looking after Rintrah while the others retraced Jodotha's steps from the night before towards the northern outskirts of Akesoli. To everyone's astonishment, especially Jodotha's at just the place where he and Ako had been searching the night before, stood a large property.
"So where did you and Ako get to last night?" smirked Darkhawk.
"I don't understand." Ako shook his head. "We were here last night and that was not there then." He pointed at the two storied building.
"Well it's here now." Said Trimus and he walked up to the front door and rapped the hilt of a dagger upon it. As he did so the whole edifice vanished.
"Magic!" spat Jodotha, "Why am I not surprised?"
In the space where the illusionary building had stood were a dozen, armoured men and a quartet of war dogs.
"Get 'em boys!" spat one of the men and the dogs raced forward followed by the men.
Trimus cast a spell and shot up into the air some eighty feet. Darkhawk drew his sword, ducked under a flashing blade before bringing his own weapon up and killing his assailant. Jodotha stunned one of the dogs, allowing Cain to finish it off. An ear shattering blast and a wave of heat shook the ground as Trimus loosed a fireball behind the charging men and dogs. All but two of the men and one of the dogs were killed and those that remained were in a bad way.
"Throw down your weapons" he called from above the battle. "Or you'll be next."
Ako put the injured dog out of his misery while the men threw down their swords.
"Don't kill us." Begged one of the men. "We was just following orders."
They seemed genuinely scared and appeared to be no more than common bully boys.
"Who sent you?" asked Trimus landing before them and staring into their eyes.
"Arwin and an elf. Paid us five Daros each. Told us to be here and get you."
"Who cast the illusion" demanded Trimus.
"Dunno. It was here when we got here."
"Where did you meet this elf?"
"Up the Muddy Pig."
Before Trimus could ask anymore questions a lightning bolt smashed into Cain, Jodotha and Darkhawk throwing them to the ground. The bully boys took their chance and ran off.
"What the … " began Ako but before he could finish a small black dragon swooped low over the ground. On its back was a black clad man. "Is that an illusion?"
"I don't think so!" replied a smouldering Jodotha who was drawing his crossbow and loosing a quarrel. The shaft struck the underside of the dragon and bounced off. Trimus launched a trio of magic missiles that blasted metallic scales from the creature. A second dragon swooped in and the pilot launched a javelin that struck Trimus in the shoulder. Ako cast a spell of dispel magic at the second dragon which swerved and crashed into the ground throwing it's pilot off and into a copse of trees.
"Their not real dragons!" Spat Trimus as he tried to staunch the wound in his shoulder.
Meanwhile Darkhawk had taken off and was flying after the first dragon. The pair swooped and soared in an aerial ballet as the dragon tried to evade the flying fighter. Darkhawk was both faster and more manoeuvrable and he managed to land on the rear of the dragon. The pilot rolled the dragon but Darkhawk clung on the metallic beast. Darkhawk swung his sword, striking the pilot in the back, the pilot rolled the craft again and this time Darkhawk could not cling on and he tumbled through the air for a desperate few seconds until he brought himself under control and flew back towards the dragon and it's rider.
Trimus had managed to bandage his arm when he saw a desperate sight.
"Good grief!" he pointed to the east where a large rectangular platform was gliding through the air towards them.
"Back to the house!" he cried. "We need the Phoenix! Darkhawk will have to fend for himself for now. If only we had a way of communicating with Colloran he could have come to our aid."
They mounted their horses and galloped towards Lakeside House.

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