#earthrunes

Huff! Remove tattoo!

Siv frowns "Okay. I.." threre's a tapping on Siv's shoulder "This isnt' the.. tattoo?"

"It is a parasite. I cannot remove it..nothing can..." Wenceslaus explains

Siv reaches onto his shoulder "Hold still. This will hurt."

the poor sluagh has been whipped, beat and more, but it wouldseem there is a little pain left for him, because only his kith keeps him from crying out loudly.

the creature onder the skin wiggles, fish like.. then pops out, gasping for water.. did she just give it gills? It's sufficating

Zara usually has great compassion for chimera... but this thing... abominable.

And Siv lets it die.

"It's.. broken, the link..."

"Yes." Siv says "I'm sorry I don't have healing magics. I know I just wounded you further but it was a danger to the mission and.."

The slaugh laughs with a wheeze "woundme? I'd let you cut my head off to free me like you did"

"Bit much" Siv says "But glad you like. Crownheart... "

"Right right.. follow" he says

Zara looks through the trios eyes - disorienting, for sure. Any sign of the chain in the chamber?

No. The chain isn't here, and as much as the crownheart might solve it all, the Chain needs to be found

But Siv is now focused on rescuing this ssluagh, and the crownheart.

Well, that IS Symon's mission...

Siv shifts to look like the torturer

and thus when she gets up, someone goes "Mzlok?" A guard says. A troll, balor, greenish "You're done already?"

"Now comes the psychological toruture" the 'goblin' thallian squeeaks , voice changed too "was going to put this one in a new cell. Got the master key?"

"Yeah.. I got it..." the troll reaches "Anything else?"

"Yeah... this smell like chloraform to you?" Siv asks

"Mm? MMPH!"

And later....

"To enter the treasury you must have the key, but to continue, no matter who you be, you must answer the riddles.. TWO" The mouth speaks from the all

Siv blinks "Two?"

"Yes.. that's what I said" the Mouth says "Why?"

"It's.. just, you had a rhyme thing going" Siv says "Then you lost it"

"It's not a requirement that it rhyme you know" The mouth says frustrated

"No, but three IS more traditional" Siv says "And when you lead into it then jerk back.. it breaks immersion"

"Well, it's just two riddles... you want me to ask three and make it HARDER?" The Mouth says

"No. " Siv says "I'm good. Thanks" She turns to go

"That's.. that's it?" A confused look

"Yup. You carry on" Siv walks away

"I got all worked up" the Mouth demands!

"Sorry, just not in the mood tonight" SHe shrugs

"Damn teases..." The mouth grumbles

A moment later Siv whispers "THanks, Wenceslaus. You got it?"

"I did. thanks for distracting the mouth guardian" He whispers

"Let's see it" Siv says

and he pulls out the box opening it "There itis.. careful. Touch it, and it wakes. he'll know"

"Do tell" Siv nods "Well, this saves all sorts of headaches. I thought I might have to borrow big Sis' pennons and use it to challenge. This will work"

"Listen to me, carefully... " She tells him "I have a contact ready to rescue me. he has healing cookies- don't ask- Sorry they're fresh but try to gag it down if you can. Get this to him, he'll get it to someone else. I have a plan."

"You're doing this alone?" the sluagh says

'No.. quite the opposite" Siv says "But you need to be safe. I failed you once. I won't do it again. Whatever else happens"

"You're not responsible for that bastard's attrocities.. it makes no sense you.. oh right," The sluagh sighs "Trolls"

"Why does Every sluagh say our kith name that way?" Siv mmphhs

Wenceslaus says "If every sluagh says it, maybe it's not us"

And the plot unfolds