Heaven's Spire. Once her group is gathered, they'll eventually head for the port-city of Ros-Oanki to try to steal an airship. And the only major town on the way to Ros-Oanki is Ros-Uitosuf."
"Fine. Whatever you say, Justicar." Orris turned and spat as he walked away. "We'll see if you're just blowing smoke soon enough."
"What is the target?" Desidora asked, pulling her auburn hair out of her face. Of all of them, she looked the least perturbed. "Also, can we get any more of that bread to soak up the sauce?"
"Archvoyant Silestin," Loch said, and the room went quiet, "fancies himself quite the collector. He's come into possession of an ancient elven manuscript that once belonged to my family. If we get that, the elves will pay enough that we'll never need to work again. It's high-risk, but I believe the reward is worth it. If you want out, let me know now."
Everyone looked at each other, guilty or appraising or frustrated. Kail passed Desidora a loaf of bread.
"Right." Loch gestured with the fork. "The elven manuscript is an original copy of The Love Song of Eillenfiniel, signed by the three poets and with an intact enchantment of the fairy song that inspired them, recorded as they were composing." Desidora's jaw dropped. Tern nodded, lips pursed. Everyone else looked politely ignorant. "It's worth at least seven million to the elves."
"How did your family get such an heirloom?" Hessler asked.
"My father was a baron," Loch said shortly. "Minor nobility, with this as our most prized possession. My parents died during the war, and Silestin took guardianship of the land until my sister comes of age."
Hessler squinted. "Aren't you of age?"
"The captain was off fighting during the war," Kail said. "It's hard to keep track of who lives and who dies in the big battles." He grinned sourly. "The captain's efforts to reclaim her family's title have been..."
"Problematic," Loch finished, smiling thinly, "and irrelevant. But I know the book exists, and I know Silestin has it in his vault."
"Which we can't get into," Tern said, "since it's impossible to crack one of those vaults even if I had time to study one. And since we don't have that—"
"We will," Loch said, "once we get up to Heaven's Spire. I've got a friend who will help."
"So you don't know how to beat it right now?" Hessler asked acidly.
"No, Magister, I don't. Much as you didn't know how you were getting out of that jail cell."
"That's not fair!" Dairy leapt to his feet. "Mister Hessler was going to escape! And he was going to help me escape, too! You're... you're nothing but thieves!" Red-faced, he ran from the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
"Well... you don't set up a heist with non-thieves," Tern commented. "That doesn't work as well."
"Did you really have a plan to escape?" Desidora asked Hessler.
"Oh, hell, no. I had nothing."
"So that's the plan," Loch cut in. "We steal an airship, get up to Heaven's Spire, and meet my contact, who can get us into Silestin's palace. I don't know what we'll need, which is why I've got a wide range of skills at the table. When we've got a solid plan, we lift the book and contact the elves."
"The dew is as constant as the spring mornings," Ululenia said, "and the zephyr is as unchanging as the afternoon sun. But the elves are fickle, flighty, infrequently found. What means have you, fair maiden, to bend their gaze to the world of men?"
"The elves were always interested in buying the book from my father." Loch shrugged. "They told him how to contact them if he ever changed his mind. I'm assuming it's still valid, and that they're still interested. My contact can get us down to earth whenever we're ready. Even split, we all retire. Or purchase a large tract of forest. Or... whatever it is that unicorns do."
"Frolic, primarily." Ululenia frowned. "When will my virgin return to me?"
"Oh, lay off the lad," Hessler said with a sour look.
"In sooth, I had planned—"
"Even split?" Tern asked. "The kid and the
"Fine. Whatever you say, Justicar." Orris turned and spat as he walked away. "We'll see if you're just blowing smoke soon enough."
"What is the target?" Desidora asked, pulling her auburn hair out of her face. Of all of them, she looked the least perturbed. "Also, can we get any more of that bread to soak up the sauce?"
"Archvoyant Silestin," Loch said, and the room went quiet, "fancies himself quite the collector. He's come into possession of an ancient elven manuscript that once belonged to my family. If we get that, the elves will pay enough that we'll never need to work again. It's high-risk, but I believe the reward is worth it. If you want out, let me know now."
Everyone looked at each other, guilty or appraising or frustrated. Kail passed Desidora a loaf of bread.
"Right." Loch gestured with the fork. "The elven manuscript is an original copy of The Love Song of Eillenfiniel, signed by the three poets and with an intact enchantment of the fairy song that inspired them, recorded as they were composing." Desidora's jaw dropped. Tern nodded, lips pursed. Everyone else looked politely ignorant. "It's worth at least seven million to the elves."
"How did your family get such an heirloom?" Hessler asked.
"My father was a baron," Loch said shortly. "Minor nobility, with this as our most prized possession. My parents died during the war, and Silestin took guardianship of the land until my sister comes of age."
Hessler squinted. "Aren't you of age?"
"The captain was off fighting during the war," Kail said. "It's hard to keep track of who lives and who dies in the big battles." He grinned sourly. "The captain's efforts to reclaim her family's title have been..."
"Problematic," Loch finished, smiling thinly, "and irrelevant. But I know the book exists, and I know Silestin has it in his vault."
"Which we can't get into," Tern said, "since it's impossible to crack one of those vaults even if I had time to study one. And since we don't have that—"
"We will," Loch said, "once we get up to Heaven's Spire. I've got a friend who will help."
"So you don't know how to beat it right now?" Hessler asked acidly.
"No, Magister, I don't. Much as you didn't know how you were getting out of that jail cell."
"That's not fair!" Dairy leapt to his feet. "Mister Hessler was going to escape! And he was going to help me escape, too! You're... you're nothing but thieves!" Red-faced, he ran from the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
"Well... you don't set up a heist with non-thieves," Tern commented. "That doesn't work as well."
"Did you really have a plan to escape?" Desidora asked Hessler.
"Oh, hell, no. I had nothing."
"So that's the plan," Loch cut in. "We steal an airship, get up to Heaven's Spire, and meet my contact, who can get us into Silestin's palace. I don't know what we'll need, which is why I've got a wide range of skills at the table. When we've got a solid plan, we lift the book and contact the elves."
"The dew is as constant as the spring mornings," Ululenia said, "and the zephyr is as unchanging as the afternoon sun. But the elves are fickle, flighty, infrequently found. What means have you, fair maiden, to bend their gaze to the world of men?"
"The elves were always interested in buying the book from my father." Loch shrugged. "They told him how to contact them if he ever changed his mind. I'm assuming it's still valid, and that they're still interested. My contact can get us down to earth whenever we're ready. Even split, we all retire. Or purchase a large tract of forest. Or... whatever it is that unicorns do."
"Frolic, primarily." Ululenia frowned. "When will my virgin return to me?"
"Oh, lay off the lad," Hessler said with a sour look.
"In sooth, I had planned—"
"Even split?" Tern asked. "The kid and the
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