by FlamingDeth » Sat Jan 25, 2003 3:46 am
Noshima nodded and recorded the supplies the somewhat reluctant adventurers removed from the shelves. After doing so, he looked back to the group.
"If that is all you require..." he began. "...then perhaps we should wait until the queen is prepared to depart."
With that, he led them back to the foyer of the castle.
"If you would wait here, I shall check on her highness..."
Aya flipped through the first few pages of the small book, noticing idly that they covered events that happened when the investigation was merely local. Quickly examining them, the only thing of note she found was that the firearm that was used was a Valthi military model, unavailable to the public, and near that a comment on how this indicated that the organization in question may have had more external ties than previously suspected.
Turning the page, she found a copy of a cargo manifest from the Argovian Rose, a ship that regularly docked at Kholingen, and happened to have been suspected of smuggling already. Circled on this list of goods was something labeled as "confidential items", apparently originating from Teraka, a port in Valth.
Flipping through the book a bit more, Aya found that also on the manifest was something labeled "various potions". While this wasn't unusual in itself, what was unusual was the fact that the shipping weight would only allow for one or two potions, and that they were to be delivered to the same location as the "confidential items", yet for some reason were not delivered.
On the next page, the queen discovered that while on their way north to check out leads in Valth, Yuji had begun to suspect that he and Jim were being followed. Not one to abandon a mission based on a little paranoia, he had continued north.
Little more could be gathered from the small book.
At that moment, the small man she had sent to the store room peeked in the door.
"M'lady..." Noshima peeped. "Your...companions...are prepared to depart."
With that, he left, just as swiftly as he had appeared. As Aya was leaving to return to the foyer, she noticed the corner of a small not, seemingly hidden in the binding of the book. Quickly removing it from it's hiding place, she read it as she walked.
"If you are reading this, it most likely means that Jim has successfully returned to the castle." the note read. "This is good. At first I thought that the Valthi border patrols were somehow alerted to our presence, but that was quickly dismissed, as these didn't seem quite as organized or disciplined as your standard Valthi guard...no, someone else knew we were coming. I don't know who just yet, but they're closing in. There are precious few hours before they finish sweeping the area, and while I'm confident in my own abilities to remain undetected, I fear there is no way to avoid a direct confrontation. I only hope to be able to provide enough of a diversion for Jim to get away. Perhaps, if luck is on my side, I'll be able to follow suite.
"No doubt that if you're reading this, Jim has also informed you of another item. The potions listed in the cargo manifest that couldn't be delivered. It cost me a tidy little sum to get ahold of them without incident. There are only two, and I am uncertain as to what they do, as they're both unlabled. However, the price it took to get them give me suspicions that they should be kept away from their intended destination at all costs. I'm not even certain that I should give them to Jim to take back. I feel that I should keep them away from him...from him, and everyone else.
"I'm unsure as to what to do. It's obvious that there is more going on here than I have been able to uncover on my own, and that whatever events are coming, they shall not be pleasant. I have no course of action to reccomend. Do what you think to be prudent.
~Yuji Nakamura"
Aya folded the paper back up, and put it back in it's little hiding place. She was just about to reach the foyer, and had to decide when, or even if, she would tell the troupe that had been assembled to accompany her.