THE DURKAHL, BISHOP KLIAMBALA’S OFFICE

COLRED

Bishop Kliambala, I have news regarding Januae…

KLIAMBALA

News? So you actually have something for me this time?

COLRED

Indeed I do. Januae has been sighted in Navarene.

KLIAMBALA

Navarene? Are you certain of this?

COLRED

I am, Your Excellency. At least our contact is quite certain.

KLIAMBALA

Go on, then.

COLRED

Well, there is a spy from the Knights of Durranet that has been monitoring some of activities of Queen Armalu and other nobles in Charmonde. Rumor has it they have corrupted the sanctioned act of obtaining slaves through defeated battles and skirmishes. It has been reported that they have been acquiring their slave labor through illegitimate means such as by way of kidnapping and abducting innocent people.

KLIAMBALA

I am aware of the rumors. I assume this ties into Januae’s sighting somehow?

COLRED

Of course, I was getting to that. While undercover investigating a group of recently captured slaves the spy believes they saw someone matching Januae’s description. He was in the company of a small-time trader who intended to sell Januae into slavery.

KLIAMBALA

Do you have any information as to whether he was actually sold into slavery?

COLRED

I do not. The spy only saw the merchant exit the building where the slaves were being sold, but without Januae. He could have been sold to the Queen’s property or to any of a number of other nobles in Charmonde, there is no way of knowing.

KLIAMBALA

There was a standing order to apprehend Januae the moment he was identified-

COLRED

Yes, well the spy did not want to risk blowing their cover.

KLIAMBALA

Of course. How long ago was he sighted?

COLRED

Just over a week ago, actually. As fortune has it, the Chimes of Truth has recently completed the construction of a third farspeaking column in Charmonde so news was able to reach us rather expediently.

KLIAMBALA

Excellent. It should be easier to track him down at this point. We’ll need to find out who his buyer was.  My concern is if he was purchased by the Queen she will be very reticent to release him, even by order of the Papacy. It may take escalating the source of the order beyond that of the Archbishop even, possibly having to come from the Amber Pope himself. My understanding of Queen Armalu is that she is extremely arrogant and very difficult to reason with, but she will not refuse a command that comes directly from Pope Durranet.

COLRED

Perhaps she will be more pliable if we offer to compensate her. That way we don’t have to wade through the bureaucracy of trying to get a direct order from His Highness-

KLIAMBALA

I would prefer not to offer any compensation, as it sends the message that the Priesthood condones their abhorrent means of filling their labor force!

(after a pause)

However, if it means expediting the process of obtaining Januae, we’ll do what we must.

COLRED

I’ll make sure to emphasize the importance of ensuring Januae is handed over to the Order. That does leave the question of the teleportation device, though…

KLIAMBALA

What of the teleportation device?

COLRED

Well, I believe it would be safe to assume the device was confiscated when he was sold into slavery. Or perhaps, more likely even, the trader was able to secure it. In any event, if Januae had somehow been able to hold onto the device he would have certainly used it once he realized he was about to become enslaved.

KLIAMBALA

I suppose that is true. It would have been nice to secure the device as well. Nevertheless, we will have Januae, who evidently has a working knowledge of how to build a reusable teleportation device.

COLRED

We should hope…

KLIAMBALA

The upside of this is, without the device he will no longer be able to elude us or escape custody. Send word to Bishop Granio in Charmonde, request that he spares a clave guard or two to retrieve Januae and escort him here. With the distance they have to cover and the difficult nature of the trip I expect it will be several weeks before they reach Qi. Have them send word once Januae is remanded into our custody. I will accept any other report as excuses and your assignment as a failure. Is that understood?

COLRED

Clearly, Your Excellency.

NANITE CLEED, NAVARENE

JANUAE

More slaves have been lost. We have been here nearly three weeks and I do not see any end in sight as far as harvesting this cleef. Either the overseer is driven by duty or the master is driven by greed. It seems the more we gather the more often the nanites awaken and cause some disastrous effect. I don’t see how they can sustain this operation when we are down to several dozen of us remaining. We are clearly expendable in light of how valuable these clusters must be.

A man I recognize as a clave guard approaches one of the overseers and presents her with a document. I can see the obviously illiterate overseer pretending to read it over before handing it back petulantly. An altercation ensues between the two, of which I cannot make out the details. In short order it appears the overseer has reluctantly given in to the clave guard’s demands, then turns to us and call out a name. After the third shout I realize it is my name that is being called.  What does a clave guard want with me? Have they discovered my crime, having killed another Aeon Priest? Am I finally to be ostracized from the Priesthood or even put to death?

I set down my tools and head over to the overseer and the clave guard. The overseer simply states that I will be accompanying the clave guard, grunts, then turns away. The clave guard asks me to confirm that I am Januae. Once I do, he tells me I am to be escorted back to the Durkahl where I am to explain my actions to Bishop Kliambala. I am about to protest and defend myself by telling of the mishap that caused me to jaunt uncontrollably and that it was not my intention to abscond with the device or my knowledge of how to construct it, then I realize I will be better off in the hands of the Order than as a slave in Charmonde, very likely soon to be a dead slave in Charmonde. With a nod I comply and surrender myself to the Clave Guard, my thoughts and emotions all in a chaotic jumble in anticipation for the long trip back to Qi.