Re: Svarik and the company II

[Mirach]

He saw a surprising sight there: Lorenzo and his wife were both there, bound and gaged and struggling against their bonds.

[VisAnastasis]

He"Hid not know what to do, but he knew he had to stay calm with it - he removed bounds from their faces, and demanded answers quickly.

[Mirach]

(OOC: What exactly did he ask or say?)

[VisAnastasis]

" What is the meaning of this? What happened?"

[Mirach]

"It... it was Senecio... I thought he was my friends... he came to visit yesterday evening and then... he knocked me put and this is how I wake..." Lorenzo said hoarsely, with difficulty coming from having been gagged and without water for the whole day.

[VisAnastasis]

" Listen to me, son. I am sorry, but your situation is much more sire than you realize.  Something bad was done in your name, and we need to clear it out. You must trust me and do as I say, please. I fear I will have to take you bound, to my mansion. But I will give you water first. Guards! " He called his men right away, to bring them water, not daring to leave their side.

[Mirach]

"What? What did Senecio do?" Lorenzo asked with fear.

[VisAnastasis]

" I don't think it was Senecio. I think it was some kind of creature, capable of taking form of another. But I can not claim for certain yet. " Sage said with urgency, while he was giving Lorenzo and his wife water to drink. " We will find out now, I hope. We had a special guest in last days, a Lowlandian king, and somebody tried to... blackmail him, and fault now seems to fall on you. But the king promised me he won't punish anyone who's not guilty, so we still have chance to clear your name if we get to the bottom of this. Please, listen to me, son, and do what I say, and there's hope yet.. "

[Mirach]

"Taking form of another?" Lorenzo asked. "It could be Senecio... He is an actor. The one we saw in the Round Theatre, remember? I always admired how he could transform into any character completely. I suspected he might have some shapeshifting demon in his ancestry. I would never think he would transform into me, though... But Amelia has nothing to do with this, does she? Can you at least unbound her?"

[VisAnastasis]

" I am sorry. He implicated her in this too. You will both have to come with me. Being honest is the only way we can hope to plead king for your well being. " Sage said regretfully. "But first, I am sorry, but in light of this, I must ask you some questions. What did I buy you for oyur seventh birthday? How old was you when you first fell of a horse? What was the first thing you did when you turned 18? " he bid, and then asked him some more personal questions, to assure it's really him, and then done the same with Amelia.

[Mirach]

Besides those he genuinely did not remember, Lorenzo answered all questions correctly. "It's really us," he pleaded. "And we will come with you. Just unbind Amelia, please... we have been like this for a whole day and night, it hurts..."

[VisAnastasis]

Sage looked at their tight bounds, and he bit his lip. He was not a man to let others suffer, if it could be avoided.
" We'll unbind your legs and rest, so you can walk, as soon as you can... But bounds on hands have to stay, and those guards will hold you under arms to keep watch on you. " he said, assigning two guards per person, two for Lorenzo and two for Amelia. " I am sorry. It will just be for a little while, if you behave, I promise. " he said with grief, not being able to do otherwise.

He thought for a moment, before he went to wardrobe, and took Amelia's scarf, and one of Lorenzo's hat, just in case, wanting to ask from Erdel if he can determine by smell if it's really them. When they were ready, he took their carriage, and with more armed men to protect them, they left back toward his palace.

[Mirach]

Lorenzo and Amelia accepted the necessity, and just sat quietly and tiredly until they got to the house.

[VisAnastasis]

Sage did not want to get them out of sight, despite feeling more inclined to believe this person, and not the one from before, were his true son and daughter in law.

When they reached the home, they climbed up the stairs, to the roof, and Sage knocked urgently on Svarik's door.

[Mirach]

Svarik slept only lightly, and woke with the knock, alarmed. "Who is there?" he asked after he assured that Xia is on guard right by it.

[VisAnastasis]

Erdel was alarmed as well, and Xia was ready to defend them with her life, howling quietly.
" It's me, Sage, little Nightingale. It's really me, this time. " old man replied. " I went to Lorenzo's house, like you asked me to. I need to talk with you, there had been an unexpected development. Please, ask me something only I would know, so you can be sure it's be, and then, I'll ask you something only you would know in turn. That way we can be certain, I hope, we're speaking with each other truthfully."

[Mirach]

"What did we have for lunch our first day here, and where was it?" Svarik asked suspiciously.

[VisAnastasis]

" Hm, um... I thought you'll ask something about the Sea Heart, to be honest. " a shade of embarrassment could be heard in Sage's voice. " I don't really keep too much track of meals... But you did not come for lunch the day we met. You came later, it was night already. The following day was first lunch we had. I brought you lot of food of various kinds, because you were curious of our cuisine. Xia ate most of it, though, I lost count at seventh plate. Wait.. That was breakfast. " man was trying hard to remember, as someone of his current wealth, not really having to worry about what to eat for a long while, or have reason to remember it. " Lunch.. Lunch... Did we have lunch at the bottom of sea that once, perhaps? I remember telling your friends to not buy me any seafood for it... "

[Mirach]

"Yes, that's right," Svarik said, still tensely. "I believe that you are the Sage... but how fo I know someone didn't blackmail you into coming here, with another of your relatives, perhaps?"

[VisAnastasis]

" This will be suspicious... So please, bare with me for a moment. I just wish to be honest. " Sage asked slowly and tensely as well, knowing words he picked might shape his son's fate. " You are right, I am not coming alone. There are four guards here, who guard my prisoners. That is... Who guard Lorenzo and Amelia. I came to their house to bring something of her clothes, like you instructed me, but instead I found them there, bound in their room, held for day without food or water. I brought them here, so we can question them together, and find out the truth. I know something is wrong, as no person can be in two places in the same time. I may have idea what happened, but I am not sure, and I want to find out the truth with you. Will you, please, hear me out? "

[Mirach]

Before answering, Svarik lit a candle to see if Erdel and Melody are awake, and to wake them, if they aren't. 

[VisAnastasis]

Melody was sleeping tight beside Svarik, too exhausted by long day and needing to replenish her strength, but Erdel was already standing at a door, hovering between it and Svarik like a creepy, cold shadow, his eyes glowing red in the dark - in current coldness and caution, he really fit description of a silent terrifying demon well, his posture coming from protectiveness, but still fearful to look at.

[Mirach]

Svarik awoke Melody and explained her the situation shortly.  "Should we let them in?" he asked Erdel.

[VisAnastasis]

" It did sound like Sage, and he sounded desperate... And if he said real Lorenzo and his wife were trapped whole day in their home with no food and water, we should be able to tell them by looking, seeing through their blood system, sensing how much they ate, pale faces, parched lips, marks from bounds and struggling, right? " vampire asked quietly and carefully, by *we* probably meaning *himself*. " I feel better, and there is Xia. Melody should perhaps turn into wind, just in case, so I have one possible target less to worry about, and only have to protect you, sir, with Xia. But Sage was good to us. We should hear him out - and if he's trying to come up with ruse to cover for his son, we still have to see him to find out if that's what's going on, or if he really came for our help. "

[Mirach]

Svarik nodded shortly, positioning himself further from the door. "Let them in," he said when Melody turned into wind.