Beyond the Sky - Session 36.2

After his meeting with Greymage Azzanadra, Adrian heads into the east wing of the palace, to the royal quarters, to see Rozeal.
Adrian knocks at the door, looking lost in thought and still trying to dispel a few concerns from the day's events.
Queen Rozeal: "Ah! Who is it?"
Adrian: "It's me, Adrian. I suppose it's rather late, but there's a lot to speak of."
Queen Rozeal: "Right... just give me a moment to throw something on."
A minute or so passes by, before the click of a lock can be heard, the door opening to the Queen.
Adrian: "Good evening. I hope my visit isn't a bother?"
Queen Rozeal: "Of course not! I just... didn't expect anyone to call at this time."
Queen Rozeal hobbles over to her seat, clutching her walking stick.
Queen Rozeal: "So, you're back! I hope things fared well on your trip. You're here to give me all the details, aren't you?"
Adrian: "'Well' is sadly one of the last words I'd use to describe it. I hope things have been better here. But yes, I can tell you about what happened."
"The Emery woman was trading in slaves and indulging in blatant corruption. You'll pardon me if I was a bit harsh with her, but I did make sure she got to a safe place. She considered half of Berstead a threat to her safety, given how she'd behaved, and I'm not inclined to doubt her on that."
Queen Rozeal: "I see... you replaced her with someone more capable, right? You also told me there was a survivor of the kidnapping... correct?"
Adrian: "Yes, the job's in better hands for now. And yes. Eriban leporine girl, perhaps twelve years old, by the name of Ginei. She's made a significant recovery over the last week."
Queen Rozeal: "That's great news to hear! Can you let her know that she and her carer are welcome to have a room in the palace?"
Adrian: "I have told them. I think Valaire worries it might be a bit intimidating for the girl. Still, thank you. It's a very welcome option."
Queen Rozeal: "Ah, your retainer is caring for her?"
Adrian: "They've become quite attached to each other."
Queen Rozeal: "That's great news!"
Queen Rozeal puts a finger to her chin in thought.
Queen Rozeal: "I would very much like to meet up for a chat with your retainers, too, if they wouldn't mind."
Adrian: "I'm sure they wouldn't. All of them?"
Queen Rozeal: "I mean, not at once. But it would be nice to... er, make more friends. Freyja says I shouldn't be relying on you and her for company."
Adrian: "It would be good for you to have more to speak to when I'm away, although I expect looking elsewhere for friends as well as my entourage may be necessary for that purpose."
Queen Rozeal: "Yes, of course, but it's a start."
Adrian: "The two who arrived earlier; I do know them. Both from Eribe; I met them in Kyaro. I think they are trustworthy."
Queen Rozeal: "Ah yes, I've received reports that one of them was... Silske's right hand man."
Adrian: "That is correct, as far as I can tell."
"You mentioned new information, earlier?"
Queen Rozeal: "Ah yes! I almost forgot."
"I don't know for certain, but I believe that mysterious man came into my room again. Because when I woke up, there was a letter, and my window was left ajar..."
Adrian: "Perhaps he is an ally, after all..."
Queen Rozeal: "It was actually quite worrying, once I deciphered the language..."
Adrian: "Go on?"
Queen Rozeal: "Well, I could show you the letter... would you mind getting it for me?"
Adrian: "Of course not. Where is it? Although I still haven't had time to learn much of the language."
Queen Rozeal: "There's a translated copy on my dresser in my bedroom. Don't worry, there's nothing you shouldn't see in there~"
Adrian chuckles, going to fetch the letter.
Adrian picks up the paper with the more familiar script of Elven, returning to the main room.
Queen Rozeal: "It is rather worrying, isn't it?"
Adrian: "Yes... it is. Masked men... hm."
Queen Rozeal: "I was very concerned it meant something about Sir Azzanadra... but you said he doesn't seem hostile to us?"
Adrian: "He does not. It was Silske himself who attacked them. I feel foolish for it, but I believe I would trust the Greymage with my life."
Queen Rozeal: "Hmm... we'll go on what you say. What did happen to him and his associate? As, well... one of the most proficient healers in the city, I operated on Azzanadra myself."
"Seems like he took quite a bad wound from some sort of magic. As for the girl... nothing we've tried has helped."
Adrian: "Incredibly powerful magic, from the sound of it. He stuck his nose in the business of a demigod, after all. I'm amazed they're both still alive. From what he says, the girl should live, but some of the damage is beyond any of our powers to heal."
Adrian takes his journal from a satchel, setting it down to copy the note with a muttered obscenity.
Queen Rozeal: "Everything okay there, Adrian?"
Adrian: "One of Eribe's blasted Reapers. The thing hit my arm."
Queen Rozeal: "Reapers? I don't think I know about them yet... what's wrong with your arm?"
Adrian: "Undead soldiers. It's what they're turning the children into. And I don't know... the thing shot necromantic fire at me, and now I can barely hold a quill."
Queen Rozeal: "They're... turning kidnapped children into..."
Adrian: "Yes. It's worse than it sounds, for that matter."
Queen Rozeal: "I... that's horrible... is the survivor okay?"
"...more importantly, are you okay? I'll need you to remove your shirt so I can take a look at you."
Adrian: "It... seems the girl will be alright. Honestly? It's hard to know for sure. But she appears well for now, besides the strange eyes."
Adrian scowls faintly, unclasping his tunic to take it off, glaring at the deadened shoulder as if willing it to function.
Queen Rozeal: "Oh dear..."
Queen Rozeal strains, getting herself up and moving over to Adrian to study him.
Queen Rozeal: "It looks like your shoulder has... died. And it certainly smells of rot..."
"Yes... I think I can cure you."
Adrian: "I would very much appreciate it. It's a rather unnerving injury."
Queen Rozeal: "Right.... this might take a little time, and well... for ease of access, I'll need you to go and lie down while I treat this."
Adrian: "Very well."
Adrian gets up, reluctantly going to lie down and trying to not show any sense of unease.
Queen Rozeal: "Right..."
Queen Rozeal kneels down over Adrian, pressing her hands to his shoulder and channeling healing energy through his body.
Adrian: "...Thank you. That does seem to have helped."
Queen Rozeal: "That's good. Now you won't smell, and you can move again~"
"...I may need a little help getting up, though."
Adrian gets to his feet with a wry smile, offering her a hand.
Adrian: "(I thought I had managed to cover up the smell from it...)"
Queen Rozeal manages to get up, with some help from Adrian, sitting back down at her table.
Queen Rozeal: "So, now onto more positive things! How is your relationship with your mysterious partner going?"
Adrian retrieves his tunic, chuckling quietly to himself.
Adrian: "Less mysterious. She managed to reclaim her identity while we were gone. Her name is Invesse."
Queen Rozeal: "Oh, how fantastic! It should make for a much more enjoyable meeting with her unmasked."
Adrian: "It's perhaps the one good thing that's happened in the whole two weeks."
Adrian idly crosses out the scrawled note in his journal with a few violent motions, rewriting it.
Queen Rozeal: "Must be great to have your arm back, no?"
Adrian: "Yes, I'd been growing quite tired of my handwriting looking like something done by my daughter."
Queen Rozeal: "Right. One last note, on these 'Reapers'... do you have anything written down about them that you can give to us to study?"
"I realise it's quite late, and I probably shouldn't keep you too late through the night. Wouldn't want your Invesse to get jealous, now~"
Adrian: "Yes... we found some notes of theirs, among other things. I have a copy here. I'd advise you don't read it before trying to sleep."
Adrian flips through his journal, carefully removing a few pages and setting them on the table.
Queen Rozeal: "...Quite grisly?"
Adrian: "It's very detailed. There are positives and negatives to that."
Queen Rozeal: "...I'll pass this onto Freyja."
Adrian: "And I'll pass word to the others that you'd like to speak with them. Thank you, again, as well. I do wish at times that my own talents were more suited to curative magic."
Queen Rozeal: "If your retainer wants, I'm quite happy to see the child in her care, too. I want her to know that I'm looking out for the poor girl..."
Adrian: "Understood. And do be careful. I think whoever wrote that note was right about the need for caution."
Queen Rozeal: "Right... I have a spare room in here, maybe Freyja could start sleeping here..."
Adrian: "It would be a relief to know you'd be protected, if Guile made his way in here twice."
Queen Rozeal: "I'm not even sure how... any way up here means he must've navigated completely vertical walls of the palace."
Adrian: "Or gotten past the guards unnoticed. I wouldn't rule out either."
"In any case. Do take care, and I suppose we can speak again another day. This time I really do hope I'll be in the city for more than a week or so."
Queen Rozeal: "Right, I'll see you later~"
Queen Rozeal bids the now healed Adrian farewell, as he returns back to his own quarters, for a well earned rest.