Crossroads and Conflict Part II

Ostiarium
Her heart was racing; her eyes darted anxiously to and fro as Voah crouched behind a stack of weathered crates in a narrow alleyway, her breaths shallow and rapid. Her mind replayed the unexpected harrowing moments just passed, adrenaline and relief coursing through her veins. The encounter had been a near catastrophe, a treacherous brush with danger that had almost ensnared her.
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It began with her scouting the' apothecary. There were visible locks on both the front and back entrances, no doubt installed by the Keep. She had managed to pry open a second story window to on the back side of the building, slipping inside and leaving her sword behind on the adjacent roof for freedom of movement and quick access.

Inside, the structure was dimly lit by sporadic beams of sunlight piercing through, illuminating motes of dust that floated about the interior. The ambiance was less than ideal for a proper investigation. With fire strikers, and some kindling, she managed to light a wick and transfer the delicate flame to an oil lantern. The empty shelves and scattered equipment spoke of a hasty investigation and retrieval.

Voah remembered her last visit here vividly, when the chirurgeon had assisted her and Hunter in extracting information from a cultist. The man was not what he seemed. Pillars only knew what else had transpired in these confines.

In a concealed drawer within Nicolaus’ desk, she found not only a vial of Felfar but also a tightly sealed container of the hallucinogenic mold that had afflicted her and Tarmen in the caves beneath Fang. It seemed Nicolaus had been experimenting with it. Beneath a scatter of papers, his journal revealed notes on weaponizing the mold for the Keep’s defenses and detailed the process of reproducing sacred salts used by the Inquisition to ward off magik and other evils.

Pocketing the vials and the journal, Voah headed back to the upper story window when disaster struck. Something came through the open window and hit her, rolling to the floor and away. She snatched it up and backed up against the wall. Examining the thing, she realized it was a clay pot and immediately she knew it was filled with oil. The Brotherhood was here. Miraculously, it hadn’t shattered on impact. She wondered though if it had been flung with malicious intent at her, or just the to douse the room in oil. She peered out to catch sight of two cloaked figures, one readying another by uncorking the pot with his teeth and splashing its contents up and down the back wall. The other held a glass lens to focus the sunlight into a deadly beam for ignition. A quiet way to set the place ablaze. Thank Cambena one of the rain clouds blotted out direct sunlight... but it wouldn't last long.

Her actions were instinctive and swift. In a rush to intervene, she yelled, "Hey!" startling the saboteurs into fleeing. She hurled the oil-filled pot at them, following swiftly with the lantern.

Diving out of the window to the roof across the alley, Voah picked up her sword as the oil traced a fiery path directly toward the Brothers of the Ebony Hand, engulfing them in flames. Their screams echoed in the narrow space between the buildings as their plans to burn the apothecary were thwarted by their own devices.

The sudden arrival of Captain Carter and a contingent of guards added chaos to the conflagration. As they shouted commands and advanced toward the smoke and flames, Voah had seized the moment to flee. Her heart pounded against her ribs, each beat a loud drum in her ears as she sprinted through the maze of streets, the clatter of armored footsteps and shouts of the Captain herself close behind.
----
Now, hidden in a makeshift refuge, Voah allowed herself a moment to gather her composure. The drifting smoke from the alley marked the distance of her narrow escape, suggesting the Brotherhood’s designs were thwarted, yet her presence in the city might now be compromised.

Leaning against the cold stone, Voah contemplated her next move. She needed to strategize and regroup. But first, a brief respite was necessary. As she rested, her eyes caught a gleam of uncanny silver moonlight snaking down the alley, a trail that seemed to defy the shadows themselves.

Elsewhere in the city, the Knight of Salos held a hand to his Goddess’s holy symbol as he witnessed a similar spectacle.