Darl, Belle

[jawildey]

OOC: You two haven't officially introduced yourselves yet, but, for my sanity it's time to combine your threads.

IC:
Just as Darl reaches inside his cloak, Belle, the Apok, approaches him from behind at a fast jog...what would be a sprint for most humans. Dan and the other two haven't noticed them yet, but at this point it's probably only a matter of moments or a foot scuffing on loose debris.

[Kitsune]

Belle will slow down just slightly as she catches up, watching both Darl and Den carefully. She wants to find out exactly what is going on.
Otherwise, the blond haired Apok will not say anything at the moment.

[jthorson]

Darl watches John's backpack carefully, trying to decipher whether it contains the tell-tale round bulge that the women had mentioned the day before. Ideally, he'd like to be able to cut the straps and remove the backpack as a whole; but if that wasn't going to be feasible, then he'd be content with simply slicing open the bottom in an attempt to empty the pack's contents.

But first, he takes just a moment to make sure he's got the right target.

OOC: This does, of course, assume he sees a backpack at all ...

IC:

Once he's ready, Darl murmurs a quick spell (time slip), and attempts to use the time to remove the backpack from it's wearer ... (Or simply slits it open at the bottom, if cutting the straps doesn't look feasible.

[jawildey]

As Belle watches to see what Darl is going to do, she sees him suddenly disappear and then reappear just on the other side of the group with Dan. He is now holding the backpack that was moments before strapped to John's back.

"What?! Hey! He's got the orb!" John calls out and points at the fleeing Darl.

"I've got it." Dan says in a gruff voice as he casts a spell. A magic net descends on the fleeing Darl, trapping him. Darl finds that he can barely move, let alone attempt to strike back or defend himself in his now precarious position.

[Kitsune]

This is not the situation which Belle expected. The raider had indicated that he was looking for a vial with some sort of treatment for a sick child but this orb does not sound like it is it.

Taking just a moment, Belle wraps the cloak around herself and has the mask ready to put on if anything goes wrong although does not yet put it on.

"I may be partially responsible for the situation but this being stated that you had a vial with a medicine for a sick child," the Apok responds, keeping her tone commanding. "I want to know what is going on."

[jthorson]

OOC: Wasn't intended as a 'grab and run' ... more of a 'grab and wink-out'. i.e. Buying enough time to make sure the orb was actually in the backpack ... I meant 'disappear' literally. I was assuming the time it took to realize the backpack weight was lifted, turn around, and assess the situation would be enough to get the second spell off ... but didn't want to get too far ahead with my actions.

[jawildey]

Ooc: I understand, but I gave them each one simul action in the time it took you to prepare the next spell. Dan's spell was his action and darl failed the saving throw. Besides, you don't really want it to be that easy, do you?

[jthorson]

OOC: Haha ... easy? Why not? I was just reacting to the comment regarding the 'fleeing' Darl, since I fully intended on talking to these folks as well, once things were safely secured.

IC:

> "What?! Hey! He's got the orb!"

Darl gives John a menacing glare. "Do NOT mention that item again. Your very life is likely to depend on it."

> "I may be partially responsible for the situation but this being stated that you had a vial with a medicine for a sick child," the Apok responds, keeping her tone commanding. "I want to know what is going on."

Darl turns his attention back to Belle. "Apologies for my deciet," Darl responds, "But I dared not reveal the true nature of these events with so many ears listening in. This is far bigger than any of you might imagine. I would be happy to explain everything, but only when we're safe from any potential eavesdropping ... ". He pauses, looking at Dan through the net surrounding him, then continues. "Well, I guess now will have to do."

Turning back to the men infront of him, he takes on a more official tone. "You are accused of the abandonment of women and children, including one who is deathly ill. Two nights past, you stole away in the middle of the night, leaving them to fend for themselves against the wilderness and the demons."

"More seriously, You are hereby accused of theft of property belonging to the church, Father Malaki, and the good people of Newhome. Father Malaki himself tasked me with recovering the items you stole. You are also suspected of setting fire to the church to cover your escape ... though that might have been Salome's raiders, who came looking for the same items that you took, only moments later."

Turning his eyes up to Dan and Belle, he adds in a much quieter voice, "We aren't talking mere trinkets here ... after the church was burned, the town razed, and the items discovered missing, Salome sent one of her leiutenants back to find out where they had gone. Father Malaki was tortured for hours in an attempt to locate the contents of this pack, before being brutally murdered. She wants these items badly ..."

Turning back to John and Harvey, he adds, "... and I mean to figure out why, while doing everything in my power to prevent that."

Looking back up at Dan, he gives a toothy grin that can only be half-recognized as a smile. "Can we drop the net now? I'm not going anywhere without the answers I seek."

[jawildey]

"Lies! Pure lies!" John says shrilly. "He's the thief. That's my property and I want it back." Turning to Dan he continues. "You promised to protect me on our journey, so protect." He points behind him at the trapped Darl.

"Hmm... I told you I'd protect you on your journey to go say your last goodbyes to your ailing mother." Dan states in a deep voice. "It seems, however, that there's more here than you let on."

"That thing?" John says in a shocked voice. "That's just a gift...a trinket for my niece when we get there. It's of no real value. It was pretty and I thought she'd like it." The globe seems to shimmer slightly in the early morning light.

"I will release you, but please do not attempt to run until we get to the bottom of this." Dan says to Darl as the net evaporates into the magical ether from which it was formed. "Do you have any proof of what you say? John and Harvey have given me no cause to distrust them. You, on the other hand, have shown yourself to be a thief, whether justified or not."

OOC: Probably won't be able to post again until Sunday night or Monday as I'll be out of cell and internet range for a few days.

[Kitsune]

Her left eyebrow coming up, Belle responds, "Obviously, it is not just a trinket if this thief wants it so badly. You seem pretty concerned with it for it to be such an unimportant item."

She turns towards the Raider and looks at him for a moment as well, "One or both of you are being dishonest. Perhaps neither of you is really the rightful owner of this mere trinket."

She will turn back to Dan, "I just want to get to the bottom of this. I though the concern was a child's life."