"Are you sure you're sure about this, Lord?" Aren asks for the umpteenth ti this afternoon.
Last night I'd gone to pick set everything for today; the gems so we can communicate, scouting a proper clothing store as well as ntally preparing him to et with so of the most dangerous elves in the city.
Right now, I'm standing behind him in the clothing store, thanks to the pristine fine-tuned custor service of the store he's slowly beginning to look like soone with wealth and power behind them.
It took a while but I think what he has on now is fit for my ans.
He's got on a short white fur coat, necessary for the cold from the rainy winds, the coat covers a cream embroidered shirt that tightly snugs his body, providing warmth and a sense of prestige with all the bling shed unto it.
His trousers, a bright crimson radiating a boldness you wouldn't see on just anyone on the street. In this world, colour speaks power and red is one such colour you can't find on re commoners.
"Don't worry too much, Aren. I'll be right behind you, even if you can't see ."
It's just my luck that the elves aren't the best at hiding. Well, it's either that or they don't have anywhere to hide. I'm sure the Mayor knows their exact whereabouts more than anyone, especially if soone like Aren can find it out.
Anselm and I will be escorting him into the Lions Den, so to speak. He'll speak on my behalf and we'll judge their reaction to the offer I'm putting up. It's all rushed so I can't control all the variables.
aning there's a possibility their answer will be no. This was not in the plan.
But I can't help it right now, I've got to be on my way to Frozia so I can get rid of this curse.
"It'd be a lot more reassuring if I could see you. I have no idea how quickly these elves will pounce. Maybe you won't be able to get to far enough, or their blade will be far too swift." He bemoans, like he's been doing for the past few hours since I ca to pick him up.
I don't bla him, if I were powerless and were walking into such dangerous waters, I'd be a bit paranoid too.
"Just keep reciting your lines, Aren. You'll forget about the fear once you get into your character."
A little de-escalation strategy I put to use is sothing I learned in my past life.as a kid. Back when I could afford to be in school, I put a lot of work into acting as a hobby, and that hobby helped out a lot in my years on the streets.
All I had to do was pretend I had a card I didn't, or was a person of value and worth or was soone with dangerous friends.
If I did this, I'd eventually beco so imrsed in the character I built for myself and played that I wouldn't feel nervous even with a gun pointed at my head.
"Just pretend you're . Just pretend you have the power of an army behind you and the wealth of a nation in your pockets. To you, who are they but sheep who need herding?"
Aren nods but I think he's having a hard ti getting into character, but there really isn't any ti left to drill him. If the worse cos to worst I'll just intervene.
"Great, now let's go, we've got so elves to enlist."
***
If ground zero of the Southern gate is for the poor of Aste then ground zero of the Northern gate is for the unwanted.
The Northern part of Aste is the place with the largest gathering of elves and the obvious hiding place for any wrongdoers.
There are just far too many of them to investigate individually without causing more trouble, and all of them have one or three skeletons in their closets ormoulds.
Yes, there are far more elves living in mud hos, so simply just bury themselves in the sand and call it a night. This is the height of poverty and of injustice.
To think there's a type of poor you'd rather be. An awful thought I've never had.
But, like everything with sentient society, there are always levels to importance, levels to wealth and poverty.
Yes, even here where the poorest of the poor gather, there is still a class system.
The place basically runs itself though, I haven't seen any flatfoots, priests or classic rchants with stalls of any kind. All I can see are elves trading and serving each other in exchange for another day alive.
And well, there's the elitist elves. The ones who in a sense run things around here. It's easy to pick them out because they're the only ones holding rusted swords, broken maces and sticks.
And they're the ones that approach Aren.
Walking into such a dire and dapper place wearing such high-class clothes is attention grabbing no doubt about that.
Aren is quickly greeted by a group of roguish looking elves waving their crude weapons around. Their re appearance makes the others recede into their shanty hos and look the other way.
There's no interest in trouble here.
"And what's a cowl like you looking for in a dump like this? Huh!" one of them brutishly asks.
Aren, true to his limited training keeps his polite smile and spits out the words I demanded he say once approached.
"Take to the elves behind the attack on the Mayor."
A cold silence washes over. The elves murmur amongst themselves and I suppose that's the last thing they expected to hear from one lone'cowl'
"There isn't any elf like that here, sir."
The sudden presence of respect in their speech confirms it without a shadow of doubt. The elves are here and they're the ones running this place.
"Take to the elves behind the attack on the Mayor." Aren repeats the demand, unfazed by their attempts to cover it up.
"I think you ought to leave, sir, this is no place for a man like youall alone." The warning doesn't go unheard.
From my hiding place near one of the shanty houses I can see Aren's hand tremble. I can't help shaking my head at this; he used to be a guard.
"Take to the elves behind the attack on the Mayor."
He spits it out again and I can see the elves getting bristled. There's far more to this than just violence and they know it.
If they truly want to cover this up then attack Aren won't help them at all, because if he's so agent from the Mayor then him getting hurt here after asking that question will just give the Mayor more than enough cause to unleash his fury on the elves in the North.
And more suffering is not what anyone needs right now.
"Take to them and hear out. I have a deal to make."
Yes, it's good Aren caught on their hesitation, I'm thankfully I told him what to look out for.
"A deal?" they look between each other, their own bit of neverousness wracks through.
"Yes, a deal. A deal I believe your leaders will be very interested in."
I smile, that wasn't in the script. Looks like he's getting a hang of this. Let's hope he doesn't get lost in it.
"Who are you?" The first brutish elf asks.
"You're with the Mayor, aren't you? Why should we trust you, even for a second!" Another shouts
Arenin a bit of cold confidence laughs. "Because it's already too late for you not to. Your response already tells you work for the elves behind that attack, if you let go alive nowyou risk the Mayor coming down on younot like he doesn't already have the tight to do so."
He arrogantly dusts off his fur coat and shifts his weight, "And if you attack well, you risk the sa thing" he trails off, judging the look of outrage and horror on their faces, then adds, "But that's only if I'm with the Mayor."
"What? You're not?"
"Your leaders will be the one to find out who I am, now take to them."
I'd give a round of applause for such a performance if I weren't in hiding.
The elves look to themselves and it's easy to see they have no other options lest the threat levied against them beco a reality.
"Right this way then, sir."
Aren nods and follows behind the group. There's still so disagreent and petitions to just kill Aren but nothing happens. In the end, they journey all the way through the North, picking up curious elves along the way and explaining the situations.
Before I know it a crowd of elves are now standing in front of a large, crudely assembled building with spikes, triggered traps and watch towers around.
The original elves that brough Aren up to this point don't even have to knock, the noise from the crowd calls forth five strong and healthy elves out of the house.
The leaders.
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