Spawn of Dagon: Jewel of Chadra

Spawn of Dagon

Jewel of Chadra

A

s the trio made their way down a narrow hallway, behind them could be heard a rowdy, crowd engaged in drunken revelry. The trio consisted of a very short man, a very large man, and a buxom woman. The woman was being carried by the large man while the short man led the way. The woman was semiconscious, every few moments issuing a belch or hiccup.
         “Only two more days and this would be over. Why she gotta go get hammered tonight?” the short man said, quietly.
         “Don’t know, but you know how she is, Parsa,” the large man replied.
         At the end of the hallway is a doorway with a curtain pulled to one side. Just as they reached it, a man with a drawn sword leapt out, and said, “Ha! I have you! Unhand that woman!”
         Parsa gasped, stepped back, then frowned, and said, “You are such an arse, Lucas.”
         The newcomer, Lucas, smiled broadly as he resheathed his sword, then said, “Ha! I got a reaction from you Parsa,” paused, shrugged, then added. “Looks like we have to go left. Two watchmen hanging out in the street right across from the door to the right.”
         Parsa gave a big sigh, then said, “Lead on, Lucas.”
         They turned left at the doorway, and followed Lucas down it until they reached a door. Lucas cautiously opened the door, and looked out. From the doorway could be seen a dingy, dark, alleyway with bins of trash scatter down each side, but no people in sight.
         “Seems clear enough, let’s go,” Lucas whispered over his shoulder, then stepped into the alley.
         “Oh, man! This stinks. Must be unbearable on a hot day if it smells like this at night,” Posta whispered after he stepped out.
         “Lucas, you got any of that sober-up potion?” Parsa asked as they quietly walked down the alleyway.
         “You really want her awake, now?” Lucas asked.
         The short man thought about it for a few steps, then said, “You’re right, best to wait until we need her to tell us how to get back into the villa.”
         Several streets, alleys, and turns later they were standing in a dark alleyway across from a large villa with a high surrounding wall.          There were guards at the main entrance.
         “It’s time to wake her up,” Parsa said.
         The group moved further back into the alleyway, while Lucas produced a small vial of a blue potion. They poured it into her mouth as Posta held her upright. She burbled, coughed, and shuddered. Several minutes passed while she regained consciousness.
         “Ah, you bastards. I was enjoying that,” the woman said as she regained her footing and stood without Posta holding her.
         “Sheila, you gotta get back in the villa,” Parsa whispered.
         “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Gods, it’s sooo boring. Even when he shows up, it’s dull. All he is interested in his great ‘future’. He only mentioned how pretty I am once,” Sheila said, then her shoulders sagged.
         “Never-mind that, how do we get you back into the villa?” Parsa asked.
         “Ah, I’ll just walk in the front -”
         “I don’t think that is a good idea. You are supposed to be his virgin bride?” Parsa asked.
         “Oh, crap. I forgot that,” Sheila said, paused, then added. “We gotta go around to the, ah, left side and there is a small gate that is guarded by only one guy. He was grateful for a bag of wine; I expect he is still passed out.”
         The group backtracked a couple of alleys, then quickly crossed the street. They found the gate and the guard leaning against the wall on the inside, asleep, the empty wine bag at his feet. Sheila picked it up and slipped into the villa while the men returned to their room for the night.
         A day later, early in the morning, three men dressed in guardsmen uniform and a lean, buxom woman carrying a box by the handle arrived at the front gate of the villa.
         “We're escorting the tailor to her ladyship,” stated one of the quartet wearing corporal chevrons.
         The guards shrugged, and waved them in without any questions. The quartet passed through the grounds and into the villa proper. After they spoke to a woman at the front door, they were guided to a side chamber to wait.
         Several minutes later, Sheila appeared with a large bag from a side door, and said, “This is a few trinkets that should supplement our          fee nicely. However, I need Lucas’ help getting the ‘Jewel of Chadra’.”
         Lucas nodded, and the duo exited the room.
         While they were gone, they quickly transferred the contents of the bag to the box the woman had brought. It had a false inset in the top that made it look like a tailors tool box when casually examined.
         Parsa turned to the other woman, and said, “Probably best you change, Teresa.”
         Teresa nodded, stepped behind an ornate screen to undress and dress in clothes left by Sheila earlier. The men finished with the transfer and Posta took up a post where he could look out the door.
         Sheila and Lucas returned just as Teresa finished redressing. The duo had a purple jewel, about the size of a small woman’s hand, with gold filigree around it and a thin gold chain. Sheila wrapped it in a silk scarf, and handed it to Parsa. While she stepped behind the screen to change into the clothes Teresa had taken off, Parsa placed the jewel into the box.
         Posta turned from the door, and whispered, “He’s here.”
         “Crap, he’s early. Teresa, Sheila, you know what to do,” Parsa said.
         The two women left through the door that Sheila came in through.
         Half an hour passed while the trio waited in the small side chamber before Sheila-dressed-as-the-tailor reentered and said, “He didn’t even notice! I told her to just ask him about his plans, and off he went, gazing out the window and chattering on.”
         The four reversed course out of the villa to the front gate. There was a tense moment when the captain looked into the tailors box, but he took only a brief look and waved them on. Once outside the wall of the villa, they headed to the side entrance to a rundown pub, where their room was on the second floor. Once there, they changed back into street clothes, and moved the treasures from the tailor box to several bags. They left the room, leaving the uniforms and tailor outfit there, and headed back down to the street. They looked like a particularly run-down, troupe of street performers. They made their way to the nearest city gate.
         “Gates are closed. No one in or out!” the guard said.
         “What’s happened?” Parsa asked.
         “That cult, Spawn of Dagon, are massing outside. Chanting something about a jewel,” the guard replied.