The half-orc pulls up short as Faelan lands in front, and then wriggles free of Zeg's attempts to owl-handle her. However she doesn't make any further attempt to flee, and instead turns to Faelan and says (in Candlefoot's soft, silky voice): So, Witch and Light have sent you two to move me along this time, have they? Why, did the little baby bugbear get upset? Did I make the clown cry? 

Faelan assumes she is referring to Thaco the clown and Burly the bugbear, who tend to keep guard over the staff area during the Carnival.

Flynn saunters over taking up a triangular position to Zeg and Faelan (surrounding the half orc)

Zeg looks over at Faelan not sure what she is talking about.  He then looks back at the half-orc.

"Why were you heckling the mermaid? Why would you do that?  What did the mermaid do to you?" Zeg demands.

Faelan was about to get agitated when he remembered something. "Hey, ya know, ol' Nik told me to be on the lookout for ya. He's right that ya have a unsavory look. Say, what did ya do with my pal Thaco?"

Now that Zeg, Faelan and Flynn are up close to the mysterious infiltrator, and can pierce through the illusion of the half-orc disguise, they can see the kenku in her true form.

Her bird-like eyes seem to squint at each person in turn as they as their questions. The kenku first replies to Faelan, still speaking normally but with the voice of Candlefoot: Thaco? The clown? I didn't do anything to that sorry sad-sack, except give him the slip this morning.

Then as Zeg asks about the heckling, the kenku replies: Why was I...? I don't care about the mermaid! Wait a minute! Witch and Light didn't send you at all, did they? You have no idea!

The kenku shakes its head, ruffles its feathers, and then looks at all three of her interrogators. Look, I know at least one or two of you work here, so I figured you already knew. Shoulda known Witch and Light wouldn't tell anyone anything... You're right, I am here to cause trouble. But for good reason! My patron is in trouble! I know Witch and Light know something, and I've asked nicely, but they won't tell me! Well that's not good enough, so if they want to make my life hard, then I'll make their's hard back! Stir things up a bit, make 'em uncomfortable. Make 'em tell me! I got nothin' against you, or the mermaid, or the boy, or anyone else! It's between me and the Carnival bosses!

Zeg processed the information given which took a moment.  

"Wait, so you are just causing trouble because this Witch and Light won't help you?  Who is your patron and where are they from?  What kind of trouble are they in? What do you think Witch and Light know?"

Zeg asked, concern coming into his face. What was really going on at this carnival?

He looked around at all the people enjoying the carnival not knowing that it seemed some sort of darkness lie under the fun and frivolity. 

“D’awe… Shucks…” Navi blushes at the tender gesture and kind words graciously showered upon her from the delightfully sweet Palasha. “Thank you Palasha.” She coos. “Me and my friends will find our way to Prismeer.” The little fairy says assuredly. She fully believed they could find their way there. Even if this Mr. Witch and Mr. Light wouldn’t take them willingly, they had directions didn’t they? Something about reflections and mirrors wasn’t it? Navi smiles.

Zeg, Faelan and Flynn

Hmph! Yes, that's right! the kenku replies to Zeg. And stubborn old codgers they are! But I did overhear them talking in their wagon, before that wretched clown spotted me.

Suddenly the kenku's voice changes, and in fact it doesn't seem as though it is even speaking of it's own accord so much as playing a recorded conversation it overheard. Indeed, Faelan recognises the shrill agitated voice of Mr Light, followed by Mr Witch's firm and calm tones:

Light: “Someone is going to find out about this! They’ll shut us down!”
Witch: “We agreed to this pact. Our hands were forced but our eyes were open. We let the Hourglass Coven take what it wants, and in return, we stay in business. That is what you want, right?”

The kenku then returns to speaking normally, albeit in Candlefoot's voice once again. I don't know what this 'pact' is they are talking about, but I fear it has something to do with my patron, Zybilna, the Fey Queen of Prismeer. I've lost contact with her. That's never happened before. Something MUST be wrong!

Navi

Palasha the mermaid smiles at the gently fairy, beaming in admiration for the tiny creature's courage. I'm sure you will. May fortune guide you! And thank you! For coming to see to me. I feel much better now. I think I'd like to go and sing some more. If you see Candlefoot, tell him... tell him that I hope he is okay. She pauses briefly as if she would have said more, or wish she had said it better, but then dives and swims away, leaving the fairy alone.

"Waita minute. You sayin' that Mista Light and Mista Witch are in cahoots with hags? How long has this been goin' on?" Says a puzzled Faelan, scratching his head between his bunny ears.

"Seems to me my feathered friend that we are all in the same boat"  Flynn looks to the others "do you know how to get to prisoner? Cause from what I have gathered that's where this circle resides.    However I do think you owe the mermaid an apology, she is an innocent and I fear your heckling wounded her deeply"

In cahoots, the kenku repeats, mimicking Faelan's voice exactly, before switching back to Candlefoot's voice. Hehe. I like that phrase! In cahoots. Well I don't know, but it sounded like it might not be a willing arrangement on their part. As for how long they've been in cahoots... years probably.

Then turning to Flynn the kenku corrects: The place is called Prismeer. PRIZ-MEER! Then a sound issues from the kenku's beak that sounds exactly like wind blowing through willows, accompanied by the faint tinkling of wind chimes. Ah! What a place! I only went there once, but can never go again. Terms of the pact, you see. Don't know how I got there, and don't know how to get back, even if I could.

Then at the suggestion of apologizing to Palasha, the kenku scoffs: The mermaid? Bwahaha! I don't think so, tiger! That was the best fun I've had so far. Another uncanny sound issues from her beak, this time sounding like the combination of a slide whistle then a cymbal crash, often used during a clown act whenever the clown stumbles and falls, followed by the sound of a jeering and laughing audience.

"Prismeer!  It's all coming together, we need to get to Prismeer." Zeg ponders for a moment.  "So if the owners are in cahoots with these hags and these hags are stealing people or things or whatnot then that must be what the pact is about.  Light and Witch allow the hags to take things from the carnival and that somehow allows the carnival to stay in business."

Again Zeg ponders and then speaks up, looking directly at the Kenku?  "What is your name?  And if we offered to help you will you leave the workers and performers of the carnival alone as we do so?"

My name? the kenku repeats with a glint in her eye. She opens her beak, and the sound of a kettle whistling at full steam blasts the little owlin in the face. They call me Kettlesteam, she says at last.

In response to Zeg's offer to help, Kettlesteam thinks for a moment and then responds: I tell you what, if you can persuade Witch and Light to tell what they know, then I'll stop harrassing the Carnival. I'll give you an hour, until the Big Top Extravaganza. After that, I do it my way.

As if on cue, a chime sounds throughout the Carnival, indicating that the third hour is complete.

"Oh boy. Oh boy." Faelan scratches his head, again. "We gotta have somethin' to back us up. We can't just go barge inta their place and demand they spill it..." He looks at Kettlesteam. "What ifa ya repeat what ya just told us? That thing about hands forced stuff to them?"

"Or... we just lay it all out and tell them we know and offer to help them break the pact and be free of the hags.  Maybe they will take us up on that? " Zeg offers.

"Both sound like valid ideas. But will they listen I wonder."

Here's a picture of Kettlesteam, by the way...

Kettlesteam shrugs. You can try what you want, but I reckon you need leverage! They don't wanna talk about it, I get it. So we gotta make not talking about it more painful! Enough pain, and anyone will talk! Gotta hit 'em where it hurts! She shrugs again. Anyway, I'll see you in an hour, at the Big Top. Look for me. And with that, the kenku assumes another magical disguise, this time as a tiefling with bright orange horns that stick up vertically. She won't be difficult to find in a crowd...

Pink cheeked with a soft hum, the little fairy smiles, nodding along a bit bashfully to the mermaids kind words and farewell. She salutes the woman, accepting the task to pass on her words to Candlefoot. Then with a goodbye wave, even after the mermaid was already gone, Navi pivots and floats on. She’d listen for the mermaids voice to start once more as she meanders away.

Palasha must be back in form. Navi sees the water jets shoot into the sky moments before the sound of the mermaid's song reaches her. The music is even more hauntingly beautiful than before, and being only a short distance away (and in the air) Navi can see that the water formations are even more hypnotic and glorious than before. Navi's heart lifts as the crowd nearby again flocks to the water's edge to watch, and the tune from the calliope, which turned slightly discordant during the mermaid's distress, seems to rise in harmony once more.

Navi floats over the crowds. A small group of children look up and point at the flying fairy, then turn to each other to figure out why their decorative wings don't allow them to fly.

"We only have 1 hour before Kettlesteam causes more trouble.   I'm not sure we have time to do anything else.  I say we go see Witch and Light and see what we can do to help.  I think if we let them know what we know and that if we don't intervene right away there will be more trouble.  I think they'll want our help." Zeg says