Vishal follows trying to play it carefully as he looks around for any other potential individuals that could be watching and guarding Shiaali. 

Kaori follows the others into the room, fighting the urge to perch on the chair like she normally does and instead, sitting like she's seen the others sit. She's uncomfortable like this, but hopes she can just wait it out for now.

Kalah takes up a position by the door, arms crossed.

As soon as everyone is seated, Shiaali twists a hand, and Kalah freezes in place. Any remaining arrogance or imperiousness flees her bearing as she turns back to you all, cautious hope and fear battling in her eyes. "We can speak freely, he's frozen. This may be the only time we can do so until we've escaped Borutesh, but for the next ten minutes, nobody will hear our words but those in this room."

 "H-Has th-this ch-changed th-the plans?" Taran asks after only a second of consideration. Making them admit guilt at this stage was a rather futile gesture if the Quori knew what was up, "I-I-I al-also have n-no id-d-dea h-how w-we are s-s-supposed to g-g-get you t-t-to the M-Manifest Z-Zone. Wh-What r-r-reason w-w-would you h-h-have t-t-to f-f-follow us? E-Especially w-w-without g-guards wh-whom w-w-we w-would n-need to d-distract or d-d-disable."

Shiaali looks tired and scared. "I know nothing of any changed plans, because I don't know of any plans. Aktavi has always handled any part of my role that requires extensive planning, I don't know what to do. I was hoping guides of the Road would have ideas. I can tell you the arrangement of the guards on the walls, the layout of the village and my manor, I can give you almost any information you need about Borutesh, but you'll have to turn it into a plan of action." She bites her lip before adding, a touch of anxiety different from her prior fear in her voice, "Is Miira all right?"

"Sh-She i-is f-f-fine, w-w-worried about y-you." Taran says, after a moments hesitation, "I-Ideas... I-I-I h-have a f-f-f-few, E-Esteemed V-Vishal or M-Mister C-Caelius l-likely have m-more. Th-The st-standard pr-procedure f-for ed-edgewalkers w-w-would be f-f-for you t-t-to st-stay h-here, wh-while w-we w-went to th-the z-z-zone. W-We n-n-need an ex-excuse f-for y-you to c-c-come with us. B-But an-any th-threat d-d-dire e-enough t-to n-need y-your d-direct in-involvment w-w-would re-require br-bringing g-guards. Th-The main gr-group i-is l-leaving t-today, s-so we h-have a f-few d-d-days until the r-replacements come, b-but st-still, your g-guard and the E-eye w-will likely in-insist on c-coming. Th-they present a pr-problem, b-because w-w-e will n-need to in-incapacitate them b-before w-we f-flee."

Taran taps his fingers against the smooth stone floor, "I-I un-uncovered a f-f-few d-disturbances last n-night. Food b-being st-stolen. It is p-possible th-that c-c-could be a s-sign of re-refugees, or w-w-we c-c-could l-lie and s-say it is s-signs of the R-Road. P-perhaps we br-bring y-you b-because g-going to con-confront p-people being l-led a-astray fr-from the P-Path. A r-r-role y-you c-c-could l-logically f-fill, but w-w-wouldn't n-necessarily re-require a full s-support. M-Maybe s-such p-people are h-hiding in the z-zone. A-As w-walkers, we c-can g-g-get you in and o-out s-safely. B-but i-if s-s-someone r-ran in y-you c-could be tr-trying to g-guide them b-b-back. It has a l-lot of r-r-risks, es-especially s-s-since th-they w-will ob-obviously l-look f-f-for our tr-trail, but th-there was n-no way ar-around th-that I th-think."

"Give us the guard rotation and a layout of your manor. Including any passageways nobody else knows about. I think those will be vital to have." Vishal says trying to think of the best way to escape. 

"There is just a pair of guards at the entrance hall. They change every four hours. And Kalah is with me at all times. I can describe the layout of the manor." She does so.

(Map is going up in Discord)

Caelius signs,

"M-Mister C-Caelius," Taran indicates the signing sorcerer, "W-Wants to know if y-y-you kn-know anything a-about the m-missing f-f-food. I-Is i-it s-s-something that h-has b-been b-being in-investigated? P-Perhaps j-just an e-error in th-the r-records or s-storage?" 

"Oh...that is partially my fault." Shiaali looks down. "I have let my attentions to the business of running the village slip lately, mostly unintentionally as a side effect of the memory wipes I have been using to keep Aaktavi from learning my plans. It has meant that a local dissident group calling themselves the Torn Veil has grown bolder and more powerful lately. They have started taking from the food stores, but we are unable to find any members to use to stop them." She sighs.

 "Th-That c-c-could w-w-work, i-if you t-t-told y-your g-guard y-you w-wanted t-to m-meet w-with them. W-We c-could e-even f-fabricate ev-evidence of th-them u-using the M-Manifest Z-Zone as a-a m-meeting pl-place." Taran says, chewing his lip, "Th-that c-c-could g-get us t-to the b-border, an-and then w-w-we c-can m-make a br-break f-for it. O-Once w-we a-are fr-free o-of the a-area, re-restraining y-you and tr-transporting y-you to th-the M-mountains sh-should b-be st-straightforward."

"Y-Your b-bodyguard is l-likely to f-follow n-no m-m-matter wh-what, b-but i-if sh-she is p-paralyzed, w-we sh-should b-be able to e-elude her."

(Kalah uses he/him pronouns)

Shiaali frowns. "I don't know how believable it is that I would meet with dissidents. We would send the Harmonious Shield to destroy them or have them transported to re-education camps." She fastens onto something else Taran said. "Then you have a way to deal with me being possessed by Aaktavi?"

Caelius signs,

"W-We c-c-could r-rely o-on th-the f-fact th-that th-the sh-shield is g-gone l-later t-today, an-and w-won't be b-b-back for a f-few d-days," Taran explains, "Th-that w-w-would l-limit y-your o-options i-if w-we h-had a sm-small w-w-window." He gestures to Mister Caelius, "M-Mister C-Caelius h-has th-the r-right i-idea th-though, w-we w-would n-need to kn-know m-more a-about them I-If y-you kn-know th-their intents, o-other ac-activities, d-demands. All of th-that c-could be u-useful."

He takes a deep breath, "W-We h-have a f-f-few d-d-different pl-plans for y-your p-possession. M-Multiple l-layers of s-solutions, s-some s-safer and m-more c-comfortable th-than others. W-W-We o-obviously c-can't m-make g-guarantees, b-b-but I-I b-believe w-we sh-should b-be able t-to a-accomplish th-the task." 

“We have one that will prevent it for an hour or trap you inside of it for the hour so you can’t do any harm. Another that’ll break the possession. Both of this we can only do once. The other we can do a couple times and it’ll make it harder for you to be possessed. Not impossible but it’ll help with your willpower to resist it.” Vishal explains 

Shiaali shakes her head sadly. "I'm afraid I'm possibly the worst person in the village to ask about the Torn Veil's intentions and information about them. They'd never risk contacting me even for demands, and looking into them isn't my responsibility. You'd have better look tracking them down yourself to ask them your questions." She nods at Taran and Vishal. "I do not intend to sleep on the journey back, if at all possible. That will make it more difficult for Aaktavi to possess me. In an absolute worst case scenario, you will have to knock me out if I am possessed, but you seem to be prepared to keep that from happening."

 Taran goes back over the plans, the building schematics and guard rotations she had told them about, and when he combined it with what he had learned...

Could it be that simple? Perhaps, it would be obviously more suspicious, but..

"Sh-Shiaali," Taran says eyes darting as he runs the route over in his head, "I m-might have a n-new pl-plan, r-rather th-than r-r-relying on u-us f-f-finding an o-official r-reason f-for you t-to l-leave the c-city. K-Kalah is w-with y-you at all t-times, but h-he has h-his own r-r-room, s-so h-he d-doesn't sl-sleep in y-yours. An-And y-you h-have g-guest q-quarters. I-If y-you in-invited s-some or a-all of u-us to st-stay h-here in th-the p-palace f-for the n-night, th-then w-we c-could sn-sneak t-to your r-r-room in th-the d-deep d-dark of m-morning. U-Using y-your w-window w-w-we c-could e-exit into the g-gardens and m-make o-our w-way to the w-w-wall. G-Getting u-up an-and o-over the w-w-wall is a s-simple m-manner, an-and w-w-with the H-Harmonious Sh-Shield g-gone b-by m-midday t-today, th-the p-patrol's sh-should b-be light. W-We m-might e-even b-be a-able to m-make our w-w-way th-through th-their b-b-barracks and t-to th-the g-g-gate, th-though I-I im-imagine s-some g-guards w-w-would b-be left at th-the gate."

He takes a breath, tracing a finger against the stone, "On-once w-we are o-out of th-the c-c-city, it i-is s-simply a m-matter of r-running t-t-towards the Z-Zone to m-make ou-our exit. W-We sh-should have a f-few h-hours b-before y-your ab-absence is d-discovered. Y-You c-can e-even l-leave a n-note for K-Kalah, s-saying y-you w-were un-unsettled in th-the n-night an-and w-went to m-meditate. Th-That c-could b-buy us m-more time."

"D-D- y-y-you th-think it c-could w-w-work? I-If y-you in-invite a-at l-least m-myself and M-Miss Ak-Akuma to st-stay, I-I'm s-sure w-we c-could p-pull th-this off."

Shiaali sits up. "That could work. I could invite however many of you are needed for this. It would make sense to be honoring the Edgewalkers here to protect the village."

Taran looks to his companions, "I-I think th-the m-minimum n-needed w-would b-be M-Miss A-Akuma, i-if I g-gave h-her the c-censer, b-but i-it c-c-could a-also w-work t-to h-have all o-of u-us t-t-together, in c-case o-of an a-ambush or o-other c-complication. I-It w-would j-just b-be a m-matter o-of d-d-deciding wh-who sh-should b-be here and i-if th-the o-others w-wish t-to d-d-do an-anything else."