Killilli’s Dragon Heist

Aldrik laughs, then stands and clears his throat.

"Deep in the alley. All traps on the tally, The solar had used her light.

The solar declared, her fangs were bared, her rage it burned bright

For the dancer it was soon, that his lute had no tune, no music to fill the night.

So the dancer did jape, and his mouse left a scrape, as it climbed to the solar's fright.

But no jig was granted, so slippery grease was planted, and the solar's feet they took flight.

Once the solar did stand, the dancer should have ran, for she was surely looking to fight.

The dancer stood tall, and met the solar's fireball, ending the tale of smiles and spite."

Al gives an exaggerated bow to Aimee and Lyss.

Kerri was in a puddle of grease. Honestly, up until this point she wa was sure after she got some air she could get over the blatant disregards for safety. The girls seemed to like these guys... for some reason. Whatever; she'd have time to figure that out.

But now this mage, who not half and hour ago had tried to kill his own brother. Who seemed so high and mighty afterwords. Had let his rat dance on her. And then tripped her up in a puddle of grease. Grease that was soaking into her clothes. Into her hair. Into her bag. And the rat was just staring at her.

Kerri swipes at it, not even caring if she actually gets her hands on it or not. She stands up, and turns to Edvord. "At my expense?"  She hisses, storming over to him. Each step causes small tremors in the floor. "Why you arrogant, ignorant, spoiled, superiority complex having brat," each word is met with a greasy-fingered poke to his chest. "Nobles like you are why Waterdeep nobility is despised. Because you see yourself as better than others because you happened to be born into privilage. But instead of using it to help others you would rather demine and bully them because you can afford to. I dont care what opinion Mirt has about you. I dont care what kind of status you have. If I never see you again after we leave here it will be to soon. Because it has been made obvious to me that you think we," she gestures to the non-nobles in the room, "are no better than the grease you so happily just dropped me in. Am i understood. Our agreement is off. Go find another tavern to open."

Cico sits in thought while the others try to entertain the statue. He feels like there’s something just outside of his grasp.

He raises an eyebrow as Kerri explodes at the brothers.

He looks at the grease in her hair and the rage in her face. From there he turns to look at the brothers and the hint of amusement.

That’s close he thinks.

Ignoring all of the antics in the room, Cico raises his voice.

”Does anyone remember all of the words we’ve seen written on the walls in blue? The sentence fragments that didn’t make any sense? If we piece them together, do we get a riddle?”

Edvord shrugs at Kerri's reaction, though Aldrik's performance has left a slight upturn to his mouth. Not quite a smile. Perhaps the hint of a smile. The man responds matter-of-factly without any of his usual exaggerated pauses, but with a series of small pauses instead,

"I realize the antics may hurt,

But don't blame it on the nobility and Mirt,

Instead, let me be curt,

Maintain a state of alert,

And perhaps everyone will keep their shirt."

Edvord casts a sidelong glance to see if there is any further response from the statute to the group's shenanigans. Those closest to Edvord hear the mage whisper in a faltering unsure voice, "Whatever it takes, let us walk out of here alive."

He then carefully pockets the potion into his backpack before thinking back on all the sentence fragments he has seen.

Lyss's eyes are really big as she looks back and forth between Kerri and the brothers, considering their antics in light of Kerri's accusations.

She glances at Aimee.

Aldrik's rhyme just seems to set her off even more. "Really, really," Kerri says, turning to him. "That's really all you have to say. A stupid rhyme. Good to know you're taking things so seriously." Kerri turns on her heel, picks up the stupid loot bag, and goes to stand as far as possible away from the brothers.

Ignoring all of the noise around him, and furiously rubbing his ear with a thumb and finger to help block out the noise, Cico paces around the room trying to remember the words they've seen.

"Mimic, mimic," Cico recites to himself. "this tool with."

He paces again.

"Broken crossbow," he says. "can do."

Pause.

"Aldrik room," Cico says. "a soft touch."

Then he looks around the room looking for something.

"Wisp, wisp, wisp," he almost chants to himself. "what might and"

He looks around for a moment and nods to himself a few times.

"This tool with can do a soft touch what might and." Pause. 

He stops and looks at the others.

"I'm missing some."

"...what might and ... something else can't? What would be a tool that can do more than might with a soft touch... a quill pen?", Lyss says, latching on to Cico's structured thoughts.

Before she has a chance to turn, Aldrik speaks to Kerri, ignoring Cico's attempt to focus on the puzzle.

"Fine. Do you know what I have to say, truly, instead of my " stupid rhyme" to bring a bit of levity to a dark moment? If we are to stand here judging characters, perhaps you should look in a mirror. For when Lyss and Aimee signed the book that sealed them in here, it wasn't you who lead the charge in to figure out a way to get them out. It was Cico, Edvord, and I. Perhaps if we were of such a debased moral character as you believe, we would have surely cut our losses and let the girls to die. But no, we went inside to face this risk, with no hint of the financial gain you think us so consumed of, while you stood wringing your hands. Why? Because those girls are charming and sweet and worth saving."

Anger tinges his voice, not normal for the boisterous noble 

"And once trapped, what single solution have you presented past curling up in a ball and dying? You would doom everyone with inaction. If you are so risk adverse, then when we carve our way out of this place, I recommend you lock yourself in a room because this world is far too much to be timid in. You obviously have no trust in yourself or the girls you claim to cherish, and do nothing but cast doubt in their abilities and chide them after the fact. They have talents and you would squash them in your own fear! Fear that you try to hide with anger!"

He makes a dismissive hand, "Every interaction I've had with you has been naught but vitriol, every olive branch burned. How do you expect a path of scorched earth to yield any blooms?"

He turns away from Kerri and looks to Cico and Edvord. "Sorry. Let's get the **** out of here."

He looks to Lyss, contemplating the puzzle. "The old adage, a pen is mightier than the sword, right? And a pen must have a soft touch or you'll crush the tip. Your logic seems good!"

"When did I ever say curl up and die?" Kerri asks, "and if you two hadnt shown up, that book never would have been signed. I have known you two for less than two days. You are strangers who paid people to figure out who/where we were. You," she points at Edvord, "Talk at us like we're morons who can't speak common and you," back to Aldrik, "bulldozed any concerns I might have had by claiming you were just here to help and be a partner. Well look where that has gotten us. A whole lot of near death experiences. And I cant help anymore," her voice cracks. "I wanted us to slow down to try and figure out a safer way of doing things but you all just kept pushing forward before I could say anything so all I could do is react."

Aldrik Insight: 10

Lyss takes Aimee's hand as the adults argue. She tries not to look ashamed.

Aldrik hears Kerri's response, and pauses, breathing deeply, calming his own nerves.

"Kerri. It's ok to be scared for yourself, and scared for those you care about. That's only human. But what makes someone exceptional is what you do when you are scared. Do you lash out in anger, deflect attempts to help, and dwell on things in the past you can't change? Or do you stand tall, take the hands of your allies, support your friends when they falter, and *preservere*?"

He speaks low. "We are in the hall of a madman. If perhaps being ridiculous gets him in reach of my sword, then that's a risk worth taking. We've been as meticulous as we can here, as sadly not playing the game is not much an option. So we *have* to press forward. I want to trust you to have my back, and no matter what I'll have yours." 

He offers a hand, and whispers. "So help me kill a twisted psychopath before he hurts more people in this city?"

Kerri takes a deep breath, and thinks for a moment. She looks around the room, before taking the hand and nodding. "Your brother still needs to apologize for the grease," She adds, though there's some attempt at humor in her voice.

"And for stabbing me! Tell you what, if he doesn't, I'll give him a wedgie and you dump a pot of lard on him when we get out of here. Deal?" Aldrik smiles.

"Deal."

Aimee squeezes Lyss's hand as she watches the parental blow up.

She tries to distract her friend,

"So we say and do dumb things and the statue gives things related to that? Should I try?"

She has nothing to offer Cico's work but an encouraging smile.

"I mean, that's what's happened so far... but keep those blasting fingers ready..."

"Always!"

Her face does scrunch up in a look of concentration as she tries to think of a good rhyme.

Cico twigs to something Aldrik said.

"Mightier," he says to himself, "Mightier, mighty, might. Not might as maybe but might as strength?"

He paces a little more.

"What might and strength can do. . ." he trails off and pauses, moving the phrases in his head before starting again "this tool with a soft touch can do."

He shakes his head.

"There are parts missing, maybe from other rooms we haven't seen. Can't be can do twice."