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[Drakilian]

As the group splits up again, Heldric sequesters himself within a house overlooking the inn. The owners don't notice when he slips open the window, and don't hear either him or the obfuscated Andreas and Mr. Whitey as they settle into their perches.

Obfuscation can really get ridiculous sometimes.

Watching the night, dozens of men and women pass by the inn, a few entering but none matching the flamboyant description of the spaniard nobleman.

It really was a shame that they had practically killed that one hunter just as fast as they had captured him. Really, just 5 minutes of questioning could have gotten them an inestimable amount of information. They didn't even know his name. Come to think of it, why isn't Steeple back yet..?

Just as it occurs to the Nosferatu to maybe send someone off to go looking after his friend and John, he spots something out of the corner of his eye that sends chills racing down his spine.

A man unmistakably matching the profile of Rodrigue De Navarre approaches the in, a woman who Heldric assumes is one of his companions walks with her arm looped around his right, and to his left, an arm on Rodrigue's back telling some indiscernible joke, is Gauthier de Dampiere.

The templar knight walks down the street with confidence, his faith almost blinding even from this distance. For a moment Heldric wonders how the mortals could not wonder at a man who seems to shine so bright as to burn away the night itself.

He feels uncomfortable about the thought of approaching the crusader - could that faith burn away even the shadows that he cloaked himself with?

[Forge]

Heldric resists muttering to himself and instead simply waits as hidden from sight as possible as they pass.

As soon as they go inside he whispers to Andreas "Head back to our provided quarters and find a way of passing on the information we have found and that our suspect is with a holy knight who shines like the sun. Make sure our allies hear as well as the Prince's people."

He glances back at the inn "I will follow when I see more."

He then ensures he is as cloaked and hidden as possible and waits to watch more, ready to flee at the first sign of being detected.

[Drakilian]

Andreas and Whitey both leave, though Andreas does so with some reluctance. He looks back at the inn and gives Heldric a rather meaningful stare. The implication is clear.

Don't do anything stupid.

While the two leave, Heldric keeps his attention locked onto Gauthier. Rodrigue and the girl enter the inn , Gauthier is about to follow when he stops. The Templar looks confused for a second. Heldric notices his eyes running along the ground around the inn, eyes following the faint traces of bloodstains left behind by the hunter's body. His gaze rises, and then freezes - right on Heldric.

Heldric feels a cold hand wrap itself around his heart and begin to squeeze. Panic rises up in his throat like bile as he looks into the Crusader's eyes, unable to stare away. He feels a burning sensation in the back of his head. His vision begins to blur, and he feels lightheaded - as if he's about to pass out...

The knight's gaze moves on, and he steps into the inn.

Heldric is sitting inside the house, looking out at the inn. They are about to discover their companion is missing, along with the remnants of a broken down door. The innkeep will give them a description - whatever he can remember, anyway. Tonight, Gauthier begins the hunt.

[Forge]

Heldric immediatly leaves, moving as quickly and quietly as possible. He occasionally leaps gaps and cuts sideways to throw off his trail.

He heads right back to their chambers, he may hate the Prince but at this point he wanted all the power he could between himself and the holy knight.

[Drakilian]

Heldric's mad dash across the rooftops to Narses' palace is briefly interrupted when he spots a sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head to look he sees nothing but he knows instantly that he is being followed. While he keeps moving he is not sure he will be able to outrun his pursuer, whoever they are.

It is with some relief that he notes that it cannot possibly be Gauthier.

It is with less relief that he remembers there are assassins in the city...

We need Sicilan. You shouldn't have sent him off after Barabus. He's been gone too long. Epistatia's voice echoes in Heldric's head. Heldric almost thinks he detects a hint of worry in her voice.

Slow down! Octavius shouts.

He's not following, gods, take a moment would you?!

[Forge]

Heldric finds a roof with lots of cover then jumps off, immediatly turning and catching himself with his strong fingers.

He shuffles over behind the cover, recasts his obsfucation to be cloaked, then pulls upwards, trying to get a look at his pursuer.

I know it has been too long but there is little I can do now and we have more pressing concerns." He thinks to them

[Drakilian]

I mean, if this is how you like to relax then I guess... Octavius trails off.

What the hell is he doing here?

"Phew. Heldric, you took off so fast I thought i'd never catch up to you! Strong legs you've got there. Awesome obfuscation too, if I still had my old eyes I don't think I would have ever seen you!"

The voice is eerily familiar, though far more cheery than anyone Heldric would know. Except for maybe Steeple, but Steeple wouldn't have seen him - or been able to keep up.

Quickly asking the question of Octavius, the ghostly archmagus answers -
Well, it would seem that Kiril is standing on this rooftop here.

[Forge]

Heldric swears to himswlf quietly "There should be no way for Kiril to have seen and followed me here, keep weary of him and warn me if you can sence somthing"

Having been seen and followed dispite his best efforts Heldric steps out into the relative open so they can look at eachother properly  "Kiril, I didnt expect you here. Sorry for running from you but I just had a very bad experience with  holy knight and thought it was possibly him persuing me. Did you see him?"

[Drakilian]

"Gauthier? Yeah, scary sort. Great scapegoat for our kind. I bet you not half the killings associated with him are his own.

So listen, i'm not sure what Anton has told you all but, well, i'm not exactly Kiril at the moment. I can't go into too many details but let's just say that Kiril and I have an understanding and that, for now, i'll be piloting his body.

Anyway, I thought there were some things you should know about the investigation you're leading - you found the setite dagger that Roland had on him, yes? The man was an agent for the setites. I have no idea how long he's been working for them but they got to him with the goal of corrupting the Ventrue delegation here. They want to steer the war to Egypt, I believe they've begun laying a trap there, perhaps they intend some great sacrifice to their god Set - to soak the sands of Egypt with the blood of the crusade.

Roland was not the only agent, and the assassins in the city have been seeking out and killing the others. They've been blaming most of the deaths on Gauthier de Dampierre, either staging them to look like his work or pushing victims towards him, I believe you actually saw one of them get destroyed somewhat recently. The reason they're working covertly is because they know that the western cainites tend to associate the Setites and the Assamites - even though we hate each other."

The "We" he throws in there gives Heldric some pause.

"I'm talking to you right now because I know that you're one of the strongest proponents of peace at this event. The Assamites do not want a war. They are here for two reasons - to stall, and to kill the Setites, and so far they have succeeded at both."

[Forge]

Heldric ddcides that he has to push, trading in secrets is his kinds way but you muat always check the source first and this "Kiril pilot" was a suspicious source.

"I knew you wernt Kiril, at least not completly, so forgive me asking who are you. I cannot trust information thrown at me by a stranger admitting to controlling my aquintance."

[Drakilian]

"Ah! I'm afraid that's quite simply not my secret to share. Rather, it's Kiril's to keep and Anton's to tell. But you understand don't you? After all, I don't go around asking about the people you've killed and eaten do I?"

Kiril gives Heldric a rather chilling look then, while continuing - "I mean, your soul isn't exactly "shining with innocence" now is it? Let's not let petty doubts get in the way of pleasant conversation."

Kiril walks up to the edge of the building, his back to Heldric - it's as if he's daring the Nosferatu to push him off.

"Now, I know that you need to present proof to the court so that Narses doesn't execute you all. Exposing the setite conspiracy would also be a pleasant little bonus, probably put you all in his good books, hmm?

I want a deal. There's one more member of the conspiracy left alive. He's still working with the Ventrue. I tried to convince the head of this operation to give him up to you but she has adamantly refused to do so" - at this Kiril gives a mischievous grin so out of place that if Heldric hadn't already known it wasn't him he would have gaped.

"So we're going to get him anyway. An assassin has already been sent after him. You save his life - proving that you weren't the ones going around killing people and the existence of outside assassins in the city. Make sure Saladin is there helping you fight. When you defeat the assassin I show up as someone else and take the agent away - you guarantee his life for me, that's part of the deal. You can make a big show of trying to fight me off if you have to. In fact, i'll probably ambush you. I'll try not to do any permanent damage.

The target will be thankful and will probably promise to reward you, then you check in on him an hour or two later you'll find him backing his bags. You make sure he doesn't get away and bring him to Narses. It won't take long for him to confess, Narses is one hell of an interrogator.

So we pull off our operation, you guys get all the fame and the glory and your names cleared, and the Setites get Farked. Sound good to you?"

[Forge]

Heldric cocks his head, all he can think is clearly Kiril ate someone too powerful and didnt have the help Heldric himself had had in sealing the mind of the devoured. Someone linked to the assassins. He had clearly lost the fight but strangely it was talking as if Kiril was still aware, somthing to look into.

"My soul is not clean indeed" he says outloud with a wry laugh "Maybe it matches my visage now? All our kind are dammed, mine more than yours maybe?" He indicates his own face

he pauses, not wanting to antagonise the obviously confident and powerful creature he was facing "Your deal is not bad but I would need drtails to pull it off, I cannot hang around their delegation constantly in the hopes of fending off an assassin who would presumibly know of my presence if you could see me so clearly, there is also the timing. I am short of time so this would have to happen soon."

[Drakilian]

"Oh, you have no idea just how short on time you are. The assassin's already been dispatched. I'd say you have less than an hour."

Kiril turns back around to face Heldric, walking over from the ledge. He stops in front of the Nosferatu and leans in uncomfortably close.

"Make sure you hold up your end of the deal Heldric. I don't want my man dying on me. I've never broken my word either, it's what got me killed. Don't you dare break yours."

He turns and begins walking back to the edge. "Find Saladin, and get to the target before Anton does."

He stops right at the edge and lifts a hand as if to say goodbye.

"The target is Aimery."

With that, he steps off the side of the building. Heldric doesn't bother to go look - he knows Kiril will be gone.

[Forge]

Bloody people getting taken over He thinks, then mutters out loud as he heads for where he believes aimery is "What could you tell about him" hoping the mage accompanying would have insight instead of having to ask Anton who was not the easiest to handle.

"You know I never promised a thing! Everyone dragging me into their messes." he quietly complains then he uses his cloaking again and moves as fast as possible "Though if I fail Kiril having failed in an attempyed eating of his elder might shift the blame too"

[Drakilian]

Not much. He seemed very cocky but i'm sure you got that yourself. Didn't seem too torn up about the fact that Kiril killed him, nor did he seem like he was very willing to lie about it. In fact, his personality is so wildly opposed to Kiril's that i'm not sure it's really how he normally acts. I think he's just trying to emphasize the difference between the two of them - possibly so that he can resume Kiril's identity at a later date without anyone suspecting Kiril was no longer in control.

[Forge]

You may be right. Things are getting too complicated quickly, we will watch him carefully once we solve this stupid situation." Pausing slightly in a jump he chances angle to find Andreas first, his brother would be needed in the fight to come.

[Drakilian]

It takes Heldric another twenty minutes to reach the palace grounds, where he finds Andreas and Mr.Whitey waiting for him.

When he asks them if they have given their allies the information he sent them with, Andreas scratches at the back of his head, and it occurs to Heldric that he sent a mute and an alligator out as his messengers, to find allies whose locations he was not actually aware of.

Still, he knows that Anton had intended to question the ventrue leaders about the knife - which will probably lead him to Aimery before long, hence Kiril's warning to try and reach Aimery before Anton.

Steeple seems to have disappeared along with John. For a moment Heldric feels worried - first Sicilan and now those two. He should have told "Kiril" to rein in that damned ghoul...

Saladin left the group soon after the inn as well, pursuing his own leads. Perhaps he would soon return to the palace grounds? Heldric could only hope. His absence would probably mean he'd have to escape the city rather than walk out of it, though Heldric or the assassins could probably manage that easily enough if they bothered to try. Unless Narses led the hunt himself (doubtful) it didn't seem likely anyone could keep Saladin from escaping the city with the allies he has.

[Forge]

Heldric sighs "Have you seen any of our allies or written a note for the guards?" he looks around while speaking, clearly not expecting a good answer.

"We need to find Saladin and get to Aimery before an assasin kills him, he is a Setite spy and needs to be turned in to prove our innocence." He swears a little under his breath before continuing "Ill head for Aimery now, he should be with the Ventrue delegation. Search for Saladin and quickly as possible and bring him to me. He should return soon I believe."

Heldric then cloaks mr. Whitey and they head for Alilprando to find the inn where he target was staying