Plan Return Home
Whilst rubbing sleep from my eyes, I wobbled down the stairs like an infant toddler. I hadn't completely woken up yet and I don't think I was fully recovered from yesterday's endeavor. Honestly, from looking at the rest of the crew, I don't think they would agree either. On the couches laid an exhausted looking Micheal. His head was lulled to one side, mouth slightly popped open with a small sliver of drool coming out. It oozed out in a small stream of clear liquid spittle. He had somehow managed to fall asleep with his arms crossed over his chest. One of the very few men that I have met that doesn't snore like a loud fog horn.
Seria had two big black and saggy bags under her eyes as she laid passed out on Micheal's lap. Her arms where crossed over each other upon his lap, making a makeshift pillow out of her own muscle and flesh. Her body was a straight as a board until you came upon her legs, which where propped up against the couch and sticking straight up in the air. At somepoint on the return home, she had managed to switch into some simple dark gray soft cotton pjs that sat loosely on her body. The fabric rolled and bunched under the her from moving and shifting on the couch. It was a bizzare scene.
Marquise was sitting on the couch facing opposite me as I made my descent. He was as stiff and and straight as a board with his arm resting arm of the couch. His hand rested in a relaxed fist that supported his head. A mug of coffee rested in his lap at his latest trip to the kitchen. But it must have been awhile since he went to grab it, because the cup no longer made a gentle steam from the dark liquid content. His legs seem to spread wide and clumsy, the cup almost on the verge of spilling it's contents on the floor.
I paused on the last stair, smiling gently as my small crew was finally able to sleep. They seemed to have pushed all of their efforts yesterday on making sure that everything went as according to plan. Despite only being five of us, and two of us having little to no experience on the field, we managed to pull off a highly dangerous mission. Well at least most of us could. I was still feeling guilt for having been drugged by a sex drive increasing drug. Something I was not proud of.
Although I would have loved to continue watching my people sleep, we still had a long journey ahead of us. The trek home wouldn't be simple, and we needed to leave as soon as possible. They would be rewarded a few days off to recover once this was all said and done. They earned it after all, being away for so long and facing the many challenges as they did. With a smile cressing my lips, I walked over the Marquise's couch and gently sat down next to him. With careful fingers, I pried the cup handle from his free hand and placed it on the coffee table before us. Now with the danger of spilt coffee aside, I felt it was safe to wake them up.
"Good morning sleepy heads." Like a bolt of lightening had come down from the sky and struck them, they all had jumped. Seria's eyes flew open in a panicked flash, arms desperately pushing off Micheal as she forced herself from his lap. Sleep crusted in her eyes as they rapidly blinked to regain her focus. Micheal shot straight up, his eyes still kind of sagging as they slowly became alert. The drool that was seeping from his mouth instantly gone as dragged his arm acrossed his face, getting rid of the evidence. Marquise seemed to jump the most. His head violently swayed around as he readjusted himself against the couch. With his sunken eyes, he rested them upon me. I could see and feel the irritation radiate off him in waves. Clearly not a morning person.
"Your Majesty, what time is it?" Marquise grumbled as his eyes narrowed into slits. The windows where thankfully drawn in the lobby, so no one could peek in and see that they where unalert and out in the open. I could only thank Tucks to clean up after us in our wake unorganized and tired stupor.
"Considering the sun has just risen, very early morning. But considering how well last night went, I am sure people are starting to look for us. Getting home has become high priority now that Maxwell is free." I had not seen him yet, so I was hoping that we managed to save him in one piece. Or that he was at least resting in one of the Inn rooms.
"Aye, that would be the right call. Thanks to your endeavors last night, multiple assassins have been crawling around town. They have been given the task to kill anyone that had looked suspicious last night at the brothel. You can only imagine how big the kill count is right now. She has the whole city turned upside down in seach of four people who managed to infiltrate and steal important documents and person from her sickly hold. I'd have to say I am quite impressed that you managed to successfully obtain as much as you did." Tucks appeared from the kitchen with a white old mug in hand. The ceramic cup had, what I hoped, where coffee stains carressing the sides in splotched patterns.
"Well that's not good news, but still news nonetheless. Which means we need to be extra careful getting out of the city. Knowing how high of status Laylia is, I am sure she has everyone searching for a group of people who just don't fit." Nicklos said as he came down the stairs. His hair was still roughed from sleep. It bunched heavily on one side of his head from sleeping on one side for so long. He too had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, but seemed the freshest out of all of us.
"What do you suggest we do to avoid being detected. Unfortunately you two are the sorest of eyes when it comes to being recognized. Marquise might be in trouble as well seeing how he is a royal Knight. Not to mention Maxwell is in no condition to be making an escape. Her was almost dead when we stole him from the dungeon. If it hadn't been for Uriah, I don't think we would have even made it past the first set of guards." Seria muttered as she ran a hand through her tangled waves.
With Maxwell being in rough shape, escape would indeed be difficult, but not impossible. I highly doubt we would escape without getting into a fight or two, and that would set everyone around us on high alert. The tension from my head and neck was starting the thicken again as the heavy silence of stress filled the air. We have only managed to jump from one fire to another as we stayed here, and right now, we where in the middle of the blaze. Then came the unfortunate conclusion that only I could think of.
"Then we set a diversion. Cause a bit of trouble in the middle of the city, and escape while the water is boiling. Knowing how criminals are to please their crime lords, I have no doubt all of the trouble will flock to one area. Once the danger of being discovered is, we escape with hopefully no detection." Tucks snorted as he leaned against he banister and Nicklos gave him a gentle pat on the back as he passed him to come and stand beside me.
"Well you sure seem full of ideas Uncle, do you have something in mind?" Nicklos's voice was gentle, but his eyes where narrowed in warning as he glared at his Uncle. A silent warning if I ever saw one. Tucks rolled his eyes, but said nothing else. With a firm shake of his head, Nicklos pursed his lips in silent contempt.
"Your plan is of course a great idea, but how do you plan on setting a diversion?" Micheal asked skeptically. The bags under his eyes only seemed to have darkened while he was awake. They where slightly slited as he continued to blink less rapidly than before. But he had a point, a diversion was going to be as easy as finding a needle in a hay stack. Not only did it have to be fool proof, but it also had to be a one and done situation. It had to be so good that there was no possible way of it failing.
Then it hit me, a sure proof plan. Unfortunately it meant that we would have to sacrifice a set of royal attire, but it might just be the simplist plan that we have. A dark smile formed on my lips as I plotted my plan. All we needed was a helpless drunk, and some attire. We set him up in the middle of the city, someone spots him, and then everyone would be after him. What do they hate worse than themselves? A royal guard.