Unseen Pleasures
Zalen stopped again just before he would have bumped into the vague shape walking in front of him. Mirada's invisibility spell was certainly more useful than the one he himself had known as it also allowed them to see everyone affected by the spell as blurry shapes but it didn't really make it easy to recognize the others, especially as the spell also masked their smells.
Coryel had naturally taken the lead but after sneaking through all those corridors and past all the servants and guards Zalen had lost track of which blur was Leilah, which one was Kity and which one was Talyar.
Darnac would probably have stood out as a bigger blur but he had stayed behind with Amaryan and Rasan to guard the others.
The Master of Keys had stayed behind in Is'arain as Zalen didn't want risk the old man's life.
They had now reached a door that didn't really look any different than any of the others they had already passed but the fact that there were two guards standing outside this one certainly indicated there was something more important behind this one.
It also created a problem. Invisible or not, the guards would surely notice them trying to enter the door between them. And trying to take out the guards would also be risky.
As a new source of sound suddenly appeared behind them the blurry shape next to him pushed him flat against the wall.
A guard with a shaggy goatee walked past the invisible invaders and sauntered over to the two guards chatting by the door.
"What now, Romek? Got too bored to drink?"
"No no," the newcomer replied. "No staring at the tankard tonight, friends. When Abbak and Gemren return we will take out the dice. This time I intend to win back every coin I lost to you last time."
"Or lose the rest of your pay more likely."
"The dice will have to wait. We are on duty tonight," the shorter guard noted.
"Bah, the Lion is asleep already. Nobody will know you weren't here. And the door is locked anyway."
"Well..."
"I know, friend. I got my hands on some Dwarven whiskey, I can add that to the pot. What say you?"
"All right. If you really want to lose that badly. Come get us when Abbak and Gemren have arrived."
The guard with the goatee walked away.
A moment later another blur sneaked closer, grabbed Zalen's arm and drew a W shape on it. Zalen tapped her arm once, signaling he had understood. We wait.
So until the aforementioned duo arrived and this Romek would come to get the guards for the game of dice they would just have wait here. Quietly.
The two guards resumed their chat again. Apparently neither of them were locals as they both spoke in southern dialect that made their conversation even harder to follow. But most of it was about some war five years ago the taller one had also fought in.
Even with the guards chatter covering the smallest sounds it was still a bit unnerving to just wait there, trying to be quiet. Even if they were fully invisible they'd still sometimes glance in Zalen's direction and each time he stiffened just a little, ready to spring into action if needed.
