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Gitana swallowed as Freddy handed her a looking glass, finally looking over the barber’s handiwork. She’d had long hair for as long as she could remember, so seeing that it was all gone...She had known what she was getting into when she’d sought out the barbershop, but it was still such a shock to see her midnight locks cropped short. The cut and style matched the mental image in her head, to be sure, but her brain seemed to be struggling to reconcile her new appearance.
“...your expectations?”
“Oh! Yes, thank you darling,” Gitana replied quickly as she snapped back to reality. “How much do I owe you?”
After the necessary coinage had been exchanged, Gitana thanked Freddy and headed out of the barbershop, going off to meet the rest of the Revealers for breakfast. At the housing unit their rooms were located, she found the rest of her teammates huddled together at one of the mess hall tables and arguing about how they would get to the Western Isles.
“With the travel time alone, we’d only have one day to spend there,” Elaina sighed, crossing her arms and shaking her head a little. “And I highly doubt that’s enough time to complete all the tasks we need to do while we’re there.”
“Then we just have to find a way to cut down on our travel time!” Chansyx huffed, an unspoken ‘duh’ implied in her exasperated tone.
“Well, the logical solution for that would be using a teleportation circle,” Ayra mused. “But do we even know if there are circles in the islands? Is anyone even familiar with them?”
“Tosh was!” Chloe exclaimed.
“Yeah, but he isn’t exactly here,” Chansyx pointed out, now rubbing her temples. “But even if he was here, he’d be the last person I’d go to for help.”
Gitana swallowed a bit and took a deep, steadying breath before she slid into the space next to Chansyx. “Well, if it helps, I’ve been the Isles before. Quite often, in fact.”
The other members of the Revealers looked to her, a pregnant pause hanging in the air before they all started commenting on her haircut, nearly talking over each other.
Elaina simply gasped, clapping her hands over her mouth as her eyes widened slightly.
“Gitana, dear, when did you get that done?” Ayra asked.
“Why is it so short?” Chole added.
Chansyx’s comment was more of a shriek of disbelief. “Your hair!”
Gitana ducked her head, letting out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah, I, uh...I wanted to get it done before we headed out. I...Well, let’s just say that I don’t really want to be recognized while we’re over there.”
The others exchanged looks with each other before Chansyx looked back to Gitana. “What do you mean?” she pressed.
Gitana grimaced. She had a feeling she would soon regret this…She sighed a bit and hesitantly said, “When I left the Isles before, it was in a hurry and not on the best terms. The only reason I made it out of there alive was because I was under the protection of that branch of the Thieves’ Guild. I’m...concerned that someone from my past might recognize me and I want to minimize my chances of that.”
“What aren’t you telling us?” Elaina asked with a slightly quirked brow.
Gitana sighed once more. “I learned my skills through means I sometimes regret, because not everything I know was learned through the Thieves’ Guild. I used to associate with very unsavory people.”
“What kind of unsavory?”
“I pray you never have to know.” Gitana looked away. “To be honest, I’m not really sure that I’m ready to go back to Mariner’s Haven. I don’t know if I’m ready to confront that part of my past.”
“Then maybe we should hold off on a trip out there. We wouldn’t be able to get there and back in the time that Glissanda is requesting of us, anyway,” the paladin decided, turning back to the previous issue.
“No, no, don’t let me put a stop to this trip,” Gitana countered. “My personal agenda aside, we do still need to check on the status of the gemstone and figure out what happened to Fae Ocasio. And all of that aside, we may finally find Tosh out there.”
“Why do we even need to look for him, anyway?” Chansyx asked. “You know full well that he abandoned us in our time of need. I will not hesitate to burn his ass the next time I see him.”
“I know,” Gitana sighed. “But I made a promise to Chloe,” she added, casting a glance towards their youngest teammate.
“We might finally find my big bro?” she asked, her whole demeanor brightening at the thought.
“It is a possibility. Honestly, I’m surprised at myself for not thinking of looking there sooner. Of all the places in the world he might go, he’d fit right in over there.”
“Then we have to go!” Chloe said in a decided tone.
“But we still don’t have a way to get there,” Chansyx reminded, sounding irritated all over again. “I don’t know how to cast teleportation spells and I think that’s going to be the only way we can go there and come back within a week.”
“...Do you think Stormwind could help us out?” Ayra asked aloud.
“Well, if he can’t, I think he can point us in the right direction,” Gitana said.
“Then we will go talk to Stormwind,” Elaina agreed. “But perhaps we should finish our meal, first?”
Once the Revealers had finalized their travel plans--they would be accompanied by one of the Organization’s wizards, Mickey, who could cast a portal spell to get them there and another one to get them back--the adventurers parted ways to prepare for the journey. After throwing her knapsack together, Gitana darted out of the apartment she shared with Chansyx, calling a farewell over her shoulder.
“Don’t snog your girlfriend too long!” the gnome called in response.
“Shut up!”
She made her way through the city streets of the Organization’s underground city, heading for Ginelle’s apartment. She knocked when she arrived, waiting for a response. On the other side of the door, she heard a few thumps and shuffling noises, followed by a small crash and a stream of curses in both Common and Elven.
“Darling, it’s Gitana. Are you alright?”
“Fine!” came the muffled response.
She managed a small laugh and continued to wait, hearing a few more thumps from the other side of the door. Finally, it opened and Ginelle leaned against the doorframe, her greeting falling from her lips as her gaze fell on Gitana’s haircut.
For the second time that day, she fidgeted a little in discomfort. “I-is it bad…?”
“No! No, of course not. Looks great. Did Freddy do it?”
She nodded. “Yeah, this morning.”
“It looks great,” she repeated. “It’s just...different. Any reason why you did it?”
“That’s actually part of why I stopped by. Do you mind if I come in for a bit?”
“Yeah, yeah, of course.” She moved to the side, holding the door open for Gitana.
She stepped into the apartment and then followed Ginelle to the living room after she’d closed the door once more. Ginelle shoved a pile of clothes of the loveseat to make room for the two of them, and once they were seated, Gitana focused her attention on fidgeting with the hem of her tunic, unsure of where to even begin.
“So...What’s up?” Ginelle finally asked when it seemed like Gitana was not going to speak without being prompted.
“...We’re heading out to the Western Isles today.”
“Yeah, I figured. I doubted you were going to sit on that info about Nate for too long.”
Gitana nodded a little. “And I wanted to thank you for that, again. It really does mean a lot.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
Gitana nodded again before continuing, “Glissanda also asked us to take care of some errand while we were out that way.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“She gave us a week. Still gotta take care of that Kara issue, you know.”
“Fair point. A week’s not that long, though.”
“I know.”
“It could be worse. Some assignments last multiple months.”
“...I don’t think I’ll be coming back,” Gitana murmured after a long pause.
“Love, that’s an uncertainty all of us live by when we leave the mountain.”
“I know, I know. But this is...different.”
“How so?”
Gitana grimaced, still focusing on her tunic hem. “You remember when I first came to you for information about Nathaniel?”
Ginelle grinned a bit. “Kinda hard to forget that day.”
“Do you remember that you asked me if he had been a lover of mine?” she asked.
Ginelle frowned a little. “Yeah…?”
“I lied when I told he that he wasn’t,” Gitana blurted out, her lower lip trembling a little as her vision began to blur with unshed tears.
“...Do you wanna talk about it?”
Gitana hiccuped and the floodgates burst. She broke down into sobs and began to recount her time spent with Nathaniel, the things she had done as a slaver. As she spoke, she pressed her face into Ginelle’s shoulder, her tears soaking through the elf’s tunic.
“I was young and stupid and I’ve done so many things that I regret,” she finished. “Oh, gods, I’ve done so many terrible things...And I just...I don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t tell you the truth. You deserve that much. And you deserve so much more than me.”
“That’s not true,” Ginelle murmured.
“Wh-what?”
“You’re not the same person you were back then, love. You’re working so hard to change. Even a blind man could see that.”
“But--”
“But nothing. You’re so much better than Nate, okay? And I know you’ll be able to beat him.”
“...I’m scared,” she admitted in a whisper. “I’ve spent so long running away from what happened, avoiding the consequences of my actions, dealing with all kinds of regret…”
“Well, in that case, you’re actually incredibly brave for deciding to go back to Mariner’s Haven.”
Gitana let out a watery laugh. “You sap.”
Ginelle grinned. “Maybe, but it got you to laugh, didn’t it?”
She shook her head a little, feigning exasperation.
Ginelle’s grin widened and she kissed Gitana softly; when she pulled away, she pressed their foreheads together. “I believe in you and I’ll believe you’ll come back.”
“Thanks.”
“Now, you should get going before the rest of your team leaves without you. When Glissanda says you have a week to get stuff done, she means it.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I promise I’ll be waiting for you.”
“That’s definitely a good motivator,” she admitted.
“Who’s the sap now?”
Gitana laughed a little bit once more. She gave Ginelle a peck on the cheek before getting to her feet and saying one more goodbye.
“Hey, we managed to make it all in one piece!” Mickey exclaimed once they group landed, sounding very relieved and proud of herself. She then let out a loud squeak as the tip of a spear was brandished in her face.
“We weren’t expecting any visitors via teleportation,” the dragonborn at the other end of the spear growled. “What’s your business here?”
“Glissanda sent us!” Chansyx declared, and as if on cue, the Revealers flashed the amulets that marked their membership in the Organization.
The dragonborn looked to his companion with something of a smirk before he looked back to the newcomers, sneering, “You’ll find that Glissanda’s authority doesn’t really mean much out here, despite what she thinks.”
“That may be the case, but the twins are still expecting us,” Gitana blurt out, before she mentally slapped herself. Mentioning the two red dragons that controlled this half of the island as casually as she had was going to immediately bite her in the ass.
Both guards turned their attention to Gitana, suspicion and some brand of amusement flickering across their features.
“Oh, are they? And who might you be, to claim that you know the twins?”
She lifted her chin, meeting their gazes with what she hoped came across as an arrogant and steely expression. “I’m Jinx. Ward’s right hand?”
Even as her words sounded confident, she was internally screaming at her own brashness. Ward had been ambitious, yes, but he had not been part of the twins’ inner circle when she worked with him. He had always admired the twins, though, and had strived to benefit from their influence. She was riding solely on the fact that the last she had seen of the man, he had come pretty damn close to his goal.
“Then how come we’ve never seen you hanging around Ward?”
Gitana scoffed. “Look, he’s a busy man, especially now that he’s finally cozied up to the twins. It’s my job to go to the mainland, scout around, and not get seen. But this was urgent, so we decided to teleport instead of coming by ship like usual.”
By some miracle, her lies seemed to convince them. At the very least, they finally lowered their weapons.
“Well, if that’s the case, we can take you straight to him. Ward’s taken up residence in the castle.”
Gitana’s stomach dropped. Shit, I can’t believe he actually did it. Ah, fuck, I can’t confront him now…
“Just because Ward said it was urgent doesn’t mean I don’t have my own business to attend to first,” she continued imperiously, knowing full-well she was digging herself deeper into her hole of lies. “I’ll see him after I’d had a chance to go down the mountain, resupply, check on the rest of the men.”
“Very well, then. Hurry up and be on your way.”
“And don’t try to wander about the palace. Go straight to the doors or the twins might have to have a little chat with you and Ward.”
She nodded and made a beeline for the exit, gesturing to the others to follow. The small group of women quickly exited the building, but not before they caught sight of Korrak, the quarter-orc that had first introduced them to the Organization...and one of the members of the missing Fae Ocasio team. He looked up just in time to meet their gazes, shock and realization crossing his features. Around his neck was a slave collar; Gitana felt sick to her stomach at the sight of it. They had no time to acknowledge each other beyond that, however, and the Revealers soon stepped through the front doors of the palace.
The familiar scent of saltwater should have comforted Gitana, but it only served to make her even more anxious. The small group were on their own out here and she’d already painted an indirect target on their back by losing her cool; by claiming an association with the twins and with Ward, it was going to be a lot harder to infiltrate the castle again to rescue the missing team. Gods, she was such an idiot.
“Hey, Gitana, why did you give them a fake name?” Chloe asked softly.
“I’ll tell you later, darling,” she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand, hoping her teammates would leave it at that and that they would not see her shaking. “We’ll be safest at the Thieves’ Guild, but they’re on the other side of the islands. It’ll probably take the rest of the day to get there.”
She then turned to face them, her tone growing serious. “Whatever you do, do not stray far from my side. One misstep here and you will be dead or enslaved.”
Seeing Reggie again had probably been the only comfort of the entire day. Gitana’s senses had been running on high alert the whole trek from the twins’ palace to the Thieves’ Guild. She had expected to see Nathaniel around every corner, but even without seeing any physical sign of the man, her skin still crawled being back on the Isles. Every collar and chain she saw made her feel nauseated and she desperately prayed she would not meet a slave that was here by her hand. She doubted she would be able to handle the guilt if she were confronted directly.
“I’m not saying it’s bad to see you again, but you must be crazy for coming back here.”
Gitana looked up at the sound of Reggie’s voice, somehow managing both a small smile and a weak chuckle. “Yeah, well, I decided I needed to stop running away from Ward. He needs to be dealt with once and for all.”
“You’re insane, Jinx.”
“Probably.” After a pause, she smiled again. “Besides, I never did get to thank you properly for helping me escape.”
“Of course. The Guild looks out for its own. You know that.”
“I do now,” she sighed. After a few moments, she reached out to embrace him. “I’m glad to see you, too.”
“Likewise. You made things lively around here.”
She snorted a little. “Are you saying it’s been boring without me here?”
“Maybe.”
She smiled a bit and finally pulled away from him. “Well, I’m going to head out for a bit. See if anything’s changed since I’ve been gone.”
His expression didn’t change, but Gitana knew that he knew she was lying. “Alright, just be careful out there. The slavers have become a bit more blatant about screwing people over.”
“Thanks, Reggie.”
He nodded and clapped her on the shoulder before heading off.
Gitana turned and made her way to the door of the guild hall and slipped outside. Night had finally fallen and the sounds of carousing and drunken brawls filled the air, all at once comforting and disconcerting. She pressed forward, allowing her feet to carry her along the familiar path to her favorite opium den. She had not smoked since the night Reggie had rescued her from overdosing, but after the day she’d had, she was far too wound up to function.
While already tense, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a clattering noise behind her and a soft curse. She whirled around just in time to see Chloe dart behind a corner. She let out a heavy sigh.
“Darling, I know you’re following me. You can either go back to the Thieves’ Guild or come with me. I do not want you to be alone out here.”
After a few moments, Chloe stepped out of her hiding spot, looking sheepish. Gitana held out a hand to her.
“Come on, darling. This really isn’t the place to be out on your own, regardless of how capable you are.”
Chloe hurried to her side and the two set off again.
“So...where are you going?”
“Someplace I really shouldn’t be taking you, to be honest. And while I love the Thieves’ Guild, I was about to go crazy in there.”
“Are you going drinking?”
Gitana laughed, though the sound was hollow even to her own ears. “Trust me, darling, I wouldn’t feel so bad if I were just going for a drink.”
The two lapsed into silence. When they arrived at the den, Gitana found herself a bit surprised to see that it seemed to have remained unchanged in her absence. A larger part of her was overwhelmed with relief that it was still there; she was loathe to drag Chloe halfway across the island in search of a different establishment. She approached the door and slipped inside, with the young quaterling trailing along after her.
As soon as they were settled at a booth and Gitana had a pipe in hand, she took a long drag and fell back into the cushions piled around her. She let out a long breath, smoke curling into the air and relief flooding through her as her body finally relaxed. The tenseness left her muscles and the subtle trembling she’d been fighting to control all day dissipated. She sighed and took another drag.
“...Tosh used to do this a lot.”
Gitana glanced at Chloe. “You think about him a lot.”
“He’s my brother. I miss him. He...I know now that he’s not exactly the best person, but he’s the only that looks out for me.”
“That’s not true, darling.”
As Chloe opened her mouth to protest, Gitana pressed on. “You have the rest of us, you know. At the very least, you have me. And that’s why I promised to help you look for him.”
“...Oh.”
“I know Chansyx isn’t fond of your brother. And Elaina shares the sentiment to some degree, but she’s not as vocal about it. Ayra just never got a chance to meet him. But I...I actually did like Tosh. I do agree that he’s not necessarily a good man, but of the others...I think I liked him because I understood him the most.”
“Do you really think we’ll find him here?”
“I’m really not sure, darling. But I do think he’d fit right in, wouldn’t he?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Gitana nodded and took another hit, sinking even further into the cushions. “I promise we won’t stay here long, darling. I just needed something to calm my nerves.”
“You don’t like it here?”
“I’m trying to avoid someone.”
“Is it that Ward person you mentioned to the guards?”
“...Yes.”
“Who is he?”
“A past mistake,” Gitana sighed.
“Are you really going to be okay?”
“You know, I’m really not sure, darling. I’m really not sure.”
Gitana tried to avoid the others’ questions at breakfast the following morning, focusing on her own food while the Revealers chatted with each other. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Reggie approaching, though she noted that he looked unusually pale.
“Reggie…?” she asked when he was in earshot.
“I need you all in my office. Quickly.”
Sharing startled looks with each other, the Revealers followed him up to his office. Standing at the window was another man, his figure tall and imposing. Gitana vaguely recognized him. At the very least, she definitely recognized his faction based on the long brocade coat and feathered hat he wore. As he turned towards them, they were faced with an older man, his facial hair carefully trimmed and waxed. His eyes, almost beady in the way they were set, bore into them.
“Who’re you?” Chansyx demanded, being the first to break the somewhat awkward silence that had filled the room.
“Uh…Well, this is...an acquaintance of mine,” Reggie began slowly, seeming unsure of how to respond.
“It’s alright, Reginald,” the stranger said, smiling in a way that might have been meant as reassuring but only came across as predatorial. “My name is Cyancümer. Many also know me as the Pirate King. But fewer still know me as the true head of the Thieves’ Guild.”
Gitana quirked a brow. Well, that was certainly a surprise.
“Wait, so you control two of the three factions here? Seriously?” Chansyx asked, sounding a bit incredulous.
“I do indeed. Now, if you would excuse us for a moment, Reginald, I would like to speak to these...adventurers...privately.”
“Yes, of course. Right away, sir.” And with that, Reggie, still looking a bit of a nervous wreck, exited the room.
Cyancümer let out a soft sigh and turned to face the Revealers. “So.” He paused and clasped his hands behind his back. “You wish to infiltrate the Red Dragon Palace once again.”
“Yes. We’re part of the Organization of the Gem Dragon,” Elaina explained. “Some members of the Organization came here a few weeks ago but had not reported back nor returned. Glissanda was concerned.”
“Besides that, we have been one of the few groups tasked with checking on the status of the Fate Stones,” Ayra added.
“I am aware of the situation. Again, as I said, in addition to my status as Pirate King, I oversee the Thieves’ Guild. Plus…” He grinned at them again, his mouth looking far-too-full of pointed teeth. “I am well-acquainted with Glissanda.”
“You’re one of the blue dragons, aren’t you?” Gitana guessed, ignoring the shiver that ran down her spine.
“Precisely. And that is why I’m willing to help you out. I owe Glissanda a favor and I would love to knock the red twins down a peg or two in the process. Two birds with one stone.”
“That would be really helpful, actually,” Elaina said with a small sigh of relief.
“I’m so glad you accepted. Now, it will take about a day or so to gather what you will need. I can guarantee a way to enter the palace undetected as well as a partial map of the palace.”
“Only a partial?” Chansyx asked with a frown.
“Yes. There are still rooms in the palace that even our best spies have been able to reach. Unfortunately, it will be the best I can do, especially on such short notice.” His tone was hard, a thinly-veiled warning against them testing his patience.
“A partial map is better than nothing,” Elaina commented quickly.
“The twins are set to be away for a brief window of time a few days from now. That is when you will infiltrate the palace,” Cyancümer continued. “So I am also willing to do what I can to get you additional materials you may need. You can discuss amongst yourselves what you think you may need and let Reginald know. He will pass along the information to me and I see what I can do.”
“This is quite generous of you,” Gitana said slowly.
“Our interests are aligned and as such, I am willing to take a chance on you.” Cyancümer smiled, the gesture again coming across as unnerving and toothy, though he was soon frowning once more as he fixed his gaze on Gitana. “And by doing this for me, you will be taking care of a debt.”
She quirked a brow. “Pardon?”
“I already have agents ensuring that news of Jinx’s return is minimal. Perhaps next time we shall be more considerate of what names we throw around, my dear?”
Gitana swallowed. “I’m sorry. I...panicked.”
“I guessed. So, are we in agreement?”
“Well, I for one am willing to accept any assistance we can get,” Ayra said sagely.
The others murmured their agreement.
Cyancümer smiled once more. “Good. Now, allow me to fill you in on the rest of the details…”
On the morning of the heist, Gitana took a moment to herself while the rest of her party debated on what they weapons and supplies they would attempt to hide in their disguises. She closed her eyes and, for the first time in many years, prayed.
“Olidammara, I...I don’t know if you’re listening but I...Thank you. I was in a very dark place when I left the Isles. I was still in that place when I arrived in Upland. And I know we’ve been through some rough times together but these people...I feel like I found a home again.”
She paused to take a deep, steadying breath. “I’m absolutely terrified to go back to the palace. I’m absolutely terrified to face Nathaniel again. But I think, with my friends with me...I think I can do it. I just pray that you can help us make sure this whole thing goes alright. Please, I...Even if something terrible happens to me, please watch over them for me.”
She paused again and opened her eyes, looking upwards. After a few moments of stillness, she finally straightened up and closed her right hand into a fist, kissing her thumb in a sort of farewell gesture. “Gods, help this go without a hitch.”