As Iris and EO kept up the tune, Rosalia stood to the side, continuing on with her story-dance as Bubbles take down the two soldiers. The story came to an end as Venger blasted the two into charred oblivion. She watched as the other guards hid behind pillars, as if it would help against Lord Venger's rath. Clenching her hands into fists, the smoke disappated and she looked at her companions, wondering what would happen next and how they could best deal with it. Venger stood up from his throne. "This performance is over," he announced coldly and a moment later, he had grabbed Bubbles by the hair. Rose watched with concern, wondering if she dared do anything, but the look in Bubble's eyes told her the cambion did not need help as of yet.
"You are dismissed," he said. "See to it the performers are rewarded," he added as an afterthought, "then begone with you, and bar the
great doors. Let NONE disturb me this night, on pain of the most imaginative death I can think up."
Those of his guards that could still think rationally hastened to do his bidding, paying Rose with their own gold rather than risk distracting Venger further. Before the gold touched her hands, there was a burst of light, and Lord Venger and Bubbles vanished from the great hall.
Rose looked quickly around the room and did a double-take. There next to Venger's throne was a book that looked remarkably like Zakiyah's. She turned back to her companions and saw that Zanthia also had noticed the book. 'Did the book mean that the Lorekeeper was here within the Fortress somewhere, or that Lord Venger had found them out and how they had arrived via one of her portals? But no,' she reasoned silently. 'If he had been suspicious, he would have toyed cruelly with them in some fashion before torturing them for both information and enjoyment.'
Rose turned to the soldier who was pressing his own gold into her hands. He was the same guard who had met them earlier and had set up the tents for them. She had to do something to keep them from escorting her troupe out and barring the great doors! Sheila and the others surely must have sneaked into the Fortress during the show and if they were inside, they would need a way out. And they might have to rescue Bubbles as well, should Venger prove too much for even the cambion to handle.
Rose took the gold, careful not to touch the guard and smiled. "Well, that's certainly a hard act ta follow," she grinned. "As Lord Venger has not paid me himself in coin, I suppose our lives are considered payment enough. But since the gold is yer own, m'good commander, and hard earned I daresay, I owe ye a tale."
And before the rest of the guards, who were still awake, could bar the doors or react to much else, she dropped the coins to the floor and sent up an immense cloud of smoke. She cast a glance behind her at Zanthia and flicked her eyes towards Zakiyah's book and then back. Making the smoke billow higher, Rose called out, "And the tale yer gold shall pay for m'fine fellows, is that of yer Ahya!"
A cheer went up from some of the guards who were still a bit tipsy. Others watched warily, not quite sure what to do now that Venger had gone. But their eyes went to the image of a scantily clad, curly haired blonde that appeared within the smoke.
Rose began the bawdy tale of the legendary camp follower who had gathered a small force of her profession and slept their way through an army in order to save their captured soldiers. It tended to be a favorite among armies, as each swore the tale was about their own company, each being Ahya's special soldier.
As the tale continued, the guards seemed to relax a bit more, fear of Venger's rath slipping away from them now that he was elsewhere. They even began chanting along with the more well known parts of the story. They had firmly convinced themselves, along with the suggestive help of Ahya, that they deserved to enjoy life and the entertainment bestowed on them before duties were taken up again.
During the massive smoke-story, Rose cast glances at her companions to see what they were doing...
