Chapter 68
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
"Fronting a rebellion, what kind of things would that entail?" Quinn was paging through the generational book that Yaya had showed them.
"For starters, lots of manpower." Tal had her rifle out, she was showing it to Lucky.
"Yep, what else?" Quinn continued to carefully turn pages.
"Money... credits.. bling bling." Yu was all smiles, this was the first time she had ever enjoyed actually playing TAP.
Quinn nodded at the spiky haired rogue, she was very easy to like. He opened his hud, a moment later the wrinkled face of Pop's stared out at him. "Quinn my son!"
Quinn could tell he was at the Songbird tavern. "Pops I need you to do some digging. Someone is fronting a rebellion, find out who has the resources to do so."
Pop pursed his lips carefully, "can I rule out Fora and Concert Hall?"
"Yes. Let me know when you have something." Quinn cut comm and turned his attention back to the book.
Tal's pretty blue eyes watched Quinn. He'd figured something out, but he didn't want to say yet. It must be in the book. "Can I see that Little Q?"
"Yep," he handed Tal the thick book and stretched his hands over his head. "You married yet Lucky?"
The silver haired princess blushed as she looked at him. "What? No, of course not."
"Oh I see. Have you someone special?" She reminded him of Ren, it was too tempting to tease her a bit.
"How many wives do you plan on having?" Lucky stared back at him, "there's at least three right?" The princess knew who Mora Jol was, and also Leah Fintree. She hadn't heard about Tal, but the bond between them was clearly that of lovers.
Tal shot Lucky an approving look, "nice counter."
"Wait.. Do you know Mora Jol?" Quinn narrowed his eyes, it was unlikely they had ever met.
"Dark Elf princess, recently became the sole inheritor of the crown?" Lucky smiled, her fine elfin features unreadable. "Do you have a nickname for her too?"
"Mojo," Quinn admitted.
There was a knock at the door and a guardsman dressed in gold stepped into the doorway. "Please follow me."
Tal handed the book back to Yayia and slid a hand through Quinn's arm. They walked out together, followed by Yu.
Yayia hung back with the princess. "I'll talk with Quinn and make him stop with the nickname."
"No, I really don't mind at all." Lucky enjoyed spending time with this group, they treated her like a real person.
**********
Quinn stood beside Yayia as the council took their seats. Yu, Lucky and Tal were ushered to one side.
Lucky leaned over to Tal and whispered in her ear, "he wasn't serious right?"
Tal laughed, "probably not."
Lucky sat back and gave sigh of relief. Quinn had asked her which one of the council members would it be okay to shoot. She had answered without thinking, "my oldest brother Shae."
Quinn surprised the time mage by holding her hand, they stood patiently as the High Elf King finally seated himself. There were nine seats in all. The King held the center seat and ruled the council. His eldest son sat on his right, the rest of the seats were held by the noble families. On the far right side, there was an empty seat. Yaya had mentioned that this was her families seat. She had sat there until recently. When she left to join Mojo, one of her sisters had taken her place. With the death of the last male from her line, the seat was now vacant.
"The council chamber is now called to order, his Royal Majesty King Vandir Chamyl is presiding." Shae announced the council members one by one. It was obvious why Lucky had volunteered her eldest brother's name, Quinn found him to be very douche-like.
Quinn stood patiently as Shae announced today's agenda. Apparently being blonde was the prevalent look among the high elves. They ranged from the silver haired Lucky, to a nearly brown sort of dirty blond. There were no brunettes or redheads. Quinn and Yu stood out in the crowded room.
Shae was tall and thin. His eyebrows pointed upwards. His pointy chin and nose reminded Quinn of Jangles. His pale blue eyes focused on Yayia. "We will start first with the Nameless. Yayia, your family will become part of the Orlani family. They have several eligible men of marrying age for..."
"Nonsense." Quinn gripped Yayia's hand tighter, he could tell that she was scared.
All the eyes in the room were drawn to Quinn when he interrupted Prince Shae.
Shae stared at Quinn, his pointy face showing irritation. "What is the meaning of this?" Shae spoke directly to Yayia, refusing to look at Quinn.
Quinn held his hand up before the time mage could answer. "It means Yaya Silverleaf isn't some nameless person that you can order around."
"Members of the High Council, this hero has adopted the nameless family in question." Lucky had approached while Quinn was talking to her brother. She stood next to him, "their family name is now Silverleaf."
"Impossible, he holds no authority to do such a thing." Shae slammed his hand on the table in front of him. "Yayia if you do not immediately comply with our wishes, we shall forcibly remove y.."
Quinn's laugh interrupted him once again. "You think you can take Yaya? Hilarious words... I dare you to try."
Shae glanced at his father and the seated council members."What is that suppose to mean?"
Quinn let go of Yaya and rested his hands comfortably on his guns. "It means, that if you attempt such a ridiculous thing, I shall pull this building down around your pointy little ears."
"Is that some sort of veiled threat?" The council member on the other side of the King spoke. She wore a shimmering gold gown, from the introductions Quinn remembered that her name was Saffron.
"Did I veil that? That wasn't my intent." Quinn glanced at Yaya beside him. "Let's unveil it then."
*Quickdraw*
Quinn drew so quickly, none on the council were able to follow the movement. He calmly looked down the barrels of his guns. "Who's first?"
"Q.. please don't shoot anyone on the council." Lucky bit her lip to keep from smiling, both guns were pointed at her brother.
"I'll just shoot this one... that way negotiations will go better." Quinn waited, but only because he had promised Yaya he'd be reasonable.
"Sit down Shae." The High Elf King finally spoke, he hadn't flinched when Quinn had drawn his guns. "Please put those away Q."
"Hmm.. In the interest of diplomacy, I'll put one of them away." He grabbed Yaya's hand again with his free hand, but kept his left pistol trained on Shae.
The King nodded, "good enough." Not that it mattered, he had seen how fast Q could draw.
"Your Majesty, this person represents Fora. It doesn't seem prudent to argue with someone of his stature, over such a small matter." Surprisingly Saffron spoke up in Quinn's favor.
"Father we have rules that must be abided by." Shae had sat down, but he had no intention of losing the argument. "She's not an official member of the Silverleaf family, no matter what they say."
"Yayia, please kneel." Quinn moved in front of the time mage and waited as she knelt down.
The time mage noticed that he used her actual name. She knew he could knight others under certain conditions, but what was he planning now? She knelt on one knee.
"Display your name please." Quinn patted her head gently, it was smooth as silk.
Yayia (Nameless)
Level 83
Time Mage
Race: High Elf
Quinn stepped back and drew his sword. The finely engraved silver blade pulsed with power when he drew it out. He placed the blade gently on her shoulder.
"You are a fine person. A beautiful woman of high intelligence, who is both thoughtful and caring. This is a trait that you share with all of your family members. It is my honor to bring you and your family into the Silverleaf family. I give you the name Yaya Silverleaf. You shall do what you wish, love who you want and marry whomever suits you best. If such a life pleases you, then say I accept."
"I accept." Yayia was crying softly, although she did her best to hide it. Such a thing would be impossible.
A golden glow enveloped the time mage, it last for several moments before fading away.
Quinn put the sword back into his inventory. I'll just shoot Shae if this doesn't work, he thought to himself. "Display your name again Yaya."
Yaya Silverleaf (Noble)
Level 83
Time Mage
Race: High Elf
System Message: You have established the Noble family name of Silverleaf. You may grant this name to any person of your choosing.
Quinn took a step back and faced the council. He remembered back to the Halfling Escape and the message signifying that new NPC Assassin abilities had been discovered. He hadn't expected to use the additional effect of Foreign Prince so soon.
TAP: NPC Assassin
Skill Name: Hiding in Plain Site Level 3
Description: Enables character to assume 5
basic NPC identities, Guardsman, Shopkeeper,
Diplomat, Dock Worker and Foreign Prince. Character
cannot initiate or take part in combat while using this
skill. While Diplomat is active, Charisma is
increased by +30.
Additional Effect: You may use the abilities of Foreign Prince without changing form.
The council stared at Quinn and Yaya for a few moments.
"I move to recognize the name Silverleaf and drop any further actions regarding this matter." Saffron carefully studied Q, the recently widowed high elf liked everything about him.
The High Elf King had watched the proceedings carefully. Q had the abilities of a sitting royal. According to the guards he had questioned, his fighting abilities were many times higher than they had been lead to believe.
The members of the audience quietly murmured amongst themselves while the council deliberated
"Did you see that quickness?"
"A flash of silver and both guns were out."
"He must be a sitting royal right?"
A few minutes later the council unanimously decided to recognize the Silverleaf line.
Saffron took over the the role of speaker, while Shae sulked quietly, refusing to look at Quinn. "We also would like to thank you for rescuing Princess Luca. From what we understand you saved her from the rebels."
"We haven't questioned all the witnesses yet, some of the accounts are bound to have been exaggerated." Shae wasn't willing to concede that Q had done anything noteworthy.
"I was involved, but it was definitely a result of my team's hard work." Quinn turned and motioned for Tal and Yu to join them.
The audience watched as the two women approached him. One had one metallic leg that clicked slightly when she walked. The other had short dark hair and a wildly exotic face.
Quinn introduced them while they were walking up. "This is Tal and Yu, they are both part of the Fora Development Group."
"If it pleases the council, I have a suitable recording of the events on the Zeppelin." Yu had been busy editing since the fighting had stopped. It wasn't her best work, but it would give a good accounting of what happened. She had borrowed feeds from everyone's cam and blended them into a cohesive event.
The High Elf King looked at her in surprise, "please use the council table hud. I want to see who dares take my daughter."
Yu loaded the edited footage on the council's hud and enlarged it so everyone could see it properly. It started from the initial explosion and proceeded through most of the events. The audience was shocked at how fierce and organized the group from Fora was. They cheered when Tal managed to raise her rifle and shoot the Dark Robed Man. They gasped in horror when the princess chose to throw herself overboard rather then be taken. A flash of silver and brown made them cheer again as Quinn escaped with the Princess. The recording ended with the explosion of the second Zeppelin.
Yu stepped back next to Tal after the recording finished. She could have done better with a bit more time, but they were absolutely stunned. Even the King was speechless.
Saffron stood and bowed toward the group. "Thank you. That was Erlynd Vesurvi, a man responsible for many deaths."
The rest of the council also stood and gave thanks. The King shook hands with each member of the group. Lucky was holding on to Tal and Quinn, she was smiling and laughing as the group chatted with the council.
*************
Quinn gulped and wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. "How many?"
Yaya smiled sweetly, "Three hundred and eighty-five." Yaya had been shocked when Quinn had told her that he wanted every member of her family to leave with them immediately. He was very adamant about leaving no one behind.
They had received permission to use the Royal City portal, an event unheard by anyone. Lucky had protested the most when the group from Fora decided to leave after the small banquet. Quinn had placated her by promising they'd be back in a week. He had painstakingly added each of the 385 people to the permissions list on Ravenwood.
"Why Ravenwood and not Fora HQ?" Yaya knew that Ravenwood could comfortably support several tens of thousands of people, but what was Quinn thinking?
Quinn sighed at the number of people. He formally gave them each the name Silverleaf and before anyone could protest he herded them through the portal.
Leah was riding around the courtyard fountain when the group of nearly four hundred came through the portal. If Leah was shocked at seeing them, they were even more shocked.
Quinn stepped forward. "What the heck is that?" The beautiful redhead was riding on a sleek black panther that was nearly the size of a horse.
Leah slid off the panther and ran towards Quinn. To the horror of the people behind him, the panther followed. She kissed Quinn a few times before letting him go. "Thank you Quinn, I love it!"
Quinn stared at the beast, "wait.. is this the cat pet I sent you?"
Leah nodded and put her hand out, it came to her very obedient. "Her name is Jali."
Jali stepped closed to Quinn and rubbed her head against his chest. He could feel the vibration of the big cat purring.
Quinn scratched Jali behind her ears, "she's kinda pretty."
"I'm not really sure what she can do yet, or even if she has a level." Leah looked at the group behind Quinn, of course they were all women. "Did you raid someone's harem?"
Yaya laughed from behind Quinn. "Leah these are my family members, Quinn seems to have adopted everyone. Myself included."
"....." Leah.
"Time to work Miss Fintree, I need basic supplies for nearly four hundred people. We can use the Red Dome tents to house them temporarily. I"ll explain everything, but help me get them settled first."
Leah nodded, "yes sir."
*********
A few hours later, four dome tents were set up with nearly a hundred occupants each. Cook fires were started and the Silverleaf family was finally settling down. Quinn had been very pleased to learn that many of the older family members had very useful skills. Nearly half of the women were under the age of 30, quite young by High Elf standards. They seemed happy to escape a life of forced marriage. In the end Quinn had given all of them the choice of staying in Zi'Fendyl or becoming a Silverleaf and moving to Ravenwood. Everyone had chosen to take the Silverleaf name.
Quinn had called an all-hands meeting at the Town Hall. The Songbirds were attending via holo, they had already arrived in Pearl. Mojo was the last to arrive, she had her arm around a sleek black panther that was nearly her height. Her face lit up when she spotted Quinn.
Mojo ignored everyone else and hugged Quinn close. "Thank you Quinn, I hadn't even heard of a Shadowfiend pet before."
"You're welcome..." Mojo smiled as her cat pushed against Quinn. "Her name is Bali."
"Um.. Jali and Bali? That seems a bit.." Quinn glanced up at the happy faces of Mojo and Leah.
Leah wrinkled her freckled nose at him, "we didn't name them Quinn, they already had names."
"Oh I see.. let's get this meeting started then." Quinn moved to the table and took the seat between Pops and Tal. Mojo and Leah unsummoned their cats and sat down also.
"Let's talk about the money first Pops, what did you find out?" Quinn knew if he didn't let Pops talk, the old bastard would sulk for days.
Pops operated the table hud and displayed four names. "These are the people that are steadily buying up war supplies. They do so in a random pattern so as not to draw attention to themselves. They also use others to make purchases on their behalf, but I was able to uncover everything."
"These Heroes are funding a rebellion? Toward what end?" Yu had officially joined the Fora Development group, although she was told not to air any of her recordings yet.
"This is Yu by the way, she's part of the team now." Quinn smiled at the spikey haired rogue. "My first guess would be power. The same reason they went after Innisfrae."
Remmy frowned, "they are trying to upset the balance of power to grab more for themselves?"
Pops shrugged and closed his hud, " no idea, but following the money gives us suspects."
"This whole thing is fishy." Ren spoke from one of the table holos.
Quinn knew that Ren's mind was incredible, she had great intuition. "What do you mean?"
"Was Tempered Frost on your list anywhere Pops?" Ren had her hair down, it made her look more mature.
"Yes.. How do you know that name?" Pops had come across the name in a few purchases, but not enough to develop a solid trail.
"That's the name of the Shade Priest I assassinated at the The Hotel De Chaunce'," Quinn waited for her to continue.
"Four of the people involved are from Quinn's Hitlist. I bet if you cross-reference, you might find something even more interesting." Ren favored Quinn with a small smile, she loved helping him.
Mojo operated her hud and checked the hitlist against Pops suspect list. "Everyone one of them is on Quinn's hitlist."
"So that is seven names involved in this conspiracy and all seven are on Quinn's list." Ren's pretty face showed concern, "he's being directed."
Mojo pursed her lips as she listened. "The Hitlists come from your hero directorate, someone there is trying to prevent this group from grabbing too much power. They are using Quinn to slow their progress."
"A powerful TAP class is discovered. A bit of research shows that the player had godly skills." Jinn glanced at Quinn, her affection for him evident on her face.
Ro-Ro nodded, "so Quinn becomes their club."
Quinn whistled. "It's a good theory. Honestly, I don't mind being someone else's club, as long as the person getting smacked deserves it.
Remmy nodded, she didn't follow some of the reasoning, but she understood that Quinn was the tiger tasked with chasing off the wolves. "I will help Quinn, whatever you need."
"There's a bit more though.. right Quinn?" Tal had waited for him to speak, this wasn't something he should hold back.
Quinn sighed, "Open your generational book Yaya."
Yaya nodded and opened on the table.
"What do you see?" Quinn knew that Yaya was very intelligent.
"I see an absence of male births." Yaya continued to stare at the pages.
"If you estimate when males should have been born, what else do you see?" Quinn knew it was better if she figured it out.
"Um.. well here there's a drowning. Then here there's a Zeppelin crash." Yaya continued to read the pages, "there are eight instances of pregnant women disappearing in accidents."
"Those women disappeared and their bodies never recovered." Quinn had read it three times trying to see the pattern.
Yaya's face paled slightly, "are you saying that someone was killing the women who were pregnant with boys?"
Quinn shook his head, "I doubt they are even dead."
"Not dead..." Yaya stared at Quinn.
"You said your father died when you were younger, I'm guessing he disappeared in some sort of mishap." Quinn closed the book and slid it back to Yaya.
"Quinn, are you saying that my father is behind the rebellion?" Yaya seemed more curious then upset.
"Probably not, my guess would be your grandfather." Quinn scratched his chin, this was the only piece that didn't fit.
"He disappeared while fishing, presumably he drowned....." Yaya had been shocked by the news.
Quinn Shook his head, "probably not Yaya. Besides the Chamyl family, who has the strongest case for the throne?"
Yaya hung her head, staring at the book in her hands. "The Greenleaf family. My great grandmother was the King's older sister."
"The missing piece for a rebellion.... legitimacy." Quinn watched the time mage, she seemed shocked more than anything.
"So he abandoned us.. knowing we would be married off and separated." Yaya shook her head in disbelief, "while making sure to snatch up all the male family members who could carry on the family name."
"It's only a theory at this point Yaya, it isn't a certainty." Quinn reached across the table and grabbed her hand.
"This is why you insisted on taking everyone to Ravenwood," Yaya smiled at him. "You were worried about our safety.
Quinn nodded, "As a Silverleaf you are untouchable. That doesn't mean some disgruntled noble wouldn't make an attempt."
The meeting went on for a few more minutes before Quinn called an end to it. The Songbirds would continue to investigate the group behind the rebellion. Yayia would help settle the new members of the Silverleaf family.
Yaya walked around the table and hugged Quinn close. She kissed his cheek several times before finally leaving. Mojo walked out with her.
Leah seemed disappointed when Quinn said he had to log off, however Tal assured her that he would be back in a few hours. Tal hugged Leah and logged off.
"We'll figure out something to do with the Silvertree family." Leah shook her head in amazement as she stepped closer and kissed him. "Love you Quinn."
"Love you too Leah. Log-Off TAP."
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
"Fronting a rebellion, what kind of things would that entail?" Quinn was paging through the generational book that Yaya had showed them.
"For starters, lots of manpower." Tal had her rifle out, she was showing it to Lucky.
"Yep, what else?" Quinn continued to carefully turn pages.
"Money... credits.. bling bling." Yu was all smiles, this was the first time she had ever enjoyed actually playing TAP.
Quinn nodded at the spiky haired rogue, she was very easy to like. He opened his hud, a moment later the wrinkled face of Pop's stared out at him. "Quinn my son!"
Quinn could tell he was at the Songbird tavern. "Pops I need you to do some digging. Someone is fronting a rebellion, find out who has the resources to do so."
Pop pursed his lips carefully, "can I rule out Fora and Concert Hall?"
"Yes. Let me know when you have something." Quinn cut comm and turned his attention back to the book.
Tal's pretty blue eyes watched Quinn. He'd figured something out, but he didn't want to say yet. It must be in the book. "Can I see that Little Q?"
"Yep," he handed Tal the thick book and stretched his hands over his head. "You married yet Lucky?"
The silver haired princess blushed as she looked at him. "What? No, of course not."
"Oh I see. Have you someone special?" She reminded him of Ren, it was too tempting to tease her a bit.
"How many wives do you plan on having?" Lucky stared back at him, "there's at least three right?" The princess knew who Mora Jol was, and also Leah Fintree. She hadn't heard about Tal, but the bond between them was clearly that of lovers.
Tal shot Lucky an approving look, "nice counter."
"Wait.. Do you know Mora Jol?" Quinn narrowed his eyes, it was unlikely they had ever met.
"Dark Elf princess, recently became the sole inheritor of the crown?" Lucky smiled, her fine elfin features unreadable. "Do you have a nickname for her too?"
"Mojo," Quinn admitted.
There was a knock at the door and a guardsman dressed in gold stepped into the doorway. "Please follow me."
Tal handed the book back to Yayia and slid a hand through Quinn's arm. They walked out together, followed by Yu.
Yayia hung back with the princess. "I'll talk with Quinn and make him stop with the nickname."
"No, I really don't mind at all." Lucky enjoyed spending time with this group, they treated her like a real person.
**********
Quinn stood beside Yayia as the council took their seats. Yu, Lucky and Tal were ushered to one side.
Lucky leaned over to Tal and whispered in her ear, "he wasn't serious right?"
Tal laughed, "probably not."
Lucky sat back and gave sigh of relief. Quinn had asked her which one of the council members would it be okay to shoot. She had answered without thinking, "my oldest brother Shae."
Quinn surprised the time mage by holding her hand, they stood patiently as the High Elf King finally seated himself. There were nine seats in all. The King held the center seat and ruled the council. His eldest son sat on his right, the rest of the seats were held by the noble families. On the far right side, there was an empty seat. Yaya had mentioned that this was her families seat. She had sat there until recently. When she left to join Mojo, one of her sisters had taken her place. With the death of the last male from her line, the seat was now vacant.
"The council chamber is now called to order, his Royal Majesty King Vandir Chamyl is presiding." Shae announced the council members one by one. It was obvious why Lucky had volunteered her eldest brother's name, Quinn found him to be very douche-like.
Quinn stood patiently as Shae announced today's agenda. Apparently being blonde was the prevalent look among the high elves. They ranged from the silver haired Lucky, to a nearly brown sort of dirty blond. There were no brunettes or redheads. Quinn and Yu stood out in the crowded room.
Shae was tall and thin. His eyebrows pointed upwards. His pointy chin and nose reminded Quinn of Jangles. His pale blue eyes focused on Yayia. "We will start first with the Nameless. Yayia, your family will become part of the Orlani family. They have several eligible men of marrying age for..."
"Nonsense." Quinn gripped Yayia's hand tighter, he could tell that she was scared.
All the eyes in the room were drawn to Quinn when he interrupted Prince Shae.
Shae stared at Quinn, his pointy face showing irritation. "What is the meaning of this?" Shae spoke directly to Yayia, refusing to look at Quinn.
Quinn held his hand up before the time mage could answer. "It means Yaya Silverleaf isn't some nameless person that you can order around."
"Members of the High Council, this hero has adopted the nameless family in question." Lucky had approached while Quinn was talking to her brother. She stood next to him, "their family name is now Silverleaf."
"Impossible, he holds no authority to do such a thing." Shae slammed his hand on the table in front of him. "Yayia if you do not immediately comply with our wishes, we shall forcibly remove y.."
Quinn's laugh interrupted him once again. "You think you can take Yaya? Hilarious words... I dare you to try."
Shae glanced at his father and the seated council members."What is that suppose to mean?"
Quinn let go of Yaya and rested his hands comfortably on his guns. "It means, that if you attempt such a ridiculous thing, I shall pull this building down around your pointy little ears."
"Is that some sort of veiled threat?" The council member on the other side of the King spoke. She wore a shimmering gold gown, from the introductions Quinn remembered that her name was Saffron.
"Did I veil that? That wasn't my intent." Quinn glanced at Yaya beside him. "Let's unveil it then."
*Quickdraw*
Quinn drew so quickly, none on the council were able to follow the movement. He calmly looked down the barrels of his guns. "Who's first?"
"Q.. please don't shoot anyone on the council." Lucky bit her lip to keep from smiling, both guns were pointed at her brother.
"I'll just shoot this one... that way negotiations will go better." Quinn waited, but only because he had promised Yaya he'd be reasonable.
"Sit down Shae." The High Elf King finally spoke, he hadn't flinched when Quinn had drawn his guns. "Please put those away Q."
"Hmm.. In the interest of diplomacy, I'll put one of them away." He grabbed Yaya's hand again with his free hand, but kept his left pistol trained on Shae.
The King nodded, "good enough." Not that it mattered, he had seen how fast Q could draw.
"Your Majesty, this person represents Fora. It doesn't seem prudent to argue with someone of his stature, over such a small matter." Surprisingly Saffron spoke up in Quinn's favor.
"Father we have rules that must be abided by." Shae had sat down, but he had no intention of losing the argument. "She's not an official member of the Silverleaf family, no matter what they say."
"Yayia, please kneel." Quinn moved in front of the time mage and waited as she knelt down.
The time mage noticed that he used her actual name. She knew he could knight others under certain conditions, but what was he planning now? She knelt on one knee.
"Display your name please." Quinn patted her head gently, it was smooth as silk.
Yayia (Nameless)
Level 83
Time Mage
Race: High Elf
Quinn stepped back and drew his sword. The finely engraved silver blade pulsed with power when he drew it out. He placed the blade gently on her shoulder.
"You are a fine person. A beautiful woman of high intelligence, who is both thoughtful and caring. This is a trait that you share with all of your family members. It is my honor to bring you and your family into the Silverleaf family. I give you the name Yaya Silverleaf. You shall do what you wish, love who you want and marry whomever suits you best. If such a life pleases you, then say I accept."
"I accept." Yayia was crying softly, although she did her best to hide it. Such a thing would be impossible.
A golden glow enveloped the time mage, it last for several moments before fading away.
Quinn put the sword back into his inventory. I'll just shoot Shae if this doesn't work, he thought to himself. "Display your name again Yaya."
Yaya Silverleaf (Noble)
Level 83
Time Mage
Race: High Elf
System Message: You have established the Noble family name of Silverleaf. You may grant this name to any person of your choosing.
Quinn took a step back and faced the council. He remembered back to the Halfling Escape and the message signifying that new NPC Assassin abilities had been discovered. He hadn't expected to use the additional effect of Foreign Prince so soon.
TAP: NPC Assassin
Skill Name: Hiding in Plain Site Level 3
Description: Enables character to assume 5
basic NPC identities, Guardsman, Shopkeeper,
Diplomat, Dock Worker and Foreign Prince. Character
cannot initiate or take part in combat while using this
skill. While Diplomat is active, Charisma is
increased by +30.
Additional Effect: You may use the abilities of Foreign Prince without changing form.
The council stared at Quinn and Yaya for a few moments.
"I move to recognize the name Silverleaf and drop any further actions regarding this matter." Saffron carefully studied Q, the recently widowed high elf liked everything about him.
The High Elf King had watched the proceedings carefully. Q had the abilities of a sitting royal. According to the guards he had questioned, his fighting abilities were many times higher than they had been lead to believe.
The members of the audience quietly murmured amongst themselves while the council deliberated
"Did you see that quickness?"
"A flash of silver and both guns were out."
"He must be a sitting royal right?"
A few minutes later the council unanimously decided to recognize the Silverleaf line.
Saffron took over the the role of speaker, while Shae sulked quietly, refusing to look at Quinn. "We also would like to thank you for rescuing Princess Luca. From what we understand you saved her from the rebels."
"We haven't questioned all the witnesses yet, some of the accounts are bound to have been exaggerated." Shae wasn't willing to concede that Q had done anything noteworthy.
"I was involved, but it was definitely a result of my team's hard work." Quinn turned and motioned for Tal and Yu to join them.
The audience watched as the two women approached him. One had one metallic leg that clicked slightly when she walked. The other had short dark hair and a wildly exotic face.
Quinn introduced them while they were walking up. "This is Tal and Yu, they are both part of the Fora Development Group."
"If it pleases the council, I have a suitable recording of the events on the Zeppelin." Yu had been busy editing since the fighting had stopped. It wasn't her best work, but it would give a good accounting of what happened. She had borrowed feeds from everyone's cam and blended them into a cohesive event.
The High Elf King looked at her in surprise, "please use the council table hud. I want to see who dares take my daughter."
Yu loaded the edited footage on the council's hud and enlarged it so everyone could see it properly. It started from the initial explosion and proceeded through most of the events. The audience was shocked at how fierce and organized the group from Fora was. They cheered when Tal managed to raise her rifle and shoot the Dark Robed Man. They gasped in horror when the princess chose to throw herself overboard rather then be taken. A flash of silver and brown made them cheer again as Quinn escaped with the Princess. The recording ended with the explosion of the second Zeppelin.
Yu stepped back next to Tal after the recording finished. She could have done better with a bit more time, but they were absolutely stunned. Even the King was speechless.
Saffron stood and bowed toward the group. "Thank you. That was Erlynd Vesurvi, a man responsible for many deaths."
The rest of the council also stood and gave thanks. The King shook hands with each member of the group. Lucky was holding on to Tal and Quinn, she was smiling and laughing as the group chatted with the council.
*************
Quinn gulped and wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. "How many?"
Yaya smiled sweetly, "Three hundred and eighty-five." Yaya had been shocked when Quinn had told her that he wanted every member of her family to leave with them immediately. He was very adamant about leaving no one behind.
They had received permission to use the Royal City portal, an event unheard by anyone. Lucky had protested the most when the group from Fora decided to leave after the small banquet. Quinn had placated her by promising they'd be back in a week. He had painstakingly added each of the 385 people to the permissions list on Ravenwood.
"Why Ravenwood and not Fora HQ?" Yaya knew that Ravenwood could comfortably support several tens of thousands of people, but what was Quinn thinking?
Quinn sighed at the number of people. He formally gave them each the name Silverleaf and before anyone could protest he herded them through the portal.
Leah was riding around the courtyard fountain when the group of nearly four hundred came through the portal. If Leah was shocked at seeing them, they were even more shocked.
Quinn stepped forward. "What the heck is that?" The beautiful redhead was riding on a sleek black panther that was nearly the size of a horse.
Leah slid off the panther and ran towards Quinn. To the horror of the people behind him, the panther followed. She kissed Quinn a few times before letting him go. "Thank you Quinn, I love it!"
Quinn stared at the beast, "wait.. is this the cat pet I sent you?"
Leah nodded and put her hand out, it came to her very obedient. "Her name is Jali."
Jali stepped closed to Quinn and rubbed her head against his chest. He could feel the vibration of the big cat purring.
Quinn scratched Jali behind her ears, "she's kinda pretty."
"I'm not really sure what she can do yet, or even if she has a level." Leah looked at the group behind Quinn, of course they were all women. "Did you raid someone's harem?"
Yaya laughed from behind Quinn. "Leah these are my family members, Quinn seems to have adopted everyone. Myself included."
"....." Leah.
"Time to work Miss Fintree, I need basic supplies for nearly four hundred people. We can use the Red Dome tents to house them temporarily. I"ll explain everything, but help me get them settled first."
Leah nodded, "yes sir."
*********
A few hours later, four dome tents were set up with nearly a hundred occupants each. Cook fires were started and the Silverleaf family was finally settling down. Quinn had been very pleased to learn that many of the older family members had very useful skills. Nearly half of the women were under the age of 30, quite young by High Elf standards. They seemed happy to escape a life of forced marriage. In the end Quinn had given all of them the choice of staying in Zi'Fendyl or becoming a Silverleaf and moving to Ravenwood. Everyone had chosen to take the Silverleaf name.
Quinn had called an all-hands meeting at the Town Hall. The Songbirds were attending via holo, they had already arrived in Pearl. Mojo was the last to arrive, she had her arm around a sleek black panther that was nearly her height. Her face lit up when she spotted Quinn.
Mojo ignored everyone else and hugged Quinn close. "Thank you Quinn, I hadn't even heard of a Shadowfiend pet before."
"You're welcome..." Mojo smiled as her cat pushed against Quinn. "Her name is Bali."
"Um.. Jali and Bali? That seems a bit.." Quinn glanced up at the happy faces of Mojo and Leah.
Leah wrinkled her freckled nose at him, "we didn't name them Quinn, they already had names."
"Oh I see.. let's get this meeting started then." Quinn moved to the table and took the seat between Pops and Tal. Mojo and Leah unsummoned their cats and sat down also.
"Let's talk about the money first Pops, what did you find out?" Quinn knew if he didn't let Pops talk, the old bastard would sulk for days.
Pops operated the table hud and displayed four names. "These are the people that are steadily buying up war supplies. They do so in a random pattern so as not to draw attention to themselves. They also use others to make purchases on their behalf, but I was able to uncover everything."
"These Heroes are funding a rebellion? Toward what end?" Yu had officially joined the Fora Development group, although she was told not to air any of her recordings yet.
"This is Yu by the way, she's part of the team now." Quinn smiled at the spikey haired rogue. "My first guess would be power. The same reason they went after Innisfrae."
Remmy frowned, "they are trying to upset the balance of power to grab more for themselves?"
Pops shrugged and closed his hud, " no idea, but following the money gives us suspects."
"This whole thing is fishy." Ren spoke from one of the table holos.
Quinn knew that Ren's mind was incredible, she had great intuition. "What do you mean?"
"Was Tempered Frost on your list anywhere Pops?" Ren had her hair down, it made her look more mature.
"Yes.. How do you know that name?" Pops had come across the name in a few purchases, but not enough to develop a solid trail.
"That's the name of the Shade Priest I assassinated at the The Hotel De Chaunce'," Quinn waited for her to continue.
"Four of the people involved are from Quinn's Hitlist. I bet if you cross-reference, you might find something even more interesting." Ren favored Quinn with a small smile, she loved helping him.
Mojo operated her hud and checked the hitlist against Pops suspect list. "Everyone one of them is on Quinn's hitlist."
"So that is seven names involved in this conspiracy and all seven are on Quinn's list." Ren's pretty face showed concern, "he's being directed."
Mojo pursed her lips as she listened. "The Hitlists come from your hero directorate, someone there is trying to prevent this group from grabbing too much power. They are using Quinn to slow their progress."
"A powerful TAP class is discovered. A bit of research shows that the player had godly skills." Jinn glanced at Quinn, her affection for him evident on her face.
Ro-Ro nodded, "so Quinn becomes their club."
Quinn whistled. "It's a good theory. Honestly, I don't mind being someone else's club, as long as the person getting smacked deserves it.
Remmy nodded, she didn't follow some of the reasoning, but she understood that Quinn was the tiger tasked with chasing off the wolves. "I will help Quinn, whatever you need."
"There's a bit more though.. right Quinn?" Tal had waited for him to speak, this wasn't something he should hold back.
Quinn sighed, "Open your generational book Yaya."
Yaya nodded and opened on the table.
"What do you see?" Quinn knew that Yaya was very intelligent.
"I see an absence of male births." Yaya continued to stare at the pages.
"If you estimate when males should have been born, what else do you see?" Quinn knew it was better if she figured it out.
"Um.. well here there's a drowning. Then here there's a Zeppelin crash." Yaya continued to read the pages, "there are eight instances of pregnant women disappearing in accidents."
"Those women disappeared and their bodies never recovered." Quinn had read it three times trying to see the pattern.
Yaya's face paled slightly, "are you saying that someone was killing the women who were pregnant with boys?"
Quinn shook his head, "I doubt they are even dead."
"Not dead..." Yaya stared at Quinn.
"You said your father died when you were younger, I'm guessing he disappeared in some sort of mishap." Quinn closed the book and slid it back to Yaya.
"Quinn, are you saying that my father is behind the rebellion?" Yaya seemed more curious then upset.
"Probably not, my guess would be your grandfather." Quinn scratched his chin, this was the only piece that didn't fit.
"He disappeared while fishing, presumably he drowned....." Yaya had been shocked by the news.
Quinn Shook his head, "probably not Yaya. Besides the Chamyl family, who has the strongest case for the throne?"
Yaya hung her head, staring at the book in her hands. "The Greenleaf family. My great grandmother was the King's older sister."
"The missing piece for a rebellion.... legitimacy." Quinn watched the time mage, she seemed shocked more than anything.
"So he abandoned us.. knowing we would be married off and separated." Yaya shook her head in disbelief, "while making sure to snatch up all the male family members who could carry on the family name."
"It's only a theory at this point Yaya, it isn't a certainty." Quinn reached across the table and grabbed her hand.
"This is why you insisted on taking everyone to Ravenwood," Yaya smiled at him. "You were worried about our safety.
Quinn nodded, "As a Silverleaf you are untouchable. That doesn't mean some disgruntled noble wouldn't make an attempt."
The meeting went on for a few more minutes before Quinn called an end to it. The Songbirds would continue to investigate the group behind the rebellion. Yayia would help settle the new members of the Silverleaf family.
Yaya walked around the table and hugged Quinn close. She kissed his cheek several times before finally leaving. Mojo walked out with her.
Leah seemed disappointed when Quinn said he had to log off, however Tal assured her that he would be back in a few hours. Tal hugged Leah and logged off.
"We'll figure out something to do with the Silvertree family." Leah shook her head in amazement as she stepped closer and kissed him. "Love you Quinn."
"Love you too Leah. Log-Off TAP."
"Fronting a rebellion, what kind of things would that entail?" Quinn was paging through the generational book that Yaya had showed them."For starters, lots of manpower." Tal had her rifle out, she was showing it to Lucky."Yep, what else?" Quinn continued to carefully turn pages."Money... credits.. bling bling." Yu was all smiles, this was the first time she had ever enjoyed actually playing TAP.Quinn nodded at the spiky haired rogue, she was very easy to like. He opened his hud, a moment later the wrinkled face of Pop's stared out at him. "Quinn my son!"Quinn could tell he was at the Songbird tavern. "Pops I need you to do some digging. Someone is fronting a rebellion, find out who has the resources to do so."Pop pursed his lips carefully, "can I rule out Fora and Concert Hall?""Yes. Let me know when you have something." Quinn cut comm and turned his attention back to the book.Tal's pretty blue eyes watched Quinn. He'd figured something out, but he didn't want to say yet. It must be in the book. "Can I see that Little Q?""Yep," he handed Tal the thick book and stretched his hands over his head. "You married yet Lucky?"The silver haired princess blushed as she looked at him. "What? No, of course not.""Oh I see. Have you someone special?" She reminded him of Ren, it was too tempting to tease her a bit."How many wives do you plan on having?" Lucky stared back at him, "there's at least three right?" The princess knew who Mora Jol was, and also Leah Fintree. She hadn't heard about Tal, but the bond between them was clearly that of lovers.Tal shot Lucky an approving look, "nice counter.""Wait.. Do you know Mora Jol?" Quinn narrowed his eyes, it was unlikely they had ever met."Dark Elf princess, recently became the sole inheritor of the crown?" Lucky smiled, her fine elfin features unreadable. "Do you have a nickname for her too?""Mojo," Quinn admitted.There was a knock at the door and a guardsman dressed in gold stepped into the doorway. "Please follow me."Tal handed the book back to Yayia and slid a hand through Quinn's arm. They walked out together, followed by Yu.Yayia hung back with the princess. "I'll talk with Quinn and make him stop with the nickname.""No, I really don't mind at all." Lucky enjoyed spending time with this group, they treated her like a real person.**********Quinn stood beside Yayia as the council took their seats. Yu, Lucky and Tal were ushered to one side.Lucky leaned over to Tal and whispered in her ear, "he wasn't serious right?"Tal laughed, "probably not."Lucky sat back and gave sigh of relief. Quinn had asked her which one of the council members would it be okay to shoot. She had answered without thinking, "my oldest brother Shae."Quinn surprised the time mage by holding her hand, they stood patiently as the High Elf King finally seated himself. There were nine seats in all. The King held the center seat and ruled the council. His eldest son sat on his right, the rest of the seats were held by the noble families. On the far right side, there was an empty seat. Yaya had mentioned that this was her families seat. She had sat there until recently. When she left to join Mojo, one of her sisters had taken her place. With the death of the last male from her line, the seat was now vacant."The council chamber is now called to order, his Royal Majesty King Vandir Chamyl is presiding." Shae announced the council members one by one. It was obvious why Lucky had volunteered her eldest brother's name, Quinn found him to be very douche-like.Quinn stood patiently as Shae announced today's agenda. Apparently being blonde was the prevalent look among the high elves. They ranged from the silver haired Lucky, to a nearly brown sort of dirty blond. There were no brunettes or redheads. Quinn and Yu stood out in the crowded room.Shae was tall and thin. His eyebrows pointed upwards. His pointy chin and nose reminded Quinn of Jangles. His pale blue eyes focused on Yayia. "We will start first with the Nameless. Yayia, your family will become part of the Orlani family. They have several eligible men of marrying age for...""Nonsense." Quinn gripped Yayia's hand tighter, he could tell that she was scared.All the eyes in the room were drawn to Quinn when he interrupted Prince Shae.Shae stared at Quinn, his pointy face showing irritation. "What is the meaning of this?" Shae spoke directly to Yayia, refusing to look at Quinn.Quinn held his hand up before the time mage could answer. "It means Yaya Silverleaf isn't some nameless person that you can order around.""Members of the High Council, this hero has adopted the nameless family in question." Lucky had approached while Quinn was talking to her brother. She stood next to him, "their family name is now Silverleaf.""Impossible, he holds no authority to do such a thing." Shae slammed his hand on the table in front of him. "Yayia if you do not immediately comply with our wishes, we shall forcibly remove y.."Quinn's laugh interrupted him once again. "You think you can take Yaya? Hilarious words... I dare you to try."Shae glanced at his father and the seated council members."What is that suppose to mean?"Quinn let go of Yaya and rested his hands comfortably on his guns. "It means, that if you attempt such a ridiculous thing, I shall pull this building down around your pointy little ears.""Is that some sort of veiled threat?" The council member on the other side of the King spoke. She wore a shimmering gold gown, from the introductions Quinn remembered that her name was Saffron."Did I veil that? That wasn't my intent." Quinn glanced at Yaya beside him. "Let's unveil it then."*Quickdraw*Quinn drew so quickly, none on the council were able to follow the movement. He calmly looked down the barrels of his guns. "Who's first?""Q.. please don't shoot anyone on the council." Lucky bit her lip to keep from smiling, both guns were pointed at her brother."I'll just shoot this one... that way negotiations will go better." Quinn waited, but only because he had promised Yaya he'd be reasonable."Sit down Shae." The High Elf King finally spoke, he hadn't flinched when Quinn had drawn his guns. "Please put those away Q.""Hmm.. In the interest of diplomacy, I'll put one of them away." He grabbed Yaya's hand again with his free hand, but kept his left pistol trained on Shae.The King nodded, "good enough." Not that it mattered, he had seen how fast Q could draw."Your Majesty, this person represents Fora. It doesn't seem prudent to argue with someone of his stature, over such a small matter." Surprisingly Saffron spoke up in Quinn's favor."Father we have rules that must be abided by." Shae had sat down, but he had no intention of losing the argument. "She's not an official member of the Silverleaf family, no matter what they say.""Yayia, please kneel." Quinn moved in front of the time mage and waited as she knelt down.The time mage noticed that he used her actual name. She knew he could knight others under certain conditions, but what was he planning now? She knelt on one knee."Display your name please." Quinn patted her head gently, it was smooth as silk.Yayia NamelessLevel 83Time MageRace: High ElfQuinn stepped back and drew his sword. The finely engraved silver blade pulsed with power when he drew it out. He placed the blade gently on her shoulder."You are a fine person. A beautiful woman of high intelligence, who is both thoughtful and caring. This is a trait that you share with all of your family members. It is my honor to bring you and your family into the Silverleaf family. I give you the name Yaya Silverleaf. You shall do what you wish, love who you want and marry whomever suits you best. If such a life pleases you, then say I accept.""I accept." Yayia was crying softly, although she did her best to hide it. Such a thing would be impossible.A golden glow enveloped the time mage, it last for several moments before fading away.Quinn put the sword back into his inventory. I'll just shoot Shae if this doesn't work, he thought to himself. "Display your name again Yaya."Yaya Silverleaf NobleLevel 83Time MageRace: High ElfSystem Message: You have established the Noble family name of Silverleaf. You may grant this name to any person of your choosing.Quinn took a step back and faced the council. He remembered back to the Halfling Escape and the message signifying that new NPC Assassin abilities had been discovered. He hadn't expected to use the additional effect of Foreign Prince so soon.TAP: NPC AssassinSkill Name: Hiding in Plain Site Level 3Description: Enables character to assume 5basic NPC identities, Guardsman, Shopkeeper,Diplomat, Dock Worker and Foreign Prince. Charactercannot initiate or take part in combat while using thisskill. While Diplomat is active, Charisma isincreased by +30.Additional Effect: You may use the abilities of Foreign Prince without changing form.The council stared at Quinn and Yaya for a few moments."I move to recognize the name Silverleaf and drop any further actions regarding this matter." Saffron carefully studied Q, the recently widowed high elf liked everything about him.The High Elf King had watched the proceedings carefully. Q had the abilities of a sitting royal. According to the guards he had questioned, his fighting abilities were many times higher than they had been lead to believe.The members of the audience quietly murmured amongst themselves while the council deliberated"Did you see that quickness?""A flash of silver and both guns were out.""He must be a sitting royal right?"A few minutes later the council unanimously decided to recognize the Silverleaf line.Saffron took over the the role of speaker, while Shae sulked quietly, refusing to look at Quinn. "We also would like to thank you for rescuing Princess Luca. From what we understand you saved her from the rebels.""We haven't questioned all the witnesses yet, some of the accounts are bound to have been exaggerated." Shae wasn't willing to concede that Q had done anything noteworthy."I was involved, but it was definitely a result of my team's hard work." Quinn turned and motioned for Tal and Yu to join them.The audience watched as the two women approached him. One had one metallic leg that clicked slightly when she walked. The other had short dark hair and a wildly exotic face.Quinn introduced them while they were walking up. "This is Tal and Yu, they are both part of the Fora Development Group.""If it pleases the council, I have a suitable recording of the events on the Zeppelin." Yu had been busy editing since the fighting had stopped. It wasn't her best work, but it would give a good accounting of what happened. She had borrowed feeds from everyone's cam and blended them into a cohesive event.The High Elf King looked at her in surprise, "please use the council table hud. I want to see who dares take my daughter."Yu loaded the edited footage on the council's hud and enlarged it so everyone could see it properly. It started from the initial explosion and proceeded through most of the events. The audience was shocked at how fierce and organized the group from Fora was. They cheered when Tal managed to raise her rifle and shoot the Dark Robed Man. They gasped in horror when the princess chose to throw herself overboard rather then be taken. A flash of silver and brown made them cheer again as Quinn escaped with the Princess. The recording ended with the explosion of the second Zeppelin.Yu stepped back next to Tal after the recording finished. She could have done better with a bit more time, but they were absolutely stunned. Even the King was speechless.Saffron stood and bowed toward the group. "Thank you. That was Erlynd Vesurvi, a man responsible for many deaths."The rest of the council also stood and gave thanks. The King shook hands with each member of the group. Lucky was holding on to Tal and Quinn, she was smiling and laughing as the group chatted with the council.*************Quinn gulped and wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. "How many?"Yaya smiled sweetly, "Three hundred and eighty-five." Yaya had been shocked when Quinn had told her that he wanted every member of her family to leave with them immediately. He was very adamant about leaving no one behind.They had received permission to use the Royal City portal, an event unheard by anyone. Lucky had protested the most when the group from Fora decided to leave after the small banquet. Quinn had placated her by promising they'd be back in a week. He had painstakingly added each of the 385 people to the permissions list on Ravenwood."Why Ravenwood and not Fora HQ?" Yaya knew that Ravenwood could comfortably support several tens of thousands of people, but what was Quinn thinking?Quinn sighed at the number of people. He formally gave them each the name Silverleaf and before anyone could protest he herded them through the portal.Leah was riding around the courtyard fountain when the group of nearly four hundred came through the portal. If Leah was shocked at seeing them, they were even more shocked.Quinn stepped forward. "What the heck is that?" The beautiful redhead was riding on a sleek black panther that was nearly the size of a horse.Leah slid off the panther and ran towards Quinn. To the horror of the people behind him, the panther followed. She kissed Quinn a few times before letting him go. "Thank you Quinn, I love it!"Quinn stared at the beast, "wait.. is this the cat pet I sent you?"Leah nodded and put her hand out, it came to her very obedient. "Her name is Jali."Jali stepped closed to Quinn and rubbed her head against his chest. He could feel the vibration of the big cat purring.Quinn scratched Jali behind her ears, "she's kinda pretty.""I'm not really sure what she can do yet, or even if she has a level." Leah looked at the group behind Quinn, of course they were all women. "Did you raid someone's harem?"Yaya laughed from behind Quinn. "Leah these are my family members, Quinn seems to have adopted everyone. Myself included.""....." Leah."Time to work Miss Fintree, I need basic supplies for nearly four hundred people. We can use the Red Dome tents to house them temporarily. I"ll explain everything, but help me get them settled first."Leah nodded, "yes sir."*********A few hours later, four dome tents were set up with nearly a hundred occupants each. Cook fires were started and the Silverleaf family was finally settling down. Quinn had been very pleased to learn that many of the older family members had very useful skills. Nearly half of the women were under the age of 30, quite young by High Elf standards. They seemed happy to escape a life of forced marriage. In the end Quinn had given all of them the choice of staying in Zi'Fendyl or becoming a Silverleaf and moving to Ravenwood. Everyone had chosen to take the Silverleaf name.Quinn had called an all-hands meeting at the Town Hall. The Songbirds were attending via holo, they had already arrived in Pearl. Mojo was the last to arrive, she had her arm around a sleek black panther that was nearly her height. Her face lit up when she spotted Quinn.Mojo ignored everyone else and hugged Quinn close. "Thank you Quinn, I hadn't even heard of a Shadowfiend pet before.""You're welcome..." Mojo smiled as her cat pushed against Quinn. "Her name is Bali.""Um.. Jali and Bali? That seems a bit.." Quinn glanced up at the happy faces of Mojo and Leah.Leah wrinkled her freckled nose at him, "we didn't name them Quinn, they already had names.""Oh I see.. let's get this meeting started then." Quinn moved to the table and took the seat between Pops and Tal. Mojo and Leah unsummoned their cats and sat down also."Let's talk about the money first Pops, what did you find out?" Quinn knew if he didn't let Pops talk, the old bastard would sulk for days.Pops operated the table hud and displayed four names. "These are the people that are steadily buying up war supplies. They do so in a random pattern so as not to draw attention to themselves. They also use others to make purchases on their behalf, but I was able to uncover everything.""These Heroes are funding a rebellion? Toward what end?" Yu had officially joined the Fora Development group, although she was told not to air any of her recordings yet."This is Yu by the way, she's part of the team now." Quinn smiled at the spikey haired rogue. "My first guess would be power. The same reason they went after Innisfrae."Remmy frowned, "they are trying to upset the balance of power to grab more for themselves?"Pops shrugged and closed his hud, " no idea, but following the money gives us suspects.""This whole thing is fishy." Ren spoke from one of the table holos.Quinn knew that Ren's mind was incredible, she had great intuition. "What do you mean?""Was Tempered Frost on your list anywhere Pops?" Ren had her hair down, it made her look more mature."Yes.. How do you know that name?" Pops had come across the name in a few purchases, but not enough to develop a solid trail."That's the name of the Shade Priest I assassinated at the The Hotel De Chaunce'," Quinn waited for her to continue."Four of the people involved are from Quinn's Hitlist. I bet if you cross-reference, you might find something even more interesting." Ren favored Quinn with a small smile, she loved helping him.Mojo operated her hud and checked the hitlist against Pops suspect list. "Everyone one of them is on Quinn's hitlist.""So that is seven names involved in this conspiracy and all seven are on Quinn's list." Ren's pretty face showed concern, "he's being directed."Mojo pursed her lips as she listened. "The Hitlists come from your hero directorate, someone there is trying to prevent this group from grabbing too much power. They are using Quinn to slow their progress.""A powerful TAP class is discovered. A bit of research shows that the player had godly skills." Jinn glanced at Quinn, her affection for him evident on her face.Ro-Ro nodded, "so Quinn becomes their club."Quinn whistled. "It's a good theory. Honestly, I don't mind being someone else's club, as long as the person getting smacked deserves it.Remmy nodded, she didn't follow some of the reasoning, but she understood that Quinn was the tiger tasked with chasing off the wolves. "I will help Quinn, whatever you need.""There's a bit more though.. right Quinn?" Tal had waited for him to speak, this wasn't something he should hold back.Quinn sighed, "Open your generational book Yaya."Yaya nodded and opened on the table."What do you see?" Quinn knew that Yaya was very intelligent."I see an absence of male births." Yaya continued to stare at the pages."If you estimate when males should have been born, what else do you see?" Quinn knew it was better if she figured it out."Um.. well here there's a drowning. Then here there's a Zeppelin crash." Yaya continued to read the pages, "there are eight instances of pregnant women disappearing in accidents.""Those women disappeared and their bodies never recovered." Quinn had read it three times trying to see the pattern.Yaya's face paled slightly, "are you saying that someone was killing the women who were pregnant with boys?"Quinn shook his head, "I doubt they are even dead.""Not dead..." Yaya stared at Quinn."You said your father died when you were younger, I'm guessing he disappeared in some sort of mishap." Quinn closed the book and slid it back to Yaya."Quinn, are you saying that my father is behind the rebellion?" Yaya seemed more curious then upset."Probably not, my guess would be your grandfather." Quinn scratched his chin, this was the only piece that didn't fit."He disappeared while fishing, presumably he drowned....." Yaya had been shocked by the news.Quinn Shook his head, "probably not Yaya. Besides the Chamyl family, who has the strongest case for the throne?"Yaya hung her head, staring at the book in her hands. "The Greenleaf family. My great grandmother was the King's older sister.""The missing piece for a rebellion.... legitimacy." Quinn watched the time mage, she seemed shocked more than anything."So he abandoned us.. knowing we would be married off and separated." Yaya shook her head in disbelief, "while making sure to snatch up all the male family members who could carry on the family name.""It's only a theory at this point Yaya, it isn't a certainty." Quinn reached across the table and grabbed her hand."This is why you insisted on taking everyone to Ravenwood," Yaya smiled at him. "You were worried about our safety.Quinn nodded, "As a Silverleaf you are untouchable. That doesn't mean some disgruntled noble wouldn't make an attempt."The meeting went on for a few more minutes before Quinn called an end to it. The Songbirds would continue to investigate the group behind the rebellion. Yayia would help settle the new members of the Silverleaf family.Yaya walked around the table and hugged Quinn close. She kissed his cheek several times before finally leaving. Mojo walked out with her.Leah seemed disappointed when Quinn said he had to log off, however Tal assured her that he would be back in a few hours. Tal hugged Leah and logged off."We'll figure out something to do with the Silvertree family." Leah shook her head in amazement as she stepped closer and kissed him. "Love you Quinn.""Love you too Leah. Log-Off TAP."
