Chapter 2: Part 7 - A Change in Circumstances

It took the Marauders the better part of an hour to find Roan. Vasha rounded up the two norn quickly enough, but they were flustered and shaken, Haki particularly. He wouldn't say what he'd seen in Maille's illusions, but it was a long time before he finally put his weapons away and agreed to leave the Priory's lower level.

The corridor ringing the library was quiet. Vasha wondered if that was an illusion, too, just as the emptiness of Belldron's Guardholme had been. Were they still under Maille's influence, even now?

The upper reaches of the Priory were livelier. There were scholars in their usual places, and the trading floor was unusually busy. Vasha studied the new arrivals and realised a considerable number of them were members of other teams. What were they all doing here now?

And what was Roan doing, for that matter, talking to a team of asura?

It was the Nth Degree again; Vasha recognised them as she got closer. The asura with the dark grey skin was gesticulating wildly, whilst Roan stared at him with his arms folded. The gesticulations only got more pronounced as Vasha reached them.

"Ah, human! I was just saying to your charr colleague that I have information that might interest you."

Vasha glanced warily at Roan, but the charr barely seemed to be paying attention. His gaze was turned inward, his entire posture hunched and almost... defeated. It wasn't a word she associated with Roan.

"My name is Bikk," the asura went on, heedless that no-one had answered him. "We spoke earlier, on the slopes of the mountain. Do you recall our conversation? You seemed most perturbed that we'd had contact with a particular purple-hued sylvari–"

"I remember," Vasha said, interrupting him. "Did you find your steam creature?"

For the first time, Bikk's enthusiasm faltered. "That lead proved... inconclusive, you might say. Such a creature, and indeed such a weapon, may well exist–"

"But you couldn't find it."

"No, we could not. Your reaction to the sylvari who'd provided us with our clues troubled us deeply. We arrived here just a short while ago, to conduct our own investigations."

Finally, Vasha understood why the asura had sought Roan out. "You found something?"

Bikk looked jubilant. "The sylvari – Maille, I believe her name was? – isn't here. In fact, she hasn't been in the Durmand Priory for weeks. I interrogated several of the scholars here and confirmed that she is, in fact, on sabbatical in Rata Sum."

Roan twitched, but didn't speak. Vasha wondered if he'd chased the Maille impostor all this way, only for her to vanish. Had he seen who she really was beneath the illusion, or were they still in the dark over her real identity? Would Roan even tell them if he had?

She turned back to Bikk. "Thank you for your help. There's nothing we can offer you, but if you're ever in need of assistance, we'll do what we can."

Bikk opened his mouth, but one of his teammates tugged him away before he could speak. The four asura formed a huddle for a moment, then hurried off without a backward glance.

Vasha watched them go rather than look at Roan. His quiet was making her nervous; even being growled at was better than this.

It wasn't just the Nth Degree who were leaving. There had been at least four teams present, milling around the merchants and stalls of the Priory. Now, every one of them streamed towards the exit.

"They're going south," Gull said. Of all the Marauders, she seemed least bruised by their encounter with Maille. She stood a little apart, watching the teams leave. "There are more outside. Should we follow?"

Vasha looked helplessly at Roan, but he didn't reply. In fact, he was muttering to himself, which was hardly reassuring. "How do they know where to go? Why south?"

Gull shrugged. "Their clues must be leading them that way."

The same clues that had failed both the Nth Degree and her own team. If everyone else was going in the same direction, though...

"We don't have a choice," Vasha said. "If we stay here, we're going to get left behind. Let's follow the other teams and see where it takes us."

Gull nodded and strode off. Haki trailed after her, occasionally glancing nervously over his shoulder. Roan looked back once, still muttering to himself, then followed.

Vasha fell into step behind him. It still felt like her natural position amongst the Marauders, even if she inexplicably seemed to be the one giving orders. Neither of the norn had ever shown an inclination towards leadership; Vasha wasn't even sure Haki was in any fit state. As for Roan...

Suddenly decisive, Vasha pushed past the others to reach Gull. As they descended the Priory steps, Vasha leaned in close. "Have you ever seen Roan like this before?"

Gull glanced over her shoulder, then reluctantly nodded. "Just once. When his brother died."

For a moment, Vasha didn't know what to say. Roan's brother? She didn't know much about charr families, but she'd always imagined they were either solitary creatures like Roan, or bound to a warband through ties other than blood. Perhaps that was the kind of brotherhood Gull referred to.

"What happened?" she asked.

Gull shrugged. "You'd have to ask Roan. It's not my place to speak of it."

Fair enough, Vasha supposed. None of the Marauders had ever pried into her background; she'd never asked about theirs. It seemed safer that way. If Roan had fallen apart once before, though, and if there was any chance it could happen again... No, she still didn't want to know. She wasn't the leader of this team and the position of authority she found herself in could only be temporary. Roan would have to deal with his troubles on his own.

By the time they reached the road, many of the teams had drawn far ahead. There was an urgency to their movements that suggested more than them simply following their existing clues. In a flash of inspiration, Vasha pulled Yinn's invitation card from her pocket, angling it into the light. It lit up immediately.

"Greetings, participant." Yinn's voice coming from the card was tinny, but recognisable nonetheless. "If you're receiving this message, there has been a change of circumstances in the game, necessitating certain actions on your part. Please proceed south as quickly as possible, where further instructions will be waiting."

Gull looked over. "That solves one mystery. What 'circumstances', though?"

Yinn's disembodied voice hadn't finished. "You may be wondering what has caused this sudden change in the rules of the game. Unfortunately, I cannot provide further details at this time. I will only suggest that, in the future, participants should refrain from taking matters into their own hands. Nothing in this game occurs without a reason. I would cordially invite you to remember that."

There was a pause before the message started to repeat. Vasha shoved the card back into her pocket. What had Yinn been talking about? This entire game forced its players to 'take matters into their own hands'; as far as Vasha could see, it was the only way to stay alive, let alone to win. Yinn had sounded irritated, though, which suggested things weren't going the way he wanted them to. Had someone tried to get one over on him personally?

Thoughtfully, Vasha took the card out again. It was still playing the message. The second part sounded less formal than the first, as though it hadn't been prepared in advance. It wasn't just tinny, either. There was a echoic swishing sound behind Yinn's voice, accompanied by the faint cry of birds. Yinn wasn't back in Rata Sum, Vasha realised. He'd sent his message from out in the field, which meant he was in the Shiverpeaks right now.

And if those sounds around him were anything to go by... She knew exactly where they were heading next.