------------- Tales of The Raptors – Mistress Sabine

Hildy had promised them one more, after they’d hooked up with the Guild Lieutenant and the Zerth smuggler. The enforcer had his own dark story. None were even remotely willing to trust the Githzerai. And then there was the Rhadji dancer. Jay had almost killed her when they first met and now the poor girl knew that she had an identical twin out there who was a vicious, backstabbing spy for a band of villains called The Iron Coil. So, things couldn’t possibly get worse,… right? Yeah,… sure.

Hildy sent them to the south side of town, not far from the estates of the rich who didn’t get involved in Guild business. Jay stayed out of this one, as she was a bit too easy to spot on the streets, now with psionic trackers working for Fekesh. So it was Yashifa, Zheuretta, and Tieran, all in disguise, who went to meet their latest addition. Hildy had insisted. Apparently, she had made an arrangement to allow a certain group control of the slave trade in Xanthius if they were to help her overthrow Fekesh. Haziz Fekesh was many things, but one who considered women something other than valuable property,… not really. So it wasn’t surprising that this all female organization sought friends elsewhere.

As they turned the corner and passed through a line of tall trees and up a sandy path to the base of a squat pyramid, Tieran stopped suddenly and sneered. Not knowing the Carellonian assassin, or the significance of the black and red leather the woman at the base of the pyramid was wearing, Zheuretta was confused. Yashifa had no exposure to the symbols of the organization the woman belonged to, but she knew her comrade well enough to know to be cautious. If Tieran broke her steely exterior long enough to react to someone’s outfit, it had to mean something.

“Something wrong?”

Tieran half growled, caught herself and changed her whole demeanor, then flashed a fake smile, “No, nothing. Let’s get this over with.”

They approached the woman and Zheuretta gave the appropriate greeting, identifying them as Hildy’s representatives and the woman’s contacts.

“A pleasure to meet you all. I’m assuming there’s some place we need to go?”

Tieran shook her head, “No. Here is good enough. We’ll see if you are who you say you are, and then we’ll talk.”

“Well, I obviously make no pretense. This is who I am. I can demonstrate if you doubt me.”

The woman began to reach for one of the black and red rods inserted into short holsters on her boots. Tieran tensed.

“That won’t be necessary.”

The woman noted Tieran’s discomfort, “I see you know the sting of the Agiel. That must be an interesting story, whoever you are.”

“Yeah. I’ll tell it to ya sometime,… when you’re all tied up and those things are safely stored elsewhere.”

The woman grinned. It was an evil grin, one that said she enjoyed playing games, enjoyed using others, but to what end?

“Then let me introduce myself. I am Mistress Sabine of Mesentia, a ranking member of the Carnelian Sisterhood. Since pleasure seems to be off the table for now, I believe we have business to discuss.”

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