"Case of Mistaken Identity" Or "Close But....."

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 19299

The demifoxes and elf stand out in this human dominated bar, but what stands out is the tall women with them!

One of their numbers, perhaps more bold (and brash) than her fellow rangers, blurts out a question. It's almost a shout that silences the room.

"Princess Astra?!" she gasps.

Synizn

Humans still amaze me sometimes.

Obviously magery isn't as feared on this world as some worlds I have heard of through various Freds, thus is the reason for what happens next.

Perhaps the ranger feels that magery can't make a person appear taller or shorter than what they actually are. It can be done, but with a lot of strain on the caster (who'd have to be very experienced to pull it off convincingly). The basic visual illusion is easy enough. Jarlath, in his earlier days back on Terra Prime, had changed his hair to actually see if "blondes have more fun." He'd also sometimes lighten his magic darkened skin (which actually expressed the Mongolian ancestry, those vile invaders who'd raped and pillaged across Aeurope before being finally defeated, pockets of those folks had existed up until being scorched by the Enemy/Alliance war) just for the fun of it. But that said, if the target was to pick up something or to open a door more magic would be needed in order to "sync up" the actions. Otherwise you would be seeing the target's hands holding nothing while nothing was holding the object in mid air....or something like that. You get the idea.

Perhaps the lighting in the bar (none to good at this late hour even with torches and such) has played tricks on her eyes. Demifox Astra had mentioned in passing that the style of hair that one of our party wore was similar to hers before she'd cut it shorter for convenience (just before she'd gotten captured by the dragon). That and that party member was exactly the same height as she had stood before she'd been turned into a demifox.

Now, I usually get a bit annoyed about misconceptions and mistakes made by others on my Terra due to my temperment (alas), but in this case I just thank Tiamat that whatever caused this to happen fixes itself with another mistake!

The amazonian ranger, clear relief in her face, comes rushing over as if to hug the startled woman in question only to draw up short when she actually sees the person she had thought was Princess Astra.....

.....is Joan!

"Sorry, you've got me confused with someone else." Joan says simply after a few seconds of silence, "Nobody who'll answer to that name is at this table."

"Uh, right," the embarrassed ranger mutters, turning obviously flush even in this lighting, "Sorry about that. Name's Elicia and I appoligise for....making a scene."

"'Tis alright," Joan says magnanimously, "Mistakes happen. Hope you find the one you are looking for. But where are my manners!"

She, not really wishing to keep this ranger and her friends (who'd come up short behind her and now look embarrassed themselves at what their friend's done), plays a part in order to not look suspicious. Can't look too eager to want somebody to go away. Can make them suspicious, you see.

All the same I'm a touch nervous myself here. We'd only cast this spell on the theory that it would only be needed to throw off casual observation from those not from Aqualaria. That's kind of a problem here with these Aqualarian rangers.....

She then introduces us to the fidgeting rangers (who would rather just slip into a quiet corner and away from the now chuckling crowd around them), sticking with the aliases for Astra (or "Aynine") and me (or "Rush Shabot"....don't think the real fellow will mind me using his name for a good cause).

She then lets them off the hook and the discomforted rangers retire to a dark corner, just glad to be out of the spotlight!

Well played, I congratulate Joan, For a second or two I had thought that our mission had been blown!

I get echoes of that sentiment from the others as well in my mind except from Grailing. He looks like he's just come up with some idea.

He then, mentally, tells us about it.

Actually....it's bloody clever! This elf would make a great dragon!

.....

Er.....excuse me. Was just saying that he had a sharp mind and that little gaff of mine was supposed to be a compliment.....despite the racial bais it shows. Usually don't make those kinds of gaffs any more, but sometimes.....

Well, whatever. He'd make a great opponent in the game of Chess!

Love that game.....

Anyway.....

If they want to find Princess Astra so badly, Grailing says softly, mentally, Let's give them what they want.

Grailing

Sometimes I forget, sometimes, how poorly human beings can see in low light compared to us elves. But that said, that limitation that was just demonstrated by that unfortunate ranger just gave me a wonderful idea!

I believe that the rangers who'd come over had actually seen "our" Princess Astra (she is a princess despite having so many duplicates back on this Terra Prime) but had automatically dismissed the resemblance. See, from what I've heard of Aqualaria, the Astra of this world (besides standing a bit taller) is in her early twenties. "Our" Astra here looks to be in her late teens....not much but enough of a difference to count. That and the fact they just don't want to make more of a spectacle of themselves make them dismiss any similarity between this brunette and their missing princess!

But...

Okay, here's the plan, I begin, I know it is a rather simple plan....but that means there is less to go wrong, I hope. Won't do everything we need done, but it'll cut our labors in half if we are lucky! What we need is a rock, the location of the room where the rangers will be sleeping, and....

Later

A rock comes crashing through the window of a room, drawing shouts of anger from the rangers within (and later a shout of anger from the innkeeper....who'd spent a bit of money on glass). They, after getting a light going, look out and see a red haired woman looking up at them. They shout again, calling to her as she rides off into the night.

'Tis too late by the time the rangers get out there to mount a pursuit. They know that the princess, herself a graduate of the academy they'd trained at, will be using her skills to hide her trail long before the distraught amazons can saddle their horses and give pursuit!

Later, they'll find that a note had been tied to the rock and they shall read a note written on stationary from a world called Nantucket Earth. Some will wonder what the cryptic watermark glyphes of "Hammermill" means on the paper. Others will wonder who this man the wayward princess has been bewitched by to cause her to abandon her duties.

That said, the leader of the rangers sends one runner back to the capital to deliver the note to the Queen and her court. Such as this must be told immediately.

By now, her sisters have all but given up hope but their leader....has one last card to play. While she hates the BMC as much as the next Aqualarian (happy that her nation had been able to keep those vile fiends out of their land), but perhaps those shadowy people can help.

Walants, she knows, is now gone. Now, whether people with silver eyes were responsible or not doesn't really matter right now to her, but there is one place rumor has it where she and her rangers could find help. It's a small town called Vilos, located.....

.....south of here.

As it is, this news probably will cause the search for Astra to peter out to a trickle....down to her and her group. Just as soon as those other search parties get the word here about what happened tonight.

That could take a while, but all the same, best to play this one last card... Leaving immediately at the crack of dawn, the rangers are on the road before the adventurers head out. They'd decided to have a good meal before hitting the road (to replenish the mages who'd recast the illusion making Astra a brunette), you see.

  1. "On with the trek to Vilos," Jarlath sighs, not liking the tought of riding in the saddle for so long.

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3/28/2002 11:45:48 PM

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