Tales of Old: Lafayette and Kalena pt.1 (Anniversary)

Opra Dale, 39 DSTR

A slit of silvery light stood at eye level. A narrow gap between door and floor, only wide enough to notice when objects pass but not see under. Lafayette shifted slowly in his kneeling position to keep the stair he was resting his knees on from creaking. Kalena was beside him, down one stair but leaning forward enough her shoulder was nearly against Lafayette’s shoulderblade as they waited. Slow breaths, quiet as mice, visible as ghosts. The pair watched as shadow drifted across the sliver of light, like a momentary eclipse. They had been here for nearly an hour. Watching and counting the repetition of the guards' moments through the manor.

After a slow count to thirty Lafayette whispered, “Unless they are making short passes I count fifteen.”

“Halls are big enough they could be moving in pairs.” Kalena pointed out, her voice would have been inaudible if they two weren’t almost pressed flat against each other.

Lafayette made a sound of agreement, before motion back down the small set of stairs. The two crept back down the stairs, moving slowly only putting their full weight down when they knew the stair would not protest. “Not to jinx us but we’re lucky Cartwright isn’t too much of a fop that he’d station guards to protect his precious wine.” Lafayette commented as he stretched to get the motion back in his knees.

“Well.” Kalena said, stretching her back. “The staircase down here is nearly in the center of his manor. You’d have to get through an army to steal wine. Seems pointless.”

Lafayette absently grabbed a bottle off a rack. “You’d think he’d have a better taste in wine.” he twisted it in his hands and put it back. “I mean the best stuff he’s got her is the stuff Kline makes. And that’s saying something.” he shifted, unused to the absence of his trunk on his back. “Do we need to go over the plan again?” He asked.

“Wait for them to pass, move quickly, hit the stairs, you drop the smokebomb, we move quickly, steal the documents, escape, avoid killing if possible but don’t let anyone sound an alarm.” Kalena repeated the bullet point plan.

“Right.” Lafayette said. “Though, I did make an alteration.” he said, digging in a satchel he’d brought, taking out two sheets of strange looking fabric.

“What is it?” Kalena asked, taking the offered sheet, unfolding it to find loops on either side.

“Mask.” Lafayette said.

Kalena looked at him incredulously, “Yes…” she drew out the word, “I can see that.” she added. “Why? I have licence to do this kind of thing and can get you out of trouble with the authorities.”

Lafayette shook his head. “Not to hide our faces.” he said, slipping his on, “Keeps you from inhaling toxic fumes.” he said, showing her one of his weird pot bombs in a color she’d not seen before.

“I don’t think I’ve seen light blue before.” she commented before slipping on her mask, wincing. It smelled like fresh rubber and campfire ash.

“Prototype.” Lafayette said, putting it back, “It should knock everyone out that breathes in the smoke.” he said, emphasising the word ‘should’.

Kalena caught the way he said it. “Should?” she raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean it should knock them out?”

Lafayette shrugged. “I’ve only done this mix one other time before. It’s got mixed results. There’s a fine line between sleep and coma…but we should be fine.” he said, slipping a ring that only went to the first knuckle on his thumb and pointer middle fingers. He called them spark rings, used to light his bombs when other lighting sources weren’t available.

“Now or never.” Kalena said, pulling her cloak hood up, Lafayette doing the same. “This would be so much easier if we just took them out one by one as they passed the door.” Kalena offered the alternative.

“Finding a bunch of bodies would alert too many suspicions. Give them time to bury and refute any claims before we even get the documents in the right hands.” Lafayette reminded her.

“I’m just saying it would be easier.” Kalena said, “But we’ll do it your way. Do you remember where to go?”

“Up the stairs, third door on the left, the one with the gaudy filigree on the door frame.” Lafayette said.

They waited a moment longer as the guards passed again, the silver light dimming every so slightly as they dimmed the magical lighting for the night. After the thirty count they moved deftly into the hallway. Moving softly in the same direction the guard had moved, checking around a corner seeing they were in fact moving in pairs. Waiting for them to turn the next corner before they moved to the stairs.

Reaching to top of the stairs the two pressed in an alcove on its landing. Lafayette closed his eyes for a moment, going through a mental map of the building. He looked at Kalena, pointed at her, then to the floor, then to himself and down the hall, nodded, pressed a finger to where his lips would be, and took out the blue clay ball, and something that looked almost like a skeleton key.

Kalena nodded in understanding and drew a dagger. Watching Lafayette duck his head and slip down the hall, passing the target door and moving down the hall to the end of the doors. He was almost invisible at the end of the hall but she watched him vaguely kneel and work the door open. Before pushing it open she saw the spark of his rings clicking together and lighting the fuse, he pushed the door open just enough to roll the sparking ball inside and shut the door, working something on the lock again. Before ghosting back to the alcove.

“That should handle a bulk of the backup.” he whispered in her ear.
Kalena nodded again. And the duo moved back from where Lafayette had come to the filigreed door. He slid one sleeve up revealing a band of leather. Pulling two thin metal shims from a fairly wide selection. Kalena turned her head to check the hall behind them while Lafayette worked the lock, soft clicks were the only sound. Until suddenly a groan of a stair. Kalena gently pushed Lafayette out of the way, taking the lockpicks in one movement. Popping the lock quickly and pulling herself and Lafayette inside and shutting the door just as the heavy footsteps crested the stairs. Each on either side of the door to not block the light, as a grumbling guard passed, the two held their breath.