After landing safely and having several threatening-looking men search her flyer and her person, Talli was given permission to leave the port. Just as she was about to step through the main gate leading into town, a woman with long dark hair and tanned skin stepped into view. She was slightly shorter than Talli, though ten times as intimidating, her gaze cold and calculating. Talli stopped and did her best to appear unphased by the other woman's demeanor.

"Well, well, look what we have here," the woman purred, stalking closer to Talli as she smirked. "What's a Seelie elf doing entering MageBorough all by herself so late at night?" Talli met the woman's gaze evenly and stayed where she was stood.

"Who is to say what I am and what I'm not?" Talli said smoothly, forcing her voice into controlled tones. "I'm here on business. I'm sure that is a language we can all understand." She itched to move, to escape the other woman's gaze, but she remained still. Running, she knew, would only cause problems.

The woman stopped in front of her, tilting her head to the side and her smirk only widened. "Indeed. You reek of Seelie magic, but if it's business you're after, I suppose there's no harm. However, everyone will be retiring by now." The woman placed her hands on her hips and looked Talli up and down. Her gaze settled on Talli's staff. "I'll show you to the local tavern, on one condition." She turned her gaze and met Talli's own. "Show me what you've got, Seelie girl."

The woman turned to walk through the gate before stopping halfway and calling over her shoulder. "I'm Lexa, by the way."

Talli considered her options for a moment before nodding and following after the woman. She didn't have a choice, really, and what better place to collect gossip than a tavern? "Talli," she returned. "Pleasure to meet you, Lexa."

"I know." The woman named Lexa laughed harshly. This woman clearly held some power here, and if nothing else, power means knowledge. If Lightning was here, Talli would find out.

----

Following closely behind Lexa, Talli entered a lively tavern. Magelights lit the entirety of the town, and this tavern was no different. A sign out front identified the establsihment as The Mage's Respite. Lexa lead Talli over to the bar, where she gave a nod to the bartender, who seemed to recognize her immediately. He turned immediately and began preparing two drinks without a word. Lexa sat in a stool and offered one to Talli, who took the seat gratefully. She'd expected to be followed on the way here, possibly by guards, but it seemed that Lexa required none as the journey had been quite calm and Talli had sensed nothing threatening. The bartender brought over their drinks and placed them on the counter in front of them with a nod. "On the house." he rumbled, before returning to his other customers. Lexa smiled, taking a swig from her glass and turning to Talli.

"So," she began lightly, "What really brings you to MageBorough, Talli?" Her eyes sparkled mischievously. It was clear she hadn't believed Talli's excuse of "business" for a moment. She was perceptive, but she had dropped the aura that she held back at the port. She was no longer trying to intimidate Talli, which she was very grateful for. Talli reached for her own glass, inspecting it cautiously before taking a sip, satisfied that it was safe to consume. Whiskey, huh? She tried not to grimace as she swallowed.

"I'm looking for someone." Talli said before meeting Lexa's steady gaze. "A man who calls himself Lightning." Lexa raised an eyebrow at the mention of Lightning's name, a touch of surprise coloring her face. Talli was about to continue when a loud fight broke out in the far corner of the tavern. Lexa turned away from Talli to see what was happening, just in time for the sparks to start flying--literally. Plasma and lightning bolts started shooting off in every direction as the fight spread to more of the patrons of The Mage's Respite. "Ironic," Talli thought. By this time, the bartender had already thrown up a protective barrier between the counter and the rest of the tavern. Clearly, this wasn't an uncommon occurrence for them. Lexa ducked as a stray bolt whizzed past her head and dissolved into the magical barrier.

"Oh for crying out loud," she griped. "These new recruits can't go twenty minutes without starting a fight!" Talli threw her a bewildered look, ducking to the left to avoid another stray spell. Lexa caught her eye, and Talli recognized the look from before. Lexa grinned widely, "Got an idea how to fix this mess, Princess?" Talli jerked away at the mention of her formal title, eyes wide and full of confusion. Whether she meant it as such or not, Talli was unsure, but another few spells sent the train of thought running from her mind as they both dove to the right to avoid being hit. Without another thought, Talli mentally cast a nullification spell on the entire tavern, and in an instant, the spells stopped and the magelights went out.

In the confusion caused from the sudden darkness, several mages cried out. Some tripped over each other and fell to the floor with a 'thump'. Breathing a sigh of relief, Talli lifted the spell and relit the magelight lamps with a flick of her wrist. Talli stood and brushed herself off before turning to offer a hand to Lexa, who had landed inches away. Lexa took her hand and straightened her clothes. She looked at Talli with raised eyebrows before chuckling and shaking her head. "Wordless magic is hard enough as it is, but a spell of that caliber unspoken? Now that is what I call impressive." She tossed Talli a reassuring smile before turning to the bartender and calling out, "Ignis, a room if you would, please." The man nodded and retrieved a key from underneath the bar. He tossed it lightly to Lexa, who caught it and spun back around to face Talli. "Now," she began, "I believe you had some questions." She extended a hand, which Talli took gladly and followed the woman up the stairs that led to the private rooms.

---

"So you're looking for Lightning?" Lexa queried as she cast several silencing charms on the room and drawing the curtains shut, to ward off any prying eyes. She lit several candles before seating herself on the side of the bed and motioning for Talli to join her. Talli nodded and sat next to Lexa.

"Yes," she said, her voice low despite the spells that she knew would hold. She nervously adjusted her hands in her lap, he staff left leaning against the wall. "My friends and I need to find him, and we were told that he might have run off to here." She glanced up, looking for any hints that she might find in Lexa's expression. Lexa frowned slightly and sighed.

"Unfortunately, I haven't heard of or seen Lightning in these parts for months. And trust me, if he were here, I would be the first to know." She reached out and placed a hand on Talli's, stilling them. "Fret not, you're safe here." Talli gave her a small smile as Lexa withdrew her hand. The news was disappointing, to say the least. Talli thought of her teammates and prayed to the gods that one of them had been successful. They could not mess this up, it was too important. Suddenly remembering where she was, Talli snapped back to the present, turning her attention back to Lexa, who had been sitting silently, watching Talli's expression closely. "I'm sorry I could not be of more assistance, dear." She stood and walked to the door before turning back to face Talli. "You may stay here tonight. My treat, for that impressive display downstairs. If you're ever in the area again, ask for me." Lexa smiled and gave Talli a wink before leaving the room. The door shut behind her quietly and the silencing charms dropped, though she felt several protective wards pop up in their place.




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