Mystery of the Illusory | Altheya: The Dragon Empire #121 (Part 2)

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Mark Hulmes (1:54)

Welcome back to part two of Altheya The Dragon Empire. Our heroes have been investigating a mystery. What is going on at this Ossean gala? We have people absent, Xanthius under some sort of spell, we have Lord Umbraxian being an illusion, and now signs that he has been abducted in some form.

You've cornered the poor, poor Councilor Jalya, a Bronze Dragonborn Councilor for Suncrest Isles, who's been cornered and has just revealed, and it sounds like she was blackmailed to go and do something involving Lord Umbraxian. But that is where we jump back in.

SPEAKER_4 (2:38)

So who's this they you're talking about?

SPEAKER_5 (2:41)

I don't know.

Mark Hulmes (2:42)

That's the thing is I don't know.

They contacted me, it, them, I don't know, but it was via a spell called Dream. I recognized the spell after it had happened. They contacted me through this spell and told me that if I didn't follow their instructions, then certain things, private things that I don't want to be made public would be made public. And they, it didn't, it sounded more reasonable in the initial request. And then when I saw what had happened, I just thought it was, I thought it was going to be like a ransom. I thought that they were ranting at me. I thought that it would just be a ransom.

SPEAKER_6 (3:31)

Has anyone here, I can fucking talk now, has anyone here looked at you in a particular way? Has anyone spoken to you in a strange way?

Mark Hulmes (3:40)

Um, about this?

SPEAKER_6 (3:45)

Hinted at anything that made you question them? Anything unusual?

SPEAKER_5 (3:52)

Um, no, not that I can think of.

Mark Hulmes (3:57)

Um, I've spoken with most of the guests here in some capacity.

SPEAKER_7 (4:04)

You looked like you were having a pretty heated conversation with, um, Ambassador Abbot Lorkin.

Mark Hulmes (4:11)

He was pressuring me about, um, research, um... And I was pressuring to know about certain research endeavors I am performing, um...

And, uh, was making accusations that I was not very capable as a mage.

SPEAKER_7 (4:34)

What are you researching?

Mark Hulmes (4:38)

That's irrelevant to what this conversation is, um...

SPEAKER_4 (4:41)

Humour me.

Mark Hulmes (4:44)

With all due respect, I would rather not. It is not relevant to what we are discussing now.

That is exceptionally, not only private, but also quite, um, important work.

SPEAKER_4 (5:00)

Something to do with necromancy?

SPEAKER_5 (5:02)

No, no, nothing to do with necromancy.

SPEAKER_8 (5:09)

Where's our Benoit Blanc?

Mark Hulmes (5:11)

Oh, you guys are the Benoit Blanc. That's the thing.

SPEAKER_6 (5:13)

I think, unfortunately, you're in a position where we decide the relevancy of your research.

Mark Hulmes (5:19)

The research has nothing to do with this. Surely, you would rather know about what happened with Lord Umbraxian, yes?

SPEAKER_9 (5:29)

Well, this is the center of this dream. They picked you for a reason.

Mark Hulmes (5:34)

Yes, because I am a mage capable of the spell that they needed. Both spells that they needed.

SPEAKER_7 (5:41)

What were the spells you cast?

Mark Hulmes (6:12)

Well, the spell covers this one. The balcony can be seen from this particular spot in the garden.