A Diamond in the Dark

(Recapping and continuing)
Mon'Fargret speaks with the couple while aiming his pistol at them, "I apologize for the intrusion. Place your hands in the air and realize I am very good with this pistol. That is a very nice crystal. Tell me about it."

It's a couple of guys, one of whom looks middle aged and respectable and the other of whom looks to be in his late teens and a bit more rowdy in style.

The kid smirks and strikes a cocky pose. "Do you even know where you are?"

Mon'Fargret's finger twitches ever so gently on the trigger, and a burst of vaporized material erupts from the edge of the display case behind the two men.  The older one jumps with fright. The younger one, however, only takes a couple of startled steps and then resumes his haughty stance.

"The next one won't miss," says Mon'Fargret.  "Talk about the function on the crystal."

"That?" replies the younger man smugly, gesturing toward the crystal. He chuckles. "Who knows? It's just some old Gothie relic. Ancient witch-ware. I don't know what it does...or how the lady got it." He glances over his shoulder and raises an eyebrow. "I guess I don't have to call for the guards."

Mon'Fargret pauses, but then Lirassa gives him a shove, sending him out of the doorway so she can emerge herself.

"Stop holding up the procession!" she barks.  Then she sees the two men and sings a sweet, "Good evening, gentlemen!" Her pistol rises into position.  Behind her, Ham levels his stun carbine under her arm.

"I don't think the guards are coming," observes the older man anxiously.

"The guards have already been here," retorts Mon'Fargret, resuming his steely gunpoint.

"They're still here, too," adds Lirassa, nodding to the rear.  "On the floor.  Wanna see?"

The younger man's smirk lowers a bit and a spark of worry enters his eyes.  His voice sounds thinner as he says, "Look, I don't know what this is about, but at least try not to be stupid!  You're not.."

His last utterance ends with a nasty gurgle as his chest cavity bursts open in a cloud of luminescent steam.  Flames play about his clothing as he topples over.

The older man dances with panic.

"Don't call me stupid," says Lirassa flatly.

Mon'Fargret sighs as confusion can be heard from back within the corridor.  Bina is trying to push her way through the group.

Into the Gallery

"Lirassa," calls Mon'Fargret as he steps over the just-shot guard to get to the door, "get Nekshi and Granite up here and Widg too if she can fit. Fighters in front. Zeton will see to Ham. Get Betham to look at you and tell him to pull it together and watch Mey and Bina." Indifferently, he picks up the guard's pistol and examines the door.

Lirassa starts reciting her own version of what Mon'Fargret said as she comes up behind him.

"I'm alright," grunts Ham in protest as he stiffly follows after her, blocking the side entrance just as Nekshi and Granite Spear try to come through.

With a snort of discomfort, Widjgleeby does her best to turn around in the tight space.

Betham, his back pressed tightly against the corridor wall to let people pass, moans, "Could they have made this any narrower?"

"I don't think they expected people to have a party in here," says Zeton in a failed attempt at humor.

Bina gestures toward the closet.  "Maybe I should see what I can learn from them," she offers.

"Maybe you should just close the door," retorts Mey'Luskar.  "The less you learn, the better.  Trust me on this one."

Just then, Mon'Fargret pries open the inert sliding doors to reveal a large chamber.

In the eerie glow of emergency lights, the room reveals itself to be a sort of museum, no doubt a display of the owner's private collection.  There are many works of art on the walls and on various stands.  Glass cases display a variety of valuable items.  Without a doubt the most imposing display, however, is a purplish stand holding a case containing what looks like a large, carved crystal with some kind of writing on it.

Mon'Fargret fancies that the large crystal seems to be giving off a faint luminescence of its own.  He also notes that the sight of it gives him the creeps.

There is another set of sliding double doors on the opposite side of the chamber, a couple of smaller doors on either side to the south, and a beautiful, marble staircase going up to the ground floor.

The only people visible in the room are a Yangae couple standing between a couple of display cases eying Mon'Fargret warily.