oots


With Crystal set loose to assassinate her, Haley seeks refuge with an old friend of the family.

Cast

Transcript

Panel 1, Page 1

Crystal frolics through Greysky City, "skip! skip! skip!", while Haley and Celia hide behind a building.
Crystal: ♪I get to kill Haaaaaley!♪ I get to kill Haaaaaaley!♪
Haley: Crap! That's her, that's Crystal.
Celia: THAT'S the assassin you're so afraid of?
Haley: She may be dumb as a used tanglefoot bag and have a terrible fashion sense, but she's pretty deady with that funky sword.

Panel 2, Page 1

Celia: But you've been adventuring ever since you left this city, you must have gained a few levels on her by now.
Haley: Celia, she's a personal rival. She's ALWAYS gonna be the same level as I am when we meet, if not higher.

Panel 3, Page 1

Flashback to Crystal playing cards with Jenny and another thief when she gains a level, "DING!"
Crystal: Sweet! Starshine gained another level!
Jenny: Damn it! I really need to pick a fight with a PC one of these days...

Panel 4, Page 1

They see Hank and another rogue walking through the streets.
Haley: Besides, it's not just her... Bozzok has the whole guild out looking for me.
Haley: Although on the plus side, I guess that Cloister effect you told me about will keep his Arcane Trickster from scrying for me.

Panel 5, Page 1

Haley: Come on, I have an idea where we can hide.
Celia: What about the donkey and the cart?
Haley: Leave 'em. I already stashed Roy's stuff in my Bag of Holding, and they didn't belong to us anyway.
Belkar: Awww, man! I got yelled at for that cart! Now where am I going to ride?

Panel 6, Page 1

Haley knocks on a door, "knock knock!"
Pete: Who is it?
Haley: Old Blind Pete? It's me—
Pete: No, Old Blind Pete it's ME. Who are YOU?

Panel 7, Page 1

Haley: It's me, Haley. Haley Starshine.
Pete: ...Ian and Mia's girl?
Haley: That's right. I'm in trouble.
Pete: Are you pregnant?
Haley: What? No! Bozzok wants me dead.
Pete: Why, is he the father?
Haley: NO! Gross!
Haley: He wants to make an example out of me because I left the guild.

Panel 8, Page 1

Pete: In that case, you better come in, girl. This town could use a few less of Bozzok's "examples" in my opinion.
Haley: Thanks, Pete. I knew I could count on you.

Panel 9, Page 1

Haley: Oh, and these are my friends, Celia and Belkar.
Pete: Is one of them shaking two giant sheets of cellophane?
Celia: Oh, that's me, I guess. I have wings.
Pete: *sniff! sniff!* And is the other some sort of magically-animated public urinal?
Belkar: I'm having a bad week, OK?

Panel 10, Page 1

Someone knocks on the door, "Knock knock knock knock!"
 Haley: That's Crystal!
Pete: Hide, I'll find a way to throw her off your trail.
Crystal (off-panel): Petey! Get your butt out here!

Panel 11, Page 1

Crystal: Have you seen Haley Starshine?
Pete: No.
Crystal: OK, thanks!

Panel 1, Page 2

Celia: She, uh... she does know you're blind, right?
Pete: Crystal never lets what she knows get in the way of her job, heh.

Panel 2, Page 2

Haley: It won't be long before someone with a little more brains comes around, though. Pete, do you still have that safe room in the cellar?
Pete: Safest in the city. Soundproof, scryproof, ethereal-proof, detect-proof, and totally foolproof. And I've been keeping my moonshine down there, so these days, it's 160-proof! Ha ha ha ha ha!.
Pete: Best part is, the guild still don't know I've got it. Come on, I'll show it to you.

Panel 3, Page 2

Celia: So, I take it you're not on good terms with this "Thieves' Guild," either?
Pete: Let me put it this way: I used to be known as "Eagle-Eyed Pete" before Bozzok caught me selling guild secrets to his rivals.

Panel 4, Page 2

Pete: A word of advice: If you're going to do business with criminals, don't pick a nickname based on any body part you can't afford to lose.
Pete: *sigh*
Pete: I shoulda listened to Appendix Steve when he tried to warn me.

Panel 5, Page 2

Celia: That's terrible! Can't you get your eyes healed?
Pete: Tried it, once. Got a local cleric of Loki to cast Regenerate on 'em, cost me a fortune.
Pete: But don't you know, I'm halfway to Anywhere when Crystal jumps me and pokes 'em both out again. The whole thing was a huge waste of time and money, thank you very much.

Panel 6, Page 2

Haley: Wait, Pete—I thought all of the clerics of Loki were in the guild's pocket?
Pete: They are, 'cept for this one, who's a dear childhood friend of mine.

Panel 7, Page 2

Pete: A childhood friend who remembers that Old Blind Pete's gold glitters as well as anyone else's, ha ha ha!
Haley: Good. Great, even. We need a cleric in the worst way, and our gold glitters pretty well, too.
Belkar: She polishes it.

Panel 8, Page 2

Pete: I'll get a message to him in the morning, then.
Haley: Perfect, we'll bunk here for the night. Thanks again Pete.

Panel 9, Page 2

Celia: So...what? We're just going to stand around and wait?
Haley: Well, I intend to lie around, but yes.
Haley: A good thief knows that when the heat is on, it's best to either lay low or skip town, and we can't skip town.

Panel 10, Page 2

Celia: Shouldn't we be, I don't know, making plans?
Belkar: My intestines have a plan: Find a bathroom. A.S.A.P.
Haley: I'm much better at making plans when I've slept more than two hours. We'll plan in the morning, after we talk to Pete's cleric friend.
Celia: But can't we—

Panel 11, Page 2

Haley: Celia, shush! Try to get some rest.
Haley: We're lucky to have a place to sleep safely tonight. I'm sure wherever Elan is, he's facing threats far more treacherous than a night wasted in a warm bed.

Panel 12, Page 2

Cut to Elan on a forested land near the ocean. Therkla approaches him.
Elan: I got your note.
Therkla: Did you come alone?
Elan: Yes.

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