Tag Archives: Master Insula Fu

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #038

Truly thankful that the toilet room was clean, Insula sat and quickly pulled up the holographic map on her handheld to see her student’s progress.  Metcalf was moving fast, really fast, but randomly through the business district. There seemed to be a general purpose to her progress. She was meandering towards a housing area nearby.  Insula thought back to the large equipment moving with the bot patrol.

So, that’s where they were going.

Metcalf’s blip kept moving, speeding through the streets and alleys.  She occasionally seemed to fly over buildings as she backtracked and moved in large circles.  Apparently, she was eluding captors. The Commoner peasants Insula has employed as speeder controllers have been the best for years.  Metcalf would have to be better than most to escape them.

Insula’s eyes glued to the image.  Her student’s progress was on the line.  So far, she had little to worry about. Metcalf wasn’t slowing even after sprinting for so long.

Then the blip stopped moving.

Insula held her breath as it stayed in the middle of an intersection.  Metcalf apparently was caught for a few seconds and then sped quickly on a direct route towards the convenience store.  

According to the map, Metcalf was still a ways away.  Had she been sprinting for the last few minutes? If so, it was a few minutes more than she had run in training, but tests were tests for a reason.  Metcalf’s increased stamina was a positive result.

Guesstimating Metcalf’s arrival time, Insula got up truly in a hurry.  

#1 – Lost and Found #37 

 

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #037

The moment the lady walked through the door Nolwenn knew something was wrong, not exactly wrong but, very not right about her.  It was her skin.  It was too… good.  Nolwenn had had extensive conversations about how to bring out her adult color faster.  She spoke with her parents, read all of the holo-pages, tried all of the creams; even the expensive ones.  At best, all the advice and secret techniques almost worked for a short while; but not really.  In the back of her mind, she knew they wouldn’t.

Even after the expensive skin creams and painful scrubbings, she and all the other girls in her class had a little, a little green in their hue.  She knew why but didn’t want to admit it.  In the end, their basic biology dictated that the nymph green skin never really disappeared until a crisho was in the twenties.   

This lady looked only a little bit older than Nolwenn’s classmates but had a definite, clear, yellow-orange hue with long bright golden-brown patches.  The colors had a certainty unknown to those under the age of twenty seven!  

Something worked for this lady, or did it?  She looked young but, she just… wasn’t.  She couldn’t be.  This lady dressed the part but carried herself way too strongly and properly to be a teen.

She doesn’t match herself.

The suspicion was amplified as the lady was in a hurry and seemed quite aware of her surroundings but not aware enough to close her van door.  

“Excuse me! Miss,” waved Nolwenn.  The lady kept walking but Nolwenn Yan didn’t get promoted to the front desk lead at such a young age by being ignored.  She continued waving her dark green and black spotted hand frantically and raised her voice almost to a shout before the lady stopped and turned.  

“That van your’s?” Nolwenn was pointing just beyond the lady’s line of vision.

“Oh ey,” the lady said, but seemed unwilling to turn her head until absolutely necessary.  Something was definitely off about this lady.  Her eyes were distracted with something that was quite urgent and she was headed towards the toilet.  However, something about her spoke that her urgent diversion was beyond the basic.  

Nolwenn saw a similar facial expressions before, usually when customers were in a pinch.  This lady was way more intense.  The lady didn’t need more cash for food.  She had just stopped by, and left her door open.  “You left your door open.”

“Oh!  Thanks,” the lady said smiling, “but I’ll be quick.”  She started heading for the toilet again in a rush.

Who is this lady?  

After a few months Nolwenn had gotten familiar with everyone that went in and out of this store.  This lady was a new and awkward one.  Nolwenn stood by the panic button in case the bot patrols needed to come here, they were nearby after all.  “The droid patrols have really been moving today,” she said with questioning eyes, “There may be some dangerous types about.”

As to emphasize her point, a large group of speeders flew by just as she finished talking.  Among them was a much larger much slower transport ship holding a machine.  The loud hum of the motor made sure that no one in the convenience store could ignore it.  

The lady’s eyes were shocked at the sight.  Of course, so was everyone else.  “Then again,” the lady said with a giggle, “I should check the door.”

 

—–

 

Insula walked out and felt the clerk’s eyes followed her.  

She may be one for watchtower training.

As for now, Insula had to keep her uncertain enough not to raise the alarm for just a bit longer.  She looked up to see more speeders passing above her in patrols high in the sky.

Unfortunately, there was no time for funny business.  No matter how much Metcalf would want an open window, an open anything, Insula’s character was supposed to be in a big hurry.  She had to cause as little suspicion as possible.  

Of course, it could already be too late for that.

On turning back towards the store, she realized that the clerk had indeed been keeping close tabs on her.  She had given notice that the town would be used for an event.  That didn’t mean that everyone had checked their notices.  All in the same, it was good to have someone truly authentic there.

Walking through the store, Insula made a quick dart to the facilities.  She couldn’t help but take another glance at the clerk.  Still looking at her, he hadn’t moved from the register.  

Perhaps there’s a panic switch and he was waiting for an excuse to use it.  

She didn’t have time to figure any of it out.  At least, a toilet run explained her situation suitably enough.  

A few minutes there, and then ‘groceries.’  

#1 – Lost and Found #36 – Lost and Found #38

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #033

It took a some time for Insula to reach the front of the road block.  As she waited, quite a few vehicles were turned away.  The Founder saw the angry drivers and knew that her act would have to be spot on if she was going to be able to be any help to her student.  Hopefully, this was going to be worth the sleep she missed the night before.

Finally at the front of the queue, Insula saw the bot trying to look intimidating with the heat sensing rifle.  There was a second scanning device set on the road.  This one looked more like a box.  Insula knew everything about what it was for and she wasn’t scared of it one bit.

The training-bot approached Insula’s van as she pulled up.  Everything about the bot was identical to all others.  However, it spoke there was a particular Crisho accented voice, “W… what business have you at this hour ma’am?”  The peasant behind the controls stuttered a bit.  He clearly was enjoying his role in this play.  Still, he recognized his employer.

“I’m trying to get groceries,” Insula replied in frustration.  The Founder enjoyed acting as well.  She rarely had a chance to interact with the little people, but she had to remember her role.  She was supposed to be acting like a lowly peasant like those around her, “I apologize m’lord.  This morning has been nothing but trouble.”

There was a notable pause before the peasant behind the controls spoke again, “V..very well,” he continued.  “Tis a might big car for getting morning groceries is it?”

“Sorry sir,” Insula tried to imitate his accent, “Roommate took the good one barhopping.  I know where she got.  Just can’t get to her right now.”

“Mind if I check the back?”

“No sir.”

“Keep your hands seeable.”

Another notable pause from the mechanical guard.  Perhaps the pilot wasn’t quite used to the controls.  Not surprising, peasants are trusted with so little but expected to do so much.

Once moving again, the bot started fiddling with the box scanner on the road.  This was much faster since the bot only had to stick its hand into the device.  After that, the pilot communicated directly with the device.

The bot lifted the device from its access point and aimed the device at the van.  Circling the van, it saw images of what what was inside through the hull.  There was nothing really: towels, a spare tire, the standard backseat, and a small basket apparently for trash.

Seeing nothing of value, the mechanical guard waved Insula through the blockade.

“Be sure to stay grounded while you’re doing business,” he warned.

“Yes sir.”

With that, the Founder drove into the secured area and

Insula had taken great care in making this scenario.  The town’s folk were used to disruptions in their lives.  They were peasants as well as Commoners so they expected things like this from the higher classes by now.  This particular disruption seemed to be more fun for some of them though.  

Now back to my student’s test.

#1 – Lost and Found #32 – Lost and Found #34