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 Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2022 2:45 pm
"The Soiley?" Faisal paused, his fingers hovering over one of the many pieces that he had been studying. So far he had connected eight different families to the symbols drawn around the map, but others kept eluding him. Surely it was because they had disappeared since the war. To think that this map was sitting here for almost two decades without anyone discovering it. So much had changed within just a generation, the results of an intense war allowing so much movement to happen afterwards and behind the scenes where those with less morals took advantage of the war to act. The Soiley had been a lesser family until after the war when they suddenly showed up with plenty for trading, gaining wealth to increase their influence in the city. After the war essentials were necessary in rebuilding and supplies were a bit harder to come by so the Soiley had made plenty of profits during that period which made sense to Faisal at the time. Now he had to wonder if there was more to the picture, another way that the family had gained so much so quickly.
"It would make sense if your grandfather had him beaten." Faisal finally replied with a frown. "If your family was high status and your grandfather as ruthless as the stories describe him then speaking with a lowly noble family would be a sign of weakness. He was an elitist like that and I believe very few would have been allowed in your father's life as a child to weed out any inferior influence." Faisal tapped his fingers against the map. "We'll have to take all of this and study it at the manor where everything is safer. I don't like lingering here nor do I think either of us should come back. We had time today since they don't know we've captured Zyn yet. He would have ideally stalked us here and taken us out already if we were ignorant of their plots." But it would be far too risky to just venture back, not if another assassin would soon take Zyn's place.
All of their movement from this point forward would have to be more public to ensure their safety. Faisal believed it would be best to gather what they could here and return it home where he could guard it better. "Strange though...I didn't realize how fresh the Golden Lotus was as an establishment." He found himself musing as he circled an area with a quill. "It's a very detailed map of the city but several stores and the like must have only been built after the war. If the Soiley came to power then there's also the Divyanshu who raised a bunch of shops after the war that deal with the Soiley. I wonder why your father was having private meetings with the Soiley? Was your family also working on trades to help rebuild Oba during that time?" But why would they also be keeping track of people like Tirza? "I wonder what they were trading exactly." He mused his expression grim as he pondered things.
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Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 11:47 am
Initially, Sariza gave Faisal a sharp look before understanding sank in. "Every playdate would have been heavily monitored and not even his own thoughts would have been his own. Not to mention the fact that if these meetings were really as secretive as this journal is making them out to be then Grandfather wouldn't want anyone to know of a connection. It would look shameful, but also might garner unwanted attention." What must it have been like, to grow up in a house like that? She couldn't imagine the sort of stress he'd grown up with and still, inspite of all that, to come out of it with a heart for justice.
No wonder Hakan had gotten so close to him.
"I saw a chest in the master suite. We put the map and as much of his writings as we can fit inside." Logically she knew that the only real piece of written information they needed was the journal and yet...This was all she had left of people she'd never known. This would speak so much more of her history than an abandoned manor.
"Right? I assumed it was just a staple of the city." She looked over the map and pointed to a light, pink line that bisected Sulburi and dipped through the desert, branching away from main paths. "The Yungwe pass." She didn't need to explain it, really; the road was barely functional, dangerous, and had been used primarily by slave traders. "The journal talks about finding Tirza going through here and I know from previous conversations with Hakan that one of the family's imports were slaves , but there had to be more. Something on the surface to cover it up."
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Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 11:56 am
Faisal nodded in agreement. "That's a fair point." He was just thinking too much about his own childhood how others would sneer at a hybrid until hearing his family name, their change in attitude far too obvious. Still, if it was to cover secrets then it would also make sense that Sariza's grandfather would have been infuriated to see his son calling out to the other family so casually. So many secrets, how complex was this plot? He pondered before moving to try and gather some more writings, his hands lingering over even a paperweight from the office before moving it towards his pocket. He could pick up a few mementos that did not necessarily help their case, this was Sariza's family and history after all.
"It seems we're getting closer to finding out something that others would more than likely kill to hide." Faisal admitted as he pondered over Sariza's revelation. Tirza was connected to this mess and he only wished that he could have more insight, more than just these journals but at least it was a good start. They could ponder over them back at the manor and try to make the connections. "We'll open one of the old guest rooms and move everything inside. It'll give us plenty of space to work through these journals and even create charts and maps of our own." He advised with a small smile towards Sariza, trying to be optimistic about something even though this place made his stomach twist into a knot.
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Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 12:34 pm
While doing her best to sort through the documents as quickly as possible, Sariza also made sure to keep an eye out for more personal things. A few letters slid their way into the trunk; early love notes from her mother to her father and little scraps, likely passed under doors, with words of endearment. If her grandfather was as harsh as rumors made him out to be then open displays of affection would have been forbidden. The fact he even kept one was sign enough that he loved her, let alone the stack she'd found in the study.
"Honestly? That's what I'm afraid of." She grimaced. "We're so close to finding the truth that I worry we won't make it to the end." After all, even if they had all the guards in the world one servant who happened to turn sides could be all it took to mount a coup. "It won't scare me away, but we'll need to be careful. The only ones with keys to that room should be you and I."
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Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 12:53 pm
"We will." Faisal replied with determination. They would overcome this to live freely once everything was finished. This time the game was different, they were wiser and already knew that their enemies were willing to kill for their goals. Whatever stumble had cost Sariza her family would not happen again.
Faisal nodded at the suggestion. "Agreed. We will tread carefully since this game is getting more treacherous." But he had faith in them. They would be on the lookout for any signs of danger and Faisal would do his best to keep any plots from entangling his family with more danger.
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