- AMAGHIEL, COIN FACTORY -
The plans for the factory revealed numerous underground tunnels that ran under it and around the city, this was the place where the old pipes had been laid before they were remodeled and replaced with newer ones.
After letting the others go on ahead, Larea had taken her time navigating her way in the coin factory's pipelines. Her boots and greaves were soaking wet from the pipe's residue water, and she could feel her body begin to sweat within her bulky robes.
It was fortunate the water did not flow any higher, otherwise they would have had to call off their plan.
Larea continued to trudge through the pipes, the plans of the pipeline showed that there was a way to get to the lower levels of the coin factory from the pipes.
The details from the coin factory's plan showed that the factory had been built over an older version of it, this made some of the lower floors easier to access from underground since the tunnels had not been sealed.
'With the right abilities of course.' Larea mused as she examined the ceiling of the tunnel where she stood.
"[Stygian Arts - Ethereal Soma]" Larea muttered her magic like a silent prayer and immediately her body took on an ethereal form.
With a will of ascension, Larea's body began to levitate and she sunk into the roof of the pipeline like an apparition. Larea's [Ethereal Soma] allowed her body to take a ghostly form and move through solid objects.
"Looks like there aren't any barriers protecting this place either." Larea muttered to herself as she appeared on the other side of the tunnel.
The room was empty and her body was not phased through any object within her vicinity, it would troublesome if she deactivated her [Ethereal Soma] while any of her body was phased through an object or a person.
With the room empty, Larea knew she had to move on to the next floor. So just like before, Larea levitated to the room's ceiling and proceeded to phase through it.
Larea's head immediately appeared on the other side of the room, she looked around the room for a moment making sure no one was around before revealing her ghostly figure entirely.
This time Larea released her [Ethereal Soma] and her body returned to its normal physical state, she then pulled out a scroll from her robe and unveiled plans of the coin factory. Larea studied the plans for a moment, as she wanted to make sure that she was going in the right direction.
The plans showed Larea that she had appeared in one of the factory's former lobbies, a spacious room that was used to accommodate the workers before they proceeded to their stations.
However, since the remodeling had been done, most of the equipment that was damaged or left unused had been transferred to these empty rooms for storage.
"It would be unfortunate if this fell in the wrong hands." Larea muttered. "Anyway, I have to keep going up."
Larea reverted back to her ghostly form by using [Ethereal Soma] once more, she ascended to the room's ceiling and continued on through the floors unnoticed. After passing through what seemed like a myriad of floors, Larea appeared in a more compact room which appeared more alive than the previous rooms.
"What the?" A mortal suddenly shuddered.
"[Stygian Arts - Stifle Resort]!" Before the mortal could say another word, a wave of air seemed to flow outward from Larea and engulf the room.
Larea slowly appeared from the floor and stood in the mortal's presence, her body giving off a phantasmal glow.
"Who are you?! Guards! In here! Guards!" The mortal cried out for his protectors to come to his aid, but to no avail.
"They can't hear you." Larea stated plainly. "Not when [Stifle Resort] is active."
"What is this? What do you..." The mortal suddenly began to gag, his breath seemed to leave him as he fell to his knees trying to catch his breath.
"Oh, now you feel it."
Suddenly the door behind Larea burst open, as the dust settled two guards appeared on the threshold but instantly fell to the ground as Ceriek stood behind them smirking. Another wave of air seemed to flow around the room before Larea signaled Ceriek to approach.
"Have you secured our exit?"
"Almost, but I can still feel some lifeforms within the building."
"We just need a clear path out Ceriek."
"Oooh, yeah that's done."
Larea peered at Ceriek's battle axes and noticed streaks of red splattered across them, that and the lustful smirk she had on her face meant more trouble for Larea.
"What? I am still in control..." Ceriek tried to vouch for herself, but Larea refused to fall for it.
[Sigh]
"Can't leave you alone at all, can I?" Larea beckoned to Ceriek. "Anyway, we need to find the keys to his safe, check his garments carefully."
Ceriek sheathed her battleaxes then proceeded to search the mortal Larea had rendered unconscious with her [Stifle Resort], then she checked his person until she found a golden prism inscribed with unknown writing.
"Could this be it?" Ceriek handed the prism to Larea who quickly examined it.
Larea nodded.
"Did you get the bags?"
Ceriek nodded in response and the two rushed out of the mortal's office with haste, they had been fortunate so far that none of the higher-ups had been at the factory during that particular time. Larea and Ceriek each grabbed two bags filled with gold coins and ran for the exit, all that was left for them was to catch up with the others and make their escape.
The two ran down the flight of stairs as they zipped past guards that Ceriek had rendered 'unconscious.' Though this was not the way she had wished to operate, Larea figured there could never be a perfect heist, not in Morland.
"Quickly now!"
"Sorry, it's these bags that keep getting in the way." Ceriek complained.
As the two shieldmaidens came toward the large door that led to the factory's courtyard, a bright flash of red suddenly filled the night sky.
"Red? That means-"
"Danger!"