Things move along.

Uklag is lying in his wooden shack again. Catherine taps against the binding of the book she has read three times now. It is the only one they have. “You know, at this point that brunette knight has likely entered the city as well.” The warlock says and raises his hands above his face. Small bolts of electricity jump from one hand to another. “Yeah.” Catherine answers. “Likely has presented her side of the story now.” Uklag adds. An understanding hum. “How likely is it that they catch unto our little fabrication?”

“Well, I told them that the fire was started by an unknown source. You managed to escape somehow and as we fought a black-haired woman in black leather threw me of the ship. From that story they should only be able to guess that Alratha is working with you.” She yawns. “Which wasn’t actually a secret at all.”

“True enough.” Uklag agrees and suddenly jerks upwards. He hears steps and quickly the door is opened. “Greetings, Uklag.” Ulric says to the sitting mage. “We have a plan.”

Said plan is to use his magic to burrow a tunnel under the fortifications of the fort. Ignoring enchanted doors, hundreds of guardswoman, the twin-generals or whatever else the queendom could throw at them. Effective and simple but....

It is only after the giant has finished his explanations that Uklag opens his mouth. What comes out are words and barely held back laughter. “A tunnel?” Chuckling he stands up and grabs his staff. “How very crude but interesting nonetheless….I will need to prepare a tool for that, give me a few hours.” He gives Catherine a few commands, telling her to gather some materials, wood, stone, doesn’t matter.

Ulric is muttering something as he does so but Uklag pays no mind to it. A slight pause as Catherine leaves the shack. “What do you know of demons?” The question hits Uklag somewhat unprepared. Why in the name of… whoever would Ulric suddenly want to know about that? “I have two fairly needy ones at home…or do I count these as one?” he mutters the last part into his hand. “Let’s just say that, with the exception of alchemy, I know everything there is to know on magic.”

The leader of the wolves seems happy with that answer. “Yes, I see. Come with me, I have something to show you.” His interest tingled Uklag steps after Ulric willingly. They end up at a prison carriage. Metal bars hold a succubus of considerable beauty. Uklag has no idea who she is though. Recognizing demon’s without a name is pure guesswork.

“This is Xilyra.” Ah, there it is. “Xilyra, huh?” Uklag steps closer to the carriage and smiles mockingly. “One of the succubi sent to seduce enemy lieutenants during the breaking of Ushye. You should hold a lot of esteem in these lands…for a demon that is.” He grabs through the iron bars of the cage, something about the demoness feels….of. His eyes wander to the collar around her neck, grabbing it. The way magic flows through it is intriguing. Like he just realized he was holding a venomous snake his arm flings back.

Looking at Ulric he thinks. ‘His mage is not nearly powerful enough to make something of this calibre.’ His eyes dart back the collar, greed shines in them. ‘How I would love to inspect it. But something of that design likely has countermeasures – Sadly not worth the risk.’

The giant besides him is watching at the whole ordeal quietly, albeit somewhat confused at Uklag’s rapid movement. ‘Might as well tell him’ the warlock figures. “The collar is enchanted on a level similar to mine and a lot of time has been put into weaving those spells. Most of them lie dormant but I have no idea what they do.” Again he looks at the collar with fascination. “I also have no idea what that metal is. I hate that.” A few more moments before he manages to rip his eyes of the enchanted object and focus on Ulric again. “Well, what did you get me here for anyway?” Uklag asks.

“I brought you here to ask you a favour. Despite my best efforts, Xilyra will not reveal her secrets to me. As a mage, you could enter her mind, **** her to tell me. Will you do this?” Ulric requests. It seems to be an honest plead, also not especially unusual looking at the whole ‘demon’s and their secrets’ situation. Uklag ponders over it for a moment.

“No.” he finally says. “I will not. I don’t even know if I can with that weird-ass collar around. Not worth the risk.” He gives Ulric a determined glare to show that no amount of arguments will persuade him. “I understand, the request was not reasonable, but I had to try.’ He turns from Uklag to look at the collar for a few seconds. “Is it truly so dangerous? I bought it in a shop for eight copper pieces.”

Now Uklag bursts into laughter. “Wha-ha-hat?” he sneaks between fits of wild chuckles. “That’s some cosmic level of random. I don’t know if it is dangerous, just that it very well might be. Better not to take risks with unknown enchantments.” A few coughs later Uklag gets himself back under control. “If that is everything you want of me, I would get back to building that tunnel-making device.”

Ulric nods. “Indeed, there is nothing else.” Despite saying that the giant seems troubled. However that is not of interest to Uklag, with a wave he leaves the bear man and the succubus behind.