"The description is not uniquely identifying here, but the Master of Arms will search for something appropriate." He nods at a servant to pass on the message.

"Thank you."

"Is there anything you would like to ask about Reim, Chandrar, or your way home? The escort will also be capable of answering any questions while they are with you."

"I am not averse to listening but do not know how to craft questions in such a way that they do not turn out to be more revealing of my sympathies and concerns than seems appropriate at this juncture."

"On a practical topic, then: the most fastest way to Izril will be to travel through Hellios to Belchan, then down the Naraq River to Medain, and take a ship to Zeres. By caravan or by foot, it will be two to three weeks to one of Belchan's inland ports; then by barge, another two to three weeks to Homgrasse, the capital harbor of Medain; then, eight weeks to Zeres on a merchant ship, in good conditions. Accounting for additional time to find your travel arrangements, I would expect four months to you arriving in Zeres."

"How much of that journey will be spent within your borders and accordingly with your escort? Is Zeres a coastal city on the same continent as Liscor?"

"It depends on the exact route you take to Belchan. By foot, four or five days to the Reim-Hellios border. By caravan, it may take two days to a week to find a suitable caravan willing to take you on, after which it will be five days to the border again, unless you prefer to leave the escort behind when embarking with the caravan, or having the escort accompany you to the first destination.

"Zeres is the Drake Walled City on the southern coast of Izril, where Liscor is, yes. As I am unfamiliar with Izril's geography, I cannot make a strong prediction of your additional land travel once in Zeres, but we have maps you may reference if you wish."

"Does any of this change if I point out that, should I contemplate returning to Reim again in the future, and discover you have fast-travel methods you are not listing that you offer only once the trip more definitely benefits your cause, it will certainly occur to me that you could have offered them to get me back to my office more quickly and therefore more quickly resolve the kidnapping's damages?"

"If you know how to ride, borrowing one of the Kingdom's finest horses would shorten your journey, but only on the first leg to Belchan, and it would be more dangerous and less convenient in ways one would expect, and therefore I advise against it—and against foot travel, in general. Throwing coin and favor at a merchant to carry you may speed up finding arrangements, but incur risk of drawing undesirable attention at your destination, as I said before.

"Reim does have flying carpets in its possession, but flying a carpet into foreign territory risks retaliation and attempts at capture; such items are valuable strategic assets and are only flown by parties proportionally capable of defending it in the air, and Reim has not flown its carpets in fifteen years because we no longer have personnel satisfying this requirement.

"If your question is whether Reim is in possession of a scroll or spell of magical travel like the one that brought you here—the answer is decisively no, unless my King maintained a secret vault unbeknownst to any office of the Kingdom, which is not impossible, but beyond my access in that case. To be frank, such as a capability may only be found in the ancient vaults of Khelt, or the Quarass of Germina. Even the scroll which Gazi used would not be able to return you to Izril, since it only creates an imprecise return gateway to the place of its creation.

"Like a homing pigeon. I see. I am not a skilled rider even on familiar tack with horses that have familiar training."

Orthenon nods.

"Her profilgacy in abducting you may have been misleading. If today I were needed urgently in Izril or another continent, the only difference in my course would be to ride with our own horses and men, and to charter appropriate private vessels for the waters. Thirty years ago the answer might be different, but—even the archmages of Wistram sail to where they need to go, outside times of great crisis. Anyone will corroborate this."

Blai nods.

"I will not impose on you further if there is nothing you wish to know. Your belongings have been prepared in another room, and the Master of Arms should have a weapon for you shortly. As mentioned in the letter, five hundred gold is yours in apology. You are also free to stay in the palace while you have not left the city, if you require time to orient and make arrangements, though it is understandable if you wish to secure your own lodgings. You may retrieve your escort now, or only when you wish to depart the city."

He'll be in better condition to travel tomorrow. "I would like to confirm that I am no longer subject to the enchantment making it difficult to leave the palace; if that's off I will stay another night to leave in the morning better prepared."

He lifts his Skill. It doesn't feel like anything.

"I confirm it is now gone. The porters will be at your service to direct you towards the Merchant's Guild, the Mage's Guild or other features of the city."

"Thank you." Does he feel anxious about his plan to leap out the nearest window? He's not going to actually do it unless it feels REALLY RIDICULOUSLY awkward.

He is an ordinary, uninfluenced amount of anxious.

"I was earlier offered clothes in better condition. If and only if these are again offered in the spirit of an apology and not as an attempt to secure goodwill above and beyond what I would have possessed had I never been kidnapped, I can accept those now."

"I do so make you the offer again in apology, though I expect the staff meant to offer you dining clothes and not travel clothes, which you may prefer; you are welcome to either or both."

"Travel clothes, yes. I don't see a reason to be encumbered with a set of dining clothes on my trip and don't plan to stay more than one further night here."

He nods to a servant.

"Is there more to discuss at this time?"

"One last: would you be averse to Reim sending a message to the diplomatic office of Liscor indicating that you were delivered to us by Adventurer Gazi and have been released? You may proofread the wording, if you prefer."

"I would prefer to consult on the wording, yes, I didn't realize you had communications with them already."

"We do not have a diplomatic relationship and have not received any communications from Liscor as of today, but I would be surprised if their diplomats do not have an inbox at their local Mage's Guild—

"Ah, if you were unaware, Mage's Guilds operate message services, and there are relay services between all the continents, though it is expensive. My staff were unable to find a relevant entry in the international registries at our Guild, but local Guild networks are generally competent at routing letters to somewhere useful so long as the prescribed receiver is sufficiently distinguishing."