Second Horizon IC

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Eile Fon Lavin

"I am Christy Selore. Justicar of the Ordo Aequitas Equitas, hailing from our keep Ultimum Iudicium, requested by the Guard Captain to help with the investigation of a loose vampire and I must ask you to remain with me, I have reason to assume that you are going to be the next target of this daemon."

Eile noticed Christy looking around as she answered her question as well as pointed out that she was the next target of a vampire murderer.

"Ok Christy. Dunno why this vampire murderer's coming after me. I got nothing but some herbs and stuff." Eile pondered.

"Do you possibly know a suitable hideout? We need a location where we can sleep in the same room, in the same house in the same bed in the same side. I will not take the risk of letting the daemon devour you."

The Tanuki Oni Half breed smirked at Christy's wording as she decided to go nuts with Christy's words.

"Oh my Christy. I never knew you take it this far and on our first meeting as well. I fear that it would not be this daemon who would 'devour' me. But your sweet lips that would 'devour' me." Eile replied with a sultry voice putting emphasis on the word devour. Just for added effect, Eile stood on her tipsy toes and licked Christy's right check before backing up slightly, smiling.

She looked around and saw a couple guards as well as a white haired girl with red eyes and pale white skin that could have been the result of being indoors for a good portion of any person's childhood.

"But on a more serious note, that inn was my plan for the night until the innkeeper decided otherwise. Besides, she's only one person. It wouldn't hurt to at least try to talk to her before making any rash decisions." Eile stated looking at the white haired girl.

With that said, Eile waved at the girl and called to her.

"Hello there. Care to fancy the nightly bed dance with my armored companion here?"
 
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Elizabeth

"What to do about her?"​
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Having placed her tome over her head to shield her eyes, her vision improved slightly, now allowing her to see the wombat and Justicar talking as they walked quite a distance in front of her. She noticed the armoured woman seemed to keep looking back at her. "Well that was quick. I'm not exactly my best in the day time..." She yet again let out a small sigh as she came to a stop, watching the two before realise that she too was also being observed by the woman and decided it might be time to leave. There is no point in stalking if the prey is aware of your presence.​
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As she turned she saw the possum move close to the human woman, licking up the side of her cheek. 'Why is she tasting her?' Confused, she stayed put for a few moments longer, her red eyes fixed on them, waiting for... Well, she didn't really know. Most times the predator just eats the prey, not taste tests it first. Deciding she'd have no choice but to find the girl later, she turned to leave in hopes that once she'd left, that woman would too.​
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As she did so, a voice called out to her. It was the meerkat's, she recognised it from earlier. "Hello there." She turned her head back to she it beckoning her over. There was only a moment of hesitation before she decided she would comply, after all, she would finally get the chance to ask it what it really is, provided that woman played nice.​
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"Care to fancy the nightly bed dance with my armoured companion here?" She shot a distasteful look towards the woman before coming to a stop and turning her attention back to the fox.​
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"Good afternoon."Elizabeth's voice was calm and sweet, one hand up shielding her eyes and the other clutching her tome to her chest. At least she could now have a closer look at this... Mongoose? She clearly still could not make up her mind on what she was.​
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She took a moment to study the round ears that sat atop her head, twitching slightly towards noise, her bushy, stripped tail that seemed to have a mind of its own as it swayed behind her and lastly, that Talentium Shuriken on her back that she'd seen her briefly wield earlier. 'How interesting indeed...' After a few moments of silence she cleared her throat and continued.​
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"Pardon me, but I was just so fascinated when I saw you that I had to find out what exactly you are but..." She glanced over to her companion, deciding she already disliked her. "...I wasn't sure whether I'd be safe to confront you. She looks pretty... Dangerous." She finally pulled her eyes from the woman, giving the human-thing in front of her a sweet smile.​
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Talze Utera Illiserev Dansila Astopol

  • Own benefit? Of course. Out of all the four gathered in this location, Arbour Sain was undoubtedly the one who lacked magical ability the most. Even that other 'male', the tanned child, had something that was quite out of the ordinary. It was refreshing to see at least one relatively normal person amongst this ragtag group of oddities. As the brown-haired man rambled on, Tanya simply smiled and nodded, accepting his proposal. How refreshing, for someone to have such a one-track mind.

    His companions…or at least people who were bored enough to have come so early to an event that didn't start until nighttime, were less naïve. The long haired witch that looked much older than she felt was the first to state her suspicions. Maybe the witch had just wanted to confirm what she had already known, or maybe the witch was truly just single-minded, but…

    "More to it?" Tanya wagged her finger side by side. "What's more to it than boredom? In this new generation of peace, we can't really go around blowing others up for the fun of it, right? Gotta put all the time to some use, one way or the other. But I digress, and I'll ask you this question."

    "Essentially, magic requires three things. The knowledge to mold mana, a soul to hold mana, and a body to release mana. Talentium, you can argue, enhances the soul, increasing the total amount of mana one has available. Knowledge can be attained through tomes and practice. But it is the body that gives one the power to release mana the first place. So, if one was able to control the body's ability to release mana…what does that imply? Personally, I don't particularly care about conquest and battles, but monetizing magical power sounds like a fun way to pass time, yes?"

    Focusing her eyes onto Liese, she said, "What I seek is simple. I wish to see the differences between Riley's body, and the body of a normal witch. What has already been proven is that the subject had shown no particular ability to use elemental magic, but that changed within a day. I wish to see what changes have occurred, and induce the same changes in another. It'll probably take time, but I have time to burn."

    "As for rumors, nope, I have nothing other than deductions and assumptions. Things along the lines of…Riley was a powerful witch that was capable of performed all sorts of magical arts. The magic of Necromancy, especially that of leaving your physical body, could easily be amongst her arsenal. That magic though, restrains the caster to a set area around their corpse, until the corpse decomposes and disappears, in which case Riley would become a ghost, just like the advisor of Rilolia."

    "Now, if she were to become a freely-moving ghost, with all her powers still intact…that would be a problem, wouldn't it? Astopol will not house a 'defiled' body within their prisons, and would likely just incinerate it. Dansila would be prone to scientific curiousity and may just dice it up as a cadaver in one of their medical institutions. Talze Utera…well, you have graverobber-recruiters like me here, after all. That leaves Illiserev, does it not? The country with the most disciplined guards, and the country that seems to have become a retirement home for quite a few historical figures."

    "Naturally, if this doesn't convince you, you're free to leave and find something else to entertain yourself with, my dear. Perhaps a game of darts in the merchant's district?"

  • Alicia Rez was her name, huh? Sounded rather plain, but plain was nice sometimes. And the castle too…what a surprise. They must have been scrambling to fill up the night shift. "It's technically called 'battle maid'", he said, a light smile on his face, "And your male co-workers would be called 'combat butlers'." Definitely not someone who had spent any time at all. She was probably incredibly lucky that she was able to get in, regardless of her lack of credentials. Maybe she just had a talent for looking like a pitiful child, with all her grovelling.

    That being said…a young girl with no common sense, going on a journey for the sake of enigmatic training…was she certain that she didn't just get disowned by her parents and sent off into the wilds? He kept those words to himself though, and sat himself on the table, watching the jewelry-smith at work.

    "Well, Alicia, this is your first time in Alzemel? Would have thought that an adventurous lass like yourself would have wanted to work on an airship or sail around in the Archipelago, really. What made you want to become a maid?"

  • A heavy silence filled the air. The streets became emptier than before, the guards disappearing in the distance, until all that remained were four souls in quiet part of Cykes.

  • Piece of shit brat. Didn't that snickering asshole know that the off-balance darts were PART of the game? But no, he just had to show off how much of a smartass he was and go 'huehuehue, darts be fix, match be rigged'. The stall owner clenched his teeth, narrowed his eyes, before letting it all go away when the lady who had won beforehand had brought forth a new challenger. Smiling more at the bronze coins than at the younger girl that came with the red-eyed darts champion, he was quick to pass over a new set of six darts, before watching the twintailed teenager throw.

    It was almost refreshing, to see people miss…when the first dart bounced off the target and almost poked out his left eye. Snapping his head out to the side just in the nick of time, he made a silent vow to never, ever set up a dart game stall again, before continuing to smile refreshingly as the light-haired girl missed her shots, over and over again, until she was on the last dart.

    AND, OF COURSE SHE WOULD GET IT IN ON HER FINAL THROW!

    He resisted the urge to throw his hands up in exasperation, froze his facial features into a mask, and prayed to the Goddess of Miracles that all these stupidly lucky or skilled people would just leave and go bully another stall.

    "Yup," he said with false enthusiasm, "You win a prize! One meal ticket, redeemable for any singular meal at your local, and I mean VERY LOCAL, food stalls!"

    Thank the goddess that he was buddies with the food stall owner. At least this prize didn't technically cost him anything.
 
Verek was glad to have caught the man's attention so easily and followed him over to the tables. He took the other chair at the table and sat directly opposite the man, gauging who he was. He had shown he had the skills that Verek was looking for, but he still wasn't sure about the man's attitude. Gristov would be expecting obedience to the letter, what he gave his own superiors when he received orders. When the waitress attempted to ask what he would be ordering Verek waved her off. He wasn't here to eat.

When the man questioned his intentions Verek's face gave nothing away. Now they were talking properly he had dropped the smile and had a much more serious face on. He did note his companion's expression though. Eager for something certainly, perhaps for possible work, for a fight. Or he might've just been hoping for Verek to react a certain way. He hoped it was the former. The stare didn't bother him either, he met the man's eyes directly as he spoke. "I'm looking for fighters yes." he replied, "Mercenaries for a mission that will benefit Astopol's future. People who will take our gold and do what we need them too." He wove a little patriotism into his words just in case the man preferred that over money.

"I saw your dart throwing, obviously." Verek continued, leaning back in his chair and glancing over to the dart stall where there was still a crowd. It seemed that someone else had won a prize though he couldn't see the thrower now he was sitting. He wondered if it was the girl he had first approached. His attention snapped back to the man opposite him, "You seem to be a skilled mage, am I correct? My employer could use a man of your talents for this mission." It was his turn to stare at the man now, awaiting his answer. Truthfully he hadn't seen much of the man's magical ability, but a little flattery could be useful.
 
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"Oh, very well done, girl." Astrid smiled down at Lydia as she finally hit the target with her last dart. Her little squee of glee upon realizing that she had succeeded was just bloody adorable. Giving Lydia a light pat on the head, Astrid turned to leave but paused, looking down at the package that she was still carrying.

"Anyways, if you care to, take this as well." Astrid said, gesturing to the package containing the replica sword that she had won. "I'm no swordsman, and nor do I have a use for plain iron. Then again, considering your weapon," She paused, recognizing the glint of talentium from the girl's spear. "I suppose you don't either. Hmm," She rubbed her chin for a moment in thought, and then carelessly tossed the package onto the ground, walking away from it. "Perhaps we will cross paths another time, girl. As for the rest of you," Astrid swept her gaze through the crowd of people around the dart booth. "One of you may have my prize. I care not who takes it."

Walking away, Astrid nonetheless turned back one last time, if only to see what commotion she had wrought. And just as she thought, the allure of a free trinket got the crowd going to the point where none of them were watching her anymore. Instead, they were following two men who were actually fighting over a mere chunk of iron. Shaking her head in amusement, Astrid turned away to leave.
 
"Th-thank you!" Lydia responded quickly, as the man handed her the ticket.
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Shortly after, the skilled woman from before approached her once again. Praising her, and seemingly pampering her for her less than spectacular performance. The small girl eyed her meal ticket more than anything, trying to not make too much of a smile or any gesture to alert the armored woman to continue her assault 'of googly-eyeing'. Though abruptly, the woman offered her own prize to Lydia. Overwhelmed and unable to respond with so many things going on, the crowd encroached further in spectacle of the blade. Further fueling the fire, she changed her mind and tossed the sword to the locusts, watching them fight over the iron spectacle for whatever reason other than vanity.
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"Oh-uhm.. Thank you for your advice! M-my name is Lydia by the way!" She announced as the woman said her farewells and departed.
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But again Lydia found herself in a predicament, she still hadn't found what she was looking for. The fun game had sidetracked her from focusing on that goal, and remembered her original plan that she determined before the whole debacle. But.. she did have this meal ticket, why look on an empty stomach?

She made her way through the crowd, as much of a struggle as it was. Even getting her hair caught on someone's weapon-clip on the way out, delaying her and bringing a few drops of moisture around her eyes. But she was out of apples, and food was on her mind, weakly complaining on how her hair was pulled was not an option. Seeing the man whom approached her before in the corner of her eye, she shrugged and pressed towards a small food stall selling slices of pie of various kinds.

"Apple pie p-please, if you have it..." She asked, standing on her tippy-toes to peer over the tablestand that blocked her way from drooling on the carious baked goods.​
 
Alicia clasped her hands together in joy. Perfect! "Well, do you think you could finish them before it turns dark?" After all, she needed them before her first shift started! "Oh and obviously I won't buy the ugly helmet now." She would just throw it away anyways. Paying more attention towards the handsome now Alicia thankfully continued.

"A battle maid? I see, thank you very much! And I am here a little bit more than a week, though considering the weather I haven't seen much of the Capitol yet. Only rumours...like this Jewelsmith!...?"

Another glance at the various armours and weapons made clear the white hair was also now thinking about a right term regarding THIS shop, after all, she was mostly praised for her craft of accessories and alike.

"A-Anyways, I happened to stumble upon the hangout for the job and while I am technically in no need to pay for food nor a place to stay, using my time for hunting hinders my travels. Money is really...practical! But my main intent is to do good in the world! Be it slaying a foul beast or just helping out in the fields, both of those tasks are of equal importance. Same with taking on the job as a Battle Maid, and I intend to take it very seriously!"

Indeed, going with the whole maid outfit and calling her employer master and all that, just because Alicia intended to be good did not mean she would be good at it.
 
He raised his head a bit when Tanya spoke again, eyebrow rising in interest. He had never paid too much attention to magic due to his inability to use it, so he wasn't exactly well-versed in the theory behind it. So he paid attention when the list of three was presented, curious. As far as he knew, the other soul bristled with a ludicrous amount of mana despite its age. What he didn't know was whether the changes he underwent made him close enough to a dragon that he could release mana though. The lack of knowledge in regards of how to use magic was another limitation, though one that could possibly be fixed with ease. In the end though, he didn't particularly want to find out if he could shape and mold mana into magic. Trading Skills for Arts wasn't something that interested him, and there was no telling if drawing upon the other soul's reserves wouldn't upset the equilibrium he'd managed to achieve with it.

If he thought about Tanya's theory it made some sense, though it was hinged upon the possibility that Riley had been a practitioner of Necromancy. While normally Kuo would have thought it to be unlikely, as the school was normally used by Vampires, the Witch had been infamous as a Magic User for a reason, so it wasn't too implausible Thinking for the moment, he turned to regard the other two that had yet to make a decision regarding what had been proposed, curious of their thoughts on the matter. While certainly interesting, there wasn't much to be gained from going along with the stranger's venture and likely much to risk.
 
Simply put, Liese remained thoroughly unconvinced. She did not doubt the knowledge and facts that Tanya had presented to the small group, but anything that she had said to back up her entreaties for them to go to Illiserev fell flat. Her explanation of magic in response to the barefooted witch was simple and easy to understand, and to the extent of her own knowledge, was correct. However, the responses to her own questions were expertly danced around, like a silver-tongued politician. The answer to what she wanted from Riley… was more rhetorical than she'd wished. She wanted to know what she wanted them to bring back, not the results from a crackpot research project. And perhaps, the most damning, was the fact that she confirmed that she was indeed running off rumors. There was no proof that the body was in Illiserev.

"Anybody that plays a rigged game like that is a fool," said Liese. "Ms Sawyer, you're operating on the assumption that the body even exists. If it indeed does, then I agree that would be a reasonable deduction, but I dislike the notion of pursuing an object that has its existence in debate, let alone invade the personal abode of the sovereign of Illiserev, as you so implied."

Liese pulled her fingers back, leaving only an index finger idly pointing at the ill-dressed scholar.

"At most, I can entertain a visit to Alzemel," she continued. It was on her bucket list to visit, after all, but nobody here needed to know that. "But not the castle itself without some official sanction. Regardless, what is in it for us?"
 
(Temp control of Christy. Was given permission by Desire)
----Christy (@Desire character)------

The armored woman kept her eye on the white skined girl as she listen to Eile's reply. Seeing as the inn the green foreign girl was planning on staying at was no longer an option, she was about to start looking for another inn when Eile licked her on her cheek. Her face's temperature rose a few degrees as she backed up slightly from the grinning girl before catching Eile's words.

"Oh my Christy. I never knew you take it this far and on our first meeting as well. I fear that it would not be this daemon who would 'devour' me. But your sweet lips that would 'devour' me."

Christy's mind quickly summoned that image that Eile was planting into her mind before forcefully shutting it out.

"I am trying to protect you and all you are doing is trying to seduce me?!" Christy demanded as she then saw Eile facing the white skinned woman.

"Hello there. Care to fancy the nightly bed dance with my armored companion here?"

Christy sighed at Eile's antics. Her authority as a justicar seem to fall on deaf ears as Eile called the White haired girl over. As soon as the woman was closer to her and Eile, she noticed a few things. She had a tome that looked large then the girl who was carrying it. The other thing was that she was giving off the vibe of distaste in her direction while she looked at Eile as if she was an interesting book.

"Good afternoon. Pardon me, but I was just so fascinated when I saw you that I had to find out what exactly you are but ... I wasn't sure whether I'd be safe to confront you. She looks pretty... Dangerous."

Christy kept a tight grip on her sword in case this woman decided to do something funny. After all, Justice is never resting and there was a daemonic murderer on the loose.


-------Eile fon Lavin------

Eile watched as the girl walked up to Christy and herself. The Tanuki Oni half breed noticed that what she used to give herself had was a large book at least 3/4 the girl's size that gave her the impression of a child despite her height although it was obvious that she was shorter then Christy and herself.

"Good afternoon."

Eile saw that the girl was looking at her. It seems like she never seen a Tanuki before and the fact that she was studying her closely lend credence to that fact. The girl snapped out of her thoughts as she resumed talking.

"Pardon me, but I was just so fascinated when I saw you that I had to find out what exactly you are but ... I wasn't sure whether I'd be safe to confront you. She looks pretty... Dangerous."

Eile saw the glance to Christy and instantly recognized it for what it was, a disapproving glance. Still, it was not in her place to question the glance as Eile responded to the girl.

"Everyone's dangerous. After all, we are living in a dangerous world. But enough about that. You wanted to find out what I am. I don't mind telling you what I am. All you have to do is ask. I just hope you can pay the ... 'fee'. That and if you can help us find another inn, you can have your answer soon." Eile replied looking at the pale girl while licking her lips suggestively.
 
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Sarah Telrin

"I should have it finished in a couple of hours."

Sarah nodded and turned back to her tools. Grabbing things off of their pegs above the workbench, she threw an assortment of delicate hammers, files and tongs within easy reach before wandering over to her bucket of scraps and cutoffs from other projects. She picked out a handful of Talentium rods and some of steel. Ignoring the comment on the helmet, she walked over to her anvil and began to bang away with a diminutive little hammer.
 
Arbour nodded along with many of Tanya's points as she began listing them off; which was natural, as he had agreed to go along with her plans even without the additional incentive. Though, even he wasn't sure where Tanya was getting necromancy from; from every first-hand account that he had read, Riley was focusing on her use of summons, elemental, and restorative magics. Pure speculation in attempts to persuade the rest of the band that had gathered.

The scholar attempted not to laugh as Liese made her comments, but failed as she was finishing up. He spoke as he buckled over and wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "What's this about an invasion? Were you not listening to my introduction, or were you perhaps not around when I made it?" He straightened his posture as he continued to speak. "I am a nobleman of Illiserev, and a relatively well-connected one at that. A well-placed word from me to my father and I could have the King roll out the dusty red carpet he keeps in the third room from the right after ascending the main-ballroom's stairs for us. Of course, I could personally visit without the advanced word from my father, his son had always been strangely taken with me..." He interrupted this statement by clearing his throat. "He owes my family much more for what we have done for him in the past..." He stretched his collar at the mention of this.

"Anyway, that's part of the reason why I agreed so readily to this," he returned his attention to Tanya. "A couple days travel, a dinner with a family friend, a little refresher on anatomy; it's all rather an easy step to further my own research compared to the straws I had been grasping at before. The worst this could be for me is an uncomfortable evening with attentions I would rather not have." He turned back to Liese, quirking an eyebrow. "How's that for an official sanction?" He grinned.
 
It was exactly what she had needed to hear, but not what she had hoped. Eizl scoffed at the poor information available, and furthermore at the seemingly incompetent consideration of any connection between corporeal anatomy and magical ability. Perhaps some sort of Talze Uteran beast would possess some sort of "arcane organ", but as far as she knew, there was nothing about a witch that appeared any differently inside or out than common humans. She'd seen the corpses of witches enough times to deduce as much. Perhaps that was the point though; that this Riley's body was indeed different in some way. She couldn't imagine what it was.

Nevertheless, though Sawyer could not divulge any further peculiarities to the request, it nevertheless smelled of adventure. The strangeness of the request, and the situation, were enough of a glaring light to Eizl that she felt it worthwhile to follow through. It was a lead towards notoriety and, potentially, some sort of havoc. Peculiar things sprouting out of Talze Utera were never subdued or doomed to insignificance. The most recent wars of the world were proof of that.

"Interesting," Eizl tilted her head to the side, "I will humor your sciences. I have been growing bored lately." Arbour's supposed connections seemed to ruin the potential for danger, but Eizl could tell from their very starting point it would not be as easy as having tea with a tightly-dressed Illiserevan and cracking open the casket legally. It was never so easy.

It could not be so easy. She would ensure it wasn't.
 
Koestace, Astopol – Food Stall by The Skinny Crane

12:28

A plate was unceremoniously slammed on the table followed by a bowl. Some of the gravy sloshed over the sides and seeped into the wood. Cy welcomed the distraction as he pulled the stew towards him. He inhaled. It clearly wasn't going to be something he enjoyed and the first mouthful pretty much confirmed his suspicions. What started off as a potentially hearty stew had been watered down to a cheap soup. He shoved the bowl away and grabbed a piece of the pork. Again not seasoned properly, but way better than the inedible piss they were selling.

"Where were we? Ah yes…"

He took another mouthful and chewed it thoughtfully. This man was proving to be the sort he'd enjoy goading. One point in favour of accepting the job offer. The only drawback was the praise the man chose to give him. Yes he was slowly distancing himself from the weapon in peacetime, but it wasn't like he had mastered it or anything. Being so sure of yourself far too soon was a foolish. His mind dwelled on the sermon he heard the other day. Those who choose to use falsehoods to wean their way into your good graces are the sort you need to be wary off. It was the only lesson he found to make any sense among all the other nonsense he picked up from the hypocrites at the temples.

"How much are you going to pay me?" Money would have to be the deciding fact in this case. Truthfully if he hadn't bump into this man today, he might have waited awhile more before bolting. Living a sedentary life was not something he liked. There is always bound to be more interesting things other parts. He held up a hand in an attempt to get the other to pause. "Actually I'd prefer you offer me half my pay in coin and the other in spices. Do we have a deal?"

His eyes left Verek's for moment as he began following a lithe figure passing from behind his companion. He wouldn't have recognized the scrawny girl if it weren't for her spear. Soon she disappeared into the crowd once more. Guess she wasn't too interested in approaching this man, eh? He was positive she had caught a glimpse of Verek's back profile before turning away.
 
Illiserev Dansila Astopol

  • "A couple of hours, eh?" The red-headed man smiled at this, wondering whether or not Sarah was going to simply whip up a lazy piece of work, before turning his attention to the white-haired girl, who was now in the process of marvelling all the weapons and armor pieces that a jewelry-smith had crafted during this era of peace. A part-timer who'd only be around for a week or so, and such a righteous one as well! Well, she definitely wasn't a disowned noble in his eyes now, and considering how tranquil the world was, it made a lot of sense that young ones should go and see what the world had in store for them.

    "Mm, glad to see that you're adopting the capitalist attitude of Illiserev, young lady. Money makes the world go around, after all. When IS your shift though? Not something as brutal as from midnight to morning, I hope?"

  • Two silver eyes blinked in the distance.
    Two ears curled inwards, turning.
    And two men, two hundred meters away, stood up and began to walk.

  • The first thing that Lydia saw over counter of the pie stall were two massive mounds of fat, swollen melons that were hidden under a thick apron. That apron was worn by a similarly fat overweight chubby big-boned woman with curly, gray hair and dimples. The middle-aged lady smiled warmly at the child before her, before saying, "Coming right up, little lady! That's a nice toy spear you got as well. Parents bought it for you?"

    Without waiting for a response, the stall owner reached under the counter and pulled out a steaming, crispy pie that was pretty much as wide as the girl that asked for it. "Extra-sized," she winked, "Just so you can put some meat on those bones!"
 
"Th-thank you! Wow, it smells so good."
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Lydia's eyes widened, not so much as peering at the woman to show gratitude, she was far too busy being hypnotized by the delicious food set out before her. By the time she had the dessert in her possession Lydia regained her senses, finally looking to the woman whom beamed a smile back at her. It was contagious, smiling back was inevitable, but just then Lydia had come to a sudden realization.
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"Most of the people in town seem to be good."
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She wasn't expecting streets full of murderers and banditry, but she didn't expect so many good people to be in one concentrated area. But she nodded to the dessert-woman and blushed brightly as she took the pie and darted to a clear spot to eat it. She found a small bench tucked next to a meat-vendor's stall, it was vacant, and people were focused on games and other festivities for the time being.
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"E-excuse me sir.. Do you have any spoons or forks I can use?"
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Why had she been so senseless, the dessert-woman probably had eating utensils waiting for her at the stall, but she was in so much of a rush that she left with nothing but a hot pie in hr hands. Though the sadness sunk in, she simply pouted and puppy-dogged to the meat-vendor, hoping he would somehow save her from this misfortune.​
 
Verek's head tilted to the side at Cy's request for the spices. It was certainly odd that he would ask for a split like that. Perhaps he simple preferred not to go through the trouble of buying them himself. It was a simple change though, to go through some military contractors and get an extra order of spices added to the list. Nothing out of place, give the town guard an extra taste for their meals as a reward for working the festival night. Done with his planning Verek nodded and voiced a number, "Half of that in gold and the other half in spices and you're hired. Meet me here again at dusk and I'll take you to my commander. Is there anyone else you know interested?" he added at the end.

Verek's answer was prompt and business-like although Cy noticed the man seemed to hesitated a little before agreeing to his strange terms. The former scout's eery smile drooped a little before curving upwards again. He'd definitely enjoy observing this stoic man in the near future. Learning what made the swordsman tick was going to be loads fun. He placed his fork down and extended his hand. "You must put up with a lot of odd requests from your recruits. Nonetheless you agreeing to give me the spices I will need makes up for the sum you are offering me in coin. I look to renegotiating in the future."

He leaned back lazily as he listened to Verek brief him on the necessary preparations for tonight. He nodded occasionally to show he was still attentive. Truthfully his mind was started wandering after he learned about the exact time and place they were to meet. Looking for something to do other than nodding and interjecting occasionally, he picked up his fork. He stabbed a juicer piece of meat. He stopped nodding as he stared at the reddish juices ooze down the sides. He shoved the plate away. Great! Raw pork.

He stared at the passing crowd instead. It didn't take him long to spot the skinny girl from earlier. She had her back towards them at the moment. Her spear bobbed about as she talked to the merchant. He was about to comment about the petite spearwoman when he noticed the knightess passing by. The lady knight didn't stop to look at the wares at the food stalls, instead she continued walking till she was swallowed by the bustling crowd.

Looks like his employer was one lucky bastard. Newcomers often headed that way before realizing its a dead end. Being the main street leading to the temple, all the side alleys were blocked off during festivals. She'd probably linger at one of the many craft stalls or walk back in this direction. He pulled his gaze away from the bustling crowd.

"Coming back to your question earlier about friends. The knightess from the dart stall passed by not too long ago. She heading in the direction of the temple further down this stretch. It's a dead end, so you'd catch up if you leave now. Other than her the others are pretty much too complacent. My opinion anyway. You've better luck elsewhere."

He went back to gazing at the bobbing spear. The meat vendor finally noticed the girl...

With his business with the mage concluded Verek rose from the table. "Indeed, I'm having some luck." With a nod of farewell he turned and walked towards the dead end the knight had walked down. Of course having learned from his previous female encounter that day he did not follow her down the alleyway but waited at the entrance for her to emerge whereupon he would step out and make it clear he was interested in talking to her.
 
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(Treating Neko's character as an NPC, it appears I lack the right emotional structures to put myself fully into that characters concept)

"Everyone's dangerous. After all, we are living in a dangerous world. But enough about that. You wanted to find out what I am. I don't mind telling you what I am. All you have to do is ask. I just hope you can pay the ... 'fee'. That and if you can help us find another inn, you can have your answer soon." Eile replied looking at the pale girl while licking her lips suggestively.

"What fee are you speaking of?", Elizabeth curiously looked up to Eile. What could this fee be? Blood? Knowledge of me? Spells? She considered her options and weither or not acquiring that knowledge would be worth the price. What if she could have this being for herself? "As for the inn... there is one outside the city." Could she get rid of this thing of a human somehow?

Does she even understand the threat she is in?
Christy considered her options.
I could kill this daemon. Could I justify this to the guards? Probably not. So this is not an option but neither can I allow another creature to fall victim to this daemon.
Christy sheathed her blade and made a step backwards. Politely but firm she looked into the Daemon's eyes.
"I shall take my leave. I will meet up later as I still desire to recruit our dear friend here" briefly turning her head to Eile before stepping onwards.

Christy felt a pain and disgusting feeling in her stomach as the thought of Eile possibly dying crossed her mind. If Eile died, it would be her fault and if that should come true, the least she must do is to take down this Daemon and deliver it's head to the Captain.
She turned left, right around the corner, hoping that the two of them, Eile and this Daemon would turn right, simply so she could follow.
Coming to a stand just briefly after crossing the corner, a picture crossed her mind.

A picture creating an emotion she longed for for a long time, so foreign, yet so known. No training ever steeled her against the reality of the situation of it happening or experiencing it. It caused her heartbeat to go faster, her body felt warm... her chest tingly and further down... Christy recals the means of daemons to trap their prey. To devour it. To take it in their weakest moment. Why is it that this feelings are triggered without the daemon having done it itself? Then, like a thunder crushing the ground, a thought came to her mind. The daemon influences must be greater than initially believed!
Only one thing was clear for her now, so she believed. She must destroy it.... not realising that her feelings were only natural. Curiousity. Jealousy. Arousal. Triggered by an Image. An image she now pushed away.
 
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Eile Mizer

"What fee are you speaking of?"

Eile smiled a bit as she looked at Elizabeth as an idea sprang into the half oni/tanuki's mind.

"Oh. It's nothing big. I am now your Master. You will address me as mistress." Eile declared as the pale vampire backed up a bit.

"Ok ...Master." Elizabeth said with a hiss. The word sound foreign to Elizabeth as she mentally started chanting 'Until I know what she is.' Christy looked at her as she spoke.

"I shall take my leave. I will meet up later as I still desire to recruit our dear friend here"

With that, Christy left Eile and Elizabeth, taking a left turn at a fork in the road as Eile watched her leave.

"Pity, I would really like to have a taste of her." Eile pouted while Elizabeth looked at said girl before smiling a bit. At the very least, she got rid of the armored pest. She now has all the time in the world to figure out what Eile is.

"As for the inn... there is one outside the city." Elizabeth mentioned as she pointed to the right path.

"That's nice work. Let's get going so I can 'reward' you." Eile said grabbing the smaller vampire girl by her wrist and dragging her along, taking the right path.

A few minutes into the walk, Elizabeth squinted, looking into the distance. She swore she saw two figures, but the sunlight didn't do her any favors. Eile hummed a bit before she felt Elizabeth slow down a bit.

"What's wrong?" Eile asked as she looked around.

"In front of us." Elizabeth said as Eile let go of her and grabbed her Talentium Shuriken.

"I doubt whatever's in front of us can hurt us. But just in case, let's wait for them to pass us. I want you to run and get that armored woman, Christy." Eile said as her tone changed from flirtatious to slightly cocky.

"Why? You can take them on." Elizabeth said as she pulled her book in front of her and started looking for a spell.

"I can't do that while protecting you." Eile responded as she squinted to see if the two figures were male or female.
 
Some time later, Astrid emerged back out from the alleyway Verek was waiting by, clutching a rather large turkey leg in her hand. She glanced around the alleyway for a second, her eyes falling on Verek, seeing as there was no one else around. Shrugging, she took a bite out of her turkey and made to move past the man. As she did so he pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against and fell in step beside her as she walked. "Excuse me ma'am." he began, inclining his head in a respectful gesture, "Are you currently free?"

Astrid glanced at the man, her lips quirking upwards in amusement. "Are you propositioning me, sir?"

The response took Verek by surprise, his eyes widening slightly and his face losing a bit of its business like composition, "No ma'am, not at all. I'm looking for knights who would be interested in a mission related to Astopol's future." He straightened up as he recovered from her question.

"Oh?" Astrid chuckled, raising a hand to cover her smile. "And what exactly would this mission entail?" Of course, she had absolutely no interest in Astopol as a whole, but perhaps this would be entertaining.

"The current parameters of the mission are confidential at this time." Verek replied, "What I do know is there will be four of us and it will not be an easy endeavour." Gristov had not given him much on this front. He had to hope the offer of danger would excite the knight.

"My, my," Astrid remarked casually, taking another bite out of her turkey before continuing. "Such a dangerous assignment, and with so very little details. Of course, I expect to be compensated well for this? Unless you wish for me to risk my life on an unknown venture for absolutely nothing?"

"You will of course be paid." Verek added the gold amount he had promised Cy with the gold amount of the spices added in.

The armored woman raised an eyebrow at the sum, tossing her now-finished turkey leg aside. "How generous." She smiled, motioning for Verek to take the lead. "After you, then."

Rather than take the lead Verek stopped where he was, his eyes temporarily tracking the arc of the turkey leg rather than watching Atrid's face, "There is more I must do before I can take you to my commander. If you will meet me there at dusk," he indicated the entrance to the marketplace they were in, "I will take you and the others to meet him."

"Very well. I suppose I'll see you at sundown." Astrid said, turning to leave. "Good day, sir."

"I look forward to then. Good day to you ma'am." Verek replied, turning to leave himself.
 
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