Nymira had never seen so many Machina in one place, and she was certain she never wanted to again. Something about how they mindlessly tackled their assignments, showing no emotion whatsoever, it was unsettling. Emotion betrayed how someone truly felt or what they were thinking, or even their smallest expressions could give away a hint of deceit. She had learned to recognize some of these in dealing with other Dimuran chieftains, and she tried to apply the same things to people here. Yet when addressing the butler she found absolutely nothing, no way to guess how he was feeling or thinking. It was unnatural and otherworldly; like the Magi attacking them it was something that shouldn't exist, yet for some inexplicable reason out here it seemed to be the norm. What a strange place Adelon was proving to be.

They had been shown directly to the office in the back of the estate, though it appeared her meeting would be delayed somewhat. Why was that precisely? Did they think whatever petty matters they were seeing to trumped her own? Her task here was to secure a better future for her clan, and perhaps in turn for her people overall. What was this person here for now? Something trivial like wanting more money? Complaining about a noisy neighbor? She wasn't going to wait on that, her own business was far more important. Ignoring the words of the secretary, Nymira marched up to the doors and threw them wide open, glancing briefly at the two men inside before going to the younger of the two. He was the mayor, yes? Surely he'd reason with her!

She had confronted him directly, so why was there no response? Narrowing her eyes impatiently she waited for the supposed mayor to respond, glancing at the portly man on the other side of the desk now and again. Who was that oaf then? Given his portly appearance and his clothing she assumed he was a merchant, she couldn't see any self respecting leader dressing himself so extravagantly, it was just in utter contempt. Feeling her hand being picked up the Dimuran's brow knitted together curiously, her eyes shifting back to Zander just as his lips met the back of her hand. His lips. Her hand. He had kissed [i]her[/i]?! Rather than become blatantly furious her jaw clenched hard and her face paled, though her eyes seemed to grow more intense as she stared at the young boy. Mayor or not, that was much too personal for two complete strangers.

[i]Don't kill him, don't kill him, whatever you do, do not kill him[/i]. Nymira had to repeat this mantra time and time in her mind to stay her hand, twitching and so desperately wanting to grab the daggers at her hips. Such insolence... Were all leaders like this, with no respect for relations and personal boundaries? She was here as a dignitary and demanded respect, not to be treated like a maiden and kissed in an attempt to woo her. Watching as Zander threw a strange talisman at the portly man she relaxed somewhat, puzzled to see the merchant fall asleep suddenly. Was he a Magi, or was this some other trickery at work? Now she was both angry and confused, and had the secretary not intervened just then she'd have gone on a tirade of monumental proportions. 

"Oh yes, the reason he actually called you in here," the secretary began, going back to her desk and grabbing a small folder off of it. Placing it on the mayor's desk she opened it back up, showing a small wanted poster for a few known bandits as well as a handwritten letter, crudely written, of some sort of demands. "A very important merchant vessel was stolen yesterday, it has some cargo that Orosi absolutely needs. We've tried to get it back but our guards were beaten, and now they're demanding insane amounts of gold for its return. We could pay it, but some of the guard worries they'll push for more if we give in, so we've been looking for help to get the boat back."

Nymira scowled as the situation was explained, annoyed that once more her presence was seemingly ignored. Slamming a hand down on the desk she looked at the secretary with anger in her eyes, pointing then to the documents on the table. "If I bring you their hides can I have my time with the mayor? I detest having to deal with something as lowly as a common thief, but if it's what I must do in order to secure an audience."

Bernadette's brow shot up at the unexpected proposal, surprised to hear someone willing to actually take the job. Should she though, after all she knew nothing of this woman and her companion. "Well... Generally the mayor would pick those to handle the task, but he's currently... Asleep," she muttered, her eyes shifting over briefly before looking between Nymira and Cecil, "And you both seem capable, maybe you could do it. We can't guarantee your safety though, we don't know exactly who is on board that ship. The fact that some of our guards-"

"I'm worth a dozen of your guards, we'll be fine," Nymira interrupted sternly as she moved her hand from the table. Rather than continue that conversation she instead turned to Zander, her features deceptively calm as she looked up at him. "So you're not the mayor, and yet you dare kiss my hand... Even if you were him it would be inexcusable, but to learn you're simply some commoner..." Reaching down into her sheath she pulled a dagger free in a blink of an eye, holding it up to the healer with a nasty smile. "Let's make a deal here then, you liar. You help us in securing this ship, and I forgive your impudence, how does that sound?" 

-----

Finding the inn wasn't terribly hard, as even Ethan could follow the directions they were given. It didn't hurt either that one of the stable hands walked with them halfway, good thing as he'd almost gone the wrong way immediately. With Nymira's money he found he could be much more liberal with the kind of arrangements they got, so he figured why not indulge a little? He would be content with the basics, but he figured Nymira would want better, and Amuné deserved to be comfortable. He knew that paying up near 200 silvers for both rooms was mighty steep, especially given the regular rooms were a fraction of the cost. They had the funds though, why not go for it?

They had barely gotten into the room before Amuné chastised him for his spending, smiling sheepishly as he gave his neck a rubbing. "I-I know, I know... I just thought everyone might like having a nice place to sleep tonight, especially after last night. I promise I won't do it again!" He probably wouldn't live to do it again if Nymira found out, best to keep the price of the room between them. [i]Then again... She didn't seem too upset about spending a lot earlier,[/i] he told himself, flopping back onto the bed with a sigh, [i]Maybe she'll be okay with it?[/i] Probably best to play it safe and not mention it regardless, but he'd be honest if she happened to ask.

"Yeah I noticed that, it'll be really cool to hear some music!" Ethan mused as he stared at the ceiling, "I heard some Ydran music years ago, when someone came through Kinsgrove. Other than that though I can't remember any, it'll be neat to see what he plays." He'd always enjoyed music, he loved listening to the minstrel and the barmaid back home sing renditions of popular songs every day, always doing so with bright smiles and to a room full of happy patrons. That was music to him, a bunch of people enjoying themselves and having a good time. Maybe he wouldn't get the same feeling out here in a place like Orosi, but it would still be nice. 

Ethan was torn, on one hand wanting to do absolutely nothing and on the other knowing they had places to be. Gosh this bed was comfortable, they were going to sleep like babies tonight! He tried to keep down for a few minutes and let some of the weariness wash away, but the incessant ticking of the clock was almost mocking him, telling him he had to get moving; constantly moving was his way of doing things since he'd begun this journey of his, and much as he might feel like he needed a rest he was having trouble doing so. Eventually Ethan began to fidget impatiently as the clock continued to count the seconds, grating against his ears until he simply couldn't bear it any longer.

"Okay, rested long enough!" Ethan declared as he sprung to his feet, beaming and clasping his hands together, "Come on Amuné, come on Wyth, let's go see how everyone else is doing!" They had just gotten here, sure, but really did they need to hang around? Besides it was a nice day, they should be outdoors doing something! Looking around for the keys given to him for their rooms Ethan made sure to pocket them, beaming at Amuné before heading to the door and holding it open for her, "Figure you can find them Wyth? I know we were going to meet at the stables, but maybe we can surprise them instead!"