Balthier walked through the crowds congregating through the northern gate of Isamanca, looking to all like one of many other northern foreigners coming to seek a place to stay and partake in the Carnevalla. Under normal circumstances, he most certainly would, and no doubt some people were probably hoping to see the Baruvadi Bard grace them with a show in honour of their city's festivities. Unfortunately, much more dire and unhappy business had brought him to the city. The contents of Lethodus' curt and simplistic letter were deeply troubling to say the least, especially given his own last assignment.

For just a couple months prior, he had been engaged in a task to root out the substance of suspicious reports coming from the Duchy of Abbelona, the mountainous Duchy north of Revossa, specifically within the Monasteria di Ebia where grissly bodies were apparently being uncovered. With local authorities finding no leads, and were fearful for their own lives, they called upon the specialist aid of the Order of Cinder, whom tasked Balthier to investigate.

He had entered the Monastery under his usual frontal impressions that he had made himself modestly famous upon, that of a Bard and wandering Storyteller, seeking shelter for a few days to rest and recuperate from a long journey on the road that required no payment in coin to stay, and perhaps grace the Priestesses of Love and Beauty with some of his performances. And although they welcomed him warmly, some of them even being fans of work, he immediately felt a sense of unnatural unease and dread hanging over the whole secluded area. No mere undead, ghoul, or even lesser vamphiir was living here, not likely even a pack, this was a singular, older, and more menacing vamphiir, with far more intelligence and eldritch calculation than most. Even though the local authorities could hardly be expected to have understood the entire gravity of the threat, they had been wise to notify the Order.

Though finding the vamphiir had been a challenge, with the powers it wielded, it could have impersonated anyone in the Monastery. Balthier had been glad he had entered using his cover profession, as he could use it as an excuse to not look so suspicious and to be able to stick around for a few days without necessarily tipping off the old monster. Thus, that is what he did, and he entertained the Monastery for a few days as he quietly kept his eyes open. He shared a few . . . memorable moments with some of the Priestesses as well in order to keep up appearances, though his weapons were never out of his reach in case of his lovers turned out to be a murderous and ancient monster.

Eventually, he narrowed his suspects down to one individual, the main central figure of authority in the Monastery, and the one person who both was the most likely person to provide the information necessary to know the identity of who was the vamphiir, and also the most likely person to be the vamphiir, High Priestess Simonella. Since the monster had to be someone either so unsuspecting and forgettable that they were rarely noticed in the place, or else had assumed the character of a person so powerful that they commanded great authority and fear even when they were in disguise. Since many elder vamps that had been encountered by the Order were of the imperious and self-aggrandizing nature, Balthier was acting under the assumption she was the former.

His guess proved correct. Cornering the High Priestess in her chambers under the premise of a private inquiry in regards to arranging transport to Abbelona proper, he was swiftly thrown into battle with the revealed vamphiir, thinking she had found an amusing if now irritating interloper in her home. But Balthier was no mere wanderer, he was a Hunter of the Order of Cinder, and trained to be the scourge of the undead in all its forms. Both proved evenly matched and the fighting between the two ranged throughout the monastery, with roles of prey and predator changing several times. In the end, after a protracted fight over several hours, Balthier succeeded in killing the vamphiir, though heavily wounded himself, he instructed the Priestesses to burn its body to ash that it may not rise again before passing out.

Several weeks later, he awoke in one of Abbelona's Apothecaries, his wounds treated with the compliments of the Duchy, and two letters, one from the Hunter-General herself directly from the House of Fire, and the other from Hunter Lethodus who was apparently in Isamanca, Revossa.

It was the contents of both letters which had brought him here, mostly out of the sense of duty he had along with the gnawing fear they brought in equal measure rather than any fondness for the former Knight. All the same, seeking the residence of his fellow Hunter was his first goal in this city.

Asychis awakened at the first light of dawn, toting his bag as he perched upon the ship's rails in anticipation of the sight of Isamanca's harbor. The monks had generously given him a few gold pieces to board Yzharva, and the trip had been wonderful and smooth in general. Although he preferred to keep his identity hidden by never removing the piece of cloth tied to the lower half of his face, even the young monk could not resist removing his face apparel to take a deep whiff of the calming scent of the salty waters and the refreshing breeze of the morning winds. Then, Isamanca beckoned into view. Its breath-taking architectures of azure that reached for the cerulean heavens above. The walls, proud and mighty, gave the city its towering reputation as sparkling man-made waterfalls reflected the scattered rays of the early sun, causing beautiful, almost surreal beads of a myriad colors to cascade upon the waters. Asychis had never been here before as he had spent almost half of his years residing in Ibzya. The cool climate served as a welcome change to the blistering, scorching winds of the desert. Tales of Isamanca wafted albeit in different versions among the lands of Ibzya, but from Dahshur to Qaithus to Aaru, every ibzyan dreamed of the opportunity to visit the alluring city of magnificence. Even Asychis had promised to bring back some souvenirs for Amenmeit, the head monk of their group, as well as for the other monks.

However, as they made port, a sense of dread and excitement gnawed at the young lad's heart. He was excited, no, jubilant and euphoric at the idea of meeting his old comrades from the order. Surely, he never expected anyone to remember him, but he so ached for the chance to see them again. But, alongside his joy, he also dreaded their expected scorns at an uninvited and expelled member to join them. He would cite Lydic's dying wish in order to gain a moral leverage, but should they refuse his company, Asychis made up his mind to just go back to Ibzya, or to go on his own exploration instead. As the ship halted upon the harbor, Asychis leaped out of the ship before now concealing his face with the cloth.

As it would seem, the Carnevalla in Isamanca sent the crowd into a jovial mood as everyone became too preoccupied to even notice a stray person from Ibzya. He couldn't really see anyone from his nation, and it somewhat dampened his spirits. Was Ibzya so poor that not one soul is able to leave its torrid grasp? Was it because the riches of the people were in the hands of the elite only? Asychis would never know, but as he witnessed the once mythical tales of such a celebration, even the young monk was entranced by the wild dancing, songs, and music. The crowd swept Asychis with them as he took part in the celebration, listening to the tales of the bards and minstrels as the performers delighted the crowd with sweet odes and daring epics. The crowd would often toss some pieces of silver or gold in the direction of the performers, apparently some sort of a donation for their efforts. And, as far as Asychis knew the system, the better the performance, the more coin was thrown.

So, it came as a gloomy feeling when he spotted a young, female performed who tried her hardest to sing a familiar epic from Ibzya: the Thorn of the Desert Rose. The story spoke of the tales of Anai Samira, a young female warrior who joined the great war against the Dryc the Bloody, the monstrous gnoll of the Maphdet Oases. As the only woman in the war, Anai was not taken seriously by the male soldiers, and was not given any serious task. However, in the end, Anai was the one who slew Dryc by slicing off his head, causing the severed appendage to roll towards the Tat-Kera plains, where the capital of Qaithus soon sprouted. However, while the girl had a melodious although unrefined voice, no one was paying attention to her. Maybe because no one knew of the great tales of Ibzya, or maybe because the noise of the Carnevalla drowned out her voice. But, with his heart clenching, Asychis went over to the dark-skinned girl. "You sing well," Asychis spoke before removing the cloth from his mouth. "Where did you learn such a tale?"

"I read it in a book. I now sing it to help my mother with food." the girl answered in the most adorable voice imaginable.

"You brave, brave girl." Asychis nodded before grabbing the ibzyan flute from his bag. "I want you to sing it from the top." the young monk instructed the girl who took a breath before singing the first verse. In a split second, Asychis placed the flute's embouchure upon his lips before gently blowing on it, his fingers dancing over one note after the other. As a result, a beautifully haunting melody accompanied the girl's singing as, one by one, people began to trickle to stand in front of their small space between a fruit stand and a tailoring. The cloth the earthen jar that sat in front of the girl began to be filled with coins as Asychis and the girl heightened their performance. Then, Asychis pulled away the flute before singing along with the woman in his rich, alto voice.



"Until eternity." Asychis sang the end as a few on-lookers clapped for them before going about their daily lives. Asychis picked up the jar which was filled with silver coins before handing it to the child. "Go," he urged the child. "Your mother will need this." The child smiled before dashing away, leaving Asychis to stand awkwardly alone. But, strangely, fulfilled.

Throughout her years as a huntress, Yin had gone through her fair share of skirmishes and encounters with the undead and their necromantic controllers, but there was never such a mission that could chill her to the bone like this one. Her mission was to find the Vulture Prince of Vulturro and investigate his dabbling in necromancy. The town had been fairly helpful with their information due to their understandable fear.

She, as well as two other comrades had tracked down the would-be necromancer, only to find his warehouse of horrifying experiments and disgusting creations. Of course, since she was encountering a powerful maege, she prepared herself for a difficult fight.. However there was no fight. "In the end, we are all damned." he whispered, the cold air licking Yin's cheeks, "though you, huntress, will meet your doom soon enough." And with that, he fled. His words clung to her like wet clothing and it was just as cold.

How amazing it was. Such simple words could send a chill down the spine of a pyromancer like her. As she left Vulturro, she couldn't help but be paranoid. She had some very restless nights. They reminded her of the time she was enslaved.. Staring endlessly into the campfire, only to flinch when she heard the slightest sound. Her companions could do very little to help. It was at times like these, there was almost no way to console her until they made it back to some form of civilization, for it was only walls that could make her feel safe.

Her path lead her to the port of Suuma. As if fate was on her side, she was given a scroll from a fellow huntress. It had said that Lethodus was waiting for her in Isamanca. How wonderful. Fortunately, Yin was able to fully rest on her first day in Isamanca. The hustle and bustle of the city made her feel safe. There was no way a necromancer could get into the city and attack her, even at night. 'Absolutely no way.' She had told herself as she meditated in her inn room.

Her previous paranoia had prevented Yin from realizing that it was time for the Carnevalla, so the 'hustle and bustle' she had heard before was really the celebrations in the city itself. Yin couldn't help but kick herself, mentally of course. How could she have waded through all this without noticing? Truly a marvel that is 'tunnel vision'. Then again, there wasn't much she could've done anyway; she was exhausted after all. However, all this celebration had to waited because, today was the day she needed to find Lethodus. Unfortunately, the scroll didn't say much about a meeting point, thus she wandered around the city, her itch to dance to all the music getting the better of her for the most part. In the end, she found herself quietly humming and skipping to the music as she made her way around the city.

As she wandered, she heard the voice of a young girl singing a song. It was unrefined, yet pleasant. The girl had potential in her. The woodwind melody that accompanied the girl's vocals was quite impressive as well. It almost made her feel like dancing along. Soon, the flute's sound stopped, and was replaced by a rich, alto pitched voice. A voice that sounded very familiar to her. She waited for the small crowd to dissipate, only to see a man dressed in something.. strange? Perhaps he was some sort of vagabond. But she knew who he was. She slowly approached him, "It has been awhile, Mister Nefer. You seem well." Yin greeted him in her usual soft voice, a small smile on her face.

"I had many bad hunts and even more hunts were I already made my peace with the goddess but this one was a special kind of bad. It is a shame we could not save their bodies. They deserved a proper funeral. But their hunt is over now.", Xho was glad to finally get of the boat as he marveled at the beauty that was Isamanca. He had not set foot on a boat until he was nearly 20 and ever since hated it. "Isn't the city beautiful? Back in the empire we only...", Xho stopped speaking. He probably should not speak about the place where Talia's life was a living nightmare.

He knew his relationship with here was incredibly difficult. When they both were in Qarne, the last survivors of their group, he noticed it especially. When a group of three local drunks in the tavern called here a dirty witch he snapped, breaking the arm of the first one in 2 different places. He was exhausted, wounded and in mourning but still a hunter, the drunks never had a chance. But when he was finished with them he noticed it. Talia taking a step back. His father, the man who's face he was cursed to have, was violent and cruel to her. Him breaking bones probably did not help to convince her that he was different...

"You did very good on the mission Talia.", he tried to change the topic, "The fact that you survived proves that."

Talia, Xho and six other hunters were sent to investigate an undead occurrence in the sunken tombs of Qarne. They had the task to pacify some desert ruins who lay dormant since ages. It was nothing Xho and the other hunters had not seen before. Undead, awakened by some ancient necromancy. The only problem was to find the source of the evil magic in the gigantic labyrinth of chambers and graves in a complete darkness. It took four days and six hunters to find the ancient statue.

Even the nearly legendary Huntress-Captain Marzia Ossa, who some hunters had called The Iron Maiden did not make it out alive. It was a suicide mission to begin with but six dead hunters was a disaster. The only solution after Xho basically carried the scrawny witch out on his shoulders was to destroy the ruins. Talia had to gather all her power, letting the building collapse on itself.

"I wonder what the reason is we were ordered here?", Xho was looking at all the mummers and bards. Here he actually did not stand out that much. He still got disgusted and fearful looks but even with his dubious heritage and jewelry he was not the most colorful character. "Lethodus is a good hunter. Have you met him?", Xho regretted asking that question, Talia never really talked to anyone. "Well you will meet him and remember Talia.", he turned his body to her, "As long as there is still some blood in me and I have my weapon I won't ever let anything happen to you."

The young pale girl looked at the floor the whole time Xho spoke, the unearthly expression blank on her face as she sat quietly at the other side of the room. She was trying to keep her fear from showing. She barely even paid attention to him, wrapped so firmly by this emotion. Normally she showed fear to no one, but he was different. He possessed the blood of a monster. Her bony hands slowly curled around the winding staff as she recalled the violent scene from the tavern. He meant and spoke well, but all she could see was the shadow of the heartless man that tortured her in that bloodied cage deep below the earth. Whispers started to call out to hear from behind, voices of those who were locked there with her. They were vengeful. Why was she the only one that escaped? Her brows furrowed as she tried to focus on the wobbling reality. She pulled the hood of the hunter's signature cloak further over her head to hide her waning constitution. Even this small sample of flesh, the scars could easily be seen upon her narrow wrists. Though she tried to cover the mark of the chains with colorful armbands, but they were noticeable nonetheless.

Talia tried to keep her emotions from going wild the whole voyage, but each night was tireless tossing and terrible vision. Over and over, it replayed in her mind, the bloody sacrifices made that day and how it all happened because of her. The others didn't need to die. She was the expert of the forbidden arcana, they relied on her to check for magical traps. Why couldn't she sense the evil living in the statue before it was too late?

She was exhausted. It was showing more than ever now, how aimless and listlessly she conducted herself.

When he turned to her, her riddled mind saw him like a giant, the conviction in his eyes burning like that of a demon hoping to lure her into a trap. She knew it was just a hallucination, but it was too much for her at this point.

"Xho..." she muttered, rising her legs to her chest and sinking deeper into her seat.

"Please... I want to be alone."

Lethodus waited near the Palace di Chavarra, the words of the wretched creature he had slain still weighing heavily on his mind. How such a simple mission had turned into something far worse. Originally he had been sent to Isamanca to take care of a fledgling vamphiir gone rogue, terrorizing the people of Isamanca during the night hours. Finding the creature had not taken long, it acted no better then a mindless beast. Catching had taken a little time, which unfortunately meant it could keep doing its nightly habits of attacking civilians. He eventually baited the creature into coming to him and cornering it where he was about to finish it off once and for all. The fledging surprised him however when it began begging for death, which Lethodus would do so happily but asking why had revealed a sinister name: Sveskada. A terrible ancient creature that if he recalled had never been killed along with three others, ever since the founding of the Order. Worst of all if the message was to be believed, she was in Isamanca.

After swiftly dispatching the fledging he made haste to find the Duke and Duchess Chavarra. If such a threat did lie within the city they should be as much warned of it as well. Upon doing so he made haste to send out two letters, one back to the Order, the other to Balthier Oisin. He could not say why but it had seemed necessary at the time, saints know he didn't send it to Balthier for friendship, at best they shared maybe mutual respect as comrades in the Order nothing more. This threat was far greater then petty rivalries or mistrusts.

The only question that was making Lethodus uneasy was the simply question of why? Why would Sveskada wish her presence to be known? If she had kept herself hidden as long as she has then why reveal her location now? Whatever the answers were, he was certain that he along with the Order were not going to like the answer. He decided to wait near the palace so that those of his comrades appear they could swiftly find a more suitable place to discuss such a matter without the public prying ear. It was better to keep the details to few people then starting a panic.

It took a moment for Asychis to recognize the woman who approached him, greeting him with a sickeningly formal title of 'mister'. But, when his mind pieced everything together, the memories slammed against him with the force of a battering ram that shattered the gates of the Imhotep caves. Dark auburn hair, pale skin, and an overall well-built physique, this was none other than one of his friends when Asychis was still a member of the Order of Cinders. Asychis almost found it ridiculous how it took him quite a long time to recognize his friend (or at least, his colleague), but maybe it was because the years were kind to her, and she grew up into the attractive woman that she was meant to be. As Asychis finally faced her with a smile, he greeted with her a slight chuckle. "Mister Nefer was my father, Yin." He grinned, taking off his headgear and the cloth from his neck before stuffing it into his bag. "There's no need for formalities when we already knew each other back at the Order. And, it has indeed been a while. Three years, to be exact." An awkward silence followed before the young lad burst into a series of soft laughter. He just prayed that Yin wouldn't find it weird that the serious, insensitive Asychis from their youth was now a happy-go-lucky buffoon. "And, I see you've grown into a fine member of the Order. I hope everyone's doing well, yes? I've yet to see Denric and Sir Lethodus. But," Asychis swept his eyes to the ground, scratching his neck in nervousness. "I doubt that they'd be as willing to see me. Or, anyone from the Order for that matter." Then, his emerald eyes gazed at his companion before shaking his head with a slight smile. "In all honesty, I expected a harsher reaction from people of the Order. But, for what it's worth, it's good to see you again, Yin."

A surge of nostalgia overcame Asychis as he remembered the times that the two of them were trained alongside their colleagues back in their youth. However, due to his gnawing vengeance, Asychis couldn't really find the time to actually make 'friends'. If anything, he saw his colleagues as competition, not allies. So, like an annoying brat, he always separated himself from the others. Isolation was his friend during his years in training. But, as Asychis looked back on his past, he couldn't help but bite his lower lip in regret at how many great memories he could have formed if he was not so hell-bent on burning the gnolls out of existence. He could have formed a lasting bond with his colleagues, especially with Yin who was, by far, the closest to his age. It doesn't even have to be anything romantic; a solid friendship was more than enough. But, his inner rage and uncontrollable fury boiled everything into destruction. What Amenmeit Shabbaka said was true: anger was just motivation without purpose. Thus, Asychis vowed to straighten things from now on. Rage would not be the one that will guide him to victory, but compassion and understanding. Yin might not be overly hostile against him, but this could not be said for the others.

"I came a long way from Ibzya," Asychis shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Yin. "But, I guess even you know what happened to me there." A light-hearted chuckle escaped his lips. The festival was now at its apex as more and more people arrived to celebrate in a hurricane of wealth, ale, food, and flesh. The conservative tradition of the monks in Ibzya caused all these merriments to leave a bitter taste in Asychis' tongue, not because he didn't like the jovial mood. Rather, it was because he realized that he missed out on a lot of fun. "I missed a lot, haven't I?" He queried, the question not really directed at anyone.

The river of people swept pass them before Asychis sighed in relief. "So, I doubt you're just here for the festival. If anything, you have that letter, right?" Asychis grinned before hoisting his bag over his shoulder. "Uh," The lad paced around before glancing at the conclave of stalls and other shops. "I'd say that the others might be going to the Palace since the nobles are expecting the Order. But, I might be going around the stalls before I'll be heading for the palace." He took a step towards Yin, placing his hand on her shoulder. The slight difference in height between the two of them unnerved the monk, if only because he believed males should be significantly taller than females. Or, perhaps, it just fed his ego if he was taller than his colleague. "You're welcome to join me." Asychis offered with a grin. "If you do, you can catch me to speed with all the happenings in the Order. It's been a while since we've talked."

Well, if the usual grunts and nods as they passed by each other were considered talking, then, yes, it has been a while.
@Rekaigan

Yin merely watched in silence as the monk took his headgear off. He looks quite different from when she last saw him. Granted she never really took notice of his facial features since he often isolated himself from the training group. Perhaps the scars that lined his lips had been there before? Perhaps not, but they looked like they might've been quite painful to receive.. It looked as though the passed three years had been quite an ordeal for him, but she recognized him nonetheless. What really piqued her interest was the prayer beads that hung from his neck. Their faint red glow distracted her gaze as she looked at him. She couldn't help but grin back at him when he told her to drop the formalities, she was too used to being formal around others.. Making others feel respected lead to less conflict. It was true, they had known each other back then, but to her, Asychis was a very different person.. He seemed more relaxed now and less overcome by his anger. He changed for the better it seemed. It was only after he started speaking again after a seemingly awkward silence, she realized she hadn't said anything in return.

"Everyone is doing fine, as far as I know." She replied simply as she usually would, smiling back at him. She wasn't much of a talker, but she often said the bare minimum, much to most people's annoyance. But right now, she should probably say more than that. "It's good to see you as well. I don't know what you went through since you were expelled, but I think it turned out for the better.. And I'm sure that many of us have forgiven you." She added, her voice soft and sincere as always. She felt it was a little risky of her to talk about such a thing with him, but she wasn't able to stop the thought from spilling out of her mouth, much to her dismay. She remembered when Asychis was expelled; she was quite saddened by it. Not because she knew him personally, but because she didn't like having conflicts within the group. However, their closeness in age made her feel that little more connected to him, which didn't make much sense to her in hindsight.

When Asychis mentioned that letter, her mind seemed to pause for a moment as if she drew a mental blank, but she then realized what he was talking about. Although, she didn't know if he was talking about the same thing. It didn't really make sense for him to get a letter from the Order since he was expelled from it, but she wasn't about to question her superiors on such a matter. Yin felt her muscles tense up when her former colleague put his hand on her shoulder. For one, she wasn't really expecting it and two... It seemed that she still wasn't comfortable with people touching her. But fortunately, she was able to recover quickly from the shock. She needed to remind herself that things like that shouldn't happen to her anymore. "I'm sure Sir Lethodus wouldn't mind me spending some time walking around.." She replied with slight uncertainty before giving him a warm smile.

"Oh.. Before I forget.." She muttered to herself as she rummaged through her bag. It wasn't long before she produced a small green disk from her bag. The small green stone disk was strung onto long, thin red cord; a necklace would be the appropriate term. Yin held it out to him, "I had been meaning to give this to you before you left.. For us Kuren, Jade is a stone that protects you from evil spirits.. So I thought it would help.. She explained somewhat nervously, her other hand fiddling with the cloth of her cloak. There was another meaning behind giving the stone to someone else, but that could be explained some other time. "It's alright if you don't need it." She felt a little bit foolish, springing a sudden culture explanation onto someone.

---
@Cubix

Balthier continued walking along with the mixed crowds towards the Ducal Palace, he didn't know for certain that was where Lethodus would be, but he guessed that given the potential severity of the letter's contents the Knight had provided to him, it would behoove the former Knight to have at least privately informed the Duke and Duchess of the situation. Nobles tended to get infuriated when they're left out of the loop on information that could put their stations into jeopardy if left alone . . . Unless they perhaps were somehow involved? No, Balthier put such thoughts out of his mind, his experiences at the Monastery shouldn't cloud his judgement here. He had no reason to back such suspicions right now, and so they may as well just be left alone.

After passing through several bustling blocks of the city, he was just across the street from the Palace, an impressive testament to modern architecture and a reflection of the power of Isamanca as a city with all of its fine marble and classically inspired architecture hearkened back to earlier more romantic periods with a dash of modern style and flair. Balthier loved this city, and it was a shame he was here mostly on business rather than pleasure.

He looked up and down the street by the front gates, coming down from the northern intersection. It didn't take him long to spot Lethodus standing near the entrance to the grounds. The former Knight might not be openly wearing his armour, but the signature black leather coat and brass pin of the Order which likely covered any armour he was wearing, and just the way he was built, revealed his identity to Balthier relatively quickly. He exhaled slowly and heavily as he started to walk over. He and Lethodus hadn't had the best relations, their peoples' own troubled relationship had carried over into a mutual distaste for one another for different reasons. He respected the Knight's capabilities, and for the most part had simply deigned to avoid him for most of his work just to avoid potential issues. Though in the case, urgency to collaborate trumped personal vendettas or prejudices.

All the same, he smirked under his hat, he couldn't wait to see the look on Lethodus' face when he revealed the contents of his own letter from the House of Fire, but he'd have to wait until any others arrived before getting to that business. Professionally embarrassing rivals was always more enjoyable in front of a crowd of peers, and pragmatically, Balthier doubted that the Hunter-General would have only sent him and Lethodus to deal with this.

As he crossed the street, he waved casually and slowly to Lethodus as he walked towards him, hoping to get his attention since he wasn't strictly wearing the Order uniform in its standard fashion.

Lethodus had to hardly wait long until he saw the first arrival, unfortunately for him, it was Balthier. He would of much preferred to of seen one of the other hunters arrive first. It wasn't a lack of trying that caused such a rough relationship, indeed Lethodus had tried to be friendly at first but after several attempts and a lot of heated exchanges of words, one set even leading into a fight that had gotten them reprimanded for it, he had given that up and just made sure that him and Balthier rarely crossed paths. Of course he couldn't do that this time, and once again pushed aside the crude thoughts of his fellow hunter, giving a curt nod towards him as he waved at Lethodus.

He shifted his gaze toward the streets to see if he could spot anyone else, while he accepted Balthier as a fellow hunter, he rather wished to avoid speaking less he wished to start an altercation on the street. It would be in bad taste especially after all the Duke and Duchess had done while he had been residing in the palace. He asked for little while staying but they were nice enough to comply with whatever he needed, if only he could of convince them to hold off the festival while the Order took care of this new threat but that would be stepping his boundaries. The Duke and Duchess decided to up the frequency of patrols at least to ease his worry. A few citizens might turn their heads at it but they would return to the festival, forgetting the new patrol of knights that roamed the streets.

Seeing one such patrol brought memories back of his time as a knight in the Order of Saint Peirvas. Of course that was before he had learned the dark secrets the group hid in their ranks, and that all the things he had worked for meant nothing to his comrades. He denounced himself from everything and went to war on the church himself. It was foolish and eventually he had to leave because of it but he at least felt he might of done a little justice in that short time, not enough to repent for the sins that he never witnessed but at the time it was enough. One day perhaps he would return but for the time being his duty was with the Order.

“Won't you stay a while longer?” a soft voice beckoned. Carlo turned around to plant his lips on the forehead of his companion, then resumed dressing himself.
“I'm afraid I can't, lady.”
“You've been gone for months and have to leave not a day after you've arrived. What's a woman to do?” she whined, although one side of her lips was curled into a grin. That same half-grin had seen Carlo cave to her before, something about that face igniting his deepest urges.

Lauretta was a fine lover. Carlo would not admit it to himself, but he admired her passion; sometimes, she was so wild that it was hard to tell if they were lovemaking or brawling. Perhaps it was her mannish build that kept up with him. Although attractive, Lauretta was clearly not of the same stock as the typical noblewoman. She was solid, with a striking, aquiline face and a strength that could rival his own.
But she could never be a wife. Carlo was only a son of a craftsman, an ex-soldier, and now a Hunter. No, it could never be. In any case, he knew he was not the only one that visited Lauretta. Her station required knowledge of the gossip of the courts, the affairs of the Rossovian aristocracy. The bed was one ticket to keeping well-informed.

“If I dally, they will either come looking or leave without me. Both would be embarrassing.”
“Would it be more embarrassing than you in bed last night?” Lauretta giggled. Carlo sucked in a breath and looked away. She'd gotten the better of him, and he knew it.
“Alright, I understand,” she said at last. She rolled over, pale breasts slipping out from under the bedsheets.
“But if you could spare more than one night every six months-”
“I'll make an effort to visit you whenever I can. You know that.” He kissed her again, and after a final few words of goodbyes, grabbed his belongings and left.



“Lethodus! Is that you?” Carlo waved to the Hunter over the crowd of revelers. It'd been too long since he last saw Lethodus, a man he deemed a competent and honest Hunter. On closer inspection, Balthier was with him. Fitting that they should be the first two to wait together.
Lethodus, Baltier,” Carlo nodded to his companions after squeezing his way through the throng. “It's been some time, hasn't it?”

A soft grin beamed from the young monk as he took the jade necklace from her hands, proudly holding it up in front of his face as the small jewel caught the rays of light, refracting it into a myriad of shades upon Asychis' face. It had been a long time anyone had bothered to give Asychis a gift, and while the precious jewel was already nigh on joyful on its own right, what really made the lad's core melt was the string of short words-- easily could have been missed, but held all the meaning as every grain of sand in Ibzya. Yin had intended to give it to him before he left the Order; in other words, even when no one gave a damn (and, rightfully so) about him, the small and silent girl from their youth still believed that the brooding Asychis was someone worth giving a memento to. The smile on Asychis' face was almost too wide, the feeling of being deemed important enough for someone to provide him a token far too ridiculously good. So, with but a wide grin, Asychis wore the necklace around his neck, just within the radius of the prayer beads-- as if the prayer beads were protecting the jade gift. "T-thank you," Asychis stammered due to an inability to contain his euphoric emotions. A deep sigh escaped from his lips before Asychis chuckled. "I feel much, much safer now." The lad nodded in agreement before motioning for Yin to follow him as the duo began their tour around the festival.

The two checked out the stalls and booths that led to the Palace. There was an unlimited number of products and entertainments, ranging from singing minstrels to steaming cinnamon rolls to spiced breads. Although without much resources on him, the mendicant monk failed to resist throwing a few silver pieces in exchange for some souvenirs and some treats that he munched on. He also offered some of the sugary baked goods to his companion, feeding her a piece here and a piece there from time to time. "We have nothing like these in Ibzya." Asychis remarked at one point as he was mesmerized by a pouch of sparkling water that only costs a few pieces of silver while in Ibzya, it would have been sold at a price that of a small hovel. Then, as the two neared the Palace, a small stall at the more isolated parts of Isamanca caught Asychis' attention. He dragged his partner by the hand as he stood in front of a small ibzyan stall that sold some of the most terrific and authentic ibzyan treasures for a cheap price.

There were a few bracelets, a few necklaces, and some rings. But, what snagged his eye was a small bracelet with the seven sands of Ibzya in seven miniature transparent, marble spheres. He tossed a piece of gold in the vendor's hand before turning to Yin, lifting her left hand as he tied the bracelet around her wrist. "This bracelet has the seven sands of Ibzya, and they all different meanings," Asychis pointed to the sphere with large grains of sand. "The sands of Baako, which reminds us that in life, there is always a first." Then, he gestured to the sands which glowed with a rich beige tint. "The sands of Fahim, telling us of the importance of wisdom and scholarship." His finger landed on the sands whose colors bordered on red. "Farouk tells us that in life, there is right and wrong that will change the way we live." Then, he rotated the brace to show a sphere with pure white sands. "Here, Nakia gives us the idea of purity and chastity in the way we go through our days. The sands of Askari, Aida, and Sahar came next, but Asychis failed to elaborate on them all as he realized that they were probably running out of time. "The sands remind us that there is meaning in every grain. There is meaning in each one of us." Asychis grinned before nodding at Yin. "I suppose we should meet the others."

With that, Asychis and Yin walked towards the Palace as the duo met the ones who were already there: Master Lethodus, Master Carlo, and Master Balthier. The three were famous veterans of the Order whose names inspired dread in the wicked, and awe in the innocent and righteous. They were legends, so to speak, and even the expelled Asychis could only hope to also become as famous as them. The aura of the three proved to be nigh on intimidating and terrifying as the young monk stopped in his tracks before daring to continue. As he and Yin arrived in front of the three, Asychis couldn't help but bow in their presence before introducing himself. "Masters," Asychis began. "I am Nefer of Ibzya, member of the Monks of the Sun. Once a member of the Order as well." he spoke calmly, and without pause. "I come here as part of Master Lydic's dying wish as he fell to the cruelty of the gnolls in Ammut. As proof, Asychis pulled out the bloodstained copy of the letter with Lydic's handwriting and signature, stating his last intention for his student, Asychis, to take his place.

Asychis rolled the letter back before glancing at the three. "I understand that my presence is not welcome, but I would like to request that Master Lydic's request be honored. He was a good man who served the Order until his last days, and I believe that this could lay his soul to rest."

Five simple words and they shattered Xho. She wanted to be alone. And since he was the only one traveling with her she just meant he should leave. "Sure... Talia, I will see you with the others. Take care.", he immediately turned around and left. It was a curse. The Goddess or whatever higher power there was made him atone for the sins of his father. He wanted to take care of the girl, protect her. Even though Xho knew that Talia could defend herself with her magic.

"And the letter didn't even say where to go...", he turned to a peasant who looked like a local, "Excuse me, where is the palace?"
The man looked at Xho, than spat in front of him. "Get out of here fucking Jzarean bastard, we don't want your kind!", snarled the peasant.

Most people saw Xho more as a hunter than a Jzarean but then there were the other people. Xho said nothing and walked past him, getting a better answer from the next person he asked. The palace was the most logical meeting point, or at least Xho thought so.
And after a few minutes of walking and gazing at the festivities Xho was proven right. He could see two familiar faces in the distance. How ironic the first two were Balthier and Lethodus.

"Good day my fellow hunters. How has the road been treating you?"

@Argetlam350@TemplarKnight07

As the day drew on more hunters appeared. After Balthier came Carlo."Indeed it has been some time," Lethodus replied with a slight smile, at least he did not have to bear with Balthier all to long. Carlo he had deemed long ago to be a good hunter and was glad to have him aid in this pressing matter. It did not take long after for another face to appear, one less pleasant due to circumstances and their history with the Order, that would be Asychis. While Lethodus had no interaction with Asychis during his time in the Order, word travels around and it isn't often one gets expelled from the Order.

Lethodus took the letter that Asychis had held out swiftly quickly reading through it to make certain what he stated to be true. Seeing that the letter was indeed from the late master Lydic. He handed it back to Asychis, deciding to put his trust in the deceased hunter who vouched for him. If the threat was real, it didn't matter if he was expelled, any hunter help would be useful. Another face had come with him as well to at least prove he arrived with the hunters and that was Yin.

Finally one more face appeared that being hunter Xho. Xho was a hunter that Lethodus got along with for the most part, though he found Xho's dark humor mildly disturbing."I know not of the others but for me rather well, though I wish such a meeting was under more pleasant matters," Lethodus answered to Xho's question ",While the day is young we should perhaps start this meeting. If more come they can join us as swiftly as possible. The more hunter's the better." The last part he stated grimly before entering the palace courtyard to lead them into the palace for less prying ears to hear what they would talk about.

Balthier likewise to Lethodus took the opportunity to turn away from his professional rival, business with him could wait, he wished to see as well which other Hunters had received word to come here.

The Hunter Carlo Battio had been the first to reach them, a native Revossan and career soldier, though nowhere near as overbearing as the Knight Lethodus who was known for his ability and his joviality. He got along with the Hunter, though they hadn't had many opportunities to work together professionally. He inclined his hat as he addressed Carlo's comment.

"Long, but the road always leads one to cross paths again eventually."

The younger Huntress Yin Liu was an enigma to Balthier, he knew so little about her other than that she had made a name for herself as a "Fire dancer", as he was busy travelling most of the time and hadn't really been acquainted with her, much like Carlo, but she seemed nice enough, so he gave her a casual greeting. Her companion, the banished Hunter Asychis Nefer whom had now apparently become a monk was another story. Though he was prone to travelling a lot and didn't hear much of the internal actions within the House of Fire, he had heard of Nefer's banishment, as the cause of it had travelled with the wind. He didn't begrudge Nefer his decision, Balthier knew that if it would do any good, he would have done the same to get vengeance on the crimes the Lornitines had exhibited upon his own family and people. What he did begrudge was how Nefer had done it, the man had let his rage consume him, and turned the powers the Order had given him upon beings who were not Undead, a grave offence. But then, perhaps the Monks dealt with that as well judging by his current demeanour, and Gods knew that if Lethodus spoke truly, they'd need all the help they could get. Thus, Balthier decided to be cordial with the former Hunter, he didn't even bother looking at the letter, Lethodus would know if it was a forgery.

"Nonsense, I'd say even if Master Lydic hadn't requested your presence, it'd still be welcome. I'll leave it to Lethodus to explain since I don't fully know myself, but matters may very well have lent towards us asking for your assistance regardless."

Hunter Xho Sulune's appearance was a welcome sight, he and Xho had crossed passed several times on the road and had worked together a few times on occasion, they got along quite well. They had shared life experiences despite their drastically different origins which lent themselves well to make them a good pair when they did meet. He replied to Xho's remark as they started walking into the palace.

"Honestly, fairly rough lately, though the road giveth and taketh away as you well know, and I was rewarded in equal measure to the challenge I was posed just recently. I'll tell you later."

Speaking of which, that "reward" might as well have been burning a hole in his coat pocket, but Balthier refused to talk about until Lethodus had outlined the situation. No point in getting ahead of themselves, or stealing away his thunder. That'd likely just make him more pissed than he was likely to be anyway.

@Argetlam350@Cubix@Aristo@Rekaigan

To describe the palace in one word was impossible in Lethodus's eye. While he wasn't one to care for such a luxurious living, he could not deny that the structure was impressive as he followed Firenze Danari to the Blue Basilica. Passing by the fountain of the foyer made him think briefly on his past and the Saints, how he had once viewed them as such, as gods among men who were virtuous and pure. The thoughts were swiftly put aside as they left and continued onward passing by other gods and goddesses most that Lethodus felt were a bit crude in some design but kept any form of critism to himself.

He gave a nod to Danari when he gave them a few basic rules, certain that the others could handle themselves among the assembled group behind the door. He wasn't pleased with hearing that The Phoenix was also there but he knew to keep his tongue in check on his views of blood magic. Before the Order he saw blood magic as an evil thing that one should be put away from even practicing but after so long in the Order, he had seen its uses, though he didn't agree with all of them. A lot of things in the world shifted his view from black and white, to varying shades of gray.

Upon entering the Blue Basilica they were greeted by the gathering of Esteemed Dukes of the Revosso and Her Eminence. Duke Alessio Chavarra seemed to waste no time in giving Lethodus the large groups attention.

"Thank you monsero. To begin, I was sent here to dispatch a vamphiir that was attacking the people of Isamanca during the late hours. Eventually I found it but unlike any other before it, it begged for it's death and to deliver a message. The words it spoke are not to be taken lightly which is why I felt that the Order needed more hands for this new task," Lethodus gave pause for a brief second unsure how to deliver the next words until finally accepting there was no easy way for him to do it ",An ancient hides in the city, Sveskada has returned from hiding."

He waited for the news to settle in not sure how Her Eminence would react let alone the Dukes that were assembled as well. He wasn't sure how well they would handle such news, and would of preferred just to of told his fellow hunters and begin work trying to find her but here they were now.

"Such bitter news has come at a bad time with the festivities but we shall do our best to track her down and stop her from whatever she has plan," he added though he had some doubt himself. If memory served him well, the last time anyone tried to capture and kill her, she had escaped. The odd fact about it had always been she didn't kill any of the Order that were there at the time.

Balthier had kept silent and merely admired the Palace during their party's walk to the Blue Basilica. He had visited the Palace on professional business before, though that was many years ago and although the building was ancient, it was maintained in such fine condition that one could have sworn it had been built or redone only recently.

In the interest of good taste, he resisted rolling his eyes as Firenze Danari gave his formal speech on proper decorum and courtesy in the court. The man was merely doing his job, and although he didn't doubt that more than a few members of his company had not attended the Isamanca Court before, it was still admittedly boring having to listen through it all again. He made himself busy to hide his distaste by making a show of dusting off his coat and adjusting his attire to make sure everything was presentable for higher nobility.

And the nobility themselves were impressive within the court of the Blue Basilica. The room had been designed to impress foreigners as much as locals with its majesty and power exemplified in every respect, down to the exact positioning of where certain art pieces and people were situated in the room. The fact that Her Eminence herself hadn't spoken a single word yet in spite of Monserro Danari's instructions at the door would be enough to tip off a savvy foreigner as to how much power and respect she commanded in the room that she had others, other nobility nonetheless, speak for her essentially.

Balthier had been surprised at the attendance of The Phoenix herself. What was she doing here? Moreover, why was she situated so close to Her Eminence, Alta? Closer than even the Dukes of her own court? Balthier had met several Maegi of her coven, cabal, or whatever they defined their group as, in his travels. Though he found their art distasteful, he couldn't deny their powers were impressive. He, like many others of the Order saw the fine line that those magicians walked between black magic and white magic, hence their "red" magic and thought it wise to err on the side of caution around them. Though for the moment, they were a perfectly legal, albeit controversial organization according to most civilized regions.

He also had heard of the Phoenix's provocative reputation. Two could play at that game though, he thought. He could play a room as well as the best of them from his experience as a Bard, and he'd relish the opportunity to turn the situation about, but he'd leave the ball in her court for now. No sense in making an ass of one' self.

He also kept himself in silent contemplation during Lethodus' speech. Most of the information he had said was already known to Balthier, and there was no point in questioning the particulars in front of the assembled nobility and Her Eminence, they would likely do that for him, and if they didn't, they could do it in private afterwards. Though he was wondering whether or not he should reveal his own tidbit of important information pertaining to this case now or later. He figured he'd wait and see how Her Eminence and the Dukes proceeded.

Yin felt her body relax as Asychis accepted her gift with a bright smile on his face. She couldn't help but smile back at him as he tied it around his neck. For those who knew Yin, they would be surprised that she had the courage to give someone something out of the blue. She was known to be quite shy and quiet around almost everyone in the Order, save for those who taught her how to use Pyromancy.

The time she spent walking around the festival with Asychis was probably one of the happier moments in her life. She no longer felt paranoid about the necromancer whom she had encountered only a few days earlier. The variety of food and other products that were available was quite astonishing for Yin. She had never really experienced other cultures as she rarely went out of her way to learn about them. Mostly because she was preoccupied with training or other Order-related work. She enjoyed the small pieces of sweet pastry that her companion shared with her. Asychis' remark made her think of her home. The way the Valley's river sparkled similarly to the water in the pouch. However, such memories brought about nightmares of her childhood friend. Yin frowned as the memories flashed in her mind, but she had already understood that there was no point in crying about the past, for it was long ago.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Asychis took her hand. She almost tripped from the sudden movement, but she quickly recovered as he wasn't going at a very fast pace. A small stall stood before them, the small racks and mats displayed intricate pieces of jewelry. Yin merely watched as her companion bought a small marble sphere bracelet. Much to her surprise, the aforementioned bracelet had been slipped onto her left wrist. Before she could even say anything, Asychis began to explain the meaning of the bracelet's spheres. Her eyes followed his finger as he pointed to each sphere. And here she was, worried that she had given someone a sudden explanation of her culture, only to have Asychis give it back to her more than two-fold. She smiled softly as she listened to him, however she was caught off guard as he stopped to mention that they had to met the others from the Order. Something that had slipped her mind altogether.

She merely nodded in agreement before they made their way to the Palace. In the back of her mind, she really wanted to know what the other three beads meant, but perhaps that was for another time. Upon their arrival, they met with three others: Master Lethodus, Carlo, and Balthier. She gave them a slight bow in greeting, as per the Kuren way. She didn't know much about Balthier, as she had only seen glimpses of him. In a way, Yin felt that it was her shyness that stopped her from becoming properly acquainted with the hunter. Xho, who just arrived, was another hunter she wasn't really acquainted with. She's often told that she and Xho wouldn't get along very well due to their backgrounds. Yin didn't really understand why their backgrounds meant anything since they worked on the same side, but she subconsciously ended up avoiding him for the most part.

---

As the hunters exchanged greetings, another man's voice chimed in. Yin's gaze moved to the source of the voice, only to see a man of some stature speaking to them. She merely followed behind everyone as they made their way through the gates. The grand foyer came into view as they walked. Yin looked around, her awe like a small child at a museum. The interior was extremely extravagant, from the marble floors to the gem socketed statues. The clearness of the water rivaled that of the Valley's green river and it was somewhat similar to the pouches of water that was being sold in the festival area. The statues on the podiums confused her since she didn't understand their significance. She wasn't very familiar with these characters. All she knew was that people referred to them as the eight nymphs of ... something starting with 'R'. Despite her lack of knowledge in these nymphs, she liked the look of statue that danced in the flowers. She admired the intricacy of the sculptures as much as she could as they walked passed them. Such things don't exist in the villages of the Kuren.

Yin was slightly confused by Firenze's instructions. It was almost second nature for her to bow to those of higher status, and kissing jewelry, or Jade as it would be for Kuren, was only something you did for those who were struggling with misfortune as if you were trying to give them some of your fortune to help them. Was Her Eminence experiencing some sort of misfortune?

Despite not knowing very much about this place, what she did know was the Phoenix. Unlike some people, Yin wasn't really phased by blood magic as much as she probably should be. It was an odd magic, somewhat painful to think about, but it wasn't really something to scorn.

As always, Yin kept quiet and stayed a little back from the group as Lethodus spoke, his news seemingly grim. The talk of an evil within the city was unnerving and she could only think of the chaos it would cause if it was to attack the citizens, especially during a festival as large as this.