~@The Irish Tree @Eviledd1984(NEP) (MAR)~

---

"Ehe, I'll try!" Christine said, following behind Nephele. As they headed up the stairs and back towards the room that Maria had previously been in, Christine started humming a light tune to herself. She was perhaps a little too excited for this, and didn't seem too troubled at all about what was going on here.

"Hm? Well, we've lived in the village for some time now. This is the first time we could really renovate the manor though. People are afraid because of the ghost stories and the...unfortunate accidents that started happening after the murders." She followed them through the door, frowning only slightly as Nephele led. Maria, would notice something quite odd. The entire hallway was entirely different than she had seen. The entire thing was spotless, and nearly perfectly renovated. None of the age that she had previously seen was there. A few expensive looking vases and paintings were even sitting in the hallway in various places. Christine glanced out a window briefly before turning back to Maria and Nephele. "Well, my dad finally decided to make use of the place regardless of the rumors." About halfway down the hallway though, Christine gave a nervous chuckle, looking over to Maria.

"...uhm, not to doubt you or anything, but you sure this is where the Phantom was? Because the room at the end of the hallway is mine. Been living there since most of the renovations had been done."

~@The Irish Tree (MAG), @Rune_Alchemist~

Choosing to keep quiet about the crouching Magnus and the comforting Arletta, Talia spoke. "A-Anyway. Shall we head to your guild?"

The three reach the guild by nightfall and Talia's eye widened at its sight. "T-This is..." The Cyclops continued to examine the structure. "I've only seen the design patterns in books but..." She remarked before asking. "Did-did Dwarves build this? The unmonsterized ones, I mean. Because this is their signature designs and... how did you manage to get Dwarves here?" Talia kept asking as she continued to look at the guild headquarters.

Besides Talia's wonder, the trio also heard a continuous sound coming from the otherwise quiet guild. They had heard it when they arrived, it's just that Talia was quick to speak about the architecture of the guild headquarters. The sound was too faint to be discerned from outside so one should head in to better hear the sound.

Should it be investigated, the trio would find out that the sound was actually a song. At least in the barest sense of the word, neither Talia, Arletta or Magnus recognized the intruments being used but they could hazard a guess. Perhaps they recognized some but the way it was used was not at all similar to any music that they heard before. The music was coming out of the kitchen and the closer they got, the clearer they heard the song with its lyrics becoming audible.

"Your vooooice
Was the soundtrack of my summer.
Do you know you're unlike any other?
You'll always be my thunder and I said...

Your eyes
Are the brightest of all the colors..."

Magnus and Arletta hear Neil singing along.

Upon entering the kitchen, the three monsters would find Neil in the middle of cooking. The boy was startled by your appearance, dropped whatever he was doing and quickly bolted to a table and took a strange rectangular device into his hands. The music stopped suddenly and Neil approached the three as he discreetly but obviously hid the device in him. "Uh, er, hey... guys! Welcome-welcome... welcome back!" Neil stuttered. "You-you came pretty early. Bart... Bart's out gathering... gathering wood. He should... he should be back soon."

Neil, however, found Talia and stared at her for a second before resuming. "And-and you brought a friend. Is she... is she part of the guild now?" He asked.

The Cyclops was too shy to speak and probably cautious of interacting with the clearly nervous and anxious boy.

Eilidh watched the brigands flee triumphantly, before turning her attention back to the wizard downed before her, and losing the smile a little. He was better off dead, but she was supposed to capture him alive. Even though she knew this, she killed him. When Ian caught up and congratulated her, she was pleased but also took note of some of the things he said. Normal monsters don't really like killing, it was true. Centaurs were known to be an aggressive, combat-hungry race even by Monster standards. Was that really something to be proud of?

"Sorry. I know the goal was to capture him alive, but I couldn't fight them all at once. I needed to demoralise them quickly." she replied, having just made that otherwise logical reason up to cover the fact that she killed him because she wanted to, and because she couldn't stop herself. She did, however, strip the corpse of its armor and stowed it in her saddle bags, and caught the bag of gold thrown at her.

"Thank you. The guild will appreciate this. It was nice working with you, too. For the most part," she spoke, still smiling warmly which accented the next threat, as well as folding her arms to cover her bust from his gaze. "Next time we meet, maybe I'll teach you how to talk to me in a way that doesn't make me want to kick you. I won't and never will, don't worry, but I want to."

When they parted ways, Eilidh set off for the nearest Town to rest, eat, drink and examine her new armor. That happened to be Ambran, to the north. On the way, the events of that quest were still playing on her mind. Should she be ashamed of killing? Did she have a problem with her self-control? Was she...good?

@PaulHaynek@13org

---

"The higher-ups have had a high tolerance for Varjo, it's true. I've never agreed with it but my point of view is widespread enough that I was not reprimanded by the Order for speaking out against Varjan actions on multiple occasions. And yes, I have briefly met this Centaur though we didn't speak."

I won't enquire as to the meaning of the message, but if the resistance is in danger, I would gladly offer my assistance in that matter also. We can discuss rewards later, though I won't ask for much in exchange for delivering a letter. I will gladly aid you further in exchange for favour of possible aid if I ever have a future mission or job that takes place in this part of the world."

@PaulHaynek

Ars Argento

The situation had somehow turned into a round of introductions. Ars listened closely to the other two, wondering how was it possible his first task already apparently included two unusual monsters. Haley, a Siren and Freyr, a male Vieira. The boy wasn't particularly knowledgeable about either of the races, but decided against inquiring further. "I am Ars Argento, a human, and I have just joined the guild today. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." he said by the end. There wasn't much else to be said and he wouldn't want to stretch the conversation further.

____________________________________________________________________

Being back home, he was glad not to stumble upon any known faces before Haley found the poet, by blind chance. But why was it turning into more introductions, Ars kept asking himself. The boy eyed the poet warily, he wasn't very convinced about the poet's initial remark that "they should have seen lots of trouble". Ars was certain his own face at least didn't show none of that, at least.

"I am afraid I am not of aid in that subject, mister Saint." The boy decided to get this second round of introductions done with now that Haley had suggested he and Freyr go first. His own experience as an adventurer was inexistent after all, making this brief. "My name is Ars, delighted to make your acquaintance. I am an inexperienced adventurer, so I have no tales to tell." It ocurred to Ars that was a good opportunity for him to listen, maybe Freyr and Haley had something interesting to say.

@13org @PaulHaynek

Freyr

Upon arriving in Boreal Port, they were greeted by a strange man... He was wearing a suit and a strange hat. It kinda reminded Freyr of Bast, just not as elegant and creepy as him, and this man talked in a funny way that Freyr didn't really understand sometimes.

"You three look like you've seen trouble enough for a hundred men." He said, greeting the group from the bench he was sitting on.

Before Freyr could reply though, Haley had already did so, and he couldn't agree more with her words... Indeed, trouble always followed them wherever they went... Strangely enough, the man seemed to be satisfied with that statement, and not the opposite.

"Cold, tough but with a heart of gold. The adventurer sings tales of his exploits. Like... like a dog whose bone is made of wood." Freyr heard the man saying.

"... What?" Freyr asked. What did that man meant by that? A dog with wooden bones...? The confused expression on Freyr's face was as clear as water, that is, until Haley's asked if he was the poet that they were meant to meet.

His introduction was... 'unique'... to say the least. Immediately after that, Freyr looked towards Haley and Ars. The message behind his expression was clear... Was that man another one of those... 'eccentric' types? Anyways... His goal was basically experience some action, so he could write about it for others. It shouldn't be a problem, unless things go extremely wrong... Which have already happened sometimes for Freyr... But he hoped it wouldn't be like that this time.

After Haley suggested for them to go first, Ars was the one who started. The boy was surprisingly mature for his looks. He really acted and talked like a scholar of some sorts.

"Uhh... I'm Freyr. It's a pleasure to meet you, James Saint." Freyr said, after Ars was done.

"I... Honestly, I've never thought too much about it. I... guess I have a motivation for being an... 'adventurer' as you say." Freyr said, trying to explain the man his feelings, or at least his motivations to do what he was doing.

"You see... I am a Viera. Most of us spend our entire lives living in our gigantic home-forests. Leaving the forest is forbidden for a Viera. If one chooses to do so, it will be exiled, and never be able to return to the forest again. Even with such harsh punishment, there are some, such as me, who still choose to do so." He continued.

"I choose this life because I was always extremely curious about humans, other demi-humans, and the world in general. There is simply too many things unknown to me. Even though it pained me greatly to leave the forest, I simply felt a strong compulsion to do so." Freyr said.

"Of course... It's not everything a sea of roses... I did some things I didn't liked to, I saw many unpleasant things, but at the same time, I've seen some things and met some people that made all of it worthwhile." Freyr completed, with a smile on his face.

"Not that exciting, I know..." Freyr said, with an awkward smile.
@PaulHaynek @Kyun

---

Bast Ragoczy

Things didn't went how Bast expected they would, but he was glad that the guards were a bit civilized, and not the mindless brutes that they usually were.

"I would be grateful if you did so!" Bast said, after one of the guards asked if he wanted him to deliver his invitation to the Barensia.

"It would be simply wonderful if we could meet somewhere to talk a bit! It's been some time since I attended to a ball or a social event too... It's always refreshing to meet civilized folk who can have a nice conversation. After all, is there anything more important than friends? A wise man once said that to be rich in friends is to be poor in nothing." Freyr said, tapping his cane.

"Nothing serious, don't worry. Just tell them that I just seek to have a good time and talk a bit about architecture, life and philosophy with some people who might appreciate the same things as me. And of course, if that goes well, making business is not out of question. I'm quite sure that money is not a problem for either of us, but I can offer then more than just money." He continued, with a sly expression and piercing eyes.

"Well! I wish you a good afternoon, my friend! After I take some notes about the architecture I'm heading towards the city. In my way here I passed by tea shop, and the smell was simply divine. If they come back and wish to meet me in person, I'll be there for some time. It would be nice if they could join me for a quick cup of tea." Bast said, tipping his had with a slight bow before walking away.

After getting away from the guards, Bast would simply go to a place where he had a clean line of sight on the stagecoaches he was supposed to burn. Upon finding a good location, he would throw two enchanted cards with a swift movement. These cards were imbued with fire magic, and would stick underneath the stagecoaches, remaining 'dormant' until Bast activated them. After that, he would go to the tea shop he saw on his way there. If he was lucky, he would be able to meet with one of the Barensia. If he did, the probabilities that they would be using one of their stagecoaches was big. Obviously, they would want to make a good impression when getting out in public.

"I would really appreciate a cup of tea right now..." Bast mumbled to himself as he walked around the mansion.

@PaulHaynek

@Rune_Alchemist @The Irish Tree

Maria Falena

Maria was looking around the hallway, Frantically opening the door thinking that she would run into the phantom. Stopping in front of a closed door feeling like she was not going crazy, "I..swear..i saw..the phantom..she attacked me" She said softly closing her eyes holding back some tears. She swore she was attacked by a female phantom that had attacked her a few moments ago, Moving further down the hallway and could not believe that this section of the mansion was cleaned when she swore it was old and dusty.

The mothwoman was looking around and to Nephele, "I..am not..lying...their was a ghost..here" She said softly opening the unclosed door in front of her.

~@The Irish Tree @Eviledd1984(NEP) (MAR)~

---

"E-eh?!" Christine suddenly felt bad. "I believe you! I do! But, I've been living in this room for a few months and nothing weird has happened." She followed Maria and Nephele into the room. Unlike previously, the room was nearly spotless. A large, comfortable looking canopy bed and plush white carpet. In fact, the room looked almost exactly the same as its rundown counterpart, except newer. As if it hadn't been touched by age at all.

"Uhm, see? Nothing." Christine walked into the room, walking over to her bed and plopping down on it. "Feel free to look around if ya want. This little diva's got no secrets!" She laughed brightly, grinning at her two guests and giving Maria a curious look. "Say Maria, how good are you with that Rapier of yours?"

She leaped off the bed, stabbing the air in a rather dramatic fashion with an invisible weapon of her own.

"Maybe the play needs less romance and more action? I can't decide." She glanced over to Nephele with an sly smirk. "Nepehele certainly is good at the romance part though," She giggled impishly, holding the cheek she was kissed on. "Maybe I should add more romance?"

~Arletta Dupain~

@PaulHaynek@The Irish Tree

---

Having nothing else to do then, Arletta would head back to the guild with Talia and Magnus. A flying machine? She was getting more into it than she should. Still though...feathers, eh? Maybe she could buy some? On the way back to the guild she continued to think about which ways she could get her hands on some. Were some feathers better than others? She hadn't a clue, but she did want to excel at the job. Well, she'd think about it later. Maybe ask some of her guild mates and get to know them better.

Upon arriving, the guild was quiet as usual - save for Talia marveling at its construction.

"Yep, I wasn't here for it but dwarves helped rebuild this place." Arletta replied brightly. "I wasn't here to see it done, but it looks a lot better than when we first started a few days ago." She chuckled. Talia was right though - the place looked much better and Dwarven construction was always something to behold. "Erm...that aside...what's making that noise?"

It sounded vaguely like singing, and Arletta was too curious not to investigate. She did not expect to find Neil singing with some odd music being played. Upon seeing them though, the music abruptly stopped, causing Arletta to tilt her head to the side slightly. He was hiding something rather poorly behind his back, too. Arletta decided not to comment on it, though, and decided to introduce Talia to Neil.

"Hey Niel!" She brightly greeted. "Yep, we're back...this is Talia. She's the assistant of the guy working on that flying machine. Talia, this is Neil, he helps out around the guild here."

@Rune_Alchemist

Maria Falena

Maria was using her eyes to scan the room, She had thought the last time she was here it was touched by age and the phantom was present. Closing her eyes letting out a frustrated sigh. She swore on her great grandmother's grave she had seen the phantom and the room was very different. Walking further into the room an stopping in the middle of the room, Now rubbing the bridge of her nose feeling irritated. "Me? well...i have practice alot...so i am..proficient in my sword" She said softly looking Christine when she opened her eyes.

"Well..if only your..father let's me...add action...to the play.." She said softly tilting her head wondering what she meant about Nephele and the romance. Looking around once more thinking or becoming weary of the phantom, She was thinking when this phantom was going to attack them. Moving a bit closer towards the bed her hand on the hilt of her rapier, She was going to protect Nephele and Christine even at the cost of her life.

~@The Irish Tree (MAG), @Rune_Alchemist~

"Hey Niel! Yep, we're back...this is Talia. She's the assistant of the guy working on that flying machine. Talia, this is Neil, he helps out around the guild here."

Talia glanced once at Arletta, clearly wondering why the Dullahan chose to ignore the strange music. "U-Umm... Hello, Neil." The Cyclops meekly greeted.

"H-Hello, Talia." Neil greeted back, still nervous but offering a hand for Talia to shake. "Nice to meet you."

The Cyclops stared before at Neil's open palm before finally shaking it. "...Nice to meet you too."

The two were quiet for a few moments after shaking hands before Talia broke the silence. "...I like your guild." She made a short and shy remark.

Neil chuckled. "Thanks. We had some Dwarves build it as part of a reward. It only took a day for them to do all this." He explained. "Granted there was a bunch of them but still... It takes several weeks for something like this to be built from where I'm from. Heck, I don't even know how they got the materials for it."

"Only one day? That's amazing!" Talia replied, her meekness mostly gone, before looking around. "...I would like to see more of this place. May I... May I request a short tour?" She then asked but not to Neil, rather all three guild members present.

"I'm cooking... helping in cooking right now so can the two of you handle that?" Neil told both Magnus and Arletta before looking back at the kitchen. "Err... on a second thought, can one of you just do that? I uhh, need help over here."

---

~@Silver Carrot (EIL)~

"Sorry. I know the goal was to capture him alive, but I couldn't fight them all at once. I needed to demoralise them quickly."

"Hey it's okay. It's just a bigger reward of they're alive. You still get quite a lot for just bringing evidence of his death like, his head or something." Ian replied.

"Next time we meet, maybe I'll teach you how to talk to me in a way that doesn't make me want to kick you. I won't and never will, don't worry, but I want to."

"If you're never going to kick me for it, why should I stop talking to you in that way?" Ian chuckled before finally leaving. "See ya around!"

-----

The nearest town to you was where you came from, Ambran. You reach the town at daybreak, when the sky was colored fire. The streets were not as busy as it was in the noon but there were still people.

As you searched for a place to relax and brooded about the earlier events, you come upon a humble yet fancy tea shop. It had no extraordinary features that made it stood out but what did catch your eye was the presence of Bast Ragoczy, a fellow guild member and apparently a customer in this fine establishment. He appeared to have also seen you but before you could do anything about this coincidence, a stagecoach stopped nearby.

The stagecoach was fancy and noble, adorned with shiny and undoubtedly expensive decor and accessories. Clearly it was owned by someone well-off in life. The coach's doors opened and came out a handsome gentleman with brown hair and clothes befitting a noble. One glance at his surroundings, he noticed you and gave you a warm smile before entering the tea shop.

There he greeted Bast and a conversation began. One that you could not hear since you were still outside.

---

Alike In Dignity
~@13org (BST)~

You stayed at the tea shop for a couple of hours, waiting if your invitation would be answered. The sun had already began setting when something finally happened. Behind the shop's window, you spot a familiar Centaur. Eilidh Chiron. The two of you see each other but before you could do anything about this accidental reunion, a more familiar sight entered your eyes.

A well-decorated stagecoach arrived at the tea shop. You recognized the vehicle as one of the Barensia's, the fancier one to be exact. From the stagecoach emerged a handsome gentleman with brown hair and a noble's clothes. He seemed innocent enough and entered the tea shop. Since you were the only one there wearing an attire different from everybody present, he approached you first.

"Er, hello there. Someone said that someone wanted to invite the Barensians for a chat about buildings." He started. "I'm Lord Barensia. My wife isn'y available right now. Are you the one who sent the invite?"

---

Keeping It Real
~@13org (FYR), @Kyun~

"My name is Ars, delighted to make your acquaintance. I am an inexperienced adventurer, so I have no tales to tell."

"Oh." James replied sounding disappointed but his cheer quickly came back. "That's okay! If you get yourself entangled in a... daring quest, make sure to tell me alright? I have a feeling I'll be sticking around here quite a bit."

"Not that exciting, I know..."

"Oh, you are mistaken. It is very exciting." James retorted. "Forsaking your home to satisfy your curiosity? That is a story in the making, my friend! You are like a... like a bird who has left its nest, never to return. Scary at first, surely, but now the bird is on its way into creating its own nest."

"Is that really how birds work?"

"Er, I don't know. But it does illustrate my point." The poet replied. "...How about you?"

Haley paused before answering. "...I've traveled far. Been to many places. I gotta say: some things change, some things don't change and some things seem to have changed but it's actually the same while some things looked unchanged but it has actually changed drastically. It's all so complicated, you know? I can't really explain all of this right here, right now. I certainly can't."

"Ahh, so you gained insights of the world that left you wondering." James responded. "A Siren adventurer tempered by her travels and experiences across the land."

"I must say, I enjoyed your answers quite much." Pulling out a small pouch, he gave it to Haley. "The reward's not much, I admit. My ma wrote me out of her will and now there's no hope for any of us, hehe." After a moment of pause, he continued. "Well, I say this quest of yours may not be as... exciting as your other quests but I am glad that you are adventurers willing to answer any sort of request. Farewell for now and wish me luck on my own set of adventures!"

And with that, James departed and left the three of you alone. "Wait, that's it?"

The quest was done and it was up to the three if they want to go back to the guild or go somewhere else.

---

Lost In Translation
~@Silver Carrot (REB)~

"I won't enquire as to the meaning of the message, but if the resistance is in danger, I would gladly offer my assistance in that matter also. We can discuss rewards later, though I won't ask for much in exchange for delivering a letter. I will gladly aid you further in exchange for favour of possible aid if I ever have a future mission or job that takes place in this part of the world."

"That is kind of you, Miss, but you need not aid us further to be your allies. All we need is for you not to be an ally of Varjo." The girl replied. "However, I hope you do not mind us sending you more requests. Your skills and abilities are invaluable to us."

"Besides, the resistance is always in danger. The Varjans are very much aware of our existence and continue to hunt us down but we are not weak, our perseverance and hunger for freedom will let us survive anything Varjo will throw at us." The girl explained. "Sonarra will be free or every last one of us will die."

"However, if that is all that you ask of us then you have my word that you will have any assistance you need if you are inside Sonarra." The girl told you.

~@The Irish Tree @Eviledd1984(NEP) (MAR)~

---

"Hehe, don't worry about it. I practically wrote the whole thing myself! _sorta. So don't worry about it. You guys seem like pro adventurers so there's nothing to worry about. Just you know, do what'd come naturally and all." Christine, as usual, was exuberant as she ever seemed. Before Nephele or Maria could respond however, there was a large crash from what sounded like the foyer, like the sound of something shattering.

"Huh?" Christine turned her head towards the door of her room, a frown crossing her face. "What...?" There was a hint of worry in her voice. Whatever had fallen and shattered didn't sound like it was a simple plate or something. It sounded heavy. "H-hey, we should go see what that was." She made her way towards the door, and quickly made her way down the hallway. Nephele and Maria would only have a few moments to stop her.

Regardless, Christine wouldn't be stopped for long. She seemed almost too intent to find out what had happened.

As soon as the trio made their way back to the foyer, Christine poked her head over the railing of the second floor, and her eyes immediately widened in horror.

"Dad!"

Gerald was splayed out over the floor, right under the chandelier. A decorative marble pedestal was laying across his back, a bust of some sort laying on the ground a few feet away. Before anyone could stop her, Christine dashed down the stairs and to his side.

Outside, the sun started to drift below the forested horizon. Had it been that long?

~Arletta Dupain~

@PaulHaynek@The Irish Tree

---

"Ah...cooking?" Arletta chuckled, nervously looking off to the side. Ooh, one of the few things she was consistently rather terrible at through the years. She really didn't want to throw Magnus under the bus, but if she touched any cookware, something was catching on fire. Oh, and Magnus probably would feel more comfortable doing this anyways. "W-well, I'll show Talia around and introduce her to any other members around. I need to introduce myself to a few of them as well after my brief time away from the guild."

She gave Talia a friendly smile before swiftly exiting the kitchen and leaving Magnus there with Neil.

@Rune_Alchemist

Maria Falena

Maria's head turned hearing the loud crash coming form the foyer of the mansion, Her mouth wide open form the sight of the mayor crushed under the large chandelier. Quickly moving towards two of them looking over at Nephele, "Nephele..." She said to her friend her eyes looking lost like a child. Her hand placed on the mayor's neck checking his pulse suddenly putting her hand away, She now looked scared like when she first met the phantom.

Thinking back to when she first met the phantom, Thinking back to what she said about a tragedy in the "play". Standing up form where she was covering her mouth with her hand. "I am..so sorry.." She said softly to Christine feeling great sorrow for the girl. Looking around keeping her had on her rapier wondering when the phantom would strike them.

(Edited)

(Edited)

Magnus' depression carried all the way through their journey home, the minotaur seeming far less imposing with his hunched back. He was less sad about the tunic now, and more feeling the dread of having to confront Rebecca about it. He had no idea how to go about it, since he barely knew her beyond her kind act and orderly nature...he didn't want to lie either, as that was far more cruel than just telling her he ruined it. By the time they were at the guild, Magnus had wracked his brain about enough to come to only one conclusion.

He had to apologize to her, and accept any consequences as they came.

It was a frightening thing to offend a woman, as he'd learn seeing his brothers-in-law getting put into back breakers for messing up something real bad with his sisters, but he nodded resolutely. Taking in a deep breath in case she was there already, Magnus came in with the others, prepared to die. Luckily, Rebecca wasn't back yet, so that gave him time to at least write a farewell letter if it came to that. He really...didn't understand women well. At all.

When they walked in on Niel though, he saw the strange stone that he was carrying, with...what looked like runes etched into it? He hadn't imagined that Niel was a magician. Perhaps he'd simply purchased it from a wandering bard? Regardless, it fascinated Magnus a bit. He'd never seen Niel in a fight before, so maybe the reason he seemed unimpressive was that he was some wizard's apprentice turned adventurer. Regardless, Magnus remained quiet as the conversation at hand carried out, wondering if he'd ever seen something like that at the Port. He wouldn't mind having one of these...bardstones for himself. Maybe it'd make a nice return gift to Rebecca...or a mercy offering. When the opportunity came with Arletta offering Tali a tour, Magnus smiled, nodding eagerly. "Mhm! Leave it to me, Niel!" he said before eagerly getting to work on whatever dish it was that Niel was preparing. He'd have to remember to ask Bart or Freyr about those flowers that Kyle needed. Bart's been around, so he'd know, and Freyr is from a forest dwelling people. It might be racial profiling, but hey, it was the best shot he had.

After a while, Magnus would eventually pop the question on his mind: "Niel...what was that stone on the table you were using? I didn't take you for a magician." It was a bit to the point, but Magnus thought that maybe it was just an invention of some sort...Maybe Niel had a dream just like Kyle! Turning eagerly to Niel, Magnus' eyes were sparkling. "Its song was really nice...it reminded me of a bard I met on the road my first time to the guild," he said, an innocent smile on his face. His mental image of Niel was now far grander than it had been before; It'd take a genius to fit a song into a stone, after all! That or maybe his naivete was perfect to explain it away.

---

@Eviledd1984, @Rune_Alchemist(CHR)

Nephele remained deep in thought until the crash sounded; Until that moment a seed of doubt had been festering, but...upon seeing Christine's father buried under that chandelier, bust lying on the ground, a wave of nausea filled her stomach. Creeping up her throat, she had to fight every urge in her body to vomit...he...he was dead, wasn't he? A clenching of her fist nearly shattered her claws as she applied pressure to her palm, trying not to over react. Well...how could one overreact to what could be a murder? No...such a death couldn't be an accident. Rather, Nephele needed to spring into action right now. The chandelier could only be hung from the second floor's back wall, so unless someone managed to cut the rope with a thrown dagger, that meant whoever did it was not only still on the second floor, but close as well. A quick glance was given to Maria, as she saw just how...lost she looked. No, she couldn't return that look in kind. Rather, the black scaled dragon's eyes seemed determined and angry, not at Maria, but at the scene before them.

"Maria. See that no harm comes to her," the dragoness managed, a slight quaking in her voice as she literally started running after a murderer, returning to the second floor...or at least, to where she believed they had to be. The closest room to the back wall on the second floor...that was her best option for now, the most sensible place to suspect someone would cut the chandelier free from. Claws at the ready, and a noxious purple mist permeating about her mouth as she ran. She was prepared to paralyze anybody that got in her way. She only hoped that Maria and Christine would be safe...

Seeing Bast was a surprise. It was clear, however that he was in the middle of his own task and before she could even enter the tea shop, the coach pulled up and a very rich and important looking stranger got out and entered the shop, and then preceded to talk to Bast. Centaur were not a naturally curious race, and had great respect for other's personal issues. However, right not, Eilidh wanted to know what was going on, so entered the tea shop and went straight to the counter, keeping her ears open for their conversation. Though a Centaur isn't conspicuous, it would still be hard to tell that she was there for any reason other than to buy tea unless one looked at her ears with great scrutiny.

Once a green tea was purchased, she went to a table on the other side of the room to Bast and his guest, with her back to them, moving the chair out of the way so that she could sit down. As she drank an actually well-needed cup of tea, she continued to listen, though she had missed the beginning of the conversation.

@PaulHaynek@13org

---

"I would be happy to help you with any more requests you may have in the future," Rebecca spoke softly as she bowed. "Know that you have my full support and admiration. I wish you luck, and may we meet again."

With farewells exchanged, Rebecca left the town and headed North, not being able to leave the Varjan borders fast enough, and returned to the guild in good time. The devout woman seemed less cheerful than she had left this morning. Nobody else had deserved to take that mission, but neither had she. Varjo was an unholy land and a shrine to the evils of Man. She herself had to to take two lives today or risk being taken advantage of, taken to a higher authority who would recognize her, and being put to death for her 'radical' ideals. Even in her home city, the warrant was merely for her arrest and imprisonment, as any civilized country would do to a heretic.

Magnus' shirt was the first thing she noticed. She approached him, and half smiling yet with fire in her eyes, she asked the Minotaur; "Who did that, and did they pay for it?" As she examined the damage she was clearly, silently lamenting over her stitching yet it was also clear she was putting no blame on Magnus himself.

@PaulHaynek@The Irish Tree

[color=8dc73f][/color]

Freyr

Freyr silently heard as James Saint replied after he told him his story. Unlike Freyr, the poet didn't think that his story wasn't exciting. He had to admit. Even though the poet was very... Eccentric, he had a point regarding Freyr's story.

He had left his home to satisfy his curiosity. He left many things behind, but he had also gained many things on his travels until now. Not all of them pleasant, but it was undeniable that he found some good people on his travels. Freyr often thought of it was really the correct choice to leave the forest... But if he looked at the situation from the poet's perspective...

"Creating my own nest..." Freyr repeated those words to himself. That words brought only more questions to his head. The probabilities of him meeting another Viera were... slim... What type of life would he have? Adventuring isn't that bad but it could become a bit lonely... Not having a family...

When Haley started to talk about her experiences, Freyr was a bit surprised. Even though she wasn't able to explain it very well, he could hear in her voice that she had, in fact, seen many things.

But as soon as the poet finished hearing Haley's story, he handed her a small bag of coins and went on his way. Leaving all of them all looking at each other with confused expressions.

"It seems like it is..." Freyr said after Haley asked.

"But... I think wasn't that useless... It made me think about some things that I had previously forgotten." Freyr said, after a few seconds with a thoughtful, but slightly sad expression.

"What... Are your opinions about starting a family?" Freyr asked, still with that same expression.

"Oh... And now that the mission is over... I guess... What should we do?" He asked

@PaulHaynek @Kyun

---

Bast Ragoczy

"Really wonderful." Bast said to himself taking a sip on the cup of tea.
Although the tea shop wasn't that fancy, the tea there was indeed tasty. The hours passed swiftly as he sat there, simply drinking tea and relaxing. It was the first time in a long time that he was relaxing like that.

The sun was already setting down when he saw a very familiar centaur out of the tea shop. A smile appeared on Bast's face, but before he could greet Eilidh, a more familiar sight appeared. One of the Barensia's stagecoaches. More specifically, the fancier one stopped just in front of the shop.

A well dressed nobleman got out of it, entering the tea shop, approaching Baat and presenting himself. It was one of the Barensia. They had indeed accepted his invitation.

"I most certainly am. It's good to see that you accepted my invitation!" Bast said, taking out his hat in a discreet greeting.

"I'm Bast. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm just passing through the city, but I thought it would be a good idea to talk with you. I've heard many things about the Barensia, and its never enough to have good contacts, right?" He said, with a smirk.

"Oh, I hope you don't mind if a close friend joins our conversation. It just happened that she got here just at the same time you did." Bast said, getting up and waving towards Eilidh.

"My dear Eilidh! It's so good to see you here, what a fantastic surprise!" He said, extending his hand towards Eilidh, in a formal greeting.

"Would you like to join us in this conversation? The company of such a enchanting lady would certainly be very appreciated!" He said, winking towards Eilidh with a mischievous smile.

@PaulHaynek

~@Rune_Alchemist~

You decided to be the one to give Talia the Cyclops a short tour around the guild. You could see the wonder in her eyes... eye as she gazed upon the newly-furnished areas of the headquarters. "You even have a forge!" She exclaimed when the two of you explored the forge and armory. She explored and inspected the furnace and other forge tools, still with wonder in her eye.

"You said earlier that you only started a few days ago... and that the Dwarves only worked on it recently... does that mean you used the building in its unrepaired state?" Talia asked incredulously. "O-Oh, perhaps it was actually usable. It's just that you hired the Dwarves to clean it up and make it new?" You knew that was not the case but it was up to you to explain that to the Cyclops.

"...Did you see that... tool? You know, the one your friend has and hid immediately. You said nothing about it." Talia began a new topic, this time concerning Neil. "It was... producing sound... music. Strange music. I've never seen something like that." She said. "Did you know about that, Miss Dupain? I mean, if you don't then doesn't it concern you that your friend is keeping such secrets from you?"

---

~@The Irish Tree (MAG), @Silver Carrot (REB)~

"Niel...what was that stone on the table you were using? I didn't take you for a magician. Its song was really nice...it reminded me of a bard I met on the road my first time to the guild,"

"S-Stone...? It's-It's-It's nothing Magnus, it's just uhhh... ahhh..." Neil tried in vain to answer but decided to change topics. "Wait, wait! What-What do you mean the song reminded you of a bard? That kind of music exists in this place?" He asked incredulously. Now he was the one asking questions though Magnus was free to continue pressing the boy.

It was then that Rebecca arrived and shifted all attention to her.

"Who did that, and did they pay for it?"

Neil was quick to butt in. "Y-Yeah, Magnus. What-what happened to your shirt?" He now sounded more relieved and calm, likely because he thought his secret was no longer the subject of the conversation.

---

~@13org (FYR), @Kyun~

"But... I think wasn't that useless... It made me think about some things that I had previously forgotten."

"You're right. You've got that and this little pouch of gold. Hehehe!" Haley chuckled.

"What... Are your opinions about starting a family?"

"Like all other monsters, I wanna start one." Haley gave a straight, blunt answer. "Why? Do you want to start one yourself? I mean, you're a monster after all." The Siren gave Freyr a teasing grin. "Right?"

"Oh... And now that the mission is over... I guess... What should we do?"

"Well, we can head back if you want. You know, while the sun is still high." Haley replied. "Still, we can also take a look around if you'd like. Boreal Port's still recovering but it's got stuff to offer. Besides seafood, I mean." Haley then continued when she remembered something. "Oh, there's also a Dark Priest here by the way. You know, those girls who're all about the Fallen God and endless pleasure and stuff. Granted, the one here's pretty weird for their kind but I'd keep my toes up just in case."

---

Alike In Dignity
~@13org (BST), @Silver Carrot (EIL)~

"Oh, I hope you don't mind if a close friend joins our conversation. It just happened that she got here just at the same time you did."

"Not at all, Sir Bast. Your friend is welcome to join our conversation." Lord Barensia replied although once you called out to Eilidh, he was surprised but managed to hide that mostly. "Oh! You're... friends with that Centaur... Why didn't you call out to her earlier?" He then observed Eilidh before continuing. "Are... you two together? As in, 'together'?"

"All that aside though, what is it would you like to talk about Sir Bast?" Lord Barensia then got to business. "And may I know what things have you been hearing about the Barensians?"

@The Irish Tree @Rune_Alchemist

Maria Falena

The mothwoman was moving close towards Christine, Pulling out her rapier and scanning the room. Making sure that she was prepared for when the phantom arrived, "Stay...close..to me...please.." She said her other hand near her in case she needed to ready a earth based spell against the phantom. She was going to protect the human even at the cost of her life, She swore she could hear footsteps that did not belong to the workers in the mansion nor her partner.

~@Eviledd1984(MAR))~

---

Christine, was in complete shock. She couldn't say or do anything, she just fell to her knees as she looked at the scene before them. Just...how? Why? was it the phantom they said they saw? Or was it someone else? He had been supposedly meeting with a foreign lord of sorts, hadn't he? But she couldn't vocalize any thoughts right now.

All she could do was stare up at Maria like a lost child.

"R-right..." She glanced up at Nephele as she bolted towards the room on the second floor. "...Maria, what do we do?" The formerly spunky and energetic girl seemed completely despondent. Given what had just happened. Before Maria could give a reply though, the entire air in the foyer seemed to shimmer and waver. The air seemed to come alive and take a washed out look as if it was an old painting, flakes falling off and turning into small, black and blue butterflies before flying off and fading into nothing.

What they were left with, was a a scene Maria had seen earlier. Gone was the bombast and ritzy atmosphere of the manor from before. Now it was replaced with nothing but creaky, broken floorboards. The chandelier itself was old and worn, broken in various places and covered in a few cobwebs. The paintings were completely destroyed.

"...?" It took Christine a few seconds to recognize this, but she couldn't seem to care too much. "M-maria...You won't leave me alone, will you?" She asked quietly, looking up at Maria.

The floor creaked, and footsteps could be heard, almost permeating the entire foyer with their presence.

They were heavy, as if someone was wearing a heavy suit of armor, a cold wind blew into the foyer as the door to the dining hall creaked open.

In the doorway, was a massive human, wreathed in black shadows and equally imposing armor. It seemed to be some sort of wraith? It was difficult to tell, but it was clear that whatever it was, was not a friendly. It lumbered towards Maria and Christine, a massive blade in one hand. Christine didn't look in any particular condition to be fighting, if she even could in the first place.

---

@The Irish Tree (NEP)

Meanwhile, the environment around Nephele was receiving much of the same treatment. The formerly well maintained and rebuilt manner faded into a more decrepit form. The floor creaked under her footsteps, and the windows in the room shattered. If she cared to take a look outside, even the town they had walked through seemed to vanish into thin air as the sun sank below the horizon. Of course, she probably wasn't paying too much attention to these details given her focus on finding a certain phantom.

Thankfully it seemed like the Phantom didn't make much of an effort to hide herself.

"Looking for little old me?" The phantom materialized in the opposite side of the room, face as most phantoms are, hidden behind a mask of sorts. In its seemingly jovial and energetically playful manner, it continued. "Quite the scene, isn't it! The master of the manor is dead, his daughter in complete shock and not a gallant knight to save them is coming. No no, the evil lord saw to that before hand, hehe! _{That's actually not me by the way.}" She grinned, giggling lightly. "Oh who oh who will save them, I wonder? Perhaps one of the guests has the courage to give this tale a happy ending finally? Or will it play out like always? Even I, such a master playwright can't see the outcome of this tale!"

~Arletta Dupain~

@PaulHaynek@The Irish Tree

---

Arletta led Talia round the building, giving her hopefully a nice tour of the place as she could. Granted, she had only been around for a few days so she didn't quite know about all the renovations but she did her best. It was honestly, a little adorable when Talia was so enthralled by the forge and armory. She couldn't help but to smile a bit at her enthusiasm as she showed her around the place. She went on to explain about how the place was built and how the dwarves built it, no good to lie to Talia really.

"...should it?" Arletta replied, frowning a bit. "Neils my friend, I don't think he'd keep secrets from us that could harm us." She continued with a thoughtful expression. "Everyone has their secrets, Talia, and they're that way for a reason. I trust Neil, he's a good kid."

@Rune_Alchemist

Maria Falena

"Just stay close to me..or get some place safe form this...thing.." Maria said looking towards Christine feeling sorry for her, She wanted to protect her since she just lost her father. She did not want any more death on her hands, Moving closer beside Christine seeing the figure coming closer towards them.

"You will not...harm anyone else.." Maria said softly to the figure, Using her free hand to use some earth magic as the ground shook. Green vines starting to coming out of the ground, The vines trying to warp around the arms and legs of the enemy figure. "You..will not harm...anyone else" She said softly to the figure keeping her rapier out.