"Buzzing?" Rem queried. He moved close to Ellorei and noticed the burn mark lit by the bio-luminescent mushrooms. "Trouble." He whispered to her quietly. Insects were Rem's least favorite creature to deal with. Many were a necessary force of nature while others were arguably a pestilence on the world with little redeemable aspects. "Make sure the mushroom is clear of any of these bugs. We don't want to bring them home." Rem moved around her in a half circle, keeping his back to Ellorei as he studied their surrounding. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and reopened them. What were once human eyes became reflective horizontal circles like a night-dwelling animal. He could see the shapes fluttering around in an aggravated state. They had woken the hive or at the least whatever amount were calling this grove home.

"Stay close. These creatures are already agitated and I have no feelings for them. I cannot calm them." Rem warned. "Ell, whatever you were thinking of using before against the hounds, now may be the time to use it." Rem himself readied a spell, knowing exactly what he wanted to use to defend them should the insects swarm.

__________________________________________________________________________________________



Daelin reported quickly to his captain. "Only a few of us escaped unscathed from the crash, Cap'n." He looked around at the others. "Broken bones and fractures are spread liberally. Lyullia's leg seems to be broken or sprained. Flin's got some problems with his arm, Noru is doing well all things considered. Good thing too. Pyra has some fractures. The worst of it is that we haven't found Marilyn yet. Unless you give me permission to scout around we can consider her missing." Daelin concluded. They weren't in a good position to move right now with all the injuries. It was likely the best bet to hunker down but something didn't feel right. Hunkering down was just as bad of an idea as trying to move if they still had explosives out there. This whole ambush made a mess of any plans they could do.

The buzzing grew and grew until it culminated around Rem and Ellorei entirely. But what may have seemed like a dangerous sign at first, was quickly revealed to be nothing more than a swarm of purple dragonflies finding their a way across the hills. The insects of Thoris, those too small to be considered threats, seemed to serve many purposes for the land, and went largely unexplored by Zoologists, even those that hail from the well-taught Nation of Leias. These purple variant of dragonfly were especially new to the ecosystem, only recently migrating at the start of the summer. Regardless of their origins, they seemed at ease around the two Druids, taking a moment to rest their wings as they approached from the north. Several hundred of the harmless little bugs perched themselves on the mushrooms that lined the path, the tree branches above, and even on top of Rem and Ellorei.

They didn't seem to pose any sort of threat, or show any concern for whether or not the two druids would be content with their arrival. But bugs like these had the capacity to attract unwanted attention. Of course, with the constantly evolving ecosystems around Thoris, it was hard to keep up with the ongoing trends, even for a druid.



Mop swung his head from left to right like a broken metronome, skipping beats and shaking with a spurt of hiccups while the soldiers around him either watched with contempt or amusement. He was an entertaining fellow for some. Mop offered some much needed levity in contrast with the Don's strict teachings. He'd even gone as far as to disregard the rules for the sake of others. But taking advantage of his kindness was the last thing anybody wanted to do.

♫ Two more nasty Nilliums, *HICK* Brazen down... Down there under the dock! There under the dock! Nasty Nilliums, long and... and- *HICK* wah-whiiite! Teeth like daggers and eyes full of friiight! ♫

"Mop, yer gettin' the lyrics wrong," One of the men nearby complained with a coy smile. Mop rose his free hand to part his dirty black hair, while dragging his wine bottled across the cement with a shrill series of clinks. He looked at the man that giggled at his expense with a frown, revealing just enough of his face to express some level of disappointment with the comment. But a moment later, his dark brown eyes lit up and he laughed it off just as much. Just as quickly, he pulled his wine bottle up and sealed the mouth of the bottle against his lips. After a short chug, Mop sighed contently.

♫ Mister Paul, mister Paul! Always gotta talk shit, he's mister Paul! ♫

The apparent 'mister Paul' burst out laughing. That wasn't even remotely close to his name. An honest attempt by mister Mop though! You couldn't blame him. He was a little drunk.

The Guard that spotted Ayer and Paric almost looked away and disregarded what he'd saw, but with everyone else mesmerized by Mop's shenanigans, a spark of responsibility forced him to investigate. What if he was the one that ended up catching that guy that the bosses were going on about? What a fantastic thought! Nillium grunts were rewarded greatly for their efforts, after all! The Don was a generous man, as long as you didn't get one his bad side! That nameless guard, Philip Stevens, was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of duty that made him feel as if he stood out for once!

"Ayer is over here! Ayer is over here! Help me!"

Philip was surprised that his efforts were suddenly made easier for him. He turned towards the group of men gathered around Mop for a moment to see if anyone else was listening to the man's shouts. It might've been hard to hear if they were being drowned out by Mop and the more overwhelming updates that blared across the Burroughs. A couple of men turned towards him, shook their heads, and waved him off to investigate by himself. That was a relief! When Philip turned back towards Paric, he was confident that he'd be doing the Nilliums a great service.

"Calm down," Philip commanded, approaching Paric slowly, "You're surrounded by soldiers. There's no need to panic." His voice was stiff, almost overburdened by his duties, like he was capable of natural speech, but too afraid to adopt his usual manner of communication around a civilian. "Where's the fugitive?" Even with a rigid posture, and a commanding tone of voice, it was difficult for Philip to hide how excited he was for an opportunity to prove himself.

From across the boardwalk, Mop continued singing. But before he dropped his hair, he glanced at Philip and Paric from where he sat. Even if only for a split second, his expression was uncharacteristically serious.



Noru went about his duties, moving between the members of Centaurus and the storage room rather quickly, with bottles and vials of regenerative potion in his hand between trips. He completely ignored the conversations that took place, casually lifting clothing and applying medical treatment in different fashions to anyone that needed it. When Flin spoke to the Captain, Noru forcibly lifted his shirt and felt along his upper chest for injuries. He seemed very perceptive for a man who acted like a block of wood at times.

Zay shook his head at Flin and waved his comment away like it was nothing. He didn't even look the man in the eyes as he dismissed it. "Don't worry about it, kid," he said quietly with a subtle smile. Truthfully, he was still a little shaken by the whole occurrence, but as acting captain, it was important for him to shake it off. They were in a terrible situation after all. Daelin approached him with a report, but Zay continued to walk past him as he spoke, listening as carefully as he could manage. He glanced at the Venbu that breathed heavily nearby as he entered the caravan. What a mess.

"I don't want anyone leaving the Caravan just yet," He grumbled, tossing the Caravan key to Daelin, "Lock the door, and make sure this thing is secure. Without Marilyn, Venbu are worthless. If we move, it's going to be on foot." Neal turned to Zay for a moment, but said nothing. "Still, staying here won't amount to anything. That group was too organized to be considered typical bandits. They might return, and if it's not them, we'll eventually get sniffed out by something equally, if not more dangerous. The Baeshri pass is nothing like the trading routes. Beasts will be upon us before sunrise." Zay sat down at the table and leaned into it.

"This is god-awful."

Daelin caught the key and did as told by shutting the door and locking it but he wasn't done with the subject. "I know it's dangerous outside but why are we hunkering down now before we've got proof that Marilyn's gone? Venbu are dead sure, that don't matter. What does matter is that Marilyn was a person. The whole feeling is sour, not knowing what happened. If she is alive then waiting will make sure she's dead." He reasoned. Daelin knew the chances of her being alive out there were slim but not pursuing the truth of her fate made him feel dirtier in a situation that was already a mess.

The caravan was still a mess and staying was like betting on chance that something with the power to break into the caravan wouldn't come. Zay was right. No matter what they did this whole circumstance was awful. After a painful silence Daelin spoke up. "I took us on this path. It's my fault we're here but I know where we are and where we can go. There's a village along the Pass. It's a stretch but I think it's better than getting eaten out of the caravan like canned meat. The venbu are out there. Whatever predator or scavenger comes through is going to want a piece of that. Assuming staying goes well there's no telling if or when the assassins come back."

Daelin turned around and slammed the wall with his fist. "Damn right, sir. We have options and they all suck."

"As much as I don't like to admit it, scouring the pass for a single girl is more dangerous than staying put," Neal cut in. Zay nodded to himself silently while letting out a slow, reverberating burp. Neal glanced at him in disgust for a split second and sighed. "But I agree that there should be some form of reconnaissance. Whether we decide to hunker down, or leave in search of aid, remaining ignorant of our surroundings is liable to get us all killed."

"Easy for you to say," Zay croaked, "They've got archers, and they're Myti. If they're still around, we'll be walking right into another ambush. And that one woman..." Zay stopped and clutched his forehead. "If we stay put, at the very least, we retain a defensive advantage." He lowered his hand and stared at the table in front of him. "Besides, if Marilyn had survived, she would return to the Caravan right away, wouldn't she? I doubt they'd let her scurry off if she were injured. Any way you look at it, that's enough proof to avoid an intensive search."

"She couldn't be far, whether she's alive or not," Noru added while tending to Pyra's injuries, "Simple reconnaissance is enough to confirm Marilyn's fate. That explosion couldn't have launched her far, even if she was closer to the explosion than any of us."

"There's truth in those words, Captain," Neal affirmed.

"I don't like it," Zay objected, "Not in this darkness." The Captain suddenly stood up and placed a hand on the mana-lantern embedded in the ceiling, brightening the room significantly. He sat right back down afterwards. "At the very least, we shouldn't be wandering around in the middle of the night." Neal closed his eyes and leaned against the side of the Caravan's inner wall. Then he peered down at the unconscious Myti at their feet.

"Can we dispose of these corpses? Both this one, and the one outside? It may not be possible to move the Venbu, but I'm not fond of speaking casually around dead bodies." Noru, finished with Pyra's treatment, looked down at the woman. Her chest moved, ever so slowly, and the edges of her eyes began to twitch despite the indent in her skull caused of Neal's earlier stomp. Captain Geroldus straightened himself immediately. He recalled that she'd survived, but to still be alive even now without medical treatment? Any normal Myti would have been killed outright. Noru turned towards the body and leaned against Pyra's bunk in surprise.

"I don't think this one is dead."

- A Quarter past 9 PM.
- Mentions: @Mataus

The moment his companion got the attention of the guard who had presumably seen them, Ayer immediately dropped low and scurried off to a drop in the rooftops. He winced as his arms landed on a sharp rock while he crawled, but he continued on, cursing to himself all along the way. Truly, the untamed outdoors was a curse set upon by cruel deities to foil his progress. Once he reached the ledge, Ayer clutched the edge and nudged himself off, dropping to the lower level like a dangling rag. He did so outstretched as he could, to avoid making unnecessary noise. He landed with a soft pattering of his muddy boots and continued further down in a silent strut until he was a good distance away from his Eldi savior above. He made sure to wave a signal before jumped around the corner into the shadows. He didn't really expect it to work out like this. He overheard that there were guards everywhere, so that got him a bit worried. But if this works out, at least there would be one less for them to deal with. Maybe.

As he hid in a crevice between buildings on the other side, he quickly armed his Ars, turning a dial on the circular disk above the handle to point to a swirling symbol on a diagram of various symbols. Wind.

Normally, his expertise about arcane science did not exactly translate to performing concussive combat blows, nor render him capable of rendering an unsuspecting soldier incapacitated. In fact, his reclusive life-style proved detrimental to such an endeavor. But Ayer can circumvent his physical weaknesses, just as any good scientist should, through the power of his trusted tools.

Ayer knew he didn't have many uses of this Ars, but he couldn't risk failure either.

He quickly modified the effective range of Wax Jury, turning the handle and tightening the mana flow that would pass through the pipes and tubes, alongside gating clearance through auxiliary exhausts with another valve on the main compressor unit. This would reduce the distance of expulsion drastically, thereby increasing the power without raising the intensity and potentially causing strain to the Core. Essentially, instead of a strong gust of wind, there would be a compact burst of air. Much like taking an invisible wrecking ball at point-blank range. It should be more than enough to blast someone hard enough into a wall and knocking them out clean, if not immediately. Ideally, without killing them. In fact, he lowered the intensity a bit, just to make sure. He knew just how drastic his devices were.

As Ayer did all of this, he began wondering something.
Wait, did we perhaps overreact a bit...? I'm starting to think we hadn't gotten seen in the first place...

Flin gave Noru a smile back. He was glad that he took it somewhat well, despite the tense situation. He glared at the Myti as some blood began to drip down his injured right shoulder. "Since this one is somehow still alive...we may want to restrain both of them with thick rope. Or with handcuffs and chains." Flin insisted, wheezing as he tried to keep breathing normally. He turned to Noru briefly, believing that being honest about his injuries was probably better in the long run. "My right shoulder and head only have minor injuries. But I think that I may have seriously injured something at my chest, too. I have some trouble breathing, and it hurts a lot." He admitted to him.

Baeshri Pass, Caravan Centaurus
_{3rd of Summer - 10:24 PM}

"I figured as much," Noru exhaled, immediately tending to Flin's injuries after discerning where most of the damage was, "Fortunately it's nothing too troublesome." Zay looked over at the unconscious Myti and then back towards the Door after Daelin shut it. Neal watched him closely. The larger Captain snatched the Caravan Key from Daelin after he was finished with it, and reopened the door without a word. Zay spun his entire body around.

"Hey!" Captain Copp yelped. Neal ignored him and picked up the Myti that was outside, brought her inside, and locked the door behind him. "Hey!!" Sir Geroldus dropped the other cat-woman beside her comrade and glared at Noru.

"Treat them," He ordered, "and do as Flin says. Bind them too." Zay rolled his eyes and slumped himself back over the table. He was likely to give the same orders once he calmed himself. No point in making a fuss over Neal's actions.

Lyullia glanced at her leg for a moment as Noru tells her to not put weight on it for a while. She knew magic could do wonders when used to heal things, but she had never seen it happen before. She also didn't expect herself to be the target of such magic, but she was thankful that they had someone who knew how to do that.

Then she turned her attention to their two 'prisoners'. She knew that there was a risk that they would be attacked, but she hadn't expected to be attacked by anything other than animals! To be attacked by others was something she hadn't expected, and it scared her. Were there other groups out to get them too?

And their problems weren't over yet. Apparently Marilyn had vanished, meaning they were immobile and thus an easy target for both more attacks by their assailants and other monsters. And there was nothing Lyullia could do about it.

Still, she knew she could at least help with the current issue. They needed something to restrain their 'prisoners', and rope probably wouldn't do too much good. So, she set to work on using her ability to create metal handcuffs and such. On their own they wouldn't do too much good except for restraining their prisoners' movements, so someone else would need to attach them to something that wasn't likely to move around.

"Here, maybe this would keep them where we want them to be better than rope would." Lyullia said, holding out what she'd made. "Though we need something to attach them to so they can't leave..."

@RyuShura

The plan seemed a little too easy as the suspected guard made his way over to Paric, who had stopped shouting, but was still waving his hands as if in a panic. Not only was it encouraging to see how well they managed to get the suspected guard to come, but the guard had also told off his buddies. Ayer and Paric had the guard all to themselves.

As the guard made his final approach, Paric heard encouraging words reach him, assuring him that he was protected by all the guards in the area. "Ohhh," Paric mumbled, "thankya for comin." As commanded by the guard, he took a step towards where Ayer had snuck off, and feigned a stumble. "Ohhh." He mumbled again. Paric took out his empty flask and pressed it on his forehead. "heuh, heuh went thaway." Paric said, pointing in the direction, and taking the flask from his forehead. "I'm sor-sorry sir. I uh finished my flask soon as I saw him runin by." Paric dropped the arm that he had used to point out the direction of Ayer. "I think theuh alcohol got me. Theyuh said he is dangerous. Thought he was gon get me."

Paric smiled to himself, thinking he had sold the poor, scared drunk that had spotted a fugitive. If anything, this guard would write him off as an accomplice. That would make it easier for him to help Ayer if things went badly, as the guard probably would not suspect anything from him. He put a hand on his forehead. He really did have a headache.

The fire that Ellorei held in her hands was immediately diminished with a smile, "Dragonflies, Rem. Gaia is amazing isn't she?" Ever the one to hold life sacred Ellorei returned to her position of sitting on her heels and as an afterthought, Ellorei's smiled grew, "You gave me a nickname Rem. Does that mean I can call you a friend?"

Ellorei wanted to think so, being a fledgling druid was intimidating at times, but she pondered if Gaia would oppose to her seeking wisdom from a more practiced druid. Her heart wanted nothing more than to protect the weak and wilderness which she felt would eventually mean that her calling would be to what wilds were left in the north. Ellorei may have been naive to many things, but even her tribe knew of the tainted land that Marrenfell created. The idea of leaving such pure forest made Ellorei balk but she knew that her charge was now to protect nature, even if that meant dealing with some very unsightly characters.

"Rem, if you had to put into words the role of druids in Thoris, what would it be?" Her hands held a mouse that had stopped by her feet, "I mean, I know that Gaia asks us to protect and be stewards of nature, but what if we know of people who have a blatant disregard for The Mother? Should we simply watch and protect what is left?" Ellorei was stroking the mouse's fur as a woman would a child's hair, "Or do we try to take it back?"

As the purple dragonflies fluttered in Ell relaxed. She seemed no longer to be alert of the dangers as she probed her questions which was understandable. She was young and didn't realize that these dragonflies weren't acidic. The larvae on the mushroom wasn't there's. Rem huffed out a relieved sigh.

Rem planted his staff firmly against the ground and faced Ell to answer her question. "A friend? Sure. Anyone that means no ill will may be a friend of mine." Friendship came easily. Trust did not, even if it appeared he did. Ell was out here pursuing many of the same ideals that Rem did but their true goals didn't necessarily line up. Rem lived in the cities and pursued the secrets of sorcery for a majority of his life. His reasons for becoming a druid were not the same as Ell's and one day he would tell her why, but that was not today. He couldn't help but feel an admiration for her pure love of nature. Here she was looking up to him for his veterancy in the craft, one she aspired to and was practically born for. She was the ideal druid, someone worthy of the mantle and worthy of teaching and protecting.

Ell's second question was more complicated, one worth pondering and so Rem didn't answer for a few moments. It was clear he was thinking about the true answer to it when he finally shrugged. "Life is complicated and Gaia's answers are not always as cut and dry as we would like them to be. The cities are deserving of growth and nurture just as much as the wilds. Men, eldi, lok'sha, it does not matter who so long as their ideals are admirable and deserving then they deserve a chance to grow, to prove and to overcome. Your point with Marrenfall is well founded. I would deem them unfit of continuing their growth until they have learned how to maintain cleanliness and preserve what is around them. In this regard we become nurturers, teachers. We show them the way they should take." Rem turned his head to stare off into the night. "If only it were so easy. These days druids don't agree on much of anything with each other. The last time a gathering of druids agreed on something it led to a war." He shook his head at the thought of the event. "It didn't end well for anyone."

Rem outstretched a hand to the south. "Come. I have a friend to help and we still have a pass to cross before we get home." He directed.

Philip froze when Paric started to stumble. He'd recognized him after that. The man was familiar. An Eldi with a drinking problem, and curly brown hair. His expression went blank when Paric stumbled over. Damn it all. This had to be bullshit. Philip was almost convinced that this drunkard had either hallucinated seeing Ayer, or that he was too drunk to even know where he was. But it wasn't the Nillium's responsibility to manage and coordinate the drunks. Mop was a prime example of how little they cared. He rolled his eyes and walked past the man that called him over, stepping into the Alleyway with disappointment dragging him down.

'He probably just confused a rat for the runaway'

While most of the guards were unconcerned with Philip's little venture, Mop's curiosity had been peaked. He watched as Philip wandered off, catching only the edge of Paric's silhouette from where he sat as the two disappeared into the Burroughs. Locke pushed himself up onto his feet and took another swig from his wine bottle.

"Awright, awright, show's over. Back to work ye lollygags," He groaned with purple liquid running down his chin. The disheveled man slowly stumbled across the boardwalk, while his subordinates quickly returned to their posts.



Neal walked over to Lyullia and grabbed the cuffs that she'd created with a nod and a smile. "Stopping their movements is enough for now," He assured her. Zay reached up and snatched the cuffs out of Neal's hands in order to restrain the two Myti himself. Nor rolled the women over and began to feel along their exposed, furry torsos, looking for injuries with his mana as Zay moved to position himself opposite to the medic. "It was the head," Neal said, pointing at his forehead, "I stomped her-"

"Do you not see the gaping hole in her torso?" Noru hissed, quickly prepping another batch of liquid from the bottles he'd retrieved earlier, "If they bleed out, it won't matter if they have brain damage or not." Working quickly, the man was able to patch up Daelin's handiwork in a manner of moments. While he did that, Zay latched the cuffs around each woman's wrists, and ankles.

"Hup-" Zay breathed, placing one hand over each of the chain-links one by one. With the last of his mana, he created a few metal spikes that fused with the floor of the caravan and kept the women in place. "I'm not sure if that is a good idea."

It had been a while since Ellorei had been in the company of another druid and Rem knowingly or unknowingly had given her some peace. Her hands brushed the grass as she set the mouse down and her thoughts went to the answers that were provided to her. The idea that cities deserved to grow should their practices respect nature was a fair one. However, something about Rem's answer made her uneasy. Though Ellorei's ambitions were vague at best, she did know that she wanted to be a protector of the wilds that remained. It may have been her naivete that she was renown for, but she decided in this quiet place that she wanted to unite the druids back together. Ellorei's chieftain had told her tales of such a war, but she was determined now.
Standing Ellorei preened her owl feathered mantle and straightened her back with a renewed confidence in herself. If this was the path that she was meant to take then Gaia would guide her, if it was not then she would sense that as well. For now, the gentle druid faced the direction Rem motioned and took a deep cleansing breath.
"If it is to aid another, I am ready and willing. Off we go." Ellorei, ever the adventurer and the optimist followed in step with Rem simply taking the blessing for what it was. Perhaps she would cross paths with her tribe again, but for now, she had many things to learn before she returned to them. After all, a leader is not born but made.

Flin smiled at Noru as he took care of his injuries. "Thanks." He said to him, as his breathing turned back to normal. Noru wasn't his favorite person, but gratitude was something that he deserved in this case. He did a great job healing everyone. He headed over towards the Myti who were now restrained, and kneeled down next to them. He began to search them quickly, to see if they had anything of use on them. He was surprisingly quick and efficient about it. "Let's see what they've got." He said with a smirk.

Zay leaned back as Flin rummaged through the pockets of the corpses. He widened his eyes and nodded. "I didn't know you were into the fur, Lieutenant," he teased. Neal rolled his eyes and knelt opposite to Flin, slowly searching the other Myti's pockets. He and Flin both found something, one after the other. Each Myti, along with several explosive devices much like the flash-bang that misfired earlier, carried a familiar device that the highest ranking officials in Arcadia used to communicate. They both had miniature Psy-stones with purple etchings across their entire surface.

"Well I'll be damned," Neal grunted, "They were better equipped than I thought." Zay narrowed his eyes and stood up. Bandits were getting their hands on Psy-Stones now? Just how far did the black markets of Thoris run? Those things were expensive, and very difficult to manufacture. Even if they came all the way from Leias, for common thieves to get their hands on those trinkets was unheard of. But it went further than that. These were no ordinary Psy-Stones.

"Is that all they had?" Noru asked.

"Aside from a bit of money and a few gemstones, it looks like it." Neal confirmed. The medic vigorously rubbed his eyebrows at the thought of ruffians with Psy-Stones running A muck through the trade routes.

"Then we were targeted," Zay hissed, "Targeted like animals."

"That may be that case." Noru stepped towards Neal and grabbed the stone he'd found. "These aren't ordinary Psy-Stones." Neal rose an eyebrow. Zay shook his head at the situation. "They're not made of the same gemstones as the ones used in Arcadia. These things could be capable of communication across longer distances than your typical stone."

"They could be short-range stones as well," Zay added. Noru sighed.

"That's true. For all we know, they were just using these to coordinate their assault."

"Well, they aren't made in Arcadia. At least, I've never seen anything like this. Even the King's stone isn't this unique. Most officials use ruby crafted stones, and those things aren't even strong enough to communicate across half the city."

"So they didn't come from Arcadia," Neal grunted, "So what?"

"We can't assume that, either," Noru added, "Especially not with the rampant criminal activity trudging about the lower districts."

"So this tells us nothing." Neal moaned impatiently.

"It tells us that they're organized and well supplied," Zay corrected Neal yet again. At this point, Captain Geroldus was growing increasingly frustrated. With these two men correcting every one of his sentiments, he felt like an idiot. "Caravans don't typically take the Baeshri pass. It's not known for beast attacks, but it's a hazardous trail, and it's painfully secluded. So why the hell would there be bandits out here waiting for somebody to pass through?

"Maybe they were especially patient," Neal groaned angrily, waiting to be corrected once again with his eyes fixated on the Myti's body before him. Then he froze. "I thought it earlier," He mumbled, "But it's not impossible that this is related to the attack on my Caravan!" Zay grabbed his chin and thought it over for a minute. It wasn't impossible that the two attacks were corrected.

As the men spoke, Flin was able to find something else on the Myti's body through his diligent search. Near the base of her spine, just above her tail, there was an obscure black tattoo. Beneath it, jutting slightly from the back of her shorts, was a small piece of paper. Zay glared at Flin with a subtle smile.

"I know they tried to kill us Flin, but it's awfully rude to feel up an unsuspecting maiden while she's unconscious." Noru's head snapped towards Zay.

"Can you control your inane humor for just a minute!?" He shouted. Zay frowned and rolled his eyes.

"Easy, Lieutenant. You wouldn't want to attract something dangerous."



Noru's shout was loud enough to pierce the shell of Centaurus' caravan, so much so that it echoed across the Baeshri hills as an indiscernible murmur. There weren't any particularly dangerous creatures nearby in the moment, but Noru's frustration did not fall upon deaf ears. Rem and Ellorei were making their way across the Pass around that same time, and they were less than half a kilometer away from the stranded knight of Arcadia.



Fifty Eldi were lined up row by row in a massive, well-lit cavern. They all wore similar clothing, but none of them looked the same. Men and women were dressed in bright red hues; They wore bandannas, ties, coats, shorts, helmets, tattoos, piercings, pants and shirts. They were different, so very different from one another. And yet, standing before their commander, those citizens all looked the same.

"What a time to be alive!" A woman shouted from atop a large wooden box, overlooking the people lined up before her, "A time of peace! A time of stagnation! A time where the government has nothing to be concerned about! Where its people can breath Kel's air without any urge for change!" She paused and looked out to the masses. "Pathetic."

A series of hoots and cheers sounded from the groupings in front of her, going silent shortly after.

"We live in the shadow of their wretched tower, surrounded by the artifacts of old! Eldan men and women without any desire to progress as a Nation! Scientists and researchers that work only to learn more of the very magic that has separated our people. The very magic that has been weaponized, and used to subjugate the world into a false state of peace! Something that our leader refuses to change! We are forced to stand by as Eldi become entrapped in a self-defeating cycle of silence and servitude, selfishly sustaining themselves on knowledge while some of us are forced to writhe in agony! Starved! Beaten! I say this has gone on long enough!"

Another roar from the crowd echoed throughout the secluded little cavern.

"We are thrown in with the rest of these wretched evil-doers and labeled as thus, with no regard for our intent! Criminals! We are called criminals! They call us criminals while Senator Ero is allowed to profit off the backs of real monsters! Those that live in the shade suffer because it! We suffer!"

The crowd echoed her announcement: 'suffer!'

"No longer can this go on! Kel's people require a wake-up call, and we will give it to them!"

The crowd's uncoordinated roars of approval flooded the cavern. Each and every one of the Eldi present cheered and cheered, clapping or hollering random phrases across the room. Their leader, Parthia Mylygnos, stood proudly over them and rose a single first into the air. They group slowly began to inch towards a united chant. Their words finally united into something discernible.





The morning was a fresh relief across the wide-spanning suburbs of Marrenfall. As fresh as it could have been, anyways. Gybol's cafe sat only a few kilometers off the edge of Varbos, one of the largest industrial districts in all of Marrenfall. The air quality of the Eastern Suburbs varied on a day-to-day basis, dependent solely on how Thoris' winds decided to blow. A westward wind would bring subtle aromas of burning coal to the edge of the suburbs, sometimes thick enough to taste. Stale weather meant for a more enjoyable atmosphere, where the air was still coarse, but not enough to directly impact on the lives of civilians. Today, the wind blew to the east. Although this brought the locals a deal of peace, it also meant that many people would be visiting from the west to make a myriad of purchases. Residential locales that were positioned closely to Marrenfall's factories often had some of the most advanced and affordable products, after all.

This also meant that Gybol would see quite the influx of business. His cafe was already quite the success, despite its relatively small size. He was, after all, one of the few producers that managed to forage for produce outside the city walls, albeit on rare occasions. Ingredients that some might consider exotic would wind on his menu from time to time, while on some very special occasions, visitors might have been treated to something out of this world. One of the many perks of his occupation! But his only other co-worker, Nina Belfont, was not fond of his business' scale. If she were in charge, Gybol's storefront would already be flooding the entirety of the suburbs. If she had her way, they would have a chain of Cafes by now. But things don't always work out the way you want them to.

The morning rush was especially rushed today. Over twenty customers were flooding the tables and standing in line for their turn to sample Gybol's recipes. The workload was at least four times heavier than usual, far more than the already minimal staff could handle, but the people of the suburbs were not especially impatient. If this were anything like the cities to the southeast of Marrenfall, the twenty-something customers would have made quite the ruckus as they dined and/or waited for their orders. But Gybol's modest Cafe, despite the large showing, was as quiet as it could get.

The only one making noise was Nina.

"You ready with order #21 yet?!" She screeched from across the cafe while standing over a woman and her husband. They exchanged a warm smile, not bothered in the slightest by Nina's overbearing voice.

"Boss???"

Well holy shit would he be drowning in the income today. Gybol seemed to be as energetic as there are people and today as like a lightning storm on steroids. His eyes flick up toward order twenty one. The girl was grumpier today, can't she understand that you cannot rush a well done recipe? Especially when you've got to season the stuff. Although in his mind she just didn't quite understand why he preferred just the one cafe. What made Gybol's recipes so good is that it was HIS recipes. His work. You cannot duplicate Gybols. At least he hoped not. That thought gave him a bit of a shutter for his own reasons as he slides over the two requested plates onto the server's hotplate. "Easy Nina. Being louder doesn't mean it's going to be faster. I rush the food and the customers are going to taste that. Might as well make the wait worth it."

No indeed. With the rarity of goods out there, he often took to alchemy during the evening. Funny things about poisons, you can mix them just right where they ONLY target the taste buds, in which on contact? Amplifies the taste of what he's cooking. What could be bland food, or even good food, can easily be made better with seasoning. Self tested of course, if he wounded up suddenly dead, well, better him than the customer when it comes to running a business. Only downside is they'll be tasting it for like, what, a couple hours? He didn't quite see that as a problem.

The dusty, beaten trail of Baeshri Pass narrowed as it became less hilly before running through Baeshri Forest and reaching the trade route. Ellorei and Rem were crossing this highway on the path to his cottage in Eastern Baeshri Forest. Night here was dark and generally quiet except the shuffling of animals and the breeze blowing through the trees. The noise coming from a little further up the path was out of the ordinary. Men shouting in the middle of the night were almost never heard unless it was some drunkard dancing around Lalifell as Rem passed.

Rem paused at the side of the pass, looking down the road and magically enhancing his vision to meet the low light. Rem spoke up with a hint of worry in his voice. "You hear that, Ell? There shouldn't be anyone out here. It's too dangerous." He rubbed at his brow with his forearm, pondering whether they should go and investigate. From here they could see the spire of stone just over the tree line like a single fang. Perhaps it was just a caravan crew turning in for the night. "What do you think? Should we see what this is? My friend can wait just a little longer without worry. My home is protected so she is safe for the time being." He asked Ell.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Paric
@RyuShura

His ruse had almost worked perfectly. Paric realized that he may have faked being drunk to well. "Hmm," he mumbled uner his breath "I guess I drink too much." He shrugged and looked over at the guard. The poor man's shoulders had dropped, probably thinking that Paric made it all up for attention or something. Then again, he didn't feel too bad, given what the guard had been happy about. It didn't matter though, the guard was still headed in Ayer's general direction, only at a less excited pace.

For Ayer, it was only going to be easier, with the guard's awareness even further down. Paric wondered how that device Ayer had would work. Ayer didn't mention how he planned to use it, how loud it might be, what it could do the the guard, or anything of the sort. Ayer had simply... stepped off with what seemed to be confidence in his device. Their plan was working though. It reminded him some stories he had heard as a child. A classic bait and knock unconscious trap.

Paric looked away from the guard and down at the flask he held in his hand. It almost felt good to stop drinking. Almost. He would have find something to drink if they escaped, even if it was that terrible stuff the homeless drank. He'd gone down to their level before, but it is hard to go poor as an Eldi mage in a town such as Nilliam.

"If you believe that she may wait, then I am in agreeance." Ellorei was always one to come to the aid of a traveler. Being born into a nomadic tribe had given her a soft spot. Nonetheless, Ellorei curled her bare toes deeper into the dirt of the trail in hopes of feeling a natural disturbance of the earth. The reply was almost a soft moan, whenever explosions or sudden changes in the earth the response was always the same painful wail. Aside from the earth's pain, underneath the cry was a sob, a sound Ellorei had learned to mean blood had seeped into the ground. Ellorei attempted to contain her flinch as her pulse sped up. Just ahead something was most definitely awry.
Ellorei began heading in the direction of the disturbance lighting her hands for the third time tonight and for a third time, she hoped that she'd need to put them away. Violence was never something Ellorei rushed into, but her deep need to protect often overruled her fears.

As she crested the hill her hands grew from a soft glow to an open flame. Ellorei retrieved her staff from her back, now aflame as well. There were corpses on the ground, their heart beating not long ago, now being looted. This is why Gaia had instructed the druids to leave the cities, respect for life had all but diminished. Ellorei's grief almost took her reason, but a soft wind caressed her check with a message, "Hold yourself, my gentle one." Her flames dimmed but did not diminish, as she held her gaze to the caravan ahead.

"Please tell me there is a reason," she spoke, "there has to be a reason."

Nina rolled her eyes back into her head. Gybol was such a stubborn bastard, a quality that most of his customers didn't have a single qualm with. If she had another job lined up anywhere else, she'd quit on the spot. But nobody was willing to hire in the eastern suburbs, and her frail body wouldn't do well in a factory. Life for those without magic might have been more peaceful, but people like Nina saw it as a curse. Gybol's strange appearance and stubborn traditions only served as a constant reminder that she would likely be stuck as a mundane waitress in the middle of hell for the rest of her known life.

Nearly an three hours had passed since opening, and with the afternoon closing in, the breakfast rush has long since died down. Some of the customers from the west had left before getting served, while others waited patiently for their meals. Regardless, the cafe was thinning out fast. It didn't take long for the place to return to its usual laid back atmosphere. Nina took solace in being stuck behind the counter. Having to walk around the tiny building front was exhausting for the girl. It seemed strange, but it wasn't uncommon for even the most youthful to end up fatigued with such a small amount of work. Nina was only nineteen, but she had been born with breathing problems, along with most of the kids around that area. The fact that she worked such long hours without rest was a miracle. Maybe she had a right to complain! He illness never defined her, though. Whether that illness was a result of the ashen air, her absentminded family, or something else entirely, was of no concern to the eastern suburb's mayor, Reginald Foreman. Their section of Marrenfall's middle-class residences had been breathing the brunt of Varbos' pollution for decades. If its factories truly were to blame for the rampant disease, local health wasn't going to improve any time soon.

Nina didn't concern herself with any of those politics though. She was a simple girl with simple desires. Get rich, get a guy, and then get gone. It wouldn't have been too hard for her to snatch an eligible young bachelor if she prettied herself up and went on a trip to the richer cities in Marrenfall. Nina was not a bad looking girl. She had a pretty thin frame, and modest proportions, but all the boys at her school used to flock around her like idiots. It might've been her hair, or her eyes, or something, because it sure as hell wasn't her charm. Nina was brash, bold, and swore like a sailor whenever she didn't have to watch her language. Despite having silky blonde hair, pretty blue eyes, and features like a doll, there wasn't a bachelor in all of Marrenfall that would put up with her attitude just because she was a pretty girl. That pissed her off. This whole Nation pissed her off.

With most of Gybol's customers either eating, or gone, the shop got really quiet. This time of the day was always slow. It wouldn't pick up again until an hour or two past noon. But that didn't mean they wouldn't get the odd fellow passing by now and again. For people to be present during working hours usually meant one of three things though. They were jobless, worked a night shift, or were just passing through. While Nina was busy slacking off, fiddling with her new watch, one such man walked through the wooden door that marked Gybol's establishment. The bell rang Nina back into attention, and she sprung up from the counter-top with a feigned smile. But when the girl caught a glimpse of the newest customer's face, it was hard for her to not cringe. thankfully, he didn't seem to care, and sat down on one of the bar stools with a gentle smile.

He wore a torn top-hat, something that fell out of fashion at least a century ago, and had a pair of worn down glasses that were covered in scratches. The trench coat he wore was just as hideous, too. He looked like something out of an old-timey storybook, or something. His face was just as marred as his apparel, or perhaps even moreso, which is what initially prompted Nina's reaction. Scars of varying severity ran up and down behind his glasses, crossing over both cheeks, his chin, and even part of his forehead. It looked like he'd just been mauled by a beast! Hell, even one of his eyes was sealed shut from the scarring, and the other one was
completely bloodshot.

"H-Hi, welcome to Gybros', er- Gybols cafe!" Nina's tongue felt like cotton in her mouth. "What'chya hungry for?" The man rose a hand, and didn't speak. It was a little hard to tell past all the scarring, but he wasn't exactly youthful. As he lowered his hand, he let out a series of deep coughs, and rummaged the back of his throat before swallowing hard.

'ick' Nina thought.

"Gimme a minute, dear," He wheezed quietly, "I'll call you when I'm ready to order." Nina nodded quietly and backed away into the kitchen, which was separated from the rest of the restaurant by a series of transparent plastic drapes. Gybol was in there, probably tending to the oven or something. It was kind of freakin' boiling in the kitchen, but she didn't mind it. She preferred it to having to sit face to face with that weird old man. When she caught sight of her boss, Nina swept her long braid behind her back and groaned- Sighed... Groan-sighed loudly.

"Gybol," She said quietly, "Freak at 12 o'clock."

She didn't really know what that phrase meant, but she liked the sound of it.