[IC] The Vanishing Kingdom

[Jollan]

The Temple

Valia nodded with a smile to Allanon, "Then we shall wait here, if you believe it best. Wandering around may only have us caught off guard." She walked over to a bench inside the hall and sat. While her leg was healed, she couldn't say she wasn't tired, no matter how much she would deny it. Soon, the frail looking priest returned, giving a short bow to the two in greeting.

"I have sent a messenger to the Sworn Spirits, I'm sure Allard will be happy to accommodate you, sir, and Madame Valia should you need proper rest," he started. "If there is anyone in this town that we can trust to keep anyone safe, it's Allard. In his youth, he was predicted to become the next chieftain, before he decided to settle down with a family instead. He will be happy to help."

"Thank you priest, but until this matter is solved, I think it's best I help our new friend, it's the least I could do for him saving me," Valia said. "Allanon, If you wish, maybe it is better if we waited there? probably more comfortable too- oh, hello there," Valia aid as she noticed a Ren approach them. Valia stood up in surprise when Ren mentioned the bounty, and seemed to recognize Allanon. "Allanon, do you know this woman?" she inquired. If he did, then that was great, but if not, she was a bit worried on just how much this person knew. Valia was already behind Allanon from the angle Ren came in.

Sworn Souls Tavern and Inn

"Oi! Ferrin! Prepare sum rum n' curry, ma boy!" Allard called to presumably his son in the back, which was followed by a, "Yes, father!" from the kitchen confirming him as such. It wasn't long before Allard brought the food and drink out, carefully setting it down in front of Kistal. "There ya are. Hope it's to yur likin'. It's strange traveler, normally I'm full of customers by now. Somethin' don't feel quite right. I 'ave a few regulars who ya could depend on bein 'ere when the sun is high. Haven't seen em yet." Just then, the doors to the tavern opened. Allard at first looked up with a greeting smile, though it turned to confusion rather quickly.

"Papa," Said the girl a she made er way across the tavern floor to the bar. "There has been some trouble in town..." She seemed a bit nearvous, and even glanced at Kistal a few times mostly in curiosity. But there was enough on her mind at the moment

"Hilde? What are ya doin' back from temple so early? What happened at the temple?" Allard asked, concntrating on his daughter's words.

"It's Madame Valia, she was attacked! A man found her and brought her to the temple for healing. She is fine now, but the priest wanted me to ask if it was alright she stayed here for a while. Until they figure out what is going on..." His daughter tried to explain.

Allard as already nodding, "O'coarse! We can get a room ready fur her and make sure the windows are squared away so not even a drop of water can get through. I'll make sure nobody else lays a hand on 'er." Allard was quiet for a moment. "Ta think someone would go an do a thing like that....and Valia of all people.... Hilde, I want you ta call it a day at tha temple. Wash up n' fix yurself sum dinner, then come tell me everything that's been going on," He gave her a warm smile and waved her off. Hilde nodded and started to make her way around the counter to go towards the back. Allard passed a withering glance to Kistal, "I don't always like it when I'm right."

[drewccapp]

Allanon's hand went immediately to his sword's handle when the suspicious stranger approached them. He had no idea who this stranger was and for all he knew she was going to lead them into danger. If she knew who he was then that meant she was aware of the bounty on his head. Money was a different problem altogether. Even if what she was saying was the truth there was no way he would be able to pay. He hardly had enough money to cover food if he did not have other means to acquire it.

He glowered at the stranger and questioned her. "Why should we trust you? For all we know you're an assassin working to lead us into a trap. No, if you know someone that can help us get information bring them here otherwise begone." He had no taste for killing, so if he could simply get a potential threat to back off on his reputation alone that would be good enough. It was unlikely that a third party mercenary would know the whereabouts of the Calabris operation.

In all of his years, Allanon learned patience serves well in dangerous situations. This would be no different than any other time.

[Lotrix Molick]

Kistal had essentially scarfed down the curry, being both hungry and curious about it. As the father/daughter conversation ended, he had finished up his meal and drink. Allard's comment seemed to minimally faze the Beastman. "It is never fun to be correct about horrible things. Thank you for the meal. It seems I have something pressing to look into now." The satyr stood up, paid for his meal and drink, left a nice tip, grabbed his spear, and went over to Hilde. "Pardon me, but can you give me more information about the group, the attack, and the temple? If they are posing a threat, then it is probably best to try and deal with them."

His intentions were far from pure and wholesome as he really was not as concerned about the group being violent as much as their ability to pose a threat to him personally or to people that would be good to keep safe. He stood in front of the, frankly, attractive daughter of the innkeeper, so he was quite content to wait as long as necessary given the company.

[Jollan]

Hildebrandt

Hilde looked up to the satyr. She had never seen one before, and never thought one would be o big. She would have thought that they would be smaller in stature, but here Kistal was and she only came up to his chest. Granted, she wasn't nearly the tallest in the family, being practically dwarfed by her father. She cleared her throat when she realized she was staring at him for a moment. "Im uh, sorry about that," she chuckled with a smile, "Right, the attack. Madame Valia is the dance master here in Kalla. She would teach dancing for entertainment and ceremonies. Well, Recently she was found in her home after being attacked. They haven't been able to identify the bodies beyond someone mentioning the name 'Calabris', but that's odd. Isn't that a family in Portea? Some think that the recent disappearances of her students may be linked to this as well... Valia is over in the Oracle's Temple, just next to us. A few Red Saints from Portea were luckily in town to help heal her wounds. If they weren't here, we don't think she would have been able to dance again."

Allard took the payment and Kistal's used dishes and started cleaning them. "Hmmm... Calibris, eh? Can't say I've ever heard any good about them from any travelers. If they are looking for a fight, this is tha wrong town ta do it." WHen he finished cleaning the dishes at hand, he gathered them and took them to the back so put them away. Hilde sighed as she watched her father go to the back and took a seat in one of the stools. "The chief is mentioning putting together a group of volunteers to go look for the missing girls," she mentioned sounding a little crestfallen. Truth be told, she wanted to go help search, as she was a guard, even though she is kept at the temple exclusively. She felt like she should help more than what she does, but she also knew her father wouldn't want her to, proven by him wanting her to stay. She folded her legs under the stool chair as she sat, thinking about ways she may be able to tell her father she wanted to go, but not seeing any way that would happen.

@Lotrix Molick

[Lotrix Molick]

Upon hearing about Red Saints, Kistal's eyebrows raised. "Oh really? I may have to go say hi to those Saints. I might know them. They hire me rather often." He produced the Red Saint token he was given as proof of his connection. "Perhaps they know more about this than most. At any rate, nothing good happens when Calibris is involved. I've had a few run-ins with them, but I always ended up on top. A few scandals here, a couple embarrassing notes there and they lose rather handily. This case seems more of the physical variety, which I am also well versed in." He tapped the floor with his spear and used the bladed tip to point to his horns as emphasis.

"Which way to the temple? I would not like to keep anyone waiting." He stepped over to the doorway, his hooves clicking softly along the inn floor. Since his face was obscured from the other people, his lips curled into a bit of a cruel smile. He would get more fun messing with the evil families of Portea. It would be a fun job.

[Honesty Crow]

There was a brief pause between the handshake and Aerex' response. Bidzil's words hung in the air without an answer, with Juliana shooting concerned glances at Aerex.
"Follow me. We can sit down over here." Before turning around, he gestured at Juliana. "Close down for the day and go on home. I'll pay you for the full day."

"But-" Before she could insist, he waved his hand and shook his head.
"Please?"
"Sure." The woman gave Bidzil a small smile and a nod, before heading out of the shop. Silently, Aerex made his way through a set of decorative curtains toward the back of the shop.

Bidzil returned the smile and nodded to the girl as she departed. He picked up on a feeling like something was wrong from the short awkward silence and her look toward him, so he tried not to bring it up further. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything..." he started as he walked through the store and then through the decorative curtains. "Wow, you have quite the set up out here. This shop is huge. I guess your work is popular her, huh?" he said with a slight grin, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Behind the curtains was a large room, mostly filled with rolls of fabric, some of which hung on the walls. Others were sitting on tables as part of ongoing projects, while some were waiting to be picked up. Overall, Aerex' workplace was orderly and neatly organized. Each roll was placed on the walls or on baskets by color and type. Bidzil followed Aerex up a set of stone stairs at the end of the room. Aerex seemingly didn't listen to what Bidzil had asked or decided to ignore him.

Going to the second floor, they arrived at what was Aerex' house. A single wall split the room in two. One side, the one both of them had arrived in was a small kitchen and living room, while the other side was a bedroom.

"It is. Keeps me busy too." Aerex replied finally, clearing a wooden table in the middle of the room of some clothes he had been working on earlier. "May I offer you something to drink? Tea?"

The store was admittedly bigger than what Bidzil remembered Aerex's father having, much finer works and cloths as well. Bidzil thanked him as he sat down at the table and Aerex asked about a drink. "Thanks, I'd appreciate it. Tea or water is fine, whichever is easier, I don't want to be a bother." He was quiet for a moment as he looked around the small home. It seemed comfortable enough, and it wasn't uncommon to see someone's home above their shop. Bidzil's face dropped a bit when he knew he had to tell Aerex about why he was here. "I don't know if you have or not, but have you heard any news of what happened in Trantis recently?"

"Not since I arrived." Bidzil heard Aerex approach, carrying two glasses of water. The Grusk sat down across him. "Did something happen?"

Bidzil thanked him for the water and took a sip before setting it down. He took a deep breath and held it before exhaling heavily from his nose. "I...I was over in Salna, running an errand of sorts, just a couple weeks ago. Millan wanted me to pick up a surprise package from him....By the time I arrived back to Trantis....everything was wiped out.....all the people were just....gone. There was no struggle, people's clothes left behind where their bodies would be, still warm to the touch." Bidzil shook his head at the eerie sight of it all. "The whole lake was empty, void of any water. The buildings that resided on it all crashed to the lakebed. Something.....just.... destroyed it all. I don't even understand why! Bidzil's voice rose as he thought more about it. "I don't know of any enemies we had currently, and yet.....everyone...." He was silent for a moment as he focused on the glass between his hands.

"I returned to Salna when I could. On the outer wall, written in the blood of a few guards that were slain hours before, was a message....it said 'A new king rises, the Grandis Empire has returned...."

Aerex stared blankly out the window in front of him. His eyes pierced through the curtains to the outside. Slowly, his head turned toward Bidzil, giving him that same blank stare.
"There's no way. No."[/color] He muttered, in denial of Bidzil's story

"I can't rightly say what is a myth now. But I do know this. No mere bandit could destroy all of Trantis in an afternoon. Everyone was gone, yet with no sign of combat. Their clothes and belongings still where they left them. The entire lake was drained, the river leading into it dry as well." Bidzil looked up to Aerex. "It's already gone, Aerex. If I die chasing some fairy tale with what little hope I have left, so be it.... If I'm wrong, nothing has changed....but if I'm right, it will make all the difference."

"I..." Aerex looked away for a moment. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. I just... couldn't believe our home was... gone." He took a deep breath and returned to the stove. Taking two decorated porcelain cups from the cupboard he served up tea for the two of them, sitting down across the table from Bidzil he took a sip from his tea.

"I'm not sure how much help I can be to you. I don't know how to fight and I have a shop to tend to. Either way, at least I know what happened..."

"I'm not asking you to join me. I didn't come here to recruit. I'm on my way to finding a treasure from these lands, part of the steps needed for finding the vanishing kingdom apparently. I can't ask you to throw away your livelihood for this."

"I wish we could have seen each other again under better circumstances." Remarked Aerex. "I'm glad nothing happened to you. Anyway..." He glanced down to his teacup. "...you can stay here if you like. I have space if you don't want to spend your gold at the local inn."

"I wouldn't want to impose, but if it's not a problem, I'd be very thankful," he said before hearing a commotion outside. it was caused by a group of people in town following Valia and Allanon up to the temple. "Huh, wonder what's got everyone riled up?" Bidzil pondered as he sipped the tea. "Hmm, not bad." he commented on the tea.

"It's no problem at all. Maybe then we can have some time to catch up." Aerex briefly paused as he heard noise outside. But, like Bidzil also ignored it. "And, thank you. My mother used to make tea for us all the time. Taught me how to pick the best leaves at the market."

It didn't seem that Bidzil could completely put the crowd out of his mind as he would occasionally glance out to the growing crowd. He nodded his head at Aerex mentioning where he learned to make tea as he took a drink from it once more. "She did well. As for catching up, I'd be glad to. But I do need to go by the market before the pack it up for the day, so I may head that way here shortly, that is, if the people are even at their stalls. Seems like a good number of the people are in the square now."

Aerex also glanced out the window, spotting the crowd gathering in the square. "Come. I'll go with you. Let's see what's going on."

Bidzil nodded to Aerex and finished both his tea and water. "Alright, sounds like a plan," he said with a smile as he stood up. He let Aerex lead the way back out of the house. When they arrived on the square, many people were milling about, some speaking in hushed tones while others were more vocal with their accusations.

"Who was that strange man with Madame Valia!?" shouted one. "She looked rather injured, who could have possibly done such a thing," another said, a bit more worried looking. A brutish man then turned to Aerex as he heard him and Bidzil walking up. While he recognized Aerex, he didn't recognize Bidzil. His eyes narrowed at him but he didn't voice his suspicions right off. "Tailor, Madame Valia does business with you plenty, surely you may have heard more of what has happened?" he asked. Valia did quite often come to Aerex's shop for new clothes, sashes or tapestries. She was always amazed by his works. "Some people that checked on her place found two dead men inside, the whole place trashed. And some strange man carried her into the temple just a moment ago, but they haven't come out yet."

"I have not seen her today." Aerex replied with a concerned tone. He glanced at the temple and back to the bystander. "I've been working on a personal piece all day. Don't know much else, I'm afraid."

[13org]

Even though Maeve had planned carefully every step before getting out of Tundral, when she got to Midril, neither did she had partiular plan nor she cared where she was going. Arriving on the town escorted by guards, her entrance was anything but discreet. Truth be told, not only Maeve herself, but the guards themselves also knew that their presence was completely unneeded and instead, they were only there due to Maeve's ego and pride. Just as the reason that Maeve refused to use the Orzhov family crest. Despite that, her appearance was enough for some people know who she was, even in Midril. Still, there were only a few who knew her despite her name being well know in Tundral.

"Here we are, Lady Maeve." Said the capitain of the guards who were responsible for escorting her as they arrived on the stables, near the city gates. There, a horse was already prepared and ready to go, a grey male of big stature, healthy and well kept, it appeared to be impatient and eager to leave. It's clean, almost glistening coat and it's obvious musculature were clear signs for anyone who knew about horses that it wasn't the type of horse a common person could buy.

"You have my gratitude for the escort, Capitain. It took me a while, but I am finally free." Maeve said, with a courteous and polite bow.

"It is my honour, my Lady." The capitain said.

"Send my regards to my brother and my parents. Tell them that when I come back, neither of them will be able to ignore my talent nor deny me the respect and recognition I deserve ever again." Maeve said, as she mounted the horse, which despite it's previous impatience, stood almost perfectly still as Maeve mounted it.

"... As you wish, Lady Maeve." The capitain said, hesitating a bit and trying his best to keep his composure despite Maeve's sharp words.

With a dignified posture, Maeve headed towards the city gates. Almost as if knowing it's rider's intentions, the male horse followed it's commands with a noble, dignified trotting until they got outside. Despite being the first time Maeve had rode that particular steed, it was very well trained to accept almost any rider. When she arrived on her destiny, whether it was Portea or Kalla, she would only need to leave it on the stable for someone to go fetch it and return it to Midril.

As Maeve loosened the grip on the reins a bit, it visibly relaxed, as it shaked it's head, showing it's eagerness to go instead of being stuck inside a closed stable.

"You know how to behave yourself." Maeve said with a smile as she rested her hand on it's neck.

"I suppose you deserve a small reward..." she said, thinking as the horse waited for it's rider's commands.

Maeve smiled as she further loosened her grip on the reins, leaving it free to run as much as he wanted for a while. The eagerness and excitement were clear on Maeve's expression as she rode away.

---

Kalla - The Inn

Maeve was expecting a different climate, especially when she choose to go to Kalla, but she wasn't expecting to be so hot. Thankfully, her dress was made of a light material that let her skin breathe, but still, it was still a bit difficult for her, an Isoli, accustomed to near freezing temperatures to deal with such a radical difference from Tundral.

"Ugh... Why is it so hot here?! How can a human being survive like this?" Maeve said to herself as she finally arrived on Kalla. Wanting to get to the inn as soon as possible, where she imagined it would be a bit cooler than outside, she paid no mind to the commotion that was happening outside the temple.

Despite being peaceful and uneventful, the trip was still rather long and Maeve was currently in a rather sour mood due to the hot weather, which ironically made things a little better for her due to inadvertently letting out her ice magic around her according to her humour.

The moment Maeve got inside the inn, those nearby the door almost immediately felt the temperature drop as she walked inside with calm, elegant steps and a cold expression to match the air surrounding her. Almost immediately she felt a drop in the temperature, both thanks to herself being there and the fact that there was a roof hiding her from the sun.

"... It's better." Maeve said to herself. After all, her, out of all people, couldn't allow herself to be in such an embarassing state, sweating and smelling.

Almost instantly, she stumbled with a Satyr, who was near the entrance.

Surprised for seeing a Satyr there of all places, Maeve stopped for a brief moment, curiously analyzing him with her eyes before she introduced herself with a polite greeting, assuming he was working in the inn as a waiter, greeting the customers who got inside.

"Good afternoon, I would like to rent a room and something to eat and drink. Something cold and refreshing preferrably." Maeve said.

"Thank you." she said, with a small, polite bow as she greeted the Satyr and walked towards one of the tables with a calm, elegant step.

Unsurprisingly and much like Maeve's style, her entrance wasn't not even a bit discreet. Be it for her beautiful, intricate dress, the delicate and beautiful blade on her waist or her exotic appearance, it was literally impossible to ignore her.

[Lotrix Molick]

Kistal's conversation was interrupted by a rush of cold air and the distinct smell and sound of pompous Tundral fools. She treated him like some sort of worker at the inn despite being obviously in a conversation. Her self-centered attitude garnered a scowl. "Be careful, child, you are speaking with a fellow traveler. Your assumption about this Beastman is more than a little pathetic." He rapped the butt of his spear on the ground. If she decided to get haughty with him later, he was preparing a strong curse. He knew she would be uncomfortable in this heat, so his curse could easily make that even more so.

He glanced at Hilde, giving her a nod before leaving the inn. He walked rather incautiously to the temple, not expecting any trouble. He doubted anyone would mess with a man over seven feet tall, let alone one hefting a spear around and wearing fine clothing. Once at the doors, he cleaned his hooves carefully, entering immediately after. He found the nearest priest or priestess. "Greetings. I am here investigating the recent attack upon an innocent dancer. I hear they are being a problem to locals."

[Jollan]

Temple

Kistal would arrive to see a man in a white robe come around a corner hallway. The man under the hood gave the satyr an inquisitive look, yet it seemed to amuse him more than anything.

"Hey, hey! I do believe if my services are being sold, that maybe I should be the one selling it, hm?" the robed man asked. It belonged to a hooded priest that sauntered up behind Ren, placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling the hood back. It was Sahale, with the same smug grin as always. "I don't ask for much but I do remember something about mentioning to stay away from this guy before, haven't I?" he asked Ren with a withering look, though he didn't seem upset. He turned back to Allanon as he cast off the robe he was disguised in towards him. "Here, that young priest might want that back later, he's, uh, 'tied up' with something at the moment. Now, if you would kindly remove that death grip on your sword I'd be happy to talk business if you desire.... for the proper fee of coarse. If not, I do have quiet the busy schedule here today."

When Kistal started to approach, another man in a robe met him, it was the skinny old priest that met with Allanon when they had first arrived. "Good day, traveled one. What brings you to our humble temple?" When Kistal explained his purpose, the old man turned his head to the small group that was forming down the hall. "Ah yes, Madame Valia. The man there found her after an attack, and brought her here to our healers. Luckily there were some Red Saints in town to fix her up before there was any permanent damage. A Miss Neev and Master Vog. The healer is resting now, but we are still trying to piece together what is happening ourselves. Do you happen to know anything perchance, sir?" The priest asked genuinely. "There have been a number of disappearances lately, I'm sure it is related somehow. The chief should be in the square shortly to address this travesty. Till then, you are welcome here, friend." The priest gave Kistal a small bow and waited for a response. If none should come he would make his way to go back about his duties.

Inn

Allard from the back felt a chill enter the room. He turned to see an Isoli woman enter his tavern. He rested an elbow on the counter and his knuckles on his waist. "Well I'll be... ain't seen an Isoli round these parts fur years. Ya must be parched, I'll get cha sum water on tha house," he said as he went to the back room. Hilde was surprised yet again, now there was an Isoli woman too? So many new people in town today, and from so many places! The woman cut straight to the point, bidding a welcome and then going straight to her requests for a room and a drink. Oddly, it was directed to Kistal, which she wasn't sure why. Satyrs weren't from around this area, so it only seemed obvious to Hilde that she should think he wasn't working here. But it was no problem to Hilde, she just simply tried to redirect Maeve's question to herself or her father, or at least, she tried.

"Well, actually, may father and I can help yo-" she started with a little bow, but it was oo late. the Satyr had already seemed to had lost his temper, oddly quickly to Hilde, and told the girl off before storming out of the tavern. Hilde had a bit of a confused and dumbfounded look for a moment before she recovered and sheepishly laughed the situation over. "Ah-, I'm uh, sorry about that. He doesn't actually work here, this tavern is owned by my father. I- I can get you situated if you would like." she said with another little bow, leading her to a table or the bar, whichever Maeve would prefer. It was probably an odd sight though, since she just got back from her temple guard duty, she was still in her armor.

[drewccapp]

As he caught the robe and moved it aside, Allanon started to draw his sword prepared for a surprise attack. He had no reason to trust the disguised man. When no attack came after, he relaxed slightly. From what he could tell from the stranger's posture he knew how to fight and kill. Allanon made it a habit to never underestimate a potential opponent. He did not remove his hand from his sword though, instead he had a grip on its pommel. He was prepared to use the cloak to his advantage if this scenario came down to a fight after all much of his fighting technique used his environment to his advantage just as much as his own body.

Allanon stood up straight from his combat posture as he slowly evaluated what kind of person was before him. He clearly valued his subordinates, but he certainly valued business as well. Respectable. "Alright. I will not remove my hand from what very likely may be protecting my life right now. You clearly know who I am, so you know what I am capable of." He paused as he considered his next statement. "If you can tell me where the Calabris operation is in Kalla you can extract whatever fee you please from the bodies of their mercenaries as well as the site itself, so long as it doesn't cause harm to innocents. Since, trust is a factor to worry about, you can send her with me to keep an eye on me and extract said fee."

Calabris' mercenaries were among the only people he had little hesitation to kill. They had sold their souls to the devil and many of them knew it. Even so, every life he took weighed on him. It was also possible that the operation site had plenty of valuables to exchange for money. The last one he raided had enough that it helped him get by until now.

[13org]

^@Jollan

Maeve was left confused and without words after the beastman's extremely rude display of hostility. She couldn't help but to wonder that his attitude only served to further reaffirm the stereotypes some people had regarding beastmen. She had already seen many beastmen in Tundral that despite their position as slaves, were more educated and polite than many 'nobles' out there. That one though, was merely an uneducated, rude beast. Not only that, but the way he simply assumed that her words were due to any prejudice towards him was simply... just as he said... 'pathetic'.

"I see that education is not something that you're familiar with. I was expecting more..." Maeve said, with a scornful look as the beastman passed by her, getting out of the inn.

"The stereotypes fit you oh so well though..." Maeve said, in a lower voice as he left.

After such a strange and gratuitous display of hostility, the ones who in fact were working at the inn greeted her, a large (in every aspect, both regarding his weigth and muscles), amicable looking man and his daughter, whom by some reason was wearing a complete set of armor in that heat. Just looking at her made Maeve feel the heat.

"I'm terribly sorry for the comotion." Maeve said, with a graceful, but discreet bow towards the man and his daughter, even though she wasn't the responsible for what had just happened.

"Don't worry too much about it. Although I must say I'm not used in seeing people displaying such uncouth and shameful behavior in public though..." Maeve said to the armored woman, rolling her eyes.

"Regarding the temperature, indeed, the heat is too much for me. We Isoli weren't really made to withstand these elevated temperatures. I must say that it's much better here than outside though." Maeve said, with a smile towards the large man.

"In fact, I just got here from Tundral, so I do apoligize by not being familiar with the local customs or something." she said, which made obvious the reason why she assumed that the beastman was working there instead of going directly towards the large man.

"I would be grateful if I could rent a room and get something to eat and drink. Preferrably something fresh, to help with the heat." she said, to the fully armored woman, with a smile.

"Wouldn't you like to take off your armor first though?" she asked, obviously incredulous that someone could withstand that heat while wearing armor.

[Jollan]

Inn

"Oh, no, its fine really. Things have been much more chaotic in here before," Hilde said with a bit of a smile. "R-remove my armor? Oh, well, actually, it feels rather cool to us today, I've been quite comfortable really. Though, it is probably a tad overkill to wear it around the inn. I normally work as a temple guard just next door. But, something happened in town and Father Dyn asked me to make preparations for Madame Vaila to a room here to safely stay for a while." She looked away as she thought to herself for a moment. "I wonder what the chief will say...he's bound to address it, everyone was gathered at the square asking for information..."

Allard then walked up to the table with a large cold tankard of water and a small meal. There were a couple dates, a slice from a melon, some corn, a piece of millet bread, and a grilled chicken breast. "Ere ya go, lass. Somethin' ta get ya though. Try not ta push yourself too hard out there now, We don't get too many Isoli visitors, would hate for my only one in so long ta fall out in tha desert." He set down the meal. "Meal is on tha house, but a room would run ya one silver."
@13org

[13org]

^@Jollan

The surprise was clear on Maeve's eyes when the armored woman said that for them the temperature was cool. Despite being wearing light clothes, Maeve was already feeling the heat but even though she was wearing armor, she seemed to be fine and even considering to be a cool day. Still, she was a local and Maeve was an Isoli. Not only she was already accustomed with the temperature but Isoli weren't really made to deal with high temperatures that well...

"Cool? Really?" Maeve asked, surprised.

"To be fair we Isoli weren't really made to withstand higher temperatures." she said, with a gentle smile.

Other than that, there was another detail mentioned by the woman which caught Maeve's attention. As she mentioned she also worked as the temple guard, she also said something about an incident including the temple and a woman, whom Maeve assumed it was a noble or someone with prestige, assuming how the armored woman called her, Madame Valia. Despite Maeve's curiosity, she was an outsider, a newcomer in town and she didn't really wanted to make things complicated for her. That included having to answer questions and being suspected of having done something.

"I wonder what could have happened to cause such a commotion in front of the temple. People seemed to be quite... alarmed too." she said.

"Despite being an Isoli Noble, I am but an outsider, so It would be wiser for me not to interfere more than the necessary." Maeve said with a calm expression. It was clear by her words, especially how she referred herself as an Isoli Noble, that she believed in the 'noblesse oblige' and that being noble didn't mean just having money and rights, but acting as such, including being an example for others.

It was then that the large man arrived with something for her to drink and eat with a large, gentle smile on his face. Despite being simple for her standards, Maeve was eager to try the seasoning and the overall cullinary from Kalla, which was extremely different from Tundral, in a lot of ways.

"Again, thank you for your hospitality and worrying about me!" Maeve said, with a polite bow to the man as advised her to not overexert herself.

"Despite being my first time outside Tundral, it is clear that the difference in temperature is not something to be underestimated." She said with a giggle. It was incredibly clear that she had already experienced some of that difference.

"I am grateful for your generosity, but I insist on paying. It is only fair after being received with such hospitality, despite the unfortunate meeting with that rude person, of course." Maeve said as she reached to the a small money bag under her sash, taking out a single coin from Isoli currency. It didn't take much to realise that despite the different currency, it was a coin with a considerably large value, something that most common people would not see that often.

"Do you mind me paying with Isoli currency?" Maeve asking, seemingly not even giving a second thought to the value of the coin.

[Lotrix Molick]

The satyr nodded politely as the old priest explained. Hearing familiar names and that Red Saints helped made Kistal smile and quietly speak. "Good people, amazing employers, one of the few good things for Portea." He then gave a respectful nod to the priest and headed to where Allanon was speaking with the other, seeing a mercenary exchange. He confidently walked up just out of sword's reach from Allanon. "It seems at least one here is a mercenary like myself. This job, though, is both personal and pressing. I require no payment but the chance to take the Calibris down a few more pegs." He rapped the butt of his spear on the ground once to emphasize his ability to fight.

"So, my friends, where are they and how many can I kill or curse into wanting to die? I want to make them feel nothing but fear in interfering here." He leaned down a bit habitually to make his eye level closer to the others in the conversation.

[Guy0fV4lor]

@13org@Jollan

It had been ten long days for Anrak to make his journey from Midrill to Kalla, with little rest, food, or drink along the way. Sand kicked up behind each and every one of his slow, deliberate, yet powerful steps. His boots were heavily worn, and starting to fray at the seams, upon his shoulder was a massive hempen sack, nearly as large as the towering figure that carried it, the clinking of metal ringing out from within. On his back was a longsword, it's blade long since dull, and clearly chipping, and on top of it was a kite shield, heavily dented and in absolute disrepair. The set of half plate he wore was on the verge of falling apart, and seemed to barely fit his gigantic frame, but nonetheless Anrak trudged forward into the town, making his way to the inn-- he needed a damn meal.

As he opened the door, Anrak's towering body nearly had to crouch in order to accommodate both him, and the massive sack he carried as he squeezed through the doorframe. As he stood, it seemed like he kept rising, and rising -- as if he were going to continue to do so through the ceiling itself, and even further beyond. However, just before his head reached the ceiling, it stopped; holding him at a slight hunch. The combination of his dark skin, and the shape of his helmet hid the features of his face, only the gleam of his red eyes stood out as he scanned the room, spying two rather beautiful women, one of which was a Isoli; causing the man to freeze in fear for a moment, but immediately Anrak relaxed once more, even if the women knew the man he had once been, his current attire made him virtually unrecognizable. As he wandered over to the nearest open table; sand shaking from the patches of course black hair upon his arms, he mused over what the man he used to be would have done.... Frankly, he'd likely have gone up and immediately introduced himself, buy them some drinks, and try his hand at securing company for the evening. But that wasn't who he was, not any more.

Setting down his massive sack beside his table, Anrak plopped himself down into a chair; it's frame squealing in agony as it suddenly found itself under a 9 foot tall giant weighing nearly half a ton. With a hard snort, Anrak spoke in his deep, gruff voice, "I'll take a room fer one, two orders of yer most fillin' grub, and a pint of-...." he paused for a second, as if a wave of temptation had briefly washed over him, "Anythin' but ale."

Anrak's Helm

As he waited for his meal, the darker lass-- or more specifically her armor caught his eye, "You there, lass." he said as he turned to address her, a book wrapped in thin linen, and attached to his waist was now in clear view, to those who would look close enough, the insignia of the red saints was just barely visible through the linen wrapping. "You seem like ya'd know where the armorsmith in this ere' town set up shop. Would yah mind givin meh directions? I fixin to get mehself a set uh' full plate."

[Jollan]

INN

Hilde shook her head, doing her best to answer Maeve's curiosity with what she had heard. "I'm not sure what would provoke it, but someone had attacked Madame Valia. She is the master of dance here in Kalla, she teaches young women and girls the art of dance for both entertainment and ceremonies. It's quite an important role here in Kalla, even I used to take some classes from her when I was little," she said with a faint smile at the memory. Though it quickly faded as she continued to tell Maeve what she had heard. "Apparently there had been a string of kidnappings before this as well, and Valia had thought that people were losing interest in the art of dance, till she heard that her students weren't at home either. I assume she was next on the list..., but it seems they failed to take her. A man had carried her to the temple where she was receiving healing when I left."

Her father then arrived, serving her order and giving her an offer to help with the cost of her travel. When she refused and offered Isoli currency, he just heartily laughed it off with a broad smile, "Oi, 'old on now, lass, this is worth much too much. I may be a businessman, but I'm fair. A room only costs five copper, and the meal two. I appreciate ya, but I can't accept so much."

It was then that a large man, surprisingly taller than Allard by nearly a foot, stooped through the door. He wasn't as heavily built as Allard was, but he was still a large and heavily built man in his own right. The man would have had to stoop a bit, though, not quite as much as he would in other places where it would feel like he had to crouch to get through, but with the large sack he carried, he nearly had to do so anyway. "Hello friend, welcome ta tha Sworn Spirits!" Allard shouted to the man as he greeted him. "If ya don't mind taken yur helmet off, there is no trouble ta be had here. Last man who came in here with a helmet on was part of a raiding tribe. Had ta take it off for 'im, though, the poor bastard left his head inside. I don't have many rules here, but that's one I'm a tad particular on." He then went off to get a drink for the man.

This was when Anrak asked Hilde about her armor. Hilde was stunned by the man's enormous stature when he came in, she couldn't help but watch, as if the man's size demanded attention. More than that though, his presence was ominous, and didn't make her feel comfortable. Something seemed off about the man, and the large sack he carried just gave him all the more look of a criminal from a fable. She had to stop herself from unconsciously setting her hand on her blade. Between the tension of things going on in town and the imposing presence of this man, it made her a little jumpy. "O-oh! An armorsmith? I know where a smithy is, b-but... Gallin doesn't normally forge armor, I'm not sure how much help he would be. My armor was a gift from my father, I'm sorry." She said with a slight bow. "Gallin should be close to the market, if anyone can help, he may be able to fix something in the meantime. Otherwise, Master Aerex may be able to make some leather goods for you at the tailor's shop," she suggested.

"Here ya are," Allard said as he set the drink down and waited for him to remove the helmet. "Ya said ya didn't wanted a pint but not ale, so I got ya some rum and some water. We still got some curry in tha back, just waitin on n'lad ta tell me it's ready," he said to the large man before looking out the window. "Aye, seems you were right darlin'. Chief is out there addressin' tha crowd now. Might should go see what he's got ta say 'n let me know."

Hilde's eyes seemed to glow as she nodded her head, "R-really!? Alright, I'll be right back!" She said as she bowed to the two guests and hurried out the door.

Allard sighed as he watched her go. "That girl....She's got an adventurous soul. Reminds me of when I was younger....worries me ta death," he chuckled.

TEMPLE

Sahale chuckled a bit at Allanon mentioning keeping a hand on his sword as it was protecting his life. "Your life, is actually saving your life right now. You have a hefty sum for your head, but the price of bringing you in alive is also quite tantalizing, though a much less public bounty." Sahale looked Allanon up and down and then looked to Madame Valia, his gaze seemed to be a little more delighted seeing she was still around. He then looked back to Allanon to address his proposal. "Hmmmm....No, no, that simply won't do," he said as he shook a finger in a negative gesture and then brought the same hand up to rest his knuckle and thumb against his chin in thought. "It seems I will just have to accompany you to see the investment through. If I'm not satisfied, I can make additional collections then. However, this is already shaping up quite interestingly. After all, I thought we were already going to be off to a bad start when I saw the beautiful miss over there with a little target on her. Would have left a bad taste in my mouth to know something so breathtaking was extinguished from this world." Sahale's face brightened up as he drew Ren in to him with one arm, pulling her right shoulder to his left at he tapped his sword sheath on the ground. " Alright then, its settled!" he started with a wide smile, "The chief will be taking a volunteer force to look for the other missing girls, that is where we need to be. I'll make sure we go where we need to." he let Ren go and looked Allanon square in the eye. "I'll go ahead and let you know, I'm not looking to claim any bounties.... But should you cross me....well..."his face darkened considerably, "I can always stand to line my pocket a bit more." his face nearly instantly changed to his regular happy demeanor. "but for now, business is great! Let's move on shall we, I've spent too much time in one spot already and it's starting to feel cramped in here."

It was then that Kistal made his presence known to the group in the temple. "Ah, a friend of yours Al? Sahale asked Allanon. "Well I'll give you all a hint. What do you know about a man named Krogan, eh? Any of you ever get into history every now and then? Well, old man Calibastard may or may not be doing one or three things around here. I'll say what I know in less..." he looked around to see if any other people were listening in, though it was mostly with his eyes instead of his head, any head movement to look around was disguised under something simple like stretching his neck. "Well, in a less crowded environment... but he has taken an interest to the the ruins Krogan used to rule in. Word is that is his men's current base of operations. If you are interested, that would be a good start as any."

It was just after this everyone in the temple could here a man's voice boom over the others. It was the chief of Kalla, addressing the people directly.

THE SQUARE

The man Aerex was speaking with shook his head, "She was attacked in her home today, and badly injured. Some foreigner found her with two dead mercs inside, rushed her to the temple. Word from the temple is that those mercs might be involved in them girls that have been disappearing too. Surprised you are just now hearing about it. The whole town has been in an uproar the last couple hours." Just then a man came walking to the crowd and everyone seemed to take notice without him saying a word. "Cheif Dorron...in his battle wear? What is he-" but he was cut off before he could finish.

Chief Dorron

A booming voice sounded out over the crowd, everyone else becoming quite or whispering. "MY PEOPLE, HEAR ME NOW!" A man strode up, and though he seemed to be aged, his body looked to be in top condition,his hair and beard were kept short, which seemed to be common for many of the male warriors of Kalla. He was not adorned with a lot of regal attire befitting a leader. Just spots of armor and a loin cloth. In his right hand, he led a heavy looking mace. The head was a smooth sphere with no spikes. Over his shoulder, was a heavy shield. The little he had consisted of leg and arm guards. His other piece of weaponry, was a heavy single bladed knife at his back. Other than that he had a water flask at his side and a small pouch at his back as well, next to the knife.

"I have been informed of the current situation regarding Madame Valia," He said looking to the crowd, meeting the eyes of as many as he could. "The temple has also sent word to me of the connection between this attack and the girls that have disappeared these past weeks. I'm afraid that our fears have come to fruition and that there is indeed an enemy at work. I don't know which outland tribe it is, but whomever it may be, we will find them, and crush them under our heels! I want anyone willing to lay their lives for their tribesmen and form a search party to start preparing to move out. We will meet here and leave in two hours. May Sandrine protect our people, may Krogan guide our wrath." With that he made a short bow to the crowd, which everyone bowed back in respect. A number of people still milled about while others seemed to head for home, some would be coming back in time to join the volunteer group.

"That's the cheif here, eh?" Bidzil said as he watched the man walk off and find a place to sit and wait. he had no special guard with him and didn't try to chase anyone away who came up to talk with him. "He seems.... just like anyone else here... I guess when they say everyone in Kalla are pretty much on equal standing they mean it. Wonder what kind of person he is." While the man seemed to be respected by those around him, he was open and talking with them as if they were his own friends and family, despite the concern and anger that traced the edges of his face. Anyone talking with him could practically feel his body giving off a bloodlust for whoever did this. Bidzil crossed his arms in thought for a moment. He had the urge to help, but, did he have the right to jump into their affairs? And what of his own goals? What if he fell before finishing what he needed to do? Bidzil shook his head. No, that wasn't the right way to go about thinking. Besides, he needed to talk with the chief anyway about his own mission, hoping that the chief would help with what he was looking for. If Bidzil helped, not only would he be doing what he felt was right in helping where he could, but maybe the chief could tell him where the soul of Krogan's great maul was. He then nodded as he looked up to Aerex, "I'm going, they can use all the help they can get. Besides, I have something I need to ask the chief about anyway."

[13org]

^{@Guy0fV4lor@Jollan}

Maeve curiously heard as Hilde explained her who was Madam Valia and what had happened with her. Apparently, she wasn't a noble as Maeve thought, but a master of dance, the one who taught young women to dance, which was an important cultural role in Kalla. She also mentioned a string of kidnappings and surprisingly enough, most of Valia's students were disappeared. Valia seemed to be the next on the list but whoever was the responsible wasn't able to kidnap her for some reason.

"A dancer! I would like to watch her performance sometime. It must certainly be really beautiful." Maeve said, tilting her head as she wondered how much different their dance was from the dances back in Tundral.

"That said... It's really regrettable what is happening, the kidnappings and everything. Whoever seems to be the one responsible for those appear to have quite an interest for dancers, as you mentioned that most kidnappings were from Valia's students." Maeve completed, looking to Hilde.

The moment she tried to pay for a room and her meal though, she was rather surprised when Allard, the owner said that even though he was a businessman, the coin Maeve was trying to give him was far too much for just a room and the meal and that he couldn't accept it.

"Is it...?" Maeve asked with a curious expression, which made clear that the young woman wasn't really accustomed in handling small quantities of money before she put the coin back into her things and searched around for a bit.

"Is this enough then?" Maeve asked, as she extended a single Isolan Silver coin to Allard..

"I'm afraid it's the smallest coin I have with me though... Treat it as merely the payment for your hospitality." Maeve said with a respectful nod, clearly expecting Allard to accept it.

Before Allard could accept her payment though, a new arrival caught her attention. As the man entered the inn, Maeve could only describe him as a giant, being taller even than the already big Allard. Wearing a very worn set of half plate armor, a very large sword on his back and a kite shield, which were all in a similar state of disrepair as his armor. The man was so tall that he had to actually crouch to pass through the door. Such strange patron couldn't help but draw Maeve's attention who kept looking at the man for a few seconds as he accommodated himself, before asking for a room, something to drink and, unsurprisingly, given the sorry state his armor was, asking Hilde for a blacksmith in Kalla.

Other than his height and strange appearance, Maeve couldn't help but to notice that the man had visibly frozen for a moment when their eyes met as he arrived on the inn, relaxing a short moment later. Such reaction coming from him was indeed strange, but Maeve couldn't think anything of it but simply he being surprised for seeing an Isoli so far away from their homelands.

After bringing the giant man what he had ordered, Allard looked through the window before saying for his daughter to go outside and see what the 'chief', whoever that might be, was addressing the public and that she should go there to hear what he had to say.

"I assume I wont be able to see the traditional dance form this town, seeing everything that is currently happening." Maeve said, taking a sip and a bite from the food Allard brought to her earlier.

"Whoever is behind the kidnappings seems to have quite an unhealthy obsession with the dancers from Kalla though..." Maeve mentioned to Allard as she continued eating.

[drewccapp]

Allanon remained unflinching as Sahale explained how his bounty for taking him in alive was the reason he was not dead. This assassin seemed to be quite confident in his ability to kill Allanon, however, Allanon was quite familiar with the ways of an assassin. After all, he was himself an assassin. There was no way that the Calabris family would want him captured alive. He knew them too well. His existence was too much of a threat for them, which meant someone else wanted him alive for some reason. It made sense that they would keep such a bounty low profile then.

He considered the counter-offer presented by Sahale and nodded. "Fine, that is acceptable." He would trust him for now, but the veiled threats put him as far on edge as he could imagine. The instant Allanon got an inkling that Sahale was after his life there would be quite the fight. While the extra numbers would help in a search, Allanon had a hard time believing that an volunteer force would know where to go.

When a beastman approached and offered his assistance, Allanon's gaze settled on the giant satyr. "An enemy of the Calabris Family is a friend of mine. Glad to have you on board." Working with a beastman again reminded Allanon of his time with his team, and his wife.

In his time as a vigilante, Allanon took a bit more time to be in-the-know of current events and history. Before, he had very little interest in it, however, ever since he was freed from his contract with the Calabris family he took care to pay more attention to those things as such knowledge could lead to unexpected opportunities. The name was definitely a familiar one. "Krogan was a hero of Varuk, right?" Allanon had a bad feeling about Calabris' intentions in this regard.

[Lotrix Molick]

Upon hearing that Calabris was involved deeper than just this one brought a grimace to Kistal's face. Allanon's acceptance of his offer was nice, though. He was polite and not looking down upon him. With a sigh, he traced a claw along the patterns of his spear. "Hearing that their influence here is more than expected will cause certain troubles. Anything they do is selfish and damaging to those around them. Perhaps I can teach them a lesson, give the Red Saints an opportunity to help out here, and make Calabris think twice about messing with this area in the future."

The chief began bellowing at the town, seeking volunteers. "Well, seems we are needed outside, friends." Kistal nodded to the other two, stepping outside into the crowd. Though he was massive and hard to miss given his attire and enchanted spear, Kistal drew little attention to himself. He was curious who would show up to volunteer. If they were too wet behind the ears, the situation would get bad. His mind traveled to Hilde. She was well equipped and a guard at the temple, so she seemed a good candidate for an ally if more experience was needed.

[Honesty Crow]

A few minutes prior to the events at the temple...

A black steed walks into Kalla. Its mane is braided and decorated with golden rings. On the horses' back is a man, sitting on a saddle made of a black leather that blends perfectly with the horse. Hanging on the sides are four large pouches each decorated with the flower of the Red Saints, braided in with white strings.

As the man walks into town, he makes a detour and stops right by the stables. Hopping off the saddle, he gently pets the horse before taking the reigns and leading it to the stablemaster. Reaching into a pouch near his belt, he pulls out a large sum of coins handing them over to the man managing the stables. Despite the mans protests, the new arrival insisted on him keeping the payment. Still baffled, the stablemaster took the horse and led it into the stable.

Moving his hood back, the new arrival scanned the roads around town before heading toward the main square. On his way there, he noticed a large group of people heading toward the temple. Given the time of day, he found it strange that so many of the townsfolk were heading toward the temple and decided to head over and investigate.

Following the crowd, he stopped seeing the commotion right in front of the temple doors. He kept a low profile, putting his hood over his head before heading into the large group of townsfolk. As he made his way through, he accidently bumped into one of the townsfolk. A young man wearing red silks with intricate designs. His blonde hair and golden jewelry were hard to miss.
"My apologies."
Said the new arrival, as he continued moving through the crowd. Aerex barely felt him brush against him, but heard him apologize.
"Oh you didn't bump into-" By the time Aerex was able to reply, the man was already gone. He had barely seen his face, but recalled the embroidery on his cloak. A white flower.

A few moments passed, and Kalla's Chief Dorron emerged from the temple. Seeing the familiar face, the hooded man had the urge to call out to him but desisted from the idea as the Chief began to speak. The man waited patiently for Dorron to finish his speech, paying close attention. From what he gathered, it appeared that one of the outlying tribes had attacked Kalla and Dorron was out for vengeance.

The crowd seemed to lose interest as Dorron called for volunteers. He wanted to gather a posse to deliver some good old fashion Kalla justice. As the crowd dispersed, the man approached the Chief. The man stood out from the crowd. He was unusually tall and wore an outfit typical of Portea nobles. What made him stand out even more was the decoration on his cloak. An open flower embroidered into the fabric with white strings.

The chief stood in the square, next to the large statue in its center, a monument to the first varuk tribe to make the settlement. As the crowd dispersed, either to prepare or return to their daily tasks, Dorron saw a familiar face appear from the center of the crowd. "Well, well, if it isn't my old friend Eduard coming out for some fresh air! I'm afraid you came during some troubling times. One of your expeditionary teams are here as well. How do you fair these days, brother?" he said, holding an arm out to clasp wrists and shake arms in greetings, even if Dorron seemed to dwarf Eduard.

Eduard reciprocated, shaking the Chiefs hand and giving him a small smile. "Eager to get to work." Said Eduard. "Though I must ask about the Red Saints in Kalla. Do you know them?"

"Aye, by name anyway, haven't had much time ta meet them proper with all this about kidnappings and attacks on Madame Valia. Neev and Vog are in the temple. Vog seems ta be Neev's guard, she's the one healed Valia when a foreigner found her wounded in her home."

"You mentioned kidnappings?" Eduard asked, lowering his hood.

"....Aye... Some of Valia's students stopped coming to their lessons. The first day, was one thing, but the next people were wondering where they had gone, and when they weren't with Valia, people had panicked. When a few others disappeared, people stopped going altogether. Madame Valia came to me about it, but we weren't sure who was behind it. But today, when they attacked Valia, she killed the two men that intruded, and it turns out they were mercenaries contracted by the Calabris family. I'm calling volunteers to find and eliminate these mercenaries." Dorran took a long breath before looking at the sky to the northwest. "When we find them.... We will destroy them."

Eduard picked up on Dorran's anger right away. It was an indescribable fury that he kept contained with sheer will. A part of Eduard felt pity for the mercenaries. They had no idea who they had messed with.
"I'll accompany you. Make sure that the girls are uninjured when they are returned. That is if we find them."

"I would be glad to have you by our side, and we will find them, mark my words." Dorran said with a nod to Eduard. "If you need and supplies or need to make any stops, I would do them now. I'll be heading out with whoever is here in two hours by sand sail."

"I will."Replied Eduard, glancing behind him before turning back to the Chief. Briefly he appeared distracted, but it vanished as soon as it appeared. "I'll be back soon." He said, turning around and heading toward where Aerex the tailor and his friend were standing.

---
Bidzil was looking towards the cheif as he talked to the man who brushed by Aerex. After yearing what had happened , he turned to Aerex, "I think I'm gonna go... help the volunteers. Will come in handy to know how to navigate the sands if I'm on my own as well."

"I think they will need all the help they can get." Replied Aerex, glancing at Eduard as he approached. "It was nice seeing you again."

"It was nice seeing you as well. You take care of yourself," Bidzil said, patting him on the shoulder. "I should head to the market, get things prepared for the trip."

The pat on the back made Aerex take a step forward involuntarily. He chuckled, and nodded.

"Yeah. Stay safe out there. I'm almost always in my shop if you need me."