RPG To Celebrate Life [PG-VSL]

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]"Wow, Ashy. You're shop is.." Kira blinked at the sight before them.

"Uhmm.." Lynn tilted her head, staring at the shop as well.

And what a sight it was. Ashwin's shop was totally, unalterably and horridly... untouched. Pristine as ever, really. Looking at it you wouldn't have known of the destructive events of the day at all.

"Well, well, well." Ashwin knelt down and rubbed his hand along the horribly scorched earth. It was coarse from a very large, fiery blast and yet the shop was untouched. He turned and looked at his house which was in equally good shape.

"I guess that money was well spent." Lynn said and sat on the steps of the shop looking fatigued. She yawned and leaned up against the stone railing of the steps. "Tired...."

The money she referred to was the protection scrolls that he had bought from a traveling monk a few months back. 'Guaranteed to ward off damage, evil, plague and demonic spirits', he said. It seemed hokey at the time- Ashwin was a merchant and he knew when someone was giving him a sales pitch, but he decided it didn't really hurt much. The investment had paid off. He thanked the monk in his mind but couldn't help but feel bad for his neighbors. The structures adjacent to his shop were horribly damaged and already their owners were there, lamenting their loss. One home looked like it was about to collapse in on itself from the damage to it.. and, with a loud noise, it did.

"Wow.. this is all pretty bad." Kira said from Ashwin's shoulder, her eyes sadly watching the neighbors.

"Well, not really." Ashwin walked over and sat down next to his daughter, getting off of his feet for the first time in many long hours. "It would have been significantly worse if the dragons were actually trying to torch this place."

"Tireddddd..." Lynn repeated to herself, groaning a bit.

"Go get some rest." Ashwin said and patted her on the back. "You did well today and you've earned yourself a little break, yeah?" He smiled at her.

"Uhmm, really?" She looked up at him in surprise. He nodded to her. "Yes.. a break. Thank you." She weakly smiled back and rose. She walked across to their home, unlocking it and stepping inside. He shook his head after her- it must have been too long of a day for her.

"Ashy, maybe you should get some rest too?" His familiar fluttered in front of him and had a worried look on her face.

"Nah." He shrugged. "I'm alright for now. Had longer days than this, that's for sure." He cracked his neck and knuckles, stretching as he sat. "A bit sore, though. How about you, Kira? You alright?"

"Completely and totally, sir!" She did a mock salute to him with a smile. "I only did a little bit of spell casting.. a little bit of fighting. I'm kind of disappointed!" She pouted. "You humans get all the excitement in most fights."

"Yeah.. pardon us for that." He rubbed his chin in thought, considering what he should do now. He had made a few good acquaintances through the entire affair but he still felt like the entire ordeal was just the beginning. But the beginning of what? Silence fell over them as he continued pondering to himself. He couldn't find any good answers and neither could he make any good plans. He looked up into the mostly clear sky, a stray cloud or two listlessly floating around.

"It's so great to be back in this city.." Kira looked around as she spoke. "It's a bit dinged up but cha'know, it's still a great town."

"Yeah, welcome back." He shook his head. "Do me a favor and don't disappear like that again. What did you do for seven years, anyway?"

"Travel, dabbled romance, participated in drama and had many adventures! I even visited your family's lands." She flew back down onto his shoulder, taking up her favorite sitting spot.

He laughed at that. "Ah, did you now? Interesting."

Nothing more was said about it than that. Ashwin knew that Kira was aware of his dislike for his family's lands. A gaudy merchant metropolis- bah. The roads were practically covered in gold it was so rich. It was far away from here, sitting on a river delta- the city was founded by and ruled by the Crow's centuries back. Even now they held absolute power over all that opulence. He had never cared for the town or the aristocratic feel of his family. He had made several decisions that eventually landed him as far away as possible from it all, where he could live a nice, full life. A life in the manner he wanted to live it.

"I know you don't like it there but.. all of them are doing well, Ashy." She said quietly.

He nodded and they continued talking as they sat. More and more people were returning to their homes, some more fortunate than others. Overall there was a tense feeling in the air and some grumbling about who was to blame for all of this. Ashwin quietly hoped that they would not be foolish enough to make Teresa a scapegoat for it all and yet he knew that the possibility remained high.

He could only hope for the better and prepare for the worst.[/color]

[Outlaw]

Looking back on things, coming to the Festival of Life didn't seem like such a good idea to James. He had been shot at, cut up, and beaten down, only to end up tied to a chair in a basement dungeon. James had yet to see his captors, but was sure it had something to do with the army of thugs he and his allies had just battled outside the city. And given their ruthlessness in battle, James did not want to be around to see how ruthless they were in torture.

James struggled to feel around the thick ropes which bound his hands. The ropes were storng tightly knotted. However, the knots used were simple and lefts a good deal extra rope hanging off. 'This was obviously a grunt's handywork,' commented James to himself. However, it really didn't matter who tied the knots in this case, because the ropes were wrapped to thickly around his wrists to even reach the knots.

Instead, James felt around his back pockets. "Crap!" he exclaimed to himself as he discovered his knife had been found by his captors and taken. But he wasn't upset by the fact that he could no longer escape, but rather that now It was going to hurt a lot more.

James rocked forward in the wooden chair as far as he could without falling on his face. Then, with as much force as he could, he kicked off the ground, causeing him the fall to the ground with a resoulding 'crack!' This was not the sound of the chair breaking, but rather that of his own right hand as it became dislocated from the rest of his arm. The pain was unbareable, leaving James writhing on the ground, calling out for help. Heavy footsteps could be heard rushing down the hallways outside of his cell. Seconds later, three large men dressed in dirty clothing and worn-out armor came barreling though the door way. James' trap had been sprung.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

As Eso continued towards the barracks with Tesera, he scanned the watching crowd, alert for signs of more trouble. Despite what he'd told Tesera earlier, the people watching still blamed her. It was fear that had motivated them to stop showing their hatred, fear that the soldiers would think they were out for blood. Oh, sure, some were genuinely sorry, of course, but most were just protecting themselves.

As they neared the barracks, there was some unexpected commotion. Sako had spotted a man with a bow hiding in an alley, and had shot him in the arm, causing him to drop his bow. sako'd then hit his leg, making it so that he couldn't escape. Acording to Sako, the man had been aiming at Tesera. Eso walked over to the fallen man and brought his sword up to the man's throat. "What were you doing?" he demanded to know.

"I thought you knew," the man replied. "That's why I was shot, wasn't it? I was attempting to kill that woman, Tesera."

"Yes, we'd guessed that," Eso replied, "but I wanted you to confirm it. Were you hired to kill her, or are you just an asshole who lost something in the mess earlier?"

"I was hired. Someone wants that woman dead very badly."

"I'm aware of this," Eso replied. "Do you know who this someone is, by any chance?"

"No."

"Thought so." Eso motioned to Jaht and Azufe. "Bring him with us. We'll question him more later."

Jaht and Azufe picked up the man and carried him with them as the made their way towards the barracks. Eso, Tesera, and the other soldiers continued in that direction as well.

"Things seem to be moving faster than I'd anticipated," Eso said to Sako. "I fear that some others may be in danger. They were with Tesera and I earlier, and aided us in our escape from the city. They may be targeted, too, if only for information. Or, perhaps, as hostages. I'd go find them myself, but it's probably better if I stick with Tesera. Could you and a few others find them for me?"

"Sure thing," Sako replied. "Who are they?"

Eso listed the names. "They may not all live in Alsoto, so finding some of them may be a bit difficult."

"Well, I recognise some names. Nait I've met. Good beer at that place. And you introduced me to Ashwin and Lynn once, remember? The other names aren't familiar, but we do keep records of who all's in the area, as you know, so finding them shouldn't be too hard. Some of the boys and I'll get right on it."

"Thanks," Eso said.

----------------------------------------

OOC: Okay, now soldiers are coming to warn your characters of potential danger. The soldiers will offer to take your characters to the barracks for increased safety. Frankie, perhaps Nait and the soldier who visits her could guess what's happened to James.

[Frankie]

Nait was still a bit unsure what to think of James being out so long and had just finished her own bowl of soup when someone entered the Inn. She was eating in the kitchen and heard the foot steps. She grabbed the empty but still hot pot the soup was in and snuck to the door. She swung the door open when the footstpes were close and almost brought it right into a soldiers head but he luckily grabbed her arm ahead of time.

"Oh terribly sorry... I am a bit on edge. What is it you want sir?" Nait quickly put the pot on the counter and apologized again.

"Oh It is fine. I can understand why. I have been sent by Sako who was informed of danger by Eso. I beleive it would be wise to come with me. More bandits might appear. They might want information so everyone involved in fighting them with Tesera are being escorted."

"Oh well Umm. Of course but uh..."

"Yes?"

"Well I was with another. He was with me during the ordeal with the hired killers. He went out a bit ago though. You dont think he was taken do you."

The soldier thought for a moment and frowned, "If he was out about the town it is most likely. Some have already tried to kill Tesera already. Hired of course. Eso is going to question one man later. So if there is one there are more... And with all the confusing with the evacuation and such I would not be surprised if several were able to slip in."

Nait frowned, "Alright.. Lets go."

As the left the inn Nait locked it up and as they were walking by the bench out front she stopped. She sniffed and a look of disgust was on her face.

"What is it?"

"It reeks of sweat and Beer here. Bad beer."

"Um... Your Inn is a bar ma'am."

"My drunks never collapse on the bench. They do that inside. And I serve good beer."

He thought of this for a moment and nodded "There are other taverns. Perhaps a tired traveler took a rest here."

Nait frowned, "Come now seriously you call yourself a soldier. The smell doesnt last long. The person must have just been here. I wonder if ..." She looked around and saw under the bench a small glint of something. She looked farther under and found a dagger. "This was belonged to James."

The soldier nodded, "So if he was abducted here..."

"They most likely found his knife and discarded it. Or he lost it in the struggle if there was one."

"Ok so if he was taken from here... Its not like we can sniff our way to his location..."

Nait grinned, "But what if we could?"

-------
ooc : outlaw reply to my pm before posting... i have an idea

[Sakura]

[color=Navy]Tesera was about ready to give herself up to all the people that wanted her dead.

[i][b]'Everything's my fault....I summoned the dragons, and they terrorized the city, and whoever wants me dead will leave the city alone when I finally die. I've done all of this, it's all my fault, no matter what Eso or anyone else says.' [/b][/i]Tesera thought, her head full of guilt.

Tesera was seated beside Eso in a sector of the barracks. She made a decision and reached into her cloak, producing her crystal flute and the gem that had adorned the end of her instrument. She picked up Eso's left hand, which was closest to her and placed the two items into his grip.

He looked at her with confusion written all over his face, Tesera looked him in the eye.

[b]"They'll be safe with you, I know it. Thankyou again for all that you've done for me, take care, Eso." [/b]she said quietly, she kissed him on the cheek quickly.

Tesera got up and dashed out of the room, moving through the halls quickly before anyone knew what had happened, she heard Eso running to catch up to her but she was fast.

Tesera escaped the barracks and fled, tears were in her eyes as she ran, she didn't know what to do, should she just give herself up?

Tesera bumped into someone that held her firmly by the shoulders, she squeezed her eyes shut, expecting it to be someone that wanted her dead, she was ready to accept her fate when a voice cut through.

[b]"Tesera?" [/b]a deep, rich male voice said.

Her eyes snapped open and she gasped, there was a familiar, smiling face. Tesera smiled honestly for the first time in quite a while, they hugged fiercely.

[b]"Dad!" [/b]she cried into his shirt.

[b]"Tesera, it's been so long since we've seen you." [/b]a gentle, musical voice rang through.

[b]"Mum!" [/b]she hugged the woman.

[b]"What are you doing, Tesera? Your eyes are all red and puffy." [/b]she smiled, wiping away the tears.

[b]"This city, it was destroyed by dragons, and it's all my fault." [/b]Tesera cried, a new flood of tears errupting.

[b]"Sh...I'm sure it's not your fault, come, explain what happened." [/b]her father said, leading them to a bench under a tree.

Tesera told them everything that had happened, they had of course heard it by others, the reports were all bad and blamed Tesera for all that had happened to their city. When Tesera finished her tale, her parents smiled.

[b]"It's not your fault Tesera. How were you to know that the dragons would go crazy and destroy everything." [/b]her father said.

Tesera opened her mouth to say something but her mother cut her off.

[b]"Your father's right, and you didn't make the dragons crazy, someone else did, so it's their fault."


"Argh!" [/b]she cried out in frustration. [b]"Everyone's told me this, but it's my fault because I called the dragons to the city in the first place. If I never did, then none of this would have happened!" [/b]Tesera sniffled wetly.

[b]"Oh Tesera....This is a power you were born with, you can't control what the dragons do though, especially when someone or something else is controlling them over you. But never give up, stay strong." [/b]her father hugged her gently, her mother hugged her from the other side.

[b]"Mum...Dad...I don't know what to do...." [/b]she whispered.

[b]"That's why we're here, to help by offering advice. We were the neighbouring city, and news came fast, some members of Alsoto ran over for shelter. They said it was a girl named Tesera, we knew you'd appreciate us coming, especially since we haven't seen each other in so long because of all the travelling we all do." [/b]Tesera's mother told her. [b]"It took us a while to get here though because of all the people trying to get away." [/b]

[b]"I'm glad you came. I was ready to give myself to the people that want me dead." [/b]Tesera admitted.

[b]"Don't, don't ever give up." [/b]her father shook her gently to emphasise his point.

Tesera sat between her parents, on the bench beneath the tree. They talked, and they took her mind off everything that had happened, though she still had it in the back of her mind. Tesera was grateful to whatever force that had her parents be close enough to come over and offer comfort and guidance in her time of trouble.

[b][color=Black]OOC: [/color][/b][color=Black]You can do whatever, come find me or what not. I may not be posting often because I have exams soon :animedepr:animecry: and I need to study :animestun[/color]
[/color]

[Outlaw]

James' plan was simple. His fall had both given him the chance to free his hands and openned the door to his cel by calling in the guards outside. Now all James had to do was relocate his hand, untie himself, take out three heavily armed guards, and escape from whatever building he was in, which for all James knew was a fortress. Nothing too hard.

The largest of the three guards approached James lying on his back in the middle of the room. "What in the hell did you do you little maggot!?" the man demanded. James's only responce was a moan in pain. This just proved to agrivate the guard further, as he brough his large metal toed boot down on James' stomach. James coughed and weezed, struggling to recover from having the wind knocked out of his stomach. "Get this sack of crap up." the guard commanded of the other two.

This was James' chance. As the two guards housted him up, James slid his dislocated hand out from inbetween the ropes. With a flick of the wrist and a loud snap, his hand was locked back together. Fighting through the pain, James reached out one of the guards and grabbed onto the sword sheathed in his belt. But he had underestimated the speed and werewithal of the guards. He had barely wrapped his hand around the hilt when the largest guard clenched onto James' wrist with his large metal gauntlet.

James heart sank as he realized his plan had failed. He looked up at the guard holding onto his arm with a look of both fear and depresion. The guard responded with a crushing punch from his other gauntlet wrapped fist. The blow knocked James for a loop and sent him hurtling back to the ground. The next few minutes was a blur of rights and lefts which left James in a bloddy, unconcious heap.

[Frankie]

"What do you mean?" The soldier Asked.

Nait smiled, "A long while back there was this tavern... The owner was chea and bought old beer and other beverages that made people sick. He fled and his tavern was closed up. Because of the tavern location it wasnt needed so simply borded up."

"Ok..." He was confused but listened.

"I have been around beer for almost my entire life. I know what different kinds smell like. When I say bad beer I mean bad beer. I have a few cellers under my Inn. We kept the kegs down there because it stays cooler. It would be a good place to hide out. Even if the tavern was borded up."

"That could explain how they seem to appear even though we watched everyone that came in. Yet people have still tried to take Tesera's life."

"So... I beleive if they are hiding they could be at the old tavern. If they took James they could easily hold him there. All unseen and no one checks there."

"It is worth a look."

After some long walking they came to the almost well hidden tavern in an area of town where people didnt wander to much. This was the shadier area and more broken down and old looking. Nait glanced around and approched the door. It was still boarded up and looked untouched.

"Well oh well." He said real quitly.

"Oh please. This building has been used recently. Dont ask me how I can tell cause I will tell you now. The dust around the door is disturbed and the door LOOKS boarded up but cracks in the wood say otherwise."

"I dont even want to know how you can see these things."

"Someone Important to me is Missing. He is a friend and I dont think for one second he deserves what they might do to him even IF his past is questionable. So if you wanna play stupid then be my guest."

This didnt make the man to happy but he readied himself. "So what? You want me to break down this door here?"

She smiled but as he got ready to kick it in she grabbed the handle and pushed it open with ease. He glanced inside and noticed where the edges of the door were the boards had been sawed rather neatly and looked almost untouched. He frowned.

"Its empty."

"Maybe up here it is. But Eso did show use the catacombs under the ground. I doubt they are being used by them but it is a possability. Not only that but i have an upstairs a kitchen and a few cellers. So...wait"


He must have heard it too because suddenly his sword was out and he was ready to fight. A dusty door towards the back slowly opened and three men came out but the moment they saw Nait and the Soldier they stopped talking and pulled out their own weapons.

"You... It doesnt matter. Hec... go warn the others."

One of the men nodded and ran back through the door.

"I just realized you have no weapon Nait."

"I do... Not all weapons are steel and wood."

When the two men ran at them she stepped inside and out of the Soliders way. He defended against the first bash from one of the men and quickly countered to stab him in the stomach. The man hit the floor and blood poured from hsi wound.

The other man had taken that moment to strick at the soldier but was instantly still. The soldier stared at him confused and unsure of what to do.

"Strick him down already." Nait said as the man started to gasp and cough like the others before. "I am going to continue forward without you if you dont hurry."

He slashed at the man and he joined his friend on the floor. "What did you do?"

"When people say a little water never hurt anyone... they never met a water elementalist."

"Ah..." The man said suddenly understanding it. They went through the door and came to a stairway.

"There will be more waiting for us down there..." The soldier said frowning.

"Yes but not many. I am sure that they have different spots through out the city. It would be stupid to have everyone gather together.

---
ooc: It was getting long. James can hear ruckus and such but dont have Nait burst in just yet. I wanted to do something.

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]"Somethings amiss.." Ashwin's eyes glanced around the street in front of them. His cautious gaze could find nothing wrong but a sense of unease persisted within him.

"Mr. Ashwin Crow?" A voice asked him. He looked up and saw a capable-looking soldier standing before him.

"That would be me."

"Hello, Ashwin. I've been sent to warn you about some possible.. trouble." The soldier has a very serious look to him that stirred the uneasiness to new levels within Ashwin. "There was an attempt on Tesera's life just a short time ago by a mercenary. Eso has decided that the safety of those that had been involved in Tesera has been.. compromised."

"Oh?" Ashwin smiled a bit and rubbed his neck- no rest for the weary. Not today, at least.

"Yes. I'm here to offer to take you to the barracks. We can keep you or yours safe there. So, if you'd like.." He gestured to Ashwin as his voice trailed off.

A fireball smashed into the stomach of the soldier- his armor took the brunt of the blast but it sent him sailing backwards and through the window of Ashwin's house. The people nearby screamed and fled from the area, not wanting to get involved. Ashwin rose to his feet and dusted himself off. From the rooftop of his shop someone leapt. They sailed through the air and landed in front of Ashwin with skill. Wielding a staff, a young woman stood and twirled it around in her hand, slamming one end of into the ground. She raised one hand and began to murmur an incantation, her voice carrying through the air.

"Kira. Go check on our soldier friend and wake Lynn up." Ashwin was concerned more for his daughter than the soldier.. especially after hearing how their security 'has been compromised'.

"Yessir!" She saluted in her usual fashion to him and fluttered away, going through the new 'entrance' into Ashwin's house.

"This is going to hurt your pride more than anything else.." Ashwin said and rushed forward; unsheathing his cutlass and forced the mage to block his strike. Her incantation interrupted, Ashwin muttered a hex of his own and cast it over her. She slumped over into a deep, magic-induced sleep- finally falling completely to the ground. He stepped over her body and peered through his broken window. The soldier was looking at his heavily scorched armor in a daze. "You alright?"

".. I think so. Got a little cut up when I.." He paused and looked at Ashwin. "Er, is this your house?" He glanced down at all the broken glass.

"Yeah, it is. Don't worry about the window. Just, come on out here. I think heading to the barracks would be best." Ashwin shook his head and hoped his friends were alright. Lynn appeared in the room and seemed unsurprised by the scene in the room- perhaps the day's events had numbed her ability to be shocked. "Hey, little one." Ashwin greeted her and pointed to the soldier. "Could you show him the way to the door?" She nodded sleepily and beckoned the soldier to follow her. As they made their way out, Kira flew back onto Ashwin's shoulder and let out a sigh.

"She sleeps like a rock, I swear!" Kira said with exasperation.

Ashwin chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, it's a problem to wake her up. Thanks for doing it."

Lynn and the soldier walked out of the house. Ashwin knelt down and picked up the sleeping mage, placing her on his unoccupied shoulder. "Lead on, soldier."

"Yessir." The soldier nodded and guided them towards the barracks.[/color]

[Zephyr]

It was dark outside by the time Alno'dra left the home of the family he had stopped to help. Normally he should have been on his way long before this, but they were quite persistant about having him stay for dinner as payment, since he refused any offers of silver for his efforts. The meal had been delightful, and the family treated Alno'dra like he was a friend they had not seen in years. Today was one of the few times he had felt mostly comfortable eating with anyone since his time in the village.

Alno'dra's reminicencing was cut short by the sound of lightly-armored footsteps behind him. Given recent circumstances it was possible he was being targeted like Tesera was, and just as possible it could have just been one of Alsoto's guards walking their stretch of the city. For now he maintained a steady pace, and acted like he had heard nothing.

After a time he turned into an alley and began to chant a short incantation. The footsteps followed him, still keeping distance. At the mouth of the alley was an opening formed from the backs of the buildings. Alno'dra completed the chant as he neared the center of this opening, and a light haze filled the area. Due to this, the footsteps grew father apart as their owner slowed down. It would be hard to find someone in the smoke, especially with the light and shadows that danced through it. At the center the footsteps stopped altogether.

"Why are you following me?" Alno'dra's voice echoed in the confined area.

"I was one of the people sent by Eso to find and escort you to the barracks," the voice was a young female, who sounded fresh out of training. "An attempt on Tesera's life has been made and he feels it is safest for you to return with me." Despite the youthful sound of her voice, and the situation she was in, the guard's voice never wavered. Alno'dra decided to test her.

Quietly he stalked up behind her and spoke only when right behind her. "And how do I know..." he paused as she spun around and tried to strike him on reflex, "...that I can trust you?" Alno'dra caught the arm just before it struck him.

"Because," she spoke calmly again, "if I wanted you dead, you would have been." She guestured downward, and Alno'dra followed it to the sight of a knife only a centimeter from his abdomen. Slowly he released he arm, and she lowered the knife.

"You seem to be telling the truth, however," he stared straight at her, judging the truth reflected in her eyes, "you will have to lead. I don't know the way, and I don't want that knife finding my back exposed." The young woman nodded and turned back to the main road, with Alno'dra in tow.

[Frankie]

ooc: Well since you didnt post ill finish outlaw lol
----

Nait wasnt tired yet which surprised her. Perhaps all the work from earlier and then the rest got her a little more used to her powers. She smiled at this but frowned when turning down the flight of stairs to come face to face with three men. All armed and not so happy.

The soldier with her frowned as well but was ready. Leaping he kicked one of the men in the face and slashed him while he was down. The man grasped his bleeding arm while the soldier landed on him. Nait used a small ball of water to knocke one ofthe man down the rest of the stairs and there was a loud snap and the man lay still. Nait frowned. She didnt like killing people much but for some reason she didnt care about this particular group of men.

The soldier got rid of the other man and they made their way down the stairs. They came to a small circular room that could fit three people very uncomfortably. Three doors were there. She wondered which one to try and heard heavy breathing behind one door. It also sounded like painful whines but she couldnt be sure. She opened the door and inside it was almost completely dark. A few barrels sat in a corner and in the center of the room lay a heap of someone. Nait recognized the heap as James and walked over to him. He was pretty beat up.

"Wake up!" She whispered.

"MEH" He said.

Nait frowned and placed both her hands upon his chest and closed her eyes. She felt his pain and was surprised at how much he had endured. She felt extreamly sad and yet very angry that someone would do this. She healed him a bit and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Nait? Wait did they get you too?" He barely whispered.

Nait smiled, "No. I found you. How about you stand up and we get you out of here."

"I... It hurts. How did you?"

"I figured some things out. Come on."

"That lump wont be going anywhere." A voice from behind a different door said.

A second later three really LARGE men came from behind a door and one of them engaged in battle with the soldier who slowly backed up the stairs as he fought. He was out of sigh but Nait could still hear some clashing and clanging of metal and fists.

The other two men slowly walked towards them. The one man who was the largest seemed to be in charge. He frowned and pushed Nait out of the way.

"I guess We will be killing both of you. You arent much use to us now."

Nait dispite the pain in her side flung herself in front of james just as the man's sword was starting down at him. Her eyes were closed but she didnt feel anything.
A few moments went by and still nothing. She slowly opened one eye and saw her hands streatched out in front of her.

A thin wall of water was spread from wall to wall floor to ceiling between Nait and James and the two thugs. The man's sword had hid the water and gone no further. She studdied this a moment and noticed the water was constantly moving in one direction then circleing back. The current was strong enough to keepthe sword from coming through.

Nait wasnt sure how she was doing this but she figured it bought her a bit of time. A few moments and she got James to his feet. He seemed quite tired and still in pain. Though she could heal wonds some pain cant be removed. She then looked at the wall and wondered how to remove it. About that time it splashed onto the floor and the water evaporated.

"Oops" She said realizing she shouldnt have done that. The one man now frustrated about not being able to kill them lifted his sword again. This man wasnt the one that was the larges. He seemed to just want to watch.

Nait frowned and two tiny bubbles of water splasheds into his eyes from out of nowhere. She kicked the sword out of his hand and then sent a bubble of watter down his throat. The man coughed and gasped for air untill soon he was on the floor but unfortunatly for him he failed at removing the bubble from his lungs.

Nait turned to the other man who just smirked. She Quickly did the same to him. However this seemed different. He managed to cough up all the water.

"Clever missy..." He was breathing heavy, "But i almost drowned a while back and I dont plan on doing that now."

Nait was fuming angry now. She didnt seem in control anymore and this frightened her. She watched as she held out her left hand and suddenly water seemed to just seep from the man's body. Soon the orb of water got large and the man seemed to change. In seconds he hit the ground...

The water vanished and Nait stared in disbeleife as she had just drained the man from almost all body fluids. He looked rather horrible and she turned away from the sucked dry figure curled up on the floor.

"How could I do such an aweful thing?" She said to herself.

----
ooc: Outlaw's turn. IF there is something that needs changing please pm me... but i sorta thought this would be interesting and decided to try it.

[Outlaw]

The pain corsing through James' body was unfathomable. Every muscle burned with pain. Despite his body having been visibly healed, the physcological trama of his beatings still ravanged James' body. However, he knew that if he and Nait didn't escape as soon as possible, the could be cut off by reenforcements from other parties.

After Nait's victory over the two warriors, James could tell she was emotionally distraught. Nait was to good a person to have to go through this kind of ordeal. She deserved better, but James knew neither one of them would ever find peace until this whole ordeal was sorted out.

Usuing every once of strength he had, and fighting through considerable pain, James lifted himself up off the ground and threw his arm over Nait's trembling sholder. James half both supported himself on her steady frame and lead her out of the room, shielding her eyes from the carnage she had caused.

They passed through the arched doorway and made their way to the old wooden stairs leading out of James' former prison. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, they found the bodies of both the guard and thug slain. At first it seemed like they had killed eachother, but James noticed both of their throats had been slit. James found this very disturbing, since this meant someone else had taken both of them out.

However, his first priority was to get both Nait and himself to safety. She had stopped trembling by the time they left the bar. Soon, the two had stumbled all the way back to the inn.

"Are you sure we souldn't head to the guard station yet?" Asked Nait.

"Yeah. Look, I didn't mention this earlier, but I'm afraid some of my old....colegues might be in town." James said hesitantly.

"Wha..what do you mean?" Asked Nait. By this time, they had made their way to James room, where Nait lay him down to rest. She took a seat at the edge of the bed herself.

"The guard and the thug we dead when we left that bar." He began. "Their throats had been cut. Both of them."

"But, isn't it possible that they had done it to each other?" Nait questioned, not wanting to beleive that they had even more problems now.

"No, for that to happen, they would have had to strike each other at the exact same time direclt to the juggular. I really can't see that happening. No, the short glimps I caught of the scene looked to me like an expert hit. I'm afraid that from now on, we might be facing opponents more skilled then your average thug, maybe even some with elemental abilites of their own."

"So we sould warn the others as quickly as possible, right?" Nait asked.

"Yeah, but I need to rest a little first," he responded. "I just need a few minutes for my brain to catch up to my body. Oh, and do we have anything to eat?" He asked with a sly grin.

[Frankie]

Nait smiled and left the room silently. Leaving james wondering if he was going to be able to eat or not. She returned a few moments later with a bowl of soup. He smiled and began to eat.

"This is oddly rather good and rather bad at the same time."

"It would NORMALLY be good..." Nait replied.


He glanced at her nervously, "What Did you do to it?"

Nait smiled, "Gave something to help the pain and stress your body has endured. Beleive me it was alot. So much in fact i couldnt heal you properly back there but medicine always works."

He nodded, "Yes but it never does taste good does it."

"That means It will work!" Nait said in a happy manner though nothing abouth ow she felt was happy. "Now you eat rest and In a bit we will go greet Eso. He sent for us and Now i have to tell him his soldier pal didnt even make it. I feel responsible. Anyways I need to go change. Im still in this bloody dress from since the dragons attacked."

She stood and left the room again leaving him with his good yet bad soup. She went a few steps down the hall and into her room. She shut the door and latched it shut. She quickly dressed into something a little more less bloddy. The same type of dress. Velvety and Purple. A new belt without her handy blade spot and new boots. She knew never to have one of something if she liked wearing it enough she would have extras. Soon she looked much better.

Her hair was a mess so she quickly brushed it and re-wrapped it with black ribbons. She sighed and sat down on the bed.

"I cant beleive I sucked the man dry... I had no control over myself. This happend to father when he first started using his powers alot. He was 25 at the time but still. I remember the stories of the flooded room. Hmm I guess the usage of so much energy just made my body lose something and I kinda went crazy. " She stoped thinking aloud and returned to James's room. He had finished the soup.

She wondered if he actually just dumped it in a nearby plant or not but she didnt care either way. "We should get going. I know you want rest but Im sure if we get there you can do that there. The medicine works well and quick."

[Outlaw]

"Alright," James responded. The weary theif gave out a low gutteral grown as he slowly lifted himself up from his new bed. "Just give me a second to change, I'll meet you out front," he said, realizing he still wore the tattered and bloody clothes he had been camtured in. Nait nodded in response and quietly left the room. She made her way through the hallway and down the stairs towards the door, stopping only to check the kitchen to make sure she had put out the stove and cleaned up enough. Content with her inn's condition, she made her way to the front entrance and pushed open the massive wooden doors.

She was met outside with a plesent suprise. There was James, dressed in his theifs outfit, waiting for her while doing pushups in the middle of the street. "Buu, what a second, I thought you were still hurt. How the heck did you get out here before me?"

James, as he often does, smirked at her befudlement. "Na, I just needed to get up and moving. That healing worked wonders, but it left me stiff as hell," he said while rolling is arms and head, trying to stretch out his muscles.

"But don't you think its a little to early to be pulling your theif tricks like jumping out windows," she inquired.

"What tricks? I changed quickly and walked by you while you were in the kitchen," he responded smugly.

Nait just roled her eyes in responce. "Alright smart-ass. Lets get moving. I'm sure Eso's gathered up the other by now." James agreed and the two began down the road to the guard barracks. As they walked, it occured to Nait that James wasn't in his full theif outfit. "Hey, what happened to your face mask and spikey sholder thingy?" she asked with an enthusastic smile.

"Oh, those? I figured if I'm gonna be playing the hero for a while, I might as well start looking the part better. Those things were probobly pretty scary to most townsfolk. Besides, the sholder guard was damn near broken anyways," James responded with his trademark smirk. Nait smiled back, happy to see him turning away from his theiving past.

It only took a few minutes for the pair to spot the barracks. From a distance, they could see a number of figures going to and fro the building. Most noticably were an older man with a little girl and a fairy, obviously Ashton and his crew. As they got closer, they could make out another familiar figure as Alon'dra entered the building. "Looks like were late," mocked Nait.

"Yeah, to bad you couldn't save me faster," James jokingly responded as the two made their way closer and closer to the barracks, and hopefully, some answers.

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]Arriving at the barracks, Ashwin handed off the woman to one of the soldiers. The soldier gave him a puzzled look and Ashwin had to explain about the woman's attack. The soldier nodded and hauled the woman inside for questioning. Their guide to the barracks took his leave, heading off to the medical building to get a few minor scrapes and cuts taken care off. The still-sleepy Lynn stretched idly and Ashwin glanced around the barracks.

"Well, I guess this is about the safest place we can be." Ashwin cracked his sore neck to the side. It let out a rather loud 'crick-crackkk' sound which brought some relief to the soreness.

"I hope everyone else is okay." Kira looked worried- hyper [what else is new?], but worried. She sat down on a nearby windowsill and kept a vigilant watch for any of their friends.

"They'll be fine. Some of them might be a little roughed up but nothing serious." He said nonchalantly.

".. A little roughed up?" The fairy asked questioningly.

There was no answer and an odd silence fell between Ashwin, his half-asleep daughter and his worried familiar. The silence was overtaken by a strange buzz of activity around them. Ashwin's curiosity roared into life and he sought out a soldier to appease it.

"Hey." Ashwin beckoned one of the soldiers to him. The soldier pointed to himself and mouthed 'me?'. Ashwin nodded, "Yes, you. Come here." The soldier rushed over and stood at attention.

"What do you need, sir?" He asked.

"Well, there seems to be a ruckus around here." Ashwin said and gestured around them. "Is there something going on?"

"Well, it seems that Tesera.." The soldier stopped and rubbed his chin. "How to put this, mmm."

"... Yes?" Ashwin asked. His eyebrow arched- had something happened to Tesera?

"She.. rushed off?" The soldier said with a shrug. "She disappeared or something. Quick feet on that one." He nodded a bit. "I believe that Eso is looking for her."

"Well, if you guys need any help or whatever we're always available. Until then, mind if we meander around?" Ashwin asked.

"Not a problem, sir. You probably won't have to 'meander' long, though."

"Good deal. Thank you for your time, soldier."

"It was my pleasure." The soldier nodded to Ashwin, Lynn and Kira before returning to his post.

"Well, shall we meander?" Ashwin turned to Lynn and Kira.

"Ummm.. I suppose so." Lynn said, slightly more awake than before.

"I'm not moving an inch from here." Kira said firmly.

"Well let's-"

"Excuse me sir!" The soldier from before came up. "Eso requests your presence within the building. I believe he has something he wants to talk with you and your friends about."

Ashwin chuckled, "Okay then. Come on you two, let's head inside."

"Awwww. Come on, Ashy!" Kira shook her head. "I want to stay here!"

"Kira, come on. You can keep a look out from inside the building too." Ashwin pointed to the many windows the barracks had.

The fairy sighed and flew up, "Fine, fine.." Reluctantly she followed Ashwin and Lynn inside..[/color]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Ashwin, Kira, and Lynn entered to find Eso holding Tesera's flute, as well as the gem that had adorned it. "What's going on?" Ashwin asked.

"Tesera took off," Eso said. "She gave me these, then she left. I have no idea where she is."

"Yes, we'd heard she ran off."

"Well, we need to find her. I believe it's possible to use magic to locate the owner of an item. I was hoping that you might be able to help me. I know your area of expertise is... well, far from mainstream, but there are some spells that most mages know."

"There's nothing uusual about my talents," Ashwin replied quickly.

"Surely you don't actually expect me to believe that. There's only one this that that hand you called up earlier could have been. You're a necromancer, Ashwin."

"But- look, Eso, it's not-"

Eso cut him off. "I'm not interested in hearing your excuses, Ashwin. And I'm not dumb enough to believe that every necromancer is evil. Some people will make that assumption, but... well, I wouldn't be alive if you hadn't done that thing with the hand, and neither would the others. It's that simple."

"Oh. Okay. Um... sorry about that."

"No problem," Eso said. "I can understand your attitude. I mean, necromancers do have something of a bad reputation."

"That's quite true," Ashwin agreed. "Anyways, you wanted me to attempt to locate Tesera?"

Eso nodded. "That's right. Here, use these." He handed Ashwin the flute and jewel.

Ashwin used his spell on the flute. "I think I have her," he said after a few seconds. "Yes, it'd definitely her. She's alive, ut not moving. I don't think she's been captured by anyone."

"That's good. Now, I know you've been through a lot, but you're the one who can locate Tesera, so I have to ask you to go get her."

"I'll do it," Ashwin said.

"You'll be coming too, right, Eso?" Lynn asked.

Eso shook his head. "No, I can't. Branit wants to discuss the earlier events with me again. Lynn, you don't really have to go if you don't want to. I'm sure ashwin and Kira will be fine on their own. Of course, it never hurts to be sure."

Eso called two soldiers over. "Jaht, Azufe, I want you to go with Ashwin. He and Kira can probably take care of themselves, but there's no point in taking chances. Besides, Treana isn't quite so good in a combat situation."

"We'll make sure she's safe," Azufe said. The man turned to Ashwin. "Shall we go?"

------------------------------------------

OOC: DeathKnight, please tell me if you have any objections. Oh, and you can choose to have Lynn go with Ashwin or stay at the barracks.

[Frankie]

Nait and james finally went inside. It was busy and people were everywhere. Nait frowned a bit as she felt a little wozy but said nothing. She now felt rather silent and when james asked her what was wrong she answered by simply shaking her head as if to say nothing.

Her knew she wasnt telling the truth but he figured she did not want to talk about it. If that were the case he knew what was wrong. She had done something she had never done before. She had killed people... several people in one day. Sure they were attacking first but he knew that kind of stress could easily cause pain and confusion in any normal persons mind.

Nait felt weak but not any different. She could not understand why she did what she did or how she couldnt seem to get her own body under control when she was doing it. It was as though her want to keep james safe took over or maybe it was just anger. She wasnt sure but it worried her that at that moment she had no control. Not to mention she was still bothered by the sight of the dried out man curled up on the floor.

She saw eso and they approched.

"Ah I see you two made it as well." He said quickly.

Nait nodded, "Yeah but I am afraid that soldier you sent after me uh..." She frowned and turned her glance to the floor.

James nodded, "See I was sitting well i guess it doesnt matter what i was doing but i was abducted and she and the soldier figuredo ut where they could have been hiding me. They found me and the solider was fighting one of the hired bad guys i guess. Anyways we were downstairs."

Nait didnt want him to go any further with the story of them downstairs. She couldnt stand to hear what she had done again, "He was killed I am afraid... Im sorry..."

Eso frowned. He didnt exactly have time to deal with this on his own but he seemedto understand. "Well if you could giv the details to someone here we can get things cleaned up and taken care of. I just sent Ashwin to find Tesera and I need o meet with someone."

Nait nodded, "I understand. Well except for the fact that Tesera is missing but if Ashwin is after her I dont doubt they will be back soon." Nait was controlling herself rather well she thought. She didnt want to break down or freak out in the middle of a public place. Surrounded by many people.

It replayed in her head again. His body slowly drying. Becoming shrivled and stiff. His face had sunken in. She shut her eyes and shook her head. She wished for something different to replay in her brain. Something less horrifying. All she really got werre flashes of the day. The guys on the roof, the sigh she saw in her Inn. The whole dragon thing and even the underground thing. After replaying that all through her head she nodded.

"Something wrong?" James asked again though he knew something was.

"A bit. But I have a few good things to keep my mind occupied and to keep myself from going completely insane."

She wasnt quite serious about the insane part and so she said this in a more sarcastic tone but she knew he got what she ment. After all he was the one there. He saw her fling herself in front of him to keep him from getting hit by the sword. only to see a wall of water protecting them instead. She had planned to die if she had to at that moment but was saved by her wall of water. Even at this moment she still could not figure out how she did that but she was thankful she did.

---
ooc: just something to get us... INSIDE the building. By the way my brain has fried so if i dont post for a day or so just blame all the rpgs i have signed up for... lol I will recover soon i swear.

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]OOC: The more the merrier.

-~-

Lynn had decided to tag along even though sleep still called to her. Her smaller, younger body had some stamina left in it. Ashwin attributed it to her youthfulness- kids can take alot of excitement before they finally run out of energy. Their little squad began to trace through the city's streets, navigating the maze of roads with Ashwin guiding them. The city was still abnormally dead- the people had returned but there was little life to it all. The scars of the day were still fresh and it could be seen in their eyes, their actions and their speech. They went past them all with little signs of 'trouble', which was slightly worrisome.

"For all the excitement we've had today things are pretty serene." Ashwin said suspiciously.

"Too quiet, isn't it?" Azufe said, "Keep your eyes and ears open. They are sly, persistent bastards."

Ashwin nodded, "Agreed."

"It's not like anyone poses a serious threat to us, right? I mean we've got soldiers, mages and.. me!" Kira stated happily. She had been humming to herself in her usual sitting place on Ashwin's shoulder. She had been energetic ever since meeting Jaht and Azufe. Her hyperness manifested itself in her speech.

"Better safe than sorry." Azufe replied to her.

The logical reply didn't seem to dent Kira's confidence in their group [or, perhaps, mainly herself]. She shrugged and stuck her tongue out, "Whatever you say, spoilsport."

The small talk continued. Lynn was rather shy, the two soldiers were rather talkative, Ashwin was rather amused and Kira was rather... well, you know. There was little discussion of Ashwin's necromancy. Lynn trusted in her father totally, Kira already knew and the two soldiers seemed to have the same opinion that Eso had. Ashwin was somewhat relieved- while he was usually pretty carefree, maybe even apathetic at times, this was one issue with him that had always lingered in the back of his mind.

Now, though, he needed to focus on finding Tesera and making sure she was safe. The spell resonated out her position to Ashwin continually- they were very close. She hadn't gone too far from the barracks at all. They took a small, unoccupied road down until it opened out into much larger [yet mostly empty] market square. In the center of it there stood a tree. A rather mighty tree, at that. It was majestic in appearance and loomed over the surrounding area, commanding respect from it all. Underneath it sat Tesera and two unfamiliar people. They seemed to all be very friendly with each other and Ashwin wondered who they could be.

"Ahoy, Tesera." Ashwin called out with a wave. [/color]

[Outlaw]

"Eso, hold up a sec!" James called out. Eso paused and looked around to see James jogging after to catch up. James knew Nait needed support, but he also knew Eso sould hear what he had to say.

"What is it James?" asked Eso, obviously perturbed by the days events.

"Listen, whoever killed that soldier, I think they were some serious professionals. Not like the mercenaries we've encountered before," James warned. However, Eso did not seem too impressed by this new information.

"Is that it?" Eso replied, as he began to turn for the door.

"No. I'm pretty sure I've worked with atleast one of them before, because they didn't come after me and Nait when they took out that guard and thug. And I've never worked with anyone stupid enough to take a hit without knowing their employeer." Now Eso seemed interested.

"Are you telling me that if we find these assassins, we can find who's behind all this?" asked Eso.

"I think so," said James. "I say once Ashwin and the others get back, we head out after these guys. I'ld go myslef, but I doubt I could take on too many of these guys myself." Eso nodded in responce.

"Alright. You and Nait just hang around here for a while. Talk to the receptionists at the front entrance about guard we lost, and you can ask them for anything else you might need. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a meeting to go too." The two shook hands and went their seperate ways.

When James returned to Nait, she had found a wooden bench along the wall to rest on. Her head rested in her hands and her eyes were red from holding back her tears. "Everything alright?" he asked. But he already knew the answer to that. Nothing about how she felt was alright. But James was never really good when it came to consoling others about their feelings. He decided the best thing to do would be to get her mind off of it. "Come on," he said, smiling and holding his hand out to help her up, "Lets get the hell out of here." He said with a smile.

Nait couldn't help but smile back at James' attitude. He had been with Nait the whole way, yet kept his spirits high through this whole catastrophy. And if he could, so could she. She smiled back at James and took his hand. "So were are we going?" she asked with her first smile since entering the building.

"Well, first we're gonna report the death of that guard so he can be given a proper burial," he said sternly. "And then we're gonna go find the bastards behind all this."

[Zephyr]

Alno'dra leaned against the outside of the barracks, staring into the distance, and merely waiting. It had been quite a while since Ashwin and a few others had set out to search for Tesera, though he had chosen to remain behind for now. A slight stirring around the corner of the building caught his attention, but his face remained forward, staring at nothing. Alno'dra spoke after a moment's silence. "How long are you going to follow me around?"

The voice that responded was the from the same guard that had led him to the barracks. "As long as you decide to remain in the open. Those were the orders I was given." Both fell back into silence, save for the guard's anxious shuffling. It was not long before the quiet got to her. "Why did you choose to stay behind? They could have used your help, you know."

"True, but there are those here that may need help too." Unbeknownst to the guard, Alno'dra was specifically speaking about Nait, who had appeared visibly shaken about something. He had kept his distance after a look from James had told him to let it sit for now.

"You are awfully calm about this," the guard responded. Alno'dra could practically feel he hair bristle with the urge to do something. "You should either be out helping them look for the 'Dragon Caller,' or inside helping whoever you think needs help." Alno'dra did not respond, and let the matter fall into silence once more. The young woman grunted with irritation and shuffled around.

It is was several minutes before either spoke again, Alno'dra breaking the quiet. "You have never hunted before, have you?" The guard grunted again and responded in an agitated tone. "What does that have to do with anything?" Alno'dra just smirked. "You should try it someday. When you spend a day and a half chasing after lunch you learn about patience and knowing when to act. It is much better to set the terms of a fight, then to go after someone who has their own terms set."

A sigh escaped her lips, and she too leaned against the building. "Okay, I'll try your 'patience' bit. By the way, I know who are, but how come you never asked what my name was?"

"I figured you as the type that always wanted the advantage in life, so I figured you would mention it when you wanted to." The guard let out a bemused noise and remained quiet. Alno'dra just smiled at her response.


OOC: Okay, kind of filler, but I didn't want to make my character look too anti-social. The little bit of 'hunting wisdom' was just a bonus. ;)

[Sakura]

[font=Verdana][size=2][b]OOC: [/b]Sorry, still preparing for my exams.[/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=navy]Tesera sat with her parents, they had moved away from her self guilt and were now talking about the dragons she had called, it was just too abnormal for all of them to go haywire at the exact same time.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][b]"I don't understand how it happened, they're so majestic and perfect. Sure they kill, but they're carnivores, they have to to survive, and that fight definitely wasn't for food." [/b]Tesera reasoned.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][b]"Well each race does have it's bad apples." [/b]her father input.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][b]"Dad, you should have seen it. No, that was much more than just a few bad apples. I summoned [i]hundreds [/i]and at first they were fine, but then they suddenly went completely berserk and started to attack each other. I've summoned since I left home, and this has [i]never [/i]happened to me before."[/b][/color][/size][/font]
[b][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font][/b]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][b]"Ahoy, Tesera." [/b]she heard a familiar voice.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080]The three of them looked up, Tesera's surprised look changed to a smile. She saw Ashwin waving, with Kira waving hyper-actively on his shoulder, and Lynn standing beside her father witha somewhat sleepy smile. She also recognised Azufe from the barracks.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][b]"Hey there." [/b]she stood.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080]They walked over and looked at the two people beside her in question.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][b]"These are my parents; Zephaniah and Azalea. Mum, Dad, this is Ashwin, Kira, Lynn and Azufe." [/b]she introduced.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][b]"Tesera, you really surprised us when you ran off. We'd like you to come back to the barracks with us." [/b]Azufe said.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[b][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080]"Where's Eso?" [/color][/size][/font][/b]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[b][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080]"He wanted to come, but he had to talk to Branit." [/color][/size][/font][/b]
[b][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font][/b]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][b]"Alright, I'll come back, I think I've made a conclusion." [/b]Tesera nodded.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[b][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080]"Your parents can come too if they'd like." [/color][/size][/font][/b]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080]They nodded and the group returned to the barracks and met up with Branit, Eso, Nait and James. Eso was glad to see her safe. He took out the flute and jewel and started to hand them over but Tesera shook her head.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[b][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080]"They'll be safer with you for the time being. Anyway, I've come to a conclusion about what happened." [/color][/size][/font][/b]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080]They all went into a room and sat down to listen to what Tesera had to say.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]
[b][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080]"I believe that the end result was caused by a third party, I'm not aware of whom, but I'm sure there's someone. After all, someone's trying to get me killed in multiple ways; the dragons; the snipers; the soldiers and assassins. There's someone out to get me for some reason." [/color][/size][/font][/b]
[b][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font][/b]
[font=Verdana][size=2][color=#000080]They all agreed because there was no other logical conclusion that they could come up with. Now they had to find out [i]who [/i]is after her, and [i]why[/i].[/color][/size][/font]

[Outlaw]

"James, you said you had an idea on how to find whose behind this right?" asked Eso. James nodded in responce than told the others the plan he had told Eso. To find the professional assassins after Tesera, since they wouldn't work for an employeer they didn't know.

"Well, that sounds like a start," said Ashwin. "Now, how do we find these guys?"

At this, the grin on James' face quickly turned into a frown. "Well, thats the problem. It won't be easy. Like I said, these guys are pros."

"Hey, we found you didn't we?" reminded Eso. Now, the frown on James' face became a snarl. Much to his dissatisfaction, he and his guards had found him, not once, but twice.

"Yeah, but they won't have any stolen items to track. Thats how you guys found me. No, the only way I can think of is to give them what they want." With that, James raised his head to stare Tesera directly in the eyes.

"What, no, nonono!" Interupted Eso. "Out of the question. The whole point of this thing is to protect Tesera, not sign her death certificate!"

"Yeah," agreed Nait. "If these guys are as good as you say they are, how do we know do you know you can keep her safe?"

"I don't." James replied, still staring at Tesera. "But I [U]do[/U] know that if we don't find out who was behind today's attack, and quick, there's no guarentee those dragons won't just come back again tommarow, or the day after, untill this whole city is burnt to the ground." James spoke with a passion and a purpose which he had not shown since he had hunted down and killed his own father's murders almost a decade ago. And as much as the rest of the group didn't want to believe it, they knew James was right. Everyone, that is, accept for the groups youngest member, Lynn.

"What if we gave them you?" she asked, looking up at the distraught James. The entire group looked down at the young girl in confusion.

"What do you mean?" asked her confused mentor Ashwin.

"Well..." she continued, "what if we made it seem like you wanted to help them. I mean, you said yourself its probobly someone you knew. What if we can make them think you wanna help them kill Tesera, then they'll take you to their hideout and we can find out who their working for." The group went silent for a few seconds, than erupted in laughter over the simple genious of the child's mind.

"Good lord, thats one hell of a kid you got there Ashwin," laughed James. "So I guess I better get going. Now, how am I gonna contact you guys when I find this place?"

[GuyYouMetOnline]

"Hold on a second," Eso said. "We're all jumping to conclusions pretty fast here, aren't we? The dragons, for example. You all seem to be assuming that they'll be back. I don't think that'll happen again. After all, they wouldn't have all been here in the first place if Tesera hadn't called them. Besieds, if your plan doesn't work the first time, you don't do the exact same thing again. No, we won't be seeing the same show again."

"Maybe so," James replied, "but we should still do something about all this. Even if the dragons don't come back, Tesera's still got humans after her. And so do the rest of us."

"Well, that's why you're all here. No killer'll be able to get you while you're here, no matter how good he or she is. And though I certainly agree that we should do something, we don't need to act immediatly. Besides, if we wait, we may very well have some new information.

"What 'new information' would that be?" Tesera asked.

"Well," Eso replied, "we do have a couple captives. According to Brinit, the interrogation is going well. Apparently, one if them seems close to breaking, despite the short amount of time we've had them. If we're lucky, we may have some new information before the end of the day."

"So," James said, "you're saying that we should wait until tomorrow?"

Eso nodded. "At least. Never rush into battle unless you absolutly must. If you have a choice, it's almost always best to take your time. Don't worry. We'll take action eventually. I just want to e sure we have as much information as possible before we do."

"Seems logical," Ashwin replied.

"Yes. Now, if nobody has anytiing else to say, then you can all go do whatever. Just [i]stay here[/i], okay? I don't want anybody running off this time. I'm serious. No killer will be able to get to you here, but if you go wandering off, we can't protect you. I would expect that you'd be captured and used as a hostage. So, whatever you do, please do not leave the barracks. Understand?"

They all gave the affirmative. "Good," Eso said. "I don't have anything else to say right now, so you can all go do whatever, as long as you stay in the barracks area. I'll find you if anything comes up."

[Frankie]

Nait was more happy about this than she looked. She looked quite run down and tired but inside she was glad there was going to be no more action today. Atleast for now. She especially did not like the idea of James going off alone with people who already knew he was HELPING tesera in the first. She said that in her head and she was just glad he wasnt going to leave her alone there. She knew there were others around but for some reason she felt more comfortable with him around.

She stretched her back and then walked around a bit. She was extreamly tired. All the things she did today she was surprised she had not collapsed yet even though she felt like it. She was still extreamly messed up over her experiance but was calming down. She just felt like she needed rest but didnt know how to properly do that when she was not home.

"You seem tired." James said mainly for conversation, he knew she was tired.

"I am... Risking ones life so many times in the day can be a little stressing" She muttered through a yawn.

She found a comfortable bench and sad down on it. She leaned back and placed her head on the wall behind it. She shut her eyes. It was not the most comfortable of places but for now it would have to do.

[Zephyr]

As the meeting ended the group dispersed into their own smaller groups and went about their own matters. Alno'dra was so lost in thought that he failed to notice. He stood with his arms crossed, staring at a map of the city on the wall across the room. A dozen thoughts swirled though his mind, each one relating to recent matters. He had been so lost in thought that he failed to notice Eso and Ashwin approach.

"You seem rather contemplative," Eso said. "Something you would like to share?"

Alno'dra shook his head lightly. "It's nothing, just a few concerns about what was discussed. I am sure that everyone has worried about them a bit."

This time Ashwin spoke up. "You might as well go over them now, before we find out later that they could have helped us to avoid something serious." Eso nodded his agreement.

"I suppose my main concern is sending James out to 'join' whoever is after Tesera. We know nothing about this person or persons, and for all we know they may know James is on Tesera's side." As Alno'dra finished Eso jumped in to field this concern. "We do have the prisoner about to break. We may gather of wealth of info about our opposistion."

"Or we may gather nothing." Alno'dra retorted. "If this prisoner is a professional too it will take more then a short time to make them crack. If they are, then the only reason for it being this easy is to spread misinformation. We could walk right into a trap if we listen too closely. To top it off, the plan was obvious to a child with no major experience in stategy." A hint of irritation seemed to cross Ashwin's face, but faded too quickly to tell. "That means it is more then obvious to any professionals."

"Which is why I suggested we take it slowly." Eso's voice remained flat, but showed he was not dismissing the concern. "For now it is all we can do. What else has you worried?"

"The dragons," Alno'dra replied simply. "I believe they still can pose a problem. It is true that Tesera called for them, but who or what made them go berserk? Last time it was hundreds fighting each other, but if even a dozen are still nearby, and this 'unknown cause' gets them working together it will become a big problem, very quickly."

"There is an evacuation plan still in place," Ashwin reminded them. "Eso's troops are ready to move the citizens to a safe area should the need arise."

Alno'dra let out a low 'Hmm' from his throat. "I suppose you are right. I just prefer to play on the side of caution, and there are too many holes right now that trouble me."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

"No problem," Eso said. "Besides, you're right on a couple things. The interrogation, for example. I'm well aware that a real interrogation is a long process. Sure, I got some answers from that one guyearlier, but he didn't really tell me anything useful. He and the other attackers were hired by a man who knew that the dragons would fight. I'd already guessed that there was a connection between the arial melee and the attempts on Tesera's life. No, that man really didn't give me any new information.

"As for the captives undergoing interrogation right now, well, the one who seems like he's about to break is undoubtably faking it. I know what I told everyone, and it was the truth. The guy does seem close to breaking. What I didn't say is that he's undoubtably faking it."

"Why didn't you just tell us that?" Ashwin asked.

"Because I needed to buy time," Eso repliied. "It's like you said, Alno'dra. If James tries to go undercover, he'll undoubtably die. I didn't think that saying 'it's too risky' would stop him, so I told him that it might not be necessary, because we might have some new information soon. If I'd said that the guy was probably faking it, James would have probably gone with the undercover plan."

"So you told him to wait," Alno'dra said. "What are you going to tell him tomorrow?"

"That any information we've gotten from that captive is at best a lie, and at worst a trap. I'm hoping to have a better plan by that time."

"And if you don't?"

"Well," Eso replied, "I'm afraid I don't know."

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OOC: Okay, let's wrap up the very eventful day 2 of the festival. It's getting late, so evening activities, and maybe some thinking about everything that's happened. I'll get things moving along again in my next post.