The Next Stage of the Game. (Blink, Elekta Kount, and If Thou Invited)

[Blink]

"You do pose a good point Sano" Nashya smiled, debating on whether or not her idea would work or not. Of course she could make it appear that Mordecai were being slaughtered, however the sound was such a fickle thing.

"I could easily create the illusion, and as you said I am sure we could handle the smell. However, a sound is much more complicated. They are illusions, not manifestations that I just pull from somewhere else. They wouldn't have the sound of breath or a heart beating in their chest that we need."

By this point, even Nashya was beginning to grow agitated as she tried to think of a way to make it work.

And then it hit, an idea so grim that even her darker self was grinning at the thought of it. "Yes, that could work" her inner voice chimed in, causing Nashya to flick her eyes as she often did when it spoke up. Of course, no one but her could hear it and at this point, she was happy they couldn't.

"No" she stated, not caring if these new strangers knew who she was talking to. Sano would, at least she hoped he would catch on to the fact she was talking to herself.

"I don't know why you're turning it down. It was your idea... not mine." Nashya's eyes flicked again as she grew more uncomfortable with the thought.

"Any other suggestions?" she asked, completely ignoring the idea stemming in her brain. It could work, but at what cost? To her, it was too great and so she decided to keep it to herself.

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

"Well then, if that is that, I believe we should get moving." said the big man. "Connoloath is a more then a days travel from here, and if we want to get this bat freak then I think it's best if we started to move our feet."

[Wrathwyrm]

There was some hope for the illusion idea, but it might not work because of the lack of sound...  The venture was risky, but possible, if they could just find a way to fake it.  The group seemed to be fairly keen on not actually committing murder to get the point across.  They didn't share Sano's own dislike for the country and all things surrounding the anti-magic laws there.  Well, it was either the illusion or that he personally kill a Mordecai.  Although...  Okay, while Nashya was having sort of an argument with her inner-shadow, a thought occurred to him.  It was interrupted by Volkhard's sudden desire to depart.  Yes, it was more than a day's journey away.  More like a few, given the Jadenshire region.

"Hold on, alright?  I need to finish these up first.  Is this arrangement okay with you, Rena?"

"As long as the Grand Duke's army doesn't want to extradite me from my home to face some kind of trial, sure.  Lemme know when it's time to go."

"Nashya, could you give me a hand with these?  That reject pile over there, please."

He took a bunch of papers over to the fireplace, leaving the others for her to walk over.  He'd taken over a quill he'd had with him and hastily wrote on one of the papers he was holding, so he didn't have to talk.  Rena was still in earshot, and this might bother her.  He wrote 'If we get attacked by some malignant bastard in Connlaoth they wouldn't mind dead, consider him filling for the illusion.', which basically meant they could supply all the right noise if some idiot with a deathwish accosted them.

[Blink]

Still in her own sense of unease Nashya barely even reacted to the large man asking to leave. Of course, she would not be leaving with them, she had her own means of travel and of course ends to tie up before she left. If Nashya left for more than a day without an explanation Dem would surely come looking for her.

Even as Rena spoke Nashya still remained quiet, clearly having checked herself out of the conversation as quickly as she had checked in. Her socialization skills really were quite atrocious and that was growing more evident with each passing second.

However, at the direct mention of her name Nashya perked up. Nodding she stood up behind Sano and grabbed a handful of papers for herself before making her way towards the fire. It was when they were standing before the blaze that Nashya looked at what Sano had written and her expression fell flat.

"That a boy" her inner self though, Sano having written down exactly what she was thinking of suggesting.

Her eyes flicked up to meet his before she discretely nodded while inside all she could think was 'How did he know?'

"I have to get back to the winery. I think it best if you guys wait till morning to set out. Start fresh on a brand new day. Tonight we can discuss details more in depth if you would like." Her eyes then shot towards Rena whom she wondered if what she had just said was heard.

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

"Well then, tonight it is." The big man said grabbing his mace off of the ground, then slinging it onto his shoulder. "I think I will have a wander in town, I shall meet you back here in the night, until then...sir, and ladies."

The man turned and left the tavern. As he made his way out, he passed by a peculiar looking man in a overcoat. Volkhard stole a glance at the man as he left, but he seemed to have covered his face with a scar. For some, the man looked familiar to him...

[Wrathwyrm]

Rena's attention was grabbed as she saw Nashya look her way from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, that's fine with me.  I'll see you all later."

She too was going to take a walk.  However, her aim was to pretty much circle around the building and then check something out.  Like what?  Like that man who just walked in.  Something about him...  Well, she'd probably find out, sooner or later.  Things tended to come in her direction if there was trouble to be had.  She stepped out to nonchalantly work her plan.  By the time she got back around, Nashya might be out of the building and on her way.

Meantime, Sano was glad to have found some real damn progress with this thing.  He was also relieved to be rid of those rejects.  It was a real chore, filtering out the idiotic and useless from those who had a hope and a prayer, and then it turns out the really good ones just show up in person when you least expect it!  Naturally, he was unaware of the looming irony, nearby.

[Blink]

Watching the others leave first Nashya eyed the man at the door that had caught their attention.

"See you later" she smiled at Sano before making her own way out the door, again staring down the man in an overcoat.

And then she was off, walking down the street towards the winery.

(Exit Nashya for now ^.^)

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

(We can time skip till the night, I think I might be able to indroduce Otto before everyone gathers.

[Wrathwyrm]

[OOC: Alright then, one quick skip, and then you come in swinging, El.]

Time passes...  Doing what?  Well, while Rena was subtle getting a bit of background for the people she had just met - only getting a scant amount of information that might be useful - Sano was in his room, sitting on the bed and looking at some metal disks, about the size of coins.  He had to do this for a long while to make it worth his while, sit and stare...and imagine that they were gold.  It took time and patience and hopefully not alot of disturbances...or alot of energy.  Right about now, some of them were transforming into gold.  In a little while, they'd all be so.

[Blink]

(OOC: Nash probably won't arrive again until everyone has gathered again or something. She is currently elsewhere doing other things lol)

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

The door to Rena's room jolted a bit, before there was a rough knock on the door, almost like someone was pounding on it...

[Wrathwyrm]

Because Sano's room was actually the next one over from Rena's at this time, Sano's concentration was starting to strain...  Rena, in he meantime, wondere who the hell was pounding on her door like that, while she was taking a bit of a rest before the evening coordination.  It sounded like Volkhard was beating it with his mace, but he wouldn't be so crude, would he?  Besides, a mace would damage the door.  Even the spikeless ones would.

"Hold on, hold on!"

She wasn't in armor, and Spark was leaning against a wall, but he put on her belt with her mythril daggers, just in case.  Then, she opened the door in a manner that would leave her at the side of it, and not in a direct line of sight.

"So...how can I help you?"

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

No one was at the door, the hall way seemed empty...but somthing seemed off, as if somthing had was there but...disappeared...almost into the shadows...

(I do apologize for dragging this out, but I have somthing planned.)

[Wrathwyrm]

She looked out there...and there was nothing.  It felt off.  More than just the fact that someone pounded on her door and just left, it felt wrong.  It felt like...trap.  Rena shut the door and grabbed Spark.  The innkeeper was not going to like the idea of there being a fight in her establishment, but the other guy should've thought of that before.  So, stepping out into the hall, eyes and ears at the ready and Spark at an audible sizzle of electrical energy, she proceeded towards those dark spaces, preparing to light them up.

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

THere was some loud noise downstairs, as if there was some yelling. A few minutes later two burly looking men, both armed, camed up the stairs.

They looked like bounty hunters.

When they saw Rena, they pointed at her and yelled. "Oi! Have you seen a git in an overcoat and a scarf covering his ugly mug come up here?"

[Wrathwyrm]

She did not lower her guard when she heard the noise downstairs.  She may have turned in the direction of the noise, but her body language said 'I eat backstabbers for breakfast.'.  Rena had trained for years to measure up to the standards of her father, her grandfather, and Rattigan Von Krauser, the Earth Draconian warrior.  So yes, she was prepared for what she assumed would be a shaowy assassin trying to get the better of her, if it came at all.

It didn't, though.  Two men came upstairs and pointed at her, asking - nay, demanding - if she had seen someone that she thought she'd seen earlier in the day.  So, is that how it is, then?  Well, for the moment, Rena's expression remained unchanged, save for the slight narrowing of eyes.  She answered them, truthfully even.

"I haven't seen anybody up here, except you two.  You spoiled my nap."

The last part was slightly untrue, but that was only because...while she spoke it to the bounty hunters...she was actually directing it to the fellow that must've pounded on her door and hid.

"My suggestion to you two, from one working sword to another.  If he's here, he has a room.  If he's not in it, he's run off into the night or has business elsewhere.  It isn't worth raising hell at an inn at night.  You can't exactly miss a scarred man with a scarf and an overcoat, now can you?"

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

"Well sorry princes." said the other thug. "But this man is worth a fortune, and if we can bring his head back to Connoloath, ooohhh, well be set for life!"

"Shut it you fool!" the first man said as he elbowed the other man in the stomach. "THe whole world doesn't need to hear of this, if they did, the-"

A loud crashing noise interrupted the man, sounded like it came from downstairs. There were a bunch of yelling, and the sounds of punching.

"Is that jim?" the other man asked as he turned around.

"Looks like their beating some punk!" said the first man. "C'mon, it might be ugly."

The two men rushed back from where they came from, quickly heading downstairs.

[Wrathwyrm]

What was it about people and giving her weird monnikers lately?  First, it was Julien and his incessant pet-naming, now it was these two.  Yeah, she could've guessed that their target was worth a great deal of money.  Bounty hunters giving a damn about their surroundings was inversely proportional to the amount of money on the line.  Rena had taken on bounties herself, at times, and it seemed as though she was the more-professional sort in the business.

Just then, a noise was heard and the two guys turned to focus on that, remarking that some guy called Jim might be beating someone up.  At about this time, the room next to Rena's would give off a muffled "Aaargh!" of frustration, followed by barely-audible grumbling.  For those of you keeping track of things, Sano just lost his concentration on the matter of turning base metal to gold, leaving him with a smattering of gold coins among steel disks.  Rena went to his door and knocked.

"You alright in there?"

"Yes, I'm fine, sort of."

He sighed, irritably.  Rena now turned to her room and stepped inside, heading over to the wall where the window was located.  There, she seemed to wait a moment, and then spoke out loud.

"Okay, so it's been a couple of minutes.  Plenty of time for a quiet, stealthy person to sneak in after a bit of misdirection and all.  If I'm right about this, you can close the door and tell me what it's all about."

Any man who was being as stealthy as she was suspecting he was would be able to get in here and take an invitation when it was offered.

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

As expected, the sound of the door closing sounded behind her.

"Apologizes" a low, raspy voice followed the door closing, but nothing no more sounds happened after that.

[Wrathwyrm]

The door closed and an apology was made.  However, there was no follow-up explanation, as she'd asked.  This one was short-spoken, then, or embarassed.  It wasn't likely that he was afraid.  People with scars like that only fear 'The Pain', which any man can tell you is real torture.  In any case, it meant that Rena would have to basically grasp at information...which would be like pulling teeth.  She wasn't going to threate him, even though she kind of had him over a barrel.  Hmmm...  Why not just ask him?

"Sounds to me like whatever they want you for is either not true or something you're not proud of and want to somehow make amends for it.  I'm only basing that on the fact that you sought refuge instead of killing those guys, and that you seem to be polite.  Am I somewhere in the neighborhood of being right, though?"