Thalia sighed and shrugged her shoulders as Ravhin left. "I was hoping he'd be a better sport but I suppose he prefers the company of men over women." The assassin offered the Mage a smile. "Sorry for offending you, but I don't particularly care for Thaa'nas and I was hoping he would play along a little while longer." Her smile turned to a grin, "at least you prefer the company of attractive woman," she laughed. "If your skin is thick enough to overlook my poor sense of humor, I'd really like to hear about your inspiration for creating the golem. I can respect that, even if you are a Thaa'nas."

"Wait, don't just..." Faye turned around as Ravhin passed by her and soon disappeared in the crowd. She slightly extended her arms to the sides and clapped her thighs. "Aaand he's gone..." The woman stared for a little longer, considering whether its even worth it or not, and eventually turned back towards Illaya with a sigh. "So what is your twisted deal, huh?" Her frowning probably gave her more of an adorable look rather than a serious one, especially when her gaze kept jumping up and down.

Faye listened with her arms crossed, and when the woman mentioned her staying, she once more blushed and looked to the side. "Or I just have more time and patience for such nonsense..." The Mage dropped her arms with another sigh realizing how unconvincing her argument probably was, then continued. "Very poor sense of humor should you add... It's okay to not like Tha'anas, I don't like most of them myself but some of them are actually decent human beings you know? Anyway, if that's your hobby I'd strongly advise you finding a new one."

She turned her head to look at Altas before answering the next question, still being quite bitter. "Inspiration? Started making them as a child when I had to work in paper factory, improved them over the years thanks to research and elven magic so that they don't devastate the area with constantly channeled harea, making them potentially viable for mass usage. Anything else?" Faye honestly doubted this person would make any use of such knowledge, so she kept it as short as possible.

Lavernius gave her a soft smile and a chuckle. "It's a work in progress." He quipped as he thanked her for the food. As she left he went and covered the cup of coffee with a saucer as to save it for later.

Then he grabbed a knife and cut the ends off of the bread roll. He followed that up by then tearing off the remaining crust as to separate it from the soft insides. The bread was hot to the touch and the crust left cornmeal on his fingers. He then cut the cheese into cubes, popping one into his mouth which he chewed and rolled the bits over his tongue to enjoy the creaminess and strong flavor. The rest he dropped into the bowl of stew which he left alone for a bit then began stirring with a spoon. He watched the cheese melt and begin to stretch and follow the strokes of the spoon, looping around until it faded in the center. It looked like he was mixing paints, the cheese's off-white with the robust brownish red of the stew. As the last strands of cheese sank below the surface he grabbed the crust he had separated and tore it into strips which he dipped into the stew.

He scooped up pieces of vegetables, beef, and potatoes and popped the piece if bread into his mouth. The first thing he tasted was the spices, the powerful taste of salt felt bitter on his tongue as did the numerous other herbs that brought along their pungent aromas and flavors. The vegetables were stewed well, not too soggy as they still provided a bit of a bite. The meat was tender, pulling apart in strands as he chewed. They were juicy and brought a richness to the stew. The potatoes were also tender, breaking apart as he chewed them and added a nice consistency to the dish. He quickly ate his fill, using the remaining soft inside of the bread as a sponge to soak up the remnants of the stew still left in the bowl.

Finished with his meal, he wiped his hands and mouth with a napkin and placed it over the empty bowl and utensils. Uncovering the cup of coffee, he watched with satisfaction as tendrils of steam floated up to greet him, dancing along his cheeks like a woman's playful fingers. He pulled out his sketchbook and a charcoal stick and began drawing the scene in front of him. The woman was dead center in his work, and to her side was a shadowy figure holding a guitar. The shadow was humanoid in shape but there was no detail, only a simple silhouette. The guitar however was being sketched in detail, shading giving it dimension and curves for depth. When Lavernius looked up, his eyes only absorbed the subjects that were important, and to him it was who or what was making the music. The woman also came to life in his sketches. He drew how her hair cascaded down her face as it was frozen in an expression of passion and effort to display the power she was putting into her songs. He would occassionally interrupt his drawing by taking a sip of the nice roasted coffee or to erase unsatisfactory lines with the bread ends he had left over from his meal. As he worked, he noticed he was singing along, however he was singing the lyrics he had learned, the lyrics he had sung with her. The thought crept in his head and stayed there. He tried not to think about it but the thoughts began leaking over to his work, the woman's body became slender, and her eyes became soft, as if she was singing a love ballad. Lavernius sighed as he looked at who he had drawn, his fingers lightly stroked the smile on her face, smearing the charcoal across her cheek. He took his bread end and began to erase what he had drawn, he couldn't think about her now. It would only make things worse. With the figure now gone from the center of his sketchbook, he looked up and began again.

Mari backed off, scoffing to the man's comment. Hah funny joke old man she thought to herself. But as Marcus revealed information about this rival gang, Mari was all ears, carefully catching every single word he said and memorizing it. When the map was brought up, she a mental picture of the locations, memorizing the marked spots.

"Pleasure doing business with you Marcus. I'll have Hunter deliver you 200 pieces by tomorrow morning." she stated with a smile, moments before spinning on her toes and walking towards the exit.

This woman was definitely irked. Good.

Thalia chuckled at the woman before moving her hands in an apologetic motion, "I'm sorry, short girls get to me sometimes. You'll have to trust that harassing Thaa'nas and being a nuisance isn't a hobby of mine but more of an occupational side effect." She shrugged, "Old habits die hard, I suppose."

They're here for you child, you need to leave.

"I tell you what. Since I was very rude and disrespectful towards you for the sake of my own amusement, please allow me to take you out for a drink and perhaps something to eat. I haven't gotten much going on today so I'd like some company and perhaps a good conversation, if you can find it in your heart to forgive me." Thalia interlaced her fingers but kept them joined down her waist, using her arms to push her breasts together. She looked at the woman with an innocent smile and eyes practically begging for her approval, "Also, I never got your name."

"Im not sh-...!" The word worked as if someone pulled a trigger on a loaded gun, as Faye took a sudden half-step forward, pointing her finger at Illaya. "...-shhhwhatever..." Visibly fixed there for a second, she surprisingly quickly deflated back to normal, probably noticing the actual gap in height between the two.

"Occupational side effects?" The woman repeated. "What do you do for a living then?" The leather suit Faye so far considered just a choice of Baelthanese fashion, became slightly suspicious. A thought quickly put to a side by Illaya's further actions however.

"That is so, so, so unfair..."

"Listen, I see what you're trying to do here, alright? Besides, I thought you despise Tha'anas. Pretty sure you can find someone more 'entertaining' to occupy your time..." As the Mage kept talking, she slowly made her way towards the golem. "Also, Name's Faye..." She didn't want to give out her last name, just in case. This person was incredibly suspicious, especially given the way how she changed her attitude from an absolute...well...to this. If not for undeniable looks Illaya was definitely conscious of as well, Faye would've been long gone, as much as she hated the fact that she fell for the charm...Repeatedly... Stopping half way through, the woman spoke again, hating herself for her weak will. "Alright...Fine...But no funny business."

"I worked on a boat and in a market catching and selling goods. The Thaa'nas in the district I worked in took it upon themselves to harass all of the works, given that there were several magic users. Their interference was mostly a bother, so many of the common folk didn't get along with them." She shrugged.

Thalia stood her ground as the woman crept back towards her golem. "Okay, Faye of the Thaa'nas. Ill refrain from my antics for one afternoon." She waited for Faye to collect her golem before leading her through the crowd and back to the Dancing Horseman.

Kill the Mage. Gut her like a pig. Make her respect you.

She grit her teeth as she made her way into the crowd.

The Plaza suddenly divided and the crowd moved out of the way of some group. Everyone was hurriedly going out of their way to be out of the way and it’d be foolish not to do the same. Ashteroth Vysterious, the Commander of the Glorious Legion, like clockwork had begun his daily routine of passing by the entirety of Salvation Point alongside a squad of his men and a couple of Thaa’nas Swords.

The Commander himself lead his patrol at the front with two columns of men behind him. Both columns ended with a mage on watch. The Legionnaires and Vysterious wore their signature black and gold armor, and it shimmered under the noonday sun and the sound of their bootfalls seemed to grow louder as the music and festivities slowly simmered down.



Lavernius Mylarc, Faye Petralis & Thalia Valgeiros, the Dancing Horseman

Thalia lead Faye through the crowd and into the heart of the Plaza. As they did, the sound of rumors moved like a breeze, easily through the people’s mouth and ears.

Something happened in the Izukani Quarter, one of the people said.

Them twisted Izukani, probably their fault anyway.

I heard an explosion there earlier…

There was no explosion, you fool. Just your ears drummin’.

Despite the commotion, the female duo made it to the entrance of the inn and even Atlas made it in one piece even through the sheer volume of the people; they simply did not want to get in the way of it. Faye and Thalia saw that the Dancing Horseman had become lively, men were singing and drinking, smilng and jabbing at each other. Tables were very much full.

The innkeeper, Joyse Adeline, squinted slightly at Thalia before recognizing her.

“Ah, its you girl,” she said with a nod. “You hear to eat or just go up your room? Ah, a Thaa’nas, what brings you here miss?” The last sentence shifted entirely in tone, Thalia could make out the casual to the sudden blind respect.

The bard and the singer quickened the pace and melody of its next song and the crowd began to sing to its tune as well, getting giddy and excited.



Marianna Laranis, Plaza of the Monolith
As Mari left the Market of Six and went out into the Plaza, she saw the legionnaires and Thaa’nas on the move, their gilded armor shone under the sun. To her trained eye, she spotted something odd. She had watched the patrols yesterday when she arrived catalogueing their movement but she didn't remember others in the crowd that followed the legionnaires.

They looked like they were on business, moving in the crowd so expertly. Something was amiss here.

Thalia's step quickened up a bit at the mention of the commotion in the Izukani Quarter. It didn't so much alarm her, but she did not want to be a part of the flock coming together to hear and trade stories. The assassin also noticed the Legion Commander when he entered the Plaza with his escort and did well to hide among the crowd as he passed by. People of his working always managed to sniff out those with blood on their hands, and Thalia's were drenched.

It wasn't long after until they arrived at the Dancing Horseman, the commotion of the crowd keeping the commotion inside of Thalia's head to a minimum, though there were a few people she wanted to gut. Faye and Thalia were greeted inside the inn by the innkeeper, Joyce Adeline, who struggled to recognize the assassin. Thalia took it as a compliment. "My friend and I would like a table, Joyse. Either our own or with some interesting character. We don't mind." She leaned in close to Joyce's whisper in Joyce's ear, "and keep the ale coming."

She's judging you. Rip her hair out.

As Faye walked up to Atlas, she swiftly made her way to the top of the construct and sat there with her legs dangling as he started moving forward. It gave her a good overlook over whole plaza and made it much easier to not lose Illaya in the crowd. Rumors reached her ears but they were rather confusing. If there was in fact an explosion, they'd probably hear it, Izukani district wasn't so far away after all. Besides, if it was something serious there'd be more of a commotion, hopefully nothing to be worried about. As the Legionnaires entered the plaza, she lost her attention for a moment, adoring the view of armors shining in the sun. Bet they would've look even better in red light of a sunset.

When the woman turned her head back, she noticed the change of pattern and pace in Illaya's movement. It was...familiar, except her was more subtle and less sloppy than...His... Or maybe she was just imagining things at this point, thanks to whole oddity of this morning.

Arriving at the inn Faye jumped off Atlas' back with a gracious, yet gravity forced bow. The construct had to stay outside, but remained active standing motionless somewhere on the side. She walked inside and when asked by the innkeeper, smiled politely with a slight wince. "A skipped breakfast, for the most part." It was true, a sudden growl of her stomach back at the plaza was another reason she went along with Illaya. Looking around, Faye patiently waited to be assigned to a table. "Soo, that's where you stopped for the festival?" By no means she tried to be rude, just curious.

Mari's eyes scanned carefully the passing patrol, alongside the shadows following them in the crowd. It was hard to distinguish who the individuals were given the distance between herself and the convoy. But it smelled like trouble to her.

After the Legionaire patrol passed through the plaza, the place got loud again, with people singing and dancing, accompanied by music. Mari stood for a moment to admire the festivities, but that moment slowly faded as her sense of duty made itself present. In the blink of an eye, Mari was again on the move, swiftly maneuvering through the crowd and making her way towards the Izukani Quarter.

Lavernius gently blew on his sketchbook, watching the loose charcoal roll off the page. He flapped the page for good measure and looked satisfied and what he had drawn. The woman was elegant and poised, her face glowing with emotion and her hair was like an elegant frame. He wondered if he got her proportions right and at the same time wondered if he did it justice. Contemplating, the young man reached for his cup of coffee and brought it to his lips to find it empty. He looked about to call for a refill and breaking contact from his small world brought him into the now rowdy interiors of the inn. Realizing the maids probably had their hands full refilling the drinks of the drunk men. So, placing his belonging back in his pack, he took his empty cup and made his way to the bar, slipping through the rowdy patches of kids. "Joyce, I didn't want to bother the maids." He chatted. "I need a refill, this is a wonderful brew, may I get a kettle to take to my room? It's getting a bit too rowdy in here for me." Lavernius stated.

Thalia offered Faye a guilty smile, "They're usually the most friendly places."

As if on cue, a tall Crownlander man approached, wishing to take his party back to his room and giving up some room for Faye and Thalia. Usually the Baelthanese woman would have minded her own, but she caught herself staring at his hair. Thalia sheepishly tugged on the mans shirt to get his attention, "My friend and I," she nodded back towards Faye, "were just looking for a table and perhaps some good company. Might we trouble you while you wait for your kettle? I would really like to know who styles your hair."

Lavernius turned and as the girl talked, he gave her and her companion three glances. First he looked at their face, then his eyes flit to their body, then back to their face but more specifically the eyes. He was quick to glance back up when he looked at Thalia, hoping to not discomfort her with looking. When he looked at Faye, he took a shallow inhale which most would simply take as surprise, but to the more observant it would be anticipation, as if he was expecting something to happen when they made eye contact.

He teased at the bangs of his hair and then looked back, trying to peer through the jovial clumps of drinkers to see if he could see his small table and failing, he turned back and gave Thalia a sheepish smile. "I seem to have lost my seat, but if you're fine with the bar, I'd be happy to talk."

When Illaya's been trying to get them a table, Faye's been facing the other way, distracted with various decoration indoors. Besides the smell and loud drunkards, the place seemed actually kind of nice. Hearing she has been mentioned again, the girl turned around. "Oh..." At first she wanted to reproach the woman for inquiring of other random people again, but this time she felt it was justified.

There was no doubt the man was a Crownlander, but even during her time in Mitrhalhold she's never seen anyone with so many colors on one's head. Their reactions to each other were kind of similar, although Faye couldn't find a reason why'd he gasp seeing her. Her hair aside of being kind of messy was totally normal. Still, taking it as a sort of compliment, the Mage slightly tilted her head with a smile and waved, before taking her place on one of the bar stools. "If there's no free tables guess we don't have much of a choice now, huh?" Once more Faye had trouble with peeling her eyes off something she liked, staring at man's hair adoring how much work was put into the grooming, and how colors changed from one to the other.