Seclusion: The Xandria Journey

[Shenorai]

-=Seclusion: The Xandria Journey=-
-Part I: Homeward Bound-​

Crysta. To the locals, the city was just a simple city that is filled with its own comings and goings. To outsiders, it was a city of great bustle, known for the statues in the center of each square in the city. (Except for the statue in front of the clinic, of course.) In the center of town (between the market square and a square dedicated to restaurants and pubs) sat a pair of squares for some of the higher-paying jobs in town. These squares were made only for the guilds in the town. Just about any guild from the Ranger's Guild to the Necromancer's Guild to the Warrior's Guild could be found here.

In the square for non-magical guilds, the center adorned with the statue of a scrawny man with blades sticking out of his gloves (Silsorn the Cutter, so he was named), two neighboring guilds (one for mercenaries and one for bounty hunters) had recently merged together. The leaders of the guilds figured they both do the same job, so might as well form a connection between the buildings which just happened to join the Bounty Hunter's Guild's bar and the Mercenary's Guild's pub. It is still either the Bounty Hunter's Guild or the Mercenary's Guild (depending on who you ask), but that was not important.

Nowadays, competition for jobs and bounties were fierce. It wasn't easy for members from either side of the newly merged guild to get a decent paying job. Most of the jobs priced at 1,000 gold coins and beyond were taken by the quick ones. This was a bit of a bother for Shenorai Eterna, for none of the lower-paying bounties really caught her eye.

Save one.

Shenorai came across a bounty that was posted up for the price of 750 gold and silver coins. But it wasn't the price that made her accept the bounty. It was the location. The flyer for the bounty read;

-=Help Wanted=-
A small party is requested to remove demons
from a small village. A party of at least four is
recommended. Please bring this flyer to the
village of Xandria to receive complete information.
Fighting experience may be required.
Reward; 750 each in gold and silver.​

Shenorai was born in the village of Xandria. The village itself wasn't all that famous, considering it was a region of farms isolated at the edge of a forest. Shen didn't like the idea of returning to her hometown, but it didn't seem like anyone else was taking the bounty. Not that she knew of anyone in the guild who had any demon experience to take up the little extermination job.

She ripped the flier off of the bulliten board and walked towards the local pub, reading it over once or twice to make sure she didn't misread it. What kind of demons would bother with such a small village? she thought to herself. As she pushed the door to the pub open, she didn't seem to take her eyes off of the flier. Her feet carried her to a booth seat in the corner and she absentmindedly sat down, her mind dwelling in deep pools of thought.

"...Xandria...it's been, what, five years?" Shen quietly asked to what seemed like no one.
Sounds about right, responded a feminine voice in her head. Are you sure you want to go back, though?
"...I dunno," she barely whispered. Her voice seemed to trail off as her mind wandered into the past. She wasn't even sure if Xandria would be the same as she left it...with the exception of the demons, of course.

 

[Howl]

Between the rapid bustle of the local businesses, a tall, seemingly irritated man paced hastily towards the bar. He had a horribly petulant look on his face as he forcefully marched his way between the crowds. “What the…I just…I can’t…” He stopped in his tracks and held his breath, frustratingly crumpling a wad of paper up in his hands. “Damn it, I can’t believe this!” He smacked his hand against his forehead and rubbed his thumb roughly along his brow line. He hurriedly ripped the paper open again and gazed across the surface. “God!” He blurted. He rolled his eyes and scoffed, and continued walking through the crowd. Upon reaching the entrance to the bar, he took a step back and nonchalantly gave the door a big ruthless kick. “Idiots,” he muttered.
Once inside he quickly stomped his way towards the bar, took a seat, and slammed his head down on the counter. "Give me something rough."

 

[Shenorai]

As the door was kicked open, the eyes of the majority of the customers flew up to see today's newcomer. Once he sat down, murmurs soon returned to casual conversation.

"What's eatin' you?" asked the bartender, who was already preparing a strong concoction for his new frustrated customer. Besides the mundane brown-hair-brown-eyes that most of the locals seem to have, the bartender was rather scrawny and unkept. He wore simple clothing and looked as though he just rolled out of bed and opened the bar right afterwards. Which he did a few hours back, but that's not important.

Shenorai glanced over at the bar and saw the slumped figure. Even if she didn't see his face, she already knew who it was. Shen took herself, her flyer, and whatever current belongings she had to the bar and sat a seat away from the man.

"I'll take his bill, Ben," Shen said to the bartender. "And could I get my usual?"
"Sure," Ben shrugged, pouring the man's drink and setting it in front of him. He then went on ahead with Shenorai's order.
"So," Shen addressed the frustrated man, leaning on the bar a bit, "what's new?"

 

[Howl]

"I'm a wanted man. I-I swear I'm about to split." He slid the torn paper over towards the woman. "There's a warrant out for my arrest." He shook his head and dropped his fist on the counter. Ben lifted his head up from behind the counter and slid a bottle if liquor towards the the tempramental man.

"You know how much the award money is for my capture?" He took a quick swig from the bottle and hit his fist on the counter again. He raised his head and looked up towards the woman. "200 in worthless bloody silver. 200...they've sullied my name, Shen." He laughed and gave her a nudge on the shoulder. "What in God's name are you doing around here?"

 

[Shenorai]

"I work around here, of course. I'm sure you didn't forget my profession already, Eldon," Shenorai reminded him. Though, she can't quite say she blames him for almost getting ready to snap.

Ben placed a tall glass of tea in front of Shenorai, bearing a darkened honey sort of color. Shen placed two pieces of silver on the bar before plucking up the glass and taking a slow sip from it. Quite refreshing, if she would say so herself.

Shen glanced back at her own flyer and had a hint of an idea. She placed it in front of her bewildered collegue, willing to help him however she can.

"What you need," she began, "is to get out of this city. I'm pretty sure there are other bounty hunters who are desperate enough to try hunting you as well." After another sip of her tea, she continued, "I was thinking of heading out to deal with this one. There's a forest, a river, and a chain of mountains between here and that village. Last I checked, it's not all that big. From here, it's a month's journey by foot, a week's journey by horse, or a just a few day's trip on a motorcycle, if you want to rent one of those."

If Eldon was listening at all, he wasn't the only one. Ben was leaning forward a little as he was cleaning the glass, as though he wanted to go as well. Shen noticed an annoying shadow on the flyer and glanced up at him. Once Ben realized he was being stared at, he cleared his throat and said, "Sorry. I'll keep my mouth shut."

 

[Howl]

"Still scouring the earth for trash, huh? How long has it been since we've seen each other?" He shook his head. "No clue..." He stood up and stretched his legs, then leaned over onto the counter. He snatched the new piece of paper up off of the counter and skimmed over it a few times, tapping his foot against the floor in the process. "Hahaha." He let out a muffled laugh. "Demons? You're crazy lady."
He turned his attention towards Ben who was looking towards Eldon as if to question whether or not another drink was in order. Eldon waved his hand as if he wasn't interested anymore. He turned his attention back towards Shenorai. "I don't have money for a motorcycle. And unless you've got a horse hidden under that cape, it looks like we're walking."
"But..."He smiled and gave her a wink. "I know you're not in this one for the money, tell me what's up. Excited to be going home?"

 

[Hyoutan]

Welcoming buildings, lovingly decorated with no regard for military functionality, lined beautiful streets where families shopped for delicious fresh foods and luxuries that had long since become social necessities. These mysterious treasures fulfilled imaginary roles in the mind of the vagrant young foreigner who stared in genuine, though reserved amazement at a world he’d never seen. A world where skies were kind and blue, where the ever so bright sun was allowed to shine freely over grateful green flora, and where the very air tasted sweet and refreshing.

The ruckus of a bustling city day muted the clank of the meandering youth’s gaudy, warm and cool decorated armor, but he still got the stares he hadn’t quite yet gotten used to. He didn’t dress funny like they did, after all, and he would accidentally walk against the many invisible roads that made up a city street, and his complete ignorance of where he was going probably didn’t help. However, one passing man was nice enough to point him to where he needed to head to first if he was going to get any money to survive.

“10 silver.” The dingy oddity shop’s greyed owner offered for the unusual red toothed jaw.

“That’s hardly a pebble to a mountain for that sort of beast's trophy.” Unless the currency exchange is so different from those of the merchants who frequent Rizitian posts, the young stranger considered skeptically. A bit of anger read on his face at the possibility of being duped, but what he was really feeling was disappointment in what may have been a bad choice of goods, or a worse choice in store. The sorry trinkets littering the place were an indication of the latter.

“Maybe. But I have no guarantee of it’s authenticity, and I’m being more than generous with this offer considering the demand for such a piece and my current financial position. You’ll get no better exchange.” The shopkeep smiled what must have been sympathetically at his perplexed and frustrated patron before offering up another word. “But, given your circumstances, I’d also be willing to share information on another place you could earn some money, if you’d like.”

“Of course!” His blue eyes brightened up in interest, and he straightened as he swept up what orange spikes of hair were drooping over his circlet-guarded third socket.

“Deal.” The man immediately took the unusual creatures jaw under the counter and came up with a stack of silver coins that chimed triumphantly as they hit the counter. “Follow the road a few blocks until you find a fountain. From there, it should be easy to find the next square near the mercenary guild. Ask for help if you get lost.”

“That’s all?” The youth picked up and looked over his meager reward, before snapping his head up with a crooked look. “Wait, there’s only 9 silver.”

“More than a fair price for golden information.” The crooked man responded. “You’ll get far more money there than you’ll ever lose trading obscure objects to the wrong market, kid. The Mercenary guild is the place for a warrior to earn money around this city. Good luck.”

A bit disgusted, the armored traveler was glad to leave the awful old man’s store in pursuit of his only lead, as fruitless as it might end up being. Hopefully not everyone around here was so self serving, but he knew nothing of this place, and could only hope that wasn’t an example of a GOOD person. Regardless, a deep fresh breath and a new wondrous sight later, and he had forgotten all about his troubles once more. This place really was a sort of paradise, as crowded and alien as it was. Maybe after getting set up, there would be time to see what sort of marvels of advancement or insight it might offer.

 

[Shenorai]

As soon as 'going home' was mentioned, emotion was wiped clean from Shenorai's face. She took a longer sip, as though to bide herself time from answering. Once her lips left the glass, there wasn't much left of the tea. Shen managed to hold back a sigh as she set the glass back on the counter, obvious that this was something she certainly wasn't looking forward to.

"...I'm more concerned for my family than anything, Eldon," she spoke solemnly. "Surely, you would've been as well. I doubt they have any defense against much of anything, let alone demons. Hell, the village is mostly made up of farmers, last I checked."
That was five years ago, Shen, the voice reminded her. Shen paused a moment, listening. They might have a militia by now.
"...doubt they'd send the bounty if that were the case," Shen mumbled as she stared at the counter. Ben gave an odd look at her little schizophrenic moment, but she easily ignored it.

Shen gave another glance towards the flier for her village and paused for a moment. ...a party of at least four... Once Shen sucked down the remaining tea, the glass was taken and cleaned.

"...we may have to do a bit of recruiting before we leave anyway," Shen pointed out. "Not sure what kind of demons are running about, but if you had this sort of problem, how many would you ask for to take care of the problem?"

 

[Kohvalai]

Unfriendly buildings standing like mountains beared down on the unforgiving stone streets. Pale people walked in families, their bizzare clothes covering them completely (even their arms!). The only plants around were strange barren trees unlike anything found back home. The air was cold and sharp, with the taste of people and stone and labor. The day was filled with a cacophony of sounds. Vendors hawking their wares, the slam of a wooden door, families and friends talking amongst themselves, the footsteps rapping off the cobblestones. Horses and dogs and birds making the noises their known to make. And the beating of thousands of hearts making a discordiant melody flowing behind the stone and wood.

What am I doing here? This place is terrible! Paeakhe thought gloomily, but only for an instant. It wasn’t terrible, merely foreign. And freezing cold, he thought with a shiver. Where do they get all the stone!? Truly, this place was surely a sight to see. He tried to meet the eyes of all the people giving him strange looks, for fear of seeming rude. Unfortunately this becomes an impossibility when you stand out like a beacon and during midday in a trading city.

Nonetheless, there was a smile on his face as he looked around him, and his boots barely making a sound as they bounced across the paved road His spear rested idly against one shoulder, and his sachel slung over the other. Another shiver hit him, and he sighed to himself. The ward was wearing off, and while he could remake it, he was hesitant to do so. Not only was it a waste of energy, but he had no idea how these strange people would react to the most common of things. No, it would be best to get something hot and refreshing, instead of spending more of himself.

As he entered into another of the squares of the city, he stopped to look around at the marvels surrounding him. The enormous stone buildings were still a shock to him, and the statues! Though they were rather strange, they were beautiful and alien and, well, amazing. He scanned the surroundings and came upon a merchant's stall off along one of the other sides of the square. Not exactly running over to the stall, he gave the man a friendly smile and paused for a second. When he finally spoke, his words were in an extremely heavy accent. "Hello good sehr, may...I..." His words trailed off as a casual glance to his side left him speechless.

There was a man. Giant by Paeakhe's standards, though not much taller then the other giants of this city. But he was encased in metal, with hair the color of fire! Paeakhe just stared, unsure how to react even to the sight of this person. The sheer aliennessof him. Unconciously his grip tightened slightly on his spear. "Aemorai Kohvalai..." he said wonderingly.

 

[Hyoutan]

Was this really what he should be doing? Had he been cast out of his old life as a hunter of beasts, only to start anew as a hunter of wanted men and whatever else was worth a coin? It just didn’t feel right. Still, he needed money, so the vagrant was in no position to doubt his only hint for an income.

The young stranger tried to walk purposefully through the chaotic rabble, but his instructions were so vague that he had no idea if he was even headed the right way (regardless of whether or not that way was right). Before he could help it, his steps were shackled by the weight of uncertainty, and he found himself aimlessly gazing at the wonderful buildings and streets and sky once more. He stopped, took in a deep breath in appreciation of what he had already obtained from this lovely place, and did his best to exhale his problems with the bad air. It was then that he felt the intangible nudge of staring eyes, and the uncomfortable tickle of whispered words, and he instinctively glanced to one of the many new gawking strangers. But as he looked over with furrowed brows, he realized this man was strange in a completely different way than the others.

It was a short and lithe young man, who’s blue eyes he caught gawking at him were complimented by his unusually dark skin. He was more covered by his tattoos than what he used as clothing, and a beautiful spear rested over his shoulder. The awkward moment of realization that he himself was staring back at the other foreigner was immediately struck down by a convenient truth.

“You must be a warrior.” The steel clad youth’s voice was artificially gruff, and much more confident than he was. How could you survive battles without even a semblance of armor, or even reasonable clothing for that matter? But no, he had to be right: You don’t just carry a nice spear like that around for no reason. He clattered a step closer. “Would you tell me how to find to the mercenary guild? I am a sharpened blade in need of a job.”

 

[Howl]

"Pshh," Eldon sputtered. "I got this under control." He let out a small chuckle. "The only thing we need new recruits for is to carry my bags." He turned and gave Shenorai a big, stupid grin and laughed again. “In all seriousness though…I probably shouldn’t hang around the city for too long…Maybe this trip will help clear my head after all.” He lifted his arm up and scratched the back of his head in thought. “As a matter of fact…” He turned around and took a quick glance out the window. “…I’ve got a few things to take care of while I’m in the area, now that I think about it.”

He turned around and faced Shenorai again, and quickly changed the subject. I’m sure Xandria is still the same old town it used to be…Can’t say I’ve been there in recent years…” Eldon had a puzzled look on his face. “It’s probably been…what…eight whole years for me. Last time I was in Xandria was on a six-month dispatch...I was only 20 at the time.” He shifted his weight to his left leg. “Not my kinda town. Too dead if you ask me…”

After a momentary silence, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, seemingly inexpensive, brassy colored coin, and tossed it in Ben’s direction. “Buy yourself something cheap” he joked. Eldon turned towards Shenorai and continued what he was saying. “I’ve got a few errands to run before I get going. I’ll probably be swinging by a few neighboring towns. In the meantime, you keep your eyes peeled for some escorts.” He gave her a quick wink and started walking towards the door. “Catch ya later,” he said, and disappeared into the crowds.

 

[Shenorai]

"Eh, later. I'll be here for a little while," Shenorai said as she waved a temporary farewell to her friend. She didn't find much humor at his attempted joke this time. Her heart felt too heavy to find humor in...well...anything at the moment.

Eldon was at the village when you were twelve, said the voice, rather out-of-the-blue.
Shen seemed to zone out as her chin rested on her propped hands. If he was there a year later...
"You're lookin' a bit blue," noted Ben, interrupting her thoughts. "How about a cup of hot tea instead of iced. On the house."
"Thanks," Shen mumbled, fishing out a few copper coins anyway.

Ben, taking the coins gladly, already filled a kettle with water and set it on a nearby stove. Shen took the two fliers and took another look at them. She folded the wrinkled flier thrice and stuffed it in one of her pockets, lest someone else walks in and reads the flier. The flier for Xandria was merely moved in front of her. Though she's probably read it a dozen times by now, Shen just stared at it, contemplating what sort of demons would be running amok.

A few minutes afterwards, a cup upon a saucer was placed on top of the paper, snapping Shenorai's attention back. She nodded a thanks to Ben as she merely pushed the lemon wedge sitting upon the lip into the steaming hot, honey-colored water. Shen glanced over at the door, wondering how soon she'd find some people. Knowing Eldon, he wasn't going to wait long as it is, let alone with a price on his head.

 

[Senor Senior]

::Reaching out of the folds of his tattered cape, a lone youth feels the weight of his coin purse. With a pleased grin, he returns the pouch to his waist, fastening it under his belt. The sun beats down on the boy, as he stands alone and still, creating a tiny break on the otherwise packed and busy street. Every now and again, a child, or an old man would stop to openly stare at the stranger. Compared to the rest of the denizens of this city, the boy was dressed quite oddly. The details of his frame remain hidden behind a tattered blue cape, the collar of which folds about the bottom half of his face, hiding it like a scarf. His long brown hair lies in a mess atop his head, successfully covering everything else save his eyes. And his eyes seemed to be the most uncanny bit about him, as the right one was a rich red colour, while his left eye was almost the colour of the midday sun, spotted with snow.::

::These erratic eyes scan the streets, searching for what, only the boy knows. Suddenly, a slender young child, no more than six or seven in age bumps into the stranger. Surprised, the caped man looks down at the little girl who stumbled into him. With an apologetic sort of nod, the girl wanders off again. Just as abruptly as she had appeared, the girl melts into the crowd once more.::

::Now far removed from the boy in the cape, the girl is surrounded by her comrades. She reaches into the folds of her dress and retrieves what appears to be the strangers coin purse! With a grin, she hefts it adoringly in front of her friends.::

Pickpocket girl: "It feels so heavy! It must be full of gold!"

::Jealous of her good luck, one of the boys questions her.::

Pickpocket boy: "No way. Did you see the way he was dressed? His cape was all raggedy! There's no way anyone with so much money would wear such a worn rug on their backs!"

::Miffed, the girl tries to defend herself.::

Pickpocket girl: "What would you know?! He's probably a bounty hunter, or merc who just made it big!"

::Shaking his head, the leader of the adorable band of pickpockets addresses his young followers.::

Boss pickpocket: "Let's just open it up and see what's in it, why don't we?"

::In agreement, the girl hurriedly pries the pouch open, turning it upside down to shower the contents into her waiting hand. Her face lights up in excitement as the coins begin to tumble out! However, as the contents of the bag are easily bled, it appears that the bag was full of neither silver nor gold, only stones! Open mouthed, the boy speaks his mind.::

Pickpocket boy: "No wonder it was so heavy... he filled it with rocks."

::With a start, the girl realizes what must have happened. In a hurry, she begins to pat herself, checking her person to find if she still carried the loot she had stolen before she encountered the boy in unusual garb. With a look of utter horror, she exclaims.::

Pickpocket girl: "My coins, everything I stole today, it's all gone!"

::Meanwhile, in another part of town, the boy unknowingly approaches the "Mercenaries Guild". Beneath his cape, he slides the coins he conned from the pickpocket earlier through his hand and into a new pouch, counting them as he goes.::

Foreign boy: (Forty four coins...)

::As he walks by the local pub, he pauses to study the seemingly infinite wanted posters. He steps back a few paces, and tries to make sense of the strange missions.::

Foreign boy: "Forty four coins..."

Strange boy: (I don't know how far that will get me in this town. And since I'm here, I might as well try my hand at a mission... However, I'm unfamiliar with many of these terms and conditions... I should choose an easy bounty.)

::He looks around, now purposefully searching for a bounty to fit his needs.::

Foreign boy: (There's still far too many choices... Well, I'll just pick one at random.)

::In a flash, the boys hand erupts from his cape, and a small dagger flies out heading for the wall. With a small thud, the blade digs itself dead center into one of the bounties, and the boy is not far behind his knife. He digs it out of the wall, and returns it to his person while tearing the mission poster down from the wall. He quickly looks it over, memorizing the details.::

-=Help Wanted=-
A small party is requested to remove demons
from a small village. A party of at least four is
recommended. Please bring this flyer to the
village of Xandria to receive complete information.
Fighting experience may be required.
Reward; 750 each in gold and silver.​

Foreign boy: (This will do...)

::Tucking the flier away, he heads into the pub, hoping to find a guide to Xandria village...::

 

[Shenorai]

As another potential customer wandered in, the bartender glanced over and finished wiping down the end of the bar. Draping the rag over his shoulder, the bartender gave one of his best welcoming smiles to the blue-clad lad.

"Welcome, stranger! Anything I can get ya?"

The woman in red, sitting at the bar, merely shook her head at the bartender's enthusiasm and sipped her tea. The brew was indeed warm and soothing, yet lightly laced with the lemon's sour touch. Just as she liked it at this time of year. Her dark violet eyes wandered towards the blue stranger for a moment before returning to the flyer in front of her.

What do you think? Shen addressed the voice mentally.
Of what, the new guy? she checked.
No, the bartender. Of course the new guy, Leondra.
Very funny. Leondra paused for a moment before speaking to Shen again. He definitely has potential. You going to talk to him or are you going to just wait?
Shen's silence seemed to answer her question.
I see...well, better than seeming desperate, I suppose.

 

[Senor Senior]

::For a few moments, the foreigner stares directly at Ben, seeming to try and recognize him. The boy uses this tactic however to scan the room instead. He notes that most of the inhabitants of the bar seem older, burlier and deadlier than him. A few heads turn momentarily to spy him in turn, but immediately return to whatever pressing issues they were attending to previously, obviously unimpressed with the seemingly scrawny boy.::

Foreigner: (Perfect)

::He quickly strides to the bar, and takes a seat one spot away from the lady in the red overcoat. He gently places his palm on the bar top, dropping several bronze and silver coins. With a nod, he addresses Ben. When he speaks, his voice is low, but no whisper. His manner appears to be quiet and calm, however capable of holding his own.::

Foreigner: "Milk. A mug of."

::Counting on the bartender to be shocked as to the generous amount of money he offered for a simple mug of milk, the foreigner procures the flier he had acquired outside, and slides it towards the bartender, intentionally leaving it in plain view of the lady in red.::

Foreigner: "Also, I need to know how to get there..."

::Bad at social interactions, the stranger counts on his coin to do his talking. He hopes the bartender will accept his money and offer some decent advice and directions in return.::

Foreigner: "And if you have any words of advice, they'd be most welcome..."

 

[Shenorai]

Ben quirks a brow as he skims over the flyer. It's quite similar to...

He cleared his throat as he gets out a mug. "Why don't you ask Shenorai instead? She's right beside you."

Shen gave Ben a rather annoyed glare. Sure, force him onto me, why doncha... She merely glanced at the flyer, seeing that it was indeed identical to hers, before taking yet another sip of her tea. Once the stranger's eyes were upon her, she realized that she pretty much had to say something about that particular mission.

"...you sure you can handle demons, of all things?" she asked as a quick test. Apparently, first impressions indeed matter at this point, for she loathes working with those bearing large egos.

A mug of clean, white liquid was placed in front of the stranger. Ben only took enough money to pay off the milk. He felt that directing a person to someone else isn't worth five silver pieces, let alone one. He certainly wasn't desperate enough financially to take all of it for no reason.

 

[Senor Senior]

::The foreigner studies the woman quickly, his eyes curious but not prying. Upon her query, he simply shrugs.::

Wullfe: "Shenorai. I am known as Wullfe."

::Wullfe picks up his mug and casually glances over at the five silver pieces left on the table. Bereft of manners, and well aware of his inability to socialize, Wullfe returns his steady gaze to the woman.::

Wullfe: "As far as demons are concerned, I've never fought one..."

::Wullfe pauses a moment, to sip deeply from his mug. By the time he sets it down again, half the milk is gone. Considering his next words carefully, he continues.::

Wullfe: "However, a wise man once told me, 'The strong stay quiet while the weak start riots.' If these demons are indeed causing such a commotion, then chances are they're not at all that strong. Probably just using scare tactics and their numbers."

::Realizing that he had been rambling, Wullfe catches himself and finishes his sentiments.::

Wullfe: "Then again, what do I know? I'm just making what I believe to be educated guesses..."

::Even though he appeared to have been genuine and honest, Wullfe had chosen everything from his words to his body language carefully.::

Wullfe: (It would be unwise to just blindly tell this stranger everything... regardless of how open and trustworthy her friend, the bartender may be.)

::Wullfe waits for Shen to address him, hopefully with the promise of aid.::

 

[Shenorai]

A smile appeared upon her lips. Shen was quite pleased to know that she wouldn't be stuck with someone obnoxious. She raised her cup to take another sip, but realized there was nothing left of it besides a steaming lemon wedge. Setting it back down, Shen made eye contact with Wullfe.

"It is also easier and quicker to kill in numbers than alone, no matter what strength you are. Did the wise man know that, too?"

She paused to let her words of advice sink in a little before continuing.

"Well, I was going to head out for this mission as well. I'll take you along with me as long as you help me with this." Shen paused a moment as she pulled her eyes away from Wullfe, lingering on the fliers again. "...the village in question is my hometown. Obviously, I'm not going for the money, but to ensure my family's safety."

Silence fell between them. The more she lingered on the thought of seeing her village again, the more hesitant she was about going altogether. Ben clearing his throat seemed to break the silence.

"...you want a refill?" he offered, hoping to break the awkward silence somehow.
"I'm all right, thanks," Shen said, sounding like she was dismissing him as she did so. Her eyes met Wullfe's once more. His were more unusual than hers, she realized. She finally continued, "I know I can't do this on my own. Are you going to help me with this or no?"

 

[Kohvalai]

The whole situation was rather confusing, really. At first he was rather pleased that this bizarre stranger took him for a warrior, but the continuation of his statement was something Paeakhe took a moment to grasp. Then another moment. Mercenary guild? A guild was a little like a clan, he remembered. Though, not family, it was a merchant's business. But a mercenary... That's a warrior who fights for coin? Yes, that seemed right. So a mercenary guild is a clan where warriors can be bought? It didn't make any sense. Though, Ajhaena had told him that story of the Naevadimrak who... His train of thought paused for a second... Right! The metal clad man!

He shook his head back to the present, and the feathers in it performed a colorful little dance. Paeakhe opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, not sure what to say. "Ahhh...Mehrsenahri...klahn? I do not know...hwhat you are talking of... I am new here... As you are?" Paeakhe winced after the words came out. What a rude question! But it was already asked, what could you do? His attempts to organize his unruly thoughts were put off by a voice to his side. Ah, yes, the stall keeper! He was a short, wiry old man with his long grey hair tied back from his face, and a well trimmed beard decorating his face. He spoke in the kindly but gruff voice of a man who was sympathetic to the strange young lads' situation, but had a business to run.

"See here, I've no meaning to be rude to you strangers, but I ask that you don't block an old man's stall, odd looking folks like yourself as like to keep my customers away as a couple of guardsmen in a brothel! If you be looking for the mercenary's guild it's only one square away. Just follow that west road till you reach the square with a statue of a guy with a few too many knives, there's a bar in that part what belongs to the guild, perfect place for a couple of young lads who like stabbing things to find work!" He gave the boys a conspiratorial smile, and added, "Now you louts ought to be out seeing the world, not gaping at an old codger like me! You boys get moving so I can make an earning!"

Paeakhe was a bit baffled by the scolding. The man talked a bit to fast for him to quite keep up, and once he got it all down, he was sure there must have been a mistake. Why, he just wanted a warm drink! He was ready to say so until the obvious hit him in the face about as hard as a man who figured you looked at his sister a bit to close. He didn't have a single coin on him since his last foray into a city. Smiling weakly, he asked for directions to the mercenary's guild again.

 

[Senor Senior]

::By now, Wullfe has finished most of his milk, and nurses what little remains. Each time Shenorai looked him in the eye, he tried his best to hold her gaze, even though his natural instinct was to look away. Growing up, Wullfe had often been teased and picked on because of his unique eyes, and as such, almost always try to avoid eye contact with anybody, to hopefully avoid conflict. Done with his drink, he replaces the mug, and sighs. He seems to carefully consider his next words, trying to decide how best to express his thoughts.::

Wullfe: "No, but the wise man believed with all his being, that the weak are ruled by the strong, and the strong are ruled by the wise."

::He pauses for a moment, to nod to the bartender.::

Wullfe: "Barkeep. Refill, please."

::He turns once more to look into Shenorai's dark purple eyes.::

Wullfe: "I believed his teachings. That no matter how overwhelmingly powerful your opponent, or how outrageously outnumbered you may happen to be, you can always win in anything if you use your brain as well and not just brawn alone."

::With a humble nod, he emphasizes his next point.::

Wullfe: "I may not be overly muscular, or ridiculously strong, however, I'm more than sure that I can be of at least some assistance due to my experiences in war."

::Unconsciously, Wullfe begins to play with the coins on the table.::

Wullfe: "And if you need my help, I'm in..."

::To make his intentions perfectly clear, he finishes his speech.::

Wullfe: "As long as I get my cut of the money..."

Wullfe: (By the way she said "...Obviously I'm not in it for the money..." it would mean that the reward is not much at all... and it would also mean that with what little money I have now, I'm officially destitute.)

::Averting her eyes for a moment, Wullfe clears his throat. With what appears to be shame, he makes his next request.::

Wullfe: "Erm. You probably don't know this, but I'm new around these parts, and all I've got to my name are the clothes on my back... So, you might have to cover for me until I get paid..."

::As soon as he's done, he looks at her again, his eyes assuring her that he'd repay her as soon as physically possible.::

Wullfe: (However, the experience should prove to be priceless.)

::He rises, and stands before Shenorai.::

Wullfe: "I'll join you, if you agree to my terms..."