Shattered Innocence (IC) [M]

[Lisky]

Garis let Kshar try her best while he threw on the cloak, he added some encourging words, and before he left, he told her, "now try playing around with your abilities as long as you feel comfortable doing it. if something seems wrong, you can feel free to stop. when i get back i'll go and get you some real practice in, but for now, as much as i'd love to spend some more time teaching you, i've got to go and get this bounty removed so we aren't perpetually hunted... once that's done, instead of worrying about being attacked, i can get you started on some more advanced techniques"

... in his search through the piles of clothing Garis found some leather bracers and a nice adventurer's shirt...

with the clothing now donned, Garis headed down stairs to get ready to go... while walking he changed from a black and silver wolf into a snow white tiger, the sharp contrast of black and white was almost painful, but it seemed to draw attention away from his red clan mark.  to add a little something to the disguise, he changed his eye color to blue, added a ragged mop of blond hair to his head, and added a scar directly along the path of his clan symbol... figuring he could explain he got the 'tattoo' to try and hide the scar.

Nodding toward Ked and Eilan, he said, "well, looks like we're good to go, hopefully Kshar gets the hang of things while were gone... but i think it's more important that we get moving as fast as possible. if we can get this bounty removed it'll make moving around a lot safer for all of us... even those of us who are no longer with us"  he smirked, hoping Ked had also picked up the fleeting thoughts of Rafielle before his depart.

[Noone]

Eilan quickly turned around to Garis. "Wait, what do you mean by no longer with us?" Eilan took some glances around. With a resigned sigh, he decided not to press the issue. "Oh forget it, lets go." Eilan motioned to his companions to follow.

Travel took around an hour, much of the stretch was open road, though some parts had housing complexes on the sides of the road. The snow was manageable, light, though at one point a flurry of snow passed by them. Eilan however, didn't take the snow too harshly, and he kept going. He was silent for the journey. He kept up a stressed expression, in part of anger, in part of helplessness. Eilan looped through what he thought would happen in the conversation in his mind, though in most, Brady ended up not being pliable at all. Some of his thoughts pertained to how Brady could ever let Kassin's bounty go through, he had usually been good about his sources, Eilan had even taken several jobs from him. Eilan shook his head, none of that mattered to him, just how he could pry Brady into either giving up his source, or into convincing him to take the bounty off.

"Here we are, Dhallon." He looked around, observing activity inside the buildings that surrounded him.   He walked at a fast pace, adrenaline rushing through his system in prospect of the confrontation between him and Brady. He continued to try and convince himself not to do anything rash, though with his level of stress, there was the distinct possibility he might lose his temper. After some more traversing through the streets, he eventually came to a building. It was 2 floors high, and the structure seemed sturdy. The smell of alcohol could be smelled from outside the door.

"Adventuring lodges like these tend to double as mini-bars. The more administrative side is on the second floor. Try not to attract too much attention if you can avoid it." Eilan opened the door.

The inside seemed quite loud and active, adventurers, so it would seem, drinking around tables, having dinner, telling tales. Many of them were loud, much of their speech was obnoxious as well. No one came to greet Eilan as he and his companions went through. Eilan crossed through the bar, no one came to stop them. He went down some hallways, upstairs. The environment on the top floor was much different, it looked to be more of an office and none of the walls had beer-stains, or the smell of alcohol fumes. There was however, a lot of activity up here. The hallways were small, but often decorated with paintings, pictures, or medals. Eilan eventually came to a door. "Here he is..." He knocked on it.

"Ehhh, who is it? I don't have any appointments at this time." A voice from the other side said.
"Well, now you do, so open up!" Eilan replied, gritting his teeth. His fingers twitched, as if he were barely holding on to his anger.

A sigh could be heard from the other side, with a resigned tone, the voice said. "Come in..."

Eilan opened the door into Brady's office. It was a simple looking office, and had chairs along the sides, and decorations on the walls. A canine being was sitting at a desk, covered in piles upon piles of paperwork. He has brown fur, and looked to be in his late thirties, or perhaps early forties. His clothing is remarkably well polished, and his black cephalic hair is well groomed. If he were standing, he would probably be around five foot eleven. He wore an exasperated look to his face. From a name-tag on his desk, it was pretty clear that this is Brady.
His thoughts were cloudy, currently thinking about documents, letters, paperwork, and other forms of bureaucratic nonsense, keeping track of payments, bounties, and contracts dealing with many individuals. It's boring beyond belief.

Brady took a sigh, closed his eyes and shook his head, looking disappointed. He turned his gaze to Eilan. "I really had hoped you wouldn't find out."

Eilan let out a soft growl as he looked at Brady, his fingers twitched more rapidly. He looked at Brady with an uneasy stare.

"But..." Brady continued, looking at those that were with Eilan. "I thought you would have come here alone..." Brady stood up, his thoughts were still focused on his paperwork. "but... it appears you have not.. and I have not seen any of you before..." He raised his left eyebrow, implying that he would like to know who they were.

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Kassin calmed himself down and smiled. Still, the topics on which he wanted to speak were anything but joyous. However, keeping them inside only served to make him more cranky.

"I've been thinking... about what has been happening since we met at the Willow, one calamity after another. I just can't piece any of it together, and I keep thinking, is this my fault? I can't shake the feeling that it should be something I can control, something I haven't been doing that I should be, or should have done to prevent this disaster from happening. Now..." he shook his head and paused for a moment.

"I know those two hunters that came for us before... I could tell, in their hearts, they really believed us to be monsters. I don't know... can they be blamed for feeling such a way, even if it lead them to try and harm me? I can't shake the feeling that more would suffer... and I'm indirectly at fault."

"But... I think I'm most worried about those that have decided to aid me, I truthfully don't feel comfortable attracting that kind of devotion, I know that friends help one another, but I kind of feel that a restricting bondage of the kind that has been forced upon us isn't fair to you, or to any of the others. I mean, I know I did aid them all at one point, but... I don't feel comfortable having to have placed them in the situations they are in now. And, all of this, devotion, suffering, I feel as if I am responsible for it all, even if I know I can't blame myself for it."

He turned to look Tyrian in the eyes, his young, golden eyes betraying a certain sadness. "Do you feel the world is a just place?"

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Kyirri briefly glanced at Garis, he nodded, then turned back to Kshar. "I'll be outside of the room to give you some privacy. We should probably head downstairs when you're ready, even at this hour, I'd rather not risk you accidentally attracting attention." Kyirri walked outside, leaving Kshar alone for the time being.

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You spend about an hour traversing through the woods, though it is difficult to measure time. The place is unfamiliar, and a tad confusing, however, you are somewhat confidant you're not getting lost. The journey is quiet, only with the sound of light snow and the waving of the leafless trees to the winds. The sound of wild animals is strangely absent.
You eventually come to a small clearing in the woods, a spot of open land with only grass and snow standing upon it. The snow, in a flash, started to get more intense, blocking your vision, the flurry only lasted for a moment, then the weather resumed to normal.

An angel stepped behind Raffiele, at the opposite side of the clearing, appearing after the gust of snow. The angel looked at Raffiele with a disproving stare.

"You know, of all the things that you have, brainpower certainly isn't one of them.", he said in a sardonic tone.

He looked to be a tiger angel, around 6 feet tall. His fur was dark blue colored, though he had dark orange stripes under his eyes, across his ears, and on his tail. His cephalic hair is black, and looks well groomed, with a parting to his right. His wings display an odd attribute, his right wing is white, while his left wing is black. He was wearing black colored boots and pants, and a jacket over his torso. The jacket was black colored, with white lines weaving into very intricate patterns. It looks expensive, and quite comfortable. A white collar could be seen coming up from the neck-line.

The angel kept his hands to his sides, and never let go of his stare.

[Ghostwish]

Zanfib had stayed in the back of the group, and kept his expression utterly muted during the initial dialogue, while his mind was anything but.

He quickly swept his senses over the mind of Brady, but did not probe yet. He was peeking about, searching the surface and exterior of the fellows mind to try and find any manner of protection that their foxy friend had been hinting at earlier. If he found the being's mind lacking in defenses, he would begin to probe, launching feelers into Brady's mind, like searching roots, delving past the surface of his mind. Zanfib was careful not to press his intrusion too quickly or powerfully.. He was not so skilled as his master, and had to be careful not to alert the being to his probing.. But, in the case that he did find defenses, he kept the feelers at bay, and kept scanning instead, looking for gaps in the barrier, or, perhaps, a way to bring it down with Brady none the wiser..

Either way, Zanfib set a small portion of his mind aside, and privately contact the others in the room. Steer him towards the contracts.. Came his voice in their minds, Even if he stays calm on the surface, he will bring his memories closer to surface, thus rendering it easy for me to snatch them..

[Tipod]

As far as Raffiele was concerned, going in any direction for long enough was bound to bring up some landmark or small town to get his bearings in. He hadn't even really considered direction at all, too distracted with the childlike joy of getting away with something so easily. It was like a kid ditching school during lunch recess. Just need to keep clear, ask the next guy I see for directions. Then it's aaalllll smooth sailing... barring the weather. He slowed his trotting just as he hit the clearing's edge, the sudden flurry of snow blinding and irritating the demon. "Oh, come on!" He held up an arm, trying to keep the ice out of his face. "Goddamned wind, can't you do this later?!"

Though inclement weather was the least of his worries as the intruding angel made himself known.

...Shit. Rafa drew his weapons and spun around to face the stranger, taking a strong side forward stance and assessing the potential aggressor. "...who are you?" He eased up slightly as he looked over the tiger, noting the fur color and patterns. It certainly seemed resembling... but he couldn't jump to that conclusion so soon. "Actually, forget it. I don't have time to talk, so if you're going to make some moves, get on with it."

[Azlan]

Tyrian's gaze did not falter as Kassin asked his question, he is so young and innocent... it is not fair for this child to carry such serious burdens.

The fox held his comments for a good few minutes in silence, doing nothing more than staring into those golden orbs.  Finally he sighed, an expression of one burdened by a great many things.

"Do I feel the world is a just place?  The world, our world, the one of creatures is one where might and power make right.  Yes we have rules, there are consequences of actions, but only for those without influence, power, or wealth.  Justice, the rule of law, social order and morality are being constructs.  However, even their nature has base weaknesses that they find difficult to overcome..."

The fox's voice trailed off, his head lowered and his ears drooped down.  His gaze was fixed to the ground, a single knot in a wooden panel became the focus of his vision for a few moments of silence before he continued, "but that is not what you asked..."

Breathing out, his tone was raspy and strained, as if the words he were about to speak were bitter beyond belief, "No... no, the world is not just at all.  Not at all..."

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Kedered walked the trip to Dhallon in silence, soft boots making little crisping noises on the snow. He didn't use magic, just a bit of mental discipline to ignore the flurries that frequently assailed his face, wrapping himself in his identity, one that would not buckle to a bit of snow. Reaching the town provided some welcome relief from the wind, although at a risk of having to keep his eyes on the ground to avoid stepping in the local culture.

The smell of alcohol told him where they would be going. Something about the dangers of adventuring life drove many of them to their cups, a sentiment Kedered could never fully understand, the job was hazardous and more, and anything that dulled the reflexes...... Kedered himself only drank for social purposes, and then usually utilized a neat little spell he had learned in Astarea to counteract the effects of the alcohol.

He nodded to Eilan when he heard that Brady was likely on the second floor. He sent a flutter of thought to Garis. Stay down here. Order a drink, make an awkward advance to some pretty girl. I would like to have a backup man that Brady would not necessarily recognize

Not checking to see if his suggestion was followed, he headed up with Eilan,  glancing at their newcomer with some distrust. He still didn't have a full measure of Zanfib, and this sort of mission called for a delicate touch.

He listened to Brady, with both his ears, and his mind, a fleeting, soft touch, picking up only administrivia. If he had some sort of defense up, and Kedered was certain that he did, he would pick up too heavy of a probe. The hostility emanating off the man was almost palpable though, so Kedered decided to give off a name, and try to steer the conversation towards the bounties.

He gave a florid bow to Brady, and said "My name is Lugh, an old word meaning Light. Light is my magic as well. I make my way as a mild entertainer in taverns, working a bit of minor magic to entertain. It's a decent cop. I can put on a performance for you if you like, you look like you could use a bit of cheering, a bit of fun to ease way the concerns of life, the vissictisudes of work, the demands of honor, the machinations of those that call themselves friends. What do you say?"

[Azlan]

Tyrian's gaze did not falter as Kassin asked his question, he is so young and innocent... it is not fair for this child to carry such serious burdens.

The fox held his comments for a good few minutes in silence, doing nothing more than staring into those golden orbs.  Finally he sighed, an expression of one burdened by a great many things.

"Do I feel the world is a just place?  The world, our world, the one of creatures is one where might and power make right.  Yes we have rules, there are consequences of actions, but only for those without influence, power, or wealth.  Justice, the rule of law, social order and morality are being constructs.  However, even their nature has base weaknesses that they find difficult to overcome..."

The fox's voice trailed off, his head lowered and his ears drooped down.  His gaze was fixed to the ground, a single knot in a wooden panel became the focus of his vision for a few moments of silence before he continued, "but that is not what you asked..."

Breathing out, his tone was raspy and strained, as if the words he were about to speak were bitter beyond belief, "No... no, the world is not just at all.  Not at all..."

[Lisky]

Garis send Ked a quick 'Can do' then went to go mingle with patrons. He found an open seat at the bar and proceeded to listen in on the boasts of 'fellow' adventurers, talking of the horrible creatures they'd slain, or the maidens they'd saved.  He made idle chat with those around him to pass the time.  He flirted with the bar maids, bought a few drinks and had a little fun shouting out his own "oh really, because one time I..." then told some story from his past, finishing with a "Try and top that!"

[Redeyessoul]

Kshar tried to pick up the garments and found moderate success at first, tentacles stretched out and ripped a dress to shreds.  She frowned and apologized to Kyirri before trying again, this time sitting down and giving it her full concentration.  Her very next attempt was a great success, her wing tentacles lovingly bringing a robe and skirt to her.  She even managed to dress herself using only her wings to wrap it around her.  Of course there was a hitch here or there: The clothes were very small, she had made no effort to find something that would fit her larger size; and she didn't know exactly how to go about wearing it.  But after words of encouragement from Garis and Kyirri taking his leave she took her time to think things through.  Clothing was not something she had done before she decided by the end of the session. She had managed to pull on a small skirt, which ended instead of around her ankles around her knees, and a small robe.  The robe covered her upper body instead of the full length of her.  And though he had left before she had managed the feat herself she had watched him transform himself into a being.

This, she thought as she melted away her wings, is something I have done before. It came too easily to her.  She was almost sad to have gotten rid of her main wings, but it felt familiar, it didn't occur to her to do the same for the little head wings, but then she barely remembered they were there at all, having put so much effort into tasks Garis had given her.  Now, fully clothed, she peeked out the doorway and beamed at Kyirri, "I'm all done.  Sorry about the dress."  She offered him tattered ruins of clothing that had once been the dress, her first attempt.  "But it was the only casualty.  Promise."  She drew an X over her heart and then gave him a big squeeze, stepping through the door completely.  It was awkward without her wings, she felt too light, and was so thrilled to have accomplished both getting dressed and using her wings and changing her body that she scooped him right off the ground.

As she cuddled him her stomach growled loudly.  She quickly put her host down and blushed, "You wouldn't happen to have some food I could steal would you?"  She knelt down to be on his level and pleaded with her eyes, though she could go for a while without food for a while she preferred to try to eat amongst the civilized, she didn't want to hunt out in the wild. 

[Noone]

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Eilan continued to stare at Brady, though Brady was, at the moment, far more interested in Kedered and Zanfib. His mind was filled with with bureaucratic nonsense, though his actions suggested there was far more activity in his head.
"I know Eilan... but where are you from Lugh?" Brady raised an eyebrow, he didn't seem interested in a lightshow. "And as for you," he said, turning to Zanfib, "I'd like to know the same." He paced back to his desk and sat down, though he never took his eyes off of either Kedered or Zanfib. There was a dry seriousness to his voice.
"And while I know why he is here...", indicating Eilan when he said 'he', "I would like to know how you two came to travel with him."
His mind has no magical or psionic shields keeping his thoughts hidden, however, he is 'disciplined', so to speak, sort of like what Eilan has, though you get the sense that Brady's is stronger willed. It probably stems from dealing with Cubi, a lot of persistent Cubi-fighters learn techniques to mask their thoughts behind a facade of others. The shield of beurocratic nonsense would work well against most Cubi, they tend not to take boredom very well. This form of discipline would also grant some alertness to having a lot of mental pressure applied from an external force.
On the other hand, such a defense does have it's weaknesses. Notably, it requires that the person keep their mind active at all times, so provides no defense while sleeping or otherwise inactive. Such shields are also imperfect, often leaking stray thoughts with enough exposure. Such leaks would likely increase if other factors were occupying his mental energies.

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The place was quite loud, adventurers drinking, boasting, and chatting. Most of the activity was placed near the bar. A bartender, a bald, somewhat pudgy feline tended to the place. It's quite noisy. There are tables along the back, however, most of them are unoccupied. A large congregation were located closer to the bar. A surprising number of their thoughts were concerned with the bounty on Kassin, as is much of their talk.  Popular topics are how large the reward is, Kassin's extensive number of crimes, and something about a 'new henchman'.
The tables further away were far more sparsely populated, usually with only one person sitting by himself. One of the beings there, and old looking one in a threadbare robe, had mind shield up. There were a few other loners in the back, most of them simply had their eyes faced down at whatever table they were sitting at, and were completely silent.

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Kassin frowned, he edged himself up against the side of the couch he was sitting on, as if it somehow provided shielding from a cold cruel world. He let out a sigh before looking up at Tyrian.
"It's just... I can't convince myself that the world we live in is so badly designed that it wills the innocent be punished, and the cruel be aided, for no other reason than behaving the way they do. I don't know if there is some logic to it that I just cannot see, or if there is no logic to it at all." Kassin breathed a deep sigh, and closed his eyes.
"It's simply not fair... not to you, not to me, not to those that have sacrificed to aid me, yet... while I feel uncomfortable sharing my burdens with them, I realize I cannot reject their, or your aid. But... thanks for everything." He smiled, but didn't open his eyes.
"Do you have any ideas as to why I might be hunted? I just can't believe that this whole mess is a matter of coincidence."

Kyirri smiled, "really it's al..." his eyes opened wide as he was squeezed, though he felt strangely unfazed by such a display, he was probably used to it.
"Yeah,... there's food in the kitchen, I can make something for you I guess... though you should head downstairs... it will be safer there." He walked down, and made a motion for Kshar to follow.
Before he could reach the stairs, a loud knock could be heard on the front door. Kyirri's carefree expression suddenly turned serious. He whispered towards Kshar. "Hide, I'll be right back."

The knock could be heard from downstairs as well. Kassin's eyes opened, with a frightened expression to them. "Wh.... what was that?" His head faced the ceiling.
Your senses are able to pick up three beings at the front door, but it doesn't reveal much else about them.

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The mysterious angel's deep blue eyes never let go of his stare. However, the look became more disappointed as he heard Raffiele, it was impossible to miss the disciplinarian-like look to his eyes and tone of his voice.
"You really don't have a single functioning brain cell do you? If I really wanted you dead, I would just let you go. Where did you think you're going anyways? It's not like anywhere in Atharra you can reach is actually safe for you. I hope you do realize that you are one of the touched, and that there are a lot of people who will want you dead for it."

"Do you really think you can hide here in Ithralia, all on your own? At best, you would probably starve to death, because you wouldn't be able to go near any civilization without being attacked, not to mention the possibility of running into hunters, or a group of Thularian soldiers, and they won't parley before slicing you in half. Or were you planning on going home to that hell-hole Narukh? I suppose if you're wanted dead by one of the most powerful organizations that operates there, going right up to their doorstep is a perfect way of getting yourself killed. None of them even have to get you in a fair fight either, one night, you might go to sleep, and never wake up. Don't think that you can run free to Astarea either, you would either have to go through Narukh, in which case, you would probably be tortured, sodomized, and cannibalized before they would end your miserable existence, or you could try running the Thularian blockade, in which case there wouldn't be enough pieces left of you to actually bury your corpse."

"Maybe you're just legendarily thick, or maybe you don't have a good sense of self preservation, I honestly can't tell. However, because I apparently care more about your personal well being than you do, I would suggest running back to the one group of people who would take you in and protect you. Goodness knows, you might actually survive what is to come."

[Redeyessoul]

Kshar caught the seriousness of his pose and the caution in his tone of voice.  She nodded quickly and quietly dashed to the bathroom, flipping the light on as she had seen the others do for the bedroom and basement and securing the door behind her.  No one would interrupt her in the bathroom, at least she hoped they wouldn't.  She looked around for another place to hide within her new hiding place, but there were none that made her feel great about life.  That was when she caught herself in the mirror, her head was still adorned with little wings.  Panicking she quickly pressed them down, as if pressing them would make them disappear.  There was a few more moments of panic, which would end just as Kyirri would decide to open the door.

As she could hear the door open she calmed herself, now was not the time lose her mind, now was the time to shine.  She concentrated, hard, like her life depended on it, for all she knew it did.  Her little head wings melted away, but not entirely, she couldn't get rid of the little blue and purple streaks in her hair, no matter how she concentrated.  It occurred to her that she might have similar patterns on her back from her larger wings and took another deep breath.  She couldn't master it in time.  Considering it good enough she took another deep breath and held it, listening for her host's new guests, trying to feel for their thoughts, trying to feel what they felt, trying not to move a muscle.  She looked into her own Blue eyes and held that gaze.

[Lisky]

Garis decided he'd go and see why someone would have a mind shield up in a place like this... given the general crowd seemed content with making boasts and claims which were obviously gross exaggerations, Garis sauntered over to the old man while keeping up his rather upbeat disguise.  Figuring he'd try flattery first, Garis sat down next to the old looking man, and said with a grin "greetings old timer, any chance you could impart some wisdom upon a relative newcomer to the trade?"

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Got to get him laughing. Or relaxed somehow, make him drop his guard. Even angry will do, most likely.

Bowing low, almost to the point of mockery, he said in a grandoise stage whisper "From? I am from all places and none. The road is my home, the inns of a thousand villages my washroom, the chambers of tenscore sighing maidens where I take my repose." As he spoke, he spun a bit of minor magic, creating five little balls of light, that he began to juggle. There was no real trick to it, other than to keep his hands near where the balls were supposed to be, as they moved with his thoughts directing them. "Is there any particular song you'd like me to perform?" 

I dislike the using of contractions, but it helps my disguise. "Or perhaps a bit of tumbling would be more to your taste. I am a man of many talents. Switching the juggling to his right hand alone,  Kedered began to unlace his boots, one at a time, until he stood barefoot. With a "roll" of his shoulders, he sent all 5 of the balls into the air, and then did a quick handstand, "juggling" with his feet. "Come on, I know a thousand tales and more, surely there must be one you like Mr Brady, something to take your mind off of yer work, which I must be realizin, from the awful mess in yer office, should be weighing down on yeh something hard. Perhaps the tale of the milkmaid  and the errant knight, if you have a thing for bawdry."

As he spoke, he broke into the brogue that he half remembered what few serfs fled with his family speaking, before they either died or assimilated into Narukhian dialects. He kept his facade up, his mind probing Brady lightly, but with focus.

[Azlan]

Tyrian shrugged, "perhaps you are a nexus of change, or a fragment of a powerful entity's soul that others can use to their benefit, maybe you are actually an experiment... an artificial, but living creation of an ancient race.  You may even be an artificial soul, distilled from something like a Fae and placed into a Hollow.  I really do not know to tell you the truth, you are such a gentle teenage boy and quite the deviant among angels.  There is no doubt that there is some greater plan..."

The heavy knocking on the front door above, caused the fox to pause.  His ears swiveled about, "three beings at the front door... these people we are staying with are known associates of yourself, they may just be checking to see if you have turned up here... could be unrelated.  Be prepared to hide, but keep calm and quiet for now."

Fearing the worst, Tyrian expanded the sphere of his spell to maximum, catching a fair amount of area around the building they were in.  He searched for others approaching, hiding in the surroundings and/or entering from an opposite area.

He then focused the spell on the three at the door, trying to discern what they were and more physical details.  He also wished to witness the encounter between Kyirri and the three at the door.

[Tipod]

"Hey, just who the fuck are you telling me my business?" Raffiele smacked his chest with his knife's handle. "Once I hit home, all I have to do is stick to the down-low somewhere. Our family's got plenty of hideouts! Hell, if crossing the border's too much then I can think of at least two in this tri-county!" Though even Rafa had to admit that if it was this easy for some angel to get the drop on him, actually getting anywhere without being followed would be a problem. But here was this angel, quite possibly related to Kassin and thus part of this grand scheme, not giving him any kind of definitive information. Politics and warfare hinged on one group knowing more than the other, and this person was purposefully keeping Rafa in the dark.

That irritated him to no end. "In fact, if you're so smart, why don't you tell me just what's so important about a Thom'sen thug that the entire continent is after him?" He started to close the gap, gripping the tomahawk as if he would throw it straight for the tiger's head at any given second. "Enlighten me."

[Noone]

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Brady looked at Lugh with a surprised expression. However, he wasn't amused. He let out a sigh, and kept his eyes on Zanfib. He let a thought slip Either that Lugh is completely insane or there's a lot more to him than meets the eye, probably the latter.... His head soon filled itself up with paperwork and other contract nonsense. "Fine, if you two don't want to tell me anything..." Brady started, however, Eilan interrupted him.

"Business before pleasure, how about you start by explaining this." Eilan pulled out the bounty notice he had. Brady's expression went from passionate-angry to lethargic and resigned. He paced back over to his desk. He looked at the table.

"I was hoping you wouldn't find out Eilan..."
"Well, a heck of a lot that did, how about you actually start explaining how he managed to get on there." Eilan's facial expression was incredibly tense, and he kept his eyes locked on Brady. Brady however, was much more relaxed, he straightened his position in his seat, and looked to be quite comfortable.

"I'm sorry Eilan... I know he's your friend... but I did investigate the charges against him, and I found them all to be true. It's why I didn't want you to find out, I know what it's like to have a friend turn on you, and all that you believe in." Brady shook his head with insincere regret. "Kassin... should answer for what he has done, same as any monster or criminal, and I'm sorry that he has used your friendship to influence you." Brady pulled out a pen and started twirling it around in his left hand. Besides, he is an angel after all, manipulation is their favorite game., Brady thought before flooding his mind with administrative waste.

Eilan however, looked furious, his fingers started to twitch more, and his stare got even more intense. He looked to be only a loud noise away from losing his cool.

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The odd old man looked at Garis. He looked to be an old feline, grey fur covered his face, with some missing patches to it. His cephalic hair was graying as well. He had an eye-patch over his left eye, though his hood kept most of his close features obscured. There was certainly something odd about him though.

His look was something of disapproval. He examined Garis closely for a moment, then turned his head away, facing the other direction. He let out a gruff "Go away.", before pretending to be interested in the patterns of beer stains of the walls.
Charming fellow.

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Kyirri headed towards the door. He took a peek out the waist-height window.
The three beings appeared to be adventurers, one male canine, one female feline, one male feline. They all had swords at their belts, and were dressed warmly.
Kyirri let out a deep sigh as he looked at the three adventurers. Still, he greeted them cordially. "Yeah, what is it?"
"Could we come in?" One of them asked.
"No, sorry, I'm not expecting guests, and my parents are out... I'm not allowed to let anyone in, sorry."

The three adventurers started talking amongst themselves, trying to decide whether they should come in. Eventually, they decided to come in. The girl cast a spell to unlock the door. They came on in.
Kyirri was furious, he started screaming at them, his screaming could be heard throughout the house. "HEY! I didn't say you could come in! And how did yo..." There was a short interrupt in his speech, as the girl picked Kyirri up and hugged him tightly, however, this didn't help his mood. "PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!"

The canine turned to Kyirri, "sorry, we just need to check this place for angels, I hope you don't mind." The other feline motioned to his companions, apparently, the girl would restrain Kyirri while the other two searched the place. However, Kyirri wasn't very happy with this arrangement. "You're all ridiculous, and you're breaking and entering into my home, now get OUT!!!" The feline holding him reassured him by calling him cute, and rubbing his head. However, this only seemed to make Kyirri more angry.
The two adventurers nodded to each other, after a brief survey of the first floor, the feline went upstairs, the canine went downstairs.

The feline adventurer walked around the hallway along the upper floor. You could hear his footsteps as he came by, growing louder with every moment. The adventurer caught the sight of the lights being on in the bathroom, he went up to it and knocked on it's door. "Hello? Anyone there?"

The canine adventurer opened the door to the downstairs set of rooms. Kassin immediately started to panic, the sound of footsteps, and Kyirri's screaming could be heard easily. He looked around. The basement's back room only had a door leading to the other room in the basement. Kassin glanced around in a panicked frenzy. A shiver went down his spine, and his eyes bulged with worry. He glanced around for something in the room to hide himself with, only to stop short and give in to panic.

****************************************************************************

If it were even possible, the angel's tone of voice and facial expression became more sardonic, and irritated. However, he remained fully alert, small wisps of dark energy came off of his right hand, as did wisps of light energy on his left, ready to launch a spell in case Raffiele tried anything.

"You really don't get anything do you, even if it's launched right in front of your face? As I have said, and no doubt you have heard before, you are one of the touched, and there are many who will want you dead for it. Besides, even one as crude as you has their uses, if only as a sponge for a bladed weapon that would have gone into someone more important otherwise."

"And really, do you think you can hold off the entire world on your own? How many times have you been attacked already? Two, Three? Doesn't matter, and those that chase you are only going to come after you with more vigor once they realize you're alone, and they will find out quickly. And I'm confidant that they will be able to find you very very easily, wherever you chose to hide, simply because you don't think ahead. Those that chase you, do, and I suggest you let a slip of reason go through that thick skull of yours. I was able to find you very easily and quickly, and I can do the same in the future, but maybe you won't get lucky and you'll come across someone who will just kill you instead. Your arrogance won't shield you from the foes that hound you, and I suggest you cast it off before it is too late."

[Lisky]

Garis smiled at the man's anti-social behavior, obviously he was trying to hide something... trying to pick out his emotions among the rest of the patrons, he tried pressing him further, this time, being a little more blunt on his second try. Garis said in a low voice "alright, if you don't want to talk, fine... but why would someone have a mind shield up in a place like this? perhaps your one of the very folk we've been searching for."
Garis took the pamphlet he'd retrieved from the adventurer, and slapped it on the table... oddly, it opened to kedered's page, so Garis figured he'd keep going.  saying slightly louder "maybe i'm having a chat with the not so great Kedered Aldoraethar right now."
at the same time, Garis focused his senses on the man's emotions, and kept a careful watch about his appearance, hoping that if he was a creature, he'd loose enough concentration to let something slip.

[Azlan]

Tyrian's ears flattened against his head as the adventurer came downstairs.  With his spell he could tell it was the canine, a variety with good sense of smell and good hearing.  Every adventurer had the potential to be a magic wielder, so this limited his choices to the unobtrusive magics or the old and powerful ones that were beyond all but the most dedicated of being wizards.

Quietly he stood and turned to Kassin, bringing his finger to his mouth.  The fox spoke in a very low voice, "shhh, do not panic... if you do, I will have no choice but to kill this adventurer and the others.  They have not harmed Kyirri, the girl thinks he is cute.  He will remain unharmed as long as we are not forced to fight.  I hope that Kshar can hide.  Now please come here and do not resist this spell, it will not harm you and it will not hurt."

Tyrian pulled the feline to his feet and hugged him close with one hand.  The other held his staff, which he twirled around both of them in a swirling motion.  A small gust of wind engulfed both of them and as it did, Tyrian brought his muzzle to the feline's left ear and in a low voice spoke a few words, "we will become the wind, do not wander too far from me if we are separated, and remember I want to save their lives not harm them."

He finished speaking with more instructions, "you can speak and I will hear you, it will sound like the wind to those not like us so try not to talk.  No matter what do not leave this building, no matter the urge you may feel to run free, you will be lost in this World's winds and may never return.  Most importantly, you must trust me."

Tyrian moved away from the entrance and to a cold, dark corner of the room, still holding Kassin.  The fox did his best to try and calm the young angel, but did not release him.  He lurked quietly, nothing more than the air itself.

[Redeyessoul]

There was a frantic moment as she realized that the light was giving her away.  Nothing to be done now.  Kshar looked around frantically as the footsteps came closer, then dropped her skirt and sat on the toilet.  The knock that came at the door surprised her, she only replied, "Occupied."  Even if the guy barged in she only hoped that her ... position ... would embarrass him to leave her be for a moment.  All she needed was a moment to calm down.  The panic was rising in her throat like bile, she wanted to throw up, they were supposed to be safe.  But even Kyirri wasn't safe.  She could imagine that Kassin and his protector would be safe, that they would've been smarter than her at hiding.

If they could convince these trespassers they were normal they might only have to deal with a robbery, 'but what if I have to deal with a fight?  What if we can't just fool them?' She took the only spare moment she might have to take a calming breath, the adventurer on the other side of the door still had to open it, if he wouldn't wait for her to "finish".  She flinched as she took it, realizing that she had heard no thoughts, had felt no emotions.  Either this person lacked both or was protected, might even be able to sense what she was, might even be able to see through her transformation.

She only hoped that her disguise would fool them.

[Ghostwish]

Zanfib flattened his ears slightly, and responded, "They call me Sharon. Sorcerer by trade, and little else. I will not be entertaining you, and I would much rather discuss business than all this nonsense about relations with the criminal." He said flatly, while he continued to try and probe the fellow's mind. He steadily sent his probes deeper into Bryan's mind, looking for the information they had come for.

A more direct approach may be in order. I would rather not have to break this fellow, if we can avoid it. He sent to the others..

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Although Kedered was used to keeping his thoughts under an iron control, he let his juggling balls slip a bit, and they slowed their rotation around his bare feet. Why hide behind a woman's name?

He quickly resumed his antics however, laughing lightly. "As for your other question, I encountered Eilan here on my travels, and sought to accompany him. It's easy to spot an adventurer, it's the stance, and there is safety in such company. Shame, shame, what lie has come to like these days. You'd think that the monsters from Narukh had free reign over this country. Why? I was at the Whispering willow a mere two days before your pamphlet said, what was his name? Kessin? blew it up. That almost was me blimey. It's good to see people like you take the defense of good, honest Ithralians seriosuly. Why, from reading your pamphlet, you must have been printing them out the very day it happened. How do you get to be able to do that? If I could learn things like that...... why? I'd find out which taverns have the best tippers, make my way twice as well as I do now? Are you sure you don't want to hear a story? It really doesn't tax the juggling to speak. In fact, I can spin in a few more balls if you like."

As Kedered spoke, he shapeshifted ever so slightly, pushing a bit of blood back into his center body and legs. It wouldn't do for him to pass out from his stance.

[Noone]

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Brady gave Zanfib an incredulous look. Sharon??, That's a woman's name... but he's a man.., and has an attitude problem too... He looked at him with distrust. After a few more thoughts of boring paperwork, he let another sentence slip. Either Eilan is incredibly desperate that he's taken a bunch of loons as company, or... no... he's not dumb... I wonder if they're.... Brady turned to Lugh with an icy stare. If it were possible, his thoughts started to get more boring as well. His facial expression was entirely humorless.

"Will you cut that act out already? You're not amusing anyone." His voice was gruff, and had a certain passive aggressiveness to it's tone. He closed his eyes to calm down slightly, and to refocus.
"I did get it out quickly, normally it takes me around a week to get it in circulation, but my source helped me a lot in that regard. I suppose it's also easier for me to get it distributed to locations close to home. Once I let it go public it spreads out rapidly, though I do admit, in this instance, it wasn't all me."
Eilan also had a humorless, cold stare, focused on Brady, however, his mental guard was still up, meaning he still had some focus in him. "Well, who helped you distribute it so quickly then?" Brady however, was not amused with the query. He sighed, then continued in a less hostile, and more exhausted sounding tone.

"Eilan... I really shouldn't have to tell you, I'm under obligation not to let the sources of the bounties out into public, it's standard procedure. They're usually compelled by the entirely reasonable fear that whomever they want dead will come after them."
"Or have a shady reputation." Eilan retorted. Brady, at this, seemed less relaxed, his voice became more aggressive sounding.
"Eilan, I've already told you, I investigated their claims, and I found them to be legit."
Eilan took a step back, his fingers stopped twitching, he brought his right hand up to his face, and looked at the piles of Brady's paperwork in deep thought. Eilan widened his view towards Lugh, and transmitted some thoughts to his two companions.

Whomever his source is must be someone that is powerful,... influential, and has very good organization. Try to keep him pressed on the topic. He paused for a moment, trying to come up with what to say. He's getting dangerously suspicious about this arrangement though, keep in mind he's under no obligation to answer our questions.... Eilan kept a focused stare on Brady, as Brady tried not to look at the others in his office.

****************************************************************************

The old being gave Garis an annoyed look. He examined Garis more closely with his right eye. His facial expression displayed few emotions, other than slight irritation. At sight of the pamphlet, he pulled out his own, and opened it up to your page. He placed it on top of Garis's pamphlet. He brought his hands up to his face, his old, bony fingers twitching softly. He turned his head away, as if to not let Garis see his face.
"Tell me... what do you think of Cubi?", he asked, and then was silent. His tone however, was quite demanding. 

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Kassin didn't say anything as he became one with the wind, however, it was pretty easy to tell that his mental state was still on the verge of panic, and would likely eject himself from the spell given the slightest stimulus. Hopefully, his hypersensitivity wouldn't aggravate him either. He refrained from saying anything, probably out of fear.

The canine adventurer came down, he quickly glanced across the first room, and checked each door. As  he came to the back room, he took another glance around, checking behind furniture. After a cursory check, he decided that nothing was to be found, and headed back upstairs.

The second adventurer kept her tight hold on Kyirri, refusing to let him go. Kyirri however, was becoming more and more angry with this arrangement, and started flailing about to try and escape the grasp that held him, to no avail. "I SWEAR WHEN I GET OUT OF THIS HOLD I'M GOING TO SHOVE YOU DOWN A WELL!", Kyirri shouted. However, his captor kept her hold firm.

The feline adventurer stood outside the bathroom Kshar was inhabiting. He didn't decide to peek inside, however, he did give a curt reply. "I'm waiting then, you have to a count of ten...". He stood outside, waiting for Kshar to come out. Failing that, he decided he might as well just barge in.
You notice that the door isn't locked, he could come in at any time unless you lock it.
The adventurer started silently muttering to himself. "Ten...... nine...."

[Lisky]

Garis shrugged, then replied, "haven't had too much experience with them myself, from what i've been told, they're usually a rather nasty lot.  More clever than demons, and a hell of a lot more vicious than angels.  i also hear they're shape shifters, and have an affinity for stealing souls ... other than that though, i'm sure they're a lovely bunch..." shrugging again, Garis smiled and extended his right hand "Alexander Whitehaven, pleasure to make your acquaintance"

While playing his role, Garis sent a message to ked 'how's it going with Brady, i've found a rather suspicious fellow in the bar, he's got a mind shield up, and is trying his best to keep his face hidden. my guess is he's actually a somewhat inexperienced cubi.  I'm going to see what else i can figure out about him, but the way he keeps hiding behind his hood, i've got a feeling i've found a lead... if i don't get anything out of him, i'm going to head out for a few minutes to see if he follows... i'll keep you posted'

[Redeyessoul]

She took the seconds she needed to calm herself then pulled up her skirt, washed her hands, and opened the door.  She did her best to look upset, not a stretch of the imagination, and growled, "Who are you and what are you doing here?  Where is Kyirri?  What are you doing to him?"  She stepped out but not passed him, looking to see if she could see him.  All the while she kept her concentration on her disguise, weak though it was she didn't need to hide her form, only what she was.  She made a quick glance over the adventurer's gear as she looked around.

[Tipod]

The thought of just being a meat shield for some strangers didn't appeal very much to Rafa's sensibilities. "...you're an angel. You people live for giving cryptic knowledge so people can avoid disaster at the last possible second." He gestured to himself. "I, by contrast, don't give a rotten Goddamn about looking and sounding important, portentious, or otherwise mysterious. Now that we've established that, why don't you do me a favor and tell me why I should trust you?"

The tomahawk dropped a couple of inches in the demon's grip. "If you don't, then... yeah, I'll go back to the others. I'm gonna die sooner or later anyway, so why not? I'll just be sure to cave in your little brother's skull when his back's turned. Or is it your little nephew?"

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

With mock scorn, Kedered let his juggling balls dissapate and put his boots back on, using a bit of prestigitation to tie the laces. He set out a few snippets of thought. To Zanfib he projected I still think we can get a bit more with the velvet touch. Please try to calm Eilan down., while to Garis, he put in. Our kind are pretty rare outside of Astarea, but if  you think so..... He is taking something of a risk being this close to a Thularian satellite. You might be able to play on his fears.


After his communications were over, the guise of lacing up his boots finished, he went back to his pressing of the policeman. "Begging your pardon sir, I might only be a poor entertainer, but I don't see how this is possible. The date you have listed for the destruction of the whispering willow is the same date that these pamphlets started being distributed. It's a day's walk to the willow, perhaps a bit faster if you have mounts. I do not see how anyone could have reported the incident this quickly and certainly not how anyone from your employ could verify it in time for the publication date."

[Noone]

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Brady looked up at 'Lugh' with an annoyed expression. "I have my ways, and I don't need to tell you. Rest assured, they're reliable and efficient, but it would be bad business to let you know."
Eilan made a soft grunt. "Yeah right." He rolled his eyes, then continued as he stared at Brady.

"How exactly did you verify the claims so quickly? It took, what, two days to verify and distribute the pamphlets, and that's not including the delay in how your source managed to find out about the claims. So, how exactly did you do it. Normally, it takes you a bit more than a week to get the whole thing in circulation, and that's when you're going fast. However, getting everything in order in two days is quite a stretch, so which part did you skip out on?  It certainly wasn't the distribution, and your source likely reported this mess the instant they happened, so how long exactly did you spend on verification? I'm amazed none of the other hunters have noticed how odd that is, but I guess their moralities are flexible when you shine enough money in their eyes."

Brady was understandably furious.  He focused his attention on Eilan. The anger coming from him was even stronger than before. He glanced back at 'Lugh', raising his right eyebrow, then gave a similar glance towards 'Sharon'. His expression relaxed, and he focused on Eilan. However, his mental discipline held firm.

"If you must know, my major source of verification, and I do have other ways, came from three witnesses, each described Kassin in very great detail."

"Yeah..." Eilan interrupted. "Because someone can imagine a picture this detailed", he said as he pulled out the pamphlet, showing Kassin's picture. "while they're fleeing for their lives. I'm sure their testimony is worth it's weight in salt. Of course, if we could see them..."

"Out of the question!" Brady interjected. "Our source takes their safety very seriously, and I wouldn't want to put them at risk. Plus, despite being from different disaster zones, their stories and descriptions matched quite well. Are you done making baseless accusations against me Eilan? I thought better of you."

Eilan looked furious. His fingers started twitching nervously.

****************************************************************************

The old man looked at Garis with a scowl. "That's not your name." He turned away, he looked at the ceiling, as if trying to observe something that couldn't be seen from above. He kept his elbows on the table, in a slightly tense position. After a brief pause, he grabbed his pamphlet back. He turned it over to the front page, Kassin's page, and laid it down in front of Garis.
"I know you know where he is, touched one."

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The canine adventurer paced over to the one holding Kyirri. "There's nothing downstairs, do you think he'll find anything upstairs?"
"Who knows?" Said the feline, she tightened her grip on Kyirri, who was flailing with more energy. "I've heard this little guy gets a lot of strange guests." The canine went over to Kyirri, lightly rubbing his chin. "Awww, he looks so cuuu...." It took a moment for Kyirri to kick the adventurer in the gut. The adventurer gasped, stumbled a bit, but then regained his composure. "Whoa,... feisty little fella.." said the adventurer that was keeping him held firm.
Kassin however, felt the discharge of the adventurer's pain. He panicked, and managed to escape from your spell. He branched away, managed to regain his form, and slammed himself face first into one of the walls. Kassin made a soft groaning noise, as he rolled onto the ground. He rubbed his head softly, barely conscious. The collision made a banging noise.
"Are you sure no one is down there?" The canine gave an exasperated facial expression, as he decided  to come back down, to check what the sound was. His footsteps could be heard as he came down the stairs.

The feline examined Kshar closely, noting physical anomalies in his head. However, something about him remained uncertain. She doesn't look like one of the ones we're after, but it could be one of the cubi in disguise. He pulled out one of the pamphlets, flipped through the pages. He then put it away, and looked at Kshar straight in the eyes.
"I'm going to have to inspect the palm of your right hand, and your left forearm. Please cooperate." His hands moved towards Kshar, as if he were trying to inspect her for something suspicious. His sword dangled on his belt, it looked quite threatening.

****************************************************************************

The angel's expression didn't change. The wisps of energy around his hands became more substantial as he kept his icy cold stare. He showed no signs of being intimidated in his situation, and kept his intense stance up. He raised his left eyebrow. If he was getting angry, he didn't show it.
"You would betray someone who has saved your life and then go right up to the doorstep of someone who wants you dead? It might actually be in my best interests to let you go, since your immaturity and allergic reactions to rational thought would probably end up endangering everyone around you."

"And please, I don't expect you to trust me, though I do expect you should trust common sense, and realize that if you were to attack Kassin and his companions, then there would be no one in Atharra you could reach who could shelter you safely. Unless you separated yourself from your rational self interests, or your brain, I think the choice is pretty obvious."

"That, and if you harm Kassin..." The angel stopped for a moment, the black wisps on his right hand focused, and then formed into a gleaming sword of black energy. The angel kept the blade low, but ready. "You can trust that I'll kill you and suck your soul and either eternally torment it, or just devour it if it won't cause too bad of a case of indigestion. I don't even have to get you in the light of day either. Just go to sleep some time, you won't wake up, assuming I'm not too late to call 'dibs'. I do keep his safety in the highest of regards, and that's exactly why I need you."

[Ghostwish]

Zanfib raised his eyebrows slightly. This fellow had a very stubborn mind, indeed. Then, a communication came in from Kedered, and Zanfib was quite distracted for a moment.

He sent on a completely different level than he receives! I believe my master was wrong about cubi.. their psionic abilities seem far more advanced than he originally let on.. He thought to himself. But, as his attention snapped back to the matter at hand, he realized he'd completely released Brady's mind. With an inward obscenity, he started to probe the fellow again.

In the meantime, he sent a thought over to Kedered and Eilan, Actually, I believe Eilan here is on the right trail. This fellow does not seem to like being caught in the lie he has fabricated. I would suggest pushing him on that topic, like so.

Zanfib stepped forward then, tapping Eilan on his shoulder.. "Eilan, let's stop wasting our time here, this guy is an obvious liar. I mean, have you seen this bounty? That's a small castle right there! If it weren't for the fact you said this guy was your friend, I wouldn't even believe this Kassin even exists. I'm surprised the other hunters are even buying this load of dead cattle."

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

For once, Kedered was glad Zanfib was along, it gave him a perfect opening. Putting a casual tone into his voice, he chimed in to Eilan, knowing that Brady would hear the subtext. "It's easier than that. The logistics simply don't pan out. There isn't enough time for a fleeing witness to get here, describe the "suspects" get a pamphlet printed, and for those pamphlets to be distributed in the two days that the incidents are alleged to happen. It is quite obvious that these witnesses never were at the Whispering willow, and likely not at the sites of any of these other alleged crimes."

Kedered put a mock mournful look in his voice and facial expression. "No, it seems quite obvious to me that at the time these incdents supposedly happened, if not before, someone was here in this office telling Brady what to put on these pamphlets. The question that is foremost in my mind, is whether it was the Thularians, or demons out of Narukh that did the prompting. The witnesses are probably reporting to their own masters about the success right now."

He half turned towards Brady, gesturing with his left hand for him to join in the conversation. "Eilan here was so sure that you would be able to clear things up. He would go on, and on, and on, about your incorrigibility, your sense of honor, and openness, how you never sicced the dogs on the wrong person.  You can understand why he's so mad, with his illusions shattered so. 'Tis truly a shame."

[Lisky]

Garis gave the man a subtle nod, whispered "well, pleasant evenings, i've got other things to attend to." He then smiled, sent a quick message to Ked 'i'll be back in a few minutes, he's either a creature, or an overly pompous adventurer who needs to crawl into a corner and die... either way, i'm off to have a little fun, and maybe get some information. The wolf in disguise then walked out of the door.

Once outside, Garis made his way through the town and out into the woods nearby.  Once he knew he was out of sight from the town, he took off the shirt, bracers and cloak, folded them neatly, and left them by a tree stump.  Next, Garis adjusted his dagger to be just off his left hip, making it easy to grab. He felt the area for the presence of the man from the bar, and readied a speed enhancement spell as well as a lightning spell.  He also took a moment to bring his wings out, and stretch them.

Although still in disguise as a white tiger, Garis' wings were almost pitch black, and he knew they'd be difficult to see at night.