The Forsaken Art

Garreth nodded. "Yes, I was. Regrettable really, I didn't want to make you or that juggler sick, but, little chickadee" at this point his tongue flicked out and he savoured the stronger taste of mana he was getting this close to her, "it's hard to track someone in a crowd with nothing but the faint taste of mana in the air. Though you might want to be wary of just who you talk to... Pretty sure those gorillas moved at someone's signal, and I wasn't aware C.O.R.E was in the habit of allowing paladins to join."

Jack kept his hand on his blade, ready to strike if the newcomer threatened him or Jaide. However, his words made him pause.
"Paladins? Thats a good question." he turned to Jaide.
"Just who WAS that person you were talking to earlier?"

_______________-

Azirak chuckled at Sylas's words.
"Let them try." he said, a few sparks flying from his hand. "Ill light them up so bright that the whole of italy will think the sun has come up early."

Did that gunsmith just lick the air? Jaide got a shiver up her spine. That gave her the creeps.

Suddenly, she felt as if she was the one being interrogated. What the hell? She didn't have to answer to anyone! Plus, she had about as much clue as them. That is, she didn't know what the fuck was going on.

Jaide crossed her arms, "We're not," She said in reply to his recruiting Paladins comment, "He approached me a few minutes before this one jumped out of nowhere," She explained, gesturing to Jack, "And I'm guessing you're the reason my magic stopped?" She said, gesturing at Garreth, "Why were you looking for mages?"

Jaide then turned to Jack, feeling as if she was explaining herself to a lover, "I don't know who he was. Just that he was a paladin with orange eyes. That's it," and I'm supposed to meet him tomorrow she tacked on in her head.

Jack listened to what Jaide said, and remembered hearing something about that paladin joining...he would have to ask her about that after this.
"Anyway..." he said. "What are you here for? What do you want?"

Sylas shrugged, "But don't some of them hold those... magic-killing weapons Mother spoke of?"

Ret and Lauren followed with rolled eyes and, upon landing Ret stated, "Careful of how much magic you use here, James. I never got to Plant the Mana Seed... We don't want another Vera on our hands..."

"Another... Vera?" Lauren asked, confused.

"You'll know at a later date, Lauren..." Retasouhdal answered solemnly.

Cress wound his way down to the beach and stopped at the edge of the sand. He got out and began walking along the shore when he saw two people there. "Danerys?" He said.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Lucian walked back into his chambers and heard the knocking. "Yes. Please come in!"

Jessie smiled at the sight of her old friend. Jessie giggled, "Must have been fate for us to meet then." She shrugged and adjusted her footing on the sand. "Meh, we still live in the same old ratty slum dump, we`ve always lived in. The holes in the roof went from 24, to 30, the balcony is now condemned, and I now have a pet chipmunk, Eddy. He was eating mold in the shower, when I found him." She looked at over the waves. "Mom`s been away for a little while." She shrugged, and kicked some sand around. "She should be coming home soon though. " Just as she was about to ask how Daenry`s had been anther voice rang through the beach.

""Danerys?" Almost instinctively Jessie`s hands grabbed towards her backpack, where her daggers were.

Orange eyes? "heheheheh..." As he chuckled, he turned on his heel and waved his hand once. "Well, little chickadee and possum, if we meet again, I'm sure we'll talk more." he said, placing a lot of emphasis on the if. "For now, I have business in Venice that I must attend to, so this is g'day and goodbye mates." he said an walked away from the two, having gotten some answers and giving none of his own.

Dany looked around when she heard the voice, taking a moment to recognize it.

"Cress?" She said when she spotted him "Hi Cress"

Jack watched the strange man leave, when something in his head clicked.
"Orange eyes? You know that paladin? Who is he?"
____________

Azirak listened to Sylas's words, and thought.
"Nah, they wont go near us. And even if they do, they dont have unlimited supplies of those things."

Garreth laughed. "And here I was starting to think you were totally naive, little possum. But I already told you. I'm just a gunsmith. What business would I have knowing a paladin?

Jack growled.
"Dont give me that bullshit. Why would you be following us?" he said, lifting his blade in a defensive stance.

Garreh smiled wide. "Ooh, scary! But you're entirely wrong. I am not affiliated with C.O.R.E or miss Silva here would surely know of me, and I am not affiliated with the paladins either. So think, little possum! What THIRD party would have information on both? ...Ah, but by Ares do I need a smoke." with that he reached into his left pocket an brought out a five-branched smoking pipe. Each branch ended in a hydra's head and he put small measures of tobacco in each and lit them before taking a long puff. "Ah... Much better."

"I'm not entirely sure I care which third party you're involved with. If you're not with New Republic, you're fine by me," Jaide replied and shrugged gently, "However... I would like as much information as possible on that orange eyed paladin. He..." Jaide struggled for words, unable to produce them and admit her intimidation when he was near.

"Just something seems off," Jaide finished.

Garreth smiled slyly. "Hmm hmm... You felt intimidated, I'd dare say, and with good reason. That man is known as Cress, and as you've already likely figured he's a New Republic paladin. But no more will I say, for information is power for a man like me. Now, as I said, I have business I need attend to in Venice. Perhaps I will see you there, little fox, if you survive whatever encounter Creas surely set up. After all, you call Venice home, don't you?" With that, he walked off again.

Jaide's hands curled up into a little ball. She narrowed her eyes dangerously and sent a glare to the man's back, watching as he walked away. He reminded her of an old sage, the kind who just randomly popped out of nowhere and gave advice to the protagonists. Although, what he said did confirm what Jaide was thinking. Cress, the orange eyed paladin, probably set up a trap. She'd have to return to Venice and prepare.

She then looked over at Jack.

"You want to join CORE, right?" Jaide asked, a little snippy. There was just too much on her mind right now and she was awfully angry with her shade. Jack nodded an affirmative response.

"I'll be taking us to Venice now where we will discuss this further. It's much less... interruptive... there," Jaide explained, grabbing onto Jack's arm. The shadows from the alley came to life, writhing around them. It crawled up their legs in a supernatural caress. Jaide closed her eyes. Rome to Venice was a long distance and if she was carrying two... it was going to be much more difficult.

As the shadows engulfed them completely, she focused on Venice. On the waterway, on the vendors in the street, the little girl who gave her the flower in her hair.

When she reopened her eyes, they were in Venice.

She let go of Jack and looked around. No one really cared about what she just did. Venice was a very CORE friendly town and always turned a blind eye to her movements.

"Come with me, please," Jaide said, much more politely this time, and started to walk the cobblestone road towards CORE's headquarters.

Jack let Jaide carry him though the shadows with little more than mild surprise. He had seen stranger stuff. However, there was still one thing on his mind as he followed her...
"That paladin...i heard him mention a meeting. Whats that all about?"

Anna walked down the streets of Venice with Emma, talking excitedly, grinning and greeting people she knew. She threw her arms up in excitement, "we're alone Emma! Daddy Aldron got sent away! Think of all the fun stuff we can do! We could eat candy for supper!" She gripped her sisters shoulders, a look of pure joy on her face.

Emma smiled at her sister, saying, "Anna, you can't think of anything better than candy for supper?"

Anna laughed, walking with her sister, holding her hand and swinging their arms. They were alone on the waterways today, and what a fine day it was. Not cloud in sight, the perfect temperature to be outside. They walked for awhile, buying a few things from stray vendors, before making their way back towards the CORE HQ. They took the right roads, at least to Anna's thinking, as she was always better with directions. As they walked along a canal, they came upon two figures, one of which looked distinctly familiar, at least to Emma. Perhaps it was...

"JAIDE!" Anna yelled, throwing herself at their leader, closely followed by Emma, who had come to the same conclusion. They barreled headfirst into Jaide, paying no head to the man accompanying her, wrapping their arms around her waist, and throwing all three of them to the side, straight into the canal.

"What the f..."
Jack was usually alert, but one thing he didnt expect were for two girls to run into Jaide and knock her into the canal. His first thought was that they were under attack, but then realised that it was a gesture of friendship. He watched for a moment, then walked to the edge of the canal and stretched his hand out.
"Um...want any help?" he asked, intending to help them out of the water.

They happily took his hand, pulling Jaide out with them. Happily they giggled, content to let the sun dry them off.

"Jaide~," they said together, "who's your friend?"

Emma turned to him first, reaching out a hand and saying, "I'm Emma," Anna did the same, saying, "And I'm Anna."

Jack shook her hand.
"Im Jack. Nice to meet you Emma and Anna." he said, secretly wondering if he was ever going to remember which was which.
"Are you in C.O.R.E too?"

Their faces immediately darkened, and Emma was the first to react, slamming her heel into Jack's chest only succeeding in knocking him back a few steps. She pushed off of him with it as he parried her thrust, jumping backwards off of him and hand spring back onto her feet. Anna rushed in, longsword in hand, thrusting and slashing, unable to block his defenses, quick as she was. Emma walked up to stand next to her sister, both of whom stared at Jack, weapons in hand and a combat stance, ready to spring into action.

"What do you want with CORE?"

Jack looked at them both, blade in hand.
"I want to join! Is this how you treat every fucking recruit?"
He felt a little awkward.
"Now, please put your weapons away, ive killed enough people today and i dont want to add you two to the list."

Arvein, having gone through several miles of paperwork, leaned back on the ground to try and rest a little bit. He groaned before looking through the other half of the fourm that he had to fill out. "It'll be good enough."

"Hey, Carl?" The hunter asked, "What was this guy's mother's maiden name?" He scratched at the paper a little bit with some ink. "Why can't we just put his name and write 'dead'?"