Author: Naota, Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 8:31 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

He shook his head as he began to lead through the vents: a small orb of light hovering in his palm to aid them, “Not the ones I hunt at least.  As foreign as it may seem I have crossed paths with some good people in my line of work and built friendships.”  He sighed, wishing that what she had suggested would have been possible for him, but unfortunately it would take a more obvious threat to the public for him to pull such a thing off, “Sadly I don’t have the authority to sanction off parts of this level, or any level for that matter.  Whether it’s about money or formulating an excuse for me to do so, I’m not sure…most likely the former as money wouldn’t come into play if it’d make this entire ordeal go smoothly.”
 
His eyes saddened, “If there were any casualties though…they’d probably give me authority to do whatever I wanted for this particular hunt.  But I won’t let it go that far if I can help it, good thing I found you eh?”  He looked back at her with a small smile before looking forward again, laughing gently at her comment about the meat, “I can’t very well argue with that logic.”  He chewed gently on the skin of his bottom lip, a small nervous habit he’d had since childhood as he tried to think about the best way to answer her questions about his profession.  It was a difficult subject to talk about, especially given that he was torn in his beliefs in his later years. 
 
When he was young it had been easy: hate vampires with no question, show no mercy and only quick precision.  But now…?  Now things were different, as painful as the memory was, Holly had helped a lot with that…all of the Rosenites did, and the odd web they were always tangled into with one another it seemed.  His sister too, she had helped…Though he still had his days where he didn’t trust her, despite their blood.  Her circumstance was tragic, but years of being taught to think one way were hard to get over, even for someone like him.
 
“To tell you the truth when I was your age I would have killed one despite their alignment if you offered me the job.  Vampires were animals to be hunted, vermin infesting an area, killers that were below society.”  His eyes saddened thinking about it, thinking about how hateful he’d been, how he still had to fight with that every day,
 
“I’m no longer that young man.  It’s no easy feat, I still get more nervous and edgy around their race and am quicker to distrust them, but…I’m working on it.  For jobs though, I only take jobs where the targeted vampire has done something wicked that deserves ultimate justice.  Perhaps that’s why my skills have been requested for other types of jobs now, like this beast we’re hunting.  While still a vampire hunter I’ve started to narrow my scope of vision…which can be disadvantageous to those that had grown used to a dog that would have said yes no matter who the vampire.  I guess I should more say that I hunt that which is dangerous with a specialty in vampires…”  His words trailed off and he looked over at her before shrinking down, warmth filling his cheeks,
 
“Sorry, I’m beginning to rant, I’ve just never really spoken about it out loud, these thoughts usually just bounce around in my head.”  His focus returned ahead of them, stopping for a moment and resting his free hand against one of the vent walls as he closed his eyes, feeling it out, searching for any strange vibrations and listening intently for the slip and slide of skin along metal.  Despite that, he whispered quietly to her,
 
“It’s all right, to tell you the truth when I learned how to do this and spread the protection onto others, I used to hold my breath…thinking that even breathing would disturb it and get everyone killed.”  He smiled, a small one in the quiet and took a deep quiet inhale through his nose, letting it out slowly, “I’m breathing, so we must be fine.”  All of this was to keep the moment light for as long as he could, but he could feel far off the shake of metal ever so slightly under his fingertips.  While his voice stayed quiet, his words held urgency,
 
“It’s not far.”

Author: Padexin, Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2016 11:06 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries was glad to hear his protection was strong. She hadn't really doubted that it WAS, but still, it was better to have it from the mouth of the source, rather than assuming. "Yeah, I can't imagine you face too many friendly people, considering you're a vampire hunter…" Aries still wasn't sure how she felt about that.

While he was unscrewing the grate, she said, "Okay, that makes sense. Is it not possible to like, sanction off an area? Or do you not have the authority to do that?" Jumping back to the vampire subject, she said "So wait, what kind of vampires do you hunt? Like, all of them? Or just ones that… You know, hurt innocent people? I had a vampire acquaintance a while back, she was quite kind, outside of the whole blood thing."

After they entered the grate, Aries took a sniff and grimaced. It seemed like the spell didn't block out smells. "Pretty sure the radiation in here would sterilize any piece of meat. I wouldn't be too worried about the smell." She didn't mention that, even if the meat DID rot, then it wouldn't be able to cut through the stench of the vents.

Smiling at his comment about letting her in first, Aries said "I've never been one much for gender tradition." She was getting, though she didn't know what they were called, battle jitters. She had never gone into a battle expecting it; Aries felt as though she preferred not knowing. Following Naota's lead in both path and mood, she nodded. "I know, in my mind, that we'll be safe; but my heart… Well, you know how it goes."

Author: Naota, Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 5:14 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

He turned his eyes back to her as he took off his vest, folding it and letting it hang from the back of his belt: it’d be easier to move with it off, but he still wanted as much separation from his skin and the fumes as possible and for that reason tugged at the edges of his long sleeves to ensure they wouldn’t ride up.  The protection was over them now, but he still didn’t like what they were going to have to do, “My protection is very strong, I assure you.  I’ve dealt with far worse than this, and that was from people aiming to hurt me.”  Those situations still hadn’t been fun though.

Kneeling down next to the grate, he pulled a knife from his belt and started to carefully take off the bottom line of screws that kept the vent closed, “We’re going to try and attack it from inside of the vent first because I want to keep it from making it outside if possible.  So far no panic has ensued on this level and I’d like to keep it that way.”  He moved the screws into his pocket and started to work on the rest of them, all but one that was left in the corner, “If we must though, then we must.  Once it’s spotted then panic might spread, small at first but things like that tend to grow into hysteria.”  

Finally he was done, and had the rest of the screws safely in his pocket which he buckled to keep securely closed before replacing the blade onto his belt.  Now the vent would be able to slide around and open with just being attached by the one screw, and that meant they could go in but still close the vent behind them to keep from having more fumes escape than usual.  His eyes lit up, already feeling the antsiness he got just before a hunt.  He let the vent swing closed again and stood, looking back at her with raised eyebrows,

“Honestly?  Raw meat, things to that effect, and blowing the scent into the vent way to draw it in.  I don’t exactly want to bring meat in there with us right now though…I’m pretty sure they’d be cross if any of it got left inside and started to stink things up.”  He looked out towards the streets, thinking about how many people were nearby even if they weren’t in their line of sight: how many lives.   “We should head in, and it’s good that you can shoot it that far, you might need to.”  Opening the vent again, he walked through, glad for how large it was, and kept it held open right at the entrance as he looked at her,

“I’d normally offer ladies first but in this situation it hardly seems like the gentleman type thing to do.”  He wanted to keep their demeanor light despite what they were about to venture into and his eyes softened despite himself, “Try not to worry too much, so long as we can subdue it, get a clear shot, I can paralyze it…right now the trick is going to be finding it, and after an hour we’ll be out of the vents either way.”

Author: Padexin, Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 9:37 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries recoiled at the thought of going into the center of the vents. She'd been in there once, looking to see what she could find out about the magic keeping the place in the sky. It was disgusting; the very air itself seemed to sizzle against your skin. Still though, she'd agreed to the job, so she would do the job. "Well then let's get moving!"

She felt a small amount of relief when he mentioned staying in there for only an hour or so. Aries didn't think she'd be able to stand staying longer than that. "So… How strong is your protection spell?"

When he mentioned luring it, Aries was interested. "Why don't we just lure it immediately? And how do you plan on luring it?" Considering the vents, she silently agreed that it'd be better not to fight in there. Her bow wouldn't be much good, and she wasn't very skilled with her daggers yet. "I can shoot my fire… Maybe ten feet? Fifteen? Like I said, I've been practicing since I was little."

Author: Naota, Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 11:43 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

His eyes followed her up as she stood, eyebrows raising in surprise from her sudden exuberance and choice of words.  Laughing gently, he too got to his feet and left a good amount of coin on the table, more than double what their meal had been so that their server wouldn’t be lacking that night.  He spoke as he headed towards the exit with her, “To the northern vents.  It’s early enough yet that we can make it there before sundown and with enough time to move through.” If luck remained on their side then they’d hopefully confront the beast before nightfall, but he knew that the vent system was a large and intricate one.  The center was the best point for them, but he didn’t want them to stay for too long as it had the highest concentration of toxin.
 
As they walked down the street he continued, “So long as we keep our pace brisk we’ll be able to get to the center before too long.  After that I suggest us staying for no more than an hour, even with my protection over us I don’t want to tempt fate with those fumes.” He would have an easier time keeping safe from them, but he also had her safety to consider in this.  Yet another reason he didn’t want this job to extend for much longer, they couldn’t go into the vents every night. 
 
“If we’re unable to stop it tonight then tomorrow it would probably be best to try and lure it…though I sincerely hope that it won’t come to that.” He looked over at her, thinking about her ability to breathe fire, “What’s the furthest you’ve ever been able to send your fire?  If we can’t get to the monster, then perhaps we can lure it towards us tonight instead.  I wouldn’t exactly want to fight it in the vents unless I had, but it may come to that if we can find it there first before it ventures out.” Once it was out there was too much risk to everyone else, and while it would make it easier to find, he was uncomfortable at the idea of sacrificing someone just so that they could track it.
 
When they got to the edge of the vent he paused, looking back at her to see if she was ready.  There was no one here in this shaded spot, too many people worried about any toxins that may have seeped out, and for that reason he silently spread his protection over them.  It would keep them safe for a few hours, but he’d be sure to boost it every so often as the early evening went on so that they would be as safe as possible.  It was a good thing hardly anyone came over here unless they were a worker, it’d make their job all the easier instead of having to deal with questions: too much risk to other people, and they couldn’t be delayed any longer if they wanted any chance of finishing the beast off tonight.

Author: Padexin, Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 9:23 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries was quite happy at his willingness to give up his skin. She had a friend– a lens maker, and part time biologist– who could make magnifying lenses to look at things quite small. She'd made a few interesting discoveries, though she said that she wasn't good enough to get the lenses REALLY small. Still though, better than the naked eye. Aries would ship the sample to her ASAP, when she got it.

Although it occurred to her that maybe the man was joking? Aries figured she'd leave her daggers sheathed for the moment, and wait to see if he brought it up.

It also occurred to Aries that he might have changed the subject on purpose. She reached into the Aether and grabbed her bow once again. "Ready when you are, Captain my captain!" She did a half salute, standing to her feet as she did so. Aries was kind of bad at… Interacting with people, but she was trying to lighten the mood after Naota seemed to have gotten really solemn.

"So, uh… Where are we headed?"

Author: Naota, Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 9:09 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

His eyes moved down to his finished plate, slowly stacking the fish bones meticulously as he thought about what she had said.  Even at the age he was now, with the level of confidence he held, he still sometimes had a barbing memory rear its ugly head from after he’d found out what he was.  Needless to say demons of any heritage weren’t fondly looked on by the holy community, and his whole life had been devoted to that practice.  For years he’d been trained to fight the undead, and while his family had never batted an eye the years they’d raised him, he still wondered if it was in the backs of their heads: that deep down he by definition was a monster.
 
As shameful as it was to admit, he was glad that he could pass as a human being, it made things easier, especially when it came to working with others.  Though he wondered what he would have been like had he not been brought up by a family of humans.  Would he have succumbed to his nature?  At times it felt as if he was constantly having to watch himself, even the slightest slip could push him into being dangerous…whether his actions started with good intentions or not.  There had been some clients lost after the information was leaked, and there would forever be a smudge on his family’s name.  Even if it was wiped away more and more each year, it would always be there: a stain.  He didn’t like thinking about these things.
 
He smiled, eyes lifting back up to her, happy for the change in subject, “You know I’m not sure I could ever properly describe what it feels like.”  His eyes turned up in thought for a brief moment before returning to hers, “Like having extra body parts I suppose.  It shifts around, sometimes I feel it more in my gut, other times my arms, my head…It’s like being asked to describe what it’s like to know how to move your leg or arm: you know what it’s like, but you can’t explain the feeling without actually doing it.”  His eyes blinked opened wider and he straightened, a skin sample?  Well that most definitely was a question he’d never had and he couldn’t hold back the quiet laugh that escaped before he could pull it back.
 
“N-No, no it’s fine…Um, consider my skin yours.  Though I’m not sure how much good it’ll do, I’m not sure how closely it could resemble human flesh.”  Maybe it would give a clue as to why he healed faster, why his kind did in general.  He sighed with a light shrug, “Your guess is as good as mine: we probably have the same amount of questions.  I’ve yet to track down my father and I don’t even know which class of demon he belongs to.  The most I’ve ever been able to get was his name and generic description.  For all I know he could be dead.”  But he knew that wasn’t true…somehow he knew, he’d feel his death.  Or maybe he’d just hoped he would.

“But,” he leaned forward comfortably on his arms as their dishes were cleared, waiting for the server to be further away, “That is a discussion for another day.  For now, let’s get ready to take our positions.  How do you feel?”  

Author: Padexin, Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 8:24 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries was quite happy that he was willing to pay. "As long as you're paying me, I'll come along! To an extent, of course. I do have a life I want to live out eventually." Again, his offer for spell help was admirable, and Aries said "If I have problems with a spell, you're the first person I'll come to."

After she asked about his race, his expression changed pretty drastically. Aries was no savant at body language– in fact, she was really poor at it, and had a lot of trouble with people because of that. However, his body language was pretty obviously… Well, Aries couldn't put her finger on it. It was like a bunch at once.

She imagined, for a moment, finding out that you weren't human until you were thirty. She was still a few years from that; she would still be walking around thinking she was a human. It seemed almost… Cruel. Aries tried not to be quick to judge, though; perhaps his parents had their reasons.

And with the demon part, she saw it. Aries did her best not to react outwardly– after all, Naota was a fine person– but demons freaked her out. She'd met one only one demon in her life time, and that hadn't been a pleasant experience. Half demons, she'd met a few more, and they were generally unpleasant, although she'd known three or four– Naota included– to be decent. "I bet you've faced a lot of opposition because of your ancestry. I'm sorry." And it was true– Aries despised the ways a lot of the half-races were treated by the full blooded folks.

She listened with interest to his talking about magic. "How interesting. I mean, I've always had a pretty deep interest in magic, so it was natural that I learned how to do it ASAP… But to just, know it innately? What's that like?"

Finally, he divulged his age. Aries did react to this one. "Sixty five? Can I have–" She was about to ask, "Can I have a skin sample," but thought that might be weird. "Wow golly. That's… I wonder…" Aries mumbled to herself for a moment. "… Magically? But then…. Well I dunno… Maybe I really should ask for a sample… I'm not a biologist, but…"

After a moment, she shook herself. "Sorry, I was thinking of possibilities." Aries, after a second, realized that he'd been rather solemn. "Er, that was insensitive. If you ever want help finding out like, who you are, I could maybe help out. I mean, I'm not, like, super connected, but my investigative skills are alright, and I actually know a few scientists who keep up with my work, so if there were any questions in that rhealm that you might have…?"

Author: Naota, Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 4:43 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

His eyes softened as he listened to her.  He didn’t think that her dream of being a military healer was stupid at all, but he’d let her finish before putting in his opinions.  As she spoke he realized how similar they were in that aspect: he always preferred to be the supporting member of a team.  When he had been younger he’d been part of a band that constantly raided dungeons, and he recalled it fondly.  That was so long ago he was still surprised he remembered it so well, he’d not even been twenty…But he was proud of the fact that despite his age he’d been able to keep them all safe.  Though it was much more draining on him then than it would be now.  Given his profession, most wouldn’t think that about him but he was largely a pacifist.  

He nodded instantly, “I’ll pay you each night that you stay.  In full, you won’t have to worry about that.”  Truth be told he had more coin than he could ever possibly need, that wasn’t why he took on the jobs that he did…though he’d make sure he was paid either way.  Doing a job for free was one thing, going back on your word and honor after already promising to pay?  That was another.  It was the principle of the thing.  “I can help you with those spells if you’d like, know that even after this job is over my offer will always stand with that.”  He liked being able to help others, and while he wasn’t as adept with working with those that had purchased a spell he had enough training in his own abilities that he was more than comfortable.

When she asked about him it caught him off guard.  His lips parted and his eyes widened in a way that could almost be called innocent.  When was the last time anyone had even asked about what he was…?  He’d met so many people over the last few decades and it was never a topic that came up, probably due to the vast diversity of Revaliir, but still: it was rare to be asked.  His fingers took a cleaned bone from the plate, moving it slowly between his fingers, twirling it over his knuckles with practiced dexterity as he thought on how to answer that very wide question, “Honestly?”  He paused for just a moment before continuing,

“I’m not entirely sure what I am.  I come from an adopted human family and was never even made aware of the fact until I was nearing thirty years of age.”  For a half second he thought back to his first reunion with his sister in the bamboo forest… “I’ve been told my mother was a human and my father was a demon.”  He didn’t mention the fact that he had an entire other being sharing his body with him…Minasé was dangerous and complicated, and he didn’t want to draw attention to the daemon seeing as he was dormant so far.  Bringing him attention always made it worse,

“You call me a mage, but I was never taught how to obtain my skills.  I was born with them, so really I was just taught how to control and manipulate them.  What you call Archcure is entirely different to me.  I’m able to keep myself safe from many poisons and debilitating things to an extent, so I was trained on how to extend that power to others.  A skill you would call Archcure.”  His lips pulled in and he moved his eyes away.  It was strange to be talking about himself this much, he wasn’t used to being the focus of attention in such an obvious way, or at all really.

His voice grew softer, more distant, “If you can believe it I’m nearing the age of sixty five.”  His eyes moved back to her, keeping her gaze now, “Somewhere in my early twenties I stopped aging physically…I’m not entirely sure as to why.  Every day I’m trying to move closer to finding out more about who I am and where I’ve come from.”  A small smile formed on his lips, his eyes softening again, “Luckily I’m a good guy.”  He was lightly teasing with that, trying to bring the mood back from being so solemn.

Author: Padexin, Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 11:40 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries finished the stew, licking her lips as she did. She was doing her best to remember her manners, having been raised in a rather small village. Naota seemed to have caught on to what she was doing with the ordering of the stew, but he didn't say anything, for which she was grateful. 

After he mentioned that he usually had some kind of spell on to protect himself, Aries got excited. "Ooooh, is it Archcure? When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a healer for the military, but it was just a stupid kid's dream– you know how it goes. And anyway, my current passion is so much more fulfilling. But I've always been interested in playing a support role for people– enchanting, shielding, you know, stuff like that. That's what I really enjoy."

Aries almost laughed at his "if you trust me" statement. "I've been called naive to a fault; I trust you, don't worry. You already could have hurt me or kidnapped me or whatever if that's what you were planning. " 

And, of course, she had kind of figured that this might be a longer job; as a hunter, she knew pretty well that you couldn't always count on your target being where you expect it to be. "I'll stick with you to the end, don't worry. Although, if it DOES last past tonight, do you think you could pay me early? I think having the advantage of even novice elemental spells could really help later on…"

Finally, she added, "As I said, I trust you. Teleportation is fine." After a second of silence, Aries couldn't stop her curiosity. "So, uhm, I'm curious, what race are you? Like, from what you've told me you're a pretty advanced mage and stuff, but most humans that reach that point at least look a lot older than you. If you don't mind my asking, of course."

Author: Naota, Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 4:20 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

He arched an eyebrow when he realized that though her stew was a hearty one, it was the least expensive thing that the tavern offered.  Though he recognized and understood humility, so he made no mention of the fact.  He ate his fish, always mindful of bones and the like and both of his eyebrows raised at her concern with the vents.  This is what he had been speaking to her about earlier: using magick as a crutch, and he’d just been a shining example of it.  He’d been keeping himself safe from such dangers for so long, and without the fragility that humans had, that he’d actually briefly forgotten that she didn’t have such abilities.  Either way she would be safe and he shook his head to reassure her,

“You’re right to be concerned, but we won’t be in the vent-ways long enough for it to be particularly deadly or deforming.  Aside from that I’m quite adept at casting on others and will keep you under the same protection I use for myself whenever I have need to go to such places.  If you trust me that is.  Either way, I won’t keep us there longer than a half hour…any much longer would be a waste into our night and we’d need to go forward from there.”  It was then that he decided to tell her of the possibility that this could be a prolonged job.  She of course wouldn’t be expected to stay through the entire ordeal, even having her for just this one night would be more than enough,

“Truth be told they don’t expect me, or anyone for that matter, to get it sorted out in one night: I’m just a bit of an overachiever.  There’s a chance we won’t be able to rid the island of this creature tonight, and if that’s the case then know that you are under no obligation to continue.  You will be paid properly whichever you choose.”  He smiled before taking his glass and downing the remnants of the water.  From his pitcher he refilled his glass again and topped hers off as well, “If the vent doesn’t work out then I have an idea of what we can do…it’s a bit more technical than what I’d normally do and would need perfect timing, but it’s worth a shot.”  

He paused briefly, working through it in his mind one more time, “I won’t put you in a situation where you’ll have to be alone, but we can do a bit of an alteration of my other plan.  We stay together and wait at the mouth of one of the main exits of the vent, and I can project my consciousness to the other.  If the beast is there I can teleport us to that location together and we’ll have the element of surprise.  Though,”  His smile returned, wider than before, “that’s also on the premise that you’ll trust me to do so.”  After all, not everyone was comfortable with teleporting even on their own, much less with a person they’d only known for an hour.

Author: Padexin, Posted: Tue Aug 9, 2016 8:52 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries's father had taught her one rule when you went out to eat: if someone you're not dating offers to pay, you get the cheapest thing on the menu. And so, she did as much; it was a rather hearty stew, and Aries figured she'd have gotten it even if she weren't getting the cheapest thing. She also got a large glass of water for herself.

"Thanks for the food!" After getting a few bites, Aries followed up on what he said: "Isn't going in the vents kinda… Unhealthy? I've heard some pretty horrible stories about the people that are around them for too long. They get all deformed and stuff. It's… Sad.

"I mean, I'm fine with like, going underground and everything, I just don't want to like, grow a third arm or anything." She realized after a moment that that was kind of a messed up thing to say. "Sorry, insensitive. I'm just wondering if it'll be okay to go down there."

Author: Naota, Posted: Tue Aug 9, 2016 5:02 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

His eyes lifted back up to hers as she spoke, and they slowly widened the more she said.  Most of what she was talking about were things he never would have thought of, needless to say any form of ‘physics’ he would have learned would have been drastically different in comparison.  If he’d learned at all.  In a moment of pure rarity, a sheepish smile formed ever so briefly on his lips, “I might do that you know.  Take you up on that offer…”  It would be nice to advance himself, though he was still nervous that a lot of it would end up going over his head completely.  

What she said made sense, and he seemed to do a lot of that naturally just from having done work with different weapons in different conditions for so long, but he hadn’t thought about it in a mathematic way.  It was interesting.  Why had the school turned her away…?  It couldn’t simply be because she’d yet to advance herself in magick and psionics could it…?  If anything that would urge him to want to help her achieve that advancement in skill even more.  But, that was a discussion for after they were finished.

He gently shook his head, “Think nothing of it: that’s exactly why I wanted to ask you your thoughts.  You’re uneasy splitting up, and that’s more than enough reason for me not to do it.  All it means is we tighten our planning is all.”  When his pitcher was brought along with a glass, he filled it and took a long drink, letting the coolness of it ease his throat.  Forget eating, when had been the last time he’d had something to drink…?  He topped it off before continuing,

“If we’re to stay together then I think the best course of action would be to make it into the vents before nightfall.  Get the jump on it so to speak.  There should be a center point for the vent ways, it would likely be best to make it there as it has the most likelihood of the creature passing through.”  Aside from that, the closer they were to it, the easier it would be for him to try and sense it out.  Using smell would be difficult due to the varying scents that would be in such a place, as well as the fact that he wasn’t entirely sure what it would even smell like to begin with; but every living thing held an aura…and that would be how he’d scout it.  Still, that brought up another variable to consider,

“The only downside to that is that we’ll be much more enclosed than taking it head on outside.  We’ll need to be at our most vigilant.  It’s known to move swiftly and silently, being blind would only aid it in proper control of that.”  He nodded towards her and rolled the map back up, replacing it into his belt, “For now though, fill your stomach.  Pay no mind to expense, I’ll cover anything you’d like to eat or drink tonight.”

Author: Padexin, Posted: Mon Aug 8, 2016 10:28 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries smiled. It was always nice to get someone interested in her work. She pulled out her journal and showed him some of the proofs she'd been working on. "It's called projectile physics; basically, everything falls pretty predictably, as long as it's not going TOO fast. The man who taught me this" she didn't want to reveal that there was another journal that she'd left at home, for some reason, "measured the acceleration to be 29 feet per second per second, but I've gotten it around 32. A couple of experiments have shown this to be a lot more accurate."

Aries was impressed with his offer for magic help. Not too many people were willing to give out their secrets of magic– at least, not that she'd encountered. She was almost entirely self-taught, learning from books and the like. "I really appreciate that, and perhaps I'll take you up on it at some point. If YOU ever want assistance in mathematics, you're welcome to ask!"

Aries looked at the map with interest, and listened to the possibilities. "Well, I'm a novice, so it might be better if I stayed with you… Then again, it might not be TOO difficult for me to signal you, as the vents likely echo pretty far and wide, and I can fend it off with my fire until you get there, if need be." She sighed. "I dunno, though; I just feel… Uneasy about us splitting up. You're the veteran here, what do you think?"

Author: Naota, Posted: Mon Aug 8, 2016 7:09 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

He moved with her into the tavern, sitting across from her at the table she chose.  It wasn’t too loud in here, but neither was it anywhere near silent.  For them it would be easy to go unnoticed aside from the servers and right now they appeared like any other patrons.  His stomach was already churning with the promise of food.  In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually had more than a handful of food at a time.  It seemed he was always on the go, and his body kept itself healed enough that it took him longer to notice when he was growing too malnourished.
 
As she spoke his eyebrows rose.  Not to say math was unknown to him, but he’d only learned what he needed to that would apply to his lifestyle.  Most would likely find it simple, others abstract.  That subject had always been a bit tricky for him, the numbers mixed up in his head and he always ended up finding unorthodox ways to do things that to others would have been as simple as counting on their toes.  None of his brothers had any issues with it though.  His lips parted, “You can do something like that without the aid of enchantment on your weapon?”  Maybe it was time to try his hand at mathematics again.
 
If put to the test and given the right materials he might be able to accomplish such an act, but he also didn’t have the same strength that humans did and gave himself a bit of a push with psionics to aid him.  He’d like to see it in action.  He nodded, “It’s all right, we’ll likely be much closer in combat tonight.  With luck it’ll be completed before dawn.” 
 
His arms folded on the table, leaning on them slightly as he continued, “Even if we do finish this quickly, know that if you ever wanted someone to help you with your magick I’d be more than happy to assist in anything I could.”  He moved one arm back,scratching through his hair on the back of his head, lightly mussing it,
 
“For tonight though I don’t want you worrying about that unless you need to.  It’s weak to light, the flare from your fire breathing might work in your favor should it draw too close too quickly to you.  I believe it’s been travelling through the vent systems, something of its possible size would need to come out through one of the larger exits on this level.”  From his belt he pulled out his map, normally used for tracking people, right now he merely unrolled it for them to look at.  He rested a finger on its surface,
 
“There’s one here,” he slid his finger to another spot, “and here.  We have a few options: we split up and wait at each one on our own; we move through the vents separated; or we take our luck staying together and trying both.  All have their own negative possibilities…”  When the server approached their table he ordered himself a pitcher of iced water and a decently sized meal of fish and vegetables.  

Author: Padexin, Posted: Sun Aug 7, 2016 9:56 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries itched her face. "Huh. I think it's kind of strange and more than a little intimidating that a normal hunt for you is for vampires, but alright." She flushed with a bit of pride when he said why he was happy to have her along. "Aw, thanks. I really dislike being in leader positions, but I'm always happy to listen, and very open minded! I hope."

As they went into the tavern, Aries chose a seat and sat down. "Well the thing is about magic, I need to know it– I'm not actually really a fighter by trade. Mostly I just use my archery for hunting for food. I'm actually a researcher– it's why I came here to Tarishitar. I tried getting into the Mage College, but they didn't accept me…

"So I brought my gifts here. I was given the basics for an incredibly advanced math– I've never seen anything like it– and I've been deriving the rest since. I've got some plans for some home defense stuff involving it, it's gonna be awesome. I can accurately hit a target from a mile away, if the weapon is powerful enough to shoot that far." After a moment's though, she added, "Not that I'd ever have need to do that. Unfortunately, I can't use it in our battle, cause the math can take… A LOT of time."

Author: Naota, Posted: Sun Aug 7, 2016 1:29 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

He breathed out slowly with a nod just as slow, “Correct.  I haven’t even seen it.  I was only just recently hired to take care of it.  I work well in the darkness given the prey I usually hunt, and my particular set of skills were wanted in its extermination.  Whatever it is, it does well to keep itself hidden, this will be my first night seeking it out.”  His focus returned to her, turning his head to attempt full eye contact as he continued,
 
“And I seek out aid because for something like this, something where it’s a monster I’ve never physically encountered before, I figure it’s smarter to have someone else there.  Think of it like checks and balances.  I’m a vampire hunter, there’s always the chance I’ll slip into treating it like an every day hunt; fresh eyes can help keep that from happening.  As for me having no issues with you being a novice,”   How best to explain that?  He looked forward, his eyes narrowing in thought as he mulled his words over in his head, “An expert would want to do things their own way, perhaps not even take in any input I might give.  A novice has yet to develop any bad habits and is usually more hungry to learn and take direction should direction need to be given.”
 
He smiled, “That’s not to say I was specifically seeking out a novice or someone so fresh to the task, but I have no prejudice against someone new.”   As she talked about living in the lower levels he realized even more how perfect of a fit she was.  Her knowledge of the bowels might come in handy should it retreat back down.  In the best scenario possible they would be able to corner it and make their ending blow.  His eyes softened, a gentle smile forming at such an innocent reason for learning a new skill, but as she displayed how much power and control she had over that particular technique he was happy to see that she hadn’t kept it merely as a novelty.
 
“With any luck you shouldn’t need to use that, but I know you know it goes without saying that it could do well in a pinch.  And don’t count yourself short, some of the greatest fighters I know don’t use a lick of magick.  The problem some people have with psionics and magick is that it can become a crutch.   And more often than not when you don’t have spells, or magick or what have you to work with, you’re forced to look at things in a different way…a way you might not have done before.”
 
He stopped at a tavern, pulling the door opened for her to go through should she like, “For now let’s sit and discuss.  We’ll need full stomachs and complete hydration.  I have a few ways I’d like to go about the hunt tonight, and I’d like your input.”  After all, should she stay for the full hunt then it would be her skin on the line as much as his: she deserved to have a say in how the night would go.

Author: Padexin, Posted: Sat Aug 6, 2016 9:09 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries raised an eyebrow. "You haven't even seen this thing? Going by your 'if you hit me' comment, you're probably pretty powerful. It's strange that you haven't found this thing. Why do need anyone else along for the ride?" Speaking of comments, it almost seems like he's using some kind of mind reading technique from some of the things he said… Just in case, she thought, Hey man, I don't like people in my head. If you want to know something, just ask me; I won't lie.

She followed along as he walked, listening as he talked about the monster. "Are you sure you want a novice ranger along for this ride? I mean, I guess my shooting's okay, but I'm not like, powerfully magic or anything. I mean, all I've got is this." She blew a jet of flame out of her mouth. "And that was mostly just so I could pretend to be a dragon. Learned it as a kid."

Aries kind of smiled at his "the unknown is dangerous" saying; she'd never found it too dangerous– just needing to be understood. Of course, she supposed, with monsters, it was sort of different… "I am, unfortunately, familiar with the bottom levels. I live a couple of miles away from a vent; when the wind blows the wrong way, it smells something awful." After pulling a face, she said, "So, er, wait, did you want to test me on my fire breath? I can get a pretty huge plume; or I can make a really hot jet, as the case may be."

Aries patted her pockets, then bent down and picked up a long stone from the ground. "Here, watch out." She pursed her lips, and shot out a white flame onto the rock, which was held gently by her fingers as far from the flame as she could. After a few moments, the rock started dripping onto the ground, and Aries carefully put it down. "How's that?"

Author: Naota, Posted: Sat Aug 6, 2016 6:24 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Lumbering, that definitely didn’t sound like his target.  It was wishful thinking to wonder if that had been what she’d seen, but at least he knew for sure now.  The creature was known for slinking and moving like a whip, almost elegant in how it travelled.  If it weren’t such a deadly nuisance he might have admired it or tried to learn from its natural motion.  Sadly, that wouldn’t be the case.  He quirked an eyebrow at her comment and only showed the hints of an amused smirk. “I admire your propriety but I assure you it is no spell keeping these items held aloft.  And it would take more than arrows to stop me…if you were able to hit me.” That was all he’d say on the matter though, certain things about himself he was careful to keep close to the vest.
 
He watched as she shot, eyes silently darting to watch her arrows.  As he did he was urged to smile, impressed by her accuracy and even more so by why she chose which items to hit, as well as the order in which she did so.  He spoke softly as she continued to fire, “Don’t think too much about what the creature is, focus on the task you’re working on in the now.”  Her curiosity and eagerness was refreshing though, to say the very least.  He was glad to see her advance into the alley rather than limit herself to the entrance like many others would have, and he knew then and there that she would do just fine tonight.
 
His smile was filled with pride as he looked back at her, “You kept count of how many you had taken down as well as how much time you had left.  And,”  He moved into the alley, surveying her work and speaking as he did so, “you got over three quarters of them down.  You did splendidly.”  He turned to face her, his green eyes glowing brighter as his smile widened. “Walk with me…”  He walked out of the alley, speaking as he did so,
 
“As I said before, your propriety is in the right place but knowledge of what you’re attacking should be even higher.  For example, the fastest way to get those targets down would never have been to shoot me because you don’t know exactly what’s keeping them held up.  Though,”  He smiled more, “while I’m glad I don’t have an arrow sticking out of my chest, I would have been impressed if you’d been bold enough to shoot at me.  I like your boldness.  You’ll need it tonight.”
 
He turned his eyes to her, smile fading slightly.  She was young, he felt guilty bringing her into this to begin with, “I only say all of this to you because I want you to always remember that: the unknown is dangerous, and it takes more energy to swing a fist and miss than swing a fist and land a hit.” He looked forward again as he walked, “I also want you to know that if at any time you change  your mind during the hunt and no longer wish to continue then you’ll still be paid.”  Her safety was far more important.
 
“Are you familiar with the lower levels of the city…?  They’re very dark, very isolated from the fortunate, and dangerous.  There’s been…something hunting there.  It’s serpentine like in form, dark in color, and quick as whip.  I’ve heard varying things about its size but it’s more than safe to say that it’s quite large.  There’s nothing magickal in the way it attacks, but I do believe that it uses power to keep itself concealed.  I also speculate that it may be blind given how it hunts.  Right now its meals have consisted of the citizens of the lower levels but it’s venturing upwards.  It keeps to the dark, so the only effective attacks it’s made since coming out of the bowels of the city have been in the nighttime.  They want it stopped, and that is where I come in.  This is what I would be asking you to help me pursue.”

Author: Padexin, Posted: Sat Aug 6, 2016 12:32 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries pulled an arrow and set it on the string. "No, it was during the night. Though going by your description, I don't think it was the animal you're hunting; this thing was lumbering; my best guess has been a bear, though it would have to be a rather exquisite specimen to have been a bear. Also, just so you know, I realize the fastest way to take out the floating ones would be to shoot you and end the spell, but I'm obviously not going to do that. Of course, that's assuming I could beat you in a fight. Which I doubt."

Aries took a couple of breaths to calm herself; she rather disliked performing. The first targets would be the stacked ones, since she could just take out one of the lower ones with enough power to jostle the upper ones. That would be tough, but she thought she could do it, going by the size of the crates.

She did so, firing three arrows in quick succession, taking a sharp breath in between each shot. To her dismay, one pile was not knocked over, and she had to fire two more arrows to finally get it down.

Next on the list were the floating things. Those were easy enough, one shot per; she didn't miss a one, although one of the farthest ones had an arrow just barely sticking out of the side. Taking a quick breather, and developing a strategy for the hanging ones (she had been counting– she was about 30 seconds in), Aries quickly asked, "Does this beast have a name? Is it magical? What are its physical characteristics?"

Finally, running around so she was parallel to the lines that the hanging objects were on, she would line the shot up and take all of them down in one or two shots. After finishing with those, she collected the arrows within reach (a couple of the clotheslines and floating targets were slightly higher than her reach); to her dismay, one of them had broken itself on something hard within the stacked crates. "Hm. Eighteen left."

"How'd I do?"

Author: Naota, Posted: Fri Aug 5, 2016 10:05 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

As she spoke he walked down the alley at a measured pace, taking in anything that could be used for the exercise.  He rose up a hand and five bottles lifted up to the clothesline, with a slow twirl of his fingers they wrapped themselves in the twine until they were hanging in a neat but well-spaced row.  That would do.  It continued on like this as he moved further down: crates lifted on their own and stacked up at the end of the alley against the wall in varying levels; the lids of rubbish bins pressed against various areas on the wall, though some just stayed suspended in the air at staggered heights; all other assortments speckled themselves as hovering targets all down the alley. 
 
When he was done he walked back to the mouth, weaving through the range of targets he had set up until he was out of the alley completely and standing beside her once more.  He chuckled, thinking about how what they would be going after could very likely be more frightening than a vampire.  At least to a different degree.  What she said intrigued him though.  His eyebrows furrowed and he looked at her, “This enormous thing you spoke to, was it during the day time…?” It was highly unlikely it was the creature, especially since it was known to attack and kill, not listen to someone speak, but just in case…he had to look at every angle, and what they would be hunting only came out at night.
 
“What we would be pursuing tonight is very fast and extremely deadly.” He looked back down the alley, “It would require tight skill and accuracy as well as well measured reflexes.”  His head nodded towards the floating, stacked, and hanging targets as he continued, “I want you to take down as many of these targets using as few shots as you can in the course of one minute.  You can retrieve any arrows used, you can use your minute however you like, and can take down any target that you wish.”

This would tell him a great many things about the type of fighter she was, not just in skill but also in where her priorities lay during a fight.  Supreme marksmanship is nothing without strategy when it came to battle.  So long as this proved well enough then he’d want to test her ability with fire, but for now this is where his focus would stay, “If you have any questions, ask them.”

Author: Padexin, Posted: Thu Aug 4, 2016 8:41 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries followed him at a reasonable distance, walking alongside but also somewhat behind so she knew where he was going. "Yeah okay, I'll go ahead and grab my bow…" She reached in, shivering at the fuzzy feeling she always got when reaching into the Aether, and pulled her war bow out.

It was a rather common bow, as war bows go; nothing like an heirloom or anything. She'd just bought it to have something in case she was ever attacked. Course, she'd read up on some enchanting and stuff to see if she could power it up, but the ways things seemed, she could only enchant with a Weaving spell, which she didn't know. Hopefully that would change today.

"Oh also, I'm Aries Alba; I don't think I said that. I'm cool with hunting, although vampires kinda spook me; I'm glad we won't be hunting any of those tonight." She chuckled. "Uhm, as to beasts, I mostly just talk to my cat… Although on the road here I talked to something enormous– I didn't get a good look at it. I just told it that I had weapons and fire and stuff, and that this was my camp and it should leave me alone, etc. I can't say I've ever spoken to anything truly interesting, or magical, or anything like that. What exactly are we hunting?"

Author: Naota, Posted: Thu Aug 4, 2016 8:06 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

He smiled as she began to list off her abilities.  Of course he would need to test many of these to make sure she was up to snuff, he wouldn’t want to put her in any unnecessary danger after all.  But she had a good attitude and it sat well with him.  Things were starting to look up, for now at least.  Talking to animals…Maybe if she had a way to commune with the beast it could help things move along even smoother.  Rather than immediately brief her, he began to walk and lead her away from the square towards a less crowded area.  Tarishitar was a grand city which didn’t leave it with many vastly empty places, but they’d work with what they had.
 
“If you don’t mind me asking, I’d like to see your ability as a ranger.  I don’t doubt your honesty, but I know every fighter is different.” He stopped at the mouth of an alley but did not go down it.  There was no one there and it led to a brick wall.  This would be perfect: there was virtually no risk at harming anyone by testing her shots, and there were plenty of people in the city that would walk passed the alley way that she wouldn’t have to worry about foul play from him.
 
She was talking, asking so many questions, and while he didn’t mind it, it was still something he wasn’t used to.  Part of him felt guilty for requesting such a seemingly happy person into possibly pursuing something…not very nice.  He gently shook his head, “It’s no bother to me at all.  My name is Naota Uharu, I come from Ataiyo just outside of Nisshoki.  If I’m to be perfectly honest with you then I’d have to say that I’m a vampire hunter by profession.  That’s not what we’ll be doing tonight though.  Hunting?  Yes.  Vampires?  Not quite…”
 
His eyes moved back down the alley, taking in everything there: some cans of rubbish, a clothesline about three stories up that stretched from one window to another, some broken bottles, crates.  Yes, this would do nicely for now, “This should do, I can set up a few targets at the end and we’ll move on from there.  Although,”

He turned towards her and continued, “You mentioned that you can speak with animals.  Tell me, what is the…strangest creature you’ve ever spoken to?  Can you speak to less common ones?”  Best to go ahead and ask that now, it would help him go in the right direction with planning.

Author: Padexin, Posted: Wed Aug 3, 2016 6:50 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries almost jumped in excitement. "Yes, okay!" It occurred to her for a moment that maybe following this guy might be a bad idea, but he seemed nice enough, and she was rather good at escaping. "I've got a few spells, I can breathe fire, talk to animals, do some healing, and I can reach into the Aether and grab my stuff. I'm a great shot, I think; I always won the archer competitions in my home town."

Aries prepared to follow him wherever he lead, talking all the while. "So who're you? I get that you can't really talk about why you need a fighter, but you could at least tell me about yourself– only if you want to, of course. I get that a lot of people don't really like talking about their pasts and stuff." She closed her mouth tightly. She was, fortunately or unfortunately, born with the Gift of Gab, and talked almost constantly. About pretty much anything.

Author: Naota, Posted: Wed Aug 3, 2016 6:43 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

After about an hour of waiting with no promising passerby, he started to think of a new course of action.  Maybe moving to a different square would be better…?  No, there was no more time to wait.  Sunset wasn’t for a few hours yet, but he still needed to find someone, have them agree, brief them on the situation, and hope to goodness that it would actually go well when the time came.  He didn’t have an exact deadline on when to get the creature taken care of, but he’d prefer sooner rather than later.  Perhaps hoping to get it done before dawn was too much. 
 
With a sigh, he closed his eyes and slowly sifted his fingers through his hair; his skin heated from standing in the midday sun for so long.  It was then that he heard an eager voice.  He opened his eyes, hand dropping from his hair as he looked out into the mass of people for the source and finding a young woman.  She wasn’t much shorter than him in height, and she was going from person to person…asking if she could be of some help.  That got his attention.  He straightened, watching her for a moment and taking in her form, how she moved, the fact that she had light armor on.  Maybe it would be worth the effort to talk to her.
 
No one had taken her up on any of her offers after all, which meant that she’d have plenty of free time on her hands.  Especially since she was so hurriedly offering her assistance.  And then it happened, it was brief and quick but his eyes caught it: fire from her nostrils.  A dragon…?  No, she didn’t smell like a dragon.  His lips parted, maybe fortune had been in his favor today after all.
 
Before he could even approach her, she had come up to him: talking quickly and in great number about how she could in any way be of service.  His eyes slowly widened the more she spoke, not used to being in the company of someone so talkative.  He quirked an eyebrow at one of her abilities: she could fight.  That was good.  A ranger, in need of spells, wanting to advance herself…yes, this was the right person.  Aside from that, he had a lot of what she wanted so it would be an even more fair fellowship.  He smiled, a gentle expression as he spoke with just enough volume for his voice to be heard, “As a matter of fact I would greatly appreciate your assistance.  You say you’re a ranger, a fighter…It just so happens that I’m looking for such a person to help me tonight.”

He looked over her head, always on the watch for hungry eyes.  If she took him up on this then he’d have to explain everything to her as soon as possible, but it would be for her ears only.  No one wants a city up in a panic, and while the poorer levels were already suffering, word hadn’t spread to any of the higher regions yet. “If you’re interested then I suggest we go somewhere more private, it isn’t a personal issue but it is one that requires more confidence than conversing in a busy square.”

Author: Padexin, Posted: Tue Aug 2, 2016 8:55 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

Aries was wandering the town, looking for something– anything– to do. Finally, it had gotten to the point where she was just walking around, asking anyone she passed if they needed help with anything.

"Hey, excuse me! Do you need anything done? Pets that need watching? Kids? Maybe you need a lawn mowed? Food? I can hunt, if you need me to. No? Alright, thanks anyway." Quite by accident, a small jet of flame jetted from her nostrils as she sighed. Moving on, then…

She came upon a man who had scars all along his arms. "Ah, hello. I'm looking for any kind of work– you know, just, odd jobs and stuff. Do you need anything done? I can do a lot of things, I can clean, I can cook, fight… I'm also learned, so I can write and stuff, if anyone you know needs a tutor? Something like that? I'm trying to get money for a few spells… I'm just a simple ranger, but I'm trying to see if I can combine spells with my current fighting style, you know, just kind of, throw it out there. My name's Aries, by the way. Ranger, and aspiring researcher."

While she spoke, Aries got a bit of a closer look at the guy. He had rather dark hair, though not quite as dark as hers; the strange thing was that they had almost the same shade of eye color, or at least, Aries thought? Hers might be brighter, but without a mirror to check, she couldn't be sure. His bone structure wasn't what one would call "chiseled," but rather kind of… Curved, in a way. Aries had met a few people that looked like him, though they weren't common, at least not in her hometown.

Author: Naota, Posted: Tue Aug 2, 2016 8:04 PM, Post Subject: Lurk [P][R]

The last time he had visited Tarishitar it had been under much more chaotic circumstances.  Needless to say things were much better now, but he still felt the anxious raise of hair on the back of his neck from being back.  No one changed though, and no one disappeared meaning there were no longer any nightmarish visions to plague him or any other poor souls.  Then again, he wasn’t in the bowels of the city any longer like he had been that day.  His eyes saddened, it had also been part of the same night in which he’d last seen Natsumi in person. 
 
No matter where he went he couldn’t find head or tail of the woman, yet he was certain she hadn’t died.  Even if she had never ascended it would be harder to kill her.  She was made of much stronger stuff than most people here were.  He didn’t like thinking about her, for even if she wasn’t dead it didn’t answer the question of where she was now.  Besides, he had work to worry about. 
 
While he wasn’t normally hired for this sort of thing, there had been a kind of menace lurking in the shadows of Tarishitar.  It had crept its way silently, like a tapeworm through the underground tunnel ways of the floating city and it was getting closer and closer to the head.  So, naturally, the rich wanted to make sure it didn’t find its way to their precious standings.
 
While he didn’t like that they had waited so long to do anything about it while their lowlier citizens suffered, he was at least glad that he could help in stopping it.  But it was tricky, he’d need more help, but he didn’t want to reach out to another hunter.  They could be so stubborn and prideful, no…he’d need a partner that was willing to work with him and not against him.  There were plenty with vengeance in their hearts from the lower levels, but they had suffered enough already.  Aside from that, emotion could blind you when it was something so powerful.  He knew that first hand.
 
There wasn’t too much time left to wait though, he’d need someone before the sun set.  Which worked out seeing as that was when the creature was most active; slinking about the city hidden in darkness and striking with near lightning speed.  A dangerous predator indeed, but it needed the safety of night to move.  With the reports he’d been told he was almost certain it was blind, and while some would see that as a weakness he saw it as a new obstacle: it had learned and adapted, it knew how to hunt on smell, taste, and sound.  Eyes could trick you, those other senses usually did not, especially when already suffering a handicap.
 
He stopped at one of the squares, looking at the many possible places he could check first for help.  A tavern?  No, those would be possibly drunken men and women.  A blacksmith?  No, that might attract people who were in need of weaponry, and he needed someone ready to fight now.  Perhaps just watching…?  He leaned back against an unlit light post.  The sun was still high, midday.  That meant the most people would be passing through, which meant the best opportunity right now to find someone to aid him.  Now all he needed was patience, and heavens knew he had enough of that.