Garlemald was in chaos. Gunfire and explosions echoed through the otherwise quiet street as a lone shadow darted between iron-wrought buildings, once homes, now quiet tombs, devoid of signs of life. Perhaps the occupants had fled, or perhaps...they still laid in their abodes, never to leave again.
This lone shadow, a woman, dressed in the light chain mail and tightly fitted black and crimson fabrics of a shinobi, pressed herself against the side of one building, and scanned her surroundings. She wore a scarf pulled high over her nose and mouth, to muffle her breathing as she dashed about, and to provide a modicum of warmth. The climate in the city was snowy, gentle flakes falling and collecting in shallow piles, a stark contrast to the horrors of civil war erupting in the next district over. She was a Viera, her skin a natural ashen hue, her hair a dark, yet cloudy violet that had streaks of grey already running through it, although she was not yet in her prime. Her ears, permanently folded from a wound long ago, perked as she heard the sounds of movement nearby.
Why she was in the fallen city was her own business, and she was content to leave these others that were dashing about to their own, until one of them spoke.
"We've managed to find the supplies the resistance needed, we should get back to Baelsar and apprise him of the situation." a deep voice said. The Viera's heart nearly froze in it's beating, as if touched by the weather around it. She tensed her legs and crouched, then silently leapt up to a low eave of one of the houses, and crawled across the cold metal plating of the roof. Peering over the ridge, she caught sight of those that she'd heard. Several individuals, Hyur and Au Ra by cursory glance, stood near a shorter figure; a Hyuran woman with her navy hair pulled back into a tight bun. She wore a large spear upon her back, and held a finger to her ear, clearly talking to someone via a linkpearl. She lowered her hand and then nodded, then motioned for the others to follow her.
"Swiftly now, getting mixed up in this insanity is the last thing we need..." she murmured, and the group nodded and moved, running in a formation that told the tale of their military training far better than long winded words would. The Viera's hetero-chromatic eyes narrowed, and without a word she silently slipped from the roof and landed, cat like, in a snow bank below.
She had heard the stories, that the Black Wolf had survived his encounter with the vaunted Warrior of Light of Eorzea. She placed a hand on one of the daggers that sat sheathed at her right hip, clenching tightly around the hilt. So she would see...
On the outskirts of a village, south of the empire city proper, a camp had been set up among ruins of houses. The village itself was near desolate, the remaining people living in fear most days, yet thankful the fighting had only passed over them once, during the fight for the throne. The testament to their strength of will in such dire times, they would house those who escaped the carnage in the city, even only for a time, and had managed to make a meager living from being a hub trading information, foodstuffs, and comfort. Gaius Baelsar and his group had come to stay in the ruins that had once been the outer parts of the village, finding the villagers eager to help them get what they needed out of the magitek district of the empire city in exchange for added protection from any fighting, should it try to wander free of the confines of the black metal city walls during their stay.
Valdeaulin, a Duskwight Elezen and Gaius' traveling companion, nay perhaps friend, had come to him with urgent news. Severa and her team had returned with what they needed for the resistance, but as they entered their camp, they realized they hadn't traveled alone. Now outside of a one-room house that had been transformed into a gaol of sorts, thanks to some of the magitek they had purloined from the city, Valdeaulin apprised him of what they had learned of their trespassing "guest", which was, to say, nothing.
Gaius entered the house, Valdeaulin behind him, shutting the ramshackle door. He frowned as it leaned precariously towards him, one of the hinges falling loose from the rotting door frame it was adhered to. Severa, standing near the door with her arms folded across her chest, glanced at them as they entered. A Highlander Hyur sat at a small round table near her, his eyes gleaming greedily as he admired a pair of daggers placed upon the table's warped surface, their design very Doman.
"She won't talk, it's getting nigh on frustrating." Severa said, shaking her head in disappointment and shrugging. Gaius narrowed his eyes as he sized up the figure kneeling behind the magitek field. Originally the device was to be a storage container, meant to move machina and charge it's batteries at the same time, but it was lucky that it served well as a gaol, also.
She had her hands cuffed behind her back and knelt silently on the floor, almost appearing as if she'd fallen asleep in such a precarious, and uncomfortable position. Her hair was long and wavy, only the top portion pulled back and secured with a floral-designed hairpin. Her ears, oddly enough, stood straight a quarter of their length from her head, but then bent harshly, giving her a lop-eared appearance. It was not unheard of, but still a rare trait to see in any Viera. The tips of her ears were greying, as if she were much older than she appeared.
"Where did you find her?" Gaius asked as he deactivated the field. He paused by the Hyur pawing at what could only be her weapons, and took the blade the younger man held in his hands and placed it firmly back on the table. The Highlander frowned at him, but said nothing, choosing instead to pout lightly, like a child.
"Right outside of camp, actually. You passed by her without knowing as we arrived, she was in the shadow of one of the broken walls. Damned good blending, I was impressed. It seems she may have under-estimated the strength of the wall though; some falling bricks gave her away." Severa paused, pursing her lips. It had struck her as odd that a shinobi would get caught for such a novice reason, it was as if something had startled her. She didn't fight them when they restrained her either, which cast the woman's intent further into mystery.
She kept the thought to herself and continued; "I had Akane do a quick recon after we caught her, and although the snow is covering our tracks, it looks as if she may have been following us from the city." she finished. Gaius tugged the legs of his black pants up as he crouched in front of the Viera, staring at her intently, as if to ascertain her story simply by watching her.
"Tell me woman, why are you here? Did someone from the city send you?" he asked, his voice low, but unmistakably commanding. The woman in front of him twitched ever so slightly, and slowly raised her head. Her pupils dilated briefly, then contracted as she met his stare.
Her features were pretty, as is with most Viera it seemed. She had a heart-shaped face and a small mouth with a prominent cupid's bow and full lower lip, her eyes were shaped in a down turned way at the corners, giving her a very "old-fashioned beauty" appearance. But most striking was perhaps what most would write off as uninteresting; her eyes. Heterochromia was common amongst races not Hyur, but her eyes were striking perhaps because they were so...boring. While most would say eyes were memorable because of a brilliant color, her right was a strange kind of raspberry hued violet-red, while the other was a dark green, it's shade closer to that of wilting grass.
Her expression remained passive as she looked him over, and then she lowered her head again, refusing again to speak. Gaius watched her for a moment longer and then sighed heavily and stood. He reactivated the field as soon as he was clear, and made his way to the door without looking back.
"Do we have someone to watch her?" he asked, placing a hand upon the broken door but not pushing it open.
"I can do it." the Highlander piped up, his eyes on the blades yet. Gaius' eyebrow twitched, ever so slightly.
"I will have first watch. Akane is the only other woman in camp and she's busy with her own orders. I daresay a woman would be more comfortable to have another woman around, should she chose to speak up during the night." Severa stated over the Highlander. Again the Hyur puffed out his lips in indignation, offended that he wasn't even considered.
"I'll leave it to you, then." he murmured, leaving the house. Valdeaulin moved to follow, but paused before leaving, and glanced at the "guest". He narrowed his eyes, distrust clearly written on his face, and with only a wish of luck to Severa, exited the house as well.