"Abraham, Dawn's Guard. I was invited here by the current Magister of Commerce as reward for services well rendered." I explained to the gate guards, handing over the invitation.
"Checks out. Head on in, and have fun." He nodded gruffly, and waved us past.
The insides of the palace of Rabanastre were heavily furnished, the detail and effort put into the artwork and architecture clear.
"Remember…talk to people. Make friends." I reminded them quietly as we stepped into the main hall.
It was even more lavishly decorated than the entrance hallway, and crowds of nobles were spread about.
Tables filled with unique cuisines and expensive drinks were prime gathering points for them, and I knew that was where I needed to start.
I nodded at them to go about their separate ways, and headed off towards the first dining table.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hours had passed quickly, so quickly I hadn't even realized what time it was.
I could safely say mission accomplished, as multiple Archadian nobles had been greatly impressed by the fact we killed such a monster.
Several even promised that they would be contacting me soon.
I said my goodbyes, and gathered with my clan members.
"Well?" I asked expectantly.
"Me and Vanille made plenty of new friends, don't you worry about that." Fang promised lightheartedly.
"I *ahem* shared some information about the Khezu with the scholars from Draklor. Apparently they had been dying for some combat data on the wyvern." Four Eyes reported with a nod.
"Yeah, yeah…I talked it up with some people. Shared some drinks. Maybe made a couple of—what the hell?!" Tweed began speaking, but a sudden crash interrupted us.
Two young men had been cornered by Archadian guards, having been chased through the entire palace.
One I recognized to be the boy with the large greatsword from the morning chasing after the pickpocket.
The other looked to be more of a soldier type, and was more-or-less unremarkable to my standards otherwise.
They had small wounds all over their bodies, and were just barely keeping the guards away.
Without hesitation I joined the guards, drawing my dual swords.
"What's this about?" I demanded from one of the soldiers, and he was huffing from the effort of fighting.
"They tried to assassinate the consul, the emperor's son himself!" He explained, and I turned to the one with the greatsword.
"Kid, is this true?" I spoke carefully.
"I'm not a kid, and yes it is true!" He responded irritably, the exhaustion of battle even more defined upon him.
"Look, if you surrender I can make sure you get a fair trial." I tried to convince him to back down. Fang, Vanille, Four Eyes, and Tweed were already behind me, their weapons ready.
"There's no justice in an Archadian court." The other spoke darkly.
"Last chance." I warned, and the boy readied himself.
He had underestimated me severely, and that was my advantage.
I phased behind the second one and landed a swift blow to the back of his head, knocking him unconscious almost instantly.
The boy raised his sword and swung it directly towards my head. It was surprising how fast he managed to relocate me and strategize.
It was, of course, ineffective.
I ducked the swing and landed a hard kick at his stomach, forcing him to drop his blade.
Effortlessly I then knocked him out in the same fashion as I had done with his cohort.
But what disturbed me was when I got a clear look at his face.
The moment he dropped to the ground I was near frozen.
For I knew the boy with the greatsword, and he was part of the reason I came here in the first place.
Primo