Things were quiet, peaceful even, something Brynjolf relished after the day he and his companions had all had so far. They'd been walking for a few hours now, the dense jungle surrounding the inhabited part of the island having been left behind them, alongside their pursuers. As they made their way down the dirt path the harsh wilderness was slowly being replaced by the occasional thatch and wooden houses, the ground beneath them transitioning into a cobblestone road the further they made their way towards the city, the sun had started to set off in the distance bathing the way ahead in shades of amber and gold light.
The view was almost enough to rival the aurora that stretched across Skyrim's night sky, it was comforting to know that even on such a dangerous hellscape as this island, such marvels were still a common sight.
The next order of business for their merry band of misfits would be to find some way to book passage or sneak aboard that ship. The steel giant itself was still anchored in port, how long that would last was anyone's guess. However, should it set sail before they arrived that brought up another issue regarding their finances, digging into one of the pouches on his belt, he pulled out a handful of Septims.
Brynjolf glanced down at the coins in thought, this land was entirely different from their own, the architecture, the level of technology and the very occupants of this island themselves were evidence of that, the same can be said for this lands currency, there was a chance they might use gold coins but the chances were slim, making most of their current finances useless, of course, the gold itself would still hold some value as well as a few other trinkets on him, however, it wouldn't be very wise to flash them around, there'd be questions about the origins of said items and how they'd come across what might pass as artefacts from some lost civilization.
Looks like he'd have to get to work once they reached one of the more populated areas, it wouldn't be difficult to gather some sizable funds from the islanders, so long as he only took enough for their endeavors, he'd survived death three times today by luck alone, pushing that luck any further than picking a few passersby pockets was just asking for trouble.
His gaze shifted to J'zargo and Cicero, in the meantime, the lads could take a look around and find somewhere out of the way where they could hunker down until they were ready to leave, they may have given their pursuers the slip for the time being, but word of what happened back in the jungle would eventually get back to the islands higher-ups, they'd need somewhere to lay low until things cooled down.
"When we reach the city, it'll be for the best we split up for a little while." Brynjolf spoke up
J'zargo hummed in response to "Is this one correct to assume, you have a plan of sorts?" The Khajiit mage inquired, he'd been curious about Brynjolfs sudden interest in his own finances, as well as the troubled look he bore a few moments ago.
"Just confirming a theory is all." Brynjolf replied. "And if I'm right about it, I'll be busy for the next few hours."
J'zargo sighed, he had an idea of where the Nord was going with this. "If it involves relieving the populous of their hard-earned coin, know that this one understands the need to identify and gather the appropriate resources for our journey, however, asks you only take what is needed and no more." He asked of his companion.
"Wasn't planning on it." Brynjolf then asked, "While I'm at it see if you and Cicero might be able to find somewhere for us to settle down for the night, preferably away from prying eyes." His gaze glided over the buildings in the distance, spotting a few areas surrounded by scaffolding, in varying stages of completion, no workers in sight.
The master thief hummed, it was for the best they avoid any of the inns or taverns dotting the city for the time being, they would be the first place the guards search when word finally spread about what happened. They weren't perfect, but at the very least they'd have a roof over their heads for the night, or until they had enough coin to be on their way. "Might want to try over there, the less chance we'll be found squatting there for a night."
"Why must J'zargo chaperone the fool." J'zargo hissed back, eyes darting to the mad jester walking a few paces ahead of him and his companion, humming a merry tune.
"Because he draws attention where it's not needed." Brynjolf clarified meeting the Khajit's gaze "And after what we've just been through better to have someone capable of watching your back."
J'zargo's eye's narrowed in response to Brynjolf words, did the master thief truly believe he was incapable of protecting himself after everything they'd been through "You doubt this one's skill!?" The Khajiit demanded.
"Not at all." Brynjolf was quick to say, he'd seen enough of the Khajit's magical prowess to know he could take care of himself, that however didn't resolve the issue "Your skillset, is just a bit more... out there, than others. You run into trouble and have to start something, we could end up having a repeat of what happened back there, and this time there won't be anywhere to run."
The Khajiit mage grumbled in response to the master thief words... however true they may have been.
He could safely say his skill in the arcane arts were certainly above many of his fellow mages back at the college, however... he was humble enough to admit he was lacking in regard to physical combat. Should the need arise he could conjure and wield a weapon, but that did not make him a master swordsman, a common bandit, or any untrained fool swinging around a blade he could handle, an armed and well-trained militia force, that was another thing entirely. "...Very well" J'zargo relented following a small sigh.
"Come along then wizard!" Cicero piped up, grabbing J'zargo's arm he proceeded to drag the Khajiit in the direction of the site." We should leave the little bird to his work; we have our own business to attend to." The Khajiit mage pulled his arms free scowling at the mad jester, Cicero smirked in response all to amused by the cat man's reaction, turning away from the madman J'zargo straightened his robes before continuing on towards their objective.
Cicero following close behind, resuming his humming. Once Brynjolf managed to acquire the necessary funds to book passage off this worthless rock, they would be one step closer to finding the listener, and who knew perhaps on the journey across the sea they may yet discover just where to look, ohhhhhh, dear mother would be so pleased.
/
His arrival at the Belladonna household that afternoon had been anything but expected, crashing down into the house's courtyard, he immediately doubled over, sweat dripping down his face, his lungs screaming at him in anguish forcing him to gulp down as much air as he could, a side effect of having flown the whole way here... god damn, that was definitely going to take a few years off his life.
After finally getting his breathing under control Yuma began making his way down the cobblestone path towards the Belladonna household. Passing under the archway leading to the large double doors, he reached for the ornate knocker hanging from its surface, the Albian's would be displeased at first for interrupting their meeting with the Belladonnas, however necessary it may be.
Bringing this information to them was a risk, not just to him, but the White Fangs continued operations on the island. Should they decide to stick there nose's into their operations on the island they could be forced to pack up and abandon that outpost for the time being before something incriminating could be found, - After all, they couldn't exactly make the emissary they'd send to investigate vanish, that would only arouse more suspicion- however, the information he carried was well worth the risk.
His hand had barely brushed against the knocker when the door opened "Oh!" The Cat Faunus on the other side said, taking a step back from the door her eyes widened slightly in surprise,
Coughing into his fist, Yuma straightened up in the presence of the Belladonna matriarch. "Forgive me for intruding Ma'am, but I have a message for brothers Fennec and Corsa-"
"Of course, You must be Yuma" Kali realized, stepping aside she gestured for him to enter. "Please come in, my husband and I were hoping there'd be an update on the situation soon." Yuma nodded in thanks, closing the large double doors behind him as he made his way into the entrance hall. "Have there been any developments?" she asked hopeful that Fennec and Corsac's men may have found the cause behind this morning incident.
"I mean no disrespect, but it would be better if we discussed this more in the presence of the chieftain." Her concern for the safety of her people was admirable but he couldn't afford to waste time repeating himself.
"Yes, of course." Kali replied walking alongside him "Forgive me if I was being too nosey, with the recovery efforts from the storm stacked on top of this, the whole situation is rather tense." She'd been on her way to the market a few moments ago, both to clear her head and pick up a few things for dinner that evening, however, Yuma's sudden arrival took priority, the information he was carrying may be crucial to understanding what happened, as well as setting Ghira's and her own mind at ease. "When Fennec mentioned the White fang in that area were already looking into it, Ghira and I were hoping you'd be able to shed some light on what caused all this."
True to her reputation Kali Belladonna was ever the optimist, as she had been during her days in the White Fang, but he was not blind to the underlying concern in her tone, she was eager to see an end to this mess before there was a chance for panic, however, it was doubtful she'd get her wish. And should they not act quickly, panic would be the least of menageries worries.
After a few minutes of traversing the manner they arrived on one of the upper balconies standing before a large glass sliding door, Kali knocked once, a muffled voice on the other side drew a small nod from the cat Faunus.
Pulling the door aside Yuma entered what he assumed was lord Belladonnas study, The walls and flooring were primarily wooden, with bookshelves lining nearly every wall, with numerous potted plants and paintings hung from the ceiling and walls, sectioned off at the very back of the room, resting atop a marble floor was a large oak desk, a mural of Kuo-Kuana adorning the wall behind it.
Their arrival drew the eyes of the three men occupying the couches around the large coffee table in the center of the room, it's surface little with numerous documents and ledgers, most likely regarding the resources the Belladonna patriarch planned to set aside to aid in their "investigation".
Fennec and Corsac's plan had succeeded to some degree, though that hardly mattered anymore, the resources they'd planned to acquire and send to support Adams uprising in Vale, would need to be diverted back to their original purpose. Brother Adam would be disgruntled, however, that was a small price to pay in regard to protecting their homeland.
"Brother Yuma?" Corsac asked setting one of the papers aside with the others, the surprise in his tone quickly replaced by the questioning look in his eye. The brothers shared a quick glance with one another, with Fennec picking up where his brother left off. "We were not expecting a report from you for some time, I trust there is a good reason for intruding into his graces household."
"Fennec, please" Ghira waved off the fox Faunus concern, before turning to address the new arrivals, his eyes swept over the man, before focusing on his wife standing by the doorway, she knew the importance of this meeting and the effect any distractions could have on the outcome, had he not had arrived with information regarding this meeting, she would have politely shooed him away "I understand you're the one that first brought this morning's incident to our attention."
"Yes, your grace." Yuma replied bowing his head in respect to the Belladonna patriarch " I apologize for the intrusion, but there's been a development, I felt it best it was brought to your attention as soon as possible."
"Then I see no issue with your presence here" Ghira added sending a small glance towards the Albian brothers, they were frustrated that much was obvious and he could understand to some degree. This was the man that first reported the incident, and as such had most likely been tasked to oversee and report any further developments, to have him seemingly disregard a position that required his expertise, would reflect somewhat poorly on both them and the competency of the White Fang members as a whole.
Seeing her presence was no longer required Kali backed towards the sliding door "I'll leave the four of you to your work." She said pulling open the door leading back onto the balcony, sending one final supporting nod her husband's way before closing the door behind her, with how anxious Yuma had been to speak with Ghira and the others, she had a feeling it wouldn't be the key to the peaceful resolution they'd been hoping for.
"Please, sit." Ghira gestured to the empty seat between him and Corsac "I'd like to hear your findings"
"As would we." Corsac replied in a curious tone, his twin nodding in agreement.
Yuma rolled his eyes in response hiding the action behind what appeared as a respectful nod to the brothers, as per usual they were putting on one of there shows for the chieftain. " Of course." He said moving to take his place between Corsac and Menageries chieftain. Pulling his scroll from one of the pouches on his belt, opening the device he typed away at the screen.
"After reporting this morning's incident, to brothers Fennec and Corsac, myself and a small group of our brothers and sisters began occupying one of the northernmost villages, bordering the jungle." Yuma began, pulling up several images taken from the insurgent's campground, including an image of their most recent handy work.
"As per our instructions, we were to keep watch over its inhabitants as well as the surrounding areas, in the event of any further disturbances." Yuma took a small calming breath preparing himself for what was to come next " Roughly two hours ago a second device was detonated roughly a quarter-mile outside the village walls." The air grew heavy as silence engulfed the study, the calm facade the Albian brothers wore had cracked, reeling back at his words, eyes wide, their shocked gaze snapping towards him as if they were asking what they'd heard was correct.
Ghira bristled in his chair, barring his grip on the arm of his chair tightening, he showed little reaction to the unsettling news, his years serving as both a politician and high leader of the White fang had taught him more than enough, about the value of a cool head. No matter how dire the situation may be, they couldn't afford to panic, especially now.
"A small squadron of our brothers and sisters investigated the sight, they found a small campsite and what we assume to be the ones that detonated the device." Yuma held out his scroll towards the former high leader, Ghira pried his hand away from the arm of the chair, pieces of black fabric caught beneath his fingernails, the price of him attempt to maintain his calm demeanor.
Accepting the device with a small nod to the bat Faunus, Ghira pulled a pair of reading glasses from the interior of his coat, he flicked through the images Yuma and his men had gathered, the site was mostly barren barring a small fire pit and a few meagre supplies that seemed to have been left behind, overall the campsite was rather spartan, whoever these men were, clearly they hadn't planned to remain there for long.
"Were you able to apprehend any of them?" Fennec spoke up, any previous thoughts towards their meeting with Lord Ghira had been pushed aside, the supplies they'd hoped to acquire from his grace could be addressed at another time, the situation Yuma described to them seemed to be of far greater importance. While the actions of a Huntsman could account for the first event that morning, the detonation of a second device and one so close to a populated area alluded to something far dire then they'd first imagined, and a prisoner may yet shed some light on the reasons why.
"They escaped back into the badlands before we had the chance, killing two of the men that pursued them and crippled another." Yuma replied, his words struck at Ghira's heart more than any weapon ever could. A long sigh left Menageries chieftain, even now as the situation became clear he still found it hard to believe, then again, the worst Nightmares haunted you at the place you feel the safest, and this certainly seemed like one.
Ghira pushed aside his melancholy, turning his gaze back towards Yuma "Do we know how many there are?" He asked the Bat Faunus.
"Judging by the level of equipment they seem to have; I'd say about a dozen maybe more." It was an estimate at best, he wished he had more to give, but their enemy had made a point of covering their tracks, for all he knew there could be twice as many going off of the level of explosive damage they'd found back at the campsite, lugging that kind of equipment around took skilled hands and vehicles. "With how the situation escalated at the campsite, I can only assume the three we found there were acting as a diversion to draw our attention away from a much larger force."
"Damn..."Ghira sighed rubbing his brow in growing frustration, if that was the case, then there was little he could do on his end. The bulk of Menageries Militia was preoccupied with protecting the villages surrounding the main city, while their Huntsmen combated the creatures of Grimm. The men and women left behind were more than enough to maintain law and order, but an attack on the level Yuma was suggesting would quickly overwhelm them.
Whoever they were, these people had picked the perfect time to put their plan into action.
Fennec and Corsac shared a small glance, a silent message shared between the two brothers. " Your grace." Fennec began pulling Ghira from his thoughts "The White Fang as always, stands ready to defend Menagerie. If there truly is such a threat encroaching on our homeland, you would only need to say the word and our brothers and sisters would not hesitate to offer their aid."
Ghira took a moment to mule over the offer, the added support from the White fang would bolster their ranks in the event of an attack, giving them the advantage in terms of numbers, perhaps it could even help avoid any bloodshed entirely. These individuals had taken their time to plan out their infiltration, choosing one of the most dangerous but also one of the more overlooked way onto their island, only discarding secrecy when it was no longer necessary.
They had what they wanted, their way into the city, and the panic that would ensue once word of what had happened reached the people, would only aid them in any coming attack by drawing the Grimm towards them, all while they most likely escaped during the ensuing chaos... Bastards.
Devious as it may have been, however, it showed these weren't your typical insurgents, they seemed to value their own lives, had they not, they wouldn't have wasted time distracting the White fang occupying the village, instead of just forcing their way through that area. If that was the case, a show of force may be enough to make them hesitant to enact their plan if they were faced with the presence of a larger counter force.
Ghira slowly nodded, yes that could work.
Turning his gaze toward Fennec "I appreciate the offer." Ghira said offering the Fox Faunus a grateful smile "If the White Fang are willing to offer their aid, I'd gladly accept" Fennec and Corsac bowed their heads slightly in response to Ghira's words, recent events aside, today was becoming quite beneficial to the cause, aiding in the defense of Menageries capital, would not only raise their standing in the eyes of lord Ghira but also the eyes of the people.
While they may not have been able to acquire their offering to brother Adam, increasing the White fangs overall reputation as well as creating a rise in future recruitment, would more than make up for it. 'Hmm, should word of our actions here make it back to high leader Kahn, it may draw the tiger's watchful eye elsewhere, yet another boon for brother Adam.' Fennec mused
"We shall send word to our brothers and sisters, shall we have them gather here?" Fennec asked.
"Of course, I'll have Saber gather the city guard and have them join us here" Ghira replied, the meeting hall would be enough to accommodate their numbers while they were briefed on the situation. "We can brief them on the situation, once they arrive"
Corsac turned his gaze back towards his subordinate "Yuma, you mentioned a squad of your men have experience combating these insurgents."
"Yes, Sister Trifa and her men were the first to arrive, Brother Ronin was among those injured during the attack, she hasn't left his side since." Yuma confirmed
Corsac rubbed his chin in recollection, the names were familiar...Yes, he recalled the two had enlisted together when they were young and had quickly risen through the ranks, they were certainly some of the more skilled members of Menageries Cell, it was a shame to see one of their brightest out of action, his skills would have been of use to them in the events to come. "Offer her our deepest sympathies, but her attendance will be required here for the foreseeable future."
Yuma's lips twitched up into a small smirk, Trifa would be pleased, her encounter with the insurgents and Ronan's subsequential injuries had lit a fire inside her, she may be a little hesitant to abandon her comrade in such a state, but Yuma doubted she would dismiss the opportunity for revenge against those responsible "I'll see it done." Yuma replied.
"Very well then, we'll see to our part and wish you luck in your own endeavor." The three white fang members rose to there feet, Fennec and Corsac bowing their head once more to Ghira "Thank you for your time, your grace, we will return once our forces have been gathered, with luck they may yet only serve as a precaution."
"One can only hope" Ghira replied offering a small nod to the three men "Farewell gentlemen." As the screen door closed behind the White Fang representatives Ghira collapsed back onto the couch a tired sigh leaving him, rubbing his brow the panther Faunus tired eyes trailed up towards the mural adorning the wall of his study, how had things come to this, their island, his people, his home... under attack.
Why... what could have driven them to do this?
He didn't know, he doubted he would ever know... All he knew was that the bloody history of hate and violence between humans and Faunus seemed to be rearing its ugly head once more. This time it had found its way to their very doorstep, with any hope of a peaceful solution having gone out the window as a result. Ghira's eyes hardened '... So be it then'
He wouldn't look back on the days to come fondly, even if word of what transpired at the village remained out of the public eye the sudden rise in the White fangs presence wouldn't go unnoticed, there'd be talk, theories about what could warrant such a large force gathering in the capital, he'd have to make an announcement once the Albian's and he had briefed their forces. In any case, if these marauders had come here looking for bloodshed, thinking it would be an easy victory with them so divided, they would find themselves sorely mistaken... maybe then they would finally realize the folly of their actions.
/
Brynjolf watched the exchange between the merchant and the Stagg Faunus across from him, glancing down to the multi-colored cards he'd 'Acquired' earlier, the people of this land had a somewhat unorthodox way of trade, the cards on their own didn't seem to have any distinguishable traits that allured to their value beyond there varying color.
Still coin was coin, and after watching passersby make their purchases, he was pretty certain he had the exchange Value down by now, still... his eyes trailed towards one of the stalls three to its right, a large array of weapons sitting on display the owner sat on a small crate behind looking over a small set of knives, his hand drifted back towards his bolt quiver, he had around six, no.. seven left after their escapade through the wasteland... might as well restock while he was here.
Pocketing the cards Brynjolf made his way down the cobblestone path and into the market, with the afternoon sun beginning to set most of the vendors had already started packing up for the day so there was little in terms of a crowd, still, he doubted he might be the only one who'd been 'busy' earlier, he'd better watch his pockets while he was here.
The Young man behind the stands rabbit ears twitched making him paused in his work, followed by his gaze turning towards Brynjolf approaching form, the master thief offered him a friendly nod, the man seemed surprised for a moment before returning a small smile. Setting aside the dagger and whetstone, the Rabbit Faunus rose back to his feet greeting what might be his next customer, a Huntsmen going by the look of his armor "What can I do for you?" he asked leaning against the stand.
"Got anything like this in stock?" Brynjolf asked holding up one of his Bolts to the vendor.
The merchant hummed in thoughts, analyzing the bolt with a keen eye for a moment. He couldn't help but notice the ammunition seemed rather plain for a Huntsman, adding to that there was no sign of any dust incorporation in the bolt or any other augmentations, weird, most hunters liked to throw a little flair into their weapons, it made for a bigger purchase whenever they came to browse ammo or any of the attachment some of the other vendors liked to order from the kingdoms... still he might have something.
"I'm not looking for anything fancy if that's what you're worried about." Brynjolf spoke up, bringing the man out of his thoughts.
"No, no... nothing like that." The vendor replied brushing off Brynjolfs worry, opening the crate behind him the vendor dug through its contents "So how are things looking out there?" He asked, since the storm Grimm attacks outside the city had been on the rise, with most of the islands huntsmen out combating it, if one of them was here ... well, he'd like to know if there was a chance he'd get mauled on his way home. "We don't see many huntsmen in the city, you guys tend to stick to most of the frontier towns where most of the Grimm activities at its highest... you guys having any trouble."
'Grimm' Brynjolf wondered, he must have been talking about those things in the desert, and then there were these huntsmen, a term for adventurers maybe, I mean if they were out there right now, going after something like that scorpion back in the desert, they definitely fit the bill. Still, better play along while he was here. "Nah" Brynjolf shook his head in response, looking over one of the items on display as they spoke, flicking a small switch on the side a rather nasty looking blade extended out from the hilt" Just dropping in to pick up supplies, lads and I had to deal with one nightmare of a scorpion out in the wastes, but-"
"You went out into the badlands!?" The Vender blanched, staring up at him as if he were a madman and he wasn't the only one. The rabbit Faunus sudden outburst had caused many of the passersby to pause mid-step, shocked and disbelief clear in the eyes turning his way. "Did I say something funny?" Brynjolf asked narrowing his eyes at the small crowd, the passersby flinched and were quick to move on.
Brynjolf sighed as he turned back to the vendor "Can I just get the bolts" He asked
"Y-Yeah, of course." The vendor replied turning his attention back towards the content of the crate, his rabbit ears fell slightly. 'Me and my big mouth' He thought to himself, sure the Huntsmen and White Fang scouted the jungle on a regular basis to make sure none of the bigger Grimm had gotten through, but it was rare for any of them to actually go in, and for those brave souls who did... well the stories he'd heard didn't usually end well.
The vendor glanced back up to Brynjolf. 'Guy must have just walked out of hell and here I am causing more trouble, way to go me.' He thought bitterly, moving aside one of the dust infused knives he kept for his more lucrative customers, the Vendor spotted his prize nestled between the wall of the crate and a box of dust rounds. The vendor pulled the quiver from the crate dusting off the leather cover before setting them down in front of the Nightingale, Brynjolfs eyes were immediately drawn to the multicolored crystals tipping the bolt. " These should be what you're looking for, dust tipped as well for some added kick." The Vendor explained
Brynjolf pulled one of the bolts from the quiver analyzing it with a keen eye, he didn't know what he meant by dust tipped, maybe some kind of enchantment, it certainly explains the strange crystals making up the head of the bolt. He'd test them out when he had the time, in the end, if he'd been swindled he could always come back and get what he was owed. "How much?" Brynjolf enquired returning the bolt to its quiver.
"125 Lien" The vendor replied the price might have been a little high compared to his other items, but on an almost uninhabitable island without the means or resources to mine and refine there own, dust was in constant short supply, any petitions made to the SDC by the Belladonnas over the years had always been refused time and time again, and with the pool for suppliers being so small, what they did get was in far less quality and number.
Taking a moment to count out what he hoped was the correct cards, he handed them over to the vendor receiving a satisfied nod and the bolts being pushed his way " Pleasure doing business and good luck out there." Brynjolf nodded back as he stepped away from the stand adding the new bolts to his own, so far he'd call the exchange a success, the lad hadn't shown any signs of it being a con so it was safe to assume he had at least the basic of their currency down, all that was left to do was look into booking passage off the island, once that was out of the way he could start making his way to the construction site J'zargo and Cicero would- 'Hopefully' -be waiting for him, from there they could discuss their next move after getting to the mainland... wherever that might be.
As he navigated his way through the crowd his eyes couldn't help but wander to the buildings and people around him, while the weather here was a little overbearing- and if you could overlook the monstrosities wandering beyond the jungle-, it seemed like a decent enough place to call home, it was certainly miles above the quality of the Rift, although saying security around here was a little light, was a bit of an understatement, then again having your civilization bordering a monster-infested wasteland probably had a hand in that, he supposed the Jarl or whatever they called them here, could be forgiven for being light on guardsmen in favor of more sentinels watching the barrier.
And don't even get him started on the women.
Had he had his fill of the adventure and wealth the guild brought him- and were he ten years younger - he might have tried his luck with a few of the beauties he'd seen walking the island, not to say the women back home were unsightly quite the opposite in fact, but the ones here just seemed to have a bit more, life breathed into them, much like the new world itself.
Brynjolf Exited out of the side street and back onto the main cobblestone path running through the center of the city and towards the large manner looking over the island, the more his gaze lingered on the structure the more he thought it might be worth a look a little further down the line. Brynjolf was just as quick to brush that thought aside, as soon as it came into his mind, before turning his gaze towards the shore there were more important things to do right now.
/
The walk to the docks didn't take long, fortunately, the steel goliath was still in port, although however long that might last was still up in the air right now. Walking alongside the ship Brynjolf couldn't help but marvel at the craft, he wasn't even going to try and understand how it worked, just from a glance he could tell it was far beyond anything they had back home.
"Good looking girl isn't she." An aged voice spoke up from behind him, pulling his attention from the ship and towards the new arrival, an ageing man who looked to be in his late fifties with a long white beard and dark brown eyes, wearing a black dress coat with gold lining and trim on his sleeves and epaulettes, with white dress pants, tucked into black leather shoes and white gloves, a cap with a gold anchor adorning the front rested above his brow.
The ship's captain going by what he imagined was a uniform, looks like luck was in his favor today. "She is." Brynjolf agreed as the captain came to a halt beside him, the ageing man stared up at the vessel with a small smile. "Any reason why you came all the way over here just to have a chat with me?" Brynjolf inquired with a raised eyebrow.
The captain chuckled in response "Nothing on your part son, just an old man looking for conversation, things tend to get a little boring around here. My first mate tells me I can be a little nosey at times, personally, I like to think tt's just curiosity." He said leaning back against the wooden railing running along the edge of the dock.
"In my experience curiosity isn't always such a good thing" Brynjolf replied, eyeing the older man wearily.
"True, although that tends to depend on the type of person, and I like to think I'm a good judge of character." Crossing his arms over his chest he continued "Not a lot of ships come through here, and those that do are pretty well acquainted with the folks around here, Huntsmen especially." His gaze turned to Brynjolf a curious look in his eye "But I've never seen you around here before, makes a man wonder... what brings you to Menagerie?"
Brynjolf stared at the man for a few moments, searching for any deceit or underlining intentions hidden behind his jovial attitude. There was nothing, Brynjolf let out a small breath "Looking for someone" Brynjolf replied
The older man smirked "She pretty?" The captain asked, drawing a snort and a shake of the head from the master thief.
"No, no its nothing like that, just an old friend that might have gotten himself in one hell of a mess." Brynjolf sighed, Mikael did always seem to be a magnet for trouble."Lads and I just had some business here to finish up, and then we're leaving." Brunjolf turned his gaze back towards the ship. "Think you could help us with that?"
"Hmmm" The captain hummed "If you're looking to come aboard, talk to my first-mate Mattie" He gestured further down the dock towards a young woman with tanned skin and short cut brown hair, bussy talking with two of the islanders, after writing something down on a clipboard she handed them two tickets, the man and woman nodded their thanks to the younger girl before taking their leave. "She handles most of the logistics, talk to her if you're interested in buying a ticket for you and your buddies."
"Thank you" Brynjolf replied, offering the older man a grateful nod.
"Your welcome" The captain replied, his eyes drifted past the master thief and towards a rather well dressed Faunus with antlers standing at the end of the dock" Now if you'll excuse me" The ageing sailor pushed off the railing " It looks like our gracious host and I need to have a chat." He said stepping past the master thief "We'll be setting off for Anima tomorrow at eight sharp, don't be late." He called back to Brynjolf, the master thief smiled as he waved the older man off, before turning his attention towards that Mattie girl.
'Finally' Brynjolf mused, a long sigh leaving the nightingale, the weight of the last few hours finally beginning to set in, and for the first time that day it felt like things were finally starting to look up.
Yeah, I know it's been a while you can put down the pitchforks and torches, sorry about the long wait but RL has really been kicking me in the ass lately, starting my third year at college, my job, you know the usual stuff taking up my free time. I'm hoping to get one more chapter out for another one of my stories by the end of October, before stepping away from writing for a bit.
In the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter of shadows rising, feel free to leave a review if you're up for it, and happy Halloween everybody.