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"Sorry, Miss Goblin-person, but I don't tend to die easy. Plus, if I die..."

he shrugged.

"Whatever. Don't have much to live for, anyways."

---

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𝓟𝓪𝓲𝔂𝓸𝓸𝓷 𝓙𝓲


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Was Artemis insulting her goblin-ness? She didn't quite think so, but the comment still annoyed her. Just... a bit.

"It's Paiyoon, Mr. Human-person. I'm just a realist, what can I say?" She shrugged.

Dying on this journey was an interesting thought. For one, it came on the heels of an adventure, which was bound to result in an exciting cause of death. Her death would also be impactful, and she'd (hopefully) be remembered as a goblin mage, someone her people could be proud of. The Path of Three Suns, the journey your soul travelled on when you died, was said to lead to a paradise beyond all imagination, so that was a plus as well.

But also, it was death. And death was oh so messy. Paiyoon knew that all too well; she was no stranger to the specter that followed every living being around. In fact, that specter had gotten much too close to her family more than once. In fact, that specter had succeeded.

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"ah, alright. A realist, huh? How interesting, you don't see many of those these days, Miss Paiyoon. Artemis Wright, by the way."

He nodded.

"Well, I suppose there is a chance of death."

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ALLISON BRILLIUM
Now Playing: It's Complicated (Sayori Mix)
Allison arrived late, as usual, but it didn't bother her due to her optimistic attitude, which just happened to be as positive as ever at this moment in time.
As she had been making her way to the Meeting, she had already had an untimely encounter with some sort of snake, leaving her left ankle badly injured, but she had wrapped it up to heal.
Although, as she made her way toward some other characters in the distance, she began to feel light-headed, and she told herself quietly, "I'll just lie down here for a minute...". She passed out there on the ground, due to that snake bite.

Athena's body was simply playing the part of a meek, educated noble girl.

But her mind multitasking on a level dizzying to most. She took in each conversation. Made note of everyone's opinions. So far, nothing particularly surprising. She was also furiously adjusting her schedule. This new "quest" was bound to set back deliveries and business by at least a couple months. And even a single second late was unacceptable. She'd already quite suddenly cut off today's exchanges, her customers wouldn't be happy at another setback.

Upon hearing the comments about possible death, Athena just shrugged them off. Not literally, of course. She didn't intend to die, but if she did, at least it would be better than choking to death some new silly dress.

So all in all?

This'll be fun.

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𝓟𝓪𝓲𝔂𝓸𝓸𝓷 𝓙𝓲


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"A pleasure, Mr. Wright," she said calmly. "Now if you all don't mind, I'm of a mind to explore this place." She bowed, a slightly incline of her head, and took her leave. She carefully stepped around the glass from the broken window, glancing at Prometheus with slight bemusement.

Pulling open the doors that led to the guild hall, she exited out through the hallway the guards had taken them down. A figure was collapsed in the center of the passage, unceremoniously laying there. Curious, Paiyoon approached with caution. They were unconscious, that much was certain.

She knelt down next to them, assessing them for injuries. And then she saw it: an incision of two fangs, and black venom flowing through their veins. Rifling through her rucksack, Paiyoon pulled out a basic healing amulet, and laid it over the girl's forehead. A second powdery substance dressed the wound.

Paiyoon didn't have many healing totems on her person, figuring naively that there would be diviners for this sort of thing, but tried to make do with what she had. She frantically whispered charms over the powder and amulet, imbuing them with stronger magic. The strange girl was at least in stable condition now.

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𝓢𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓪 𝓜𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓪


___
I sat at my desk in my office, listening to the stilted conversations of the heroes. Perhaps they didn't have much to say, but still. And that Artemis was going to get himself in trouble. Prometheus too. Jean-Michel paced parallel to the shelves along the walls, staring darkly at the ground.

I was doing paperwork. Me, one of the most powerful warriors of the guild. Paperwork. Alas, it was a necessary evil of the job. And this certain paperwork was being sent to the council. The only people I trusted in the entire guild to fill it out were in this office now.

"Jean-Michel," I said with a laugh. "You look rather dour." Needling my companion was more fun than I would ever admit. But I had earned that right, and besides, he could take it.

He glared at me once, never breaking stride.

"They will shape up. First impressions aren't everything, after all. They are some of the best in the land with powers that once trained, will rival our own. And you know we cannot use a guild team for... reasons."

He stopped, and then turning abruptly, strode in front of my desk. "Sera, they are being sent off with no experience. They don't understand war, they don't understand combat. Perhaps some of them have been on glorified adventures, but they do not know the sacrifice this mission-" He took a deep breath, and stopped.

After a time, I looked up at him. "I have confidence in them," I said simply.

"I do too. That's not the problem."

There was a second pause, a longer pause.

"I will not let them move against you. Not again." I said finally. But we both knew that my power was limited.

"I hope that's a promise you can keep."

"Me too."

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

"Greetings, mages. You have been summoned here from the far reaches of the kingdom. I appreciate you answering the summons. The Cult of the Black Sun is a dangerous and powerful group, and they are a menace that must be stopped. You are here today because we need your help in confronting this threat. Between the nine of us, the Council classifies the Cult as a major threat. They are willing to give you every resource we have in order to ensure victory."

Kataraménos, finding all the blabbering nothing more than words to fill the silence, leaned back and propped his feet on the table that the chairs had been placed around. He didn't even show the slightest bit of interest when the so-called "dangerous" cult was mentioned, although that was something he took note of.

You see, as someone who spent his days travelling and bringing about chaos, getting to know every inch of Aeloria, he knew a thing or two about this cursed cult. Needless to say, he steered clear from those bastards, finding that the effort it took to deal with them wasn't worth the... unpleasant aftereffects. Scary, no? Not even someone with his power and expertise would dare involve themselves with them.

It was probably for the better, anyways, right? I mean, someone like Kataraménos, a man not particularly fond of the powers that ruled (or even the people of the land themselves), would've gladly accepted an invitation if it was offered.

...Too bad all he got was a lovely slap in the face and flipped off (figuratively, of course). Oh well, he wasn't too particularly butt-hurt about it, he had his own reasons after all. Besides, now he had a new seething hatred that he could take his anger out on, what fun!

"And that is why I have summoned you: you are the best of the best. Some of you may have worked with the guild before, some of you have heard of us. Some of you loathe everything we stand for because we are partially backed by the Council. But as long as you are on this mission, you are under my command."

"...Need our help, eh? What, the oh so powerful Council couldn't do it themselves? Needed to get a s****y rag-tag team of whelps to do all the work for them? Oh what a big ol' surprise, totally didn't see that one coming..." He scoffed, crossing his arms as his head leaned to the side out of boredom. They were damn right about the whole "loathing" thing, even though even he understood how major the "partially backed by the Council" part really was.

He mentally groaned at the idea of having to follow orders, especially from someone like them. The idea of being under someone else's command, especially when it involved a leadership he wasn't fond of, sickened him. Kataraménos already followed around the feet of insufferable pricks like a dog once before, and even the chance of that occurring again really set him off. Guess that explained why he was so insistent on being his own boss, more so than your typical land-dweller. A scowl set itself upon his face, an eye-roll probably occurred at some point.

"Your mission will send into the Singing Sands, the harsh and vast desert in our land. But first, you must traverse the terrain to get there. Do not fail; this is the easy part of your mission. You will take the Perishing Path, and then strike into the wilderness. You are to set up an outpost and spy on the Cult. Eventually, you will be expected to infiltrate their ranks to provide intel."

Again, the man showed little to no care in the world. He did have some thoughts about it though. First off, the Singing Sands? He wasn't too particularly fond of that blasted desert, but he doubt really anyone was. Took a nice little "vacation" (read as: marvelously regrettable expedition) there once or twice, checked it off the list, and hoped to never step foot there again. Sand... It's coarse, and rough, and irritating, and it gets everywhere, especially the singeing sands of the... Singing Sands. Not a fun time. Beaches were much more appealing anyways.

Secondly, due to the prideful man he was, Kataraménos felt a little insulted at the added comment of "Don't fail, this stuff's the easy part", like seriously? Gee, thanks for the good ol' encouragement... Yeah, sure, it was the easy part, but still... Didn't help that the so-called "Perishing Path" held such a menacing name, even when it wasn't all that "perishing" (at least, not in his experience).

Finally, the whole "spy mission" thing. Finally, something that didn't sound unimaginably irksome. He could do that, no problem. Sounded fun, even. The only problem was, he wasn't alone in this, or even with people he trusted. He had to "cooperate" with these people, something he definitely didn't look forward to. He didn't know them, he didn't trust them, and he didn't know their intentions. Oh fun.

"Jean-Michel. Mages, this is Jean-Michel. He is my right hand. I trust him with my life. Everything that he commands you to do is to be treated as if it came out of my mouth. And, if you haven't figured it out, he will be leading your expedition."

Speaking of people he didn't know...

His blood-red eyes scanned the elf up and down through the strands of white that laid carelessly over his face. Elegant man, he was, but Kataraménos still had an unapproving glare in his eyes. "Trusting them with your life," huh... He learned long ago to never lay such trust in anyone, it was a stupid decision to make and never ended up well. Even his closest friends, those that stuck with him through thick and thin, he would never lay such thing in their hands. Even knowing them as much as he did, he refused to do such thing. He made that mistake once, it would be utterly stupid to go for it again.

Anyways, the idea of having another one of these idiots be in charge was almost enough to make him instantly leave the damn room, only the "gentle" warning of defiance being enough to stop him.

"Tonight you will stay here. You have access to all guild facilities in the guild complex and the Tower of Arcana - within reason. Should I find that you impose upon the Council, there will be... consequences. Prepare yourselves. Gather supplies, train, get to know each other, and sleep. You will strike out at sunhigh tomorrow."

Oh great! He was being forced to stay here with the rest of these stubs in preparation for the expedition, what fun! He had no care in the world about being given access to said facilities, not all that interested in doing anything else other than taking a nice long nap and completely avoiding everyone and everything else involved. Sure, it would be fun to wreak havoc upon the place, do something to fill the time, but with the snooze-fest that had already happened, his mood was already brought down to the point where he just couldn't be bothered. Wasn't worth the "consequences" that would ensue anyways.

"There may be two or three more mages joining you throughout the night. They have the misfortune of being late. Any questions for the group? And if you think of anything else, Franz can escort you to my office later."

Ohhh nooo, being late, how scary! Sure, Kataraménos may have been one of the few to arrive on time, but he wasn't a man of any clock or schedule. He arrived whenever and however he wanted, monotony and expectancy was boring anyways. Questions questions... Nah, he didn't really have a care. He just wanted this done and over with.

"yeah. the reward. What's in it for us?"

"There better be a damn good reward in it for me. My losses are gonna be huge if I'm away for more than a month."

Oh yeah, that. He glanced over at Artemis, raising his eyebrow before turning back to the guildmaster. Him, given his day-to-day life, had no need for any currency that they could give, but it was nice to take a little change out of their pockets. Even if was basically handed to them instead of, y'know, stolen. Now that Kataraménos thought about it, he didn't even consider a reward for this BS. He only went because he was forced to, he knew his place after all.

He simply rolled his eyes upon having the misfortune of listening to a newcomer's wailing, unsurprised at the immaturity.

"Your reward will be a choice. The first choice, which I suspect you in particular will choose, is 2000 golden drachmas and the remainder of your lifetime free from guild conscription. The second option is a potential position within the upper ranks of the guild. Offers will be made based upon your skills... but given the line-up we have here, I'm sure we can find a place for everyone."

A light scoff escaped his lips, his head leaning back as his eyes narrowed. Not many dazzling options to choose from, eh? The cash was a hefty amount, that's for sure, but it wasn't like it was particularly eye-catching for him. The added bonus sure did seem nice, but... Eh, not all that intriguing. Forget the second option, there was no way in hell he'd appreciate that. Seemed more like a sentence than a reward...

Kataraménos's eyes only rolled in response to Serafina's greeting to the newcomer, whose name was Enide. Shiver me timbers, am I right?

...Aaaaand it looked like they were dismissed, finally. He got up out of his chair and adjusted his coat, intending to walk straight out the door with no intention of interacting with anyone or anything before Artemis spoke up once again.

"What's the risk factor, Miss Magisteria?"

Ah, the risk factor. That was always fun, wasn't it? The riskier the better, he always said. Wasn't a fulfilling adventure without the ever looming cold fingers of death constantly gripping onto your skin, threatening to drag you down with every breath you took. He paused, stopping in his tracks, then turned to face the woman in command for a response. Before he could get one though, a sudden and quite unfortunate series of events occurred that could only piss off Kataraménos even more.

A sudden crash was heard, and the aftermath resulted in a load of dust and glass spraying everywhere, and another elf seemed to be at the center of it all. Due to his position, Kataraménos took a large blow of the burst, which resulted in quite a loud groan. Some shards of glass embedded themselves into his skin, which he somehow brushed away with ease and without much care in the world. He only seemed aggravated about the blood that now stained his white shirt. Otherwise, he simply stood there and glared at Promethius. Their overly excited energy were like daggers to his ears, combined with the "fabulous" arrival, Kataraménos now put this green-haired elf near the bottom of his "they're alright, I guess" list.

He had heard about the notorious gambler, of course, and was honestly quite intrigued by them, maybe even hoping to run into them on his travels. But if this was really how they were, then... Gee, glad he didn't run into that mess. A shame, really, gamblers were fun to pass the time with, he wasn't too shabby himself after all. A few bottles and a few buckaroos on the line, sounded like a good time to him. Too bad gambling was generally frowned upon... Not like it mattered of course, since he did pretty much whatever he wanted, but still...

He overheard the doll-maker somehow in the middle of all of this, stifling a chuckle upon hearing their nickname for their "beloved" guildmaster. Ah, what a shame, the perfect nickname was stolen. Now he actually had to be creative and come up with a new name on his own...

"The reason they're offering so much is because the quest will end in certain death. The Council clearly doesn't think we'll come back. Besides, the Perishing Path is near suicide to begin with. Deviating from that death trap is almost certain suicide."

Certain death, a phrase that meant almost nothing to the man who, at this point, tangoed with death on a near daily basis. Well, it wasn't like she was wrong, but the added fact mentioned about the Council only put a nail in the coffin. They sure did love their suicide missions, huh? Sure, the pirate found such things quite a thrill, but being bottled up and tied in with this lot didn't exactly give him much hopes.

He watched as their elven "leader" strode out of the room, spotting a hint of anger in him. Honestly, Kataraménos didn't blame Jean-Michel, but he sure as hell didn't have sympathy for him either. After Paiyoon had made her leave, he followed soon after in silence, arms returning to their spots in his pockets and his eyes remaining filled with boredom and disinterest.

...That is until he ran across a body. He was at a distance from the goblin ahead, and he didn't quite see the condition of the unconscious one laying on the floor, but he approached out of pure curiosity as well. Before he could even do anything, he watched as Paiyoon went to work and frantically tried to return the person back to health.

"Oh hoho, I wonder what happened here!" He spoke suddenly, now looking at the goblin instead of the injured one on the floor.

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𝓟𝓪𝓲𝔂𝓸𝓸𝓷 𝓙𝓲


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"Snake bite," she said tersely. The pirate had approached the body, and was now... addressing her.

"It should be under control, but if you have anything better, by all means, use it." She leaned back, giving him the space to do something if he wished to take it.

"You're a pirate, correct?" She glanced up at him, sizing him up more intently. He'd seen some stuff. Perhaps he was sane without being arrogant like the rest of them were. A fellow realist.

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❄️ 𝔈𝔯𝔦𝔰 𝔈𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔞𝔰𝔱 ❄️

With the departure of the Guild master, Eris took a moment to reflect on the situation. This ragtag group was meant to stop the Cult of Black Sun? Why?... Why..? Why.? Why? Why?! Eris had no way to help! She was just a Priestess! What could she do?! Tarot read the Cult a bad future?! With a slight huff, she decided to find a place where she could at least practice the use of weapons. Maybe she could help that way?

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"Snake bite, hm? 'D think those snobs would do a better job keepin' this place spot-free..." He knelt down to take a closer look, his expression remaining unchanged even when inspecting such a gruesome sight. Injuries such as these were nothing more than just your average, day-to-day occurrence, which was probably made obvious by the lack of care that was shown for the slightly concerning gashes in his skin made from the glass. He took a few moments to observe the wound closer, not yet touching the body or making a move to aid them.

He chuckled, looking back up at Paiyoon with a sly grin. He wasn't all that familiar with the spells she used, or the powder placed over the wound, as he found mystical ways of healing to be... "less interesting".

"Can't do much when you don't even know the fangs behind the bite, now can ya? Oh well, don't make a difference anyways."

Even with an uncertain phrase such as that, he pulled out a vial and a syringe from the small pouch he kept on his belt, how convenient. After injecting a blackened vein with the mysterious substance, he put the vial and syringe away and stood back up. He typically carried around all sorts of random trinkets he found (snatched) from all over, but he also carried various medicines. He found that it was a wonderous idea after finally getting it through his thick skull that, as someone who typically went on dangerous adventures and often found himself in grave situations, it was handy to keep stuff like this on him.

"You're a pirate, correct?"

He paused, his expression becoming slightly more neutral as his eyebrows raised. Odd question to ask at a time like this, but whatever fills the silence, huh?

"...Guess you could say that. Interesting way to start a conversation, no?"

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𝓟𝓪𝓲𝔂𝓸𝓸𝓷 𝓙𝓲


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"Unless you have a better conversation starter, it's all I've got." Paiyoon watched the stranger, no, her fellow hero, as he administered an antivenom.

"I meant no disrespect, of course. It's just uncommon to see pirates so far from the coast." She tried to remember his name. "Katara-something, right? I'm Paiyoon."

---

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is the pleasure of yours truly to announce the arrival of tonights star of the show, give it up for: PROMETHIUS!"

Solarion city, Guild hall, ? (A/P).m today

Promethius dusted himself off, wiping off his enchanted glasses delicately, directing their next comment to Kataramenos or whatever their name was, he didn't keep track of names. They sudde ly lost the energy that filled them to the brim moments ago and becoming calm and composed, one of the many things he utalised in his arsenal as a gambler. "Deepest apologies for that oh-so-dramatic entrance that wasn't nesscessary, but my ride went rogue. I'll have to remember to replace it, i keep forgetting to do so for some reason. I'd like to formerly apologise about your stained shirt and any bodily harm caused to you by those shards of glass, I'll happily get you a new shirt to your liking and foot your medical bill if you're interested. What say you we go grab a drink, Cap'n? No need to worry about the price and wether i can afford it or not since i'm assuming your taste in wine will be quite expensive, i have nothing left but money, and time." Promethius's face shifted to something more akin to despair for a milisecond before it sprung back to its usual grin. "Take your time with my offer, i'm sure we have that much in common at the very least."

Promethius fell silent after that, choosing to follow Katara-whats-their-name since they seemed to know more about the situation than they did, nodding every now and then as they talked to themselves about the mission in their head, calculating the odds of them getting out alive.

The odds were of course, 0. But Promethius had learned to defy the odds long ago, the day he lost his sight and gained their will to live. Never say die, he muttered under his breath as he walked right by Katara-Whats-their-name and saw what seemed like a dead body. "Ah. What a shame."

She watched as Katara and the lady by the body talked, subconciously feeling their gender switch all of a sudden, of all of the times it chose to switch. She quickly focused back on Kataramenos (She had decided that yes, that was indeed their name) and the body, seeing him inject a vial into a backened vein. "Could that quite possibly have been grinded mandrake root? I've heard concoctions like those are quite rare, but potent."

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

Kataraménos shrugged as his grin returned, replying to the snappy-tongued Paiyoon with a "Fair, fair," before looking over at the green-haired elf from before. Upon seeing them approach, he let out a sigh as his scowl returned, his arms crossing as he leaned against the wall.

"I meant no disrespect, of course. It's just uncommon to see pirates so far from the coast."

His eyebrow raised once again, and a small, light-hearted scoff was let out. "Guess I'm not your average 'pirate', now am I?" He paused, taking a moment to stretch his neck back and forth while his expression became less... pleasant. "Plus... This lovely invitation to this wonderful little expedition isn't something I could just ignore..."

Another sigh was heard as his low, slightly downtrodden tone began to pick back up again, his gaze returning back to the goblin. "Figured y'd know that, eh?"

"Katara-something, right? I'm Paiyoon."

Oh lovely, his name was already getting screwed up. How fun. Eh, he expected it at this point, at least it wasn't the absurd names he had heard sent his way from the more... unpleasant folk around. "Kataraménos, but yes. Absolute pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Paiyoon. If my name is too much of a hassle, 'Rem' will do just fine." It was hard to tell if his tone was just over-exaggerated or just sarcastic, but either way it went with the sly grin that tugged at his lips once again, as well as the subtle lean with a twirling hand gesture as a sort of "bow".

Now, his attention was turned to Promethius.

". . .I'd like to formerly apologize about your stained shirt and any bodily harm caused to you by those shards of glass, I'll happily get you a new shirt to your liking and foot your medical bill if you're interested. What say you we go grab a drink later, Cap'n? No need to worry about the price and whether I can afford it or not, I have nothing left but that, and time."

"Take your time with my offer, i'm sure we have that much in common at the very least."

With a scoff and a dismissive shrug, he looked over at them with a glare. "Absolutely no worries, window-crasher..." He muttered, sarcasm definitely seeping in his voice. "The drink would be much 'preciated..." Their dismissal of the condition of the body on the ground was certainly intriguing, but Kataraménos paid little attention to it. Odd seeing others so laid back about serious matters such as this, usually everyone was so uptight and cared too much... It was a warm welcome though, at least he could rely on at least some of them having a backbone.

Well, what did he expect, really? They were all mages, right? Kinda part of the job description, wasn't it? Oh well, not something worth pondering anyways.

"Could that quite possibly have been grinded mandrake root? I've heard concoctions like those are quite rare, but potent."

Sharp eye, this one had. Interesting. Guess he underestimated the average IQ of everyone here. Or maybe not, he could still be right in his assumption that most gathered here weren't particularly the sharpest tools in the shed, or the nicest people to work with, but whatever.

He gave a small shrug once again, looking dismissing about the question as usual when it came to this elf. "Possibly, I'm not the one you should be asking." He didn't want to admit it, but he didn't particularly know the contents of the vial himself. He just had the goods around, he didn't make them. Medical things tended to bore him anyways, so he stuck to the more interesting bits, let someone else with an odd passion worry about it.

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𝓟𝓪𝓲𝔂𝓸𝓸𝓷 𝓙𝓲


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"Mmm. My mistake, Rem." She would take the nickname he offered sarcastically. She ignored the conversation of mandrake roots. The person on the floor remained disturbingly unconscious. They were extremely stubborn. That was annoying.

Paiyoon was a little annoyed at the 'not your average pirate' comment. Either Rem had a passion for sarcastically stating the obvious, or he thought her stupid. It was most likely a little of both, if she was being honest with herself. But she would rather form alliances than make enemies.

As the conversation turned to drinks and mandrake roots, Paiyoon momentarily let herself fade into the background. She hated alcohol; it dulled the senses and poisoned the mind. Absolutely terrible invention, if you asked her. Of course, it didn't help that she was such a lightweight that one glass would tip her over the edge. But socializing wasn't... deplorable.

"Hello, Prometheus," Paiyoon said, sensing a pause in the conversation. "How are you after your... crash?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

---

Enide Spyros

Now Playing: Romantic Children (Music Box ver.)

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"Could that quite possibly have been grinded mandrake root? I've heard concoctions like those are quite rare, but potent."

Enide's interest was piqued by those words. She put down the doll she was working on, and walked toward the commotion.

Hmm...Paiyoon, Prometheus, Rem...interesting names. And a person on the floor. Gross.

"You mentioned mandrake root, I heard? Are you interested in the topic of botanical divination, by any chance?" She spoke, mostly in the general direction of Kataramenos and Prometheus.

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"Ladies and gentlemen, it is the pleasure of yours truly to announce the arrival of tonights star of the show, give it up for: PROMETHIUS!"

Solarion city, Guild hall, ? (A/P).m today

Promethius tipped their hat lightly towards Pay-lah or something, a small smile dawning across their lips. "Ah why thank you for your concern mademoiselle, my unplanned crash wasn't too serious, I have a knack of finding myself in deplorable situations, you can bet your last coin on me getting out alive though!" With that, Promethius turned to the body on the floor, look of slight irritation crossing their features. "So, how shall we deal with the body? I would rather not leave this sorry sight out in these halls, yet i have no clue where the infirmitry could possibly be. Any volunteers?"

"You mentioned mandrake root, I heard? Are you interested in the topic of botanical divination, by any chance?" She spoke, mostly in the general direction of Kataramenos and Prometheus.

Promethtius's head snapped towards enides direction, a look of delight dawning onto them. "Why, if it isn't the prestigious lady Enide Spyros! It's a delight to meet you my lady, I've heard alot of stories about you, truly i've been looking forward to this moment." A little flattery never hurt anybody , especially when it was genuine, Promethius admired her work with dolls, and had wanted to schedual an appointment, but they'd found themself busy with work and other commisions, perhaps this mission WOULD be worth something after all. "As you probably know, my name Promethius was based off a legend of a man who shaped life with clay and breath, making humans. Naturally, i'm curious of your art due to this. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from each other? On the subject of your question though, yes, i am quite intruiged by the subject of divination, especially within the bounds of the botanical fraction. I believe botanical divination is one of the purest forms of divination due to its closeness to the earth, thus making it closer to the universe. Astrology is too niche and predictable, while spirits of the underworld are too stiff with their predictions. Taking in the essence of the plants is truly an experience to behold. Ah apologies, i seem to have gone on a rant for a mere momrnt there, deepest apologies. May i ask though, why are you asking me such a question?"

---

Athena found it quite hard to socialise. These people weren't the usual bunch of proud, snobbish aristocrats she was so very used to playing. Most of the people here were more rough, experienced "villagers", as her parents would have said with extreme disdain. They would very likely find her boring, and delicate, and a perfect laughing-stock. She also wouldn't be able to retort as heartily as she would want to and very much could. And, although she would never admit it to herself, she indeed was quite delicate on the matter of her ego.

In a more practical manner, many here had an eye for detail. They would be carefully watching her every move. While she was a practiced master in the art of deception, she wasn't sure her disguise could hold against some here. She could easily slip up just ever so slightly, showing a silver of her true personality. If the observer was smart enough, and the aforementioned some definitely were, they would quite easily link her to the mysterious Phoenix. And it would all be downhill from there.

So the young girl pondered, back straight, head high, dress perfectly smoothed. Like a statue of a goddess.

---

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𝓟𝓪𝓲𝔂𝓸𝓸𝓷 𝓙𝓲


___
"Hello, Enide. A pleasure to meet you at last. Prometheus is right about one thing: your reputation does indeed precede you." Paiyoon had also heard of Enide. The merchants of Shadowvale and otherwise talked often, and Enide was always said to be at the top of her craft. While Paiyoon preferred to specialize in amulets and powders, she had extreme respect for the enchanter's dolls.

Ugh, that Prometheus was arrogant. At least Rem and Artemis seemed bearable; this idiot just seemed to enjoy grandeur for the sake of grandeur. Thought he was all that and more. Before the adventure was over, she would love to see him get his comeuppance.

The body remained still.

---

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is the pleasure of yours truly to announce the arrival of tonights star of the show, give it up for: PROMETHIUS!"

Solarion city, Guild hall, ? (A/P).m today

Promethius clutched her heart mockingly. "Oh wow, it seems i'm correct about one thing, how absolutely shocking! You blow me away with your observation skills madam." Promethius hadn't liked the tone theyd injected into that part of the sentence. She knew they'd probably clap back at her sarcasm, but she couldn' resist the momentary jibe about pay-lah-whatevers mental faculties. "Anyways, does anyone know who this guy is? Important or nada?" Promethius gently nudged the side of the body in an attempt to wake them up. Clearly it failed.

---

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𝓟𝓪𝓲𝔂𝓸𝓸𝓷 𝓙𝓲


___
"First of all, the body isn't "some guy," it's an elven female. If you want to diss my observation skill, check your own first. And they're clearly in some sort of dormant state... I doubt kicking them will help anything." She bristled slightly. She had not meant offense to the gambler, but he had taken it anyway.

"I'd be willing to guess they were on their way to the guild hall, as the guards clearly let them up to this floor on the tower. Perhaps they were meant to be one of our fellow adventurers..." Her eyes flashed, and she stood (to her full height of four feet).

"Oh well. We've done all we can."

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