Completed [The Stone Gardens] Chasing Rumours

[Fallon]

Fallon only raised an eyebrow at his comment, but did not go any further than that. She knew very little about that sort of industry to begin with. No doubt why her tone and questions may have seemed pointed and sharp to him. Either way he explained himself and his profession with a lot of ease, and even his own history from time spent in the university. It was a place that she herself was familiar with; she remembered the times herself being locked away in the library, reading, learning and understanding the world around her. An interesting period to say the least. She gave a shudder as a brief chill gripped her, and promptly shook it off without a second thought. It was most probably just her muscles warming up, the nervous twitching of tendons as they adjusted to the gradually rising heat.

Her eyes drifted as Matthew the Harlot continued talking, an outburst of knowledge and words. None of which meant anything to her, they would not help her find what she was looking for. Rumours, snippets, strange goings on, that could start of as a lead. And then his question came, a direct one at that too. She mused for a moment, lips pursing together as an answer was formed, “Myths, stories, pieces of tales related directly to the city itself. Strange little mumblings upon the lips of strange creatures and monstrous shadows designed to capture the imagination,” she wiggled her fingers, her lip curling in amusement, before her tone turned direct, “I’m chasing rumours.”

And that was all she was doing, chasing rumours. For even the simplest hunt for knowledge must begin somewhere. Her hands clasped together and she leaned herself back slightly. It felt like it was going to be a long while before she would get anywhere.
x

[Matthew]

A chill ran down his spine, and he almost ignored it until he noticed a similar shudder from the girl. Blinking a bit, he glanced about, but was only met with the same scenery and same one fellow that had been there just chimes ago. Chewing his lower lip, he scanned around a bit more with his blue gaze, then returned his attention to the curious one in front of him. For being so direct sometimes, she was also vague other times. But then she smiled, which confused Matthew for some reason, his brow furrowing and his handsome face drifting back into though. Rumours, she said? He had plenty of those. He had so many of those that he had considered making it a part time job. He was okay with speaking them as well, painfully easy to gently interrogate, if she was intentionally doing it all.

"Rumours abound in Syliras, but I only hear the silly ones. Certain husbands being unfaithful, certain dark dealings of merchants. Ghost stories that two women have wanted me to use as a fantasy, something about pretending to be a Knight and dealing them 'swift justice'. Then there is the old lady in the open market who sets up her stall by the young boy she likes, and then there is an idea that the young man has slept with her for a cut of her profits. Apparently she does well selling her hand-crafted little knick-knacks."

He spoke of the most random rumours he could think of, for really, that was all each of them were. Completely random things his customers shared in moments of intimacy, in moments of lust, or just when they were sitting around and drinking. He chewed his lip in further though, trying to keep the conversation going. "If you are chasing rumours, might a better place be where you can actually hear some being whispered?" He phrased it as politely as he could. She perhaps had another method of going about things. He was just trying to help out, always eager to make a connection. Everyone was a potential customer of some sort, even if it was for his future business.

Matthew kept his voice low the entire time (loud enough for Matheld to still hear), trying to not to wake the man who looked to have dozed off. He wished he could fall asleep in such an uncomfortable spot. He had grown too used to silk bedding and soft pillows. Everything in Syliras was so... cramped and uncomfortable.

[Noaru]

“ This rumor, what mystery surrounds it?”

A young mans voice echoed from the calm scenery. This voice was followed by the sudden appearance of a black form; it resembled a cloudy-mass that flowed smoothly like water but had the ferocity of fire! The spirits fluctuating form changed and became more defined in a minute, as human silhouette shaped together within this blackness. A human-like figure now stood in front of Fallon, Matheld, and Matthew--cloaked carefully in black. Noaru was careful in his attempts to not cool his surroundings; this place and its surreal atmosphere, he wanted to preserve it.

Tendrils of soulmist swayed freely around Noaru; he figured he could relax here, seeing as one fellow was sleeping peacefully. A clear indication of this places tranquility.

[Fallon]

Lips pursed together with thought, her brow furrowed in thought. He was right, it would be better to be in a location where rumours freely flowed and words could be spread. From there information could be gathered and filtered, facts could be separated from fiction. Of course that would mean she have to leave her current location and away from her own thoughts.

There was however a brief smirk of amusement upon the mention of what she would class as gossip or at least until one in particular caught her attention. Eyes turned, a distinct look of thought upon her face as she contemplated his words. And it was with a slow, careful tone that she questioned him more directly this time, “Those two women? The ghost story? What was the story? Do you know it?”

Of course, her question was far from answered when the strange spirit appeared before the pair of them. This strange black fog questioning them. But no sooner did that male voice ring out, the spectre, forming into a truer more solidified shape. It warped and rippled, the estranged tendrils creeping out and wavering against the air. She turned her head, her back straightening as she finally truly registered the words of the spirit in black. Her lips twitched, as if to answer. A distinctive pause hung in the air, the quill raised as she searched almost for the correct words to use upon the ghost.

“The rumour? It is the rumour of the Rogue Knight,” she cleared her throat and gave a simple shrug, “Of a man clad in armour of ebony, wielding a sword as tall as he. Delivering justice to those who go against the well being of the city itself,” there was a second pause, her attention this time turning to Matthew, “Can you see now why the two women you… served was slightly interesting to me? For the information value, not the… pleasure side.”

She gave a swallow, and drummed her fingers upon the cover of her book. She knew not to get onto the bad side of a ghost or anything remotely dead for that matter. In her experience they often seemed slightly temperamental in personality, “Does that answer your question spirit?”
x

[Matthew]

Matthew opened his mouth to say something, but was cut short by another voice. He turned his head to glance at the sleeping man, but was quick to note he was still sleeping. So who...? A sudden yelp escaped his mouth as the ghost suddenly appeared, which was followed by Matthew clapping both of his hands over his mouth and flushing a light shade of pink. Blue eyes glanced quickly back and forth between Fallon and Noaru, and with a slight cough, the harlot lowered his hands and tried to look like nothing had ever happened. Still, he couldn't help but stare a little. He had seen ghosts before, but had only interacted with one. It looked as if this one was a lot nicer than the thing he had faced in the past, though. Chewing his lower lip, he forced his eyes to drag away, remembering that he had been asked a question. He listened as she explained herself to the curious ghost, indirectly solving the mystery for him as well. He gave a nod, eyes briefly becoming distant. "This makes sense. A lot of women can enjoy a fantasy of a dark and mysterious hero. I kept wondering why they were referring to my clothes as armor." His look was distant for a moment longer, and then he returned his gaze to the two people in front of him. So, a puzzle. They both liked puzzles too, it seemed. The gears were obviously turning in his mind, intense stare flickering back and forth between the two as he tried to figure something out in his own head. Biting his lip again and again, white teeth tugging on the flesh in little nips and nibbles, he eventually softly spoke again. "So, really, if you were looking to find him... the best place to go would be to those who wish harm against the city... correct?" Matthew tilted his head, raising an eyebrow, once again glancing back and forth between the two of them to see if his little idea helped. He didn't actually have any sort of advice on where to go when it came to that sort of thing, but he was fairly sure he could find out if he needed to. He knew that some of his coworkers had serviced some shady people before, so he could look into that. He liked a puzzle. Fallon had easily hooked him, if she hadn't noticed.

[Noaru]

“ I see... the rogue knight. Do you seek after this mysterious being? He sounds interesting enough to pursue and yet powerful in some strange way.”

Noaru glanced over to Matthew, his sudden yelp grabs the spirits attention for a moment. Noaru didn't pay to much attention to it, his approach was sudden and unannounced. So, it was natural but seeing Matthew trying to keep it cool, as if he didn't just yelp was kind of funny. The spirit enjoyed a good chuckle, no matter how small they were but now he would have to focus, he wanted to know more about the rogue knight. Noaru was listening and watching in attempts to absorb the traveling information before him.

All he could do was try to understand the conversation between Fallon and Matthew. He could help them in their investigation, should a time come and required his powers, he would help. There wasn't much that he could do besides quietly observe and listen to what Matthew and Fallon was saying. Noaru, who was momentarily quiet, answers Fallon as he levitates quietly in place.

“ Yes, it does.”

[Fallon]

The harlot, let out an undignified yelp. Much to her own amusement. Not that she let it show too much – accept of course for that brief curl of the lip. Everything was starting to come together nicely. Here were three like minded people, all interested in this strange city myth within an instant of its mention. There was the intense stare, the slow hum of questions from each of them.

“Well, it would be nice to solve this mystery,” the squire breathed in response to the ghost, before giving a full answer to Matthew, “Yes, those who wish harm against the city. Might be a bit hard to find in a city that is of peace. Or so says the common claim.”

Keep your cards close. Perhaps it is for the better they do not know you are a squire for now, she mused.

Rubbing at her jaw, she watched the ghost levitate where he was, a near silent observer as he absorbed this open flow of information. The man was right, it would have to be a place that people of such a nature congregated. Of course, the knights being who they were often rooted out such sources with great speed. There was no time for such things to fester within these stone walls. The tips drummed against her cheek, eyes narrowing into a frown.

“So, gentlemen, we have an issue,” she leaned back slightly and stretched out one of her legs. It had grown stiff from her sitting on the floor, “We have a fantastic rumour, but no idea how to look further into it. He’s drawn to crime and those who wish harm to the city. Yet there is no particular hot spots of that. What a pain.”

Stumped so soon. More leads were indeed needed, or even just knowledge on a previous location that this knight haunted, “I have a feeling I will have to go location hunting. Study scenes and what not. Unless you gentlemen have a better idea?”
x

[Matthew]

Matthew shrugged his broad shoulders, blowing a bit of air upwards to knock some of his bangs out of his blue eyes. "I am a prostitute, which does give me something of a glimpse into the underbelly of this place, at least if I play my cards right. While I doubt there are any who actually wish to directly go against the Knights, there are likely some who wish to skirt around the Knights as best as they can. But, the fact that a ghostly presence has manifested to deal with such harmful people means that they are actually out there. And they are likely a threat that this ghost feels like the Knights may have trouble with somehow. Or perhaps the ghost is a Knight himself. Who really knows? The Knighthood can't support or defame him quite yet, as that would mean they were standing behind or against a rumor. And really, has he done anything major yet? Or just shown himself a few times?" The harlot had suddenly turned from a slightly awkward thing to this composed and apathetic-looking man, with a cold and intelligent look to his eyes. Whatever he might be now, it was obvious that he was the intellectual type. If that was good or bad had yet to be determined. He continued to stare, eyes distant and obviously filled with other thoughts. After a moment of this pondering, he slowly came back to the present. "So, I believe your idea of location hunting seems to be a good one. No doubt the ghost would be excellent at overhearing things he shouldn't. And I am good at making women say things they shouldn't. All in all, I am sure we could stumble across some sort of corruption. Or rumors. Or at least something worth following up on. Like good detectives." He offered a brief and polite smile, finally at ease with the hovering ghost. As long as there were no more sudden appearances by any other ethereal creatures, then he shouldn't end up losing his composure all over again. Cracking his neck back and forth to work out the sore muscles, he quietly pondered to himself. It was an odd rumor, and quite a few people were fairly certain that it was true. How very interesting.

[Noaru]

“ Then I will help you. I believe an ethereal hand may become useful in finding such a mysterious character like the rouge knight. ”

The spirit felt he knew such a hot spot, its a place where many mysterious creatures and characters could hide... the woods. The knights wouldn't waste their time searching every nook and cranny for a mysterious and dangerous individual in the woods. The bronze woods would give him an advantage as well, he could go completely unseen and unnoticed by the knights. The rouge knight would be one to cover his tracks and would be careful in his actions; he would need some place to remain hidden... a place to hide his armor.

The spirit was listening, enjoying the presence of Fallon and Matthew as they conversed. The rouge knight would probably have to be someone with an-eye-of-the-city meaning someone with a good view and understanding of Syliras. We needed the right bait and crime seemed to be the right kind to, something serious would probably be needed to draw the rogue knight out.

“The rogue knight is still a knight, true to his title as one would be. He his drawn to crime but we need to find what kind of crime would gain his attention. We need the proper bait to capture... a leviathan. ”

The spirit gave a deep chuckle before revealing some vicious looking teeth... if that's what you would call them. Noaru was thinking of a nasty plot, one that would probably capture the dark knights attention.

[Fallon]

“Right then!” The squire stood sharply, tucking the book under her arm and releasing a loud clap, “We have a plan. And we have ideas. Wonderful!” There was a smile, the gentle rocking on her heels as she looked upon the detectives. A harlot who could hear things from his patrons. A ghost who could look upon the world without being noticed. And her, the scholar squire who could pick up history with a single touch - well fragments at least. Her gnosis gave a tingle under the glove, things were about to get interesting.

She gave the flick of a wrist to both of them, followed by a nod, “Yes… bait. Bait… though I don’t exactly wish to go against the laws of the city myself,” There was a sigh, “It will pay to keep an ear on the ground and listen out for things. Maybe hope that the knights don’t shut it down first.” Flexing her fingers there was a moment of thought, eyes narrowing down as she chewed at her lip. It seemed an impossible task, she knew the knights were good at mopping up crime in an instant though how she was not exactly sure. How did they find out so quickly? Why was there never a chance for things to bloom?

A chime or two went past as she silently thought to herself, thinking carefully through what she knew and what had been shared. Perhaps the knights and the Rogue Knight had the same source in which to pool information. Or perhaps there was other means and it was simply a coincidence, “Yes… listen. Even if the place is cleaned out we should go and look. See if a trail can be tracked,” With a final sigh and the knitting of the brow, the squire gave a final look at the two, “Well… although we’re starting with little, if anything comes your way and you feel like sharing. Send a letter my way. Oh… and the name is Fallon, I forgot to give it earlier. So, gentlemen, until next time I bid you good bye.”

Little more could be achieved by sitting around, it was time to do some work on the field if she was to get to the bottom of this mystery. And so, pivoting round and giving a flick of the wrist the squire made her escape to seek knowledge and begin the great chasing of rumours.

oocGentlemen! (Presumably) Thank you for the thread, hope you enjoyed it. I felt there was a good place to end it - For Fallon at least if you wish to continue in it be my guest. Also feel free to grab me in the Fall Season - I plan to continue the great Rogue Knight hunt.