Completed The Unknown Must Become Known

[Michaela Abendroth]

Timestamp: 24th of Spring 513 AV

Michaela was sitting in a bar with her new and good friend Gad. They were just talking about how things have been since the last time they did a mission together, and often they would meet her at the Pig's Foot Tavern and just talk about how their lives have been. But Michaela knew that this meeting this time was different. She was about to ask Gad if he was still going to help her look for her parents. Michaela knew that he said that he would help her but she wasn't sure if he was ready to do it so soon, but the timing just seemed right for Michaela and she wanted to have someone with her, in case the goings got a little bit rough. Even though she knew that she could handle any situation herself, she has learned that it is good to have someone you trust to have your back if it is needed and Gad had over and over proved that he could do that with their last mission that they did together.

Michaela motioned for the waitress to come over and she ordered her drink.

"What will it be?" The waitress asked in a nasty voice.

Michaela knew that not many people around here liked her kind and she didn't blame them, but if they only took the time she would know she wasn't like your normal stereotypical Zith, but she sighed people around here are narrow minded and it was business so they really have no choice but to serve her; plus she has never caused them any problems. After thinking about what she wanted Michaela replied to the waitress,

"I would like a cup of your best ale please." Michaela said even though she knew the waitress would just shrug it off and walk away. After a couple of minutes the waitress came back with her drink.

Michaela then looked at Gad in a serious way and asked him,

"So are you ready to help me with locating the killers of my parents? I know I asked you before but you never really gave me an answer. I think you would be great help to helping me find out who(s) or what(s) did it, but I understand if you don't want to." Michaela said while sipping her drink and waiting for an answer.

[Gad]

"-and so I said to the Myrian 'My dear, you have excellent taste in men' Ha! Ahahaha!" Gad slammed his hand on the table as he laughed at his own lame joke. He was in Pig's Foot with Micaela, the Zith who'd saved his life just four nights ago. She was surprisingly easy to get along with for a Zith, whom Gad had always found to be rather unpleasant. The waitress came and they both ordered ale, when she returned with their drinks, Gad began to down his. However, before he could touch his lips to the mug, a comment from Micaela caused his left brow to raise. "Hm,'' he began "this again eh? Look, Sunberth is a big city. And, no offense, but people get killed everyday. Finding one killer in this city? Someone who killed a couple of Ziths- no offense again- will be even harder, cause it's not like people are...how should I put this? Overly found of your kind." He did his habitual whisker pull and sighed. "But, none of that maters. You saved my life, and if you want my help finding out who killed your parents, then you have it. I'll help you track them down Micaela." Gad was solemn. He didn't like becoming indebted to people, but once he had, he was the type to follow through. He took a sip of his ale and then spoke. "So, have you got any leads? Tell me everything you have to go on."

[Michaela Abendroth]

Michaela took another swig of her drink and liked how the ale tasted here, it was better than at some other places that she had been to that was for sure. Michaela than looked Gad dead in the eyes and started to talk.

"As I said don't feel that you need to help me, you don't have to, I just figured that maybe you would be interested in it.. I don't have much to go on but I guess I can tell you about how we found their bodies when we found them and that is all that I really remember about my parents. But I will let you know that with or without your help, I am not going to die until I find out who did this. I will not let myself die no matter what until I find out who or what did this to my parents and why" Michaela said with a sad but strong look on her face.

Michaela took another long gulp of her ale and then started to tell the story of the morning she awoke to find her parents dead.
"It was quite a few years ago actually. I was about 6 or 7. I awoke to my grandmother screaming outside. She sounded like something was attacking her. I remember reaching under my bed and grabbing the dagger that my grandfather was allowing me to use while we did our training. I than ran down the stairs and outside to the front when that's when I seen it. No it couldn't be I thought to myself but it clearly was. My mother was on the ground all torn up and you could hardly recognize her. It looked like someone had started from her insides and worked their way out. A picture that I will never forget. The only way that I recognized her was because of our "different" colors and the necklace that she had worn around her neck. My father was foudn beside her and their arms were linked together. He looked the same way but he his wasn't quite as bad as my mothers." Michaela said to him, trying to be strong and not showing the emotions that were rising up inside of her.

Michaela then cleared her throat and said, "There was a note attached to my mother that read, "In 5 years we will be coming for your granddaughter and there is no way that you will be able to stop us. We will kill all of you." and there was no signature and there was nothing left on the note that we could go by. I took the note to a specialist in our town that might have been able to help but at least there was nothing there, but she told me to try out Sunberth and this is where all the bad people are. and so I am here. I check on my grandparents every so often but they say that they have had no visitors. This is the 5th year and they are supposed to come and get me, but they haven;t found me, not that I know of anyways, and they haven't bugged my grandparents, but since they moved and I have came here, I am not sure if they even know where we are. At first I might have though that it was another Zith, because they don't like that we are the complete opposite of what other Zith are like, and they frowned upon that, but then I knew that Zith don't kill other Zith unless they have broken a law or it was needed and we were doing no crime. So then I came here to seek out if the killer (s) are here and so here I am." Michaela said to Gad.

Michaela then gulped the rest of her drink, motioned for the waitress to come over, ordered another ale, and then awaited for a reply from Gad. Michaela knew there wasn't much to go on, but she knew that this would be the best place to start, and maybe Gad would have some ideas.

[Gad]

Gad stroked his chin and recreated the images in his mind. This was proving to be rather interesting. Life debt aside, Gad found this bit of intrigue to be quite...intriguing. He contemplated Micaela's story, and smiled slightly at her as she gulped down her second mug of ale. "Huh. That is pretty abnormal. Your mother was worse off than your father? Sounds to me like they started on her, and it's likely your father happened across the scene. Or perhaps they were going to mutilate him just as horribly, but ran out of time for whatever reason. Also, the nature of the killings. Zith, you guys are all muscle and sinew. It seems like it'd take a lot of work and focus to pull that off, ripping one of your bodies apart like that." Gad took another sip of his ale. "Certainly, it's a very personal way to kill someone. You should try and find out from your grandmother if there is any one in Sunberth who knew your parents and that might narrow down our pool of candidates. Any old enemies, or even friends of your parents would be suspects. In fact, even enemies or friends of your grandparents could be suspects, as this might've been aimed at them." Gad swirled the amber liquid in his mug and leaned back in his chair. This would be interesting. "Mm. Then there's the most troubling thing. That letter. But that reveals their motivation and is probably our best clue. Coming back for you in five years? For what? To murder you? To steal you? What's the significance of five years?" Gad scratched his peach fuzz covered cheeks and then looked at Micaela curiously. "Five years? Does that mean anything to you? Why that specific length of time?"

[Michaela Abendroth]

"I have tried asking her and as far as she knows there is nobody. I am thinking that my parents or my mother anyways was dealing with some bad people, in her younger years before she met my dad, and then when they got together and had me she tried to get away from them but they found her, and at this age I am now of age, I have became a woman now, that is the only thing that I can think of that would interest them. My whole family, My grandparents and I have no clue what could have happened as they have always kept to themselves. We are all at a lose ... my mother was a very troubled teen Zith to say, she would always run away and then not come back for long periods of time and my grandparents would never know where she was. I figure that has something to do with it. But I have even went back and searched her room and stuff and nothing seems out of the ordinary. Not even a diary or anything. She was hiding something and I don't even think my dad knew about it." Michaela said to Gad, telling him about how very secret this whole thing was.

"All I know is that it started here, my mother had been here before, numerous times as I have learned, but I have not been able to find out why or anything of the matter... I just hope that I can figure it out, and before my grandparents die, not to worry they are in perfect health and have lots of years left to live, and they aren't interested in them only me, but to find them so that my grandparents when it is their time to leave, it will bring them a peace of mind." Michaela said to him, "shall we take this elsewhere, or I am afraid I am going to keep drinking and then not be of much help, plus I am not a very likeable person if I drink too much."

[Gad]

Gad grinned. "Sure, let's talk a walk, there's still a good portion of the day light left, it'd be a shame to squander it in here in the dark." Gad downed the last of his beverage and tossed the appropriate coinage on the table, he walked outside and Micaela shortly joined him. "Well, I don't really know a place we could talk besides my room in the Sunset Quarters, we can walk towards there and talk on the way and if you get any ideas of where you want to start looking you can let me know." Gad began to walk beside Micaela though just enough ahead of her that she could take his lead, as she did not know where his apartment was. "Huh, so it sounds to me like your mother was getting into trouble here in Sunberth and it caught up to here. It's not surprising that there was nothing to find of hers...if she had a life she was trying to get away from, it's doubtful she wanted your father to know about it. That does make our job harder though....let see what do we know.." Gad's voice was distant and aloof as he put together the details of the case in his mind. "There are two possibilites in my mind as to what could've happened. Either there was a jilted lover, or she was involved in some illegal business. But knowing Sunberth it was probably both. Think about your mom's skills, what could she do? Maybe a pickpocketing habit she tried to hide from you, or perhaps she was inordinately good with a sword for some reason. I only say this because if we know what kind of skills she had, then we can find out where in Sunberth she used those skills when she was here, and thus the people she would've associated with."

[Michaela Abendroth]

Michaela finished what was left of her ale and glad that Gad agreed to take a walk. It seemed like he was more interested in this then he first let on. Michaela was happy though as she was glad that someone would be able to help her. Michaela paid for her 3 drinks that she had by leaving the correct coin on the table and then started to follow Gad.

"Sure going to your apartment will be fine as long as you are okay with me being there."
Michaela said with a smile.

Michaela listened to Gad talk as they walked to where his apartment was.

"I am not sure. As I told you when I was around my mother just acted like a mother and all I know was that she was running away from something, because I remember that when she did take me out, or my father took us out, which was hardly ever if my mother could avoid it, she always seemed sketchy, always looking behind her and always like she was expecting the worse of something or that someone was following us."

Michaela said, and she let Gad get a little bit ahead of her but not too far as that she wouldn't be able to hear him or him hear her, as she didn't want the people around them to hear what they were talking about.

"As I was saying, I don't really know much, which make it seem like we are on a wild goose chase, but I know that it had to start here, if they aren't from here, then we have a lot on our hands, but I know somehow that I have to start here, and that she did work here, I am trying to go back in my mind to figure out how I know it, but it keeps coming up blank."

Michaela said to him with a confused face.

"I am hoping that sometime soon I will be able to remember. I keep replaying the days in my head... Oh I do remember something, but I would like to tell it to you in private as I would not like anyone to overhear it."

Michaela said to him, as something random popped into her head, that she couldn't believe that she had forgotten about it until now.

Michaela still followed Gad, there was more to tell him, but she didn't want it to be out there in the open so she started to talk about something else.

"Thinking back to 4 nights ago, when we were doing that "mission" did you ever find out what you wanted to and do you think maybe we could find out more about it while we are doing this "mission. Maybe they have something in common, maybe it was someone of the Daggerhand? I don't want to leave our any possibilities no matter how unlikely they sound."
Michaela asked him as she was still a bit confused and interested in the mission that they were doing 4 nights ago.

[Gad]

Gad's ear picked up as he went over the events of the other night in his head. You think so?...Actually, that may not be as farfetched as you think. Robern and his Daggerhand have dominating this city for years from what I've heard, and have their hands in everything. If your mother was running from someone who's here in the city, it could very well be the Daggerhand. Gad rounded the corner and hopped over a puddle. He huffed a bit. If it really is the Daggerhand, then maybe we could kill two birds with one stone. Then again, tussling with that lot has only been dangerous so far. Gad's eyes narrowed and shifted over to Micaela. "In any event, we need to be careful, whether it's the Daggerhand or not. You saw what happened the other night when I went snooping around their business, and in that case they hadn't even set out to kill me... as far as I know. And if it's not the Hand, then we still have to worry about whoever it is coming back for you. All I'm saying is, when we're looking for whatever it is we're looking for, we need to keep a low profile." Gad snapped his fingers. "The slave market!" Gad then reigned in his excitement. "Probably shouldn't sound so happy about that place, heh. But I just thought of it. If there's anyone in the city who knew your mom, it'd be there. That's where all the Zith in the area sell their- er...catches. If you're mother was in the city, she probably got to know at least some of the other Zith, so maybe we should start there?"

[Michaela Abendroth]

"The slave market does seem like a good place to start. I have never caught a slave before, but I do hear that a lot of Zith do it. I just haven't really had the time to bother about it because I have been busy looking for the killer of my parents."
Michaela said to him with a smile, she was glad that he was helping her, she really liked having him around.

"Could it be possible that there is more than one of the bad gangs that were out to get my mom, and maybe one killed my mother and one killed my father, or would you think that the killing would be from the same gang?"
Michaela asked Gad, while all these new questions were running through her head.

Michaela was still following Gad hoping that they were still stopping at his place first so that she could tell him the new information that they just found out and then to go and check out the slave market.

"Hey Gad, when we find out what we are looking for, do you think it will bring as much peace of mind to me and my grandparents as I am hoping that it has?"
Michaela asked him really seriously, but knew that she might just have her hopes up and that her mind will never ever really be at peace.
"Well maybe at least part of it, because even if we find her killer, I guess I would still not be completely at ease, as maybe there were others out to get her, or maybe I won't find out why she was killed just by whom."

[Gad]

Gad stroked his chin at her mentioning she'd never caught a slave before. "Hey, maybe don't mention that part to the Zith you meet in the market, y'know? If they ask just, make up a story. It doesn't need to be specific, but you can't out yourself as then kinder, gentler Zith, if you know what I mean" He dragged his finger across his throat and grimaced for emphasis. He retrieved the lucky green stone dice from his jacket and began casually tossing the cubes in the air, he whistled as he walked along, heading towards the Slave Market. His jaunty mood masked his true anxiousness. "Anything is possible, I guess. Look at the Akvatari right? But no, I doubt this was some large over arching conspiracy between the gangs of Sunberth. And I'm not saying you're parents weren't important, it's just that the "organizations" in Sunberth don't really play nice with one another." Gad tossed the dice in his hands and looked at the numbers. "Odds are low." He guided Micaela through the city streets. It was odd, he thought, that she would be so trusting of him. Even after what happened the other night. She's lucky I got a hold of her. Things can end up real messy for newcomers in this city. The young wizard was shaken out of this train of thought by Micaela's question. He didn't know quite what to tell her. "D-...do you think it will Micaela? Give you peace I mean. That's what this is all about isn't it? I can't speak for you, but if it were me, nothing would give me more peace than finding out who killed my parents, and killing ever last one of those petching bastards before they could come back for me." Gad shrugged. "But hey, that's just me." He laughed. "At any rate, you may have a long time to think about it, when you consider how much we have to go on." The duo was getting closer to the 'rough' side of town, for whatever that was worth in Sunberth. They neared an open air nexus of buildings not far from dockside, and the salty cool air from Baroque Bay washed over the market. Gad's nostrils flared at the scent, but his features grew stoney and his eyes the flat slits they were whenever he was thinking about what to do. He crossed his arms over his chest and let out a sign. "Well, here it is my friend. The glorious Slave Market of Sunberth, much ado'd, such as it is and so forth and so on." Gad gestured to the throng of people working out of wooden stalls and tents and from under tarps and balconies and overhangs. Well, some of them were working, a lot of them were milling about in chains. Some of the people were plump and healthy and leaned against the stalls or under the trees for shade in between showings of their "wares". The other people weren't really working either. They were showing. The were showing off how much they could lift, and how much pain they could take, or how good they could spit shine their master's shoes. Refreshingly, a few were even showing off how well they could dance, but this was no doubt a proxy for more carnal chores their master would have them do later. And most of these people looked either to soft or too hard, with bodies sick and starved or bodies worked and driven, and their eyes either low and forlorn or blazing with a subtle intensity. Gad's eyes stayed as flat and pitiless as they had before, but his mouth contorted into toothy smirk. He didn't know why but he couldn't help but smiling at the whole thing. He looked over to his companion and considered what she might think. She seemed to crave a certain distance from her people's bad reputation. At the same time, he remembered her nonchalantly devouring a man a few nights ago. Well, Myrians do that too. he thought of his heritage Haha maybe I'm no one to judge. He spoke to her. "We should split up for a moment. You go find some Zith, lean on 'em a little. Get them to talk about your mother. Zith love this place, so it shouldn't be hard to find one or two, and there's only so many of you guys hanging about. There's usually slave catchers trading their stuff around here." Gad winced internally 'stuff'. Gad whistled as he walked away from Micaela into the side of the large slave market he was searching.