Quest Bones and Daggers (Brandon Blackwing)

[Verilian]

Timestamp: 30th of Summer, 515 AV Market day was often a day of minor celebration to many in Wind Reach, assuming they had the time to go. It was a day to go and see what wonders the merchants had to offer. Most of the time it was just items made from Wind Reaches very own craftsman, but sometimes there were exotic items from other lands as well. After the recent Zith attack many of the stalls were stocked with all manor of weapons, from your basic bows and daggers to more exotic things such as the large straight double edged swords used in far off Syliras, or even Isur-crafted blades from the kingdom of Sultros. There was one merchant among them who was a bit more exotic than most. Though he was Inartan, it was his manner of dress and decor that caused him to stand out from the normal every day Inartan. He wore a worn leather bryda and the usual vinati that all Inarta wore, but they were adorned with intricate stitching of circles and other symbols. His throat was pierced just above the adam's apple by a thin piece of bone, and from the piercing hung what looked to be a shriveled and dried out tongue with circles and symbols drawn, or possible tattooed, onto it. He was missing a front tooth, though a human looking tooth which looked to be the exact same kind he was missing was hanging from a leather cord around his neck. Perhaps the strangest thing of all, however, was the furry ear sewn onto and over his own ear. The man said nothing, making no attempt to attract customers, and only spoke when people approached. He had only two items available for sale, a pair of bone daggers. When asked about them he always replied the same. "These were made from the claws of a Zith, and hold powerful magic. If you find yourself up against one of the creatures you'll find yourself better equipped to fight them than most. I'll not sell them for pinions, though. No, you must get something for me first. Beware, for it will not be easy, nor for the faint of heart." Most people shied away from the man altogether, and those few who did approach wanted nothing to do with any quest from the strange Inartan. He spoke Nari, but if a non-Inartan approached he'd switch to common and say the same thing. Otherwise, the man remained where he was, waiting for the right person to approach.

[Brandon Blackwing]

Today was a special day. Not because it was market day, or because the bat had the day off, but rather because on this very day, four years ago Brandon had been born into this world. Indeed, it was his birthday. While Brandon did not believe in celebrating it like other people did, he was glad he did not have to work today. No teaching, no disaster crew and no fighting Zith for a day. Those wounds his body was riddled with still ached dully from time to time, and while the shallow ones were crusted over, and the deeper ones in the process of scarring, the most uncomfortable part had yet to come. The itching. Fortunately though, today was not a day for itching wounds, and the thief was quite grateful for it.

A day off meant he could go strolling the city for as long as he liked, and he could browse the market as well, if he so desired. Today weapons of all sorts seemed to be the hot items, various merchants displaying blades or bows. Arrows were sold in dozens at a time, and more Inarta carried their bow on their back than last season. With another possible Zith attack just waiting around the corner that was not really surprising. The thought he should upgrade his arsenal of weaponry had crossed the bat's mind, and he'd been contemplating whether or not to buy a bow. Two things had kept him from doing so; the prices and the fact he couldn't shoot a Wind Eagle if it stood right in front of him. Maybe for the best too; that was a serious crime in the volcanic city. Such a thing would rock the city -though the Kelvic wondered if Wind Reach could be sent even further into turmoil than it already had.

Earthquakes, baths that were too hot, Zith attacks and whatnot; when it rained, it poured. Of course, the signs had been there back in Spring, and Brandon had suspected something had been about to happen; tremors, bats leaving their shelter during the day? No-one had cared to take him seriously though, and now they were all surprised about this calamity. Just like you'd expect from birdbrained Inarta. Oh well. There was no use in fretting about it though, not today, and besides, that wasn't really his style either.

More weapons caught his eyes, fancy swords and glaives of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Nothing for the bat though, too expensive, not inconspicuous enough to carry around. Small things like daggers were excellent for him. He could conceal them nicely and have them with him whenever he wanted; at work, at the Inclement, when strolling the market... Brandon rarely went anywhere without at least having a blade in his boot. You never knew when you'd need them. Weapons were meant to be carried, what was the use in leaving them at home? A stall with daggers was passed, and the bat was tempted into studying them, but no, they weren't worth it. They did not look very balanced with all those adornments, works of art, yes, but no tools. The daggers he'd left behind in Lhavit had been a perfect balance between the two, and if possible he'd like some that had managed to find that balance. Nothing bland like he had with him now, nor anything too fancy.

And then he spotted him. A merchant like any other, with a stall like any other. Not very eye catching at all; but that was exactly what made him stand out. The merchant did not yell to attract attention of potential customers, nor was his stand decorated with little flags or bright colors. The man himself was another story though; he certainly was decorated. Only two items were displayed on his stand; two daggers that seemed to be made of bone. Bone wasn't a very good material for anything that was supposed to cut, Brandon believed, but nevertheless he approached. Curiosity was a fickle thing, it could be aroused very quickly, and doused just a moment later. Either way, it did not take all that much to pique the bat's interest.

“From the claws of Zith, you say?” Brandon asked, an eyebrow raised as he scrutinized the blades, and then the man again. “Magic, you say?” To be honest the merchant did have some magical feel about him. Maybe it was because of the circles on his body. Or perhaps the bone needle with the dried up tongue that hung from his neck. Either way, he did not look very ordinary, nor sane. Having lived in a city of magic, Brandon knew something about magic, although not much. Rumors mostly, and some basic things you could do with it. Nothing that really enabled him to understand anything, really. However, there were a couple things he'd heard often; some magic required circles with patterns in it. If that was true and not just some bullshyke one or other oaf made up, this guy could very well be a mage. What kind was a mystery though.

Magical daggers made from Zith claws. That was … interesting, to say the least. Magic was just about the only thing to fight magic, and as coincidence would have it, Brandon had actually been looking for ways to combat magic. The vendor did say the daggers gave one an edge when fighting Zith, but perhaps it would aid against other creatures too. Wizards for example. Though it seemed a little unlikely. Nevertheless, those blades were quite fascinating, and the price was too. Maybe even more than the blades themselves.

“So you want a favor in exchange for your blades? Care to tell just what task you had in mind?”

Credit goes to Cylos Marn

[Verilian]

"Magic indeed," the strange man said, the tongue hanging from his neck flapping as he spoke. "From one of the Zith who attacked the city so recently. His name was.." The man said something in a strange tongue, making sounds that a human should not be able to produce. In fact, some of the sounds produced in that single word were sounds that only Brandon would be able to hear, existing on a frequency not discernible to normal human ears. Brandon may or may not know it, but the word was in Zithanese, a tongue humans were not capable of speaking.

"He was an older Zith, but very capable and deadly. He was killed by an arrow through the eye, fired from the bow of Endal Jarren. His last arrow, actually, but that is not really important. The Zith had two sons, and six.."

The strange man stopped himself from rambling any further. He in fact knew quite a lot about the dead Zith. Quite a lot. It was necessary. He had to know to make his magic work properly, to get the effects he desired, and even then it was not a guarantee. But Brandon did not need to know all that, unless he was genuinely interested. But Brandon wanted to know about the favor, and that, well, that would be more interesting.

"Well, you probably aren't interested in the history of a dead Zith. I need you to get something for me. Two things, actually. One for each dagger seems fair. You do want them both, don't you? They work best as a pair."

The mage leaned in, motioning for Brandon to come closer so they could speak in a whisper. His eyes darted around to ensure that no one was close, and after a pair of curious Inarta wandered away from them, he laid out exactly what it was he wanted.

"As I said, two things. The first.. I need the blood of a living wind eagle." The mage withdrew an empty stoppered vial and passed it to Brandon. "The blood of a specific eagle, actually. Raith is his name. And the second thing. I need the skull of Endal Jarren. He is already dead. His remains have not been taken to the Tomb of the Fallen yet, Raith stands guard over them, refusing to let any near. Bring me the blood and the skull and the daggers are yours. And do not kill the wind eagle. He must be alive and well."

[Brandon Blackwing]

Brandon couldn’t really help but frown at the man’s ramble on how he’d come to acquire the materials for the blades. That the Zith had been killed by a specific arrow was not important, but that he had two sons was? Curious, though the man intercepted himself and brought himself back to the here and now, not bothering to continue with the biography of a dead zith. The bat just shrugged and continued listening, apparently it wasn’t really necessary at all for him to speak or interject, the man did all the talking for the two of them.

At the mention of wanting both, Brandon just nodded, eyes darting to the weapons and back to the man, quite fascinated by his getup and extravagance. The tongue at his neck moving up and down was a bit distracting, though that did not really matter, the thief was apart from the man’s appearance more interested in how he’d been able to create those sounds. Those noises Brandon was certain no ordinary human could hear or produce. As a matter of fact, not even the bat himself could make those noises in his human form, even though he could detect them.

There was something very strange about this “transaction”, something very strange. No wonder people didn’t seem too interested after hearing about the favor; they probably thought the man was insane. Even Brandon thought so, but nevertheless he couldn’t deny that it was an interesting favor indeed. But where had he heard that before? “Bring me bones and I will reward you”, where had he heard that before? Not here, that was for sure. Lhavit then? It had to, where else had he been long enough to meet such weird people? ”Bring me bones” … “Bring me bones”… Brandon repeated in his head, tapping his chin in a futile attempt to remember. Bones. Bones. Bones… Bones… “Not just any eagle”… hmmmm.

Where, where had he heard that before? Or more importantly, when? And who had spoken those words? Bones. “Not just any eagle”…. “Not just any bones!” Brandon’s face lit up for a moment, and then he shook it slightly, he’d remembered something, but it wasn’t what he’d been looking for. “Bones of a great hero,” he muttered, then giving up and proceeding to leave the realm of his mind. There was one thing he could say for sure, and that was that he was having a serious case of déjà vu.

“Sorry for that, I was thinking for a bit,” the thief apologized, “So, two things, right? Blood and a skull. I’d like some extra information though, for me to do what is expected from me, that is.” The bat crossed his arms and stared the vendor in the eye. “First; where are the endal’s remains kept? In his aerie?” If that was the case, getting in wouldn’t be a problem at all, in fact, swiping the skull was probably the easiest part of this favor. “Then, about the eagle, is he wounded? I mean, an easy way to get the blood would be preferable of course. Speaking of the blood, do you need me to fill the whole vial or is just a couple drops enough?” Brandon shook the glass object a couple times before slipping it into his pocket. “Next, do you have some sort of…” he blew out some air, “ehm… sleeping drug or something?” It would come in handy if the eagle was awake and not wounded, he couldn’t have a Wind Eagle attack him, he’d be toast if something like that happened.

“I’d also need meat. Like a boar or something, or a bunch of rabbits; as well as a bag to transport them in.” Lacing the meat with sleeping agents or just regular drugs would probably work on an eagle, and the bag could be used to stuff the skull into when he’d acquired it.

Credit goes to Cylos Marn

[Verilian]

The strange man's eyes lit up when Brandon muttered something about the bones of a great hero, and even leaned forward slightly with curiosity, but it quickly became clear that Brandon was not going to elaborate and when he began asking questions about the job the light faded somewhat and the strange man returned to his more relaxed seating position. Indeed he was quite disappointed that Brandon had not elaborated, but perhaps he'd find out more later on.

"Raith brought the remains of the endal back to his nest in their aerie. He hasn't left it once in they days since the man died, but Dek have been bringing him food and water." The strange man did not add the fact that more than a few of those dek had become eagle food themselves. They had reached the point where the door to the nesting area was being opened from a distance and the platter of food and water pushed in with a long rod. "No," the Mage shook his head in answer to the next question, "He is not wounded, so far as I know. And I'd prefer the whole vial, but.. half would be enough."

The man considered Brandon's next two questions for a few long moments. Both were difficult questions. Maybe not so much in other cities, but in Wind Reach neither would be easy to come by. "The drugs would probably be easier to come by than the meat. You could try the Inclement Weather, but most of the drugs their are meant to make you have more fun. You might be better off going to The Lost Sense."

Those last three words were said in a slightly hushed stone, as if once again the man was concerned about someone overhearing what he was saying. It was publicly known in Wind Reach that The Lost Sense was a brothel, if a bit of a unique brotheli in that it was mostly free. In truth, any normal brothel would likely fail in Wind Reach considering how free Inartans generally were with their sexuality to begin with and the fact that anyone of higher caste could just force a lower caste member if they so desired. Charging for sex was a ludicrous idea to most in the city. There were darker rumors about the place as well, including some of the drugs, and that it was a safe haven for criminals of some sort. The Lost Sense remained open, however, despite all the rumors, and was visited by many an Inarta in the city.

"Getting meat.. Now that might be a bit trickier. If you can hunt, you could smuggle some in. You might be able to bribe a hunter to smuggle you some, or someone at the processing center. You could take the food from one of the deks who feed the eagle, but then they might report you for stealing food or something. They might even report you even after taking your bribe. So, there's risk no matter how you look at it. I never said this would be an easy task."

[Brandon Blackwing]

At least the eagle was in the aerie, that was something. Brandon could get in there easily enough, and from the information he'd been given, he gathered he would be able to pretty much walk in there without much problems. Getting the meat would be harder, or so the mage had said. Brandon could only smirk at his words, having other methods than buying it or smuggling it into the city. Bribing hunters wasn't even necessary either. Getting it from the dek was exactly what he was thinking about, though the strange merchant made it sound like it would be a problem too.

Well, perhaps it would be if he just walked up to them and took it or demanded they'd give the food. But not if he offered his assistance. Maybe if he offered to do their job for them instead? They'd have a little more free time... or time to be bullied in doing other work that is. Nevertheless, it was worth a try. The other ways of getting meat would be too extreme... but wait! Why use meat if there was something else a living creature needed to stay alive. Water. He could just go bring the eagle water he'd laced with whatever drug he'd obtain. Yes, that would be the best way, probably.

The problem with lacing the bird's drinks though was that he wouldn't drink it all immediately, resulting in it taking a while before it had any effect... Unless it was very strong... but those kind of drugs weren't available in the Inclement, indeed. The Lost Sense it was then, it would be his first time visiting the place, even though Brandon had heard about it a couple times already. He'd never even considered going either; the Inclement was just as good a place to go have a good time and find a partner to mate with as the Sense. Of course, if this had been any city but Wind Reach that probably wouldn't have been the case.

“Right then,” Brandon breathed, “I suppose I should get going. There's too little time to be standing around. There's a lot I need to do,” he grinned briefly, cracking his knuckles and stretching his fingers, checking their nimbleness and speed. Pleased to note they hadn't lost their skills yet -he had been keeping them busy of course- the bat placed them in his pockets and turned around, heading to the exit of the market. A challenge, finally! After the Zith, he got this little side-project; this season seemed to become more and more promising by the day. Brandon chuckled briefly as he entered the warrens and glanced back at the weird vendor and his equally weird stall.

He knew how to get to the Lost Sense, and he also knew where to find it, resulting from sheer curiosity when he'd first heard the name. After he'd found out what it was though he hadn't been that interested anymore. But now there was a reason to visit, and Brandon had to admit he was getting a little excited about actually setting foot into the building. Eventually, the thief found himself in front of the entrance, arms crossed and studying the outside for a while, as well as thinking this through one more time. Harming a Wind Eagle was a serious crime; which probably was the reason why the merchant didn't go fetch the blood himself. And it was pretty dangerous of course.

Would he do it? If he was found out, he'd probably be in the same situation as he'd been in back in Lhavit a season ago. But living by the rules and doing what you were told was not a life for Brandon. The risk was part of the game, it was exactly why he loved it. The thrill, the excitement, the risk, the fear. Never did he ever feel more alive. Well, except when he'd been about to die that is. Brandon raised his arms in a slow shrug, and a grin cracked his face in two. Then he stepped inside.

Credit goes to Cylos Marn

[Verilian]

The smell of intoxicating incense and the sounds of passion filled Brandon's senses as he entered the Lost Sense. Most of the sound came from the private rooms, but there was one couple engaged in carnal pleasure on a couch in the back of the chamber. Elsewhere a woman was being massaged on another couch by a strong looking man. A man and woman both sat at the bar, though if they were there together they did not show it, distracted as they were by the volunteers they each had attending them. Even the dek could enjoy the pleasures of the Lost Sense, as was apparent by the shabbily dressed one-armed Inartan enjoying a massage from one of the beautiful volunteers.

The volunteers were all easy enough to recognize. On that particular day they were all scantily clad in outfits adorned with exotic bird feathers, probably from the Talderan jungles to the south. Even the bartender was dressed in a feather adorned outfit, though he was less provocative than the other volunteers. One such woman, the feathers of some purple bird decorating and concealing her private areas, approached Brandon when he entered.

"Hello there," the woman said, using the common tongue. Her voice was soft and sweet, and she moved with a dancer's grace as she approached. "It's not often that we get such exotic men as yourself here."

Brandon was indeed exotic. There were not many Kelvics in Wind Reach, but it seemed unlikely that this woman knew that about him. Of course, anyone without red hair was considered an exotic in the predominantly red city. She moved closer, draping an arm around Brandon's shoulders and pulling him in close.

"My name is Ginger," she whispered into his ear, introducing herself. Clearly her parents had not been the most original of people. "What can I do for you today?"

[Brandon Blackwing]

The Lost Sense housed sensations that were an assault to the bat's keen senses. Incense that made him wrinkle his nose, loud sounds of people in the middle of mating, as well as the smell of it. And of course the sight it self, though that at least was not really hindering at all. Well, the feathers were a bit over the top, some a bit too colorful too, but well, what could you do? Tastes were bound to differ. Why the people here would prefer wearing just about nothing over nothing at all was a mystery. While Brandon liked to think that he had -mostly because of his upbringing- adapted quite well to humanoid society, he still did not really understand all of them.

There was no use in questioning it though, as people were just people. Not everything could be understood anyway; he even doubted humans, or other races for that matter, understood themselves. But that mattered little; this was not why he was here.

When his nostrils seemed to have adapted to the smell of incense, Brandon noted a woman approaching him with elegant and graceful steps. His eyes darted over her figure for a quick and brief moment, and then he just locked eyes with her as she closed in. Even though this place could in no way compare to the Red Lantern back in Lhavit, the Kelvic did find the women at least could. This particular one appeared to be able to match the grace with which the girls of Madame Belladonna carried themselves. A redhead; not very surprising seeing as this was a volcano filled to the brim with people of that hair color. If she was still looking, Brandon guessed Madame Belladonna would be willing to pay a small fortune for a girl like this one.

Ginger -as her name seemed to be, probably her “work name”- whispered in his ear, and Brandon was sure she was already trying to get him into the state of mind that seemed to cling to the whole building. To bad for her, she'd have to wait to get in the exotic pants of this “exotic” man, as the bat was not here for those kind of services. Not today anyway. Maybe in Fall, if he was still around. “Depends on what you can do,” Brandon stated, a hint of a grin playing around the corners of his mouth. Some information on the services provided was always welcome, it would probably be the deciding factor whether it'd be bat, human or Symenestra females he'd relief himself with in Fall. Or depending he just might do all of them. “Alas, I'm here for business, and not for pleasure,” the Kelvic half-shrugged, lifting the woman's chin with a finger.

“If you could point me to the person who's in charge here, I'd be most grateful,” Brandon coaxed. “It's a rather delicate matter, you see.”

Credit goes to Cylos Marn

[Verilian]

"Oh, I can do whatever you want me to do," she said, running a hand down his chest before gracefully moving forward, kicking her leg straight up, and laying it on his shoulder, tugging him closer. Her smile faded somewhat at his next words and she just as gracefully disentangled herself from his body, though remained within his personal space for a moment longer. "Well, I guess I'll just have to settle for your gratitude for now. Follow me, I'll take you to her."

Ginger sauntered off, weaving her way around bodies and grasping hands, until they reached a door near the back. After asking him to wait a moment she disappeared inside, and the bat could hear muffled voices from within speaking quietly to one another. A door shut inside and there was a sound like a chair scraping. A chime later the door opened and Ginger came out.

"She'll see you now."

Inside was a candle-lit room, though not romantically lit as many of the other rooms likely were. It was simply lit with candles. It was beautifully decorated, red and black being the main theme, though again not romantically decorated. It had the feel of an office, and there was even a desk made from a dark wood, brown but almost black. Behind the desk was a tall chair made from the same wood with deep red cushions. There was a lush red couch, and a few other comfortable looking chairs. The floor of the room was stone, but there were rugs of skygoat fur in front of the desk and couch. A woman was leaning against the desk.

She was beautiful in her own right, but not provocatively so like the men and women outside, nor was she dressed in the feather outfits those outside were wearing. She wore a simple but finely made black bryda and vinati, was barefoot, and had a necklace with a charm that was shaped like a sun, but black. Her hair was red, but had steaks of black dyed into it. Most notably, she wore a black eyepatch over her right eye. Oddly enough, the moment Brandon saw her he got the feeling that he had known this woman for years. It wasn't exactly trust, but a subtle feeling of familiarity, as if she were an old acquaintance. It was punctuated more so by her words.

"Brandon, welcome to the Lost Sense. What brings our city's newest combat instructor to my establishment, other than the obvious reasons, of course?"

[Brandon Blackwing]

Disappointment did fortunately not prevent Ginger to heed his request, removing her foot from the bat's shoulder, and telling him to follow her. Brandon had already seen she was graceful, but apparently she was acrobatic as well... Quite the acrobat himself, the Kelvic could already picture some possibilities, though he dismissed the thoughts immediately. This was not the time for that, even though he found himself in the right place. He chuckled briefly, following in the woman's wake. In a room like this, not even that crowded, a thief used to packed market squares had no trouble moving about.

Soon, they reached a door, and the bat was left alone for a bit, presumably so the person in charge could be notified of his arrival, and informed of whether he was armed or not, that kind of thing. Probably. If he were human he probably would have placed an ear against the wood to try and eavesdrop, but there were curious people around. And as a bat, Brandon had a better sense of hearing than most. However, all he could detect were two muffled voices. Distinctly female, and one of them was Ginger's. Sadly, they were either speaking quietly or the door was blocking out most of the noise, because Brandon couldn't understand a word. Then again, he also didn't speak Nari -which they were using, so to hear- so it wasn't as if he'd understood a word if he'd actually been able to hear them clearly.

The sound of a door closing could be heard, and the bat frowned slightly, aware it had come from inside. A back room in the office? Or whatever awaited him behind that first door. A chair was pushed back, or so it sounded, and footsteps approached. Brandon wiped the frown off his face, and waited for Ginger to come back out, inviting him in. The Kelvic nodded, and stepped inside, eyes flicking from side to side for a moment, scanning his surroundings. As to be expected, the whole room bathed in a woman's scent, said scent obviously belonging to the one leaning against the desk. So it was an office after all.. Brandon wondered, then as his eyes darted over the woman's figure swiftly, he was struck with a strange feeling of recognition, of familiarity.

Instantly the faintest of frowns rippled on the bat's forehead, disappearing as quickly as it had come. This woman... she really felt... as if he'd known her for some time... What was her name again? She had an eyepatch... and black streaks in her red hair... made her look wild. Brandon was certainly not against wild. Though he did believe he'd remember someone who wore an eyepatch- no, no he wouldn't. Visual features didn't really stick around in his mind unless he'd seen the person a lot of times... It was their scent, and their voice Brandon used to recognize people... So why hadn't he recognized either? He couldn't link a name to her scent, nor her voice. Her appearance didn't really give him any clues either...

“Oh? Uhm? Have we... by any chance... met before?” the bat queried, more than just a little distracted, frowning heavily by now. She knows my name... his mind added, And my position... The latter is to be expected, I'd imagine the whole of Wind Reach has heard of the foreigner who teaches Yasi martial arts. But my name? Someone must have told her... Did I? No, I can't remember meeting her... Then again, it could have been during an insanely drunk night at the Inclement... But that didn't make any sense to him. This feeling... it felt older than that. Much older. Older than the season and a third he'd been here... Lhavit then? Had he met her in Lhavit? Didn't seem likely. True, there were a couple Inarta living in Lhavit, he'd met a few, but the Unforgiving was a harsh place to cross. He'd experienced that for himself. She could have gotten a ride on a Wind Eagle.

Argh! He couldn't think like this! This was too distracting! How long had he been just standing there, frowning, rubbing his chin, crossing his arms with his head cocked? A chime? A couple ticks? More? The question is, why would she come to Lhavit? his brain reminded him of the problem What do they have in Lhavit that they don't have here? Many things, but probably nothing an Inatra would be interested in... Hmm. Though... I wasn't in Lhavit for much longer than a year, was I? Indeed, he'd arrived during the Summer of 513AV, and he'd left on the first day of Spring of 515AV... A year and a half. Even if he'd met this woman when he'd just arrived in Lhavit, it did not make any sense. Why did he get the feeling he'd known her for far longer than that? Kalinor was just a ridiculous option; Brandon hadn't seen many women there that were not Symenestra, and besides, those were times he barely spoke to strangers. Not to mention he usually only stepped outside in bat form, or to train with his mother. It did not make any petching sense!

Confused, the bat rubbed his temples, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. Impossible! Im-petching-possible! How can I have met this woman in Kalinor? Before Kalinor then? That would make some sense, time-wise. Only... There was no before Kalinor! I wasn't even born yet! Why?! How? What is going on! This is impossible! I've never met this woman before! The bat's frown turned into a scowl, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. This situation was rather familiar; truly familiar. He'd experienced something like this before... in Lhavit. Now what? Be clear on the matter and make her aware he knew? Or just play dumb? The latter might prove less detrimental for business purposes... though he truly hated that magic -what else could she be doing? He had no other explanation- even more than auristics. He loathed it probably just as much as Animation.

However, the bat composed himself, returning his expression to a more neutral one. “Ah. Pardon me. I was lost in thought, remembering something rather … unpleasant,” he half-lied, “you were saying?”

Credit goes to Cylos Marn