Ixion looked at the Fixer with uncertainty. What he had said to him about the poisoner still sat uneasy with him. The identity was still racing through his mind. He traced his steps back from the hit during the night. He came to the conclusion during the analysis that it certainly wasn't one of the guards that were protected the now-deceased merchant. They were nothing but common thugs, none of them had the intelligence to know what was poisonous or not. They were probably not that quick enough to observe the assassin enough to spot the tonic on his side. This would have meant that the person who had the time to observe his personal effects to spot it. Tracing it back between then and the last time the tonic was made, he could only think of two people that could have done it. One of them could have been the person who had made the tonic, which was back in Pelgaid City. The time that was taken to make the tonic with them was longer than he was used to, especially as this was recommended by the previous contract, who was reliable. His gut instinct was been unsure about it because of the city, but he went with it as he was there initially. If it was them, then the previous contractor had sealed his fate, whether it was at his hand or at the hand of the Fixer. The only other option was the current contractor: a man who was in charge of a small band of highwaymen who were taking their spoils to drink themselves into a stupor. He took the contract on a grain of salt as the leader had said that the merchant was heavily guarded when an organized ambush would have taken those buffoons out. Perhaps he ordered one of his men to observe and place the poison in the tonic? That was a definite possibility. He would need to investigate that when he returns to them. But first, he would need to let the Fixer know, who had said something in the meanwhile. [i]”... Might still do tha', even if ya don' kno' who it was; I'm real good a' findin' info."[/i]

“The more I think about it,” he started, changing his uncertain appearance into a more certain one. “The more I conclude that it it one of two possibilities. I had initially thought that it was one of the people in my current contract that had done it. However, I believe it could be one of two people. One of them being a person who made the tonic for me back in Pelgaid City at Aster's Emporium. If it was them, then Lord Maximillian Hector must pay for directing me to them. The other is a band of highwaymen that currently have me under contract to kill a merchant they they want me to get in this city. As I still got to get my pay from them, I can see if it was them. Aster's Emporium is a good place as any for you to find any information.”

It was a short moment later that Ixion's eyes were opened as the Fixer turned on him. Time slowed down in his mind as he examined the entire surrounding to evade the attack. It was during this time that he noticed a familiar figure: the penin that he was with before he got poisoned. [i]What on earth is he doing here?[/i] he thought. Then again, the fight between him, assisted by the vampire, and Blue did cause a magical signal to those who had sensed the magic earlier. The uncertainty of them as an ally could only be determined in the future. [i]If he is going to be a problem, why doesn't the Fixer just kill him.[/i] The thought had no feeling as he was thinking about the situation at hand. He then remembered the rune knight that he saw earlier. If he knows the rune knight, that means that he knows a lot of people in the city of notable influence. Then another thought comes to his mind, with all of the variables taken into consideration. [i]Is the Fixer making us look innocent of the past events?[/i] If that was the case, then the assassin knew what the Fixer was trying to do.

As time sped up back into reality, Ixion only had a fraction of a second to react to the Fixer's oncoming attack. He knew that the kick was unavoidable, so the kick landed onto his side, partially winding him on the side. All the while, he observed the mercenary's next attack, which was a thrust at his chest. As he was partially winded, his armour dented from the attack, he instinctively reached for his 'sparring' opponent's right hand. If he was able to grab the arm, he would proceed to, with the assistance of the Fixer's momentum, to throw the man to one side and, keeping the momentum up, direct him to the nearest set of objects, which were the crates that he used to protect himself earlier. While he was doing that, he looked at the man and said, letting him know that he knew what he was doing, “Do what is necessary.” As he feared what the necessary was, he would reach for his knife if the counter was successful.