[center][h1][color=662d91]Mors vincit omnia[/color][/h1][/center]
[center][sub](Death conquers all)[/sub][/center]

[b]Unknown[/b]

     [color=662d91]"...yes, of course, everything is going according to schedule. There was an incident, and the subjects escaped, however, they seem to have left town."[/color] [b]"I see, that is unfortunate, but there is little else we can do. How is it that they escaped?"[/b] There was a pause. [b]"A wizard, Ferrin, his name was? He appears to be quite powerful. He could be prove a hiderance. ...or, possibly, an asset..."[/b] [color=662d91]"Sir?"[/color] [b]"Don't worry about him. Even if he does interfere, there is nothing he can do. Three decades of planning has gone into this, even he cannot stop us now. Nevertheless, have your spies keep an eye out for him, but do not engage him. That is all."[/b]

[hr]

[b][color=silver]Ferrin[/color][/b]

     [color=silver]"Man, this sucks."[/color] I complained, loudly. More than half the day was gone, and I had turned up squat. No matter who I asked, or where I went, the story was the same, everything was normal, there were no groups of shadowy figures meeting in a dark alley, no dead bodies turning up in the streets, or people mysteriously going missing. Crocus was as normal as it could get during the Grand Magic Games. The event from the other day had been passed off as another fight between wizards.

     I was sprawled on a bench near a quiter part of the city, in one of the rare plots of random greenery, just existing in the middle of a big, bustling city. The kind that aught to not exist, but through some circumstance, bad planning, or a purposeful arrangment, a strip of land went unused, and got turned into a blotch of green in a sea of gray. A small baston of nature that held firm against the rising tide of civilization.

    I sighed as I rested my arms on the back of the bench, and put my head back. I could feel a slight headache coming on. Eventualy, I took notice of some small gray birds, that are ever-present in any city, hopping around and chirping nearby. One of them, braver than its fellows, hopped up on the bench and looked at me with its beady eyes. Leaning forward, and looking at it, I told it, [color=silver]"I guess I am not cut out to be an investigator."[/color] It chirped, and cocked its head back and forth a few times before suddenly taking flight, and flying away. [color=silver]"It was nice talking to you, too."[/color] I muttered. Giving a yawn, I got to my feet to resume the search.

     Walking through Crocus, or any big city, is a whirlwind of sights, smells, and a cacophony of noises. People are the first thing you notice. Humanity is everywhere, crowding the streets, in the buildings, even, if you look up, as I often do, on the rooftops. Then there are the buildings, which I find are the most intersting. Some squat, some tall, some grey, some blue, some with gaudy, colorful signs above the entrance, others plain, and inconspicuous, almost hiding in plain sight. The last thing are the smells, the smell of food, people, trash, animals and a hundred other, unidentifiable, scents blend together to create a...a... [i]parfum[/i] that is unique to every city. I had an idea to head for the colosseum, for no particular reason, and although that was my ultimate desdenation, I wandered a bit, curious to see exactly how it had changed in the last two hundred or so years. 

     Yeah, that. Honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that I had ended up two hundreds years into the future, and that a lot happened that I missed. Everytime I try, my brain just seems to fail, and I have simple decided not to think about it, and accept this time as my new reality. Its tough, but whatever keeps me functioning. Maybe some day, when I don't have an imminent crises, I can go insane, and wallow in greif, or whatever. But for now, it just seems unreal.

     A passing sensation, like a wire of sub-zero metal being pressed into my skin, broke me out of my thoughts. I stopped and look around for the source. I saw nothing, just buildings and people...and more buildings and more people. Acting on instinct, I took a step back-- and there it was again. I looked at my feet and saw the street, but nothing else. The left one option. I inched forward slowly, getting some annoyed looks from people passing around me for blocking the traffic. Eventualy, I felt the sensation again, and it stayed as I stood on the spot. I was feeling the residue of an incredibly powerful magic, of a type I did not reconise. As I stood there, I relised that the residue exteded in thin line from one side of the street to the other, which explained why I only felt it for a moment. More bored than anything else, I walked the line of magic and found that it was straight and narrow. I could find out nothing more, so I moved on. Crocus had been a city of wizards for a long time, and it wasn't unusual for me to feel all kinds of magical resadue from spells past and present. I attempt to block most of the imput, becuase, like any sence, it can get overloaded, but sometimes a particualy strong feeling gets through. With a shrug, I filed away the phenomenon, and kept heading toward the colosseum. 

     The crowd thickened as I got closer, but with my height and size, I could push my way through. I made my way through the crowd, and through one of the enormous hallways that lead to the seats. Instead of finding a seat, I remained standing, watching the games. I narrowed my eyes slightly, when I saw a member of Iron Enigma participating. I had forgotten about the little raid I put together. They would be all too glad to know I was here, and the soldiers probably still wanted me for questioning. Oh well, you live long enough, and you are bound to make some enemies. Still...I probably shouldn't linger too long here.