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[center][h2]Hyznia, CMAS HQ[/h2][/center]
[@RyuShura]
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	"Whoa, whoa, Sulfrax?" Zack blurted, moving towards Pincy, only to have his path blocked by Sarah. He caught himself and staggered. "You can't expect me to-"

	"I expect you to do as you are told, lest we find our arrangements to be less agreeable than once thought. You wouldn't want that, now, would you Zachary?" Sarah barked with untouchable fortitude. It made her guards shudder. Zack was less phased, but took her vague threat rather seriously. "Be happy that his choice falls upon Stephanie, and not [i]you.[/i] Perhaps it is better this way."

	"It's fine, Zach," Stephanie grunted, "I'll do as [i]I'm told.[/i]" Zack flinched at the woman's remark, and backed away from Sarah, throwing Pincy a deadly glare. Working under mutually agreeable conditions? What an ignorant oaf. The CMAS were not agreeable with anyone, unless you found yourself within their ranks. Even then, [i]you could not consider yourself safe.[/i]

	"Excellent. I shall make preparations for your journey. You two will be free to roam Hyznia as citizens for now. Report to the main gates within the hour, or we will fetch you ourselves," Sarah ordered, nodding to her guards. "We will provide a small vehicle, and any supplies we can spare. If you have any specific requests, you can speak with me via telepathic link." Sarah placed a hand on Pincy's shoulder as she said this. A moment later, an echo found itself inside of Pincy's head, one that matched Sarah's voice with absolute perfection.

	[color=f6989d][i]"I will maintain this link, as long as i see fit"[/i][/color]

	"Stephanie, you know what you are to do. Please, do not disappoint me," Sarah said, narrowing her eyes. With that, she left the room with her soldiers, leaving the door wide open. "Zack, Jo-Jo, you may leave at your leisure as well. However, it is imperative that you do not leave the city. Good day to you all."

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[center][h2]Illon, Reginald's Quarters[/h2][/center]
[@13org]
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	"That is unlike you," Pride mused, turning towards the room's exit, "The swamp is too large and too dangerous to investigate further. We shall follow this path to the slums. But if this is indeed a rite of necromancy, then the living puppet which we may face is still walking upright." Jaymee was unnerved by the prospect of the living dead. Not once in the past several years had there been a documented case of necromancy in Illon. She hadn't even seen the magic performed herself. What little she did know about it, was not enough to explain what she saw. Lingering Ki? That didn't make any sense. It felt too strange, different than that of the dead.

	"How peculiar."

[center]***
[sub]Illon Slums[/sub][/center]

	Jaymee and Kasumi arrived within minutes, finding their way through the castle's main lobby, and across the drawbridge that lead towards Illon's main square, a devoid circle of stone and dirt that connected all of the major districts surrounding them. The castle district, the Slums, the residential area, the marketplace, and the Hill district. Citizens that recognized Jaymee and Kasumi, however few they were, averted their gazes and minded their own business. It was wise to do so in Illon, regardless of your affiliation outside of the king's inner circle. The city was a breeding ground for crime and horrendous acts. Murder wasn't uncommon, at least, when it came to the common rabble. Yvin rarely acknowledged it, but with Reginald's death, it became clear that this was a threat to Illon as a body, not just the lives of its people.

	The slums were a husk of Illons previous secondary residential district, several broken homes with holes in their roofs, missing walls, and critters that posed threats beyond being simple pests. The dreaded marsh was not divided by any sort of barrier, and Illon's FFG was inept at keeping Snappers at bay. Those wretched little reptiles killed any who fell into the thick marshlands that divided the island-like terrain of Illon, but also served as a natural defense for the city. The fortress was practically unbreachable from any angle.

	"The smell is strong here," Jaymee remarked, leading Kasumi through the streets of the slums. Few people lived out in the open here. It was a hub for crime and illegal activity. The branch of CMAS in Illon never bothered going anywhere near the slums. It posed too much of a danger to mages with curious little noses. "I do not know what, or whom, we are looking for."

	Jaymee's eyes were sharp, but not sharp enough to detect the presence that followed them closely, from behind. Through the alleys, like a snake, it moved quickly. But within moments, Jaymee had heard its footsteps, and no doubt Kasumi would be aware of its presence as well.

	"I cannot track it," Jaymee grunted, "This Ki is too thick, spread like a mist. It is interfering with my eyes.."