Another day, another opportunity. At least, that was how the Empress of Rozarria saw things; even now, she was one step closer to achieving her goal thanks to a very good source of hers. And so, when the Councilmen decided that today was the day that an inheritance matter arose, it was just another way to eliminate the opposition. At the moment, she sat at her desk, listening carefully to the secretary's words as he went on and on about certain dukes and barons and whatnot. He was nearly finished, and after she wrapped up this matter, she would finally get to confirm with her general the whereabouts of the weapon she wanted.

"[b]To summarize it all, Your Eminence, with the execution of Prince Roland Hershel for regicide against His Royal Majesty Emperor Augustus Klein--may he rest in peace--your position is secured over that of Prince Lorenzo Jeremiah and Prince Grant Mashall, until your death, though if his bill comes to pass, then you shall be succeeded by the next female heir, and that would be Lorenzo's child.[/b]" The secretary spoke carefully, fussing over a rather large, detailed plan in front of him. "[b]However, with Lorenzo's child currently missing, it does provide somewhat of an alarm, Your Grace, but I suppose that would leave Lorenzo as the next to inherit the throne, until you, Your Grace, bear children of your own.[/b]"

The Councilman named Arcturus nodded in agreement. "[b]Yes, Your Grace, we of the Council grow concerned with your apparent lack of heirs to the throne. You understand that this currently weakens your position?[/b]"

Reia nodded, folding her hands on top of her lap. "[b]Of course.[/b]" She spoke, her voice airy and whimsical, as if they were discussing the weather. "[b]Do recall, however, that my younger brother's marriage to a common woman has greatly reduced him in your eyes. I may have yet to bear a child, but surely no one would stand for a common woman to be the wife of an Emperor?[/b]"

Arcturus nodded once more and stroked his gray beard. "[b]Many are uncomfortable with the idea, especially since with your bill, their child would ascend the throne. Pray tell, my dear Empress, what possessed Lorenzo to make that proposal? I understand that he wishes for you to secure your position, but to think of Rozarria having solely Empresses for years to come...[/b]"

"[b]It will not pass, of course.[/b]" She stated matter-of-factly. "[b]And my brother refuses the throne. He simply will not ascend. I do not understand him, but if that is his wish, I will honor it, just as I honored his wish to marry that woman.[/b]"

"[b]Indeed. I believe we are finished, if anything else arises I will send word. Enjoy your day, Your Grace.[/b]" Arcturus bowed, and was followed by his secretary as he exited the room.

Reia rubbed her temples and turned in her chair to look at her bookcase. Yes, it was somewhat absurd, but she was sure Lorenzo wanted his daughter to ascend before him. Still, with the timing, it made it look like Reia was the one pushing for it. She could really care less as once she had her own daughter, she would become her heir. She let out a small, irritated sigh, though sat up once the door opened. When she saw it was General Harris, however, she elected to relax a bit, and resumed rubbing her temples. "[b]If anything you are about to say has no good news, I wish not to hear it at this time.[/b]" She grumbled, very unladylike, but her words were like venom.

Harris bowed to her. "[b]Then you'll be pleased to know that we have found what you've been searching for.[/b]" He responded.

At this point, she jerked straight, her eyes wide with disbelief. "[b]Should this be a lie, I'll have your head.[/b]" She whispered.

"[b]Your Majesty will be pleased to know that I have a truth.[/b]" He responded, retrieving a letter. "[b]Believe it or not, you have Councilman Arcturus to thank. Had I not gone to see about that missing report from your brother, I would never have stumbled onto this information.[/b]"

She could've kissed him at that point, though she remained calm and beckoned him to come forward. He placed two parchments before her--one a list with many names on it, the other what looked to be a sketch of a person. For the moment she ignored the list and studied the picture before her. It was made some time ago, the edges already used and slightly torn, but she could see a young girl there. She was made to sit straight on a stool, legs crossed, hands neatly folded on her lap, a blank look on her face. She was an adorable young girl, the sketch detailing her brown locks. As she looked closer, she could have sworn she recognized her. Why did this little girl look so familiar?

Then it hit her.

A laugh. That was how she responded. A great, jovial laugh, and she actually stood up as she held up the picture to the light. "[b]The gods do smile upon us, Harris. Truly...it must be fate! This simply cannot be more then a mere coincidence.[/b]" She smiled, though her eyes flickered with a desperate wanting. "[b]Oh, this girl...do you know of her identity, Harris?[/b]"

Harris was a bit confused by his Empress' reaction, but remained steady. He then nodded, motioning towards the second parchment on her desk. "[b]A Huntress residing in Rabanastre fits the description, m'lady.[/b]"

Reia bit her lip, her brow furrowed. "[b]Dalmasca...with Archades at our doorstep, we cannot send any forces to get it without a revolt happening.[/b]" She cursed, running an impatient hand through her hair. There was always a goddamned catch.

But as Lady Luck would have it, today was Reia's day afterall. "[b]I have already dispatched a...way to obtain the girl, so to speak.[/b]" Harris coughed a bit. "[b]It would displease my lady to know so, but I have Vlyn and Aloa already--[/b]"

"[b]Say no more.[/b]" Reia waved her hand at him, taking her seat once more. "[b]So long as you have it taken care of, I could care less of how you do it.[/b]" She sighed happily, twilring a blonde lock between her fingers. "[b]Although, I will have you send a message to Vlyn and Aloa. Inform them that the girl has one particular trait that stands out. You see, the girl should be in her early twenties now, and while I highly doubt they will have changed, she has one thing that often draws attention. I remember it well.[/b]"

She rummaged through her desk and brought out a quill and an elaborate inkwell. She dipped the quill and encircled the sketch, and once she was done she set down her quill. She pushed it towards her general, motioning for him to look.

"[b]You see, Harris, this girl has the most lovely violet-hued eyes.[/b]"

[hr]

Dalmasca was well known for its deserts, and it was no exaggeration when someone described the dry heats of its deserts as anything less then scorching. Still, the Westersand connected the capital of Rabanastre to Nalbina Fortress, and it was a well known trade route. Any hindrances were usually swiftly taken care of by the soldiers, but every once in a while a beast would emerge that they couldn't defeat, and so desperate merchants in need of products would put up posts on the Hunting Board for Hunters to find.

Still, she never thought she'd be hunting what was essentially a giant tomato with legs.

In the Westersand, perched on top of a cliff, a young woman sat underneath the remains of a dried up tree. A blanket was laid out, so as not to get dirty, a bow resting against the trunk of a tree as its owner sharpened the end of her arrows. Despite just getting into the desert, she could feel the heat making her hair and clothes stick to her body, and was eager to get her Mark and be done with it. With a final strike, Emiri Iniko held up the arrow, inspecting it. It wasn't that she couldn't take on the Rogue Tomato, but she wasn't interested in getting all dirty and sweaty for something that could be taken care of in one fell swoop. Sweeping her hair from her face, she wiped her forehead and took her bow in hand, putting on her gloves to protect her hands. Laying on her stomach, she carefully peered over the cliff's edge. There it was, taking shelter in the shade, though it was alert--surely looking for merchants to terrorize.

Shaking her head, she grasped the bow firmly, pulling the arrow back quietly. The string was slightly looser then she would've liked; she made a mental note to tighten it once she got back to Rabanastre. She shifted her body slightly and aimed. Holding her breath, she made herself as steady as possible. Once the arrow was aligned with the monster, she released it. It sang through the air, and in a few seconds it pierced through the Rogue Tomato's head, instantly killing it. Emiri grinned, slightly proud, and began gathering her things. As she stuffed the blanket into her pack, she heard something digging into the sand. She looked over and saw a Cactuar burying itself, likely to rest. She chuckled, but her face fell once she saw the flower on its head. That flower could get her a pretty penny if she sold it to the right place. 

She finished packing up, this time drawing out her dagger. Walking very slowly, she approached the Cactuar. It noticed her, and looked at her curiously. So long as they weren't bothered, the creatures were relatively peaceful. She felt a pang of guilt, but the growl of her stomach outweighed it. The hunt would pay for a night at the inn, and this flower would buy her something to eat for the next few days. Emiri made sure she was swift, slicing the very tip of its head. To her surprise, she didn't harm the creature at all, though it did panic and fled. She felt bad bothering the poor thing, but was happy she did not harm it. She picked up the white and violet colored flower, tucking it behind her ear as she sheathed her dagger. She was looking forward to dinner today.

------

"[b]Now, now, we wouldn't be in your way if we didn't have a reason--especially since we have a common denominator, so to speak.[/b]" The male Viera spoke, one of his ears flickered as he remained rather cheerful. "[b]Be a dear, Aloa, show him. This man is a busy one and has no time to be interrupted.[/b]"

The female Viera, Aloa, shot a look at her companion. Still, she did as he said, and held out her hand. In the palm sat a tooth much larger then any they or Jaakuna could produce. Clearly it belonged to a Bangaa. "[b]We have cleared up your day. A favor from one person to another, as your kind usually does.[/b]" She spoke, showing him equal hostility, though she somehow managed to stay pleasant. "[b]As Vlyn says, we have one thing in common, Sky Pirate. You are a bounty hunter, and we wish for you to seek one that we ourselves could not catch.[/b]"

Vlyn shook his head at Aloa. "[b]Think of it as a favor for a favor. We caught your guy, now you can catch our guy, you understand?[/b]"

Aloa glared at him once more. "[b]No, you fool, it is not a favor at all.[/b]" She corrected him sternly, then turned to Jaakuna. "[b]It is not a favor. It is a hunt, and we wish for you to accept it. We will pay, of course..." At this point, she brought forth a bag of gil, placing it in Jaakuna's arms. It was quite heavy despite its size, bulging somewhat and the gil inside threatened to tear the bag apart. "That is not only the bounty we collected from the bangaa, but it is also a downpayment, so to speak, should you wish to take on this task."

"[b]We can give you ten times that. should you accept.[/b]" Vlyn winked, nudging him. "[b]What say you, Pirate?[/b]"