The sun was riding high as the high as the white marble walls of Kaosbund came rising out of the horizon. Ru could almost imagine the city in grander times, with those walls pristine and shining, guards patrolling the walls and travelers entering through the gaping maw of the gates. Now, however, the once-polished stone was dark with grime and creeping plants, only occasional hints of its former grandeur poking through. Trees encroached its boundaries, as if trying to hide the proud ruins from the rest of the world. It was somewhat disconcerting, entering the dead city. They passed places which had once been bustling, now home to stale corpses and old bones. [i]There was fighting here.[i] Ru thought, as they passed the remnants of an ancient battle. Further evidence could be seen in how some buildings were crumbled beyond what time and nature could do. Ru paused for a moment, to examine the armor the two sides were wearing. He couldn't recognize the insignia on the red troops, yet the others seemed reminiscent of the Luminious Knights that plagued the modern world. Perhaps they had been the downfall of this once proud place? 

Passing the bodies, they eventually found themselves in the city square, a statue of a regal looking woman standing over them. Despite the wear and damage it had suffered over the years - perhaps even centuries, it was still an imposing sight. [color=82ca9d][b]"Well, this statue sure makes me feel small and insignificant, that's for sure. Guess that was the entire point."[/b][/color] Eddy's comment seemed to make the statue stand a bit taller, as if to prove a point. Ru shook his head, clearing the idea from it. [color=0054a6][b]"Or to boost the ego of Empress Eternus here. I'm pretty sure the two go hand in hand."[/b][/color] Saying the name, it sounded oddly familiar. Ru was sure he'd never met anyone of that name, doubly so that he hadn't relieved any such person of their possessions. But he was certain that the name von Eternus existed outside of the long dead place. As the sun was getting near the tops of the cities walls, they looked for some place to rest, eventually finding what must have been an inn of some sort. The place was pristine, held together by enchantments that obviously didn't age as the rest of the world did. That they had found a resting place for the night, as well as plenty of food, was a welcome relief, yet the knowledge of these enchantments didn't sit well with Ru. If the enchantments had stayed intact on this inn, what else could be lying in wait in the city? Ru was a first hand witness that not all magic was benevolent, and he was worried that lingering elements of the battles that happened here before could end up latching onto them. After all, wasn't that what the scars were? And YME had mentioned traps. Suddenly, he wasn't sure how well he would be able to deal with them, if those traps contained enchantments. Certainly they would?

Fortunately, Ru's worried thoughts were interrupted as someone found the wine cellar. Soon, he was hardly capable of taking anything seriously, and thoroughly enjoying the respite. The food, drink, and company was marvelous, albeit somewhat strange on all counts, yet unfortunately it was not to last. Eddy, obviously a bit intoxicated, called Misala out, rather loudly, and rather bluntly. The rooms exuberance vanished, as all eyes turned to the woman. Her tirade, breakdown and abrupt exit into the night left the mood of the inn considerably sobered, and people slowly went off to claim a room. Eventually Ru joined them, being sure to stuff his bag with some of the better looking foods first. As he laid down in a bed softer than any he'd slept in since...probably ever, his thoughts turned to the mysterious assassin. Misala had been hard company while they'd been travelling. Although she wasn't completely averse to conversation, trying to read anything from her was like a blind man trying to read a book, and while that made a bit more sense after this window into her past opened up, it left even more questions. Some newfound purpose? What was that supposed to mean? She wasn't the most well liked among the group, and while her tirade might have won some sympathies had it ended earlier, the  mention of that new purpose of hers would only serve to make people more curious and distrusting. Why even mention it then? More frustrated thoughts went through Ru's head until he eventually drifted off to sleep.

Returning to consciousness was a slow process this morning. The surrounding comfort kept trying to lull Ru back into oblivion. Eventually, however, his stomach won the day, and after a wash, he headed down to see what food the inn decided to serve for breakfast.  Several were talking of Misala's breakdown, headless of her... well, apparently not headless of her presence, as Misala appeared to be absent from the table. Ru finished eating, pocketing a few colorful fruits which had been rather exquisite, before heading back to the rooms to see if he could find where Misala was. Everyone else seemed to be accounted for, in some manner or another, but Misala couldn't be found. This worried Ru somewhat. While he was worried she may have ran off, he doubted she would be in any danger. She was part of the group however, and while she hadn't been great for revealing conversation in their travels, she had certainly been competent and she knew a great deal about what they might be facing. Ru got the impression that travelling with her would greatly increase his chance of survival. 

Another thing worried Ru, and that was the chance that she hadn't just ran off in distress, but that it was calculated. The story seemed genuine, as did the distress, but that didn't mean she couldn't turn it to her advantage. Misala was working some odd angle, that much was obvious, and with her so obviously gone, a nagging voice in his head kept warning Ru that Misala would use this chance to work against them somehow. 

Changing into soft souled shoes to better mask his footsteps, and re-affirming all his armaments, Ru headed down to the main room of the inn. He'd checked the bedrooms, and was certain Misala wasn't inside the building, and he'd decided it would be best to try and recover her. Besides, it would be interesting to explore a new city for once, even if it was a rather dead one. Still, he'd rather not head out alone. [color=0054a6][b]"It seems as though one of our members has gone missing."[/b][/color] Ru announced. [color=0054a6][b]"I'd like to try and find Misala, and would welcome any company to help me do so."[/b][/color] 

[b]"Good ridance if she's gone. Brought nothing but trouble on us, with those monsters and secret plots."[/b] Jerem weighed in with his opinion. A rather stout mage who had been badly harmed in the chimera attack, he seemed to blame Misala for all misfortunes that had befallen them since they set out. The man was a perfect example that magecraft provided no immunity to ignorance.

[color=0054a6][b]"She is a member of this party, and I'd rather not lose any more than we have. Besides, think of the bonus if she makes it back alive."[/b][/color] The comment about the gold gave Jerem some thought. He was a man very easily swayed by gold. [color=0054a6][b]"I'll ask again, does anyone wish to join me? We can get a good look at this city while we're at it."[/b][/color]