Nyrette gripped Quin's hand as the guards approached with halberds in hand. Cynthia stepped forward calmly, showing no fear or aggression, with her hands clasped. "Good morning, sirs." She said. "Is there a problem?"

"What in god's name is that?!" He pointed at Iisska. He looked behind him, seeing nothing, and went a slight shade of red. The guards looked scared of the unknown creature in front of them.

"Do not worry, sirs. He is an outlander and he means no harm. The group with me are all outlanders and, again, they mean no harm." She said, smiling. The guards seemed to calm slightly, but then they focused on her.

"And you, where is your mask Haemonculi?!" They said accusingly.

"I am Cynthia and, until one week ago, I was the Haemonculi servant of Alchemist Master Delebor. Unfortunately, sir, Delebor has passed away from disease. His last command was that I be passed onto these outlanders and have my mask removed." The two guards reeled a bit when she mentioned Delebor's death. He was well respected in the community apparently. 

"I have my doubts about the two humans and Scytheran you have with you, but I have no reason to not believe Delebor's Haemonculi. My humblest apologies, ma'am." He said, bowing. "How did he go, if I may ask?"

Though she maintained her neutral and calm composure, Cynthia was overcome with grief and anger at the question, but she answered it dutifully. "F-from a rat infestation. He was infected with the plague and we could not find a cure." She said, though the guards continued.

"Why could you not find a cure?! Wasn't that the reason you were created? To help Delebor make cures for the land? Why weren't you able to clear the infestation of rats before he was hurt! Isn't that your job!?" He started to yell and Cynthia started to shake a little.

A heavy hand dropped down on Cynthia's shoulder and she was pushed behind Iisska's back as he stepped around her and went toe-to-toe with the guard.

"Because shit happens!" he yelled in the man's face, "She did what she could and you yelling at her isn't gonna change a damn thing! People die. Get over it. Now are you gonna let us pass or what?"

The guard stared the Togruta down, his fellows behind him readied their halberds. Cheshik stepped forward now and towered over the guard. "Is there problem?" Cynthia was frozen.

Iisska snorted and folded his arms, leaning back away from the guard.

"Hey. Don't start none," he glared at the guard, "wont be none. We just want to go in. Trade. Spend money. This guy's got all bunched up over nothing."

"Indeed," Quin stepped forward, "No good can come of this. Put your weapons down and we will not cause trouble."

The guard stared down the group for several moments more before finally putting his hand up, making the others lower their weapons. "Get your business concluded then leave. Cause any trouble and I'll make sure you spend the rest of your days in a jail cell." He threatened. Him and his cohorts left the group alone then to recover and make their way towards the markets. They noticed one of the guards diligently heading off to either warn the townsfolk or alert them that nothing was wrong.

Cynthia kept her eyes down as they moved towards the market, feeling a heavy guilt weigh down her shoulders. "Thank you...." She said, giving Iisska a peck on the side of the head for stepping forward in her defense. "I...had seen Pike and Nyrette do that in thanks for actions too. Thank you for defending me. I...still grieve for my master's passing." She bowed slightly and went to the front of the group, steeling her face again, though everybody knew that underneath her neutral features was a torrent of feelings smashing against one another.

"Oh! Uh. Well, see, thats..." Iisska trailed off as she walked away. "You're welcome," he mumbled under his breath.

"Stop staring at backside." Cheshik whispered into his ear and patted his back as the group made their way towards the town market stalls.

___

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv-Of_jr_Wo]On this clear blue day[/url], their visit to the market stalls could not be more timely. The sun reflected brilliantly off of the ancient sky scrapers of a civilization long since passed. Vegetation had reclaimed the stone that had once held families, businesses, shops, and other curios of the ancient past. Exotic flowers bloomed along the ground, walls, and wherever they could manage to not get trampled by the townsfolk of what the group would find out would be Airedale. Many of the buildings had been reinforced with steel and wooden beams so that the citizens could reclaim them and use them for their own families. To Nyrette, whom was walking the main thoroughfare and exploring, this was a brilliant yet foolhardy choice but she was not one to object to these people's traditions. The town was bustling today as, according to those that she had asked, today was "Trading day" for the merchants and many in the region gathered here once a month to trade their goods back and forth. Huge pack animals moved around one another, following their masters. Nyrette had no trouble moving through the crowds due to her rather thin figure.

She held a few trinkets from the mansion in a sack on her back. A vase or two, a small painting, a few daggers and a crossbow. She took a sharp turn and stepped through the grass to a large stall. There was a sign on the front that said "antiques". She figured that she would be able to get rid of the vases and the painting here.

Stepping inside, her nose was assaulted by the musty vellichor of the antique shop. The owner had obviously been here a good while as the tent had wooden floors and beams to hold up the top as well as bookshelves and displays. Nyrette made her way inside and started to poke around a bit, using her free hand to grasp onto the dusty antiques and look them over. Some were very very old, others seemed like they were made less than a week ago. "Looking for something, dearie?" an old, shambly woman's voice called out from the middle of the tent. There was a hunched over woman with bony, sagging, features in front of a circular arrangement of bookcases around the main support pillar. She waved Nyrette over and she complied, strolling over while still gawking.

"My, aren't you a pretty little thing? Not from around here, are you?" She said smiling a bit before pulling a washrag from underneath the counter and shining the top.

"I'm not, no. I'm...ah, what did she call us...an outlander." Nyrette replied.

"Yes, yes, I know you are an outlander. The town watch made sure the entire city knew. Hah hah!" She laughed. "I am guessing that your husband gave you that fine rapier there?" She noticed Nyrette's sword. "Why would he do that, I wonder?"

Nyrette was slightly insulted by the woman assuming that she was given the sword by a husband. "No, I found the sword myself...and I have no husband."

"The same place you found that vase I hope." She winked, noticing the shape of the vase in the bag. Nyrette remembered why she was here and lowered the bag gently onto the counter, removing the two vases and the painting.

"Are you able to give me anything for these?" She asked.

"Well, dearie. I can give you plenty of things." She cackled. "Food, shelter, an ear or two, maybe some hair or a kiss on the cheek." She laughed as Nyrette blushed a little. "I suppose you would be wanting gold for it though, right?" She said, pulling out a sack of at least a hundred fifty gold pieces. "Your vases are very nice, pristine, and the painting is an original. Two more bags after this for six hundred pieces." She smiled.

"You can tell just by looking?" Nyrette was taken aback.

"Yes, dearie. I have been in this game for forty years. I know a good antique when I see one. " She answered.

"Well...tell you what. I'll take four hundred and you give me that kiss on the cheek." Nyrette flirted a bit, harmlessly of course. The woman's eyes opened wide and she laughed hard, coughing a bit in the middle.

"Kids these days still surprise me. Here." She walked away for a moment and returned with but a single small bag. "Ten platinum, a thousand gold to you outlanders. I love when customers make me laugh." She tossed Nyrette the bag with a smile and reached forward after Nyrette caught it. She pulled on Nyrette's shirt and gave her that peck on the cheek. "Now get out of here before I lose a lung." She said, shaking her head. Nyrette chuckled and walked out of the tent with the remainder of her supplies, which was the daggers and crossbow. Now all she had to do was find a blacksmith of some sort and see if she could get a nice sword for Quin to practice with when they returned to the Harpoon.