[h1][center]The Following Day[/center][/h1]

Only so much progress could be made in a single day's time. For his own part Ethan was making the same mistakes as before, using the wind more like a blunt force than a cutting one as Kensen suggested. Nymira still couldn't super-heat her blades without melting them, a fault she placed more on her materials than her ability. Amuné had yet to report to Gage since the previous day's scene - Gage was predisposed with work anyways, giving the girl the day off. Adrianna and Cecil were perhaps the only two who had any modicum of success over the last day: the former because she simply wasn't training, the latter having succeeded in testing his shield. 

Despite having made no real discernible progress for most of the group Taliya had called off their lessons for the day. Ethan assumed they were to be given another task from the woman, Nymira guessed there were more beasts she wished for them to exterminate. It was an abrupt end to an even more sudden regiment forced upon them and no one could guess for what reason they were being brought in today. Being fetched from their quarters and dragged down to the office they had to wait a short time as others were in and out of Taliya's room frequently; papers were being brought and taken out, people were meeting with the leader, it seemed like a frenetic morning. They were finally allowed inside after Taliya could be heard shouting a string of insults at someone, a man fleeing from the room as a book was hurled after him, narrowly missing his head. Not exactly a good precedent for their own meeting.

"They're here ma'am," their guide called in, holding the door for everyone to get inside. As if he was going to join them with Taliya in a mood.

Groaning in frustration the woman behind the desk glanced up briefly, waving everyone inside as she returned her focus to the papers before her. The paperwork for the people Lionel and Adrianna had brought in were on the top, and easily two of them had falsified their documents. That didn't so much matter since plenty of people did, but a tiny inconvenience was a huge headache on a day like today. There were forms from the mayor about their funding, bills from the smithy for all their work, not to mention bills for expenses she didn't even know they'd had! She'd have to wait on all of this exciting work now that the runts had arrived, she'd another job to dole out.

"You kids are doing a favor for me today, consider it your training for the afternoon. I'm sending all of you outside of Mutebo," Taliya began, glancing at Adrianna to make it clear she was included, "And you're going to go looking for two people. First there's a pair of merchants that we sent out yesterday, they should have been back by now but no one's seen them. They've got some shit we need and we can't afford to have them end up as lunch for some animals, so go out and get them. Or their stuff, honestly I don't give a fuck which it is at this point." Not true, she didn't want those people dead persay, but if they'd gotten themselves eaten then there wasn't much they could do at this point. It'd be their own fault for not taking the more traveled, better protected roads. No use in crying for the dead as they say... Or you'd be crying all day.

"You're also going to look for Gage, figure out where he's gone and tell him to get his ass back here. I sent him out early this morning to meet them and haven't seen him since, and it's not like him to be late. I'd send just one of you but you're still shit at combat, so I'm sending the whole group of you. Find the traders and find Gage, get them back here before I lose what little fucking sanity I've got left today. Any questions?" 

"Uh... Why send us? Why not send Kensen?" Ethan didn't quite understand, wouldn't it make more sense to send someone more capable? And one person could move a lot faster than a whole group - especially considering Amuné had been brought along.

"Because [i]he[/i] is out too, and I'm not calling his scaly hide back here to do this. You brats still owe us and you're not doing anything, that's why. Between the five of you I imagine you'll be able to handle whatever the hell it is that's got that old bastard stuck. Deal with whatever is holding them up and get everyone home, nice and simple." 

"Why include Amuné? She's not a warrior." It was Nymira's turn to press Taliya and she looked at the aforementioned Ydran curiously. Every time they'd been in combat the girl had been, frankly speaking, more of a risk than a help. If this was some sort of rescue operation then why send along someone like that?

"If I didn't send her then she'd get the bright idea to chase after you anyways. Then we'd be looking for her too, and I don't feel like mounting 3 fucking search and rescue jobs today. So she's going with you, she can just... Sit back and watch, I don't know. You figure it out." Brushing aside a stack of papers she grabbed her flask and took a drink only to find it bone dry. Shaking it she huffed and shouted for the man outside to come in, tossing it to him with the instructions to get it filled. "If you kids have no other questions then get going! We've both got shit to do and none of it's going to get done standing around with our thumbs up our asses. Go find those idiots and bring them back." 

No one wanted to stay here any longer, not with the mood Taliya was in. Filing out of her room they stood just in the hall, not wholly certain of where to go from here. She hadn't given them directions nor an idea of where to look, only to go find them. Far as Ethan could recall there was a single main road leaving Mutebo and it didn't branch off for some ways, which at least narrowed down their search a little. But with how big the area was - not to mention how unfamiliar with it they all were - it could take the better part of the entire day to find even a trace of Gage or the traders. With an exasperated smile Ethan sighed, scratching at his head as he looked between the group for some semblance of an idea.

"So... Where do we start? Adrian, you've been here for a while right. Any ideas?"

"We could try asking, it's not as if no one saw Gage or the traders," Nymira posited, folding her arms as she glanced back at the shut door, "One of the guards perhaps can point us in the right direction. Or if Adrian has some idea..." She didn't care really, whatever was needed to get this job of theirs over with quickly. Ironic though that they were being sent out to save one of the men supposedly training them. If that was her she'd be terribly ashamed of herself, probably going so far as to step down from her job as a mentor. Somehow she didn't see Gage having a problem with it though. "This is all assuming they're even still alive too. He's not a Magi if I remember right, so if he was attacked by a pack of beasts..."

"He'll be alive, that guy seems way too tough to go down to some animals," Ethan interjected, though a nervous smile pulled at his lips. There were things other than simple animals out there though.