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[center][h3]Starting location, Priestella [/h3][/center]

        The giant wolf immediately took notice of flame and was prepared to pounce on him. The creature's height and long legs made it very quick, and Flame would not have normally been able to get out of the way. However...

	It proved to be a great distraction for Mirt, who was able to jump onto the creature as it ran by the window. The wolf's attention shifted to its newest passenger. It thrashed about, stomping all over the table as it attempted to buck Mirt off of it's back. But it was no use, and the monk's fingers went straight into the beast's eye unimpeded. But it didn't wimpier. The wolf only growled in response.

	It seemed like all Mirt did was anger it further.

	At this point, the wolf was threatening to trample the two knights and the girl traveling with them. Not that any of them were on the wolf's mind at the moment. It was just building up speed before leaning against the brick walls. If Mirt continued to hold on, he would surely be ground to bits between the wolf and the fortified wall. But falling under the wolf's back paws presented it's own challenges...

	For the non-natives, it seemed like the path to the kitchen was clear. And with the knights showing up, this couldn't have happened a moment too soon.

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[center][h3]Center road, The Golden Quarter, Priestella[/h3][/center]

        Vasilis grinned as he watched the “foreigners” inspect their surroundings. [color=gold]”It's like this is all new to them or something. They must be from really far away.”[/color] He thought out loud. The knight turned to look at Irene. [color=gold]”Ready to head back?”[/color]

        It did not take long for everyone to get to the Golden Quarter. Vasilis stepped out of the cab first, and helped Irene, Chieko, Aerith, and Hiro down in that order.

	Fritzi nodded along to Hiro's questions. [color=peachpuff]”Well, if you want to blend in, it's more than just a question of what to wear.”[/color] She raised her finger in front of Hiro's nose. [color=peachpuff]”It's wear you want to wear it!”[/color] She cast her hands of to the side, presenting some fine tunics, each dyed a dark shade of red, blue, or green. [color=peachpuff]”If you plan on venturing into the noble district, clothes like these would make you blend right in! They're just the right blend of casual and majesty. Fine enough for a noble, while modest enough to wear anywhere in the city. Classy yet practical! But they aren't strictly a mark of the social elite, merchants and some commoners wear them.”[/color] Her hand moved to a row further back, which featured similar outfits. Though even at a glance, it was easy to see they weren't as fine. The stitching was much simpler, and the colors were brighter, but looked washed out and flat. [color=peachpuff]”These are a bit more comfortable, but are less likely to impress a noble. But these are my fastest sellers. The quality is decent enough for most commoners, and everyone loves the price! Just stay out of the noble district.”[/color] She slammed her hands against the counter top. [color=peachpuff]”But if you really want to blend in, you've gotta accessorize!”[/color]  Fritzi stopped speaking the moment Hiro's hands dove into his pockets and pulled up nothing. She stared at him, mouth hanging agape. There was a twinkle in her eyes, like any second the flood gates would open. [color=peachpuff]”...Whaaaaaaat?”[/color] But then Irene passed a bag of coins to Chieko, and she sighed. [color=peachpuff]”Um, yea, I'm sure you could trade with someone around here, but YAY! You have money now!”[/color] She winked at Hiro before planting her hands on her hips. [color=peachpuff]”Trading away your belongings for some quick cash is a slippery slope, and I wouldn't advise doing it.”[/color] She folded her arms. [color=peachpuff]”So, what's everyone buying? And do you have names? I'd like to make you guys repeat customers. I feel like there's a lot I could offer you guys!”[/color] 

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[center][h3]”Near the docks”, Cham, Priestella[/h3][/center]

        The situation thoroughly confounded Aer. There was little to no chance of these people being forieners if they didn't have the paperwork. No one was allowed inside the city without some documentation. It wasn't a sure thing, but it was highly unlikely.

	They couldn't have been bandits. Firstly, the outfits really drew too much attention. That wasn't something a bandit would wear. Even if they did, there was no reason to come prepared with such a lame story. It was also extremely risky to present a magical device that they had stolen from one of the locals. They also outnumbered her, and had plenty of opportunities to go for their weapons.

	They might have been cultists. This was a theory that was showing a lot more promise But she had heard that they were fear mongers who often wielded powerful magic. At least when travailing in a group, it made sense that one of them would be strong enough to protect the others. The only thing that might have made sense was for this demihuman to secretly be a cultist in disguise. But there was no reason to leave his side and surrender to Aer. Even if this was all just a ruse to get Aer surrounded, there were plenty of hostages around. If they were willing to take advantage of the situation, there were plenty of avenues of escape. But they had intentionally separated themselves from their savior to surrender to Aer. That didn't make sense to her. The only way it made sense was if they were more scared of this demihuman than they were of the authorities. And they seemed plenty scared of the authorities. However unlikely, they must have been telling the truth.

	[color=FFDEAD]"Just... Stand off to the side for a moment."[/color] Aer walked past the boys and pointed her weapon at Wisp. It was still wrapped up in cloth. [color=FFDEAD]"I see you don't have a problem disturbing the peace."[/color] She slid her feet apart and landed in a stance, with the shaft of the object resting in both hands. By this point all the bystanders was giving her [i]plenty[/i] of space. [color=FFDEAD]"I thought your name sounded familiar, but there's no way you're part of the Compass."[/color] She fret her brow. [color=FFDEAD]"Put out that fire before I do it [i]for[/i] you."[/color]