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[b]Level:[/b] 3 [i](6/30)[/i]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1,179
[b]Location:[/b] Western Coast - La Noscea
[b]EXP:[/b] +2
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Sephiroth let out an annoyed grunt as she trudged through the surrounding muck, as the deeper she went the more mosquitoes emerged. Smaller ones, thankfully, but still very bothersome nonetheless. While she could reasonably ignore their bites for the first few minutes of her trek, around the halfway point what exposed flesh there was had become progressively more inflamed, its surface pocked by bump after irritated bump. And as if that weren't already bad enough, her hair had become soggy and damp, the clumped ends trailing out behind her even as they stuck to the side of her boots. All in all she was a mess, and probably would have walked right on out of this mire were it not for the influences of both Cia and Scharnhorst bouncing around in her head, pushing her onwards in the name of power, aggression, and revenge.

A little while later, and Sephiroth found herself met with a sight that gave her momentary pause. It was a small, ramshackle hut sitting in the center of a small patch of muddy ground, one that was smack dab in the middle of her path. Curious, itchy, and for begrudgingly accepting her need for a brief rest, the former SOLDIER approached. Laying a hand against the waterlogged door, she carefully pushed it open and stepped inside. The interior was cluttered and damp, and the air carried a musty scent. From the ceiling their hung various hides and what Sephiroth could only assume to be charms fashioned from the bones of local wildlife, which she took great pains to avoid, though some still got caught up in her hair as she went. It was while she was busy attempting to disentangle one of these bone charms that Sephiroth finally realized she wasn't alone. No more than three feet to her left stood a figure much taller than her, and cloaked in shadows to boot, who pressed the thin yet sharp point of a blade against the side of her neck.

[color=#7A7A7A][i]'How the hell did they-'[/i][/color]

But her thought was cut short as the figure, a man judging from the tone, began to speak.

"I didn't think anyone would find me out here. Guess I was wrong."

There was a pause.

"Who are you, and why are you here?"

Sephiroth quickly weighed the benefits of leaping away from the man's blade so that she could spin around and draw her sword for an attack, her muscles tensing somewhat in the process, but the slightest increase of pressure on her captors part made her reconsider that idea.

"I wouldn't try it kid. Floor's bad enough as it is, and the last thing I need is another mess to clean. Now, you going to stand there all night or..."

[color=#7A7A7A]"Sephiroth,"[/color] she answered bluntly. [color=#7A7A7A]"And I could ask you the same. Why's a man as observant as you living in the middle of a swamp?"[/color]

The man let out a low chuckle.

"Let's just say that the powers that be don't look too kindly on my chosen profession," he said, the pressure with which he pressed the blade against her throat lessening slightly. "Things end up getting... [i]misplaced[/i] when I'm around."

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed.

[color=#7A7A7A]"So you're a thief."[/color]

"I prefer the term 'keeper,' but yes, more or less."

The man seemed to move, though Sephiroth couldn't quite tell due to the severe lack of light and her own poor vision. At any rate, the blade was no longer being pressed against her neck, so she finished untangling the bone charm from her hair as a light sparked to life from across the room, its source a caged lantern resting atop a dingy wooden table that had looked as though it'd seen more than its fair share of rot. Next to it sat a chair, and sitting in the chair there was a man covered from head-to-toe in black, his face partially obscured by a deep hood. What she could see however, looked worn and tired, as though its owner had seen many sleepless nights over the course of his life, and would undoubtedly see many more. What interested her the most though was his eye and the scar that ran across it, as the man's right pupil emitted a faint amber glow, one that she could see even while standing on the opposite side of the cramped room. Both of these told her that it was, in all likelihood, not his real eye but some manner of artificial replacement. What events must have unfolded for such a thing to come to pass, however, she didn't want to waste time even trying to guess, as the most likely answer was that he lost the original in some accident, fight, or other equally violent occurrence.

"Well, I've told you my secret," the man said, his gaze locking with hers. "Now it's your turn. What's are you doing out here?"

[color=#7A7A7A]"Drifting."[/color]

"So far from home? I don't usually see members of the navy this far inland."

A low growl rose within Sephiroth's throat, while her hand began to inch its way to the hilt of her sword.

"But that's none of my business I suppose."

Though he fell silent, the slightest hint of a smirk that emerged soon after let Sephiroth know the man was fully aware of her bullshit. But if he wasn't going to press the matter further, then neither would she.

[color=#7A7A7A]"I just need a place to rest and then I'll be on my way."[/color]

The man shrugged.

"Floor's free."
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To call the current mood tense would be an understatement. While she had managed to get some rest over the short period of time she'd been here, Sephiroth had spent practically all of it staring at the hooded man sitting across from her, neither one apparently trusting the other enough to fully avert their gazes. Thus had the last few minutes been spent in awkward silence, albeit one that was swiftly broken by the rustling of fabric and clanging of rigging as Sephiroth finally got to her feet.

"Leaving so soon?"

Sephiroth paused to look back at him as she laid her hand against the door.

[color=#7A7A7A]"I have places to be."[/color]

He nodded slowly before fishing around in the folds of his cloak. Pulling his hand free, he tossed her what seemed to be a vial of salve or ointment.

"The bugs are hell around here."

Examining it briefly, Sephiroth tucked it away in one of her pockets and left. Though as she traipsed back into the swamp, she couldn't help but recall the key-shaped mark that had graced the back of the man's left hand. That aside, Sephiroth had made good deal of progress after resuming her journey to the north, eventually coming face-to-face with a large stone wall and an iron-wrought gate, on the other side of which lay a rather lavish looking estate. Something she certainly didn't expect to see in the middle of a swamp, especially given the nature of the invitation that had brought her here, yet here she was.

Eager for vengeance and blood.

[quote][@Lugubrious][/quote]