[i]Two days later...[/i]

Wissenland was a province filled with ruins. Ghosts lurked in the woodlands and forest paths, still haunted by the great invasion of Gorbad Ironclaw over a century ago. The folk that tilled the land amongst this land were equally grim; hard working and dour enough to make Dwarfs notice their grumbling. Nuln was the exception. A vast metropolitan city that could potentially become its own independent city state. Rumor had it the Countess wished for that 

The Emmanuelleplatz was a wide, stone carved road that inclines the steep hill leading to the palace, offering a beautiful view of Nuln’s architecture. On either side of the road stand the townhouses of the nobility, and each tier offers a better view of the temple spires, the great buildings of the Imperial Gunnery School, the University of Nuln, and the immaculate College of Engineering. The palace itself is incredibly large, with tall walls, turrets, and crenulated balconies. It was a veritable fortress, the only entrance to it through the gateway, which was a great arch fitted with heavy oaken doors reinforced with bronze. The wood itself was laminated. Neil had studied the entirety of the palace's schematics himself for a project once. You would have to place three great cannons within fifty meters of the gate to knock the thing down cleanly, otherwise it would be a shitshow to break in. And that's considering an invading army already pierced the city and pacified the rest of Nuln.

Neil stared at those gates now, leaning on an alleyway wall and waiting for the right time to move The day had been overcast, but now the skies were clearing up and he could see the sun directly. Any minute, Imperial Gunnery Academy Dean Lebowitz Von Wickenbach, accompanied by various guards and staff, would walk up the Emmanuelleplatz to give his weekly report to Vicount Valstadt, the delectable Countess's cousin and overseer of the southern half of Nuln, across the riek. A common enough meeting; Neil hadn't had to dig for very long. He had known about it before he was presumed dead. He'd just had to go and make sure they were still continuing, the two conducting field reports on the Veranda of the Vicount's townhouse. It gave an even lovelier view of the city than the one at the palace gates, which meant it brought an equally auspicious view of the street below, where Neil Edwards would meet with the justicar to discuss legal recompense for being knowingly put in danger and left for dead. 

He cradled the piece of glass he had in his left hand just under his jacket, glancing down the street to see if he caught sight of Emmaline. In his right, he lifted an apple to his mouth to bite into. He hadn't seen her all morning, nor had he caught a glimpse of her in the suit she had acquired. He didn't doubt she waited at the appointed spot, but it was still a bit nerve wracking as the minutes slipped by, until on cue, he spied the good Dean's coach, flanked by mounted pistoliers as they cantered up the street toward the townhouse. He waited until he finished the apple, tossing the core into the trash laden alley and sliding his piece of glass out, angling it perpendicular to the sun and letting its glare flash across the way for just a moment. He waited...and did it again. 

When he got another flash back, he dropped the glass by the apple and stepped out into the street, walking across a very upper class market and finely dressed people to 'meet' for the first time, the Lady Justicar.