[center][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjE0Mi4zOGEwMTEuUTNKbGMzUnZiZywsLjQ,/extraornamentalno2.regular.webp[/img][/center]




It was hard for Autumn to tell the time from the small underground room, but the sound of small feet and giggling of small children running down the halls was a telltale sign of morning. The room was small and narrow, but comfortable enough for one person. There was a bed with a trunk at the foot, a bedside table with a lamp, a dresser with mirror, a heater, and a small table with two wooden folding chairs. It was cozy, and much safer than the swamps and forests to the southeast. The faint smell of breakfast would waft into the room. Smelled to be the basics, with the unmistakable scent of eggs, bacon and sausage being cooked.

As the hideout started to stir, there was word that Khatia was soon to arrive, and Linoa was hard at work making sure everything was in tip top shape to welcome her. Knowing Khatia, she was most likely coming down to relay a mission, along with her usual staffing, so there would be at least four to five guests on the way. Outside of the room would be a hallway with the other barracks, and at the end of the hall was the commons area, where the hidden entrance would be. Passing that, there would be another corridor that would lead to the mess hall, training areas, and meeting room, and a few cells. There were only a handful of people here. Including Linoa and autumn, there are Yiris and Maple here, along with a few other volunteers that show up when they can. 

“Yiris? Yiris, where are you?” Linoa called out in the commons. Just then a young looking half cat beastman rose out from under a bunch of miscellaneous tools and boxes.

With a yawn and a stretch Yiris looked around the room as if taking in her surroundings. “I’m here… apparently. Funny, I don’t remember dozing off here,” She looked around dreamily until her eyes settled on a strange ticking device in her hands. “YIKES!” she yelled out and quickly cut a wire in it. [i]”phew,[/i] close one,” she remarked.

“What was... No, you know what, I don’t even want to know. Anyway, Yiris, have you made the arrangements for Khatia’s order for the mission that she requested?” Linoa asked.

“Oh, that stuff? Well, yeah. Got that done last night… I think.”

“You think?”

“I… well, I should probably go check on that.”

“Please do,” Linoa finished, brushing some hair behind her ear with a sigh. She looked down at a clipboard with a to do list on it. Other than Yiris, all seemed about in order. “I swear, it’s the formal work like this I just can’t stand,” she said, tossing the clipboard on a nearby crate. She looked down the hall to the barracks, noticing she hasn’t seen Autumn up yet. Walking on over, she decided to give the door a gentle knock. “Autumn, are you still sleeping in there? Won’t have much time till Khatia gets here ya’ know.”


[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/534494818479374336/565383605984034819/royal-initialen.regular.png[/img][/center]



“Alright kiddo, I can let ya take this quest, but just be careful. I hear those bandits are nothing but trouble, have a few tough ones in their ranks too,” the older bartender told Ren as he unpinned the bounty from a corkboard behind him. “Use this as your proof of acceptance with the caravan, they should be leaving in a few hours from that location,” he continued, handing her the flyer. “Anything else I can get for ya?” The bar Ren was in was about on the southwest side, on a border between the Lonnette district and Calibris. The bar was fairly close to the southern gate, and acted as an inn on the upper floors.

Oddly enough, Sahale had gone silent since Ren last saw him in Kalla. Having left before anything happened, she may have still been unaware of what transpired just yet. Thus, her main source of bounties was halted and she had to rely on local bounties to get some money in her pocket. The mission seemed simple enough. It was caravan guard duty for a route from Portea, to Creston, and then to Midrill and back. It was a common trade route, and the merchants seemed to be low to mid tier as the payments weren't especially high, but it seemed to be the best one available at the moment. 


---


	“Yo, Copy, come check this out,” Zeph called to Zephel. He was standing at his desk slapping his hand on a large binder. The hangar office was cluttered with parts, notes, random scribblings, some adult [i]reading[/i] material, and food wrappers. It was obvious that Zeph had another binge session of drafting from the bags under his eyes and stupid grin. “I think we’ve about got it. In this binder right here is all the blueprint material for the [i]Grande Dame[/i]. If we are lucky, we can have an airship by the end of the year now! It’s just… well… we lack materials, and the budget is nearly all burnt up.” 

He turned around and looked at other blueprint books. “I mean, we can try to build smaller personal craft to start, but I want to build the [i]Grande Dame[/i] as my flagship. Uhg, Yiris always knew how to get some cash, but since she’s left, I’ve come to find out I’m not so frugal. If you can, could you find a few bounties to knock out? You are used to doing all that adventuring stuff, I can get us a head start while you are out.”


[center][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjE3OC5kNmQwZDAuVkdobElGTmpZWEksLjA,/gunji.regular.webp[/img][/center]

	“Eight dead, twelve injured, damage to one of the rice fields. Culprits have retreated into the caverns even farther beneath the forest,” a man’s voice reported. The only thing visible of the man was the black cloak he wore, drooping hood hiding even most of his face. Sitting across from him in the meeting chamber was Seiryu, leader of the reapers sworn to serve the Scar. He sat on a lone cushion, the only furnishing in the room, with his blade beside him and the insignia of the reapers on a tapestry behind him, a black cloth with white ink painted on it in the form of crossed sickles with sylph in the middle, arms crossed in an ‘X’ and wings outstretched to the sides.

	Seiryu sighed, shaking his head. “I imagine that they live in those caverns, but trying to get down in there would be near suicide, even for us. They know the tunnels and have probably made every trap imaginable in there. I’ll think of a way to flush them out, but to cover the whole of the caverns at once would be near impossible.” Seiryu rubbed his chi in thought, looking down at his blade. Maybe he will have to personally get involved.

The reaper bowed, though he had more to say. “Sir, there is one more piece of news that we have acquired, before my report is finished.” When Seiryu nodded for him to continue, the man took a deep breath. “Renestrae Vesperr, sir. She’s been spotted in Portea. Should action be taken?”

	Seiryu’s eyes widened at the mention of the name. “So… She’s slipped up and got herself noticed. I half expected Sahale to have whisked her away by now. We need to capitalize on this before she slips away again.” Seiryu stood up  and paced the room trying to think of what to do. He then sharply turned to his informant, “Summon Akarui and Tsukihana. If anyone can track her down, It’s those two. I must prepare a mission briefing, so go ahead and bring them to me,” he finished, waving the man off who simply bowed and soundlessly left the room. “I’m going to put an end to this… all of this…” 

He looked over to the rock garden just outside. There was a large red gate that led to a graveyard, and while there seemed to be nothing wrong with it, Seiryu knew better. Two guards stood at either side of the gate, making sure nothing unauthorized made its way through. “Sometimes I wonder… If those graves were your punishment, what should this traitor’s be?”



It was about Mid-day when Akarui would hear a knocking at his door. All reapers were required to stay in the reaper’s fortress dorms unless tending to a family. Depending on your rank, your room would be better or worse. Akarui, much like his brother, nearly had his own studio apartment. Tsukihana’s room, however, was a decent sized room that held all her essentials. It was far from cramped, but it was still quite basic and shared a bathhouse which was separated for men and women, a kitchen, and a common area with the rest of the reapers in that formed floor. The dorm buildings themselves were in the classic Sylve style, using wood and tatami floors, wood framing with rice paper walls and dividers, and sliding doors.

There was a faint knocking on Akarui’s door frame. Tsukihana then took a step back, casually crossing her arms and standing outside waiting. Being on a lower floor, she got the message first and told the messenger that she would let Akarui know for them.