[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Bgda8Nd.png[/img]

[img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjYwLjllMDAzOS5RV0prWld3Z1ZtRnlaMkUuMA/italianno.regular.webp[/img][/center]
[hr][hr]
[color=9B9F94][h3][b]Assani 16th[/b][/h3]
[sup][b]Location:[/b] Wánggǎng, ReTan
[b]Day of the week:[/b] Taldes
[b]Time:[/b] All Day
[b]Characters:[/b] Abdel, Maura [@Ti], Ingrid [@dragonpiece], Niallus [@McKennaJ71],
Yalen [@Pantothenic], Trypano [@A Lowly Wretch], Reekar [@Force and Fury], 
Kaureerah, Xiulan, Wu Long, Captain Zhu, townsfolk, Dayanara, Qadira, Zorayas[/sup]

[hr]

[color=9e0039]“Bu! Bu …”[/color]

Abdel waved his arm in dismissal, his coordination clearly diminished and his voice higher pitched than usual. He was at his fourth glass of local Baiju with no notion of temperance ever crossing his mind. [color=9e0039]“I’m a uh-”[/color] he snapped his fingers, although his movements were impaired enough that no sound came from it, [color=9e0039]“Dragon friend!”[/color] he blurted out just as Zorayas, the infant Trickster Wyrm that wrapped around his body, emerged from his shirt collar to say hi to the group. Yin clapped in amusement as the critter wiggled its little body to the rhythm of laughter and clapping. He was having a good time and did not once deny Maura the chance to have him eat some dumplings.

Then came the late hours, and the team’s lightweight could barely walk, let alone remember where his room was! Thankfully, Maura was here to the rescue. [color=9e0039]“Yer a guud person Mohra …”[/color] he mumbled, cheek on his pillow and drool leaking already, [color=9e0039]“Wuv yewwww!”[/color] his eyes stayed closed, and soon he was already asleep.

A disturbance woke Abdel up in the middle of the night. Was it a scream? Furniture moved? He couldn’t tell with his head still light. His eyes were resisting any attempt to awaken, but he could at least reach out with the gift. [color=9e0039]“Hnnng, Silas?”[/color] he muttered in his sleep. The signature he recognized resembled his mark in Ersand’Enise so much. An eye opened and he saw Maura missing. Where did she go? Too many questions for his still drunken mind. It got far too tiresome when energy signatures came into the mix as he spread himself thin to try and detect his girlfriend too. He fell back to sleep.

When he awoke, Abdel had a hard time distinguishing dream and reality from that brief experience. It felt like a moment of semi-consciousness where reality and dream were hardly distinguishable. Also, his head was killing him! Thankfully, Xiulan was more than willing to share the tea she took for her own hangover.

[hr]

The day started with another tour, and eventually the group was allowed to visit the streets and commerces. Abdel stayed at the station, however, to address an issue that had been gnawing at him - other than the nightly experience that remained hazy. The stables were his first destination, where he’d find his Skuggvars: Qadira and Dayanara. Both were sedated, although still awake. A specialised beastmaster permitted to use magic had been summoned to appease them, although even then their foreign nature never guaranteed total safety.

When Abdel stepped into the stables, both animals perked up. The carers were delighted to see the “dragon master” arrive to relieve them of their burden and the beasts were growing excited at the scent of their provider. After a bit of walking out of their cages with their muzzles on, the animals found their initial vigour. Abdel wandered about with the Skuggvars close behind him, and he wasn’t oblivious to the stares of awe from the locals. Awe and fear of the unknown, even as adolescents these predators were considerably bulky and the same height as their master.

Still, some were more courageous than others. Some children asked for pets which the teen had to unfortunately deny. Others wanted to draw the animals! One woman, just a few years older than Abdel, came up to the boy with what looked to be an offering, [color=6CE0DC]“Prease take! For Lóng Mastah!”[/color] she then retreated as Abdel hesitantly accepted the gift wrapped bauble, flushed. What he’d find was … A figurine? A doll? Some called these action figures due to how resilient they were and popular among children. 

[center][hider=Stormcloud Action Figure]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/TjsotY1.png[/img][/hider][/center]

[color=9e0039]“它是什麼？很漂亮！(What is it? It is very pretty!)”[/color] inquired Abdel with the best of ability. The child that really wanted to pet Dayanara spoke up excitement, [color=32A824]“這是一個 風暴雲 可動人偶！真幸運！(It’s a Stormcloud action figure! So Lucky!)”[/color] exclaimed the young boy, with Abdel getting bits and pieces to more or less grasp the meaning.

[color=6CE0DC]“暴風雲來自黑騎士。學者.  (Stormcloud is from the Black Knights/Guard. The Scholar.)”[/color] explained the girl. Abdel recognized the term “Black Guard”, however he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it all. [color=CBD877]“她從許多瘟疫和枯萎病中拯救了我們的土地。並祝福有天賦的人在她的指導下獲得新的生命” (She saved our land from many plagues and blights. And blesses the gifted with a new life under her tutelage!)[/color] an elderly woman that joined the young woman’s side said as she slowly approached. By how gleeful she was to explain this phenomenon, Abdel could deduce that she may have gotten some sort of blessing from this person.

[color=9e0039]“Xièxiè.”[/color] Abdel bowed his head lightly and made the salutation sign with his hands. After showing his action figure to a few more kids, he departed to join his group and pursue whatever his guides had planned.

[hr]

After a long day of touring and very little of doing the job they were sent to do, Abdel kicked back with another Baiju drink and watched his Skuggvars rest peacefully nearby. The two large animals were fed various meats from the locals that were fascinated, yet reasonably cautious, of the animals with Abdel approval. Many steaks were enjoyed by Qadira and Dayanara.

The addition of Exemplar Wu Long to their dinner, things would get more interesting even if Abdel did not dare to add much to the conversation. He also held back on the drinks out of concern for his potential behaviour toward the Life-and-Death man and his own ferocious animals. A quick glance was shot at the action figure he had sitting by his plate as he heard the children play. For such discreet legends, they were seen as quite the celebrities among the people.

[i][color=9e0039]Loving his country despite recognizing its flaws, even if they were quite glaring.[/color][/i] Abdel mused, unable to help himself in comparing these words to his own experiences, [i][color=9e0039]I guess I feel the same about the Refuge, in some ways. I just hope the bads here aren’t as insidious as they were back home.[/color][/i] he took a piece of caramel pork just as things started to get heated.

A man was arrested and questioned by a group known as the Grey Ghosts. The treatment of the man sparked a uniform reaction of displeasure from the foreigners, though the way they were expressed was different. Maura, in particular, favoured explaining a reasoning that could resonate with Wu Long’s experiences and perspective.

Abdel sat by and listened to Maura give his piece on the matter. He didn't expect anything less from the outspoken Torragonese, and envied her for her ability to do so in circumstances like these. ReTan was a different beast entirely and Abdel never felt more compelled to withdraw into silence than he did in this land. His girlfriend's words, however, motivated him to seize the initiative, especially after failing to utilise his investigation skills the other night due to his overindulgence.

[color=9e0039]“If I may,”[/color] his voice was stout and quite audible but his hand meekly rose up as if he needed permission to talk, [color=9e0039]“Maybe we can get some other leads that don't rely on witness statements.”[/color] he stood up, body straight and hands knitted together to make himself appear not all that imposing to Wu Long, [color=9e0039]“I work as an investigator, or more precisely, people finder, though some call it bounty hunter but that's ...”[/color] he scratched his cheek, [color=9e0039]“an exaggeration.”[/color] then he cleared his throat, going back to his point, [color=9e0039]“I'm experienced in tracking individuals affiliated with small militias, many associated with the Traveler. I could give the premises a scrub to see if I find any leads?”[/color]

To add to this proposition, he gestured to the two adolescent beasts that had been rested just outside the patio like guard dogs, [color=9e0039]“With them, there is no hiding if your culprit hasn't fled the region already.”[/color] he looked to Maura and smiled nervously, hoping his pitch could allow them to finally get the ball rolling when it came to their role here. And potentially uncover the truth regarding the situation unfolding before them.

[color=ed1c24]"You are all welcome to exercise your skills in the service of what is right. I shall provide you with my utmost attention in observance."[/color] said Wu Long as he absently listened to Abdel’s offer.

Abdel nodded, first to the exemplar, then to Maura. They could figure out this enigma together. The young teen whistled, prompting the ears of his beasts to perk up, [color=9e0039]“Yip, yip!”[/color] he clapped his hand to motivate the animals to rise and get to work. They were to investigate the opulent home from which the older man was taken from.

With the hulking beasts in tow, Abdel entered the building that had supposedly been secured. The Skuggvars, now freed of their muzzles to allow their full detection potential to be realised, began to immediately sniff the premises. By how their blubber shook and their nostrils dilated, it seemed there were many scents, [color=9e0039]“Now if Maura can get me an item the so-called master valued and kept on their person, this can get easier.”[/color] he muttered to himself as he began the investigation.

It did not look like any home he had ever seen. Even if ReTan was as foreign as it got for Abdel, this made little sense. Beyond the clear signs of a fight and ransacking of the place, there was one massive detail anyone could notice: This was some sort of training facility. Weapon racks lined the walls, target dummies were spread out with some shattered and others upright, and the growing frustration of the animals made it clear to Abdel that far more than a few dozen had been here, [color=9e0039]“They only get this annoyed in very public places … Were there hundreds here?”[/color] he rubbed his chin in muse.

The sound of intense scratching disrupted Abdel thoughts. Qadira had started to frantically scratch and bag at the floorboards. Reaching out with the gift netted … Nothing? However, he did notice an odd discrepancy in airflow as he focused on the details. Was there a basement or cellar? As the young Virangish prepared to inspect the floor, Dayanara let out a low and intimidating growl. Her tail whipping even had Abdel show anxiety toward the animals he had thought he had tamed. This was never a good sign. The riled up animal was looking up at the ceiling, and so did the young Tethered.

Above and below, the beasts had found something. Abdel felt a wave of fear flow through him. But it wasn’t enough to stop him from pursuing his job as an investigator. With mild binding magic and kinetic magic, he sought out an opening to the ceiling. What was in there? He really hoped it was some animal Dayanara found alluring.

[/color]