Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros relaxed his shoulders and softened his expression. "Look, the only interest we have here is public safety and scholarly interest," he explained. "Even if grandeur is part of his personality, he could return from a bounty one day a completely different person -- paranoid, maniacal...violent. That axe, when I first heard of it, compelled a father to murder his daughter in a fit of madness. It could be you or anyone else he knows that die by Cyrus' hands." Fendros broke eye contact and turned his palm. "We could try to find another of his friends to direct us to him, but that would only take up more time and increase the likelihood that more blood is spilt."

"The axe does not come from our world," Sabine said. "Something evil made it."

She used Fendros' longer comments to think of other things to come up with, apparently.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The advice from the tavern paid off. Fendros was glad that Meesei remembered it -- perhaps he had been distracted by his worries.

Nevertheless, Fendros answered the merchant by following from Sabine. "For some time now, we have been tracking down an item now carried by Cyrus. A unique axe." Fendros clasped his hands behind his back. "This is no regular magical axe. It has compelled its wielders to kill or hurt friends and loved ones in the past. We have means to keep it safely contained." Fendros lifted his chin to play the part of Imperial authority, for all it was worth. "We are willing to compensate Cyrus for the axe, but we must speak with him first."

Sabine chimed in with lighter words. "Thank you for the fish."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros glanced to Meesei before addressing who she assumed was the Matami character they were searching for. "Good day, thank you. Are you, by any chance, Matami? We are from the Synod. We have been looking for one Cyrus Derrunding." Fendros angled his head forward. "We understand you know him. Would you happen to know where he is? We need to speak with him about a matter of the utmost importance."

Sabine kept her eyes scanning over the fish on display. They carried the familiar smell of fresh fish as expected, a smell most welcome after travelling in the rocky desert for as long as they had been.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

We can move ahead if you like. That was all Fendros wanted to touch upon for now.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros huffed a laugh. "In the time we have, I would not count on it. If we're going to do that, it may as well be made my artisans back home." His expression lowered back to its previous worry. "You're right, though. I don't think the risk is high enough that they would know we're here right now. But we should talk to Kaleeth and Janius about it tonight, then talk to everyone else."

He rubbed one eye and took an exasperated breath. "I don't like this. A part of me hopes beyond hope that we will not meet violence with the general in the end."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"No, it's not that, exactly," Fendros spoke clearly enough for the sake of being heard over the crowds. He looked ahead with a shallow frown. "It's the news that the general is this close. If we have to assume the worst, him or his associates are in the city and could find us. They might already know we're here."

Fendros looked down. He paused for long enough to pass by a town caller that would have drowned out his words. He looked to Ahnasha. "The risk is getting high. Should we take Rhazii home?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine gave a nod in thanks. Fendros mentioned a "thank you both" before he and Sabine followed behind Meesei back to their table.

The rest of the pack rose halfway from their seats in preparation to leave before Fendros spoke up again. "Ahna, do you mind we talk on the way?" His expression resumed with the same troubled look as he had when discussing with Azayn.

Janius and Rhazii stood up fully to leave when they realised Fendros wasn't addressing them, though Rhazii began to reflect his father's worry.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros and Sabine turned their heads to the Nord. It was convenient that one of the leads Azayn mentioned was so accessible.

"Matami?" Fendros said. "If this woman know of his whereabouts, we shall find her." Fendros took a couple of steps closer so he didn't have to speak such a distance. "Would you mind describing her to me, sir?"

Sabine stayed across from the barman. She smiled. "Thank you for your help. You were interrupted, though. Has Cyrus been behaving recklessly?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I say do it if you can! That stuff doesn't come around often.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Unfortunately not. I was originally planning on moving in September, but a kerfuffle with my university degree means I have to do one more course, so I won't be moving until January next year.

A shame, I've never seen a total solar eclipse before. There was a partial one that went over my school when I was a kid, I remember that being awesome.