Upon her mug being replenished with another fill of ale, Victoria immediately gave a chug of the alcoholic stuff and released a satisfied sigh afterward, an amused smile emanated off her face. Setting the glass mug down and shifting it aside, she resumed writing out her report. Although she didn't look it, Victoria remained observant of the circumambience within the tavern. While the waitress had poured her a full mug, she could pick up on the voice of another patron who also requested the waitress's services. This was not anything uncommon and Victoria was unresponsive and uncaring about it. It wasn't her business. However, what did spark a curious thought was the slight yet sudden wisping chill that resonated from behind her; from where the patron's voice emanated from. Although it was a non-issue, she did find it somewhat odd that the temperature had fallen that brief moment.
During one of her earlier expeditions when her tenure as an explorer was still growing, one of her party leaders, a veteran adventurer she had not seen for a while now, educated her and the rest of her group how to detect hidden passages or to sense the presence of creatures with elemental affinities. She educated Victoria on how to attune herself to the different auras emitting around her, which proved useful for descrying hidden trap spells or said elemental critters lying in wait. Of course, their leader was a fan on some of the old-school methods. Their preferred method was literally,
feeling, everything around them. Their initial statement on the,
weird, the technique was easily lost on the other group members, Victoria included.
Despite that, everyone eventually came to understand what she had been on about. After their team had found themselves at a narrow dead-end and nearly half a mile underground, their Isrilian leader had opted to silence every one of their worried bickerings. Everyone complied. Victoria would observe her mentor waving their arms and hands inches away from the corridor surfaces. Such an unusual display would doubtfully cause everyone to question the act were it not for their party leader easily towering over them with muscles to compliment her intimidate stature. Everyone continued to comply and maintain their silence. Victoria would eventually find out later on that the Isrilian had been attempting to pinpoint a subtle crack within the walls where a cool breeze as flowing through. Upon detecting the fracture, their leader, with one powerful punch, collapsed the weakened surface and revealed an oasis on the other side of the crumbling walls. No one doubted her for the rest of the trip, where it was out of being proven wrong or simply out of fear of being decked into a coma.
While Victoria was not within range for her aura to adjust and respond to chilly visitant, she had a few ideas of who or what was seated behind her at an adjacent table. She entertained the thought as he tidied up on her report and surmised that her fellow patron was a snow spirit. Though her attention to the reports restricted the tempting urge to verify her mental guess and turn around she was confident in her prediction.
After wrapping up the guild documents, fate would apparently present her with another oddity. She was already aware of the anubite glancing around, which seemed kind of suspicious right off the get-go though Victoria didn't seem offset about this, It was the addition of a man in full-plate armor however that held her attention. It was not often she would see someone bearing such visual durability in public unless they were expecting a fight. What seemed more abnormal for sure was his movements. Despite being in full-plate, the segments of his carapace shifted fluidly with each motion of their arms down to their feet. It was obvious to her that the get-up would hardly prohibit any maneuvers the figure could perform. But that then begged the question; why was he acting as if trotting through the muck? The only clue that manifested itself was the notably large backpack the stranger was lugging with him. Victoria narrowed her speculative eyes.
After subtly observing the two, the anubite directed the armored figure to the noticeboard to which the man marched over and plopped what seemed like a flyer onto the board before seating themselves nearby without a word.
Weird. Victoria glanced back to where the anubite was last standing, but to her surprise, she was had vanished without a sound.
Really weird.
Genuinely curious about the notation written upon the pinned paper, Victoria rose from her seat and was just about to make her way to the noticeboard until her gaze met with the patron's who looked over her and her work,
"Wanna check it out?" she asked the half-beast-turned snow-spirit, gesturing toward the noticeboard. At least her assumption as partially correct.
Upon walking to the board, she was also joined by another half-beast, also curious about the notice. She read through the vague job offering, though only arrived at a multitude of questions as to what this particular job was entailing, especially when it was seeking 'courageous souls' and curbing those 'prone to dying'. She really had to wonder who wrote this stuff. As it so happened, the half-beast previously beside her vocalized his, and her own, thoughts upon the seated knight. Victoria postured her hands over her hips, away from her secured cutlass, and awaited the reply from the knight.
Victoria tilted her head to the snow spirt,
"How much do you want to bet Sir Knight over there will want us to accept their terms before spilling the beans?"@Ypnosi