Kyero's Story

Aetrius chuckled after Linde began to get dressed, keeping her eyes from looking as Linde dressed herself. She had manners, and even morals if one could believe it. No matter how gray there may have been. Once Linde had finished dressing, and apologized profusely, Aetrius chuckled softly and shook her head. "I-it's alright, just...wasn't expecting that to happen is all. Kind of just a start..." she chuckled again and sat down, only to hear Lolan in the hallway yelling to open the door and let him in and that he was sorry.

Aetrius groaned and stood up and somberly walked over to the door, unlocking it and flinging it open and pulled Lolan into the room and slammed the door. "Knock the first time, next time. Or I won't be so nice, got it?" she growled and grabbed one of the other plates and put it on the table across from her. She calmed herself down and sighed, taking her place back at the table on the left side of Linde, meaning that there was one place left to the left of Aetrius for Kyero or Okumi. Whatever one of them showed up first.

"Speaking of, anyone know where Okumi and Kyero are? I didn't hear or see anything from them since last night...Perhaps after breakfast we go and look around town for them? Then look for some more information about the slave trade that I have no doubt that Kieran got herself into? While you two are doing that, I will sell the items I looted off of Shatal and his men last night. It won't bring back what we had to spend on here, but it's a start..." she said as she started to finally eat the food that was on her plate, it wasn't entirely terrible, but could use some salt and other spices, not saying it was bland, but that it needed some more flavors. She also hoped that they wouldn't ask why Kieran's rescue was of such importance to her, but she had a feeling that eventually she would have to explain the situation to them, hopefully not as she knew that if they knew Kieran was her sister, it could mess up the mission entirely since they'd know that the mission was more urgent than they might have originally thought.

After a few minutes of their shared tender and sweet moment, Aetrius managed to talk Linde to going back to the inn, to simply talk to Kyero and Lolan about what they had managed to find. They made small talk on the way back to the inn, and eventually they made it back. Aetrius walked up to the door and unlocked it with their key and let Linde in first, then closed the door after she entered. She removed her cloak and lit the fire and made sure to keep it stoked until it was a rather large flame, and prepared some hot water for tea and blankets, as the room was rather cold. Eventually she knocked on Lolan's wall, signalling him to join them for their planned meeting after they all got back to the inn.

Whether Kyero was back or not, she wasn't sure. But she knocked on his end of the room's wall, giving him the signal if he had returned already. If not, he would eventually come back. She sat down at the table next to Linde, and placed two small cups of freshly made tea, and nodded as a gesture to drink, a faint smile and blush spread across her face as she looked at Linde, but then shyly looked away. "S-so...A-about earlier..." she asked awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her neck shyly as she tried to bring up what had happened, but if Linde didn't want to talk about if it was too embarrassing, or if was even simply a fleating moment, she wanted to just make sure, so she possibly wouldn't get her hopes up for nothing, yet again.

Aetrius' face flushed slightly when Linde yet again placed her hand on Aetrius' face, and then it flushed even more when she gently brushed her lips with her finger, and then kissed said finger itself. She felt her heart race and her face slowly grow warmer, Linde was an immense tease and flirt and it wasn't healthy for the young bounty hunter. She silently nodded as Linde said they could discuss the topic before everyone went to sleep, she understood that and remained silent. When she heard the door open she had offered to get it first, but Linde said she's go, so Aetrius remained seated at the table.

Once Kyero and Lolan joined them, they were all together again, except for Okumi. Which automatically made Aetrius' face turn paper white, the fact that even Kyero couldn't find her worried her greatly. What if Okumi was indeed now in with Kieran? She could get useful information, and gather intel and would help having someone on the inside, but Aetrius knew it was a possibly deadly game Okumi now found herself in. If she managed to talk to the wrong person, she would easily either be killed, or alert the leaders that people were searching for Kieran and would put up major lockdown features on the auction, making it even harder to gain entry. But when Kyero spoke up about him thinking that the auction ,leader could as well be a former Te'i Sai member, her hands clenched into fists. If it was true, which it made sense for it to, would complicate things to the extreme. It would cause the auction to already have incredibly high security, as well as patrols to make sure no one messes with the auction or causes a stir.

Aetrius looked up at Kyero's question for Lolan. She understood his question and thought for a moment. Just like the man said, if they could afford Kieran, easy money and they could get out of there no problem. But with it being lead by someone more than likely a former Te'i Sai member, it made things look ugly all too quick for her. "If it is true...We will have to be even more careful with our rescue plan...We'd need to be on high enough alert to make sure no one notices that we're a group, or that we're not who we'll feign on being...If they were to catch on, it'd be game over for us and we'd more than likely get us all killed in the process...Lolan and I can act very easily..." she sighed and looked down again yet in thought.

"Us both having time spent in the circus will help with certain aspects of the mission. But whether or not what Lolan's part was, I'm sure he can fake it enough for be a noble...We would just need to get the make up and layout of where the auction will be held..All exits, advantage points, weak points in the structure itself, etc...If we can bring down that auction...whether literally or not, I think we'll have more than a successful mission...And, if we do destroy the place, good. All of the slaves deserve to be freed...And if it means sacrificing a bit more to do so, so be it. I won't stand by and be useless if I can help others get the taste of freedom..Just because I was a slave of a different kind doesn't mean anything in this factor. Once a slave, you're always a slave..." her voice dipped at the end, it was holding a tone of anger and a bit of sadness as well, her right hand forming a fist as it laid under the table in her lap.

Aetrius was busily lost in thought as Kyero spoke, it would make sense. A literal underground city under Valoc made sense. She remained silent and held Linde's hand tightly all the while, shaking a little bit of nerves as well as anger at the whole situation. After Kyero spoke, Linde spoke up when she was asked what her part was going to be, after giving her two sense in. After she gave the proposition of her being one of their slaves for the mission, her grip tightened and she looked up at the others as she spoke and shook her head.

"No. Linde....I don't think it'd be a good idea for you to get involved, you can't. The only one who should be getting involved is me. Kieran is my sister and it's my responsibility to get her back, and I will. Kyero, you can keep your eyes on her, but I must be the one who gets her. Her safety and well being is my job, and it must be me to get her, understand?" she asked with a bit of spite in her voice as she looked at Kyero. Normally she'd agree to everything, but when it came to Kieran, she was reluctant to leave it to anyone else but her. She gently let go of Linde's hand and stood up, putting her cloak on she looked at the others, "I...I have some business to attend to anyway. Whether you like it or not, Kieran is mine to rescue, not anyone else's. As for who's slave she will be playing..." she felt her face turn a light pink as she looked away.

"As much as I trust Lolan, she'll be mine. It will make the part more believable if she's mine. Until then, Kyero you can continue with your first plans, but leave getting her to me. Any objections?" she asked as she crossed her arms before leaving the room. She knew what she had to do, and she needed to get more money, and she had two bounties on her hands still, and she was aimed to get them done, as her anger was slightly starting to rise.

Aetrius nodded as Kyero gave her his advice on the matter, she could tell he was holding his opinions to himself, but she appreciated the well wishes, "I'll keep them safe, I promise." she gave a slight smile, and watched as he left. She looked at Linde as she placed a hand on her shoulder, and prepared to have to argue with her about going out, but to her surprise Linde had only wished her to be safe, she gave a nod and gently cupped her cheeks, and kissed Linde on the forehead gently. "I promise, I'll be safe.." she gave Linde one more gentle squeeze to her hand left, taking her swords on the way out.

She easily became one with the shadows yet again, and once she was on a rooftop, she looked at one of the bounties she had been given:

"Samual Vatlis, murderer and rapist, wanted dead or alive, 35 silver"

She sighed and looked at the portrait, memorizing his features and face, "Shame...Shame I'll have to kill you too." she muttered and stood up, walking along the end of the rooftop and hopped down. Landing with grace and stealth she ran along the lower rooftop and kept going to the East side of the city, where he was presumably located. Once she came upon his supposed hideout, she sat down on the rooftop hidden in the shadows and waited for him to show up. Two hours slowly ticked on by when finally a large, well buit figure loomed through the streets below, whistling to himself. It was no merry tune, bu rather drab and depressing sounding. She slowly stood to her feet and watched the figure make his way, as he passed under a street light she saw it was indeed the man in question. "Like a fly lands into a web, so you've fallen into my trap..." she chuckled, and dropped down, landing softly and kept at a distance as she followed him from behind.

As they walked through the streets of Valoc, he walked down a constantly winding path, with many turns and dead ends. Eventually he walked into a rather large ally way, Aetrius quirked her eyesbrows, and unsheathed her swords, dragging them as the ends scrapped against the stone cut streets as she slowly walked her way to him. She slowly made her presence known as he turned around to see her, slight surprise was on his face, but one that Aetrius wasn't prepared for, "Well, welcome here, lost pigeon. Didn't anyone ever tell you to never fallow strangers into a dark allyway?" he mused

Aetrius scoft at him and grinned, "Didn't anyone tell you to never-" she was stopped as out of nowhere something hard and fast slammed into the right side of her cheek, sending he reeling backwards, and spitting blood onto the ground, "Ah...D-didn't anyone ever tell you not to hit a girl?!" she growled as she lept forwards in an offensive strike, he dodged and then swept his arm under her, picking her up off her feet and pinned her against the stone wall as he closelined her to it. She grunted and struggled to get him off of her.

"But pigeon, why must you struggle? There is nothing to fear." he said with a sadistic tone to his voice. Aetrius growled, "Fuck...You!" she spat at his directly, blood and saliva covering his eyes, temporarily blinding him. In the event, he had dropped her, causing her to be able to trip him and gather herself. "Ya know...It's people like you that I really, really, really hate." she growled and spun her swords defensively. Samual stood up and wiped off the blood from his eyes, "And what I hate? Is little bitches like you that don't just lie down!" he growled and charged at her, she managed to dodge out of the way and tripped him again. She let him get back to his feet, she was growing angry and too over confident in her work, and just as Linde had advised, it would soon to be her downfall.

"What? Angry that someone could easily kick your ass, nevermind it being a female-" her ankle was clutched and swpt from under her, landing on the ground on her back she gasped for breath. Samual pushed her down and easily held her hands down, Aetrius tried kicking him between the legs, but he managed to straddle her so that his hips were passed her knees and below where her upper half was.

She struggled to get him off, he grinned down and attempted to go for his belt. That was her play, she stopped struggling and acted
as though she gave up hope, "That's a good girl...This won't take too-AGH!!!" he then screamed as Aetrius managed to headbutt his forehead, and then push his backwards. As he reeled, she charged him and slammed him into the wall. It was a struggle for life or death, and Aetrius wasn't about to just let herself die, not like this. She slammed him against the wall three times, and then punched him in the gut and the groin. He fell to the ground and held his waist. Aetrius chuckled and grabbed him by the back of the head and slammed it into her knee in an upper cut motion. Blood squirted from his nose as it made contact, she grinned and tossed him away, and grabbed her dagger, she loomed over him and spoke, "G-give...give me one reason to not kill you right where you are..." she panted softly.

He looked up at her as blood gushed from his badly broken nose, "Because...I'm going to kill you first, slut." he grabbed her ankle yet again, and brought her close to his face, she groaned and attempted to get free. He headbutted her, and as her head reeled he punched her square in the jaw, once, then twice, then thrice. She weaikly looked at him, and spat in his face yet again. "Fuck..." she groaned as he picked her up and pinned her to the wall, placing her knife to her cheek and gently carved into it, she screamed out in agony as a piercing hot pain shot through her face. He grinned and dropped her and began to walk away.

"Go home, girl. I let you live today, but if I see you again...I will kill you, only after having a bit of fun..." he mused and strolled away, hands in his pockets and whistled.

Aetrius rolled onto her back and looked up at the sky through pain and tears, her body begining to ache. "I...I'm gonna kill him..." she croaked, and slowly rose to her feet. Wiping the blood from her now broken nose and cut up face, she sighed and slowly made her way out of the ally as she limped back to the inn. After an hour, she slowly had made it to the inn and up the stairs, she weakily made her way to the room's door and weakly knocked for Linde, hoping she would open it soon. She knew she was going to probably be even in more trouble once Linde saw what she had come back looking like, but she didn't care. She needed help, and didn't care if Linde was going to be upset.

Aetrius was happy to now be cuddling with Linde comfortably and innocently, only for the room's door to be thrown open and for none other than Kyero to step in. Aetrius felt her face flush red as she made eyecontact with Kyero as Linde was still on her, and thankfully she was relieved when Linde finally got off from her and sat next to her and asked Kyero how his mission had gone. She quickly sat up and tried to act as casual as she could, and hoping Kyero didn't notice them when he first came in, but knowing her luck he did, and she'd probably have to explain what happened to Kyero sooner than she had originally planned.

"Ahem, hey Kyero. How'd you mission go?" she asked casually as she sat with her legs crossed and began to calm down and become not as flustered as she currently was.

Aetrius felt her eyebrow twitch at the notion of not going for the killing blow at the auction, but to stand by and just try to make a good impression and gain more intel, and not to raise eyebrows if they were to win the top prize. She internally groaned and wanted to argue with Kyero, and tell how she wanted to go about things, but the more she thought she realized she couldn't, that she'd have to go about it Kyero's way, until it proved itself to not be fruitful anyway. She nodded silently, "Alright. That will be the plan...Until all goes to shit if it does, and we'll need a failsafe plan. What then do you propose, Kyero?" she said with a somewhat sarcastic tone.

She stood up and crossed her arms casually, "If your, peaceful way about going about things doesn't work, what then? Do we just let her slip through our fingers after all of this, or do we just go for the killing blow and flee Veilbrand after we get her. We can't always rely on peaceful ways to do things. Diplomacy isn't always what people abide by, you should know that first hand considering who you are." she said a bit harshly as she took a sip of her drink and leaned against the wall.