Sage's City Outskirts

Laisin really didn't need the words of the man named Drake and every body was there that was the only mater now. Once Drake had got to a better distance he could see thw girl walk but Laisin wasn't happy with that "Zoe is it normal for you to go in without a thought? A traveler in such clothes and armed would be killed on the spot if I'm right then our opponent is the lord of this castle power brings might after all. The guards would change you to a clump of meat if you walk to them they know who belongs in the castle and the city only hunderd are present remember from the letter? Our good friend Drake is going to get himself killed if he thinks he can just walk in but I know he isn't so may I suggest we take the west side and swim?" Laisin again flickered into being for a short second invisible he didn't notice he wasn't aware it kept happening as nobody told him as he could still see himself when invisible. "Alec you can be trusted do you think you can teleport over the wall if we bring you there or at the gate? I do not suggest you open it then I have another way in a much worse way. Claire I hope you are able to make your way trough the wall on my spot so you can enter then Sara, Zoe and I remain fire isn't going to help much. Michael do your own thing I wouldn't want to interrupt with your business. Now I'm suggesting we meet each other in the city now I'm suggesting Sara and Zoe with me to work together. Our powers will not be much of a help this time I can on my one go in easily but both of you would be cut down." Laisin looked at the walls for a second "Say your agreement or your denial of this fact."

Laisin wasn't being nice for friendship instead he wanted to look loyal, he would need trust and the boss and his helper would trust the one that helps the others.

Michael certainly wasn't going to listen to the only one of them who showed his ineptitude at fighting here, so he walked over to Zoe. He turned to the one who was proposing a plan contrary to what the other had just said. "You seem to be under the assumption that no one here saw you lose that fight. Besides your little flicker won't get you in anymore than throwing on one of these cloaks. I've never seen someone phase in and out of sight and it would certainly grab my attention if I did." Their 'exotic' clothing during this time period was a bit of a problem but it was easily rectified by simple excuses. "So I'm in denial of that fact. I'll be going on ahead with whoever wants to, and I'll be meeting the guy who seemed a lot more knowledgeable than you in the tavern."

He turned back towards Zoe and gave a small smile as he walked in the direction of the castle. Drake was still in sight so he would have to travel slowly to further the distance. On his way he turned around, walking backwards, and sent the group a small smirk. "You should learn how to talk your way out of things, Laisin. You see, I'm a foreign entertainer here and all these girls in strange clothing around me are simply part of the act. It's somewhat cliched but hey, they won't know that." It was a painfully cliched plan but it did have a good chance of getting them in. He turned and continued walking, throwing his hands up. "Or you could think of something on your own. Mind readers ruin good conversation anyway."

Zoe was about to set Laisin's pants on fire, but then Michael had intervened. She laughed at his remark about mind readers and followed Michael. "I like Michael's plan, Laisin, you can do whatever you want." She shot him a poisonous glare and then a smile before turning back around so she wouldn't run into anything.
She caught up to Michael and turned to him, "I could be a fire dancer or something if anyone asks me to perform, I used to take dance classes in middle school." She nodded to add emphasis to her point and then tied her black hair up in a ponytail. She probably should have hidden her halberd or something, she had to admit, it did look rather suspicious, but what if she needed it? It wouldn't do her any good under a rock a mile away from the castle if they were attacked or something.
She looked up at the city, it was so close, they were almost there, she prayed the people would accept their story.

Claire looked over to Alec wandering what the girl would do. It seemed that both parties had decent enough plans but which would work better. She still didn't trust Laisin but she didn't even know Drake but his plan seemed plausible. She knew that she would stick out like a sore thumb anywhere inside the city due to her skin color but if she were part of a traveling entertainment. She could probably play a slave as well. She was sure that they exsisted in this time period. Laisin's plan of secretly entering had more of a pull on her. She had never been this indecicive before not to mention she should have her own plan to get in. She sighed letting her emotions roll over and trying to find the more logical path. She needed to stay with Alec. That was her decision. She turned to the younger girl. "Make your decision, I'm with you no matter where you go."

Laughing a bit at Laison from Michael's remark (because it was true), Alec stood as the first pair started to leave. "Make your decision, I'm with you no matter where you go." Startled that Claire would follow her, Alec gave her a somewhat pained smile. "You know, you shouldn't trust me that much. Not that I'll turn on you, but we just met a couple minutes ago.. But thanks nonetheless." Turning to face Laison, she gave him a cold smile. "If I let you play leader while being such an amateur as you are, sooner or later you'll make us do all the dirty work as you just stand in the back behind us.." Mentally, she added, I also don't like you. I don't listen to beginners and weaklings. Much less a mind reader. And I'm touched you think I'm trustworthy. If it's you, I don't really think I'd mind stabbing you in the back.

Alec started walking backwards a bit, so that she could talk to Claire and catch up to the others at the same time. "I hope you're okay with this. I just.. well.. he's the last person I'd save or work with. I don't trust people who can hear what you think, but not the other way around. They'll smile at you, then knife you in your sleep." Looking back to see where Drake was, Alec adjusted her swords so they were on top of her cloak. Looks like he's entering the town now.. Eh. We're not really in a hurry anyway. She pointed at the gate. "I think I can teleport us in there, if you don't want to be seen or do what he's doing. Just a measure of timing and distance." Covering her headphones with the hood of her cloak, Alec grinned at Claire. "Want to make some new friends? I think I could pull off a sword dance or something, myself."

Keeping her pace with walking backwards, she waited for the older woman's answer. This, if anything, she wasn't going to force Claire to do.

Claire followed Alec down the dirt path towards the castle. I wasn't too far now and Drake had already gotten in. It was up to her to make a decision now. " I agree that we should not trust Laisin. I just thought his way would get us in without being seen. We have been warned already that we will most likely be attacked by the guards but I don't know how they will react to me specifically because of my dark skin." Claire took a breath moving onto another thought. " Alec you have shown me no reason why I should be cautious of you. You are young and spirited but you don't seem malicious. I'm sticking with you because like it or not this isn't a one man job or in our case a one woman job." She said with a slight chuckle.

"I think I can teleport us in there, if you don't want to be seen or do what he's doing. Just a measure of timing and distance." Covering her headphones with the hood of her cloak, Alec grinned at Claire. "Want to make some new friends? I think I could pull off a sword dance or something, myself."

Claire smiled at that. "Neither of us are very proficient with our skills yet. I remember a little but I haven't had any time to really practice so I don't want to do anything dangerous until I have more control. You should be weary as well, I'm sure you need some practice as well. I like your second idea though but dancer is a little mild, all the guards are defintely male and a man only wants one thing from a woman. Follow my lead." She said with a wink stowing her cloak in her backpack.

Claire approached the guards at the gate. She ignored those overhead pointing their crossbows at her, they weren't her targets. Only a couple guards at the gate she proclaimed aloud to both. "Oh good knights, won't you let me and my sister into the city? We are both wearied from our travels and could do with a good rest." The guard on the left addressed her. "And what dear lady do we get if grant you this request?" He said with a soft chuckle, eyeing her body. Claire knew she had them now, so she did not break character. "I will be more than happy to pay you both most vigoursly." She said undoing a few buttons on her shirt.

The guards needed no more prodding and promptly led her and Alec into the castle walls and then into a small room behind the gate. As they entered the dusty alcove Claire gave a look around the room seeing how empty it was, smiled. "Now we dance." She said launching from her position and taking out a guard with a roundhouse kick to the head. The man's helmet hit the ground with a clatter and she turned to Alec. "You may take care of this one."

Knowing Zoe could dance wasn't necessary for his current plan but it did thankfully provide him with some nice wandering thoughts as he watched a guard approach him. Claire seemed to have abandoned them, taking Alec with her, by using that certain persuasive technique of hers. He would have to wing why there were only two of them now. The guard eyed the two up on his way over, noticing the strange clothes that could not be completely hidden under the cloaks and he stopped before Michael. "Why have you come to this city and where are you from?" He bowed his head slightly and swung his arm in front of Zoe, as if displaying her, and began to speek in as polite a tone as he could muster. "Good sir we have come from the nation just beyond your eastern neighbor. As to why we are here, you see, we are from a group of professional entertainers and we are all out looking for new places to attract a crowd. Usually the clothing our master puts us in is enough for the task but our job is to keep those people there for longer. I can give you a demonstration, but unfortunately by companion's talent requires some time for preparation and we hope to not waste much of your time at this point." Hopefully they bought his story because while he could probably beat this particular guard in a fight, the angry looking men with crossbows were a bit out of his reach.

The guard pivoted and looked towards his fellow men, giving them a slight nod; whether it was the good kind of nod or the bad kind was kept a mystery. "You'll find no better place for travelers than Sage's City." He motioned for the two to pass and as he did Michael bowed again and thanked the man. "You are all invited of course, as our thanks. For what would any of us be without men such as you keeping the savages and the peasants out of such a place?" He walked slowly and waited for Zoe to follow, grinning as he turned his head in her direction.

Laisin sighed at them all only muscle's and body users were on this mission he had to do it alone then. Laisin was the last but not the worst one as he simply choice the best option. Laisin flickered again it was the only thing that he couldn't control but Laisin wasn't going to be bothered by it, he ran and stopped disappearing as a guard looked over his way to return to running until he had reached the moat silently diving in the foul water filled with garbage it would make his clothes less exotic and more like the present situation required a good thing he thought as he made his way to the west side of the city without stirring the water. Now he met his first problem the steel bars blocking him entrance he had wanted to use fire to weaken them but these idiot's just had to go and do there own thing arrogant fools. The knife was going to do the job Laisin placed it on top of the metal bars taking away a stone to expose the top side of the metal bar this was repeated three times. Now came the hard part as he was forced to dive and weaken the underside of the bars this had the effect of him coming up almost vomiting but still he removed the bars easily putting them back in there place he didn't want to leave a sign of his presence after all.

Soon Laisin jumped out of the dirty river to look to the town blending in perfectly dirty only not tired but he quickly shifted his way to look at the castle it was beautiful of course but he wanted to be quick so he began to close into the castle he could see Claire and Alec pass in easily and the guards mind weren't a civilized thing right now so he kept out of really looking at them but he did find the correct information. Laisin seemed to be the only one with money around the entire city a very very bad thing hungry eye's already came down to his purse that was filled with the gold coins used as a currency around these old times but then again could he stop them? Laisin coldly walked away the houses were build close together because of the wall making it a easy job Laisin quickly found a lonely soldier and buried his knife in his neck hiding the body under a layer of mud and taking the guards armor and weapons wile he kept his own clothes wrapped up as a dirty ball this would hopefully be enough to convince that he was a guard then he would simply do his job in making the city a bigger hell than before still he would use a lesson to that king and that lesson was that having 500 armed forces was just ridiculous.

Zoe looked from Michael to the guards smiling and nodding at appropriate times and then following obediently behind him when he began walking inside the city. Before she could get in the gate, however, her wrist was grabbed by one of the guards. "A rare beauty like yours is hard to find." He grunted, she tried to pull away but his grip was strong, "You should stay with us and entertain us." The other guards snorted, and Zoe sent a pleading look towards Michael.
"I'll entertain you along with everyone else inside the city." She snapped looking to each of them with fire in her eyes.
"Oh! The girl has an additude." The lead guard snickered, pulling her closer and putting his hand on her butt.
She jumped and the guards roared with laughter. She was so angry that her arms heated up and the guard let go, looking at the blisters on his hands in disbelief.
"May I go now?" She asked, edging closer to Michael until she ran into him.
"Uh, y-yeah go." He stuttered looking at her and back to his hands, "I look forward to watching you dance." The silence from the guards slowly changed to nervous laughter and chatter amongst themselves.
She turned around and apologized to Michael before almost jogging into the city.