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 Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:08 am
“Excuse me, do you have a moment? I need-“
“Step off, girl, can’t you see I’m busy?”
Ishani felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle. Ever since her incident the other day just getting a moment of alone time was hard enough, but getting outside on her own without someone hovering was even harder! The fact she was here now, even with her arm in a sling, was a miracle on its own. She’d had to beg her father for it under the guise of just going down the street from their inn for milk and now with time slipping away from her Ishani was starting to lose faith. When she started out the teen had hoped that someone would have some information, but once again, she was shut out.
Trying to keep her cool, Ishani took a breath and tried again. “I can see that and I can offer coin for your time, but I just-“
“Are you stupid? Move on! Get!”
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:10 am
[Sabra via Discord / 1]
Anahita had just finished an escort mission, the ranger taking a rare venture into Zena for it. While most could potentially be in awe of experiencing a new country the young archer was far from excited about the colder weather and tugged her fur cloak tighter around her shoulders with each breeze. The forests back home could get colder during the winter but there was just something that really bit into her bones with the Zenan winds, it was uncomfortable especially during a season where she expected a little bit of warmth to come through with the sunlight. Not that it seemed to matter to the locals with so many scurrying around on their business as Ana walked past. And her uncle willingly lived here at times? How bizarre. If it wasn't for one of the Zenan rangers taking ill then Anahita probably would have never been on this particular trip in the first place, she often placed herself in those going towards Oba instead for the chance to visit family and to be warm rather than frozen. It also hadn't helped that she was still adapting to her recent changes, the darker skin throwing her off as she purposefully avoided family for the time being by taking these extra trips so that she could get more accustomed to things without being questioned constantly about it. It was just too much at the moment, having to deal with her family's concerns and her duties all at the same time. So to the cold north she went.
Feeling a bit irritable even though she had asked for the colder route, Anahita found herself more than willing to step in on behalf of another hybrid. "Are you stupid? Someone is asking for help and willing to pay you? Just politely decline if you're going to be incompetent, no need to be rude towards the girl." She rolled back her shoulders, daring him to say anything with her hand itching towards her bow. Just one shot to scare the piss out of him, that'd probably be enough. Unfortunately or thankfully, Anahita not certain how she was feeling about the reaction, the man simply huffed before walking away and just leaving the annoying hybrids alone together. "Well, that's just a horrible attitude." She commented with a frown before turning towards the younger hybrid. "What was your request? Maybe I can help somehow."
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:18 am
“It’s a pretty common one here,” Ishani grumbled. While some of the Zenan towns they’d passed through had been nice enough there was something about Zidel itself that rubbed the teen wrong. “Snub me all they want they eat and piss just the same.” Still, it didn’t make getting answers any easier, but now that she’d attracted an empathetic ear, a hybrid at that, Ishani didn’t want to waste the chance.
“I’m looking for someone. I was attacked a few days ago-,” While the bandages under her leathers weren’t visible the sling would be, “-and I’m trying to find out if anyone else has been harassed by them or if they know any information.”
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:19 am
[Sabra via Discord / 2]
"That doesn't surprise me. Other than the cold that's another reason I rarely venture this way." Replied Anahita with a frown, her expression shifting with slight amusement at the teen's attitude and commentary. At least she wasn't allowing the locals to dampen her spirits. But what was prompting the girl to approach such foul mannered people in the first place? That was the question that kept her lingering, Anahita curious about whatever this request could be. Was it so difficut to deserve such a reaction? There was a higher chance of being snubbed by others in Zidel, but Anahita would assume coin could soften most peoples' hearts for a moment to at least listen to another unless they were true snobs.
Ah. Now it made a bit more sense. No one would want to waste their time looking for attackers, especially when the request was coming from some unknown foreigner. Though while others would have scoffed at the request, Anahita was grinning instead. "Is that so? Well, I just finished an escort mission and I do love hunting down troublemakers as a ranger. I may not be as familiar with the area but I could listen and see if I can help track down anyone?" She offered, taking advantage of the fact that she had finished her escort mission to Zidel and had a bit of time to spare before trudging all the way home.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:19 am
“So you’re some kind of bounty hunter?” That may have been a lucky turn for some, but Ishani wasn’t blessed with coin. “I can’t pay much, so if that’s what you’re after you’d best look elsewhere.” As nice as it would have been to have the help, Ishani just couldn’t spare it. If her parents found out she was spending her stash of the family earnings on looking for this group, when she’d been told explicitly to stay away, her ears would be boxed.
“My parents take on jobs too so I know the game.” While they weren’t in the business of hunting men, at least not all of the time, Ishani had been told to stay back enough times that she knew how things typically worked.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:21 am
[Sabra via Discord / 3]
Anahita tilted her head thoughtfully. Bounty hunter? She had never thought about her role in that sense before. "Yes and no?" She replied finally with a small smile. "I work with a group where we protect merchants and other travelers from bandits and the like. Personally, though? I sometimes just enjoy getting the practice by shooting down a few assholes. So coin doesn't have to be necessary, not when someone was wronged and I have some free time." It wasn't an untrue statement, there had been several times when Anahita got caught up in a fight simply because she had been passing through and caught someone trying something. And she thoroughly enjoyed proving herself, each victory pushing her further ahead when she swapped stories with other rangers. Not that she sat at the tavern that often, but still it was nice whenever someone tried to imply something that she could at least slap them back with some new story.
"Consider me bored and willing to help for a bit, no guarantee on how long I'll linger though. Isn't that better than how others have reacted?" She could only assume that there had been others before that Zenan giving the hybrid a cold shoulder, if not more of a snarky attitude. "I'm Anahita, so just let me know if you'd like some help."
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:22 am
She had Ishani until the bit about coin not being necessary. What kind of person did work without expecting anything in return? Even if it was just an exchange of goods or a place to stay she’d always been taught to be wary of strangers who asked for nothing in return. That usually meant they would come back later, demanding double anything that sounded reasonable at the time, so the teenager was quick to shake her head on that.
Instead, she awkwardly dug through her coin purse with her good hand and pulled out a few silver pieces. “Just…take them. Consider it a down payment on a healer if you get in too deep or a warm drink later.” Whether or not that drink was alcoholic was up to Anahita. Personally, Ishani could have gone for a warm cider after a day like this.
“When I was attacked it was just one person at the time. They were cloaked, and fast, but I chased them. A woman came after me and helped me to fight them off when more showed up.” Honestly if it hadn’t been for her Ishani might have gotten more injured than she already was. “I’ve never seen someone so ready to kill for a few scraps of coin so that makes me worried it’s going to get worse.” And after a beat, she added, “I’m Ishani, by the way. I won’t be staying in the city long myself but I thought I could do something at least while I’m here.”
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:23 am
[Sabra via Discord / 4]
"Fair enough." Anahita wasn't going to protest, even though she would have preferred to accept this job without payment just in case she couldn't get the results in time. Though that would be almost like admitting defeat, right? And she did despise losing in anything. So perhaps she would just stay in Zidel for a bit longer than expected to help out, especially now that she had taken payment from the other girl. She just hoped she had saved some coin in case she needed it for herself. It wasn't like Anahita was going to protest and admit she was comfortable with funds thanks to her own family's standing within the village and from her mother's side so she simply listened as the girl began explaining the situation.
"They openly attacked you in the city?" Anahita raised a brow. She knew that there were some petty thieves within the city, but for someone to nearly kill another here? That definitely seemed out of the ordinary, especially when it was coming from a hybrid girl with very few coins to spare. A wealthier person or someone living in the city with a vendata may have made more sense than attacking a passing stranger. The wording caught Anahita's attention, a smile crossing her lips as she realized something. "So you're not exactly out for revenge then but rather to try and prevent anyone else from getting injured by this mysterious group? You think they were that desperate for coin that they'll attack again? That's an interesting perspective, Ishani." She used the name as if testing it out, Anahita finding that she was starting to like the other girl especially if this was all a preventative measure for others in the city.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:24 am
“Well, the first one did. I think they meant for it to be a quick grab and didn’t expect more than that.” It certainly had seemed that way. The moment she started running after the thief their movements had turned from a calculated strike into near panic. At the time Ishani hadn’t cared much to think it over, but lately that’s all she’d done.
“The fight itself took place on a backstreet and…well, what few actually saw just left.” Ishani shrugged. “They either weren’t made to fight or they didn’t want to.” If it had been the former she wouldn’t be surprised, given the area, and honestly the same could be applied for the latter.
“Well, yeah, I mean I can handle myself.” A twinge to her shoulder caused the girl to hiss and her cheeks darkened. “Mostly. But there’s a lot of people here that can’t. If they were desperate enough to go after me then they’ll latch onto anything that moves, like a sermal in a drought.” If she walked away she could forget the whole thing had happened, but Ishani just wasn’t going to do that. “When the group showed up their leader was a mage with fire magic and he had no problem flashing it around. If that had caught on any of the roofing around here?” She shook her head. The consequences didn’t need speaking to be understood.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:25 am
[Sabra via Discord / 5]
Hmm. She supposed it could have just been a simple theft gone wrong. Though for anyone, especially a mage, to act that desperately against a teen...it was off-putting. Had the alleys of Zidel gotten worse since her last visit? Though she wasn't up here that often, so anything was possible. "Unless your family made enemies within the city I suppose it was just a random chance, they could have targeted anyone going that way." Anahita mused after a moment, thinking about how chaotic that situation must have been for others to flee right away instead of committing to a fight. "There truly wasn't anything outstanding about them save for the mage using fire magic? If you have anything to mark their features maybe those in a local tavern could have some stories to swap, if worded correctly." Asking for help? Rarely could they get an answer, posing the situation under the guise of an official bounty or just from listening to stories being passed around by the roaming tradesmen or hunters? Maybe they could get more information then.
"I could also ask you to go to that alley again, if you felt comfortable enough." Anahita added quietly. She wasn't going to make an injured girl go back into danger, but if she was willing then maybe she could track something from there. "If there's not a lot of earthlings that pass through then perhaps they left some tracks or something from their clothing that could give more hints." As it was she couldn't help smiling slightly at the comment about Ishani handling herself and the concern she had for others. "Sounds like you care a bit about the protection of others, I like that." She admitted almost like an afterthought as she glanced around, preparing to move in whatever direction worked best for her companion whether it was to that alley or a tavern. "Either way just let me know which path you want to take first, we'll go accordingly."
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:26 am
“He’s a hybrid. His skin is darker and his hair is the brightest red I’ve ever seen. His eyes though, those were Zenan.” As for his ears or crystals, that much had escaped her. She hadn’t been able to peel back the cloak any further without risking a burn to the face. “I’ve been able to figure out that he was raised in Eia and lives there most of the time, but I don’t know a name or why he’s in Zidel.” It was possible that a small village like that could be truly desperate in the winter, but to send someone that unhinged out to solve the problem? There had to be more to it than this.
“Yeah, I don’t mind. It’s a backstreet, though, not an alley. There were plenty of businesses around.” Businesses that chose not to get involved. She tried not to stay bitter about that even though she wanted to break down their doors. The comment about protecting others, though, was a little off topic, and honestly? Ishani didn’t know how to take it. So, the teen just sort of…stood there awkwardly for a moment before clearing her throat and leading the way. “Yeah, well…someone has to, right? Can’t let everyone with a bad agenda loose.”
At her age she couldn’t walk into a tavern very well, at least not with someone else around. She’d faked her age more times than she should admit to, but the backstreet was probably the better option.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 12:48 pm
[Sabra via Discord / 6]
Anahita nodded, memorizing the information so that she could keep an eye out for anyone resembling that in the area. Since it sounded like he was a fairly noticeable hybrid she had the feeling it wouldn't be impossible to find at least one story referencing him if they looked hard enough. Bright red hair in Zena? That definitely stood out in the sea of blues and darker colors. "Eia? I wonder if he ever plans on returning there or if even just visiting that village could give more insight." If they were in dire need then maybe he was trying to gather funds that way or maybe he had been chased from the village for wrong doings in the first place? There was definitely some type of story behind all of this and Ishani had just gotten caught up in it by pure chance.
"Okay, then we'll go there." Anahita decided. It was best to check out the scene in the chance that no one had messed with anything there yet. The longer they waited though the more likely something could happen to get rid of any evidence that could help them. "Mmhmm, that's true." She nodded, amused by the awkward moment more than anything. It was a trait that she appreciated and looked for in others, especially those she worked with. But Anahita wasn't going to linger on that currently, not when they had to get moving. "Let's get going to that backstreet and look around." She gestured for Ishani to guide the way, the hybrid shifting so that her own weapons were easier to access in chase of emergency.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 12:53 pm
“It might be worth a shot. It would be convenient if that were his home base, but even if I could find someone willing to talk about his motives I’d take it.” As much as she wanted to go there herself the thought of leaving now, with her injury and her family still in Zidel, left her uneasy. Even if she couldn’t though it would be something she followed up on, that much was certain.
As she walked, Ishani kept a close eye on her surroundings just incase, but the way to the scene of the crime was relatively calm. A few vendors here and there, a man with a cart blocking the path at one point, but after cutting through an alley they popped out onto the street itself. Most of the obvious evidence had been cleared away; all blood was either washed or rained off the streets while overturned stones had been righted.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 3:11 pm
[Sabra via Discord / 7]
"I can see if there's a route there that's not too out of the way." Anahita murmured thoughtfully before giving Ishani another glance, noting her injury. "However, I think it's probably best if you focus on recovery first if you do want to visit that area later." She wasn't going to deny the other girl a chance to investigate, knowing that she could be just as stubborn about being told to stay behind, but she hoped Ishani realized it would be dangerous to go while already injured. It was just a matter of trying to gather what information she could and then tackle things when she had recovered.
Anahita kept her guard up as they walked through the street, nodding her head towards any vendors that looked their way. Most glanced quickly away, but one did look towards her and she opened her mouth to ask about the red hair man before the Zenan shook his head and just walked in the opposite direction. She didn't know if it was because they recognized Ishani and simply wanted nothing to do with the situation or if the people in this area truly were just that rude. Anahita was leaning towards the former though because she had seen some lingering looks towards Ishani, most looking away once they realized Anahita had spotted them. Later. She would try to get someone to talk if they didn't find anything down this next street. "Damn. Looks like they cleaned up a bit." Anahita murmured before forcing a smile. "Let's look around, okay? I'll check the left side." And so she started forward, crouching and inspecting every corner and stone until her fingers connected with something soft and slightly damp. Fabric? "Maybe this is something." She commented, looking back around for Ishani. "I found a piece of material. Anything on your side?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2024 10:18 am
"I won't do anything drastic." Ishani wasn't honestly sure what they would find, but she was going into this with a much more cautious attitude than before. If it started to look rough then she would dip out. Getting out with one injury was lucky enough and it wasn't something she was likely to repeat.
With the other checking the left side, Ishani started her investigation on the right. She could see a darkening on the cobblestones that came from his flames, but if one wasn't actively looking for it it was easy to pass over. Whoever had cleaned up did so thoroughly. So thoroughly, in fact, that finding a scrap of anything wasn't looking so good for her -
Until Anahita spoke up and Ishani felt a prickle of hope. "Nothing ye...t..?" When she raised her head to look over at the other girl the light caught on something. She rose up from her crouch to move toward it.
There, tucked under a few loose cobbles, was the same clasp her attacker had worn. It was made of a silver material, far nicer than their actual cloaks had been, and in a design she didn't recognize. "That-," she pointed at the material, "is the same as their cloaks and this was on it. Recognize any of it?"
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