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Mercy chuckled at the comment and nodded, "Normally I would rush to leave but you are not my employer and you are not a child." She grinned as she continued, "SO I don't think I'd mind your company as long as we can keep this friendly and honest, because I would rather avoid any conflict that would do me a bother." She noted his smirk and agreed, "Capt'an, I suggest we find ourselves out of this rain as I can feel the chill coming on and neither of us would gather greatly for this occurance."

"And about rewarding, it has it's perks, but it is not what a 'norm' would consider rewarding in the same sense," she shook a moment as a rain drop had run down her neck and soaked into the black ribbon around her neck. 'Norm' was her word for those people that followed orders or tried to live a good life under the facism of their leader. "And I agree, those ..." she pause to figure out what she would address those destructive rats should be called, she decided to be civil, "orphans need some kind of action taken to make them listen, they are out of hand with no families."

“We’ll find s’mplace teh stay fer now, then. You’ve got ‘ny sugge’ns?” Zasar pulled the hat farther down over his eyes and tilted his head back to peer up at the sky, searching for any clue that the rain would come to a stop anytime soon. This, however, hardly seemed to be the case. He turned his attention back towards Mercy, though brownish eyes remained on the clouds.

“No, I’d think’t not. Your job’s much diff’nt from the ‘norm’. Hafta make those kids up standin’ memers o’ society, though. Can’ have ‘em jus runnin ‘round n’ all.”

Hikari nodded her head and clung tight to her sisters arm as she mvoed away from the rain. Her bangs and short hair started to matt themselves to her forhead and neck and with her free hand she offhandedly swiped them away from her face.

"Yami..." It was such a soft whisper, Hikari herself wasnt even sure she had spoken it outloud and not merely thought it "I want to go"

It was clear to her the woman before them did not care for them in the least. Perhaps it was the words she spoke, the way she spoke, or just her over all attitude, but Hikari never did like to stay in the presence of someone who didnt care for her. The feeling rittled her bones oddly.

Slowly she looked back to Annie, for a brief moment debating on asking the woman if she wanted help or not. Eventually deciding better of it she looked forward. She would probably get mad anyways...and I dont want to get on her bad side any more then we already are.... Idly she toyed with the thought of leaving the apple and making a run for it. Surely a woman with a limp couldnt chase them. She sure as hell didnt want it anymore...

As the time slowly passed Emi remaind at her bookstore, she took another sip of her drink and stopped when she heard footsteps...which wasn't hard to hear because of the puddles. She stood up and peeked out of the bookstore and waited to see who it was, to Emi's surprised it was the man that she had given the black book to. Smiling a little bit she scooted back into the book store to get his item and also to but the drink away.

Once the man entered the book store Emi closed the cabinet that the drink was in and turned around "Hello, it seems you have found this place without getting lost in the Lost District, please leave the book on the table over there and I will give you the item that you had asked for" she spoke cheerfully and walked over to where she was keeping the small bag. She turned around and walked to the man and handed it to him "Here is the powder that you requested that will kill a man...or something greater, you will have to mix it in a drink but I guarentee that it will work...just don't try it on yourself. Now, your total comes to....4580 gold" once she finished speaking in the cheerful tone of hers the man gave her the money immediatly and left the building in a hasteful manner. Once he had left, Emi sighed, business usually went like this around here, customers appearing late in the day, don't speak a word to her at all and then just get the item, leave the money and walk out immedatly, as usual she thought to herself.

She placed the money into a safe spot within the shop and walked back to where she had left her drink to retrieve it and sat down at one of the tables and took a sip of her drink. Waiting for anyone else before she decided to close the shop down for the night...

Valerius almost laughed, and would have had his training not prevented it. Safety? In this sort of town, nothing was guaranteeed. Nothing was safe. That's exactly why he'd barracaded and booby-trapped his small enclave back at the harbor.

But, tracking down enemies, traitors...That sounded promising. Restoring the balance, evening the scales...this was what interested him.



The umbrella wavered in Valerius' hands. A general? He'd expected an upper-level officier, but a general was unexpected.

Nevertheless, training took over. Performing another salute, Valerius answered, "I agree to those conditions for tonight. It's been quite some time since I encountered a superior officer, sir. My name is Valerius Saunderly and my rank is lieutenant. I shall aid you to the best of my capabilities. However," Valerius paused, "No reward will be necessary."

It was good enough just to be able to carry the camouflage of a general. Valerius wasn't going to give it up that easily. Ducking behind rose bushes as the two walked to the Red Rat, he felt assured that he was putting the umbrella to very good use.

Valerius felt quite sure that this evening's reward had already been paid in advance: after using the flower bushes on the way to the Red Rat as cover with the camouflage as back-up, he'd rather gotten the hang of the stealth maneuvers it allowed. Granted, leaves and twigs from this and previous escapades stuck up at odd angles in his hair and clothing, but those hardly bothered him now. After all, he had been given a mission.

Espionage too, at that. Valerius involuntarily recalled a story about his grandfather masquarading as a scantily-clad barmaid in order to weedle information out of the enemy. Luckily, his disguise for tonight wouldn't be quite so...demanding. Merchants, merchants...how did merchants act? Valerius was fairly sure that they didn't carry swords, and that most of them liked money much too much. Oh! And that they slouched. Merchants were terrible slouchers.

He took a moment to prepare himself. He needed to give off the impression of not just a merchant, but a distressed merchant. Valerius considered. He could do distressed.

Right. So the plan was that he and the general would set up an ambush, then would act like merchants --no, distressed merchants! -- and would inform the query that they had a "package" which needed delivering, all the while observing the query's reactions with respect to a certain female. Ah, to have multi-faceted missions again...

Trying to repress a sigh of longing, Valerius handed over the umbrella and informed the general of his contribution to their operation: "The plan is acceptable, sir. Once we enter the building, you will know me as only Mr. Victor Street, a seedy purveyor of plantlife. I shall follow your lead from there on out."

Grondax returned the umbrella to the safety of his briefcase and taking out his ledger. "Well then Mr. Victor Street," Grondax held the door for the man to enter, "Let us find where to deliver all these herbs to."

Grondax was content to have this man as his second. He seemed to understand the importance of tracking down an alchemist as well as the niceties of diplomacy. Hopefully, the mistress could be shaken up enough to put her under his finger as well. If Grondax's suspicions were correct he hoped that he could convince both parties that working for him would allow the other party relative peace. At least they would have what could be naturally afforded in such a city.

People often could be stubborn even if their own welfare was on the line. It was always better to threaten a third party to move a second party into line.

Grondax and the now herb peddling soldier entered the main entrance asking again to see the mistress of the establishment.