Horizon Odyssey, Chapter 1, A hopeful fresh start

[CD-Man2021]

Aaron watched Ihsan go. Then he watched Victor and Reo leave soon after. He nodded to Victor as they left, agreeing to return in two hours and pass the message to Ishan if he spotted her. He also overheard Victor tell Reo they needed to talk about something, which struck a chord with the alchemist. He sighed as soon as they left. Ihsan had the general feel of a troublemaker, one way or another He would be a bit worried she might take the money and run if it wasn't for the fact that she probably had more than triple the amount the guild gave her. Reo seemed nice enough, if distant, but always had an air around her. As if she were daring others to confront her. Victory also seemed like a decent fellow, but his last statement left Aaron feeling as if something was off.

The boy completely forgot he was still in the building with Robin, and apologized for the sigh and silent minute.
"Sorry, I should get going." He said sheepishly. "But...Maybe it's just nerves, but is it bad that I feel as if half the guild might turn?" Aaron put his hands in his pockets, toying with the en the blacksmith had given him earlier that day. "Probably just me being new. I should trust them more, we are going into the labyrinth together and all." He said that, but he knew it would take more than just words for the group to turn into a team.

[Curry-Kohai]

Ihsan wandered about the northern wing, looking in the various shops for the best deals. She found a shop with large amounts of adventurers crowded about it. This must be the place they buy this sort of thing she thought to herself, weaving through the crowd, a trait gained through various getaways. Seeing an adventurer with the supplies in hand, she stopped him.
"Excuse me, how much did you pay for that?"
"120 en"
That's not good she thought, looking towards the counter, where the shopkeeper seemed rather busy. The kind of environment wasn't good for haggling, and Ihsan wasn't going to spend any of her own money on it. Everything was going at too fast a pace, they would kick her out or push her out of the line if she tried to haggle, not only that, but everyone around would be able to see a bribe. She frowned, heading out of the store and taking a deep breath.

She continued looking, as she came closer to the tree, more stores were boarded up, and there weren't as many adventurers as there were normal residents who would look out their windows and scowl at her. Something caught her eye, a dank looking alleyway, it looked like just the right place to buy things cheap. She stood there, when a voice rang out from the dark.
"You're pretty brave for coming down here."

Ihsan grinned, she had found her home away from home.
"I'm just looking for some goods."
she said, matching the shifty tone of the man in the dark.

"How much money you got?"

"Not enough to be worth robbing."

The man in the dark smiled, taking a step forwards. Ihsan could see his goatee hiding underneath a blue cloak.
"What are you looking for?"

"Materials for map making, got any?"

"I might, how much you want for it?"

Ihsan paused, thinking about the normal price found in the regular store.
"60 en?"
"How 'bout 80?"
"68?"
"82"
"74 en or I walk."
"Deal."

The man retreated into the shadows, returning in a few moments. He set the supplies on the ground, taking a step back. Ihsan set the 72 en on the ground. She took the supplies, beginning to walk off.

"Anything I need to know?"

The man smiled.
"You know your stuff lady, don't tilt the compass too much, and the ink needs to be hot."

Ihsan chuckled.
"I'm not going to ask what it's made of."
"Better for the both of us."

Ihsan left that area, returning to the north wing, she began walking towards the food market, buying some sugary snacks for her group with some of the money saved, 5 en in total. She bought a meal for herself though, should she get hungry.
She walked back towards the guild hall, pocketing the rest of the en given to her, a profit of 18 en, Every little bit counts. She thought, grinning.

[Rothene]

Aaron's words made Robin frown slightly. Rubbing his chin, the guild master said, "If that happens,well, I've seen guilds make it around with just one explorer back in the day. Yeah, just a single explorer. I won't lie when I said this line of work has a fluctuating population. Explorers die less often than they pick a peaceful early retirement, partly why if you ask around and search hard enough, you can find cheaper goods. And, when faced with the prospect of death in the labyrinth, even a bunch of misfits would be compelled to band together. It is both a beautiful place and a horrible one."

Leaving his desk to get to the young alchemist's side, Robin pat him on the back, Don't fret over the details. That's my job. You go and complete your mission."

[Riseatrance]

Reo scoffed.

"These words are meaningless to me," he said rather blankly, as if he had been possessed. "I'm not going to do anything right now. I'll take your word for it. Just don't blame me if you find yourself on the wrong end of my blade sometime in the distant future." he continued. Reo felt if he was missing something from the story, but he didn't want to push the issue any further. He was already getting sick and tired of this tirade. So protective of such... frivolities! He didn't want to deal with it anymore.

"...Now, if you'll excuse us, sir, Victor and I were in the process of procuring some things."

[FrankerZ]

"What a pleasant child. Just be careful what you say, Victor here juuuust might take it as a challenge~!" Tobias said giggling to himself.

"Erm... Tobi. I don't think she was joking about that." Replied the perplexed Victor.

Tobias shook his head, completely ignoring what Victor had said. "Alrighty. I'll be taking my leave now. I'll see you you two.... try not to kill eachother~, ALRIGHT?!" Tobias erupted into a roaring laughter as he turned and briskly walked away.

"Well... now that's out of the way..." he said, pretending he didn't hear Tobias just say that.

"let's be on our way." Victor was more at ease now, although he couldn't tell if the issue was resolved or if Reo just had enough of Tobias's shenanigans. Regardless, Victor thought himself in the clear. For now at least. He'd still have to be on his toes.

"I apologize for that. Putting you on the spot like that, I just felt it was necessary to alleviate at least some of that tension early on..." Victor was hanging his head low, he didn't like doing that. He had just put alot on the line, his life and the welfare of his friends.

"We're almost there, do you have any questions for me? It only seems fair after what I just made you do..."

[Riseatrance]

Reo flashed another crazy slasher girl smile at Victor. "I don't care about what you do or what sort of plan you have with your friends, as long as you don't jeopardize the rest of us who you will undoubtedly attempt to bamboozle or swindle. I'm on to you, sir." he giggled like a schoolgirl on crack. "But let us not worry about that. I've not much to ask from you. After all, we have barely set foot in the Labyrinth. I may just be a raving lunatic for all you and I know. Let's just hope the future doesn't come down to anything too bloody, neh? I used to assassinate for a living~"

[Skele Von Mann]

Emile walked through the wing. According to the people here, this is where she was suppose to sign up for a Guild. "Even here, goddamn paperwork." she cursed to herself. At least this felt more important than what she's used to; Don't want some shady characters joining and whatnot. Back at Albis, whatever she signed always seemed to be for the most inane of things, and she swore, sometimes for more paperwork. At least she didn't have to bother with that anymore, at least, for a while.

==A few days earlier==

"I'm going to Horizon." Emile said, finishing her breakfast meal.


"That's good Lady Esca- what." Ignis said flatly, the closest tone to him shouting. As Emile's faithful butler, he was used to her...peculiarities compared to others of the high-class, but this was something he'd thought she'd never do after taking the duty of Duchess of Tempest. Taking a moment of silence, he continued. "I mean, would you like anything on your trip Lady Escalade? Bodyguards perhaps?"

"Nah, a few Albis guys I know are going there, so I'll join 'em on the ride. And heard what happened to our "elite" soldiers? Got their arses handed to 'em. 'Parrently, small explorer groups are best, so I'd think I'd rather get a few people there.". She started to freshen up, and Ignis discreetly looked the other way. "Come to think about it, you were a explorer once too, right? Tell me about that". She had heard a few stories that he liked telling her ever since she was a kid. Of course, he never talked about the boring parts, just the ones like saving her dad which earned his spot in the first place.

"Well, first before anything, you'll have join a guild,". Ignis knew she probably detest trying to become a guildmaster, especially since it'd require her to do her most despised activity. And it would've taken too long to register as one anyway, compared to simply joining. "There are a few things barred to non-members, but mostly related to guild exploration. As for what else you might find, there's always a swindler or two preying on novices". He went on about a few more things regarding the subject, before hearing the clanking sounds of a sword. He took it as a sign to turn around.

Emile wore a standard War Magus's outfit. Ignis noted it wouldn't be prudent to wear anything flashy, although he could still spot the family ring on her right hand, and that smoking pipe she was currently using didn't look cheap. "Tell Priscilla the good news okay?" she asked, walking out of her room. The two sisters disliked each other, and if it weren't for rules, Emile would have certainly given to her sister, who valved tradition. But Ignis knew they would surely miss each other, if only because they'd miss detesting each other.

Emile paused for a second. "Oh, and take care of pops, will you Iggy?" She quickly walked out before Ignis could even respond. Although she generally took things in a indifferent manner, when it came to her father's worsening condition, he always felt a melancholic aura about her.

"And take care of yourself Emi." he whispered, closing the door as he started to clean a soon-to-be unused room.

==Presently==

Emile came to a stop. The ones she passed all seemed a bit too pretentious for her tastes, but this "ITL" group seemed somewhat interesting, if only because she had no idea what the name meant. She knocked on the door, but entered regardless. "Hey, I wanna join ITL, where's the form?". She thought for a moment, and added "By the way, what the hell does "ITL" stand for anyway?"

[Rothene]

No sooner was Robin prepared to see Aaron off when another person entered the premise to join the guild. Swiftly, the guild master clasped his hands together and flashed his standard welcoming grin, this time no longer as wide as the one he gave Victor.

"Just a minute while I retrieve the forms!" Robin said as he walked swiftly to his desk for the parchment and writing instruments. With the tools in hand, Robin approached Emile to hand them to her and said while smiling, "I-T-L, stands for, I-T-L. I'll give you a hint. You may not know this language, but it is the tongue of my hometown. 'T' stands for Teneo. You may try to figure out the rest on your own."

[FrankerZ]

There was silence for the rest of the walk (although he stuck exclusively to well populated streets the remainder of the route). The Ronin's cackling and sinister smiles had managed to unnerve Victor, but that was all the weight they carried now. Had she done either to their current degree before they had talked, Victor would have felt skinless. He didn't feel as vulnerable anymore. Victor was still nervous in Reo's presence, but he was certainly far more confident than he was a few minutes ago. He had managed glean a few bits of crucial information about Reo.

The first was he gained some insight on how she reacted to something unexpected like him confronting her flat out. That seemed to be the smartest approach with Reo, unpredictable and bold moves. The second bit was that she may attempt to kill him. Victor didn't take her as the type to involve other people unless she felt it wasn't one-hundred percent necessary. He was on the firm belief that if she thought she could handle the situation, she would do so herself. Plus she said she wouldn't do anything yet at least, so she wasn't an immediate threat at the moment. The last and most important thing he learned was what she thought. He knew most, if not all of her allegations towards him. Knowing what she knew, Victor would be better prepared to defend himself and his secrets from her. More importantly, Tobias knew about Victor's situation. There wasn't a doubt in Victor's mind that his friend had already begun to tell the others to make no contact with him for the time being.

The only thing that truely worried him at the moment was what she had just said; she had used the plural word "friends". There was no possible way she could know how many people were actually involved. Going on the assumption she was guessing this based on instinct, she'd likely look at everyone as her enemy if she didn't already. This could play into Victor's favor later down the road... But, he concluded it would be very wise to lay low for a while, to forget about his true aim at least for now.

Satisfied with how their discussion had gone, Victor pulled out the map of the town once they arrived in Horizon's North Wing. To his surprise, Tobias had scribbled stuff all over the map. Various useful bits of info such as which establishment sold what, which places had the best value, where the best food was and ect. The two arrived at the shop that sold warpstones. Victor stepped inside without even so much as looking at Reo. He silently prayed that the ronin wouldn't follow him. If he entered with somebody as 'frighting' as Reo ruining his first impression.

[Rothene]

Noticing customer, entering the shop, Joanna signaled to her colleague to handle them as she was busy with other explorers. And the boss preferred sitting back and watching his assistants work.

With her standard customer smile, Sui beamed at Victor as she asked, "Good day to you sir, any particular goods you seek? Recently an explorer had purchased a set of map making tools with the highest quality ink and parchment for the so very low price of a hundred and twenty en. Perhaps that too is what you seek? Stocks are of limited supply~"

[CD-Man2021]

Aaron gave Robin a thumbs up and a quick smile. He was right, there were other things that the alchemist needed to worry about at the moment. Aaron was about to make his way out when someone new entered the guild hall. She had short blonde hair and her outfit showed her as something most people going to war would war. In short, she looked like any other common person. She entered without much warning or signal, heavily contrasting Aaron's own entrance. It wasn't until she handled the registration papers that he noticed the ring on her finger. He swore he had seen it in a book somewhere, but the information was lost to him at the moment. The boy tucked this mental note into the back of his head to mull it over later.

Teneo.
...Latin?
"Grasping?" Aaron asked. "Does it have anything to do with that proverb about holding a wolf by the ear?" I and L. He would need to tuck those two letters away as well and think them over. ...But what area of the world still speaks Latin? He was probably way off. "'S probably not even the same language I'm thinking about, never mind." He said, abandoning the train of thought. "Sorry," He added to the woman holding the forms. "I haven't introduced myself. I'm Aaron Cloc and I'm part of the guild as well. You just missed the other members, they went off to buy supplies. Also, I didn't catch your name."

[FrankerZ]

Stowing his thoughts and contemplations of Reo out of mind, Victor put on a cheerful face. With a smile, Victor beamed right back at the keeper and replied "A map won't be needed, thank you very much. I'm here to inquire about a warpstone, how much would one of those run me? And I don't suppose you have any new-comer specials do you? I just rolled into town not even a few hours ago after over two months on the road." He explained.

[Skele Von Mann]

Emile looked at who she presumed was the guild master. Normally she at least had a small indication of whoever she met, but she couldn't get a read on him. He didn't seem like the bad sort, although the same could said for a lot of people. Since thinking about this too much would be annoying, she responded to his answer instead, taking the form. "Always have to walk around the answer, eh?" Frankly she found it far more annoying than just a straight up lie. As her beloved sister would say, she was and liked, things simple.

Looking back at the form, she looked at all of it. As much as she'd love to, there could be always something pesky hidden within the fine print. When it turned out there wasn't anything too sneaky within, she began to fill it. She didn't need to place the paper on a flat surface or anything; She could cleanly write standing up.

Name: Emile De Escalade
Age: 21
Occupation: War Magus, formally trained in Albis.

She was almost done when someone else interrupted her, another guild member she guessed. "Name's Emile De Escalade, Duc De Tempest." she responded absentmindedly, continuing to write. Finishing it off, she handed it to the guild master. "Done, anything else?"

[Curry-Kohai]

On the way back, Ihsan removed her cloak and other cumbersome clothing, revealing the outfit Riyadhish dancers were known for. She grins ear to ear on the way back, having actually made en from money meant for another task entirely. Indeed, Ihsan certainly loved free money. Seeing the guild meeting place once more, she adjusted her bag and walked in, waving the map making tools in the air.
"I'm baaaack~"

She stopped, seeing a new face. A new guildmate she thought, eyeing the newcomer. A mischievous glint appears in her eyes, imagining what kind of money and properties this woman might have. She set her bag down, sweeping her arm to the side flamboyantly and bowing.
"Ihsan Barakat, dancer extraordinaire."
she looked up at the woman, smirking.
"May I ask your name, miss?"

[Riseatrance]

Unbeknownst to Victor, Reo was already standing behind him, though at the current time, Reo seemed nowhere as frightening or as murderous as he was a couple of moments ago. Now, he seemed... almost blank, listless, lost in thought. Fortunately, this was his usual demeanor, he was not one to show constant amounts of emotion at any given point in time, unless the situation called for it or seemed appropriate. At the same time, Reo took the time to remember this location, as it would surely be the place to come to for supplies.