"Right. That's it Rick. Tell me how you do it, you won't be able to cheat me again because I'm not going to play with you again."

Rick smiled his wicked smile and laughed. "What makes you think you've been cheated Philip? Is it just the knowledge that you are very bad at playing cards that makes you such a sore sportsman? Remind me when was the last time you won, even when you dealt? Lets not go into such trivial details, shall we?"

Philip ground his teeth and decided that he needed a breath of fresh air even though the rain was pelting down outside.

"See you in a minute. Rick." With this he shoved his helmet on his head, grabbed his spear and stopped out to the sound of Rick's laughter.

Lana leaned against the wall of the gatehouse, only slightly protected from the elements here as the rain poured down. She was here to watch for the man that the guild was using as a courier. Name of Sharlek Mazvil, tall, always dresses as a beggar with a twitchy walk, carries twin daggers hidden in his boots, hides notes in his vest, dumb as a post. That was what she'd written in her journal.

She was getting rather soaked waiting for him here, though. She was highly tempted to call it a day and head back to her office, or home if that was how you chose to think of it... But she didn't. She was too stubborn for her own good sometimes, she thought wryly.

Idly, she gathered her mud brown hair, tied back as it was, and wrung it out.

Lana turned to the guard that had bumped into her with a smirk. "You could try watching where you're going," she said wryly. "Sure, that helmet probably impedes your vision, but still... Take it from someone who knows." She pointed to her eyepatch to make her point, then went back to watching the street, dark eye scanning the passersby looking for the familiar beggar with the twitchy walk.

Philip thought about arguing with this impertinant girl but remembering the dagger at her belt decided to let her be and to simply turn around and go back into the gatehouse, where he could be sure the only things he would lose were his money and his pride and not any part of his body.

She shivered, completely soaked through, and decided to put today up as a loss. After all, she wasn't exactly getting paid to follow this guy around, nor would it be a good idea to catch a cold in case somebody decided to stop by and offer her work. She wouldn't be a very good investigator if she had a nasty cold. Wouldn't be able to follow anyone if they kept hearing her coughing everywhere they went.

With a sigh, she headed off towards the docks, several miles to the east down city streets. It would take hours to get there because, always cautious for good reason, she tried to stick to either neutral territory between the several competing criminal organizations, or places that had more guards patrolling. She hadn't lived this long by being stupid.

((Continued in "The Streets"))

[Continues to streets]

"I can tell by your faces that something's up, and not worry, I'll find out what. Remember, I'm a hunter" Lorne says to his acquaintances and ends with a wink, before he dons his hood and strolls to the streets.

[To the Streets!]

"Run, boy, run!!!" Spyre wailed.

The dog was then bowled over by the guards.

"Pardon me." He called out to the guards. "What name is this fine city called by?"

While waiting for an answer, the man ran a callused hand through his oddly purple-tinted hair, hoping to get at least *some* of the water out.

One of the guards stood up and leaned out the open window. "This 'ere is the Citadel of Elarope. Welcome."

The man nodded, "Elarope." The corner of his mouth turned up slightly, "Thank you."

He saluted the guard with his weapon and continued on his way through the city.

-I'll find you- He thought to himself. -And when I do, you'll wish you'd never known my father-

((Continued in The Streets))

She smiled. Now to find her DEAR cousin.

((To the streets))

"Hurry up pumpkin, the man-candy ain't gonna wait forever!"

Lily rolled her eyes at her flamboyant sibling but giggled and hurried up, snatching up his hand and swinging their linked handsbetween them as they walked.

"Where are we headed?" she asked, ignoring the looks they drew from the crowd.

"Well have a looka round first, I guess." he answered with a twinkle in his eyes, "Onwrds!" he cried, almost poking some poor passer-by in the eye as he pointed forwards dramatically.

((To the Streets))

Donny and two rather well-kept and well-dressed members of his gang entered through the gatehouse, seeming like normal travelers. Donny lead them to the door into the actually gatehouse and peered in at the guards.

"Excuse me, sirs, is there anything special going on in the marketplace here?" He asked out-loud.

The two guards sitting around looked to him and walked over to the doorway. Three more came in through a door in the rear of the room, and the two at the gate looked at them curiously.

"Some exotic shops and merchants have came through, they might still be there." One guard answered.

"Ahh, thank you." Donny replied with a slight bow. As he did so, the man to his left leaned against the doorpane and put his left foot behind his right (like a person might when leaning against something), and tapped the ground seven times evenly, seeming to have just fidgeted.

In the brush nearby the gate the rest of the forty-man band waited, weapons ready.

"Seven guards." One stated as he saw the signal and turned to look at the few members of the gang he could see. "You all ready?" He asked.

((Dani, your choice where your character is. Could be with Donny and the other two at the gatehouse, or can be waiting in the brush.))

Which led to the current moment. She was crouched on a rooftop with her sais ready and her throwing daggers within an easy reach if they were needed. Anytime she wished, she could throw one and hit whatever target she wanted, having honed her skills to an expert level. Rommie glanced over at Donny to see what would happen now.

The guards immediately ran out and after Giles as he cut the noble down, and Donny and the other man drew their sabers, cutting down the nearest two guards.

Several arrows and handaxes whistled through the air, cutting down three more guards and the rest of the band ran for the citadel entrance. The last guard stood in the doorway and held his pike at the ready. Through a door that wasn't noticed before, five more guards came through and heard the commotion, and quickly ran to support their comrade. The gang crashed at the windows and walls, trying to get in but the guards stabbed their pikes through the small holes the gang would find.

"Quickly lads!" Donny bellowed, getting a bit worried as he continued searching the street for witnesses.

((They should hit but they're your guards so...))

"Alright, let's move." Donny said and the gang cleared out and into a nearby alleyway, Donny at the lead.

Four archers walked past Rommie as they went for the gutter and slid down before rushing across the street to follow. Two of them climbed up on the roofs on the opposite side of the street and followed the gang, keeping an eye out overhead.

((To the Streets.))

((To The Streets))

Then he stood up. The guard was dead. Quickly he walked from one to the next checking for any survivors but found none. He had to wonder if raiders had attacked here as well. With a sigh he continued to walk, heading down the street.

((To the Streets))

A gust of wind passed by them and when it stopped they were gone.

( To the streets.)

Athen trudged through the gateway, dragging a small fishing rod behind him. It hadn't always been like this. All this trudging. If he could sleep he would have, but....

Well, those fish looked healthy enough. And it might have been helpful if someone had told him that eating one would result in horrid convulsions of the bowels.

But that was then, this is now. Now he was in a new city. What was it... Ellabel... Elarina... Elarope? Yes, Elarope. That was it. And what a city it was. Athen soaked up the details through heavy eye-lids. Bustling people, shops, pubs and a few warehouses -probably homes to gangs or something of the such-.

He was just through the gateway, but something caught his eye. Two things caught his eye.

Two guards were stationed side by side next to a wall. And they were staring. Wide-eyed stares like the ones a little girl would have if she saw a very cute puppy.

But these guards weren't little girls. And Athen was no puppy.

Athen growled, but averted his gaze, eyes trained on the cobblestones. But out of the corner of his eyes, the wide-eyed stares of the guards followed him.

Just staring. Constant, wide-eyed stares.

Athen turned towards the sky and tried to quicken his pace. The sky. Yes, the sky. Humans seemed to like talking about the sky....

And yet the guards stared on.

Athen twitched and halted and then slowly turned to stare back at the guards. He glared. "What?" He groaned, "Am I obliged to talk to you or something?"

Suddenly one of the guards blinked and his eyes shot skywards. "Ah! Nice sky today right, Frankie?" He sharply nudged his partner in the ribs, who jumped, blinked and then quickly joined his companion in sky-staring.

"Why yes, Gerard! What a lovely sky! Sun and everything! And it's so blue!"

Athen growled and padded deeper into the citadel, the voices of the blabbering guards fading into the crowds. Athen retreated into the streets.

Once he was gone, Gerard finally looked down from the sky and frowned. "You know what?" He asked Frankie. Frankie shrugged. "Well it would be damn nice if they just tried to talk to us, right? Just to be polite and all." Frankie nodded. "I mean," Gerard continued, "Name on person who has asked us how our day has been!"

Frankie scrunched up his face for a moment, "Dundee?" Gerard threw his arms into the air.

"Dundee asks EVERYONE that! 'How is your day' is the only bloody common he can speak!" Frankie grimaced.

"What? No, he speaks common..." He turned behind him and waved to another guard wearing an odd, lopsided wide-brim hat, sandals and holding a bottle marked "XXXX". "Oi! Dundee! How's your kid?"

Dundee waved back and yelled. "Orright! But the little anklebiter almost got 'imself stolen by a dingo, moite! Can't ferget the 'roos either! Bloody 'roos an' dingos tryin' ta steal moi boibee, moite--"

Gerard threw his halberd to the floor, "CAN’T YOU AT LEAST TRY AND SPEAK COMMON, YA BLOODY LOON?!”

((Edit: TO THE STREETS! :P))

'You're dreaming, mate.' she said to herself and laughed. This looked to be as an interesting city as the last one. Inanna was fairly sure she had seen bulky horned man with orange hair in the last tavern she had stopped at.

Slightly uplifted, she straightened her posture and strode down the cobbled pathway and into the citadel.

((And if you don't know where 'You're dreaming, mate' comes from, you're not a real aussie :)! ))

Enter Eravel.

The day was slightly muggy and Eravel was already in a bad mood, so she didn't bother with a cloak to hide herself in. She figured that if people wanted to stare, they could stare. After traveling for days without a decent, intelligent companion, she was beginning to feel as if the entire world was full of morons. Morons and people who couldn't keep their eyes off her.

She rolled her eyes in disgust, trying to think to herself that she would be just as unhappy with the stares if she was hiddeous, instead of stunning. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed two guards who seemed slightly dumbfounded, and maybe a tad eager.

All they got from her, though, was a snide smirk before she walked away without a second glance.

((To The Streets!))

Reine smirked. The sun was gone today, so he was very happy. If it hadn't been, he'd have to go in by nightfall, and he really hated having to pass the guards at night. They were always so bloody twitchy, and had trigger- or more likely, string- happy fingers!

Yeah. He hated going in by night.

As he sauntered by, one of the guards snickered about how he was so small for a traveller. Of course, Reine being who he is, the man had a dagger poised at his throat in the next two seconds.

"Would you like to say that again, my dear sir?" Reine asked sarcasticely. The man shook his head. Reine left then, having fed only ten minutes earlier. Bloody hell, he thought, as he walked through the gates. That cow was good...

{To the streets, I guess}

After quite a few days of walking, Edward spotted a gatehouse.

"Where there's a gate," he said, "there's a town." He walked over to the gatehouse and noticed two guards.

"Ooh, I love men in uniform!" Edward said. When he approached them, however, his hopes were greatly lowered.

"Uh, never mind," Edward said. "Excuse me, but where am I?"

"This is the city of Elarope, good sir," responded a guard.

"Thanks, darling," Edward said, walking through the gates.

[To the Streets!]

A boy was walking around, "Oh dear I'm lost..." he muttered and saw a gate to the city. "E-Excuse me sir." he said, "Umm can I come in?" he asked one of the guards, "Sure kid whatever." He nodded and said, "Thank you." and went inside.

A girl wearing a red hooded cloak walked along. She had her face hidden but you could catch glimpses of her hair, "Why hello." she said to the guards. The guards just looked at her, "May I come in?" they just shrugged and let her in. "Thank you." she walked past them.

Ignatius approached the gatehouse. He asked one of the guards. "Excuse me?" he said. "But did a young man with blond hair with a pink streak come by here?"

"Oh, yeah," the guard replied. "That pansy?! Yeah, he floated on down into town, the poofter!"

Ignatius unsheathed the Blade of Light, pushed the guard against the wall, and brought the Blade against his neck.

"What did you call him?!" Ignatius shouted, before releasing the guard and walking into town.

((To the Streets! And to Edward!))

This time...A small boy wearing a deep yellow robe walked up to the guards and looked at him. He gave them a smile and just like that he enetered the guards standing their dazed.

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