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A Veteran's Plot, Mischief's Draught [Job|Garret]

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Vardreth

Vardreth
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Job Details:



Garret's most recent mission had taken him to the forest that was to be partially cleared down for the construction of the new Port City, Portsmouth. While on that mission, he had spoken with Marinus Nerva; their 'Troubleshooter'. For the past month, Garret had been working and doing the best he could in his position, but he had no formal training and did not understand all areas of operations. He was extremely grateful for being blessed with staff that knew what they were doing, which could only be a testament to the groundwork that Acius had laid down in the years before Garret's arrival. During that very same mission, Garret expressed his desire to learn more about the capabilities of his subordinates, as well as how to operate in their positions.

His beliefs were that his better understanding of the inner working of the individual departments would allow him to make more informed decisions that had a higher positive impact than similar decisions made without that fore-knowledge. Furthermore, due to his careful considerations of things he did not have complete knowledge of, learning these things would allow meetings to go on for a smaller amount of time, thus saving each department a certain amount of time through such a training regimen. Garret was familiar with some of the departments and their tasks already, especially the instructor's classes, and as such his decision was to approach Quintus Titus first in order to learn about the accounting side of their operations.

Garret walked through the main HQ building in their Villa, hunting down the accounting head, Treasurer Quintus Titus. As Garret expected, he was watching over the various individuals he was in charge of and signing off on funding requests or refusing such requests as was necessary. Garret approached the man, who looked up from the desk as he came close and stood. Clasping his hands together and bowing slightly, Quintus Titus spoke. "To what do we owe this visit, Sir?

Garret returned the bow, showing the man a return of respect, before looking around at those that were hard at work. "To tell you the truth, I'm here to learn how the department works. What kind of things our operatives handle and deal with on a daily basis." Garret did not explain the reasoning behind it. At this time, he believed the most important part of his day would be to completely sink himself in the work around him and the sooner he could get to that the better. As always, Acius filled in for Garret while he worked on other things.

Quintus had understood the gist of Garret's thoughts, and called out to one of the individuals who was working the books. "Take the Spymaster here and teach him how to read the books, and how to determine if anything is inappropriate." The man bowed to the two of them, and Garret followed him back to his desk. They sat down, and the man began to go over what the various columns, rows and items represented. Garret did his best to pay attention as the man worked on the book in front of him and transcribed documents from a communication letter onto the book.

It was explained to Garret that the updated financial information was sent via their secure communications network and updated inside the HQ in order to keep an account on all of their various outposts. Each book represented a different outpost, and each outpost had quite a backlog of information. Various items for different outposts were not uncommon, either, as different places had need for different equipment depending not only on their environment but also on the types of buildings and the level of security that was there. The first day was simply spent learning the terminology and how the process worked.

The next day, Garret as sure to get up early and go back to the books. The same man that was teaching him yesterday would begin teaching him again today. In order to be productive, Garret began writing down and transcribing information into a book. His work was much slower than the other man's, having not had much experience in it, but he eventually got his book finished and transcribed while the other man had just finished his third book. He handed the book over for review, and the operative looked over it. The operative explained that when you write the information in, it is imperative to check the prior months and prior activity in order to make sure the numbers on the expenses conformed and did not deviate too greatly with past expenses, and were within the expected guidelines of projected expenses. Garret was shown common ways to detect inconsistencies, such as the techniques called 'vertical and horizontal analysis', as well as ratio analyses for trends of sales. Some common means of the crime were to show higher inventory on paper than what was actually physically owned, and by inflating prices on paper which gave off the appearance of high expenses while the individual reporting said expenses pocketed the difference.

While he didn't understand everything said, Garret had the basics down. He left the analyzing to the more skilled operative at the job, and continued to transcribe the information over. Occasionally, Garret would take the time to analyze the work he did. After a long day of work, he stretched out and turned in for the night. He felt like he had the hang of it fairly well. When he awoke the next day and went to the treasurer's section for accounting, the man continued alongside Garret where they had left off the prior day. Before he knew it, they were finished transcribing the notes, and Garret asked the man what else needed to be done in the time from then on. It was three quarters into the month, and there were no more updates to transcribe, so it was up to them to go over the work of the other operatives and make sure that the information checked out. Garret could not help but bury his head in his palm. So, the tedious process of cross checking everything is unavoidable, huh?

And thus they began the work of cross-referencing other operative's work, while their work was also cross-referenced and reviewed. Five books in, Garret came across something strange. The price of a particular material that he had seen in the previous four books was off by about 25% in this book. He brought it to the attention of the other man, who shrugged. "We found it strange as well. About seven months ago we sent an auditor out to check on things, and when he returned he showed the market fluctuated over there due to a sudden increase in demand and a lowering of supply. The prices aren't projected to lower for another three months, but it looks like its on target for getting there."

Garret grunted, looking at it again. He was confused, and for some reason it continued to eat at him. He didn't want to leave it just at that, so he asked the next question that came to mind. "Who was the auditor?" He would speak to the auditor directly and see what was going on. Perhaps I am just being paranoid? The brief thought flickered across his mind, but it soon solidified into a heavier feeling in the pit of his stomach due to the words the accountant said next.

"Well, truth be told, he died about two months back. Bandits got him on the road, took him for all he had. The operatives didn't find a single Huang on his body." He shook his head, and then looked at Garret. "We did manage to wipe them out afterwards, though, according to the reports from the field."

The auditor was killed. His gut twisted and the thought left a bad taste in his mouth. Garret knew he may have been worried beyond what he should have been, but it was something that he would have to confirm for himself, least he always wonder about it. "Thank you for your time in teaching me. I think I'll take my leave now." He bid Quintus a good day as well, and made off for the city north of Remano, the first city that held his favorite restaurant; The Huang Place To Be.


When Garret arrived at the safe house, it was without advance notice. He was granted access to the location by a novice operative after confirming the correct countersigns. Garret began inspecting the location, asking the novice various questions. Their Cell leader, Janus, he learned, was a man who held a tight shift there. He demanded absolute respect and the following of the rules to the 't'. Garret's worries began to lower, and he realized he may have just been imagining things. Garret asked the operative where Janus' primary room of operations was, and the operative lead the way. Garret entered the office and looked through the room, noting the books on various topics shelved on book cases that lined the walls. A scholarly man, then? Garret approved of a man who taught himself and continued to improve himself. That was the sign of a successful individual. Before he began searching for the expenses book, Garret requested the operative bring him something to drink from downstairs. The operative bowed and left the room for Garret to wait in, as the operative assumed that Garret was awaiting Janus' return. Instead, after he sat down in Janus' desk chair, Garret began to leisurely look through the desk until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out the sheet of paper that had the latest financial information written on it and compared it to the book he found in the desk.


OOC:

Word Count: 1646/1500



Last edited by Garret on 15/10/14, 11:04 am; edited 1 time in total


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Vardreth

Vardreth
Ω-Tier
Ω-Tier

His heart began to race as he noted the discrepancies between the two. A silent anger began to fill the man, though he held onto a small belief that he may be mistaken. When the operative came back and opened the door, the sound of a glass crashing against the ground and breaking broke Garret from his concentration on the book. The operative looked terrified of what he saw. "Sir... That's Janus' desk. You can't... be in there..." There was fear evident in his voice as he trailed off from speaking, looking away from Garret.

The spymaster stood and began walking towards the young operative, rage barely contained. "And why can't I be in there?" The hard tone that underlined his voice leaked a strong level of animosity and danger. The idea that there was a subordinate (Janus) of his (Garret's), that was possibly stealing from the Kou operations created a large upset in Garret.

The operative was terrified with Garret so close to him and the sound in his voice did not help one bit. "S.s.sir... Janus p-punishes any..one who... Who looks through.. His things..." Garret realized that the fear this operative was showing was not the fear of a man guilty of deception, but that of a man who had received punishment for a perceived wrong doing.

Garret narrowed his eyes, the sinking feeling in his gut twisted once again. This was not simple fear that the man before him exhibited. There was something more defined about this fear that reminded Garret of his time in prison. The fear of a person who was on the verge of being broken through torture. "Take off your shirt."

The order shocked the operative, who looked at Garret and then looked away. He stood there, motionless, trembling. "That was an order from your Spymaster. Remove your shirt. I will not ask a third time." Whether it was the fact that it was an order, or that the tone of the man's voice sounded dangerous that spurred the operative to comply, Garret did not know. However his fears were verified when he saw the scar-marked body of the young operative before him. "When and where did you get those marks?" Garret demanded the operative to provide him the information, but the operative was on the verge of tears. He bit his lower lip and looked away from Garret, refusing to speak. "I see..." Garret swiftly turned away and walked over the broken glass at the doorway, proceeding down a set of stairs. His rage had become a hot-white that swirled within his body.

The operative scrambled to follow him, putting his clothes back on and chasing Garret down the stairs. Garret moved as if possessed with a purpose, opening the various doors of to the various rooms. The operative winced as each door opened and was slammed shut after a cursory glance from Garret. Finally, Garret approached a door at the end of the hallway and the operative spoke out for the first time since they were in Janus' office. "Sir! No! Janus doesn't allow anyone into the supplies room! Only he is allowed..." His complaints died down when Garret looked back towards him. Garret could feel the body heat his rage was creating, and felt that his face must have been red.

Ignoring the warning from the operative, Garret opened the doors and walked into the room. He looked about, taking a quick estimated inventory and noted that the inventory was vastly beneath that which was reported.  "You will have Janus meet me in the living room space when he arrives. I will speak to him there. You will say nothing of what has transpired. Understood?" The operative meekly nodded, not wanting to say anything to the Spymaster that would tip him over the edge. He did not understand where the man's anger came from, or who all it would be directed at, though he had a feeling that Garret did not approve of him nor of Janus. The operative believed his incompetence, with the proof of it being carved on his chest, was greatly disapproved of by the Spymaster. His inability to keep the rules of Janus in place by keeping the Spymaster out of the various places were also no doubt his fault, and weighed against him in what he believed to be Garret's thoughts.


When Janus arrived, he was immediately informed of Garret's presence in the living room space. Scowling, Janus gave the man a look that said 'You better not have done anything wrong, otherwise you'll get it later.' When Janus entered the room with the operative behind him, he found Garret was standing and waiting for him. Garret did not even attempt to hide the anger on his face as he approached Janus. "For crimes against the Kou Nation and its operations, I am placing you under custody."

Janus, already understanding what Garret's presence meant as soon as he saw the man, quickly drew his short sword and cut at the operative. The blow was not deep, but the young operative was incapacitated and fell to the floor in pain. The man was bleeding, though doing his best to control it while holding in his cries of pain; Janus did not forgive those who were noisy.

This gave Garret pause, though only short, before he watched the man more carefully. Not holding anything back, Janus immediately dashed forward with his Janus Boost and attacked with his Janus Blade. The sudden movement from the man took Garret by surprise, and immediately shattered his Borg from the large amount of damage that was dealt. That short second that his Borg granted him was enough for Garret to catch his rhythm again, and he immediately kicked at the man with a River Styx Style: Crescent Whirlpool. The man, however, was not so easy to hit. He utilized his Janus Parry and swatted Garret's crescent kick away from him.

Taking advantage of the parry that the man just used, Garret planted the foot behind him and grabbed the man with his hands, throwing him with his Nage Waza into a nearby wall. The man slammed into the wall and began to stand up, short sword still in hand. Disoriented from the attack, Garret jumped in close to him with his River Styx Style: Raging Current. The first blow was a punch to the man's gut, doubling him over from the strike. Garret followed up with a knee that rose up to meet Janus' face as he used his hands to drive that knee deeply into it.

Janus had a broken nose from that strike, Garret felt, but there was something within Garret's intuition from the combat he had been into up until now that warned him of immediate danger. He jumped backwards with River Styx Style: Water Falls in Reverse. Just as he did so, he noted that Janus' hand holding the short sword had been drawn back. Realizing the man was about to stab him, Garret simultaneously used River Styx Style: Redirecting Blows in order to parry away the Janus Thrust. As his foot landed on the ground, his hand swatted the blade out of the way. In less than a second, three things took place; Garret covered his right arm in Magoi through Magoi manipulation, Garret pushed himself forward with the second step from his prior technique and Janus began moving to Garret's left.

Before Janus could quite get out of the way, Garret's hand shot forward at a faster speed as he performed River Styx Style: Ikken Hissatsu: Deep Sea Harpoon. The strike dug deep into the man's torso, halting him of his movements as Garret's hand did the practiced motion of turning upward and cupping the man's heart before crushing it.

Garret turned to the operative that was lying on the floor, slashed by Janus just moments before. He felt bad for the operative, who had been tortured and forced to serve such a terrible cell leader. Garret knew what needed to be done. Though he did not imprint the fan with a spell and purpose yet, he knew that the Royal Dragon Fan had a life-blessed opal within it awaiting instructions. Garret had researched life spells for quite a while, and learned their intricacies before creating the spell for Rithux. Grasping the fan in hand, he opened it up and began feeding magoi into the weapon. He recalled the commands for healing life, and focused it to completely rejuvenate the body. This would not be some half-baked rejuvenation, but a full-body restoration. At least, as much as he could provide for the operative.

He began fanning the Royal Dragon Fan towards the bleeding man, and a mist of gold began to form. This mist coalesced into the form of a Dragon, much like the prior spell he had made with life, though this one was not quite sentient. With a final powerful swing, the dragon looking mist flew forward and struck the dying operative, fusing with him upon Garret's will. The bleeding stopped...

OOC:

Word Count Training: 1542/1000 for Desceld, Gold Dragon's Blessing
Magoi/Stamina: 90/300

Abilities used:


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Vardreth

Vardreth
Ω-Tier
Ω-Tier

Slowly, the operative began to show signs of healing. The wound was closing up from the attack made by the sharp short sword of Janus. Garret closed his eyes, and knelt down before the operative lying on the ground. Gently, he took the operative's hand in his. "Fight. Hold onto your life. You're free from Janus from here on. I need men like you, who follow procedures, but not under men like him who abuse their position. Please, live on. Pledge yourself once more to our goals." Garret encouraged the man to continue to live on. To fight for another day. Janus was definitely a skilled man in combat, but Garret was already working on skilled fighters; his recruits. What he needed now were men who were loyal and followed proper procedures.

OOC:

Word Count: 133


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Vardreth

Vardreth
Ω-Tier
Ω-Tier


With a final push, the magic finished healing the operative. The man was gasping, breathing in and hyperventilating due to the strange experience he just went through. Garret noted the sweat that ran across the young operative's body. A cold sweat, no doubt from his close brush-up with death. Garret grabbed the youth's arm, throwing it over his shoulder. "Come on, kiddo. Lets hit the bath. You need it." He laughed, lightly, attempting to lighten the mood. Janus still lay on the ground, dead, and Garret himself would need a bit of cleaning up to do with all the blood over his arm and clothing.

The operative was silent, somewhat in shock, as his mind tried to process what had happened. When they reached the bathroom, Garret stripped his own shirt and pants off, leaving just his undergarments. The operative stared at the Spymaster's scars, suddenly aware that the two of them shared the marks of shame from failure. Jostled out of his reticence, he immediately began removing his own clothing while Garret prepared two buckets of water for the two of them. Halfway through removing his upper clothing, he sucked in a deep breath from between his teeth. Garret turned, to see what surprised the man, and almost dropped the bucket of water he had in his hands in surprise himself. The scars that were on the man's body were gone.

The young man stared at himself for a moment, and then back up to Garret before kneeling on the ground and bowing deeply, hands clasped. Silently, in his heart, he swore an undying loyalty to the man who had removed the marks of shame from his body and saved him from the man named 'Janus'. "Spymaster... I cannot thank you enough for what you have done..."

Garret shook his head. They spoke for some time afterward, washing up and taking a bath in the heated tub. Garret left, satisfied that the man would handle things well from there on at that branch. He had left the disposal of Janus' body to the young operative whose name he learned was Martialis Lucilius.


OOC:

Word Count: 357


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