A Mysterious Meeting [Private/Liber]

The cloaked man whispered back and forth with one of his trusted few. The Fanalis he spoke with was explaining that once again, he had managed to lose the tail he had been assigned. The cloaked man sighed and pinched his nose.

“It is one man, how hard can he be to find?”

“Boss, he disappears, I swear! I don’t know how!”

The cloaked man grunted softly. A Fanalis that had fought two successful battles in the Colisuem and managed to evade the trail of one of his skilled men? That was impressive. Someone he wanted on his side.

“Fine. Find him. Approach him about meeting me. I would very much like to meet the man that can evade you, Sly.”

Sly bowed his head in acknowledgement of his orders and set off to try and track down the man once more. Every time he had managed to catch a glimpse of the other man, he had been at a tavern. Perhaps he should try one.

He searched four taverns before settling at a table in the last one in defeat, ordering a mug of ale as he tried to think of someplace else to search.

Sometimes Liber had suspected he was being followed and disappeared for a reason. But most of the time, the former assassin had been completely unaware of his regular tail and had simply been practicing his vanishing techniques to keep sharp. The young fanalis man didn't know he was actually being followed frequently as of late. The few times he noticed a stalker, Liber dismissed it as a possible pickpocket or mugger and went about his business. Oblivious of this, the man decide to satiate a whim to go have a drink. He had still yet to find a bar he enjoyed frequenting and was always trying out new places, but part of that whim drew him towards a particular tavern. A breeze of fluttering ruhk flew past Liber's face as he walked down the street and while he could not see these birds of light, Liber turned his head anyways. There was the tavern, it was right there and he had the urge to drink, why go wandering around for another one for lord knows how long?

Liber approached the entrance and opened the door stepping into the cheerful environment of a lively room full of men and women enjoying an inebriated fervor. A light smile played on Liber's lips and he stepped deeper into the tavern. Part of him felt envious of those here with friends as he longed for his own comrades with which to share good memories. But he was not here to covet the bonds of others, Liber was here for a good drink. The red head moved to take a seat at a small table for two in the corner and called over a barmaid, "I'll have some of that Apple Cider Ale and some well done meat." He placed a few gold coins on the table with an ample tip for her efforts.

With his order made, Liber leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes as he listened to the background noise and relaxed his body from a day of odd jobs and unconventional work.

Sly looked across the tavern as he sipped at his ale. It was a good brew and he enjoyed the flavor as he thought about how he was going to tell his boss that he still could not find the elusive Fanalis from the Coliseum. At that moment, Fate decided to smile upon him and the door opened to none other than the man he had been searching for. When the man sat down and ordered, he grinned into the mug. It seemed he had luck on his side. He stood and moved over to the table the other Fanalis had sat at, shouting another order to the bar keep.

“I’ll have what he is having!”

Acting slightly buzzed, he used his foot to pull out the seat opposite the other Fanalis with a friendly grin.

“Hey there, new friend. You don’t mind if I sit and drink with you, right? Drinking should never be done alone! Unless you were expecting someone?...”

He asked the question expectantly, hoping the man was not waiting on another person this evening. He could not afford to spend the next week chasing after the other Fanalis, the time was nearing for something more than talks or planning.

Liber opened his eyes and looked to the new arrival at his table without moving and studied the stranger with keen eyes. He looked like he'd had a drink or two in him but there was also purpose in his movements. Either he was very confident that he wanted to speak to a random fanalis he did not know or the man had come to speak with Liber intentionally. Either way, so long as he didn't do anything threatening Liber had no reason to refuse a friendly face. "Fine ale always tastes better in good company." Liber said with a shrug before leaning forwards and putting his elbows on the table bridging his hands into a rest for his chin as his maroon eyes looked into the stranger's own orbs. "I'm not expecting anyone. What brings you to my table, friend?" As a gesture of good faith, Liber's right hand flourished and with a bit of slight of hand he produced two more gold coins as if by magic. The man placed them on the table to cover his order before adding, "The charge is on me, but I'll leave tipping the barmaid to you."

Sly noted the sleight of hand with a clap of appreciation and gave a friendly grin.

“Oh, I will tip her alright! And do I need a reason, other than some friendly company, friend?”

The Fanalis took the moment to get a closer look at the other man, trying to figure out how he managed to slip away and disappear so efficiently. He was Fanalis, so he obviously was not using magic. Perhaps a tool? Or maybe he was just that sneaky. Regardless, the boss was interested.

“Actually, I thought I recognized you from a couple of Coliseum fights. I go there often to sit and watch... and bet, of course. Lost some coin because of you, rather impressive. Miss being able to fight there, but I took an arrow to my knee aways back, keeps me from moving too impressively these days.”

Sly took a deep draw from his mug before resting it on the table again. The story was not totally untrue, he had been to the Coliseum a time or two, just to burn off some steam. But that had been before the Corp. While he had been lucky enough to be on a scouting trip when most of the Corp was destroyed, a hunter had shot him with an arrow, mistaking him for an animal in the freakish blizzard that had popped up. When the hunter had realized his mistake, he had helped to bandage Sly’s wounds and offer him a warm bed until the blizzard passed. By the time he made it back to Reim, word of the invasion was buzzing on too many lips and the news about the death of his comrades had put him in a feverish rage. It was not until a couple of weeks later that the cloaked man had found him and began laying out the plans.

“So do you always fight so well, or were those flukes? Maybe paid the other person to throw the fight?”

He probed out of seemingly genuine curiosity, though it was more to try and gain information on the background of the man.

Liber didn't quite buy the man's initial excuse, but he wasn't going to pry or push for more information. Instead, he looked to the barmaid who was just arriving with their drinks. "Food'll be out in a bit, hun." She said in a smooth voice using her arms to push her already exposed cleavage to bursting. The former assassin kept his eyes on her face however and gave a polite thanks before looking down to his drink. The brew wasn't as good as his first time having it, but the flavor was rich and the alcohol strong, it would do its job well. Then the true nature of this man's reasons for approaching Liber came to light, or at least part of it. The best lies were half truths after all. Neither inclined to believe one way or the other, Liber simply sipped away at his ale and listened to the fanalis talk about how he'd seen Liber's fights in the arena and how an unfortunate accident cost him his on battle career.

When the question of Liber's combat skills came to light, he leaned back in his seat once again and turned his gaze toward the dark brew in front of him as if his response were being reflected off its foamy surface. "Coliseum gladiators, pirates, bandits, muggers...I don't know how to live a traditional life that doesn't include bashing a skull or two in to make my coin." The man took a healthy swig and then slammed his mug down with a satisfied exhale before looking up to lock eyes on the mystery man. "I can't speak for my opponents, but I simply fought to win...You should know my name if you've watched my fights but I'll introduce myself anyways. I'm Liber Aurelius, born and raised in Reim but lived abroad for the past decade or so. You are...?"

Sly gave an internal hum as he listened, it seemed the man had some decent fighting experience under his belt. At being asked him name, he gave a sharp-toothed grin.

“Friends call me Sly… actually, most everyone does. Name’s Slyvester Felinis. Glad ta meet you, Liber. And your fights in the Coliseum were pretty impressive. Shows you have a lot of skill. I like that in a fighter.”

Sly tried to think of a way of approaching the topic of meeting with his boss.

“Ever think of joining that Fanalis Corp? Before they hit hard times, I mean? I hear they were the best fighters around. Bet if you had been around, they wouldn’t have hit that patch of trouble they had.”

The way the man who introduced himself as "Sly" spoke about Liber's fights made him sound like he was recruiting. They were the words of a scouter looking to impose upon his mark that they were an outstanding and coveted subject. Liber was mostly expecting for this man to continue with an invitation to some mercenary group or some other band of fighters. But instead came a hypothetical question about one such group that was dead and buried. Liber gave Sly a look that showed the question was unexpected. The young man took pause and gave himself a few seconds to think about his answer. Once he had it, Liber's maroon eyes rose to settle on Sly's and he spoke honestly. "I have only ever heard stories about the Corps. Even when I was in Reim I...didn't get to see the outside world much. Spent most of my time inside sheltered in a place where things like fighting don't even exist." Liber couldn't hide a slight shudder as his response drew him back to memories of his time as a slave before continuing. "That being said, I've never met a member of the Fanalis Corps. and I couldn't say if I'd be willing to spend my life with men and women I've never met."

Sly arched a brow at Liber’s comments about being caught in a place that fighting did not exist and wondered at where he had obtained the skill to best Coliseum opponents, but now was not the time to try and dig further into the man’s past. His job was to get the man to agree to speak to the boss. He hummed for a moment at the response before nodding.

“Guess I can understand that. The Corp, they were the heroes of Reim. Especially their leader. It was a sad, sorry day they were exterminated like common filth. Wish I knew who had done it. Would smash them to bits with my bare hands if I could. Damn vermin, taking away some great men.”

He did not have to fake the rage or tinge of sadness in his voice. He had fought beside those men and women, had saved a few of their lives a time or two and had them return the favor more than he could count. Despite his Fanalis nature, he fought back the anger, lest he begin to cause unintended damage. He turned his fiery eyes back to Liber, testing the waters a bit more, though he kept his voice low. No need to draw undue attention to himself or their conversation.

“What if you could be part of rebuilding something like that? I have heard whispers that the new King wants to rebuild them, not likely that any would join with the unusual circumstances of him taking the throne, though. The Corp fought for Reim, not Kou filth.”

The genuine frustration and grief resonating from Sly did not escape Liber's attention but he was taking it all a bit more...personal than the former assassin would expect. This was the reaction of a man who had personal ties to the former fanalis corps. that outburst of emotion confirmed it for Liber. Unsure of how to feel about the situation, the young man simply brought his mug to his lips once more and continued to drink without commenting. There was nothing he could say after that having been so removed from the fanalis corps. during his life in Reim. It didn't seem like he had a right to say anything. But thankfully Sly seemed to have calmed and in time spoke up again. He had a startling proposition and hearing the words make Liber's eye dance wide in surprise. Less that Sly was insinuating there would be a second coming of the corps. and more that he seemed to know intimate details about the Kou infiltration and usurpation of Reim's sovereign emperor.

"You know what happened during the invasion?" Liber blurted out albeit in a whispered tone. If there was a group with that kind of knowledge and intentions on acting in Reim's favor, Liber was certainly interested. "If you tell me what you know, I'll agree to listen to what you've got to say about this 'rebuilding' and what part you think I could play in it. Deal?" Liber then looked around and set his eyes on the kitchen. He could smell the cooking meat from here, but the meal would have to wait. He stood up and looked back to Sly, "But I'm guessing you don't want to talk here. Lets find somewhere that our conversation can be more...exclusive."

Sly nodded in agreement when Liber mentioned not wanting to speak of the matter here. He rose and gave the barmaid a wink before slipping between the tables and out the front door. He turned to Liber with a serious look once outside, his face stern as he spoke.

“I ask that you do not tell anyone where we are going. I will not ask to blindfold or bind you, but it is rather important things stay… quiet, for now.”

Assuming the man agreed, he would begin leading him on a winding path through the alleys and streets, sometimes crossing over paths multiple times. He hated the seeming deception, but it would be a security measure, should they be followed and it would also serve as a test of how much Liber was paying attention. As they moved, he spoke in hushed tones.

“There is not much definitive information available, my boss has more of an idea that I do. But what I can say is that it seems awfully suspicious that on the night Kou invades Reim, the majority of the Fanalis Corp is destroyed, the Emperor is killed and we gain a new puppet King, his strings being pulled by Kou. Something does not sit right.”

They would arrive at the edge of Remano at a building that seemed abandoned. After entering the building, Sly would look around, making sure they were not followed and that no one else was in the ground floor of the building. After ascertaining their surroundings were safe, he would lead Liber to a door with stairs going down into a basement.

The stairs were stone and it was damp and cool, apparently some type of storage cellar. At the bottom of the steps was another door, which he rapped in a peculiar pattern before opening it to reveal a room lit and warmed with a large number of lanterns and candles. In the center of the room was a decent sized table and seated at the table was the cloaked man, his face shrouded by the hood of his cloak and the shadows from the lantern.

“I found him, boss.”

“Thank you, Sly. I will take it from here.”

Sly nodded and turned to Liber.

“Whatever you hear does not leave this room. If you betray that man, I will slit your throat.”

With the harsh words and a worried look at the cloaked man, he left. The cloaked man stood, his voice rough as though he was in pain. He pushed back the hood and gave Liber a pained grin, wincing as he held himself up. He had been brought back, but the healing process was taking much longer than he had thought. Such was the price of dying he supposed.

“Liber Aurelius, I assume. Welcome to my humble abode. I am Octavius Flavius.”

Liber found the efforts to complicate their path towards wherever Sly was taking him to be an amusing game at most. He didn't know if it was to confuse potential followers or so Liber himself wouldn't know where they were going. But his Knowledge of Reim's Streets allowed him to keep track of their location in the city the entire time. By the time the pair of men arrived at the abandoned building, Liber had learned that Sly himself didn't know much more about the takeover of Reim than he did, but perhaps this 'boss' they were going to meet did. A small sigh was suppressed as Liber followed Sly into the building and to a door that lead down into an underground room. There was some kind of coded knock to gain entry but it didn't seem like there was much point to it. The location was on the outskirts of the city but it wasn't exactly hidden. If there were someone accidentally stumbling upon the place it was unlikely they'd try to access a basement room and if it were being raided then a pair of doors and a flight of steps would hardly stop any intruders.

Entering into fairly well lit underground room, Liber looked around and found that there was no obvious security inside either. These men seemed to be amateurs when it came to the art of stealth and establishing hideouts, but then again perhaps this was simply a place of meeting far from their true headquarters. Letting his gaze fall upon the cloaked man, Liber nodded slowly in response to Sly's threat without looking at him, all his attention now on the hooded figure who supposedly had the answer's Liber sought. When they were left alone in the room Liber was not even remotely surprised as he revealed himself to be Octavius Flavius. Having never seen the man before Liber couldn't tell if it were true or false, he'd determine the legitimacy of his claim through action. "Your man was sloppy, he didn't even check me for weapons. As an assassin I am sure I could earn a fine bit of coin if I brought someone your head."

Liber's eyes flashed with animosity as a killing intent flowed from his form like a miasma of death. His left hand flourished revealing a handful of senbon needles and preformed a Splinter Spread as he swiped his arm through the air. The needles were aimed all around 'Octavius' but none would hit him if he remained still instead piercing into the candles and walls behind him in an outline of the large fanalis man's shape. Liber's right hand reached behind him and retrieved the handle of his Swordsman's Cloth and with a pull the fabric-like blade uncoiled from his abdomen. Liber performed a downwards slashing motion with his hand and sent the blade cutting towards Octavius tugging it so it would fall short of actually hitting him by half an inch, the weapon cleaving the table between them in two before biting into the floor.

Seeing how this man reacted to these false attacks would tell Liber whether or not he was truly a great general of Reim, veteran to countless battles.

110/120 Stamina

Spoiler:

Octavius raised an eyebrow at the words and gave a chuckle.

“It would be hard to gain anything for my head, considering everyone assumes I am dead.”

When Liber seemed to fairly vibrate with killing intent, Octavius considered his options. While he was not moving anywhere close to as quickly as he used to right now, he did not truly believe he would need to. He had been watching the man long enough to know he was skilled in combat and the trajectory of the needles headed in his direction were indication that either the man was a poor aim or he did not intend to truly harm him. When a bladed cloth was brought out, he arched a brow, watching it carefully with his eyes. He had seen enough combat to know how different weapons moved, though this was unlike any he had seen. It had more fluidity than a chained blade, not having to move around links of a chain. As it snapped taut, he took a half step backwards as the table splintered. He gave an impressed huff and nodded.

“Sly was not wrong. You are good at what you do.”

He shrugged the cloak from his shoulders, his armor hidden elsewhere, most of his body covered in bandages, the parts not covered in cloth showing still healing scars from the lesser injuries he had sustained while fighting Shuram and the two beasts he had conjured. The bandages still seeped droplets of blood, the deep gouge in his stomach nowhere close to being healed yet. His resurrection had stopped the worst of the injury, but it still hurt to move. Ignoring the pain, he still drew the sword around his waist with flourish, twirling it in his hand before giving it an expert throw that would land directly between Liber’s feet. The effort on his injured body was quite obvious as he panted at the effort, but he held his body strong and tall, pride still shimmering in his eyes.

“I cannot afford to compare techniques with you right now. And if you intend to finish the job of those damned magicians, then be quick about it. I am sure you can see I am not exactly in top form at the moment. But if you would like me to be able to breathe enough to tell you the tale of what happened the night Kou invaded, then I suggest instead taking a seat.”

He would wave a chair off to the side before almost collapsing into the one he had stood up from. He was tired and his small show of skill had almost drained what little strength he had managed to reserve for this conversation. He still needed to be able to make it back to the small base Sly had set up for him after all of this was through, assuming Liber did not make good on his half-threat of killing him.

“So, did you come here to fight or did you come here to learn what happened to our country?”

Even when threatened the general was capable of knowing that he was not in any danger at all. The assassin saw no fear or panic reflected in Octavius' eyes, only experience and wisdom of a great man that had lived through much. Following his attack Liber relaxed his posture and the air of death vanished from his presence to be replaced by a more friendly demeanor. "Sorry about that. I've been poking my nose around in a lot of places as of late. I wanted to be sure my mischief hadn't brought me into the den of a trap." There was no longer any question as to whether or not the man before him was Ocatavius Flavius and Liber was confident he need not worry that he was confronting an imposter. But the friendliness would turn to empathic grief as the general cast off his cloak which had been covering a body that had seen enough injury to kill a man three times over.

Empathic pain wracked across Liber's body subtly as he gazed upon the horrific wounds and he fell silent as he saw for himself the injustice that had been done here in Reim.  "So the rumors about the massacre are true..." Liber whispered as he jaw dropped slightly in awe.  Octavius offered to the assassin the answers to all the questions he'd had since he arrived in Reim and he looked to be on deaths doorstep. Octavius instantly became a person Liber felt he needed to protect no matter the cost.

As the general cringed in agony and seemed to be near falling over, Liber instantly sprung into action making two swift swipes with his right hand. The Swordsman's Cloth which had by now fallen slack onto the floor would be pulled of to the side and into the air on Octavius' left side by the first movement. The second swipe would then cause the cloth to wrap around the general's torso with a gentle firmness. The blade would be like a sash tucked neatly around his body. Liber then performed a gentle shift of his weight backwards away from Octavius applying just enough force for the Swordsman's Cloth to catch his fall only a blink after it had begun.

There would be no need for the leader of the Fanalis Corps. to catch himself using his hand, an act that would likely be painful. Liber then let go of the Swordsman's Cloth allowing it to fall harmlessly around the general landing at his feet. With a Graceful Sway Liber stepped off the ground leaving a small crater in the floor about the size of his toe line. His body would swiftly spin through the air landing just behind Octavius in a flash landing facing the general's broad back. "The gesture of strength is not necessary. Shouldn't to be lying down?" With gentle care he would help Octavius into his seat before moving to take his own.

"I came here for the truth. Nothing more. What I decide to do next comes after. Liber stated as his maroon eyes stared deeply into the general's searching for any hint of lies. It was not an aggressive expression but rather had an air of neutrality. He clearly had not made up his mind on how to feel about what had happened in Reim.

100/120 - Stamina

Abilities Used:

Octavius grunted at the assistance Liber offered him, part of his pride wounded but still grateful for the assistance and admiring the care the other man took to try and not hurt him further.

“Yes, I probably should be lying down, but now is not the time to be idle, despite my injuries. While I was resurrected, the person that did it either did not have the time or desire to heal the wounds, only make sure I did not die again from them. It is too risky right now to find a life mage, unfortunately.”

Octavius winced as he rearranged himself to be more comfortable and nodded at the honesty Liber showed. It was clear the man had not made a decision on anything yet, but he was quite curious about what had happened. A mask of pain and anguish fell over Octavius’ face, this one not from his injuries but at the memory of seeing his family so utterly destroyed.

“My Fanalis Corp was slaughtered. Most were beheaded, the remaining members were forced to carry the heads of their brethren through the streets in some freak show. They had been taken by men with magic tools and booby-trapped. Their ligaments were severed to ensure they would never carry a sword again. Sly, myself and a few others had been on various scouting missions, due to return in time for the parade. We returned to carnage.”

He took a deep breath to settle the rage in his voice, trying to calm himself as his hands balled up into fists.

“Somehow, in a single night, the Kou Empire infiltrated the city with magic tools, elite troops, magic carpets. The Corp was their first target. We are the first line of defense for this country. They crippled us. I tried to save them, gods know I tried. Two Imuchakk men were fighting at my side, but they… they were not prepared for the madness we entered. Someone had taken a dear, departed friend of mine and used his image against me. I fell to his blade. After I… died, Sly says one of the Corp members cried out in grief, sealing the fate of the remaining Corp members. He had been injured on his scouting mission and the others had been instructed to scout the city to find out as much as they could. I woke up to a cloaked figure, standing above me, telling me it was not my time to go. They saved me from meeting my dear friend in the afterlife. And then they disappeared. Sly came to me as soon as it was safe and made sure I was taken care of. He found the rest of the surviving members and we have been hiding ever since.”

He took another pained breath, a tear slipping from his eye. Those soldiers had been more than just his subordinates, they had been his family. And they had been taken from him. He balanced the grief and the rage inside to find some sort of calm in the middle.

“That is what I have first-hand knowledge of. The rest of the information I have found has come from rumors and a very drunk Imuchakk. Do you wish to hear more?”

H gave Liber a grief-stricken look, his eyes practically begging the man to let him move on to less painful memories and information.

Liber listened to the story with discerning ears looking for any signs of deceit, however as far as he could tell...every horrifying word was truth as the general knew it. Liber had yet to hear any of the gruesome details of how the fanalis were beheaded and crippled; made to lug around the remains of the companions. This was not mere injustice, it was barbarism and cruelty the likes of which he'd never seen. As the tale went on, Liber felt a deep seated anger towards Kou grow inside of him as no amount of conquest justified such violation and brutality on the very spirit of a nation's pride. No wonder no one was willing to talk about what had happened during the invasion. Liber was only hearing the account second hand and part of him already wanted to forget the details. But his heart would not let him. He would never forget these atrocities until those responsible for enabling them paid just desserts.

While Octavius had managed to calm an anger that had already had days to subside, Liber was struggling to maintain a newly lit flame of rage that boiled throughout his blood. With white knuckles from clenched fists, Liber silently nodded in affirmation to Octavius' question as to whether or not he wanted to hear more. It didn't matter that this further information was only rumor and thus likely not yet confirmed. Liber feared that if he opened his mouth to speak right now it would not lead to anything good. His lips remained shut and his ears remained open as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

Octavius gave a grateful sigh and continued his tale, this time, his voice slightly more detached, though still carrying a thread of anger at what had been done to his city.

“According to the idle talk of the soldiers that were in the streets, the Imuchakk had arrived just before the invasion to talk to the Emperor about a treaty. They helped with the elite forces and pushed their way to the Palace of Kings. The new King, Lagi El Nagi, was with them. The El Nagi clans have always been well-respected around here, so it did not surprise me to find out that one of them would help to quell the invasion. What did surprise me came from an Imuchakk. He is a personal guard to Asisiak, their Chieftain, it seems. He was very, very drunk and Sly took advantage of it to gain more information. He claims the invaders, not the soldiers, but the man leading the invasion, made it to the Throne Room just after them. He said an odd man with a top hat was with them, a magician of some sort, and suspended them all. He said there was a fight between the El Nagi man and one of the men with Kou.”

Octavius stopped to take a drink from a nearby jug, his throat parched from talking and panting through the pain. He frowned as he continued, his face a mixture of anger and confusion.

“He said the El Nagi man turned into some demon and the king renounced him. And then, the El Nagi demon made a deal with the men from Kou. He would allow them to slay the Emperor, he would kill the invader, and then he would take the throne, ruling as an emissary of Kou. He stood by and allowed the Emperor to be slaughtered so that he could claim the throne. ‘This throne accepts my ass with such grace, it is truly the seat of a king.’ He kept repeating that over and over while laughing drunkenly. I do not know how much of it is true, but the Emperor was a good man, a true man. He did not deserve to die. I was not there to protect him and now this country is being turned into some Kou foothold on this continent. They killed my family and they killed the man I swore my life and blade to. I cannot forgive this.”

He sighed, his tale finally out for someone to hear. He was exhausted, but he turned anger-fueled eyes to Liber.

“Is that the information you were hoping to hear, my Fanalis brother?”

A bit taken aback by how surreal Ocatvius' recount of the information Sly obtained from the drunken Imuchakk, Liber found his anger doused by a blanket of disbelief. "That sounds like the beginning of some fairytale meant to scare children into acting in good morale standing...I don't know what to think about it." He said in honest shock as he brought one hand to his face as if bracing it could somehow clear up the murky image of Reim's current situation. At least he had an image to go off of now. When the general was done, Liber looked up from his hand and admitted, "To be honest, it was the last thing I wanted to hear. Some part of me had hoped that Kou's actions were somewhat benevolent. The new king has made moves to end slavery after all...But to hear that they are trying to use Reim as another piece in their perpetual conquest? I had thought they were content to crush the nomadic tribes surrounding their lands..."

Irked by the new information, Liber barely managed to struggle his frustration at the injustice of it all into the core of his heart. It would smoulder there for a time as he pulled an air of gratitude forth, "Thank you for sharing what you knew. I owe you a debt in return. I don't imagine that you would have called me here and revealed this to me if you did not have something in mind. What is it you need of me?" He said, cutting right to the crux of the matter.

Octavius gave a friendly grin when Liber asked what was needed of him, appreciating the straight-forward nature of the other Fanalis.

“I wish to rebuild the Corp. But I will not do so under the rule of this false king. I will not serve the man that allowed the Emperor to be slaughtered. I intend to gather as many of my brethren as I can and exterminate the Kou presence in this land. And then I intend to see this new “King” pay for his crimes against this country. Will you help me find those of Fanalis blood? To take this country back? I am exploring other arenas of support, but it will have to wait until I am a bit more mobile. Kou cannot be allowed to continue their expansion. All I am asking is if you would be on the lookout for people. I do not even expect you to recruit them, I will leave that to Sly and myself. We just need to rebuild and the quicker, the better.”

Octavius would slump slightly in the chair as Sly came through the door with some bread for both Liber and himself, giving Octavius a worried look. The look turned to anger at seeing the broken table, but Octavius waved the concern away. He looked at Liber as he took the bread from Sly.

“I am sorry I do not come bearing better news. But the truth is always a bitter pill to swallow.”

As he spoke, Sly would begin peeling away his bandages to clean the leaking wounds and then redress them with clean linen. It was obvious the soldier cared a great deal for his General and was doing all in his power to speed the recovery of the injuries.

“What say you, Liber Aurelius. Will you help us?”

The general's next words were everything Liber hoped he wouldn't say. While he now held a deep respect for Octavius over his experience and what he had been through, Liber didn't necessarily like the idea of joining the Corps. at the moment. Perhaps if the nation were not simmering upon the conflagration of civil war, he would be accepting of such a decision. However at the moment simply speaking to Octavius put Liber under an incredible spotlight. Should he affiliate himself with this man when he is healed and comes out of the shadows, Liber would likely follow and find himself the target of all of Zou. Giving a sigh Liber leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes as Sly entered the room.

"Sorry General Flavius, but I am a blade in the shadow. You don't want me in your Corps. as it is in my nature to infiltrate and backstab." The disturbingly bright maroon eyes would open with a wide emotionless stare akin to that of a predator beast in the wild. Surely the general would recognize this gaze from some monstrous beast he'd faced in the past. The Assassin flexed his fingers open and closed twice sequentially revealing a pair of needles and then hiding them once more using sleight of hand tricks to make it seem as though they were appearing and disappearing out of nowhere. "I will not promise to fight against Kou. I have been in their homeland before and know that good and just people live among them. Even among members of the military whom may have been involved in the invasion there are surely those who do not deserve vengeance being wrought upon them."

The bestial primal-ism faded from Liber's eyes as he moved to reclaim his Swordsman's Cloth before wrapping it around his abdomen once more. "If you find information on the locations and names of those carrying the weight of sin heavily upon their shoulders than let me know. If I decide they have wronged and oppressed others then I will take their lives on my own accord, you need not compensate me...Perhaps when a just king is on the throne I will step out of the shadows and serve Reim openly, but for now I must bid you farewell." He turned to walk away but stopped at the door and cocked his head back to ask, Unless there is anything else you want to say. A first target would be nice."

Octavius sighed but nodded at Liber’s words, understanding the position he had put the other Fanalis in. Looking up at Sly, he gave a small murmur of thought before looking back to Liber.

“While I do not have a target now, there is a small fountain near the slums of the city. On the north side is a stone wall. One of the stones is loose, we use it to convey messages, occasionally. If I should find work for you, I will leave you word there, if that is acceptable. Hopefully, the next time we speak, I will be slightly more mobile.”

Octavius would grunt as Sly helped him from the chair. If Liber accepted his offer, he would offer him thanks and luck before making his way painfully up the stairs. If Liber declined, he would be understanding and bid him farewell. Sly helped him at a slow pace up the stairs, another Fanalis greeting them at the top door and helping to shoulder the load of the wounded General.

[exit]

Liber listened to the location of the dead drop and then nodded. It was a familiar form of communication between employers and assassins which he had seen before. Liber wasn't fond of the method himself, but it would do for now. With that, he took his leave up the stairs not waiting to be caught behind the slow moving injured Octavius. He passed the Fanalis at the top of the steps flashing him a smirk before walking out the door to disappear into the night. This was an interesting development, but also a troubling one. Now knowing that Octavius Flavius lived, Liber felt that Reim had been spared from at least one of the horrible blows sustained. But if he took the general's words for truth, and he did, there was an undeniable threat. Hopes of Kou being benevolent in their actions were smothered. Blood would flow in Remano's streets sooner or later and Liber would ensure it did not belong to any of her citizens.