Chasing Whispers [Private/Job/Ilirran]

Job Name: Jagang's Trail
Job Rank: B
Job Location: Heliohapt
Job Rewards: 200 XP and 15,000 Huang
Job Overview:
After hearing rumors that Jagang is at the desert port city, the gang decides to set out to catch him. Instead of Jagang, however, the gang finds magical tools being loaded onto the ship. Defeat the sailors who are guarding the ship and disrupt whatever it is Jagang is doing.

Spoiler:

---

Diego sat in a restaurant waiting for his meal. Trixie sat to his left, her head resting on Diego's lap while Zanzibar sat on a chair across from the Fanalis boy. It had been about a week since Ilirran and Diego had finished their Sparring Sessions. So far things in Heliohapt had seemed to calm down, though rumors were still spreading rapidly.

A young serving woman approached them, but seeing the man-sized tiger resting near Diego she made a squeaking noise before hurrying off elsewhere. Diego was confused by the reaction, but ignored it, his stomach demanded food over answers.

Several minutes passed before a rotund man, dressed in fine Heliohapt garb came up to the table, giving the two beasts a cautious glance. "Excuse me, I hate to impose, but do you mind keeping your...pets outside?"

A quick jolt of anger passed through Diego's features, but he calmed himself. While he thought it was rude for such a request, considering how well-behaved Trixie and Zanzibar were, it was easier to honor the request. Diego clicked his tongue a few times, signaling his pets to wait outside. Trixie gave a small whimper, but acquiesced to the command, pausing for Zanzibar to hop on.

Relief passed over the rotund man's face, "Thank you, we had an incident a couple days ago and a couple of my staff feel edgy around pets."

Diego looked concerned, "An incident?"

The rotund man hesitated, "A young Fanalis woman and an Imuchakk man were dining here when a large beast with a bonehead caused a minor disturbance upstairs. Excuse me..." The man scurried off, clearly preferring not to talk about any incidents that occurred at his business.

Diego wondered if the Fanalis woman was Ayero and the Imuchakk, Yakuroro. The bonehead beast sounded like Akatetsu, yet he was a small creature. His food arrived shortly after, pulling Diego from his thoughts. It probably wasn't his friends, after all Ayero didn't know Yakuroro, to his knowledge.

After enjoying a delicious meal of soup and salad, made from fresh ingredients, Diego paid for his meal. He met Trixie and Zanzibar outside, who followed behind him as he wandered aimlessly. His thoughts turned back to Yaku and Ayero, wondering how they were. Not paying attention to where his feet were leading him, it was a surprise when he bumped into a large man.

[395/1500 words]

Ilirran Iskam leaned back in a small chair, resting his eye-lids, outside a small eatery. He was listening to an interesting conversation going on behind him. Two older ladies were gossiping about the events of the Slave Auction. It seemed they believed a man named Jagang was rumored to be behind the chaos, hiring magician's to make the magical tools of mass distraction.

The name triggered memories of his younger years spent in Imuchakk, dark memories that he tried to suppress. Unbidden, a memory of the group of magicians who experimented on his tribe floated to the surface. He remembered being brought to a cave with dazzling lights shimmering off the walls. Strapped into a chair, a young magician with long, golden hair and golden eyes stared at Ilirran.

The golden haired magician looked behind Ilirran, "What do you think, Jagang? Should we attempt to infuse the Legend Beast with this one?"

A dark-skinned bald man appeared at Ilirran's side, "No, use the leopard. This one is far too weak to handle the Legend Beast."

The memory faded away after that and Ilirran snapped back to reality, just overhearing one of the old ladies mention that Jagang had run to Reim. With a roar, Ilirran flipped over the table, "JAGANG!" A snarl twisted his leopard features into a menacing mask, scaring the other patrons. He stormed off into the crowd, not sure quite where he was going.

Painful memories ebbed to the surface as he walked, suppressed for so long the effect was crippling. He walked around in a daze as he relived those moments in his head. Someone running into him tore Ilirran from his memories. He scowled down to see who it was, to his surprise it was Diego. The anger faded at seeing the Fanalis boy, "Diego? What are you doing here?"


[305/1500 words]

Diego blinked up at Ilirran, not expecting to see the leopard-headed Imuchakk standing before him. A shiver of fear passed through him, not only from Ilirran's imposing height, but because of the angry scowl on that feline face. Diego shot Ilirran a curious gaze, "I was just walking. Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts."

A bright smile lit up his face as he tilted his head, "What are you thinking about that makes your face so scary?" His cheeks had a rosy tint of embarrassment. "You look like Madam Trixie does when she has a bad dream." He hurried to explain, not wanting Ilirran to think Diego had been poking fun of his appearance.

Trixie sniffed up Ilirran's leg, sneezing as she reached his hand. She gave him a playful glare and rubbed against his side in greeting. On her back, Zanzibar warbled, "Squee~" to his tall friend. The spider quickly scurried up the nine foot Imuchakk to wrap its arms around Ilirran's head, rubbing its mandibles in glee.

[565/1500]

Ilirran's golden eyes hardened at Diego's first question, studying the Fanalis to judge whether or not it was an insult. He was taken aback at the comparison to Madam Trixie and looked at the tiger. A few seconds passed before he remembered Diego was a beast tamer and had trained with his pets to read their body-language. "Impressive for a boy so young,' he thought to himself.

He gave a booming laugh when Madam Trixie sneezed, wiping off the traces of snot onto his pants. Ilirran leaned over and started to rub the tiger's back while Zanzibar climbed onto his head. Not wanting the spider to feel left out, he reached a hand to rub the furry, white spider as well. Ilirran had to admit, one of the reasons he liked Diego was because of his pets. The trio's friendly nature was something the Imuchakk didn't see much of.

With a heavy sigh, Ilirran turned his gaze towards Diego, "I remembered when I was young, something bad. People mentioned a man named Jagang..." He shook his head and changed the subject, "Did you want to spar or something? I could use it." A teasing grin stretched across his fangs, "I bet I could beat you this time."

[512/1500]

Diego's heart faltered a beat when he heard Jagang's name, fear flickered across his features, replaced with anger. An old fire reflected in his eyes, fueled by a vengeance that had been boiling for years. It threatened to burst forth, but he took a few deep breaths to calm the storm. Even after all this time, the man's very name caused such strong emotions to flood through him. When he was calm, he spoke in a detached voice. "Jagang? A bald man with spirals in his eyes?"

At the flash of anger in Diego, Trixie sensed his distress and was at his side in an instant, rubbing her head against the back of his hand. Their bond was strong and her animal instincts gave her a sense of empathy with her master. She knew that Ilirran wasn't the target of his anger and couldn't see a threat, so the best thing she could do was comfort him with her presence.

Zanzibar recognized Trixie's reaction and he looked to Diego, "Squoo, Squee~" A few warbles of concern for his master, yet he was weary of the Fanalis' anger. The spider was still unaccustomed to Diego and hadn't obtained the bond that Trixie and he shared.

Looking back at the slave auctions with the rumors in mind, something bothered him. The mysterious man that had gathered him and Ayero had a familiar voice. At first he hadn't thought much of it, but he had a gut feeling that had been Jagang. His face had been hidden behind mask and cloak, but the whole plan reminded Diego of a few of the grandiose tales Jangag had told him.

Diego looked at Ilirran, "Hop on Trixie, we're going to check something out!" Without waiting for a response, he gave Trixie a hand signal telling her the plan before running to his destination, the house where Jagang had brought them.

Trixie waited until Ilirran was on before bounding away after her master. She was not as quick as Diego, but she knew his scent, the warm smell of home. She watched him pass through the crowd ahead of her, turning down a street.

Before they reached the house, Diego ducked behind some bushes as some men appeared from within carrying luggage. He signaled to Trixie and Ilirran to hide while he carefully peaked around to watch the men. They looked like a pair of rugged sailors loading the luggage into a wagon parked outside.

When they went back in the house to grab, Diego looked to Ilirran. "Where are your glasses? You should wear them." He felt bad for asking the question, but he had learned that it was hard to talk...smarter around the Imuchakk without them. Diego hated to think of Ilirran as dumb, the Imuchakk had great combat instinct and he envied that, but the glasses made him smarter overall. Without the glasses, Ilirran seemed to lose the knowledge he had gained with them on.

[1058/1500]

Ilirran was surprised at the anger rippling across Diego's features, unsure of what he had said wrong. He was about to apologize for offending the Fanalis when the boy's temper seemed to cool. Ilirran was floored at the description of Jagang, the cursed magician. His mouth hung agape, "H-how do you know Jagang?"

Diego didn't even notice the question, his eyes were glazed over, lost in thought. Ilirran stood, scrambling to understand how Diego would know of Jagang. Had he been a victim of the magician's foul experiments? Not seeing any signs of animal markings on Diego, he glanced to Trixie, 'Were they successful? Is Trixie Fanalis?' Ilirran leaned over Trixie until their faces were inches apart and blew in her face. Trixie blinked at Ilirran and responded with a sneeze.

Ilirran leaped back in surprise, "What did they do to you?!"

Diego roused from his thoughts and told Ilirran to ride on Trixie's back. Ilirran stared wide eyed at Diego, "You are ok with me riding a Fanalis?" Diego was already running ahead, a Fanalis on a mission, leaving Ilirran with Trixie. The tiger gave him a look that beckoned no argument from the Imuchakk.

Hesitant, Ilirran climbed onto her back and the tiger took off, knowing where she was supposed to go. They passed through crowds getting many stares at seeing a giant leopard-headed man, with a furry white spider clinging to his head, ride a man-sized tiger. Ilirran held onto the scruff of Trixie's neck trying to hold on, amazed that his weight didn't bother her.

They finally caught up with Diego, who was hiding behind some bushes. He gestured with his hand to signal them to be quiet and hide. Ilirran slid off Trixie and crawled up beside Diego. Trixie laid down on the other side of Ilirran. Zanzibar released his grip around Ilirran's head and skittered down to cuddle with the tiger.

Ilirran whispered, "How do you know Jagang, Diego? Is Trixie-" Diego interrupted him and asked Ilirran to wear the Inquisitor's Gaze. Ilirran gave the Fanalis an exasperated look but pulled them out of his pocket and put them on. With a thread of magoi, he activated the glasses' magic which provided him with intelligence and an acute perception.

He grabbed Diego's shirt and gave him a sharp look. He lowered his voice, "Will you please explain how you know that magician?" The more he thought about it now, Ilirran was fairly certain that Trixe was simply a tiger, albeit one with an electrifying touch. "Did he hurt your family?"

[938/1500]

[145/150 stamina]

Spoiler:

"Jagang is a magician?" Diego asked, astonished that he hadn't thought of it before. That explained how his tribe had died, it was because of magic. 'Does Yakuroro know how to do something like that as well?' The Imuchakk had performed a few unbelievable spells with water, but Diego hadn't seen the blue-haired man use a spell that caused someone to get sick.

Diego nodded at Ilirran's question, "A few years ago. My father found Jagang wounded in the forest, my tribe took him in." Diego looked at the ground and gave an empty laugh. "For a while, I thought he was my best friend. He used to tell me stories around the campfire, he told me about the world, told me tales of heroes and great battles. My family..."

He was quiet for a while, taking his time to tell the story. He spared a glance around the bushes to check that the wagon was still there. With a sigh, he looked back to Ilirran, "My tribe was wiped out by a plague. Jagang was the only one left alive. He smiled when he saw me..."

Diego shook off the memories and pointed to the Imuchakk. "Your turn, I told you my story. How do you know him?" It was ironic, all this time spent in Heliohapt, now he found someone who knew Jagang.

[1283/1500]

Ilirran listened to Diego's tale with interest, it saddened him to learn that Diego had experienced such pain. He gave the Fanalis boy the time he needed to tell the story, understanding the painful feelings behind the memories. Jagang was quite adept at leaving behind a wake of destruction, his latest actions in Heliohapt were evidence of that.

When Diego asked for his story, Ilirran nodded wistfully. "That is fair." He took a deep breath, "I come from the mountains of Imuchakk. My clan thought the extreme conditions bore fierce warriors, we were proud of our strength. You wouldn't believe it now, but I was the runt of my family." He quietly chuckled, "The warriors used to tease me. Anyway, one year three magicians visited us, seeking to learn the ways of our warrior prowess. The clan challenged them to fight our best warriors, if they won, we offered to teach them. One of the magicians died in combat, but the other two fought well.

We took them in and trained them. After a while, they professed that they knew how to infuse us with animals using magic. It would make us stronger, faster warriors with the senses of a beast. Of course, we accepted the offer. It was a sham, they experimented on us. Some of my clan died, others turned into terrible incarnations of Imuchakk and beast. I was lucky, my head was that of a beast. Sadly, I think they gave me the brain of one too."

Ilirran exhaled after he told the story, running a hand through the yellow and brown hair on his leopard head. It had been so long since he told the tale, but he felt better now that he had. He trusted Diego and owed it to the Fanalis after the boy had just bore his soul. Ilirran peeked over the top of the bushes and saw the wagon moving down the street.

"Come on, let's go!" He nudged Trixie to sit up, so he could ride her. "Follow the wagon!"

[1277/1500]

Diego was fascinated with the story of Ilirran's younger years, amused that the Imuchakk would be considered a runt. He imagined giant Imuchakk looking down on Ilirran as he must looked down on Diego. He suppressed a giggle, the tale grew more serious and he could it pained Ilirran to talk about it. Diego was awestruck by the power of magic, to change the very nature of a man. How could one person wield so much power and how could they decide to use it for good or evil? He held a deeper respect for Yakuroro, the man held that terrible power in his hands and spared the bandit's lives. In comparison to Jagang, the Imuchakk seemed a saint to the Fanalis.

Diego had been luckier than Ilirran, at least. While his tribe had died, he didn't have the head and brain of an animal. Diego wondered what he would look like if he switched heads with Trixie. He winked at Trixie and she raised a brow, inquiring at the look. Ilirran pointed out the wagon was leaving and Diego leaped up. Trixie sat up at Ilirran's prodding and let him on her back, Zanzibar scampered onto her hind quarters and held on.

Diego and Trixie took off, following behind the wagon, keeping some distace between them. They followed it out of the city gates and deep into the desert. When night fell, they behind a dune where they could peek over and keep an eye on the wagon. The next few days were spent following the wagon to a port city.

The wagon stopped near a small trading ship moored at a dock. The two sailors hopped off the wagon and called to some men on the ship. A handsome man dressed in a captain's outfit barked out some commands to them and the two sailors came on deck. The captain walked to the back of the ship and descended down the stairs into the hold.

Diego stepped out from the building they had been hiding behind and glanced at Ilirran, "What should we do?"

[1629/1500]

Ilirran rode on Trixie's back as they tracked the wagon out of the city and into the port city. From their hiding post, peeking around the corner of the building, Ilirran watched the sailors jump off the wagon. They walked onto the ship, talking with who he imagined was the captain. He responded to Diego's question, "We can get a closer look if we hide behind the wagon. Come on!"

He waved to Diego to follow, running towards the wagon, unseen by the ship's crew. He leaned against the wooden cart and peeked around the edge. A man with a cutlass sheathed at his hip barked orders to the crew. The two sailors from before looked up from scrubbing the deck.

"Someone hurry up and unload that wagon! We need to cast off soon to avoid the storm or we'll never get to Reim in time! You know how the boss gets! Hup to it!" The man had a gravely voice.

The two sailors gave the man a scowl when he turned his back, but moved to obey, mop in hand. Ilirran waited for them to reach the back of the wagon, reaching a hand up to grab the hilt of his Unicorn Horn Broadsword. He leaped around the corner, unsheathing the blade in a flash and swung it in a horizontal arc towards one of the sailors. The sword sliced into the man's neck and he dropped to the ground.

Ilirran aimed a thrust at the other sailor, intent on ramming the blade through his chest. The sailor disagreed with that plan and with lightning reflexes used his experience Scrubbing the Poop Deck to parry the thrust away. He followed up the parry with a swift strike to Ilirran's head. The sailor was intimidated by the size of the giant leopard-headed Imuchakk and looked back to the crew for help.

Ilirran had been surprised by the parry, but he moved his head so the mop bounced off his shoulder, bruising it. He quite liked his glasses and wasn't about to let some measly sailor ruin them. With a feline roar, Ilirran kicked the sailor in his chest, sending him into the rope fence behind. The sailor flipped over the rope with a wheezing cry and splashed into the water.

The First Mate on board the ship heard the splash and looked over. Spotting the leopard-headed Imuchakk wielding a giant sword, he unsheathed his cutlass. "Captain Handsome! We have problems!"

[1687/1500]

Diego and his pets followed close behind Ilirran, ducking behind the wagon with him. Unstrapping his bow, Determination, from his back, Diego nocked an arrow. He kept the string taut, knowing the strain it put on the muscles to hold a tight string, but was ready. 'So Jagang is finally going to Reim.' He remembered chasing a rumor that Jagang had gone to the northern country, but it had been a lie to get Diego away.

Razorwing, the bow he had gotten from Caim's dungeon, hung over his left shoulder next to his quiver of arrows. It was a beautifully crafted bow, but he wasn't strong enough to wield it yet. 'One day...,' he thought, yearning to use it in combat. He sensed it was a powerful weapon and wondered if it had been bestowed with magic. The dungeon had certainly been full of magic and other wonders.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Ilirran leaped out and took out two sailors, sending one into the water. Diego stepped out from behind the wagon opposite of Ilirran and raised his bow. The First Mate on board waved his cutlass around and called for the Captain. Diego let loose an arrow at the first mate, quickly nocking another arrow before loosing that one as well. Trixie cut out from behind Diego and charged up the gangplank and onto the ship. Zanzibar leaped off her back and hugged the side of the ship, peeking over carefully.

The first arrow hit the First Mate in the arm, taking him unaware. He dodged the second arrow and blew a kiss at Diego. "Ah ah ah," He waved a teasing finger at the Fanalis. The First Mate smiled at Trixie, "Oh, kitty~" He purred in his gravely voice and winked at the tiger. He leveled his sword towards Trixie and skipped towards her in an exaggerated manner, thrusting his pelvis. He quickly pulled back his sword and gave a Lecherous Lunge forward, aiming to stab her in the side.

Trixie growled and tightened her muscles, she had extensive training being a Meat-Shield for her master. The lunge bounced off her hardened muscles and she swiped the First Mate with Lightning Fury. Bio-electricity poured through her limb into her claws, sending an electric shock through the First Mate's body. A pleasurable gasp erupted from the First Mate's lips as he passed out from the shock. His body collapsed onto the ground as the Captain reached the deck.

[8 ammunition remaining]

[125/160 stamina]

Spoiler:

'Trixie was holding back for me?', Ilirran paled at the thought. He had sparred with her for a week and hadn't seen the extent of her bio-electricity. Thankfully, he would never dream to suggestively pelvic thrust the tiger. Later, he would have to thank the tiger for not giving him that great of a jolt.

A flash out the corner of his eye caught his attention, he turned just in time to see Captain Handsome leap off the ship and land in front of Diego. The Imuchakk leaped forward, running towards the man with his Broadsword raised, 'Going for the archer first? Coward...'

Captain Handsome had taken one look at the tiger and then at the young Fanalis boy. He licked his lips, 'A treat before we sail? Bless Ceres!' He leaped off the railing to land before the boy. He wet the tips of his fingers and smoothed his hair back, bowing before the boy. "You are a cute one!" Before Diego would be able to react, Captain Handsome spun around the Fanalis and grabbed his around the stomach. "What muscles you have!"

Performing a Lecherous Suplex, Captain Handsome threw Diego to the ground. As the Fanalis bounced, the Captain thrust his hips into the boy's side and sent him into the side of the boat. The Fanalis would slide down the side of the ship and land in the water. A stricken expression crossed Captain Handsome's features, "Oh, it seems I got him all wet~"

Ilirran reached Captain Handsome to late, but used the distraction to thrust his momentum through the Broadsword and towards the Captain. The Captain was not nearly distracted enough, instead turning around with his left hand bent and touching his face. A giggle escaped the Captain's lips, "Oh you~" He flicked his Loving Touch downwards, knocking Ilirran's strike away.

Ilirran stumbled forward as his attack was redirected, nearly knocking into the Captain who side-stepped away. Ilirran crashed into a pile of limbs at his feet. The Captain grinned down, "My, oh my~ Is it raining muscly men for me? Too bad your face is hideous~" With a quick maneuver he gave Ilirran a Loving Touch of the Captain, cutting into the Imuchakk's arm, tearing through muscle. Ilirran roared in pain and rolled away, catching his feet. His right arm hung limply at his side, blood streaming down to pool into droplets on his fingertips. Ilirran glared at the Captain and gripped his broadsword tightly in his hand.

One second Diego was staring at Trixie, the next Captain Handsome stood before him. He gaped at the sultry tone in the Captain's voice and suddenly the man was behind Diego, gripping him by the stomach. Diego was slammed to the ground, hard enough to bounce, only to be pelvic thrusted into the side of the ship. He gasped for breath as the wind was knocked out of his lungs and ended up swallowing a mouthful of water as he landed. Coughing, he struggled to swim, spitting out the salty water. He looked for a way up and saw stairs a few meters away. Gathering his senses, he swam towards them.

The crew on the deck was panicking after seeing what Trixie was capable of. Her menacing scowl kept the fear in them and she turned to witness the assault on her master. Growling, she crept down the gangplank towards the Captain, angling herself behind him after he turned his back to deal with Ilirran.

Sustaining the bio-electricity in her claws, Trixie slashed at Captain Handsome's back with Lightning Fury jolting the man. The Captain let out a cry as his cutlass, Loving Touch, slipped from his hands and clattered to the floor. Handsome's cry turned into moans as he turned around to look at the source of the pleasure. Trixie leaped up and snapped her jaws around Handsome's throat, ripping her head back and forth. She sent him to the ground, digging her fangs through vital organs and piercing his wind pipe. Gurgling noises escaped from Handsome's throat as he choked on his own blood.

Diego climbed up the stairs to witness Trixie brutaly killing the Captain. He almost shouted at her to stop when he remembered the lesson Ayero had taught him, sometimes murder was alright. He stepped closer, checking to see if Ilirran was alright and then clicked to Trixie to stop. Handsome finished twitching a few moments later. Diego removed his shirt and leaned down to wipe the blood off Trixie's fangs. "Thank you, Madam Trixie." He kissed her on top of her head and then whistled at Zanzibar.

The furry white spider skittered from the ship back to Diego. The Fanalis looked to Ilirran, "Get ready to push the wagon, I'm going to let the horses loose." He walked over to the horses, removing their bridles and unstrapping them from the wagon. He slapped their hind quarters to set them off at a canter and then helped Ilirran push the wagon into the sea. He heard guards shouting in the distance, "Hop on Trixie, you're too slow to outrun them!"

[110/160 stamina]

Spoiler:

-exit-

Ilirran watched in horror as Trixie brought down Captain Handsome by herself. Again he heard the sounds of static discharging in the air as her claws slashed the man's back. The tiger finished the man off by crushing his throat with her strong jaws, blood soaking her muzzle. The Imuchakk took a step back, 'I fought with this!' He held a healthy respect for her fighting prowess, especially when defending Diego, but would think twice about sparring with her again.

He nodded to Diego, his eyes still wide, "Let me know when." He moved behind the wagon and at Diego's command began pushing it. Together the Fanalis and Imuchakk dumped the wagon and Jagang's items into the harbor with a loud crash. He grinned at Diego but the victory was short lived. Guards were running towards them in the distance. With the briefest of hesitations, Ilirran jumped on Trixie's back, Zanzibar on his back, and followed Diego.

-exit-