Welcome to Imuchakk [Private/Azix/Garret]

Asisiak walked along the snowy path, her spear acting as a walking stick as she moved over the slick surface. She was in no danger of falling, this was her country, her territory, her terrain. She had grown up on this icy island and had learned to control her steps at a young age to keep from falling. A messenger informed her the ship carrying Marquis Niraj and his workforce group were arriving and she intended to greet them. She would not risk the treaty being broken because of negligence on her part, she intended to see this first group through every step of the transition.

She approved of Azix taking the initiative to come himself to ensure everything went smoothly and she felt she owed him the respect to greet him personally. As the ship pulled up to the dock, she made her way to the end of it and stood waiting until he was close enough to hear her over the chilled wind drifting off the sea.

“Marquis Niraj, welcome to Imuchakk!”

Standing atop the deck of Madam's Fury, Azix watched the flickering of the stars in the late night sky. A chill from the northern winds seeped into his bones, but he refused to go down into his cabin. He wrapped the fur cloak Ariella had given him tighter around his body. An anxious feeling clung tightly to him, every day was a step closer to Imuchakk, yet it was still far off in the distance. A noise behind him made him stir from his thoughts and he turned to see Trixie standing behind him.

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, "Care for a chat in my chambers? I can assure you it is much warmer there than up here." She held out her hand towards the door below decks.

Azix looked back up for a final gaze at the stars, wondering if Ariella was staring at them too. Even though he had promised himself that he would put thoughts of her aside, the memories still trickled into his waking mind. With a sigh he tore his gaze from the stars and followed Trixie to her cabin. Once inside he sat down when she offered him a seat and watched as she pulled another one up nearby before sitting down herself. Azix waited for her to speak but Trixie seemed content to just share his company.

After silence lapsed for several minutes, Azix spoke up. "I never did get a chance to apologize for the Black Crows. Even if I didn't realize the problems you would end up having, I feel part of the blame lies at my feet. When I was last on this ship, I was full of hubris to think a random kill would solve both of our problems. I acted impulsively and let my mouth do the talking. It wasn't the last time that happened either, but I would like to think I'm a bit wiser now."

Trixie hummed softly to herself and gave him a wink, "I knew you got yourself in over your head." She gave a small chuckle before her face grew serious and her look distant. "After the mishap with the Black Crows and the blizzard, I wanted to lay the blame at your feet. I almost sent the rest of my men to search you out and bring you back to me. Once I calmed down, I realized that I too hoped your scheme to force the Black Crows into my hands would work. I was just as at fault for their rebellion. The Black Crows and us have been enemies for far too long."

Azix wore a bemused expression on his face as he looked over at Trixie. "You knew I was desperately grasping at straws back then and you let me live? Why?"

With a sigh, she stood up and walked over to her desk to fiddle with some papers. "Do you know what it has been like for me and my crew? For years we have fought oppressive governments in small navy battles and tried to help save refugees. While other pirates focus on plundering the poor, I focused on the opposite, but what has it earned us? The tyrants still rule with an iron fist and they just made hurting them that much harder."

She walked back over to her seat and sat down. "When I saw you...I felt something. I don't know how to describe it, but it felt like you weren't supposed to die. My instincts told me that I was supposed to nurture you and help you with your goals. I think you are meant to make great waves of change in this world and my part is to make sure they are good changes. I guess I assumed if I showed you kindness, you would show the world kindness. That is why I let you live."

Azix was stunned by her response, he had assumed that she would make a teasing comment. Instead, she seemed to look up to him in a way that others had started to. At first it had been the Grumptoes, then Ariella. Slowly, he had even caught glimpses of Garret giving him strange looks. Now, the workers from his initiative looked up to him as well. It was a strange thing, somehow he had gone from an angry Kouen spy to a benevolent defender of the people. Fate had certainly led him by the hand for that one, but Azix wondered if everyone was right to trust in him. There were good things to show for himself, but the bad things outnumbered those good deeds.

Trixie noticed him descend into what appeared to be disquieting thoughts and cleared her throat. Seeing that the noise had roused him, she gave him a soft smile. "Azix, I know you have repaid that kindness. While I don't know what happened when Reim was taken over by Kou and I don't want to know, I have heard about your exploits. The education reform and workforce initiative are positive forces of change and I believe they are the start to good things. I am sure you have your sins to bear, the Goddess of the sea knows I do, but don't let your past distract you from the future. The fact that your sins still haunts you means your heart is in the right place."

Azix was surprised she had read him so easily, but then again, she had managed a fleet of a thousand ships. If Trixie couldn't read people she wouldn't still be here, especially around a gang of pirates. The high seas were notorious for mutiny and only the strongest leaders could hold dominion over their crew. He nodded and choked back his worries. "Thank you Trixie, I am glad to hear that you think so."

With a devilish grin, Trixie nodded and leaned back in her seat. The two of them lapsed back into silence, enjoying each others company without need to talk.

---

Azix searched for his friend on the ship and finally found Garret in his cabin. He slipped inside and took a seat on the floor. There was a matter that had been troubling him, but the events with Trixie had been a distraction from the topic. While he spoke, Azix used the operatives' sign language. "It has been a long trip, I can't wait to get to Imuchakk. The workers are anxious to get there as well. I wonder what the country will be like." Earlier you mentioned your foster father was staging a rebellion in Reim. Do you know how he is planning to accomplish that? Are the citizens at risk of a blood-bath? The idea of a fresh rebellion worries me, there are people who just want to live a normal and peaceful life, but a new war will make that impossible. While I don't care about the money, I invested my fortune into these programs and people depend on them. If something were to happen, the funds would get lost as spoils of war and the people would be back to where they were before, possibly worse off.

---

A shout from above decks woke Azix from his nap. As he sat up in his cot, Azix could feel more than hear the ship bustling with activity. Curious, Azix grabbed his fur cloak and made his way up to the deck. In the distance, Azix could make out the shape of land. The workers were all topside as well and crowding around the side of the deck pointing in fascination. The crew worked around them, grumbling quietly about how all these people made it harder to work.

Azix waved the workers over and led them downstairs to get out of the crew's way. Once they were out of the way in a small room, he went over the rules once again. Each person would be assigned to a village to help and to learn. Everyone was required to be on their best behavior and try their best to learn the differences in culture. They already knew the Imuchakk were uncomfortable with outsiders and this group had been picked because they were eager to travel. A sense of adventure had grabbed them by their coattails and nothing would deter them from visiting this strange, new land. They understood that if they failed at being good guests, it wouldn't affect just them, but anyone else who wanted to visit Imuchakk.

Once he was confident they would do their best to fit into the Imuchakk way of life while they were here, Azix dismissed the workers. All that was left to do was wait till they arrived.

---

Madam's Fury docked at the Imuchakk port and the gangplank was lowered. Trixie's crew began unloading supplies out of the way on the dock while Azix gathered the workers. He met with Garret along the way and they made their way down the gangplank. To his surprise, Chief Asisak was waiting to greet him.

He smiled at her greeting and gave her a bow. "Thank you, Chief Asisiak. I appreciate you having us here. From what I have seen, Imuchakk is a beautiful country. I have informed the workers to be well-behaved guests. Are there any cultural differences they should keep in mind?"

As Azix had entered the Captain's Cabin, Garret had come up from below deck, just missing the Marquis. The clothing he wore was much more appropriate for the cold air than his normal outfits, having fur lining from within. The designs on the sleeves and over the back of the coat he wore were green, over a white fabric, and were simple in design. Covering his hands were a pair of white gloves, protecting them from the frigid air by keeping them warm. Furthermore, these gloves had small bumps on the palms that allowed for greater grip on an object held in his hands. His pants were a simple black, made with cold water environments in mind. Garret had a second layer of clothing beneath the visible layer, further keeping him warm as they got closer and closer to the Imuchakk lands. Upon the man's side was a custom-made blade, one of which he had made for him after he had entered the mines and defeated those Mine Guardians. The ore from the older ones were invaluable, and the resulting blade was an impressive piece of craftsmanship.

Garret let out a breath, and noted the visible heat that resulted from it. Shaking his head, Garret walked upon the center of the deck. For the most part, people were sleeping, though there were still lookouts and the like to ensure everything was clear. Not paying the others too much mind, Garret began to clear his mind of the distractions and doubts that had been plaguing him as of late. Slowly, he drew his blade from its sheath. The sheath, too, was custom made in order to allow a seamless drawing of the blade while preventing any noise from the drawing of said blade to occur. Garret practiced a few swings with the weapon, admiring the balance and weight of the blade. Slowly, he began to go through the various River Styx Kata with the blade in hand. When translating the Kata from weaponless to weapon, there were various differences that could be found. One movement lead to the next, and as Garret became more and more comfortable with the differences those movements began to flow. Through one such movement Garret learned a defensive technique, River Styx Style: Pond Reflects the Moon.


Training D-Tier Word Count: 364/250

---

Though Garret did not know, it was at this point in time that Azix was apologizing to Trixie for the Black Crows incident. Garret had still not told Azix of the results of his retaliation for the assault that the group had made on the Villa, though thoughts of those events were far from the Spymaster's mind. Entirely focused on his training, Garret continued to move through the various forms. The defensive nature of the Island of Tranquility had begun to train his muscle memory in the uses of the deflection of an attack via blade, as opposed to hand. It was by far easier to deflect an attack with a weapon of your own, as the number of circumstances in which you could safely clash with another increased dramatically with the removal of the chance of being maimed through such a clash.

Garret switched to a new Kata, Flowing Rock Destruction. The Kata itself taught the practitioner combination attacks. Blows that proceeded, one after the other, to chip away at the strength of an opponent over the course of a fight. Together, these blows added up in order to cause a great deal of physical trauma to an opponent, in much the similar way as a flowing river slowly corrodes a rock. The true strength behind the blows were not the individual techniques, but the combined effort of using multiple techniques at the same time. Though any single technique in the group of blows had four strikes, their true strength came from the varying stages of flowing pursuit that the blade struck at. As Garret practiced the movements within this Kata, he learned the first of four stages of the technique; River Styx Style: Flowing Blade of Pursuit: Stage One.


Training D-Tier word count: 292/250

---

By now, Azix was thinking to himself on the hopes and responsibilities laid upon him by those he knew. At some point in time, the Marquis had begun to gather trust. And not simply trust from close friends, but the trust and hopes of many men and women, citizens of the Empire that was now one with Reim. Well, at least as 'One' with Reim as it could be at this point in time. While it was a strange twist of fate, it was the current state of affairs. If one had asked Garret why he put his trust within Azix, he would have a difficult time explaining. It was a combination of intrinsic qualities within the man that Garret couldn't quite place words on; a level of trust, and belief in the man's actions, that had grown after a period of time working together. Perhaps that could be said of all those who lead and ruled over others. It was an intangible essence, a marking of character, or perhaps simply raw charisma that was the core of this trust. It was a heavy responsibility.

Garret continued his training, moving through the Raging Undercurrents Kata that he had been taught by Hasan so long ago. Almost immediately, Garret was able to understand one of the hidden movements of the form that appeared when wielding a blade. The evolution of a Kata, and the interpretation of its movements, were one of the many different processes a Martial Artist used in order to discover movements and techniques for their weapons. There were many occasions where such techniques were not intentionally meant to lead to a technique, but the creativity and underlying understanding of a Kata and the movements of the body could potentially give birth to new techniques within the style. It was simply a measurement of effort that proved Garret's dedication to the style when he realized the meaning of the movements for River Styx Style: Octopus Disarm.


Training D-Tier word count: 328/250

---

At this point, Madam Trixie was reassuring Azix of her faith within him, and how she believed he would continue to do good things that would lead to a better world. Garret held similar beliefs. He recalled the taunts and cruelty of Azix's actions in the past as nothing more than a child who had entered the under-society unprepared for the cruelty of the job, and untrained in the pure desensitization of emotion required to be mentally prepared to take on such activities. As their work together grew, and as the trust between the two grew, Garret had begun to see a positive change within the man. The turning point was when they had assassinated Li Cao. Whenever Garret thought back on that time, while alone, he would chuckle as he recalled cuffing the Marquis and instructing the man to show proper respect to Li Cao. The irony of the situation did not escape him, as he looked back on that moment. Regardless, Azix's direction was a positive one, and one that was beginning to show results in breaking down the barrier between the different peoples.

Garret was still training on deck, brandishing his sword throughout the movements of the Kata. At the same time, he was looking for similar movements as the one that he had learned of a technique from earlier. There was a circular movement that he took note of. The circular motion reminded him of something similar to a defensive technique, yet the movement itself did not seem to hold much semblance to diverting an attack. After performing that section of the Kata several times in a row, imagining various opponents and varying styles facing up against him, Garret began to grasp at an understanding of  the movements and what it could potentially be used for. Much like the technique he had discovered earlier, this technique was one that could disarm an opponent. Garret performed River Styx Style: Floating Disarm.


Training D-Tier word count: 325/250

---

Azix was now simply sitting in the Captain's Cabin, relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere and vibe that their company provided each other. The ways that the two men, Azix and Garret, pursued strength was quite different. A contrast that began with their methods and styles of where they were nurtured. Azix had always been part of the Nobility, being related to the Emperor of Kou. The man was raised in an environment where the view of strength was slightly different than Garret's; in the land of politicians, true strength came not entirely from their personal abilities, but their networking abilities. It came from support, and from gathering notable individuals who had a common goal together. For Garret, he had always been judged on personal strength. It was imperative for an intelligence operative to be able to hold their own, as they did not always have the benefit of backup. Constantly improving one's abilities, constantly growing stronger and stronger, Garret focused his efforts into being able to have the largest impact he could possibly have.

Yet this strength still paled in comparison to the strength that Azix's environment valued. No matter how high Garret climbed, there was a wall; a wall in which no man could pass. A wall that limited the effectiveness of one man. The strength of the social networking gave birth to alliances of many strong individuals, some of which had the same potential to reach the same heights as Garret. None of them, individually, would be as great as all of them. Even still, Garret continued his training; if Azix, the man he had put his trust and faith in, gathered those skillful individuals, then it was Garret's duty to become one of those skillful individuals who could be a pillar of support in that network. This was something Garret had thought upon and understood, a few weeks ago.

The Spymaster's thoughts were clear, focusing only on strengthening his abilities. He had moved onto another Kata within the style, Cut the Stream. The strikes within this Kata were straightforward and powerful, putting technique and strength behind a technique in order to provide the greatest results. As Garret swung downward, he knew that the technique he had just performed would be powerful enough to knock an opponent backwards. The technique in question was the River Styx Style: Channeled Flow.


Training D-Tier Ability Word Count: 380/250

---

Garret had retired for that night after extensively training. There were no ruminations that he had made during that training, focusing only on the use of the blade within the River Styx Style. Some people had watched, for a time, though many grew bored after he continued to do the same movements over and over. At some time during the trip, Azix had approached Garret to speak to him in private about the details of what he had mentioned before. Garret considered the questions Azix had asked, mulling on the topic for a short period of time. Where to start... I suppose... From the beginning. Using the sign language that they had developed, so long ago, Garret responded to Azix. Fifteen years ago, Takahashi Sato was a part of the rebellion. He learned of a trap that your father had been caught in, at the last moment, and used his resources and influence in order to remove any sign of ties he had with your father. At the same time, they gathered various members of the movement and hid their involvement as well. Over the course of the following years, they had persecuted the remaining members of the movement who were disloyal, or who were overly active and threatening the rest of the movement. Over time, these individuals were integrated within the spy network. When the time came, Takahashi Sato had sent these men to Reim, to form the Intelligence Operations for this continent. I do not know how he intends to rebel, or who it will involve... I only know that he has the resources and skill to deceive the Emperor. Azix and Garret would discuss the matter further, with Garret trying to provide the Marquis a clear picture of where everything stood...

---

Garret continued basic training, with simple push ups and sit ups, below deck. He knew there was a gathering above deck, and it was not one he wanted to be a part of. There would be no room for him to train on such a crowded deck, after all. It was, therefore, no surprise that he had missed Azix's instructions to the people, warning them to be mindful of their stay in the Imuchakk lands. Garret himself had no intention of dropping his guard, though that was not quite what Azix had meant in his speech to the people above deck.

---

When the time came for the ship to reach the dock, Garret made sure to have his equipment together. It was here that the crew began unloading supplies, while Garret came above deck to depart Madam's Fury. He noted that many of the workers had gathered and were already getting ready. It was at this point that Garret had met Azix along the way. Keeping a short distance behind Azix, to the man's right, Garret walked with the confidence of a well-trained warrior. He looked to the village and took in the sights, including the imposing figure of Asisiak, the Chief of the Imuchakk tribes. It seemed that Acius held her in high regard, as the woman was intelligent, albeit shrewd.

When they approached, Azix greeted her and bowed. Garret followed suit with his own bow, slightly deeper than Azix's, and simply stood to the side while listening to the greeting between the two. Garret was fairly silent, allowing them their conversation without interruption. He paid careful attention to what was said, however, as he did not want to inadvertently offend anyone if there were certain observances that they would need to make as per the tribe's customs.


OOC:

Magoi/Stamina: 250/300

Abilities Trained:

Asisiak nodded to the two men as they bowed before addressing Marquis Niraj’s once more.

“Thank you, it does have its own, cold beauty. As for customs, simply being respectful should suffice. We may be isolationists, but once we warm up to you, we can be a friendly bunch. Of the ten people you brought, two will come with you both to my home village. Four of the other local villages will each host two of the people brought over. This will only be for the initial group. While they are here, they will assist the villagers in rebuilding structures and clearing pathways to move supplies from one location to another. Assuming there are no issues, we can use this to show the other villages the advantages your apprentices can offer during their stay and we may be able to expand the number of individuals.”

Giving Azix a critical look, she says the next words with a otherwise neutral face, wondering how he would take the news.

“Your friend, the Shepherd Altair Loros, has located a dungeon deep in the mountains. He has given his right to free entry to you, Marquis Niraj.”

She would then turn her attention to the workers piling off the ship and began organizing them, dividing them up and assigning different guides to escort them to the appropriate villages.

Azix stole a glance at the eager faces of the workers standing behind Garret and himself. They had listened to Asisiak's plan intently and were now looking past her to see if they could spot a glimpse of the villages they would be staying at for the next few months. Azix smiled and turned back to the Imuchakk Chief, mulling over her words. By placing the workers in close proximity to the central villages, it would help reinforce the concept that the Imuchakk leader supported these foreigners and would make resolving any issues that may arise easier.

With a warm smile playing on his lips, Azix nodded. "There is much wisdom in your decision. We appreciate your hospitality, Chief Asisiak. I trust that the workers will prove to your people they are worthy of their respect." Behind Azix the workers all nodded, their faces reflecting a silent vow to work hard to fulfill both Azix's and Asisiak's expectations.

Asisiak's next words threw Azix off-balance, but he quickly recovered, though the surprise still showed on his face. "Altair?" The fact that Altair had discovered a dungeon, let alone that the Shepard was in Imuchakk, shocked Azix. Did Altair know what he had passed up? The power that Altair could have obtained in that dungeon was one of the reasons Azix and Garret had came to Imuchakk. He had a gut feeling that Altair would expect a favor in return when they next met, but he set that aside for now. "I will have to thank him for his generous offer. I must say I am a bit surprised that he would pass on the opportunity to explore a dungeon, let alone offer it to me."

Azix waited to the side while Asisiak focused on the workers, still reeling over what he had learned about Altair. He had expected to have to search for the dungeon, instead the work had been done already. He wondered if Garret and he were ready to once again enter a dungeon and if he would find the power of the Djinn inside this time.

Meanwhile, a loud rumble echoed in the distance of the snowy expanse of the tundra. Azix thought it sounded like someone had shouted something, but the bitter cold wind had buffeted most of the noise. After a short time, a figure appeared from over a hill to the east, slowly approaching them. As the figure got closer, Azix noticed it was a hulking man standing nearly nine feet tall with a leopard head. It was such an odd sight that Azix found himself staring and took a step back from the sight of the Imuchakk's impressive muscles.

The leopard-headed Imuchakk's clothes were tattered and it appeared that he hadn't stopped to eat or rest in a week. The Imuchakk collapsed at Asisiak's feet, his gaze pleading as he looked up at the Chieftain's face. "Chief Asisiak! I have traveled many miles from Heliohapt to warn you that there is an Imuchakk magician that has been impersonating you! A demon attacked the city, the magician and I battled it to the death. Afterwards, the magician said HE was Chief Asisiak of the Imuchakk. You should gather your best hunters so we can kill the man for daring to use your name! Hurry!"

Azix raised a brow while the leopard-headed Imuchakk spoke. While it was rude to impersonate a leader, this hardly seemed a bad thing. So what if the Imuchakk Chieftan was credited to slaying a great beast? That would spark awe and fear at her might, certainly a good thing among the Imuchakk. Still, this answered a few questions about the demon attack in Heliohapt. For one, Azix had heard rumors that Asisiak had slain the beast, but Azix had seen Yakuroro's memories and knew that she hadn't. Azix didn't remember seeing Ilirran in the vision, but if he was there, that would mean that Yakuroro had impersonated Asisiak. Azix was curious at why Yakuroro would hide his true identity, but it wasn't overly important.

Azix glanced to see Garret's reaction before looking back at the odd scene before him, waiting to see how Asisiak responded.

Garret listened to the words of Chief Asisiak, and listened to the response from Azix. Garret, too, was somewhat surprised that Altair had passed up a chance at the dungeon, though for different reasons. The man, being a holder of a Djinn himself, knew of the power that was within the Dungeon. Was there a reason he did not want to go? Perhaps some sort of pact was made when he had gained favor from his current Djinn... Now that I think about it, I never did tell Azix that Altair had a Djinn himself.

The spymaster could not believe that he had left out such vital information, and intended to tell Azix at the first opportunity he had. Upon the appearance of a new Imuchakk, a man who seemed to have a leopard mask on his face, Garret leveled a great deal of awareness to the area around them, keeping track of any other groups that would approach. He listened to the story that the Imuchakk told Asisiak, and wondered at what had truly occurred within Heliohapt to have caused such excitement. When Azix looked back towards Garret, he would simply see a curious expression on the man's face, as if considering the words being spoken between those present.

Asisiak would offer a half-smile at Azix' reaction before suddenly they were approached in a raucous, rude manner and she turned to see the commotion. Her guards were immediately on edge but she waved them off with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose for a moment before addressing Ilirran.

"Iskam, how is this a bad thing? You defeated a demon with another Imuchakk and he used my name. Heliohapt will now see me as a hero. While I appreciate you bringing this matter to my attention, please calm yourself. Come back to the village with us and we can discuss it there, after you have eaten."

With another sigh she would wave at all of the escorts and the workers before addressing Azix once more.

"Come with me, let us get everyone settled, enjoy a meal and you can discuss with me about your plans."

Ilirran was appalled to see Asisiak shrug off the news. The gears were visibly churning in his mind while he slowly began to comprehend that Yakuroro's fib wasn't a bad thing. With that realization, he felt ashamed to have obsessed for so long over some non-existent insult. He gave a curt nod and stood over to the side.

Azix and the workers followed Asisiak back to the village to enjoy an Imuchakk meal. Over the exotic dishes, Azix engaged in small talk amiably and complimented when appropriate. When the discussion was directed towards business, he explained how far he had expanded the workforce program. Azix mentioned that the ten workers had some training in handling animals, but were more proficient in construction. He told her that he had planned on working with the workers and expressed an interest in exploring the Imuchakk lands, if it would be allowed. Since Altair had suggested Azix should go into the dungeon, he wasn't sure how much of either he would accomplish before then.

After the meal, the workers would be under the direction of the tribe. Azix would ask where his quarters were for their stay to get settled in. When he got a chance to be alone with Garret, Azix would sign to the man to use the sound control spell so they could speak privately. Once it was in place, Azix spoke to Garret about the news of the dungeon. Azix expressed his surprise at Altair's offer and his uncertainty in how they should proceed now. He wanted to spend some time in the field with the workers as a hands-on leader, but the dungeon was tempting. Azix was looking at Garret for some direction, confident in his friend's logic.

After they were done speaking, Azix would retire for the night with an idea of how to move forward.

[exit]

Garret followed Azix and Asisiak back to the village, trying out the cuisine that the Imuchakk had spread out. Looking at it in askance, Garret wondered at the food before him. Though there was a variety upon the table, it all seemed to be fairly simplistic looking cooking. Garret began with the fish. He assumed that the food would be bland, as it was an abundant item in the area and it lacked a visual allure. As Garret struck the food with his utensils, however, the fish proved to have a flaky property that bespoke the skill at preparing it while cooking. He noted a bowl of lemons was upon the table, and smiled; lemons went well with fish. Grabbing the lemon, he prepared to cut the thing in half. Before he did so, however, he recalled the appropriate eating etiquette. It would be rude of him, and an insult to the cook, to add additional seasoning without first tasting the dish.

He brought the portion of fish, which had flaked off perfectly, towards his mouth. The resulting flavor that assaulted his taste buds was beyond anything he had been expecting. Partially from the pure surprise of the taste, but primarily due to the skill of whomever had worked on cooking the fish, Garret could not help but savor it. The seasons and flavors, he realized, were something that kept the fish preserved. Yet the freshness of the fish itself gave Garret the thought that it had only just recently been caught. If that was the case, they were truly enjoying what could only be a lavish feast. Garret closed his eyes as he enjoyed the taste of the fish, chewing and eating until, before he knew it, the fish was finished.

He looked towards the plate in surprise. When had I taken my second bite? He was amazed, and immediately went for more. This time, he was going to enjoy it more thoroughly. He was sure that the first time around he had eaten far too fast. Cutting the lemon, Garret squeezed the juices over the fish. His mouth watered in anticipation of the savory spices mixed with the sour taste of the fruit. Normally, in Kou, they would have a dipping tray alongside it. The Imuchakk did not seem to have such a thing set out for it, and so Garret simply used it upon the fish itself.

He took a cut out of it, expecting the sour taste to meet his mouth in a wonderful mixture of delight. He was instead surprised, once again, when an incredibly sweet taste mixed with the fish that had quite nearly melted in his mouth. This fruit... It is truly novel! A sweet lemon?! Who had ever heard of such a thing? The truth was it was not so rare as to have been the first instance of having ever been eaten. The proof for that was the fact that it was upon the spread before them. The fish had turned into a succulent desert, as the juices had removed some of the salty and seasoned flavor while retaining just enough to have an impact on the taste that was left behind. The spymaster almost cried at how delicious the food was.

He continued to eat, only vaguely aware of the conversation about him. Truly, the cook was a saint...


The meal was over, and Garret followed Azix to the quarters the Marquis would be staying at, just so that he would have the opportunity to learn where he could find the man if need be. Azix requested Garret, in sign language, to cast his spell 'Controlled Sound', which he had done immediately. The spell would change the sounds of their voice to that of silence once it reached beyond either of them. When Azix discussed with Garret the details of what the Marquis wanted to speak of, Garret nodded. While the spell he had cast was certainly useful for keeping others from listening in, it wasn't perfect. Garret spoke on matters that were not terribly sensitive, but kept other matters to sign language. "I'm unsure, to be honest. It would likely be wise to first set your workforce up so that they integrate appropriately with the Imuchakk. Though Asisiak affirmed the good behavior of her people, it isn't guaranteed that they will take very well to outsiders joining them in work." I did not mention this to you before, but it is important for you to know that Altair has a Djinn. He was, when all is said and done, the origin of my search for information on the subject. He was the man that I had found among the battlefield on the Western Front. "The riches that one obtains from conquering a dungeon are great, but do not allow that to blind you from what you have in front of you. Remember, you are depended upon by many individuals in your workforce. This could be the fulcrum that determines its success in the Imuchakk land." If Altair does not want to go through the dungeon, while knowing what it provides, then that implies a restriction on his powers. He was new to them, when I met him, and perhaps you must master a Djinn, or obtain the correct pact, in order to obtain more? Either way, if we miss out on this one there are sure to be more to come in the future.

Garret answered any other questions Azix had, to the best of his ability, while maintaining his spell. Sensitive information was relayed in sign-language, while well-known information was spoken.


OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 230/300

-Exit-

Abilities Used: