A Stroll [Private/Plot]

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WC: 290

Remano, the capital city of Reim, was the backbone of the Empire. It was home to the famous Colisseum where men fought to obtain glory and the admiration of the masses. Even the mighty Fanalis Corp's headquarters stood within the city's walls. Remano was also a major trade hub, luring merchants and tourists from across the world. With them, they brought goods and secrets from foreign nations.

As such an important city, it was no surprise that it was also home to a vast criminal enterprise. The Brotherhood of Ash was a worldwide organization, involved in many nefarious acts. They are rumored to maintain one of the largest black markets, supplying ambitious individuals with the means to enact their machinations. Recently, the Brotherhood has had an interest in acquiring magical artifacts and knowledge, forming a division tasked with researching the arcane arts, known as The Alchemists. Leveraging the Brotherhood's resources and vast network, The Alchemists was able to hire the most promising magicians to serve its cause. Magicians whose experiments were taboo in society, would find acceptance within its rosters.

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A young boy who looked like they had yet to reach their fourteenth birthday, wandered through the streets of Remano, clutching a leather-bound book in one hand. Hearing the harsh cry of a raven, his head lifted to the sky, eyes squinting as he spotted the jet black bird spiraling down towards him. The raven perched on his outstretched hand and nibbled at his sleeve. A youthful laugh burst forth from the boy and he tittered at the raven. He continued walking down the street, smiling as he listened to the raven's raucous outburts.


After traveling half a block, the raven suddenly vanished, appearing as an obsidian orb in the palm of the boy's hand. He started to pocket it, when he felt the sphere pulse. The orb would pulse when another Alchemist was close by. Quickly glancing around, he searched the crowd for one of his brothers. He noticed a magician with long, silver hair pulled back into a ponytail. He didn't recognize the man as someone that was part of the Reim operation, but The Alchemist's reach was vast. Tilting his head in curiosity, the boy approached the magician, wearing an innocent smile.

"Excuse me, brother. Where does the curious mind find refuge?" The boy spoke in a code that only a member of the Alchemists would know how to respond to. The Alchemists was a secretive group, keeping their knowledge and aims out of reach from any outsiders. It spoke to the boy's loyalty that he displayed such caution when approaching Adrastos. If the blue magician was observant, he would notice a patch on the boy collar.

When Neo didn't return the correct call sign, the boy hesitated. Something was wrong. The magician carried one of the obsidian orbs, but he wasn't a member. For a brief second, the boy frowned, but it was quickly replaced by a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "I know others that linger in the dark. I can show you where you can find them too."

With a wave of his hand, the boy urged Neo to follow him. He would lead the silver-haired magician towards the outskirts of the city, waiting for them to get to a quiet street before stopping. He turned to Neo with an intense look in his eyes. "Who are you and how did you come to possess one of the stones?" Bloodlust radiated from the boy and his posture was combative. Somehow Neo had obtained an item he should not have and the boy intended to find out why. If the silver-hair magician refused to answer, then he would just have to be killed. The Alchemists had the means to extract secrets from the dead.

The child studied Neo carefully, searching the man for any falsehoods lingering behind his words. When it didn't seem like the man lied, the violent aura around the child faded, though he was still cautious. "So this Vincent and Vladmir were to be your sponsors?" The child appeared to think it over for a moment before he relaxed and an innocent smile stretched across his face. Neo's story made sense, it would explain why he had no knowledge of the Alchemist's call signs.

The child stuck out his hand, "Nice to meet you, Neo. My name is Vaughn. Follow me." Taking off with a burst of youthful energy, Vaughn led Neo to a small graveyard near the outskirts of town. In the center of the graveyard was a large stone monument, dedicated to some long gone hero of Remano. The child walked around the monument until he found what he was looking for, a loose stone brick. When he pressed his hand against the brick, part of the stone wall slid away, revealing a set of stairs that descended into darkness.

"Down here! Come on!" Without hesitation, Vaughn ran down the stairs and faded into the shadows. If Neo followed the child, about halfway down the stairs he would hear the scraping of stone as the hidden door slid back into place. At the bottom of the stairs, they would find themselves within a dimly lit hallway. Vaughn would gesture for Neo to wait while he took off around a corner.

A few minutes later, Vaughn returned with a tall, bald man at his side. The man had sickly pale skin, covered in liver spots that showed his age. The man's grey eyes bore into Neo's after taking a cursory glance at the silver-haired magician. "Vaughn said that you were a recruits of Vincent and Vladmir, is this true?" As he spoke, shadowy figures appeared behind the man to support him in case the stranger brought trouble.

The sickly man waited for Neo to respond before nodding slowly to himself. "Two dead brothers invite you to join our cause. A most convenient story." With a flick of his hand, the shadowy figures dispersed, returning to their duties. The man then gestured for Neo to follow, leading him to a large meeting room at the end of the hallway.

Taking a seat at the head of a long table, the man pointed to a chair nearby. "Neo, was it? We are a secret order, devoted to obtaining magical knowledge. You now know one of our hideouts. Valuable information to those who hunt us down. Normally, we wouldn't let you leave here alive without your sponsors here to vouch for you, but there in lies the problem. They are dead. So, I will have to trust your words as true." The look on the man's face made it obvious he was not one to trust easy.

"I will give you a chance. One." He raised a single knobby finger to stress his point. "We will have a series of tests to see if you have what it takes to join our ranks. I will have eyes on you at all times, to make sure you are not a spy. If we so much as think you have told someone, you will be killed. Is that clear?"

If Neo agreed then the man would stand up and walk to a picture hanging on a wall, with his fingers entwined behind his back. "Your first test will be to see your skills in action. You will have to convince the Fanalis Corp that a rumor is true. We will provide you some support, but the execution is all on you. We will send you the information when it is time. You are dismissed."

[OOC: A job will be created shortly]

[EXIT]