It had been a while after @Aalam Abungu had sent a letter to Lucia asking about Savannah, perhaps longer then one should wait. The reason was naturally because Lucia was difficult to find or come by. Practically a wanderer or vagrant, Lucia didn't come by civilization unless called by people close to her for something. She was self-sustaining and could live in the wilderness without worry or fear only visiting the town to browse things or check up on news once every so often. It was upon finding such news that she received Aalam's letter finally. Opening it with a small knife, it was read to her by her protector Sylvanas causing her to crack a small smile. "Always the bride's maid and never the bride... Though I got this a little late for the merriment I suppose-- I wonder if Savannah didn't tell him about my situation?" Lucia mused a little, knowing Savannah understood her desolate territory very well. It was one where sending a formal letter such as this would be difficult, it was better to communicate with Lucia via PMs or using other tools instead to reach her on forums or through the messenger service. Not putting it to mind though, she glanced towards empty space a moment, huffing in thought about how exactly she should deal with this. "Mortimer, can you take Alice and search for him? It might be a little trying, but you should do your best." Lucia spoke with a small nod. Mortimer didn't take too long to appear, with a puff of smoke, the gentleman phantom appeared as he usually did, with a graceful nod and gesture he confirmed Lucia's wish. Alice on the other hand though... was a bit more difficult. The large mass of flesh farther off suddenly jerked upon hearing it's name. It's lumbering frame slowly jerked up right, a fair bit more agile then before, it sported the frame of a human body at a glance, but something was strange, the limbs were disproportionate, the body was overly round, the head had no hair, no facial features or sensory organs to speak of. It's blind head just awkwardly flopped through the air, instead pointing it's rounded belly at Lucia instead as it gave her it's attention. "Try to find him, but be gentle... Alice try not to freak him out too much." Lucia couldn't help murmuring the last bit with a bitter smile knowing that it would likely be a futile request. She would have sent Mortimer alone, but finding a single person in a forest would be difficult without exerting the full force of the Winter's Claw assassin group. Even then the net might have holes that could be slipped. Alice would naturally fill those holes with eyes. "Of course Matriarch, we will find this person. Would you have a letter for him in exchange?" He asked, but watching her flippantly writing a few words onto a page before handing it to him made the phantom man chuckle in understanding. Lucia wasn't one who knew or understood fomalities, particularly with other players, formalities were things she didn't follow through with if it wasn't necessary. "I understand, I shall return then." Mortimer explained approaching the lumbering humanoid that was Alice. Alice seemed to also answer but with no voice it came out as an unreal squealing sound. With a touch from Mortimer, the pair disappeared in a puff of smoke to their destination. It had been a while since Lucia sent them out, Mortimer had been diligently searching the woods while Alice had been stumbling around with her large dis-proportioned frame covered in eyes darting around in every which direction, tongues licking at the air from opened mouths all over the body, holes here or their tightening and widening taking in air to sniff and search for the writer of the letter. No matter who was the first one to find @Aalam Abungu between the disturbingly twisted Alice who's humanoid frame seemed to search with it's belly rather then it's flopping head or Mortimer, the ghastly wraith without legs that was darting from tree to tree through the woods in the form of puffs of smoke, there was a good chance Aalam would immediately take either as an enemy. It was for that reason, Lucia prioritized non-violent methods, to at least ensure there were no mishaps. The pair searched with every intention of giving the man good news.
Astorea was a wonderful, beautiful was a word one could use when describing the world. Never after the terrors of war, there was a stop of peace to be to be found and he had managed to find one of those spots. It was such a nice old tree that overlooked a steam that ran through one of the forest areas of the kingdom. It wasn’t an area of the duke land no he had left the dukedom to explore the rest of the country. The war had destroyed the southern wall and it was going to need repairs a lot of repairs but that was something that was going to take time and money. However, the winter month had just past and the valley was covered in snow there wasn’t going to be any work done until the temperature changed later in the season. Well, the duke was going to need him there for that so he left the mountainous range and heated up north closer to the farmlands. It was there that he had found that tree and better yet he had found his stream. There was still a little frost on the branches but added to the beauty of the area it was like crystals that seem to hold a little bit of the joy of the season. That and the morning light seemed to be captured in every single little piece of frozen wonder. He had just started to make breakfast form the morning there was some fish he had managed to catch yesterday that he had salted they were cooking over a low fire and there was a pot of the mixture he was warm in a little metal thing that would work wonders with the fish. And it would be a nice warm drink for this cold morning, he was wearing his work clothes but that decided on an extra cloak for the day. It was a simple fur line piece but it was keeping him warm and that was something to take comfort in if nothing else. Removing the cider form the fire and blowing on the liquid the scent wafting upwards towards his nose. It smelt heavenly the perfect mixture of cinnamon and comfort, taking a small sip from his metal “container” feeling the wonderful sensations of warm spreading him. It was good enough that he did even have to add and liquor to it, this wasn’t a morning for drinking. As he finished off the last of his drink and was wash the “container” in the steam. This morning was shaping up to be lovely just the bit of peace that he needed. There was an explosion of water from the stream as something had landed in the middle of the water sending a wave at him! He was able to dive out of the way so that he was able to avoid getting wet but what in the Court of light was that. There was nothing around for miles that should be able to cause that.. then he saw something when the mist cleared. It, what was it looked human but it was just too wrong. There were eyes and mouths were not had any right to be and it seemed as though its body were made by a blind person with just the base hind of what the human for looked like. Inching away from the creature to try and reach his bow. Damnit this is why he didn’t relax he was still a few feet away when all of the things eyes lock on him and a sound came from its body. A sound as though a child was being squeezed to death somewhere in that body. The sound sent every bird in the area flying away. It was then he had started to dive for his bow running was taking too long. By the time he was able to knock an arrow and get a bead on the creature it was charging at him, its arms reaching out. He was not dying here there were things that he needed to do, changing his arrow from the standard to a supersonic and aiming at the creature’s feet blowing a hole in the ground. Diving to the side of the creature, making an effort to get away. When something caused him to change direction someone else was also in the clearing, ok now what the Court was going on here he wasn't that relaxed. Something was up here landing on the ground and coming to his feet, point his bow towards whatever that thing was. "Speak or forever hold your peace." And the day had started out so lovely.
Advancing in excitement, Alice was pleased with herself for being able to achieve the goal of her summoner. Rushing her target with a twist of delight and pride, it was only when the arrow blew a hole into the ground that it seemed perplexed at the ground suddenly fading. Despite the sudden change though, Alice still had the brain power of several hundreds of creatures surging and connecting the dots. Her reflexes were equally inhuman as her head suddenly jerked, snapping to the side, smashing it down into the edge of the hole to support her weight. The 'head' would stab itself down into the earth, from it's temple a sharp bone would suddenly jerk free into the earth like a claw or hook gripping the soil to keep it's body from slipping further downward. The structure that made it seem like a head seemed to fade as it slowly became more fluid and flexible like a tendril. Likewise, it thrust a fist from the space, the gaps between the fingers slowly disappeared as a featureless head was slowly formed from the remains of the fist. With only one large eye on the faceless head, it blinked, looking down at Aalam as it's foot snapped upward, breaking at the joints to reach the rim of the hole as well, toes digging into the soil getting longer like flailing tails as they grasped for a hand hold. "Peace; an ideal illustrating mutual non-aggression. Grasper limbs poorly designed, incapable of taking hold of meta-physical constructs. Compliance requires limb upgrade, objective 'hold peace' deemed impossible." The creature explained, it's voice child-like, innocent and sweet, but it's tone was a monotonous drone lacking in the 'childishness' it's tone would suggest it was meant to have. Choosing to speak on why it couldn't chose holding peace, it began to crawl out from the whole, it's writhing frame different from before though, a twisted amalgom of human limbs, broken and twisted as it's head remained attached to it's wrist pointed towards Aalam to speak, it's 'head' was now a stubby tail with a sharp blade tilling the earth as it pulled it's body from the hole, a foot now flailing and broken crawling closer to bring the rest of it's bulky frame free. As opposed to Alice's disturbing physiology though, Mortimer who landed in the area not far away was a bit cleaner. Despite not having anything from the thigh down, the gentleman phantom was at least clearly humanoid as it floated forward after appearing from a puff of smoke. "Alice, the concept of holding one's peace is an analogy, as opposed to giving peace representing the more peaceful option of an exchange, holding and withholding peace implies aggression." Mortimer explained to Alice mistook the phrase as something literal. The creature was too logical and based in science and knowledge to understand literary tools. The gentleman phantom however was patient with it's partner, turning towards Aalam afterwards giving a graceful gesture and formal bow. "However, I hope you do not take the intrusion wrongly, Alice is merely excited. This was the first task she was ever given by the Matriarch. I'm afraid that's led her to be a touch fiercer then normal." Mortimer explained glancing back to Alice as if wondering if this was something it would need to report. "But yes, I suppose introductions are in order. I am Mortimer, working under our Matriarch Lucia Mierz. This is Alice, likewise working for the sake of the Matriarch. We've been given the task to find a 'Mr. Abungu'?" Mortimer asked, glancing down at a small slip. If his silver mask allowed him to squint, he would have done so in an effort to pronounce Aalam's name that seemed foreign and unfamiliar in the assassin's mouth.
It was days like this that he remembered why he carried so much alcohol on him at all times and to think that the day had started off so wonderful. It had started off with a nice container of hot cider and peace. Now there was something that might not really be human behind him, turning his head slightly to look back at the thing and thing was the better word to use there. He had seen a lot of thing since starting his game but that was one of the most disturbing and that was saying a lot. He had fought wardens, possessed armies and an angel of death and that thing freaked him out much more than any of those. In the split second, he switched his arrow from the supersonic to the shield break it was the hardest hitting owe that he owned. If there was a big enough punch it was a good chance it might be able to bring that thing down. However, it was fast and it might be fast enough to dodge an arrow this was not a chance he wanted to take with things. If he missed he was going to be dead, well it was a life. He had given the creature and ultimatum and it seems that it took it for it spoke. It spoke about the definition of peace that was unexpected with a level of intelligence that was frightening. If something could think then it could reason and more importantly, in this case, it could plan. It was day was just getting much better, and the thing said it in such a voice that showed no reasoning or the possibility of wavering its objective. Damnit if this came to a fight he was outnumbered and possibly outgunned. And watching that thing move was disturbing to his soul, it flopped. Turning his head away from that and back to that thing he saw earlier at least it was human and even if it didn’t have any legs it was better than looking at Alice. Well, that was a name that didn’t fit the appearance in the slightest. However it was able to speak well with expression and again reason and intelligence, well if he was going to die today at least it was a nice day and he had a wonderful morning. At least if he died here it would be in a peaceful setting. However the man gave a bow and one that was well executed, that was something different. Putting his arrow back in his quiver and let his arm that was holding the bow rest. Well if they wanted to kill him it was sure the phantom would have been able to slit this throat in his sleep. It was certainly quiet enough to have gotten the job done. Well this was interesting and at the same time his fear of Lucia went up a decent amount of pegs, the woman was able to control something like Alice. That was just not right, nightmare fuel in its purest form but the phantom was following the proper protocol and it had to be returned in kind for manners made the man. Giving the man a bow in return as he listened, so they were looking for him but what for there was little reason for the duchess to have come looking. The only thing that he had sent her was that letter and that was a while back so it had to have gotten lost in transit. Placings his bow over his shoulder and cross his arms behind his back as the look at Mortimer, this was odd. “You have found him, I am a Mr. Abungu, now why were you looking for me?”
