Arrival of a Ghost

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Loud clangs of metal on metal filled her ears, complimented with screams of pain of wounded that echoed all around. Sweat ran down her face as wisps of soft red hair stuck to her temples. The taste of iron filled her mouth from a well placed blow to the side of her face. Quickly, she turned to face the culprit and charged. Piercing teal eyes bore holes through his skull in anger. The cutlass gripped tightly in her hand aiming to meet the skull of her target with a primitive yell errupting from her throat as she lunged. As her momentum took her forward a strange darkness surrounded her; one moment she was there, the next, nothing. Her scream echoed throughout the room cutting through the silence. The lunge took her to the ground as she landed face first bracing as best she could with her forearms, the cutlass sliding a few feet with a resounding thud. The only thing she could hear was her own shallow breaths. Why is it so quiet? Where am I? 

She quickly took inventory of her body. Besides a few cuts and bruises and the split lip she was ok, sore, but ok. Laying on the marbled floor she manuvered and brought her knees under her as she formed a tight ball, resting her forehead on the tile. Flashes of memories from moments before she arrived ran through her head. There was fighting, a great battle, she was sure of that. What she could not be sure of was where all of the noises and screams of pain had gone. 

Slowly she sat up on her knees to investigate her surroundings. How could this be? Where are the others? Did they escape to safety in time? A wave of emotions hit her; fear, confusion, sadness. Breathing became harder as her worry created a pressure on her chest. She needed to find her friends, needed to know they survived the carnage.

Her clothing, albeit battle worn, consisted of a sleeveless loose navy colored tunic and a white sleeveless trench coat that fell to mid-thigh. A brown leather belt with bronze clasps cinches just below her ribcage on the outside of the coat. Black trousers and black boots pulled up to her knees completes the look. A long silver locket with a single ring sharing the chain hangs from her neck.

[Rivers]

As the woman looked away from the doorway and then back her eyes would scan over a man who had not been there before. Rivers was tall and his long brown coat made him look broad, though it was hard to tell how much was him and how much was the coat. His messy brown hair was finger combed back and his sharp angular features made him look wiley.

Rivers was leaning nonchalantly against one of the pillars by the door and his head was cocked slightly as he seemed to be examining the new arrival with much interest. Well since Mysteria isn't around I suppose it's up to me to give the shpeel he decides as he leans forward to adopt a relaxed upright posture.

“Alright a lot of what I am about to say will not make sense but...” he took a deep breath and prepared for her to lash out or insult him. “You are not in your world anymore, so whatever situation you were in prior forget about it for now. Second, this place is called Nova, it is another world or at the very least another timeline from your own. I will explain everything else overtime, but first I need to know if you are injured, sick, or hungry.”

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The sight of another was enough to snap her out of her panic. With a swift motion she was on her feet, the soreness of her muscles quickly forgotten as her discarded cutlass was back in her hand and held at the ready near her waist. Eyes darted quickly making sure she had not missed anyone else joining the welcome party. Once she realized he meant no harm she relaxed, although she refused to break eye contact with him.

Her words were calm and stern, whatever had happened her best bet for answers would be through this man and lashing out would get her no where. "Who are you? What do you mean I'm not in my world anymore? Nova IS my home." Ok.... this is still Nova. Maybe this is just the Gods' way of quelling the riots. As she thought over everything he said she rolled the hilt of her blade in her fingers letting it dance and sway gently.

"Thank you for your concern but I am fine, just a few scratches I have dealt with much worse. What I need is to locate my friends. Has anyone else come through before me? From the look of things you are not a threat so I see no problem asking you this. Where are the Thieves of Nova?" 

[Rivers]

As the woman reached for her cutlass Rivers opened a tunnel between the two of them. The distortion in space was not visible to those without a gift to detect supernatural powers, but his eyes become noticeably sharper and his whole body tenses as she raises the weapon. It figures I get the first one I've heard of that tries to attack the greeter. Rivers sighs inwardly.

As she relaxes slightly and lowers the weapon slightly Rivers also calms down and listens to her questions. “Alright so you're also from Nova...this is probably an alternate timeline for you. You're currently in a place called Gallow's Bane, a town located in the depths of the Mana Gorge. My name is Rivers and I have taken over the duty of greeter to new Fated, who are people from other worlds and time lines, you are one of those.”

As she suddenly asked him about the thieves he let out a sigh. “If you can ask that openly then the thieves much have been more numerous in your timeline.” He says as he takes out a pocket watch and dispels the illusion causing the engraved mark of the thieves to appear. “I am the third in this time line, so who are you?”

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A smirk flashed quickly across her face as his uneasiness showed. Her cutlass was gingerly returned to it's spot on her belt and she grasped her wrist lightly massaging it to release the tension. She mulled over everything he said, her face like stone as he explained this world. A world that looked so familiar and strange at the same time. A chill crept up her spine as thoughts rushed through her head. Fated....alternate timeline....Mana Gorge...no no no this is crazy. This is a dream. It's a trick, just a damn trick from the Gods.

She shifted her weight and with the back of her hand wiped away sweat from her forehead. "That can't be, you must forgive me but honestly sir you must be joking." Her eyes broke away and glanced about her surroundings. For being underground it did have a certain warmth and beauty to it.


"My name really is of no importance but if you must call me something, then you may call me Raegan. Although you have not shared your name. I am one of the founders of the Thieves, tell me where is Eclair? Louie? If you're third, who is in command?"

[Rivers]

As the woman put her cutlass away Rivers relaxed and released the knife he had been holding inside of his coat pocket. Well looks like she doesn't understand. He decides, but figures that the conversation will probably enlighten her, or at the very least would make her leave totally convinced he was full of shit.

“I am not joking, though I can understand your skepticism. Most of the others Fated have never been to another dimension or world, it can take some getting used to.” He explains, though as she continues he raises an eyebrow. A lot of questions, though I suppose the founders are entitled to some arrogance, difficult to command without it.

“I cannot reveal that name of the current leader to you. The Thieves in this timeline are much weaker than in either yours or mine, we mostly work behind the scenes. A basic run down I suppose is in order though, a Louie, I'm not sure if he's Fated or not is roaming around, you can probably find him if you follow the smell of lunar flowers in the city. Core is a soul in a sword, the one from this timeline was still-born but one of the Fated brought over another incarnation of him trapped in a sword.” He says curious to see what ever the woman would say.

“I have some more information, but I am afraid we are going to need to talk for a bit first. You are a thief in your world, but I need to know what you are going to do in this one where the thieves are not the organization you remember...” As he spoke a wind began to blow, punctuating his words and causing his coat to billow dramatically.

“I am the third at the moment, Rivers a simple bard.” He introduces his voice etched with the grandeur that came from years of storytelling.

Yo Boss, someone named Raegan who claims to be a founder of the thieves just showed up at the moon temple in Bane. He describes her telepathically to Aria in order to let her know. “Well for now I'd rather not stand here, would you like to come with me to my home, or a tavern?”

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"Find out what you can; if she's an original she may be some use....I'll see if I can convince Garrett to come play guard with me. If you can head to the Hanging Man, Calix is in on the thieves. Me and you still need to talk..."

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It was a lot to take in. Raegan closed her eyes and breathed in a deep sigh, her arms crossed together as she processed everything. There is no use having ignorance, I may not like it but if I truly have been brought into wherever or whenever this world is I need to gather as much information as I can. And this man is the best place to start.

The mention of those two names was enough to catch her breath and her eyes shot open in surprise. "Core still exists? Where is this sword?"

"Obviously we do have a lot to discuss and I agree it's not best to be done here. Please, lead the way to the tavern I need a strong drink. As for my plans, quite honestly I've only just arrived. What would make you think I had any other plans besides understanding all of this?" 

[Rivers]

Rivers was glad this woman seemed to be so quick on the uptake. It made things simpler. He considered bringing Roxanne along as he had been meaning to explain the thieves to her anyways, but she would attract more attention than he would and someone might recognize her from the gallows.

Rivers evaluates Reagan's stare and lets out a sigh. Well I suppose that kinda calculating coldness is something I should have expected. No attempt to conceal she just wants information from me huh? He thinks to himself. He considered mentioning she was not his Boss so she was not entitled to the information he would provide, but he thinks for a moment.

"Before I tell you anything more about the thieves, I need to know where you stand...someone else who's in the know wants to speak with you I guess it's time to head to town. By the way try not get warp sick." Then with a snap of his fingers the two of them would find themselves somewhere completely different.