Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pain)

With the heat of the Summer over and the leaves fresh on the ground, Lucia decided it was finally time to go outside. How she spent from the winter until now inside the Guild Hall was no great undertaking though, as she had a full time job at the public library to feed herself and stay occupied. But the whole thing slowed now that the town wasn't hiding from the sun behind a book. They weren't hiding from Ganon either, now that a significant amount of soldiers were added to the Town Guard.

Lucia knew that her experiences outrunning danger in the past would only come back to bite her if she didn't get out and do something useful. She spent much too long just thinking and reading about strategy and not using it for anything. So up to the bulletins she went, to find something in her ability level.

"A lost plaque? This will almost be too easy, street burglars can never hide their treasure for more than a week! It'll turn up in a sale somewhere and the reward will be mine." she joked to herself.

Lucia took down the address and hiked off while swatting at her fairy, who wouldn't stop blowing raspberries into her ear.

She came to a large gate, fenced in with the sharpest work of smithing she'd ever seen used for yard decor. But the high pikes weren't just for display. It wasn't looking like they even worked, according to the job offer. Lucia called through the gate for anyone who might let her in. For many minutes there was no answer. Then, without warning came a trotting. Lucia turned her head to see between the gate openings.

To her intense butt-clenching shock came a procession of ponies of many sizes and colors. There was a stout man in nearly regal looking clothing on top of the beast in the lead. Atop the rest were a handful of staff and retainers of the manor here to see their lord well. Lucia silently wondered to herself what sort of money and effort went into purchasing and dying the ponies in such outlandish colors. This train of thought stopped soon when the gate burst open and the short, stocky man leapt from the equine abomination.

"NO WORRIES! HOW'S YOUR MUM?" the short man blurted out in a tone one could only describe as thunderous.

"I. . . I don't have. . ." Lucia stammered as she wondered about what she might consider a "Mum."

"YOU'RE THE PRIVVY DICK THEN?" he swiftly interrupted her.

"The what?" she replied in astonishment. Her grasp of his dialect was well below uninformed.

"THE INVESTIGATOR, THE PRIVATE EYE! YOU'RE OUT TO FIND THE FAMILY JEWELS! HOHOHOHO!" he laughed very heartily, as he did so his lustrous purple cape shivered and gleamed like a glistening bowl of jelly given a playful flick.

"Oh. Ohhhh!" Lucia uttered as she reveled at what he was saying. "Yes sir, I took the job offer. I'll be searching for your heirloom I take it?"

"WELL JOSTLE MY SMATTERFLADGEONS! BRING YOURSELF IN AND MAKE YOURSELF COMFY!" the man announced with a roar as he bounced back onto his muscular burgundy pony that matched his starchy buttoned jacket.

Lucia followed the procession patiently to the barn, watched them put the ponies back away, and then followed them once more back to the building as if the entire process was necessary at all. When the massive double-doors to the massive baby-blue house creaked noisily ajar, Lucia saw with her eyes the most sparkling clean interior she had ever witnessed a building to have. Many large and fancy jars and vases with delicately painted and glossed surfaces dotted the floors, shelves, and hallways of just about anywhere in Lucia's view. It would be a shock if they weren't in every other nook and cranny of the house. Some were loaded neatly with exotic flowers, and others without. Rich paintings with coarse textures were on every wall.

The landlord ushered Lucia to a seat on the leather sofa, and a servant immediately shuffled a hot cup of tea onto a doily in front of her. Two Deku Scrubs suddenly went to work sweeping where everyone had walked with tiny fine-bristled brooms. They disappeared as soon as they had come. The landlord allowed a brief pause before exploding again.

"WE HAVE THE SITUATION ASSESSED. YOU WILL BE CONDUCTING YOUR INVESTIGATION WITH A PERPLUTTERLY TOWN GUARD. HE SHALL ARRIVE BEFORE THE AFTERNOON IS OVER. THEN WILL BE WHEN WE DISCUSS PAYMENT." he began, with a final pause to allow Lucia to absorb it.

"I'll be working with someone?" she inquired softly.

"WHY YES! BY THE KING'S ARGYLE BRITCHES! WE HAVE ASSIGNED A SPOT OF MUSCLE TO ENSURE WE GET THE HEIRLOOM BACK, AND YOU DON'T DISAPPEAR MYSTERIOUSLY AND WITHOUT A TRACE. THAT MEANS SOMEBODY KILLED OR KIDNAPPED YOU BY THE BY."

"I gathered tha-"

"WHICH IS LIKELY! HOW SMALL YOU ARE FOR A WOMAN. HOW SMALL! FRAIL TOO. YOU CAN'T BE A CHILD." The landlord paused to adjust his monocle. "YOU MUSTN'T BE YOUNGER THAN TWENTY-SIX, OTHER-MIND WHY ELSE WOULD THAT FLICKERING PURPLE FLY BE HOVERING TO SAMPLE YOUR NETHER-SCENT?"

The conversation didn't start to get much better until the guard arrived. Only then would the briefing reveal any important information.

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

Julius leisurely strolled the grassy knolls surrounding Impa. The warm noon sun shone upon him and the hills, the vivid colors attracting his attention as he came upon the town of Impa; its houses and other building decorated in somewhat flashy colors, the preparations of the Guard being readily evident within the confines of its walls. The massive blue sea on which the town was founded glimmered, the numerous ships docked in its harbor rising on its gentle waves.

He settled into town. It was still some time around noon; not too late into the afternoon, he'd bet. He had been commissioned to return a rather wealthy man's family crest, the crest having apparently been stolen several days prior. He had wondered for a while why the man hadn't filed a report sooner; perhaps he was simply too blinded by his obscene wealth to notice anything had gone missing. Regardless of the circumstances, it was Julius's duty to retrieve it, and soon he would be upon his employer's home.

He came upon his extravagant, baby-blue mansion. He observed the mostly regal estate, taking note of the large barn that housed unknown entities, though he could take a guess that they were horses of some kind. The enormous cast iron gates were open, as if they were expecting Julius to arrive; they probably were, unless, of course, the gates were always open, which would explain how the thief broke in so easily. Nevertheless, Julius entered into the abode posthaste.

The home itself gave Julius an ominous feeling, to say the least. The garish flowers and oddly painted pictures gave the home a feeling of being too perfect, especially for one which was recently broken into. No sooner than had Julius made his observations, a booming, thunderous voice broke the stillness of the home, shouting nonsense at, who he presumed, was his partner. He followed the trail of the voice, observing several Deku servants wielding fine brooms dutifully cleaning the home of the estate, though the only thing they managed to do for Julius was give him an eerie stare as he walked the mostly dark corridors of the mansion, their bright amber pupils seemingly staring into his essence, before swiftly averting to the ground, concentrating once more on their work.

Half stumbling in the darkness, Julius finally came upon the source of the voice. Stepping onto the fine, velvet carpet that sat at the entrance to the room, Julius turned the brass handle to room, the door opening to reveal two people of smaller stature than Julius himself, one sitting upon a fine leather sofa, dressed in nearly entirely green garb. An indigo orb hovered around the frail looking girl, briefly drawing Julius's attention before he redirected it to the stouter man standing just adjacent in the room. Whom he could only assume was his employer was dressed in flashier garments. A long, violet cape flowed from his shoulders to just above his ankles. A gold-trimmed monocle sat in front of one of his eyes, a small chain leading into the coat pocket of his stiff burgundy jacket.

"I assume you are my employer, correct?" he directed towards the regally attired man, giving him a staunch stare in the eyes as he awaited his response.

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

"YOU'RE JUST IN TIME!" the landowner shouted at the top of his lungs. "EDMOND, LOCK THE GATE!"

One of the servants in a cocoa colored blazer took off. He rushed down the path and cranked the gate shut, then spun a huge series of locks and keys to fasten it completely shut. The immense cast-iron poles that tapered into foreboding spikes would hopefully keep thieves from just prancing in. Hearing the locks snap and clank shut, row after row of Mad Scrubs burst from the below the hedgerows in the garden. They all rotated intently to sound alarm and attack at any sign of invasion.

"YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING WHAT THE DETAILS OF THIS MISSION REALLY INVOLVE." he stated thunderously. "YOU, GUARD JULIUS, SHALL ESCORT THIS FINE-LOOKING AND HORRIBLY SMELLY DETECTIVE."

Before anyone could say anything he exploded into a fit of words again. "IT ALL HAPPENED TWO NIGHTS AGO! I WAS HORRIBLY SAD OH SO SAD INDEED. MY HIGHLY SECURE MANOR WAS RANSACKED FROM THE INSIDE OUT BY ONE OF MY TRUSTED SERVANTS! YOU WERE PROBABLY WONDERING ABOUT THAT. I BET YOU WERE. AMONG SEVERAL REPLACEABLE PIECES, HE TOOK ACHERISHED HEIRLOOM FROM MY HEARTH. TO THE RIGHT OF US YOU WILL NOTICE AN EMPTY SPOT. IT WAS MY FAMILY COAT OF ARMS, THE CREST AND ALL THAT BOLLOCKS. IT IS SHAPED LIKE A SHIELD WITH A HIGHLY POLISHED SURFACE. THERE IS AN ENGRAVING ON IT LIKE THE ONE FEATURED IN THE DRAWING ON THE TABLE. IT IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND PIECE COMMISSIONED BY MY GREAT GRANDFATHER. HE PUT MUCH TIME AND EFFORT WITH THE CREATOR TO THE MAKING OF IT, AND MANY VALUABLE MATERIALS WENT INTO IT. THERE WILL BE NO MISTAKING THE GENUINE ARTICLE. *cough* You'll have to do whatever you can to *cough* FIND IT SAFELY BACK ON MY HEARTH!"

Lucia looked at the man with a face of pure astonishment. The man began to tear up and he took a kerchief to his eyes. After some reflection and awkward silence the man returned to attention.

"AS FOR PAYMENT! TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF MY HEIRLOOM I WILL BESTOW YOU ONE KEEPSAKE FROM MY ESTATE! HOWEVER, IF YOU WOULD CHOOSE AN ARTICLE OF CLOTHING I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A SMALL COMMISSION FEE TO HAVE IT RE-SIZED TO YOUR MEASUREMENTS. YOU MAY USE ANY MEANS NECESSARY TO FIND THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE TREASURE, YOUR ESCORT WILL MAKE CERTAIN THE LAW IS ON YOUR SIDE. AS YOU MAY HAVE GUESSED, IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO ASK AROUND AT BUYING ESTABLISHMENTS AS THE TREASURE WAS MOST LIKELY SOLD OFF BY PAWN OR BY CRIMINAL FENCE! BUT DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, THEY MAY HAVE IT STILL IN THEIR POSSESSION. BUT IF THEY DID, I COULD JUST TELL YOU WHAT THE CRIMINAL LOOKED LIKE AND HE WOULD BE EASILY CAUGHT." the landlord noted and took a breath from his tirade.

"That's right, sir. He would have sold everything and left town with his earnings. Your stolen belongings are most likely within the outskirts of the town." Lucia finished for him.

"VERY GOOD! THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I HIRED YOU. SOMEONE DEDICATED ENOUGH TO RESPOND TO THE ADVERTISEMENT SHOULD BE NONE OTHER THAN A PROFESSIONAL AND EXPERIENCED DETECTIVE." the man complimented unknowingly.

"More like professional moldy-page licker." Lucia's fairy interrupted. The lord didn't quite catch it.

"ANYHOW, YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY THE NIGHT. IT IS GETTING LATE AND SUPPER IS ALMOST READY! COME TO THE DINING ROOM WHEN YOU ARE WELL AND READY." he finished before bolting away down a shady corridor.

"That wasn't what I was expecting to get myself into." Lucia spoke softly at Julius, already much too sick of the shouting. "I wonder what I should take as payment when this is all over."

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

Julius listened intently. Perhaps he hadn't reported it as soon as he thought he would, simply because it was a trusted servant? He wondered what made the man betray his master so intently; perhaps it was the notion of the wealth that could be gained from such a deed. Perhaps, he thought, the man was simply evil.

So caught up in his thought, he barely noticed his companion speak. He couldn't make out her voice, his ears still numb from the man's shouting choosing to instead make up whatever she had said.

"Yeah. We probably should get something to eat, if we're going to get on this detective thing tomorrow." He made his way out of the room.

To his relief, the corridors were not nearly as dark as they were while he walked. Dim lights were set along the walls, though the glass was so thick and coated in a dark enough substance so that the lighting remained dim. He passed through empty hallways and rooms, unaware of where the servants he had seen before had escaped to. They could be in the kitchen, he thought, or maybe they were asleep.

It had just struck Julius that while wandering through the abode, he was actually wandering, not knowing the location or direction of the dining room in this house. There were times when he would hear the faint trample of feet, or the creaks and groans of the building's shifting foundation, but the man's voice was nowhere to be heard. Before long, he was where he could only assume was someone's bed -- paying scant attention to the decorum of the room. The lights within were nearly entirely blacked, though he had noticed the ever-present glow of a streetlight on the outside road. He hadn't noticed any shadows coming in from the window either, except for the faint outline of the frame, which broke it into six noticeable panes of light.

He unbuckled his belt wearily. The house, for the most part, had unnerved him a great deal. He discarded his armor, and removing his so-far sweat drenched shirt, revealing his massive muscles lying underneath. He removed the rest of his armor and pants as well, before offering a final goodnight prayer to Din.

He climbed into bed, shutting his eyes and falling asleep near instantaneously, entirely prepared for the day ahead of him.

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

Lucia quickly followed the path of the landlord when she noticed she was alone. The strange daft man went in the completely opposite direction without saying much. She wondered if he was even being serious about eating.

A long, almost oversized table like the kind out of fairy tales stood as the centerpiece of the dining hall. The table was too huge for all the staff, and was probably set up for some large parties. Lucia couldn't think of one member of the town outside the estate that was fit for being invited to a fancy garden party. Not even that fancy girl she remembered from the guild. But she duly noted the landlord might get along with Blyss for her penchant for being over dramatic.

Not one but two chandeliers decorated the ceiling and illuminated the hall. The display shelves surrounding hosted a candelabra each, probably not even for lighting and just decoration. There were several glass displays that were completely empty, and it became evident those were recently stolen clean and not just set up that way since they were some of the only minimalist spots in the house. A bit of a draft came in from a slightly cracked open window, which was magnified by the fact that the pane was around seven feet tall. The table was loaded, set up for too many people than would be around. Some of the food may have been left there for the day, as if to cater to whoever wandered through the hall.

Lucia sat down on the right side of the table, about seven chairs down from the landlord who took priority in the end seat at the far end of the hall. From every corner of the house came the staff, all crowding around the massive table and taking a seat. Several of the Deku Scrubs had little booster seats to put on their chairs, which they even went so far to carry on their heads into the hall. Lucia knew the landlord must be really caring on the inside to let the work eat with him. The joyful feeling this would have inspired had to be cut short though. The lord quickly hopped up and stood on his chair. He relentlessly spanked his chalice with a spoon to get complete attention. Apparently he had an announcement to make.

"MY LOYAL SUBJECTS! TO-NIGHT IS A SPLENDID NIGHT, WHICH WILL BE REMEMBERED IN OUR HEARTS. FOR JUSTICE IS UPON US! THE BEAUTIFUL AND SNIPPY LUCIA, WITH THE SHINING KNIGHT OF FORTUNE JULIUS, *He pointed to an empty chair as if the soldier was actually present.* WILL BE BRINGING THE SEEDY UNDERWORLD OF OUR BRIGHT NEW TOWN TO JUSTICE. I HAVE BUT ONE THING TO ASK, LUCIA. WHEN THE MEAL IS OVER, WILL YOU JOIN ME IN MY QUARTERS?"

Lucia took a moment before stammering "O-ohh, that sounds. . . that won't be necessary sir. We can speak of anything you wish at this table, yes?"

"BOLLOCKS!" he exploded. "I HAVE MUCH TO SHOW YOU IN PRIVATE."

"Just what are you saying, m'lord?" she responded as aloofly as she could manage to make sure he didn't think she was thinking the same thing he was.

"NO WORRIES MISS I WILL EVEN SHOW YOU THE WAY." he didn't attempt to go into the details at all.

Lucia didn't take long to note not to follow him in any case. But no sooner did the landlord attempt to address Julius and ask the same. A thought struck Lucia that perhaps nobody was too overprivileged to overshoot the pure range of the planes of this man's attraction. Lucia went in the very direction she saw Julius go once her meal was finished. She took care not to have anyone follow her. With a sudden feeling of vulnerability, she found the room Julius was sound asleep in. She attempted to get her rest on a soft easy-chair well across from the soldier. She'd took effort to muffle and dampen her fairy in her clothes as to not disturb him, or herself with wisecracks about what had just happened.

The night passed very slowly and uncomfortably. Lucia could hear muffled sounds from other parts of the house. Many grunts and cracks before a sudden shout of "OH! OHHHHHHHH." Noting all who occupied the mansion, Lucia tried to assume it was a really good massage from a servant. Lucia soon fell asleep with the satisfaction of knowing everyone in the house was tuckered out.

The sun blazed through the window and over her face. Lucia jolted awake as it glared through her eyelids. Knowing to prepare, and wanting to not let Julius know she felt she had to sleep near him, she exited the room as soon as she was fully awake. The Kokiri scuttled out to the porch, avoiding breakfast or even contact with any of the inhabitants. Her fairy fluttered out of her shirt to mock her at last.

"'Ey B-b-bertie you got a problem with solving problems or are you just a coward?" the fairy wailed while buzzing around like a moth.

Lucia swatted pathetically at the fairy, failing to even graze the glowing imbecile. Any minute now Julius would come to begin the mission and keep the fairy entertained.

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

Julius's eyes fluttered awake, nearly blinded by the presence of the strong sun shining into the room. Drowsily, he sat on the edge of the bed. He thought about what he had dreamed, about what it may have meant and where it might take him on this day.

His dreams had not been well. He had nearly gone restless from the terrifying dreams that plagued his sleep. He had been on a ship, with about three dozen others, none he could recognize as any of his acquaintances, thinking to himself that he had to be travelling somewhere, perhaps along with the initial assault on the south, though he couldn't be certain. The heavily armed and armored crew mates aboard the ship seemed to reinforce the idea that it was some form of military vessel. A fierce storm had started brewing in the skies, the loud clamors of thunder and lightning from the sky visibly frightening many of the people aboard. Soon, salty waves of seawater began to batter the ship, slamming into it as loud thuds and sharp cracks were heard, before the vessel was ultimately decimated before his very eyes.

And that was where his dream had ended. He got up to gather his equipment, nearly falling back onto the lush violet blanket that robed the bed as he strapped his gear back onto his figure, as the warming rays of the sun rebounded off of his armor and Hrognor. Dutifully leaving the estate, he met Lucia outside, though he knew not where the two of them should begin.

He stood on the porch, its sickening green color coating nearly every object on its surface, save for Lucia and Julius himself. There were multiple tables and chairs dotted around the large pavilion, each and every one of them sharing the same distasteful color. Even the chairs' cushions were green!

Quickly shifting his attention to the pale woman standing before him, finally noticing the purple orb that orbited her. "So, uh, where did you have in mind for a starting point? And what exactly's the deal with the purple thing?" he asked, not quite sure where to take the conversation.

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

Quickly Lucia took attention to Julius' sudden talkativeness. She started however, with the second question what with it being easier to answer.

"That's just my fairy, it's like a sort of mother in the forest. The Kokiri culture surrounds a great god of trees who has created us out of his unyielding care. Normally these sprites would guide us through our challenges, but mine is a bit of a prankster. Her name is Lith, like a stone." she explained carefully but briefly. "As of what we do, we know where to start thankfully. We have to unfortunately interrogate all of the active pawn shops in town. One of them is in thick cahoots with the enemy."

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

Julius nodded, saying something or other about knowing just the right place, at least he thought so.

They moseyed into town, the manor being just on the outskirts of the town. There was still the hustle and bustle of the Guard in the town, ultimately preparing to shove off from Impa, hopefully within the week. The streets were wide and people, though it was early in the day, were not sparse, the thick crowds composed mostly of guards. Many civilians were still at home, probably asleep, while farmers on the outskirts and many types of merchants were running their various stalls and establishments, in particular many blacksmith stalls. They were hard at work on blades of all kinds, and armors of different sorts. Though he couldn't tell exactly how the blade was weighed, he had to guess that the equipment the smiths were forging wasn't exactly high quality; probably mass producing it for the soldiers who so desperately needed it. He knew the Guard had smiths in Castle Town who would frequently take up their jobs and requests, many even taking it so far as to consider themselves personal smiths of the Guard. He guessed that because the expedition was happening so soon, and transportation would take so long, that they had simply resorted to tasking the smiths who lived in Impa -- those who were no more skilled than being able to make things like hinges or horseshoes -- with the laborious task of creating sturdy, refined items for the troops.

Soon, the pair of them came upon an extraordinarily seedy-looking establishment, the planks unpainted, the structure itself very hastily constructed and tiny in size. It would seem, to any architecturally inclined, that the structure was going to collapse in on itself at any moment -- though it hadn't happened yet.

Julius firmly opened the door, sending a resounding THUD! throughout the structure and alarming the clerk who was standing idly at the counter. The man stood a bit over five and a half feet tall, with a tanned complexion and thinning hair adding to his middle-aged look. The shop owner looked over in a state of fear.

"I'll pay you back in three days, I swear!" the shop keep bursted out, cowering beneath the small, beat counter that housed several antiques on itself. Julius retorted, "We're not here for the money, chump. We're looking for some stolen items, pretty valuable I'd say. Got any info?"

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

"Me? Selling stolen items? You have the wrong guy. Nobody's bought anything from me in three days, have a look for yourself if you don't believe me!" the leathery man pleaded.

"Hmm." Lucia responded. "Hmmmmmmm." Lith mocked.

They went around his shop, turning up the place for anything resembling a valuable display or something that fit the mansion. Most of what they found was old, would-be discarded items that people wanted quick change for. Lucia spotted a handful of questionable paraphernalia. A worn riding crop, a single bishop from a chess set, and an especially sadistic looking mask. There was however, nothing especially valuable looking that may be connected to the mansion.

"Well sir, it looks like everything checks out. But if we can't find the culprit, we will be back." Lucia mildly threatened the pretty clearly innocent man. Somewhat innocent, at least.

The both of them gave the old man some incredibly rude gestures as they exited the establishment. They stumbled onto the dusty road without much feeling of accomplishment. Wow, being a detective was sure proving to be difficult.

Lucia asked Julius if he might have any better leads.

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

"Well, given that this place wasn't it, I'd normally say 'I don't know', but lately we've been getting a lot of reports about back alley activity. So I say we head through the alleyways and see what's going on there," he said, taking off into the alleyways behind the building. The due passed through the plain allies, happening upon many beggars , merchants who had resorted to set up shop in the alleyway itself -- most likely because they ran some form of criminal business, something that would get them accosted or otherwise arrested by the Guard -- something not very many people liked, apparently.

They soon approached the end of the alleyway, being occupied by a large stall. It was made up of grey planks, mostly. Baubles and doodads of all kind hung from these boards on rusted hooks. The man himself running the stall had a soggy aura encased within an earthy scent; the smell made Julius nauseous, wishing he'd never come upon his smell of utter decay. The man himself was entire bald. He was tall, and lanky, pale skin that was nearly alabaster covering his frame. The man breathed as though he was choking, pointing towards various doodads and baubles on display, though Julius could tell that the man had more valuable possessions to offer him.

"Listen here, schmuck. You better spill the beans on your valuables otherwise I'm gonna be forced to shut down this little establishment you have goin' on here, capiche?" he snarled. The man's blank expression did not move, however. He simply began speaking in a coarse voice, telling him, “I know not of the thief; but my insight is this: if you wish to be rude, you may impart your foolish words elsewhere. If you wish to be civil, sit for a drink, please,” the man said, his disposition unnerving Julius slightly. Hesitantly, he accepted his offer of a drink. The man slowly but surely pulled a container of some clear substance from behind him, pouring it into a simple clay mug that rested in front of him.

He drank, as the attendee began his tale, “The thief you're looking for is one not particularly well-known. From what I saw of him and his jittery personage, I could simply tell it was his first time committing a heist such as this! It was a glorious haul, too. He had many especially valuable objects upon him, of which only the lowliest I could afford to buy from him,” the man continued, until Julius interrupted him, already slightly tipsy from his drink.

”I don't know what you did to this drink but damn it, give m'the location of his hideout or somethin' – something I can use to track him down,” he growled, the cup visibly stressed within his forceful grip. The shop keep frowned, and though he was perfectly aware of where you could find such a place, didn't necessarily want to part with it so easily. His frown turned into a smile before saying, “I gladly will, Officer, but first you must guarantee that no matter what kind-of happenstance should occur whilst within its lecherous reaches, that you will keep me and my identity safe.”

”You've got yourself a deal!” Julius shouted, still drunk. He explained where the man's base of operations was – just beneath a block of ratty apartment buildings, apparently. Julius wondered how the man could call anything ratty, what with the condition he and his own booth were in. Without any regards towards the shop keep or either of his gypsies, Julius and Lucia both began to set off in search of the place, the thief's grounds.

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

Lucia followed the directions the old man gave them, remembering them word-for-word. They were headed once again to the outskirts of Impa. This time, it was much further. They began following certain clues like oddly shaped moss formations and unique rocks and trees. The directions were unusual but there was no room for simple directions when dealing with thieves and rogues. They trudged through reeds and marshy pools, not sure at times if they were on the right path. Their legs got weary but the landmarks kept showing up as instructed. They even managed to find the hedge shaped like a poodle.

Soon Julius and Lucia stumbled upon the entrance. To make room for everything inside, the hideout was stashed away inside a large overhanging rock formation. It was clear that it must have been a repurposed cave. The entrance was hard to miss when informed, but if you didn't know better it would just be another part of the landscape. A lumpy shaped boulder covered an unassuming indentation in the ground next to the cliff-face. The stone was just big enough for two people to lift up if they tried hard enough. It was clearly made so that one person alone would lose their balance if they tried to budge the stone.

They each grabbed one side of the stone and heaved. With effort, the rock lifted a bit and rolled to the side. As expected, there was a well with a ladder to enter the hideout. Being cautious, Lucia let Julius go first. She didn't like being called vulnerable by their client, but Julius was a lot more prepared for whatever might be greeting them in the hideout. He was large and draped in armor, and lugged around a mighty and sturdy looking shield that reflected a hot beam of sunlight behind him wherever he walked. The mighty Hrognor had seen more action than Lucia could even try to imagine in all her longevity.

Julius made it to the bottom safely, and signaled for Lucia to follow down. At that moment Julius had sprung a trap. They didn't know it, but the man in the alley had expected this. They would walk into the base without knowing where to step and spring the alarm so that every unsavory character in the cave would hunt the two down in their small numbers and stop their breathing. While the alarm clattered in deeper parts of the cave, it became clear that the two would have to hurry to the end before they got overwhelmed.

Lucia hastily pointed forward and shrieked "Quick, the door!"

Julius smashed the iron door right off its hinges. The next hallway was unsurprisingly littered with enemies and traps to hinder their procession. Hatches immediately snapped open. Four Boko Baba snapped out of the openings, blatantly hungry for flesh. At that moment, a grated vent began to spray a light amount of green steam into the room. Poison! Lucia looked frantically for an emergency stopper. A Lizalfos crawled out of the ceiling with a large dagger in his teeth.

"Can you deal with the monsters? I need to turn that mist off!" Lucia shouted to Julius.

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

He climbed down the ladder carefully. It was a small, rocky alcove hidden within the canyon walls, seemingly undetectable without proper instructions.

Standing adjacent to the ladder was a bulky iron door, safeguarding the hideout from any potential cops who might be on their tail. He signaled for Lucia to follow him down, immediately prior to flipping the most obtuse security measure either of them had ever seen. There was a small black plate made out of some kind of rock, that had shattered when Julius had stepped on it. It had triggered a very loud alarm, the ringing filling his ears with such an intensity that he could only hope it would stop before he went mad. For the first few seconds he clutched at his helmet desperately, before vaguely recognizing Lucia telling him to get the door.

Prying his own hands off of his helmet, he barreled through the door, bursting it from its hinges with ease. It clamored to the ground with a noisy rattle, overpowering the alarm for a brief second before noticing a greenish gas filling the small corridor they were ensnared by. An intimidating lizard man crawled through a hatch on the ceiling, carrying with it a large, threatening dagger in its maw. It tumbled from the ceiling as four smaller channels opened, revealing an equal number of starved Boko Baba, licking their exotic plant fangs with their strange tongues.

It seemed that the Baba were trained, to Julius. After all, instead of chowing down on the lizard, they snapped towards the duo, completely ignoring the lizard as he mercilessly rushed towards them.

It jumped at Julius, the sharp, precise blade of the dagger deflected harmless by Hrognor. Expertly countering the barely armored bandit, he threw a punch at the thing connecting square in the jaw, a barely heard crunch reverberating over the harrowing alarm. From the little bit he heard, he guessed he had destroyed part of the its jaw, the beast reeling back in pain as it threw its dagger at an amazing speed, piercing Julius's armor with ease.

The dirk stuck out of his forearm. It was a dull, throbbing sensation, though it was meaningless as he drew his flail with his opposite arm, catching the Lizalfos in the stomach.

He closed in on the Lizalfos, drawing the dirk from his arm, before swiftly catching it in the throat. It drew its final breath, and before long, was slain.

By now, the chamber was beginning to fill with clouds of dull green gas. They lingered towards the ground, and it appeared that the plants were completely unaffected. It began to fill his lungs, his breath vying for even a tiny amount of clean air. The Babas, unaffected, still snapped to and fro at the party, craving the taste of their meat in their maws.

He wheezed, his breath heaving, his eyes watering, as he took loud, thunderous footsteps toward the Boko Babas. His feet turned heavy. He struggled to take steps, now resorting to dragging his feet along the floor, a loud, grating sound reverberating throughout the chamber.

He launched his flail once. He'd barely skimmed the Baba, before drawing it back and throwing it again, this time with a more fervent vigor, tearing through its oddly shaped, many fanged maw. A large mess of green, watery plant matter filled the hole quickly, as the plant's head stooped lower and lower, until finally a loud KRRRRRACK! was heard, signaling its apparent defeat.

There still remained the problem of the three others, however, and Julius trudged toward them wearily. The gas invaded his lungs, slowing his perception, numbing his body, making it hard to move, and slowly, ever so slowly, he fell to his knees. And then he slumped onto his arms. And then he fell to the cold floor, unconscious.

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

"No no no no no no no." Lucia jittered as she probed the walls for a piping seam. She watched Julius crash to the ground near the middle of the room in pure horror. She needed him to get through this place. The middle of the room. . . that's it! she thought. The switch had to be in the floor tiles.

Lucia reached to her belt and detached her boomerang. Trying to keep steady in the thick, venomous air, she loosed the sharp wooden device. Trying her hardest to get the right arc, she only managed to have it slice two of the demon plants' stems. Their furious, fanged flowers thudded to the floor. She caught the weapon right as it came back. That was it, she couldn't beat the last one before holding her breath as hard as she could. She teetered to the center of the room, just out of reach of the final flower.

With her trusty boomerang she pried the floor tiles off right around where the vent was. Just as she thought, there was a latched shutter that could stop the flow completely. She hammered it shut as fast as she could. The gas still lingered, and her partner was out cold. She flopped over to the man and started to tug on his arms. With as much strength as she could use with her breath held she dragged him to the entrance.

Lucia let out a huge gasp for air while they were away from the vents. She shoved the door back up, and propped it against the wall. With something blocking the other room they would be able to survive. With an angry plant and a toxic room blocking the thieves, Lucia decided to attempt to revive Julius. The situation gave her flashbacks to the fire in Kokiri Village. She started to panic. No, no no. The fairy! Lucia plopped Lith out of her shirt. The little trickstery pixie was lifeless. Lucia hit Julius in the gut, hoping to force some of the gas out of his lungs. It wasn't enough, she had to think quickly. She looked behind her. It didn't sound like anyone was coming yet. Perfect.

Lucia dove onto the man and pressed her lips against his. She exhaled into his oral cavity with all the force she could manage. Her face soon turned blue and her eyes twisted up. She limply rolled off of the man and rag-dolled in the corner. With the right amount of fresh air, Julius would be able to wake up in a few minutes.

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

He felt his body sliding along the floor, slowly. At this point, he was near the point of total unconsciousness, though he managed to hold on to the sensations of his body for a while longer. At this point, he was beginning to asphyxiate, the gasses filling his lungs almost totally. He began to choke and cough, his lungs tightening, failing to seize any air. Finally, he blacked out.

His still body was dragged by the frail, earthy haired girl out of the now toxic room into the safe alcove they had entered from. She beat on his abdomen hopelessly, trying to knock the gas out of his lungs. Seeing her fruitless efforts, the lass resorted to small bouts of rescue breathing -- as much oxygen as she could transfer into his huge frame to knock the gasses loose of its lodging.

Its effect were nearly immediate. Soon, his eyelids began to flutter, and he began to feel himself choke, coughing and gagging on the gasses that flowed from his lungs, gradually being displaced by the large amounts of air that invaded. He sat up, still gagging on the taste of the stench that had placed itself along his tongue, spitting and scraping his tongue with his gloved hands. The taste of the accumulated grime on his gloves certainly made the foul taste of the gas leave his mouth, but the grime on his gloves tasted far worse. It seemed he would simply have to bare it until he could get a bucket of water to wash his mouth out with.

Finally beginning to survey the area which he had awoken in, he had observed it to be the same alcove which they had entered from. The gasses passed through here, briefly, before escaping into the sky thourhg the makeshift well which housed the entire hideout. Looking to the corners, he identified the body of the "privy dick," Lucia, he had been assigned to work with. Wistfully he sighed, before springing to his feet and walking to the limp body of Lucia, shaking her awake. He began, in an apologetic tone, "Are you all right, miss?"

Re: Returning the Engraving (Doc Genz and Clooby feat. T-Pai

After that long breath, Lucia's vision fogged. The kind soldier shook the haze off.

"Uh. Not a problem, sir. They'll surely be coming. . ."

Lucia had hoped the gas would have stifled the alerted thieves, but it hadn't quite worked. Two short thieves with scarves over their faces ran in. A third, taller figure came behind them. They recognized the patterns on the clothing of the short ones. It was a Kokiri and a Skull Kid, both with daggers large enough to pass as short-swords. Behind them was a Gerudo with a similar weapon, though decorated with gold. She had no problem navigating the fumes without a filter. Had she forced immunity on herself? Lucia dreaded the thought of that process.

"On with it!" the Gerudo bandit shouted. "Make with the gutting."

The two forest inhabitants glared at the two from between their scarves and hats. The blue and red eyes pierced through them. Could such malice come from the usually timid forest dwelling people? Skull Kids were supposed to despise the larger "adult" sorts, but how could a Kokiri ever desire evil? Lucia would have to write about this phenomenon later, as they instantly lunged for the duo partys' throats.

With nothing else to use, Lucia guarded the dagger of the Kokiri with her boomerang. This was her only chance! With her free hand, she punched at his soft face. In frustration he tackled her to the ground and they began to wrestle over the weapons. In the meantime, the Skull Kid went straight for Julius.