Dracol Arc

[Asrana]

Sefeya set the folded and wrapped map on the table, weariness shadowing her face for a moment.

"The royal you'll be protecting isn't some cousin of the King and Queen, it's the Crown Princess. She'll be traveling to Stathon to be welcomed into adulthood by the Jade and Demon clans. My own security forces have found trails of a plot to kill her before the Winter Solstice, the time she is supposed to be confirmed. We also found evidence pointing to rogue Jade Magic Guild members as the ring leaders. To use some of the magic they have, these would be senior members of the guild.

If the Princess was escorted by Jade Dragon royal guards, area effect spells could be used to kill them all at once." she paused, letting that sink in for a moment before continuing.

"Since the princess' physical appearence has been kept hidden most of her life to all except her guards and other members of the family, we want to use a group of relatively unknown proffesionals, such as yourself, to escort her anonimously to Stathon. Your assignment is to be her personal bodyguard. Except for her bedroom and bath, you would need to accompany her at all times. And even durign those times, you would need to be nearby. She can hold her own in a battle, but to maintain secrecy, she will not exercise her full abilities. So it would be your job to cover her back."

She slid the map across the table to Wraith. "When you feel you can completely commit to this job, memorize the map completely and destroy it. If you cannot commit to this job by the end of the training week, destroy the map." Sitting back, Sefeya seemed almost a little relieved, waiting for any questions Wraith had.

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith nodded, taking the map off of the table. He considered it for a moment, then tucked it away in a pocket of his cloak.

"All right." He agreed, staring at the tabletop thoughtfully. After a moment, he looked up. "What's the motive, Sefeya-dono? Assassination is easy enough to understand, but why the princess specifically?"

[Asrana]

Sefeya smiled, "The politics of Draconia are peculiar here. Despite the Jade Dragon Alliance having been in power for three-hundred years, Princess Asrana is among only the second generation of Jade Dragons. Her parents were in fact the people that managed to unite Draconia. Thus, if she dies, symbolically so does the dynasty. Added to which, she stands to inherit direct control of both the Dragon and Jade clans. So even if she wasn't crowned queen, she'd still effectively control Draconia with two thirds of the land, the largest army, and the Jade Guilds."

Her gloved fingers traced the grain of the table's wood for a moment in silence. "Add that some of the older Magi in both clans still harbor grudges, the princess is a very tempting target, don't you think?"

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith nodded in agreement, thinking hard. "Okay...Is there a specific person you suspect as heading up the attempts?" he asked, after a moment. "If there is, do your security forces have file or something that I can review?"

"Hmm...Also, what information do you have on their methods of attack and operation, both as individuals and as a whole?"

[Asrana]

Sefeya sighed tiredly, passing a hand over her face. "We don't know much at all, Wraith. We've been able to use magic in listening to some old conversations they didn't cloak with their own magic, and follow some traces of their magic...but otherwise we're still mostly in the dark. What we do know in that area is it's at least two magi on par with senior members of the Jade Magic Guild, they have the reources to hire off-plane mercenaries, and they'll be abke to summon some very nasty creatures. Including but not exclusively demons. Though with the current situation of the underworld, they won't risk large and destructive creatures."

Pushing her chair back, Sefeya looked up apologetically. "I'm tired...and may be forgetting things. Is there anything else you need before I leave?"

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith bit his lip thoughtfully.

"Just two more questions, Sefeya-dono. First, what kind of materiel backup do we have access to? And secondly...Is there any comprehensive information on biological statistics and combat abilities of the likely summons that the magi are prone to using?"

[Asrana]

Sefeya closed her eyes in thought for a long moment, emotions of concern and even nervousness flashing across her face as she relaxed to remember.

"Material resources...the backup supply for my security forces and the princess' treasury and personal collection. Probably more than you can spend in the way of liquid assets." she sighed, "As for what they could summon...I can only offer the vaguest generalizations for them. I never studied summoning in depth...I'd suspect some of the creations that are similar to humanoid insects...exo-skeletons like steel plates and probably clawed arms that may or may not be poisonous... Any of them will likely be fast, and definitely with enhanced reflexes...but they may very well summon something else entirely."

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith nodded. "Well, it's a place to start. Do you retain anyone who has studied summoning?" He asked, after a moment of thinking. "I'd like to form a general idea of possible countermeasures for things I can't kill with my sword..."

He looked carefully at Sefeya. "Hmm...Sefeya-dono..." He said thoughtfully, "I understand the situation is serious...I mean...I've never seen you on edge before..." he began, awkwardly. He frowned at his verbal ineptitude and tried again.

"....Are you all right?" he finally asked, quietly.

[Asrana]

Sefeya smiled slightly, a bit of surprise flying across her face at the show of concern. "I'm alright, Wraith...it's just a little stressing to have the princess coming back when people who want to kill her are still out and about. Even after trying so much to eliminate them." she replied calmly, keeping her voice low.

"As for summoners...the Jade Assassins' Guild has none and the ones of the Dragon Guild are few and quite spread out. I'd suggest the Queen when she gets back, and the princess will know how to fight most of the creatures, but won't necessarily remember off the top of her memory..."

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith nodded, watching Sefeya closely for a moment, accepting the explanation. "I...see." he murmured, again, slightly awkwardly, as though he wanted to say more, but didn't know what to say.

He promptly jumped onto more comfortable ground. "Would it be possible to speak briefly with the queen?" he asked curiously. "The princess' input will be valuable, but I'd like to gather all the information I can..."

[Asrana]

Sefeya nodded slowly. "It should be possible...when she arrives with the princess. But with matters as they are...we will have to see how things fall."

Sighing softly, Sefeya adjusted one of her black gloves. "Is there anything else, Wraith?"

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith shrugged. "Not that I can think of." he said mildly. "I won't keep you any longer."

[Asrana]

Sefeya nodded, "You have free reign of the palace unless told by a guard you can't enter an area, if you need directions, ask one of the guards." she stood up as she spoke, sliding the key to the room across the table to Wraith.

Walking the few steps to the door in near utter silence, Sefeya turned with the it half-open. "And Wraith...thanks." She darted through the door, closing it with a gentle click behind her.

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith pocketed the key, smiling faintly. Well, it's lots nicer than my room at the inn...I guess I'll stay here.

He though for a moment, then left the room, locking it behind him, and headed out into the hall to locate a library of some sort. He had research to do...and for once, the resources necessary to get it done....

[Asrana]

The hallway outside Wraith's room was near silent, the only that of his boots on the polished marble floor.

As he came to the end of the short hallway was the passage they had followed to get here. Nothing appeared to his left, where they had come from, or to his right.

OOC: Rat, I need you to post again before Serilliyus can move.