If more than leaves should fall

The days were darkening earlier as the seasons turned, and the evening air held a growing hint of chill as a stoop-shouldered man ambled through the market, pulling his battered, broad-brimmed gray hat down a little further over his ears as a playful breeze teased at it. Darkened skin and hair and age lines on his face and hands helped him to blend in as just one more weathered man who worked the Outskirts with either hunting or farming, someone of no interest, who rarely came into town and wouldn't be recognized by most, if any. He greeted few with silent nods, keeping himself to himself as he found his way to the door of the Monster Hunter’s Guild and knocked briskly before entering.

”Guildmaster?” He called gruffly, peering around in search of the man who still had a guild to his name. They had things to talk about, information to exchange, and while he would have preferred to do so with Amalia present as well, she seemed stressed enough that he wanted to give her a break from the weight of the world that had come to rest on her beloved bakery. Ronin would hopefully forgive him for arriving without much chance to plan the meeting in advance, but with Zariah’s threats against his guild – well, not his guild anymore – combined with her disappearance, it seemed wise to share what he could while he could, before the noose tightened too far. He wasn't sure he trusted that she was really gone and not just biding her time... but that was something else they could hopefully talk about, if Ronin was in.

It would become clear as Jigano entered the Monster Hunters Guild that knocking was not necessary - the entrance foyer was quiet, with its board of wanted jobs and marks, but beyond in the hall itself, a low hum of voices and bustle could be heard. More now than ever the guild was a place to meet, to plan, to discuss tactics and training for taking down the many and varied beasties around the Hollowed Grounds. Even so, there were ways to get Ronin's attention, and one of them peeped down at the stranger from an overhanging beam.

Sugar didn't recognise this man as Jigano, and her fierce blue eyes showed suspicion and distrust. Snapping her sharp little teeth, the footsteps moving towards the entranceway were a sure sign that she had told her companion, one way or another, that someone was there.

"Can I help y-- oh. Hello," Ronin said with a warm smile, recognising the disguise now for what it was. "Do come in. I've a place where we can talk." Ushering Jigano into the hall, Ronin led them around those who were sitting and enjoying drink and conversation to a small side room that doubled as a study. "Take a seat. Can I get you something to drink?"

Jigano glanced up, blue eye twinkling merrily up at the little dragon as she made her distrust known, but before he was tempted to find a way to reassure her, Ronin appeared and led the way back to a more private room. The bard settled into a chair with a sigh of relief, reaching up to rub at the eye patch with rueful annoyance at the damned thing. "Thank you, guildmaster. Tea would be a treat," he continued gruffly, waiting to relax until the other man was back with the offered beverage and the door safely shut. Only then did he push the hat back and flip up the eyepatch, grimacing with combined exasperation and amusement. "The damned thing is a bit of a headache. I never should have added it in to a long term disguise," he grumbled, though not without wry acceptance that he had only himself to blame.

"I've been meaning to catch up with you, though. I heard about that announcement on the notice board and wanted to get your thoughts on it... and Edy. And see about what information I could give you to help out with, ah, things if... well." He exhaled, reaching up to rub the back of his neck uncomfortably and glancing away for a moment before slanting his gaze back up to watch Ronin's face. "Did you know that Zariah threatened Amalia over me?"

Tea Ronin could do, the hunter leaving briefly so he could get some whilst Jigano got comfortable. By the time he returned with the tray and the cups, the provost was looking at least fractionally more like himself. "Ah, yes. I imagine it seemed like a perfect addition at the time. I hope that you won't have to use such a disguise for much longer." Frowning, he poured them both some tea and settled back with his cup.

"The announcement... Well. Edrei, ironically, is a much better queen already in my opinion. She is a lot more... hands-off, shall we say." He smiled ruefully. "In fact, in my experience of her, I doubt she much wants the responsibility at all. I wonder whether Zariah really has gone on some 'errand', though. Would there have been an announcement if that were the case? Do we need to be told every time she steps outside for some air?"

No, it spoke of something not being said. "I heard - I've spoken to Amalia about it, in case the inevitable happened. I can't say I'm surprised, though. Zariah has proven that she can and will threaten anyone."

"Agreed!" Jigano fervently hoped the disguise could soon be shed, far preferring his usual comfortable style and striking appearance. And to be able to go back to his Hall and visit his friends in peace... Longing for a return to normalcy (though what was 'normal' on Caido, really? Land of strange monsters and magics and gods) struck a sharp, resonant chord in his heart, but he pushed it down with a grateful nod of his head as he accepted the tea and inhaled the aroma as a means of settling himself.

"I have similar concerns that Zariah is using this as a ploy to lure out those who oppose her, who might feel bolder with her supposedly 'absent,'" Jigano agreed with a faint grimace. Politics. Intrigue. A little was good for sharpening the mind, but too much was bad for the soul.

He nodded at Ronin's understanding of the situation, a wry smile on his face. "She wasn't going to tell me, I think. Luckily she has Deimos looking out for her. Zariah or no, I'm going to try and meet Edy and see what she's willing to work out. If nothing else I might learn a few things about what's going on in the Manor that I can pass along to you when I get back... or whoever comes to visit me in jail, if the worst case happens. Perhaps Amalia or Remi can bring the prisoner bread and we can speak privately." He tapped his forehead with a wink.

"If things do go badly, though, I wanted to pass on some of what I've learned to someone who can make tactical use of it. Or at least, I hope it can be useful," he added, a touch rueful. "I've copied down the text I was able to translate into something more legible. If you have any questions I can try and answer them, though not being a mage myself, it's mostly theory to me, rather than practice." He produced a folded sheet of paper from a hidden pocket and slid it across Ronin's desk. The page would describe, in neat, clear writing, the list of magical schools that were common on Caido, their ranks, and what was possible at each level.

Ronin hummed a note of agreement, frowning gently and running his fingers through his hair as he considered Jigano's point. If Zariah was just trying to lure out those who might resist her, things could escalate to all out war if they weren't careful about it. And that was something that the hunter wanted to avoid at all costs - he had been a soldier. He had done war. No thanks, not again.

Taking a sip of his tea, he shot Jigano a wry smile and shook his head. "With your silver tongue? I doubt you will end up behind bars if you're talking to Edrei. But it's always wise to be careful," he said with a nod. Then the bard produced a slip of paper, Ronin raising an eyebrow as he accepted it and unfolded it to take a look. Blue eyes growing bright and interested, he scanned the paper before folding it once more and tucking it away into an inside pocket as well.

"I'm hardly a mage either, but it would be interesting to see this in practice. I'll show it to Remi, and see if we might experiment to see if what you've found out makes sense. I'd be curious to find out how they interact with each other, too..."

"Your faith in my skills is appreciated, captain," Jigano grinned ruefully. "And with Edy the one in charge, if Zariah really has stepped out for a bit, I admit I have far more hope of getting off with just a slap on the wrist. As long as I don't show up when she's in a bad mood I hope I can work things out. I should probably bring her a gift, just in case," he added at the end, musing half to himself. With Edy involved the gift would have to be something unusual and probably not commonly found in polite company... but he could work with that.

He sipped his tea at last once he had delivered his notes, letting the heat soothe him as much as the flavor. The Leafchange weather was still closer to Longheat than Deepfrost, but that would be changing soon enough, and the memories of those snows were enough to make him appreciate the warmth even now.

"Yes," Jigano agreed, relieved that Ronin appreciated the potential usefulness of the list. "And the gods or other powers on Caido can grant unique magics as well, but since each one is unique, there's no way of knowing what to expect until it's used. But it is also good to know that Zariah only has control over her lightning, and Vai mentioned life drain, within a thirty-foot radius. Though if she has mastered her control over life drain to such an extent, she can also strengthen herself with the energies of her victims, should the worst come to pass and she pushes for civil war as she threatened to do at the meeting," he added with a grimace.

"A slap on the wrist - right," Ronin murmured, resisting the smirk that threatened on his lips. More likely a slap elsewhere - but he was prevented from making any further jokes at the reminder of how Edrei had turned up the last time they'd met - with Remi half dead at her side and barely a care for it. He supposed he should have been happy that she'd even gotten him home, but still... bitter tastes and all that.

Listening intently as Jigano continued to speak about unique magics and the like, Ronin nodded - Remi had one such ability already, if he wasn't mistaken, his blind-sight somehow more accurate (in some cases) than regular sight would have been. Still, knowing there was a limit to Zariah's abilities, even mastered, was comforting. "If she decides on civil war I suppose we will need to deal with that when the time comes." He shook his head - they couldn't very well stop her currently, even if she was technically 'away'.

"Thank you though, Jigano. All of this is very helpful."

A soft snort met Ronin's comment, and Jigano tilted his head in wry acknowledgment that his wrist was, perhaps, optimistic. Still, a man could hope, and he was old enough to try and wriggle out of Edrei's overly-adventurous fingers.

Maybe.

"It might not be a bad idea to consider what we're willing to do, and what we have the ability to do, before that happens. If it happens," he acknowledged with a wry smile. "'Hope for the best, but plan for the worst,' as the saying goes. I don't know that anyone could have predicted Zariah taking power... but if we had the chance to make plans in advance of that, we might have been able to temper some of her more excessive grasping after control. We've gained some breathing room now, but we're warned that she intends to return, and have every reason to assume she intends to pick right back up where she left off. My advice is to make backup plans while we have time and space to do so." He paused, and then tipped his head in a respectful nod.

"But I will stand behind your decisions, whatever they may be," he added, his smile easing back to wry humor for his friend. "And hopefully I will be able to provide you with more help soon... assuming I get to walk out of the Manor sooner rather than later," he acknowledged, hiding his tension behind a cheerful facade.

Ronin hummed an agreement, taking another thoughtful sip of his tea. "Well, there is training ongoing - and that is my main concern; making sure that everyone is safe and ready and able to hold their own should Zariah's guards come knocking. I don't want anyone to get hurt unnecessarily." He shrugged. Perhaps that was too slow for some people's liking, but... well, if that was what it took to make sure nothing like this happened again, so be it.

Wrinkling his nose as Jigano so obviously deferred to him, Ronin shrugged his shoulders. "I've nothing against backup plans, I'm just not willing to make any aggressive movements until we're sure they'll be worth it. Enough people have been arrested and enough people have been bullied by Zariah's reign." The last thing he wanted to do was continue along that path.

Smiling lopsidedly to the bard, he lifted his cup in a toast. "Well, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavour. Be careful."

Jigano bowed his head in agreement with Ronin's wisdom, glad that they had the time, now, to move so slowly and carefully. What he had seen at the meeting not so long ago was a powder keg of resentment churning beneath Zariah's heel, and more than a few people who were ready to blow at the first spark, training or no. Now, though, with the Tyrant gone for at least a little while, perhaps they could safely proceed according to the captain's plan.

"Plans and talk aren't movement," Jigano said with a slight shrug as he sipped his tea. "But I appreciate the cautious path you're taking. Hopefully we'll come through this in one piece, if we play our cards right."

The dismissal was courteous, but distinct enough that the bard could hardly miss it. He raised his cup in salute before drinking the warm water down. "My thanks, Guildmaster. And I'll try. The same goes to you." He flipped his eyepatch down and took a moment to straighten his disguise once more before he gave a parting grin and slouched out the door, heading down the street at a rolling amble as he contemplated his preparations for the meeting ahead.