[Quiet Man Cometh]

Syrgei looks around a moment, realizing that, besides Tsaerri, two others of their number are missing, "Hey," hey he says to Gambooge. "Where's Ed and Dan?"

Of course, if he didn't see them, there's a fair chance the elementalist hasn't, either.

This is the last thing we need.

"Maybe Ed just followed Tsaerri, or..." Actually, I'm not sure that would be a good thing.

Shaking his head, he decides to start scanning the surrounding area from their modest hill-top. He sees Dan not too far down the path, loping back towards them. He meets the charr down the path. "Hey, Dan. Have you see Eduardo? It's probably not the best for him to go wandering off."

It isn't long before he sees Eduardo making his own way toward them, followed by...

what, is that?

...flashes of purple and a small hunched figure bouncing along the landscape.

"Nevermind."

[Salone]

"Hm? Oh, yeah, the plant thing was talking to Tsaerri."

You're leaving the other part out Dan.

"And she shot at me. I mean her phantasms. But it's okay. I mean they didn't hit me. It actually went better than expected."

Really Dan? No flashbacks? Nothing? You have been shot at before Dan, where's your episode?

Dan grimaced, bursting in to actual speech to address the little voice.

"I have been shot at so many times that there are too many traumatic experiences queuing up to trigger me right now so they're all politely bickering among themselves, alright?"

He panted, giving Syrgei a wild-eyed look before looking away.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't, um...talking to you. Things are well. Or will be. Yes."

Inside his head, the voice snickered.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

do I want to know? No, probably not.

"um, okay, as long as she didn't...hit you." What was expected?

Shooting at other guild members...I probably shouldn't be surprised. Do phantasms act on their own or does she tell them...forget it. Skaeye, we need to talk.

[Suzerain of Sheol]

"They wouldn't--" Heave. "Do anything." Heave. "I wouldn't do." Tsaerri tries to smirk at Syrgei as she pulls Ed's money back to the group, but it comes out as more of a grimace.

Deciding that's close enough, she leaves it and walks over to the others, trying to conceal how out of breath she is. She approaches Ed.

"What were you thinking? Why didn't you call for help? You could have been killed!"

[Salone]

Eduardo looked taken aback, confused at Tsaerri's sudden outburst.

"Hwhy hwould I have been killed? They were simply a roving band of highway philosophers. I have encountered their ilk before. They all ask the same question. It's rather odd. I think I've gotten it right this time however."

He beamed, looking quite proud of himself before he noticed his bag of gold at her feet.

"That's erm...their payment, you know. They always request it."

And what does Dan think about all this?

Dan stared slack jawed at the large bag of gold. While he could quite clearly figure out what a "highway philosopher" was, he was confounded how the Sylvari had survived this long in life if he was just doling out fat sacks of cash to everyone who asked for it.

Oh no you don't. You're insane Dan, but you're not stupid. Don't even try it.

Dan cleared his throat, piping up.

"I, um, I could philosophicosalize. Judge people, before they judge you."

The voice inside his head groaned. Dan instantly regretted it.

Ed? How do you feel about that, erm...now is that really philosophy?


Eduardo frowned, his brain trying to photosynthesize the words in to some sort of useful communication for his brain. And then he failed.

"Um, no. No I think not. I apologize Dan, but I ahward you no philosophy, and your underhanded attempts to take advantage of my wealth is noted. You are not the of philosophers I am accustomed to."

[Suzerain of Sheol]

"Okay... look, Ed." She keeps her tone impressively even. "You're our valued client, and in the interest of keeping you safe... how do I put this?"

She takes hold of his coat and gently leads him a few steps away, lowering her voice. "Well, you see, those, er, 'highway philosophers' were going to murder you for your money. More like, uh... lumberjacks? Does that help? " I know you're like two years old at most, but Goddess! Work with me here.

"I know this, because I used to be in that kind of work, but now I'm an upstanding guild-person, and I'm trying to convince you not to do that in the future. You're painting a giant target on our backs and will probably get us killed. Er, I mean, get you killed." And hopefully Syrgei.

"No offense, but if it comes down to your money or my life, I'm out. Especially if you got us into that situation in the first place."

Because I'm sure that inspires confidence.

...if he's even listening to me.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

*yoink*

[Salone]

"Oh, I...I see..."

Eduardo sighed, his features becoming crestfallen and depressed. The eccentric Sylvari seemed to break on the inside. With a slow movement he sunk to the ground, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He slowly rocked back and forth, holding back tears as he processed all the times he had been duped of his coin. Oh, what a fool he had been. What an absolute fool. How could he be anything else? He had been unknowingly financing a large group of bandits, and they had played him like the idiot he was.

After a moment, he stood up. Tears were wiped from his eyes. For the first time ever, he knew anger. He knew hate. He now knew what he must do.

"I wish to go to the bandits. Take me to their leader. I am going to make this right."

[Suzerain of Sheol]

Tsaerri's eyes widened at the sudden shift in the Sylvari's demeanor.

Wow... I just pretty much told him there's no Santa Skritt, didn't I? Hope that doesn't mean a discount in our fee....

"You know, Ed, that's definitely something we could do. Unless I'm mistaken, their hideout is in the caves nearby. That is, unless our babysitter has any objections..." She throws a glare in Syrgei's direction. "Because if it wasn't implicit, violence is going to happen. It's one thing to try and arrest them out on the road, but we'd be walking into a nest of vipers. You don't go into a situation like that ready for anything but a fight? Are we clear on that?"

[Salone]

Eduardo looked her up and down, malevolence readily apparent on his face.

"Arrest? Arrest?? Hwho said anything about making an arrest? No, I think we shall take a much more...executive role. I have essentially funded the massive bandit activity along these roads and I am going to set it right. No, an arrest would be far too simple. I require a sword. I am going to learn what it means to be an adventurer, the correct hway."

He nodded, attempting to stand as imposingly as he could. It didn't do much for him, but he felt better for it.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Syrgei leans towards Dan. "Did I hear that right?"

[Salone]

Dan shuddered, remembering the only time he had picked up a sword. It hadn't felt right. It was if he was forbidden from using it.

And why is that Dan?

Four people were missing a foot before he was able to put the sword down correctly. No matter how careful he was with it, it had kept...well, slicing, which would have been good against a group of faceless, one dimensional antagonists instead of a family that loved and cared for him. He let the thought go, grunting a response to the tight-with-words thief.

"Seems the plant wants us to walk him closer so he can hit them with his sword. This can't end well."

[Suzerain of Sheol]

Tsaerri waits for a conspicuously long moment of awkward silence before volunteering, "I guess you can borrow one of mine, I do have extra. You'd better not lose it, though!"

With a snap, she brings out Monarch and flips it in her hand, catching it by the blade, and extends the ghostly hilt to Ed. "Are you sure this is a good idea, though? Do you even know how to fight?"

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Yes. Yes I did.

"It seems plans have changed." Syrgei says as he steps up next to Tsaerri and Eduardo. "That won't disappear on him, will it?" he gestures towards the gaseous purple sword.

[Suzerain of Sheol]

"Well, it'll disappear if I want it to... or if I get knocked unconscious, I guess." She rolls her eyes at the prospect. "And yes, I can still fight just fine, it's barely any extra effort. So, are we doing this or not?"

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Wasn't really you're abilities I was worried about, Syrgei thinks, not sure if he should openly question Eduardo's potential with a sword. If things go sour, he could always club one or two with that sack of gold I suppose.

Syrgei muses over the plan. If Ed wants to do it, they are obliged to follow, and cracking at the heart of the bandit problem is certainly appealing. As much as he preferred to give everyone a chance to change, certainly not everyone was going to take it.

He can't help but entertain the thought of catching Big-Nose ted outside of city limits where he can't hide behind his bought-off city guard.