Era, home to the Magic Council, was where Aiyana's next job was taking place. The massive city was home to a multitude of people, as well as a decently large prison. The prison had recently had a convict successfully escape from custody, and had since then managed to evade those out looking for him. It was pretty funny that the Magic Council AND the Rune Knights were asking for the guilds assistance in finding the man before he could either flee the country or commit more crimes. Surely the capital city of Fiore had enough manpower to do this on their own. 'I guess not, or I would not be here doing this on my own.'
It would do no good to look around during the day. What intelligent person, already avoiding the authority, would be out in daylight? That was why the bandaged mage had slept through most of the day so she could stay up all night and do a vigilant search for the man by the name Makarov Klaine. The information she had been provided, given to her by the prison, said he was a tall man with light brown hair, hazel eyes to go with it all. He also had a wife and daughter that lived in Era still, which left a possible point of interest for her to check out if she could not find any leads.
Needless to say, the young woman started out just walking the streets to see if she spotted any people acting suspicious at night. A few people told her to be careful, that a man had escaped prison and was on the loose, but she wasn’t too worried. She was a mage and the man was just a criminal arrested for grand theft and resisting arrest. Surely he wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight against her. The Lamia Scale mage had enough spells and items at her disposal to deal with a small army of monsters, let alone a single man. The bandaged mage told these people to not worry about her, that she could take care of herself if needed.
Her search on the streets turned up not a single lead, even walking through the alleys and past many a beggar or bum. With that venture turning out nothing, the woman started going into the inns and hotels and asking about men that may look like the image she had of Makarov. Most of the owners and workers had never seen the man, until she got to one small hotel near the edge of town.
”Aye, that mug right there is up in room eighteen! Third floor, second room on the left!”
With not a word to him, suddenly in a hurry to get to that room, Aiyana was on the move and for the stairwell that was the only way up, or down, the hotel. The patter of her feet hitting the steps as she ran could be heard throughout the stairwell as she made her way to that third, and top, floor of the hotel. With a slight amount of huffing, slightly out of breath from running up to the third floor, the mage in the cat eared hat opened the door to see a man starting to leave the room she was looking for.
”Makarov Klaine, you are to surrender and come with me back to the prison.”
There was surprise in the man's eyes as he looked at the short woman, with khopesh drawn. Surely he hadn't expected to be caught before he had finished his plans. As she began to walk towards him, he began pleading his case.
”I understand how this must look. A convicted man, already imprisoned, escaping and avoiding the law for some unknown reason. But I need you to let me do the one thing I got out of there to do. They won't allow my young daughter to visit me, and it's been two years since I've gotten to see her. I'll go willingly with you, so long as I can go to their place and make sure she's all right. I promise I won't run, and that I won't interact with them. I just want to see her, that's it.”
The man was in tears as he went through the last half of his little speech. There was no way a man would lie using his family, especially in a situation like this.
”All right, we'll let you see your kid. But I want you to stay close, just a little bit ahead of me. And we have to be back by daybreak. If you want to get to them lead the way, and take it slow. If you try to run you won't get your visit.”
With a small nod of understanding, the man slowly walked forward towards the stairs. The convict slowly led their way down the flights of stairs and out of the hotel, the owner of the hotel nodding to her as she walked past the front desk on the way out. The hotel they had left ended up being pretty close to the home of the man's family. Of a standard size, the house was nondescript when compared to those around it. A small window was on the front, light pouring out of it and allowing the two standing outside of it to view a mother and child sitting at a table. They seemed to be playing some kind of educational game involving flash cards, of which there was a couple different colored decks. Makarov stared into the window for a good while, at least a half hour, before he stepped back and turned towards Aiyana with even more tears in his eyes.
”Thank you so much,” the man said through sniffles as he tried to remain composed in front of the young lady that was going to be taking him back to the prison. “I'm ready to go back now, and I swear I won't pull a stunt like this again. Just want to finish my time in prison and get back into my girl's life.”
The walk back to the prison was a quiet one, the returning prisoner silently walking slightly ahead of her and trying to compose himself for when they arrived. Plenty of Rune Knights were guarding the prison when she arrived, many holding surprised looks as they saw the wanted man and a young woman walking towards them.
”He came peacefully after I found him. Make sure that statement goes on the record for him.”
With that said, and watching the knights bring him into the prison where he currently belonged, the bandaged mage accepted her pay before starting the long walk back to her home at Lamia Scale. Hargeon town was a ways away, but the walks were peaceful and the roads held people.
It would do no good to look around during the day. What intelligent person, already avoiding the authority, would be out in daylight? That was why the bandaged mage had slept through most of the day so she could stay up all night and do a vigilant search for the man by the name Makarov Klaine. The information she had been provided, given to her by the prison, said he was a tall man with light brown hair, hazel eyes to go with it all. He also had a wife and daughter that lived in Era still, which left a possible point of interest for her to check out if she could not find any leads.
Needless to say, the young woman started out just walking the streets to see if she spotted any people acting suspicious at night. A few people told her to be careful, that a man had escaped prison and was on the loose, but she wasn’t too worried. She was a mage and the man was just a criminal arrested for grand theft and resisting arrest. Surely he wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight against her. The Lamia Scale mage had enough spells and items at her disposal to deal with a small army of monsters, let alone a single man. The bandaged mage told these people to not worry about her, that she could take care of herself if needed.
Her search on the streets turned up not a single lead, even walking through the alleys and past many a beggar or bum. With that venture turning out nothing, the woman started going into the inns and hotels and asking about men that may look like the image she had of Makarov. Most of the owners and workers had never seen the man, until she got to one small hotel near the edge of town.
”Aye, that mug right there is up in room eighteen! Third floor, second room on the left!”
With not a word to him, suddenly in a hurry to get to that room, Aiyana was on the move and for the stairwell that was the only way up, or down, the hotel. The patter of her feet hitting the steps as she ran could be heard throughout the stairwell as she made her way to that third, and top, floor of the hotel. With a slight amount of huffing, slightly out of breath from running up to the third floor, the mage in the cat eared hat opened the door to see a man starting to leave the room she was looking for.
”Makarov Klaine, you are to surrender and come with me back to the prison.”
There was surprise in the man's eyes as he looked at the short woman, with khopesh drawn. Surely he hadn't expected to be caught before he had finished his plans. As she began to walk towards him, he began pleading his case.
”I understand how this must look. A convicted man, already imprisoned, escaping and avoiding the law for some unknown reason. But I need you to let me do the one thing I got out of there to do. They won't allow my young daughter to visit me, and it's been two years since I've gotten to see her. I'll go willingly with you, so long as I can go to their place and make sure she's all right. I promise I won't run, and that I won't interact with them. I just want to see her, that's it.”
The man was in tears as he went through the last half of his little speech. There was no way a man would lie using his family, especially in a situation like this.
”All right, we'll let you see your kid. But I want you to stay close, just a little bit ahead of me. And we have to be back by daybreak. If you want to get to them lead the way, and take it slow. If you try to run you won't get your visit.”
With a small nod of understanding, the man slowly walked forward towards the stairs. The convict slowly led their way down the flights of stairs and out of the hotel, the owner of the hotel nodding to her as she walked past the front desk on the way out. The hotel they had left ended up being pretty close to the home of the man's family. Of a standard size, the house was nondescript when compared to those around it. A small window was on the front, light pouring out of it and allowing the two standing outside of it to view a mother and child sitting at a table. They seemed to be playing some kind of educational game involving flash cards, of which there was a couple different colored decks. Makarov stared into the window for a good while, at least a half hour, before he stepped back and turned towards Aiyana with even more tears in his eyes.
”Thank you so much,” the man said through sniffles as he tried to remain composed in front of the young lady that was going to be taking him back to the prison. “I'm ready to go back now, and I swear I won't pull a stunt like this again. Just want to finish my time in prison and get back into my girl's life.”
The walk back to the prison was a quiet one, the returning prisoner silently walking slightly ahead of her and trying to compose himself for when they arrived. Plenty of Rune Knights were guarding the prison when she arrived, many holding surprised looks as they saw the wanted man and a young woman walking towards them.
”He came peacefully after I found him. Make sure that statement goes on the record for him.”
With that said, and watching the knights bring him into the prison where he currently belonged, the bandaged mage accepted her pay before starting the long walk back to her home at Lamia Scale. Hargeon town was a ways away, but the walks were peaceful and the roads held people.
[1142]
