The hour was still early when the party boarded the train to Lantera City, the town closest to King Sebastion's Castle in the Muriad Marshlands... so the train was empty except for a few other passengers. Along the way, the train stopped in a few towns to pick up and drop off passengers. After an hour or so, the conductor announced that they have crossed the prefectural border.
As the name suggests, Muriad is mostly swamp land surrounded on 2 1/2 sides by the Sea of Incisor. In the center of this, somehow there was a castle built which is now occupied by the current prefect King Sebastion. Given that this whole area is marshland, it's a wonder anyone could build anything on it.
Despite all that, Muriad is a decent-sized functional prefecture with towns scattered about amongst the large area of swampland... with roads and rail connecting them. It's much like the mouth of the Mississippi river, or the Everglades in Florida.
Once across the prefectural border, the train continues on... stopping at more towns along the way. The party observes how the surrounding terrain seems quite inhospitable for average people.
TRITHAL: "I guess it's a good thing Axem isn't with us. He'd get mosquito bites all over."
Rishna: "Why is that?
TRITHAL: "There's something about his body chemistry that attracts insects. For as long as I known him he's been more susceptible to bug bites than me or anyone else around while in the same place. That's just another way in which he is weird."
THRAX: "Yeah. So it kinda makes you wonder why he would try to run off with a member of the royal family in such a place."
After hearing them say this, Rishna sits quietly as if she's trying to put together everything she has found out in the past few days while trying to connect it all to her beloved AXEM.
After about 45 minutes, the party finally reaches Lantera City, which seems to float in the marsh next to the castle of Sebastion. The party disembarks the train and observes their surroundings. It isn't quite mid-day when the party saves at the records kiosk just outside the train station. THRAX, now being the senior RPG expert of the group, suggests that everyone search the town and try to find any items and/or equipment that would be useful in this new area.
While the party scatters and explores, TRITHAL thought it would be best if he were to do some information-gathering... so he stops by a local police station. The female officer at the front desk asks. "Hello. Can I help you?"
TRITHAL flashes the badge given to him by Midus and responds, "My name is Trithal Tsutaru. I am a special agent with the Mount Sabretooth Phi-Considine. I am here investigating the disappearance of a certain individual that happened more than two years ago."
Officer: "Ok. Please wait a moment."
The officer makes a call, and a few seconds later a tall, darker-skinned person emerges from the back and says, "Greetings, Mr Tsutaru. I am Vicente, the supervisor here. How may we be of assistance to the Phi-Considine?"
TRITHAL moves toward the supervisor, grabs his shoulder and walks him to the back room. TRITHAL withdraws his large-screened PDA and shows the sketches Anri made to him.
TRITHAL: "Do you recognize anyone in these sketches?"
Vicente: "Yes I do. This one here is one of the higher-ranking members of the Akuhito Syndicate that-- well-- used to operate to the east of here."
TRITHAL: "What do you mean by 'used to operate'?"
Vicente: "Well, after the death of Liiche and the fall of the Periande, they seemed to have vanished. No one seems to know where they could have gone to, or why they disappeared in the first place."
TRITHAL: "I see. Well, due to some evidence which has recently come to light, we have reason to believe that this group of people may be directly involved with the disappearance of Ella of the Light more than two years ago. If you see or hear anything about them, I'd appreciate it if you would contact me."
TRITHAL hands the supervisor a card with his name and cell number. The supervisor assures him that they will keep their eyes peeled.
While TRITHAL exits the station, the female officer at the front desk stops him and asks, "Wait a minute... aren't you Trithal the Divine Wind who played bass with that awesome group at the battle of the bands in Yokka?"
TRITHAL, not seeing any harm in saying so, responds, "Well, yeah I am."
The female officer bursts out in hysteria and begins raving: "Oh my god! You guys are so awesome! The CD from the show came out today and I just LOVE your music! Hey... would you autograph my CD for me???"
TRITHAL, surprised to see that a CD was even cut from that competition, agrees to do so...so as to avoid being stalked by this weird chick.
Officer: "So, are you guys gonna record an album or something?"
TRITHAL (still in surprised mode): "I don't know. At the moment each of us have other things to take care of. If we can all get back together again then we may."
Officer: "Oh my god! That would be soooo awesome! Well, keep in mind you have at least one devoted fan out here!"
TRITHAL acknowledges and promptly exits the office. Once outside, he catches up with the rest of the party who have been out shopping. He notices CHRIS carefully reading the jacket to a CD identical to the one he just autographed.
CHRIS: "Damn it! I'm not on here!"
TRITHAL: "That's because you got booed off the stage. Remember?"
CHRIS: "No way, man! It was cool! It's just that no one appreciated it for what it was."
TRITHAL: "Chris, if no one else appreciates it, then it's not cool... it's retarded."
CHRIS: "Eh, actually it is cool. The fact that no one else appreciates it makes it even more cool!...like Star Trek, the Next Generation!..."
TRITHAL and THRAX commence to beating CHRIS with pillows yet again for his utter stupidity when Palledoris steps up and says, "Lord Thrax, Trithal-san, we need to focus on the matter at hand. We have to find a way to get to Fafara as soon as possible. To that end, I believe there may be someone here in this city who owes me a favor. May we go find him?"
THRAX: "Sure. Why not?"
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