In My Time of Need [Ask]

Rowan's mild scolding made Liseran's face flush and bite her inner cheek. With a sharp pout, she tried to defend her point.

"O-of course I know this is important!" she said as she got up, brushing the dust off her skirt and facing Rowayn defiantly. "It's why I want to join in the first place! Whether or not it assuages the tedium that is being held hostage by this officer is a bonus! In fact--ack!"

Liseran's collar slammed against her vocal chords as Alice yanked her. Liseran tried to get back up, but Alice's grip on her collar was pretty firm. Her arms would start waving frantically as she tried to stand up again.

"Hey! Let--go--of--me!" she said.

Alice, meanwhile, went about talking protocol again.

"This has nothing to do with protocol and all to do with the fact I want to help!" Liseran argued. Despite her formal voice, her tone betrayed her and she was pretty much close to a child having a tantrum.

Aspen merely stepped back, and despite Kiara's insistence, she shook her head.

"An Expiate member would be helpful, but little miss librarian here looks like she's more baggage than any help," she said jerking a thumb at her.

"Hey!"

Aspen would start walking out the door.

"Rowan's right, best we stick to the three of us. If we happen upon another Expiate officer that doesn't seem to need babysitting, we'll consider it. Why not we ask villagers where the most recent attacks were? From there we can do what Ferro said and gain clues about the beast?"

With that, Aspen headed out the door hoping, the two would follow suit. Seeing Aspen leave, Liseran's shoulders slumped and she pouted.

"I'm not even an Expiate officer..." she sulked.

Rowan couldn't help but smile softly as the annoying officer was yanked back by a MUCH better example of the expiate. He didn't mind her comments either. A strength of his was being relatively unknown. Kiara on the other hand...."I'm Kiara Ferro!" She huffed. "I'm the best artificer, inventor and spell caster you will ever meet!" She puffed out her chest and grinned. "I've already invented one of the most powerful destruction spells you will ever see and my weapon-making is second to none." She placed her hands on her hips. "I swear on my family name that I'll keep Ms.Dormice safe!"

She then stepped forward and grabbed her hand, pretty much initiating a tug of war. "Besides, she's free to make her own decisions, unless ordered to stay and do nothing correct?" She paused a moment and stepped forward. "Besides, a decent sized expiate presence on the operation would do wonders for public relation. I doubt you're popular, having taken so long to even notice the threat. This will show people that you really ARE interested in their safety." There was a severe look that took over her usual features. As excited as she was for this quest, she DID see some issues that could've been dealt with earlier. This...probably won't do her any favors with the Expiate though.

She briefly looked behind her, hoping to get backup from Rowan and Aspen. Her face fell when she noticed that they were BOTH gone.

Well...She was on her own in this then!

Despite her attempts, Kiara will find that she couldn't move Liseran an inch. Alice continued to stare blankly at her attempts to bring Liseran along.

"There is no substantial evidence of your credentials to provide adequate protection," Alice stated plainly. "Also, despite being related to an officer, the individual Liseran Dormirse is not actually affiliated with the Expiate. If you feel you require Expiate aid in your investigation, please ask either of the two officers patrolling the village border. You only have until sundown to gather information. Please do not waste more time here."

Now turning away and seemingly ignoring Kiara altogether, Alice looked up at the sulking Liseran.

"I do not understand why you want to help with the investigation," Alice stated in monotone. "However, without assurance of your protection being within acceptable parameters, I cannot allow you to leave this facility."

Liseran wasn't sure herself why Kiara was sticking out a limb for her (both figuratively and literally to tug at Liseran's arm), but she was glad regardless.

Whatever the case, Kiara's tug did nothing but make Liseran yelp as Alice's grasp proved more superior.

"Owowowow..." Liseran said in a low voice, trying to show she wasn't hurt by any of this.

Whatever the case, Alice seemed to have won and a blush would run across Liseran's face as Alice mentioned Liseran was related to an officer. She did not need anyone to know that!

Whatever the case, Kiara would feel a force yank at her own collar and she'd see that Aspen had peeped from the doorway and was trying to drag her out.

"Come on," she said whether or not she was successful at grabbing Kiara and taking her away. "The talking doll is right. We shouldn't be wasting time. If you feel that strongly about wining and dining Miss Library, then you can do that later."

Meanwhile, Liseran had slumped down again on the floor, giving Alice a dissatisfied leer and pout.

"Because people are in danger, isn't that enough to want to help?" Liseran said. "I don't know about you, but I am not someone who can sit idly by when people need help--my father's orders or not."

She then listened to Alice repeat the need of assurance of her safety.

"And what exactly does that 'assurance' of safety does that consist of?"

Kiara's face puffed out as the other officer continued talking stupidity. This whole thing was asinine! If someone skilled wanted to help, they should be allowed to help! At least for questioning! What were they afraid of even? They weren't hunting the thing yet!

As she opened her mouth to speak again, she felt a tug on her collar. She hopped back a step and stumbled as Aspen began to drag her out. A small shade of red appeared on her face at her accusations. "I don't want to wine and dine! But if someone wants to do something about a situation, they should be allowed to!" She cried out as she was dragged out of the room.

Rowan would be waiting outside with his arms crossed. Truthfully, he would've started interviewing people if he didn't trust Aspen. She seemed very capable and he trusted her judgement here. Plus, she had more experience in this area than him most likely. "I'm assuming we won't have a fourth then?" He spoke as Aspen dragged a now limp and pouting Kiara outside.

Instead of promptly replying, Alice stared blankly at Liseran before looking off to the side.

"Please remain in your room and in close proximity to Officer Brettmann," Alice said in monotone. "I must attend to a small procedure. The specialty foods in the area are roasted hen and tomato rice. If there is anything else you require outside of leaving this building, please ask Officer Brettman."

With that, Alice turned and left, the case still in her hands.

If Liseran tried to leave despite Alice's instructions, she'd find a suit of armor made out of cartic runes standing in her way.

"Nope," Aspen said when Rowan asked about a fourth. "Business is business and we have to get to it. Why don't we visit the farm area? Seeing how livestock might be the usual target, best we try and see if there have been attacks there?"

She'd lead the way if neither Rowan nor Kiara protested.

The group would eventually come to where the farmers were tending to the fields. The group seemed rather busy, but she decided since the farm was more on the outskirts, it was their best option.

"Ah, good day, sirs," she said. "We're some of the hires by the Expiate investigating on the recent deaths. Is it alright we ask you a few questions about what happened? Whether you've witnessed anything and if you know where we can investigate to inspect any damage done to any infrastructures?"

***

"Y-you can't just keep me cooped up in here!" Liseran shouted after Alice before pouting furiously.

She tried to step out, but jumped back at the emergence of a runic knight in her past. She was far too familiar with this setup and she sadly knew there was no way going about them--mostly because her father had used them on her so many times before.

In defeat, Liseran retreated to her room and would instantly start rummaging through what was there. She looked through her clothes, but would note that whatever jewelry or accessories had been packed, they were drained of any Cartic marks. In addition to this, the room had no books or metals that were viable for Cartic charging.

Liseran flopped onto her bed, her face directly on the pillows, and screamed into them.

The two farmers were busy tilling the fields, hacking at the dirt to loosen the soil for crops. When the group approached them though, only one of them looked up from their work at them. He was a lengthy man with hallow cheeks and hair hair. His fingers were bony with swollen knuckles from years of working the fields. He looked at the group with scrunched eyebrows, but as Aspen asked her question, his beady eyes went wild and his fists shook with how hard he was gripping his hoe.

"Who said anything about death!?" he shouted furiously. "What do you know, anyway? You with those worthless badges Graenal took in? Well get out! We don't need strangers meddling with us after they refused to help us!"

"George!" It was then the other man looked up and snapped at the old man who looked at him fuming but quickly settled down.

The man named George looked back at the group, his shoulders drooped and his head lowered. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... No, I shouldn't have yelled at ya like that."

His fingers loosened around his hoe as he let out a slow sigh.

"Right. You wanted to ask questions, right?" George asked with a much more gentle tone, leaning his weight on his hoe like a walking stick. "I'll tell you whatever you need to know. I promise I'll keep my temper."

Rowan looked fairly nonplussed about the man's whining. Why turn away help when it came? Who cares if they were a little late? Honestly, if they wanted help, they should've put in for a quest sooner. Well, whatever, it wasn't for him to judge anyways.

Kiara, on the other hand, eyes narrowed at him. While she wasn't in the expiate yet, she wouldn't take anyone badmouthing them! Even if they had a point! Well...yeah no, he had a point. She sighed and shook her head. "Well, we're here for you now, sir. We'll get this settle right away! So count on us!" She beamed, placing her hands on her hips.

Rowan stared over at her for a second, before idly turning and leaning forwards towards the man. "Have you or anyone in the community seen this thing? Is there any pattern to its attacks?"

Kiara quickly butt in, stepped slightly in front of Rowan. "Yeah, and are there any remains from the attacks I can look at? I know that sounds strange, but its suuuuuper important to the investigation I promise!"

Aspen kept a straight face when the man yelled, and rolled her eyes when he was done. He fortunately came to his senses and gave Rowan and Kiara the opportunity to ask questions. They were good questions, so she felt no need answering them, though at Kiara's interjection, Aspen added,

"Attacks that we can look at," she said coolly. "I don't think it's a good idea for any of us to split ways and work on our own. We don't know what we might be up against."

***

After some solid moping, Liseran decided to look for Officer Jinn within the building. She looked around before noticing him and approaching him.

"Your ward refuses to let me leave," she said in a stiff tone. "There has to be something you'll allow me to do."