Arcanum 192 Jennifer Vancliff

"Pretty normal." Jennifer agreed.

The moment we left the inn a patrol of four guards walked past us giving us a curious look then a nod of respect or understanding and walked off despite having Daisy and I tied up at the wrists. "Is this whole d.a.m.n town corrupt?" I said to everyone disgusted that even the guards are corrupt.

"It's easy to see it like that but they are just trying to get by and probably supporting and protecting their family." Jennifer answered.

"Yeah but poverty most likely caused by your family," Helen said in seething disgust.

"Yes, that may be true, but it's not my fault." She replied to Helen's comment sounding extremely down.

"Head's up we're being watched," Grace said giving another man on a corner staring at us a nod of acknowledgement, the shady man nodded back and disappeared into a dark alleyway.

"The exit shouldn't be too far, then a small walk and we should be at the meeting point." Jennifer said leading the way.

"So Jennifer who is this Nicolas?" I questioned.

"He's one of the more known notable mob bosses," Jennifer answered.

"There's more than one?" I questioned.

"Yes he and his goons are part of a larger organisations who operate under the name of The White Ravens, they operate mainly in non-human trafficking." Jennifer answered.

"What they just take children and people away?" I questioned in absolute shock.

"They are extremists that targets non-humans but will target anyone for the right price." Jennifer answered.

"So is that why they wanted to take us?" Daisy asked.

"I a.s.sume so." Jennifer answered as we made our way out the city down towards the meeting point.

"So Jennifer you did you apply to go Atlantis?" I questioned.

"I wanted to but my family didn't want me leaving the family business and I didn't want to risk going to the other schools of the militia." She answered.

"So why was you here?" Helen questioned.

"I wanted to see Jay for something." She answered.

"She wanted to catch up, nothing special." Jay answered collaborating with her.

"So Jay told us you both studied under the same mentor when you was younger." I questioned.

"Yes we had the same teacher who taught us how to be sorcerers but my family didn't like it when they found out, they kept me inside our estate under surveillance at all times, so I couldn't practice or learn spells anymore." She clearly saddened by the event.

"You don't get along with your family?" I questioned noticing her mood and tone.

"I do, they are family after all, just I don't agree with their methods." She answered.

"Have you tried to do something to, you know change their ways?" I questioned.

"My father is too hungry for power and wealth and securing a family legacy." She answered with sounding extremely worried.

"So what do you plan to do?" I questioned curiously.

"I don't know, my brothers are set to inherit the family business. I on the other hand most likely get married off to someone for political reasons." She answered.

"Don't you have any, dreams you'd want to pursue?" I questioned.

"I would very much like to be similar to one of you, free to follow your dreams to learn and study magic, going on adventures." She sighed.

"You can't just go out and do that?" I questioned.

"No, I'd be too hard to stay away from the reach of my family." She answered.

"Maybe next year you can apply to go Atlantis." I suggested.

"I would love to but there's no way I'd be picked to go Atlantis." She answered.

"I heard you can pay your way into Atlantis." I replied.

"Ohh even with our entire family's wealth wont even afford the 5th Atlantis spot." She answered.

"Woah Atlantis spots that lucrative?" I asked in shock.

"Of course everyone wants their Sons or Daughter to have the chance to study under Paul and Scarlet." She answered.

"Ohh I see, so what sort of business does your family get involved in?" I asked politely.

"The Vancliff name has its hands in most property and property development in Arcadia." She answered.

"That doesn't sound that bad," I replied.

"Their methods of use are very underhanded," Jay answered.

"Yes, sadly my family aren't the cleanest when it comes to making deals when buying land." She answered.

"So are you special? Jay's a blue flame caster." Daisy questioned.

"Nothing special." She answered. "So have you guys been in a fight before?" She questioned us.

"Yes we have actually." I answered with a smile.

"We've taken down a giant purple worm, stopped a Dark Elf attack and a thwarted a demon incursion." I smiled.

"What no way?!" she gasped in excitement breaking character talking out loud.

"Yeah it was quite cool." I smiled but still remaining in character still talking telepathically.

"What was it like?!" She questioned still excited but remained composed going back to telepathic messages.

"It was scary at first." Jay answered.

"Yeah but you've always been pessimistic and cautious." She laughed.

"Ohh he's always been like that?" I chuckled.

"Yeah, I on the other hand a little more hot headed." she laughed, "But tell me a giant purple worm? How and where?" She asked.

"Hmm it was somewhere near the deserts of Es.h.i.+a we joined Paul, Scarlet and Ashley fulfilling an order of purple worm scales and organs," I answered.

"No way! You met Paul the Black Dragon Slayer and Scarlet the Red Death?!" She questioned in shock.

"Red Death?!" We all asked in return utterly shocked.

"Yeah! In the criminal underworld she's renowned to show no mercy, if you ever see her red hair and armour hope and pray you're not her quarry." Jennifer answered making us take a pause in utter shock.

"Emilia is actually very good friends with both of them." Daisy answered.

"Wow, I wish one day I could meet them at least once." She said in awe.

"How did you hear about him?" I questioned curiously.

"Everyone knows the two of them, Scarlet rumoured to be completely invincible probably a G.o.ddess or something. Paul the Black Dragon slayer the only known human still alive who defeated a Black Dragon. They are so revered that they even teach children who they are." She answered extremely excited.

"Hey Jennifer what do you know about this Mr Wayne person?" Jay questioned.

"He's a very wealthy powerful trader a favourite for a lot of the richest houses and families." Jennifer answered.

"And your family aren't annoyed that he's opened a shop here?" Jay asked.

"Ohhh no they are livid, my father curses him with each pa.s.sing days wondering what he's planning to do next to take away our family's power and fortune." Jennifer answered.

"And your family hasn't dealt with him yet? A little shocking." Jay asked.

"My father can't, I don't know what it is but he has something that makes him untouchable, my father doesn't dare to make a move on him." She answered.

"So what does he do exactly that makes him so wealthy and powerful?" Jay questioned still feeling unsure.

"He has many high profile customers as well as an enterprise that spans through all major cities around the continent." She answered.

"And he's utterly clean?" Jay asked.

"I really doubt it, traders don't get rich trading legal goods, especially traders for high profile customers, and they are bound to ask for hard to obtain potentially illegal goods and services." Jennifer answered.

"So there is something dodgy going on with him." Jay pondered.

"I heard he supplies goods to your families business, it's good to see you all doing so well. How on earth did he also cure the Blue Stigma?" She asked.

"Yeah but I don't trust him." Jay replied.

"I haven't heard anything bad coming from joining his enterprise, if that helps. In fact business that join his enterprise in fact flourish as well as garnering his untouchable status." Jennifer informed Jay.

"I see some men in the woods." Grace informed us making us squint into the darkness seeing absolutely nothing.

"I can't see anything." I instinctively replied.

"It's okay some of us have night vision, luckily for us it's pretty dark so they can't tell that some of us are girls." Helen replied.

"They seem calm and relaxed, I don't think they suspect anything." Grace said turning off into the dirty path.

"Can you sense anyone?" I asked Daisy.

"I can't use that, it'll make me glow golden yellow and would spoil our disguise." She answered me.

"Make sure when everything goes down use it so we know how many we're actually up against." Grace replied.

"Will do." Daisy answered.

"So what's the plan?" Jay asked.

"Morgana has very suppressive spores." I informed everyone.

"I'll start releasing my spores when we see the Caravan that way I'll get a good coverage without spreading it too thin." Morgana answered.

"Remember to watch each other's back and focus one target at a time, each one we take out means less attacks coming at us." Grace devised our plan.

"Remember we have to do non-lethal damage we can't cause any casualties." Jay reminded all of us.

"Well if I'm going through with this I'm going to need to hide myself." Jennifer said pulling out a black mask to cover her face and pulled a hood over her head.

"You walk around with a mask now?" Jay questioned in complete confusion.

"I need to hide my ident.i.ty sometimes." She answered explaining to him.

"Okayyy." Jay replied still kind of confused.