[IRP] Beginnings of Change

[Swift_Assassin]

Shad was surprised when Paige offered to help the man. But he was equally surprised that he was so against it. Perhaps he was still riding a high on the rage he felt, the images of Maria being in that horrible situation he witnessed, but he wasn't sure. He felt no hatred towards the man, just what he represented. In fact, on a second look he had a familiar look to him. Like a face in saw in passing more than a few times.

When Yuri began revealing the arrangement of the church's checkpoints and detainment areas, it almost became clear to him. What he saw was a man struggling with his faith. He must have been an active member of the St. Elimine church before the Church of the Preservation of Sanctity. Shad felt remorseful for his words.

Cass looked around and spied Alice peaking out from behind the tree. Cassandra stayed alert, but gave off no indication of threat. Alice had killed the other Keeper without remorse. Perhaps she thought Yuri could be swayed back to the Church of St. Elimine and spared him. Her motives were still vexing to spy.

Shad got back up to his face, using the opportunity to hide a smirk. One more defector, Emperor Coran. One more turning against your church. His optimism suppressed his urge to suspect the man of deceit. Chalk it up to his reckless nature. He turned back to the archer with them. "Sorry, Paige seems to be very...single minded sometimes. Just introduce yourself on the way, if you intend to follow this through."

Paige was back on track to learning what she could about the Emperor. This monk might she was hinting at might have worked on the transcription of the texts. Considering the church's involvement in the area, Shad was concerned that the monk might have already been seized. After all, the church swooped into Pharae the very night they discovered the tome. If Ostia is behind the suppression of that key info, then it stands to reason that the monk was a target as well.

She began asking the man about if he lived in Santaruz. Shad had his own suspicions about that and chimed in. "If you ask me, I'd say he's from Ostia, or the surrounding area. I've spent half my life there, and although I never picked it up, my cousin sometimes switches from an Etrurian and Ostian accent when talking. I'd even go far enough to say I think I've seen his face before, but in a city as big as Ostia, they kinda blend together."

"I'm heading off. I'm not paid to be trusting, so I'm going to confirm his claims before you give your life stories away to the enemy." Cassandra said, running off ahead of the group. She didn't even wait for a reply before vanishing from sight.