Syrian felt herself recover instantly on the sight of the embassy. It was tall as an ancient tree with a blue dome shaped roof that was so vivid in color it would never get lost in the sky behind it. It was complemented with an array of banners representing different countries that she could imagine danced in the wind.

Today though they hung limply in the stale heat and the sun seemed to be draining the color out of them just a little.

She was grateful when they had walked to the area where the shadows had cast from the embassy , she looked over at Zac and could only imagine that he had to be grateful. How was it his white skin didn't fry and turn red like a tomato ? She had seen what happened to a fair skinned person under the sun it wasn't pleasant. Not only that the man wore nothing but black and had a cloak on at that , what exactly was he? Was he cold in this weather? Was he just insane? Was this Eldon culture? She really knew so little about the people who weren't living on the islands.

" Do you need something? He asked her and she felt her fur bristle a little. This guy had some nerve with the way he talked. She looked him square in the face observing it before she had to answer.

He had black eyes so dark she wasn't sure there was an Iris. They looked like inky pools from the underworld that could pull you into them.  His eyes were so dramatic against his paleness when she turned away she realized she couldn't remember any other detail of his face.

"No, I don't need anything." She replied feeling her face heat up worried she had been gawking.

They entered the main building up a PA of stone steps. Zac opened the door for her and she hurried inside.

The building was busy with the sounds of people talking to people from the other side of small tables , many exchanging money and some even arguing. To her surprise there was also a steady supply of guards in the room. She had somehow imagined the embassy to be more of a peaceful place , with maybe comfy places to sit where they served you a drink of tea while you worked out any problems between countries but the room inside wasn't very different than the market place . Only less space .

"This seems crowded," Sirina said overwhelmed and she saw Zac grin.

"This is what happens when you shove everything together in one building and don't envision the consequences." He muttered. She wasn't sure what kind of man Zac was, but so far she had the image of him being a very bitter man with no friends.

In the direction they walked there was a man sitting at a table with his legs crossed reading a book . He had on an outfit that looked like it was tailored from fine material , dark green trousers with a matching doublet with tiny golden beads seen in. He had a very curly mustache that was of a red color , even more red then his shoulder length curly hair.

"Well hello there look what the cat dragged in !" Her ear twitched at the choice of words.She had been compared to a feline more than her share for the day.

"Shouldn't you be in your office?" Zac responded back briskly.

"Shouldn't you be in the courtyard stabbing a straw man with your needle you call a sword?"

"I need to talk about the ...There was an issue with the  smugglers." Zac said almost hesitating as he looked around. The mans face dropped and he gestured for the to follow him. Taking them through a hallway and to a room he opened a beat up door and gestured them to walk inside.

"Tell me what ails you." The man asked now that they were alone. He had particularly large laugh lines that were even deeper than Sirina's father, but that made him more upsetting to see with a serious expression. Sirina found herself now concerned with what was going to happen next.

Actually, this is none of my business, so why am I even here? I'm at the embassy I'm pretty sure I don't need to be around these people a minute longer.

"Well if you excuse me Zac it was nice knowing you but I'm going to go, I'm pretty sure this isn't related to me and I have a guild to join..." She attempted to leave but Zac stopped her with a sharp voice.

"This is your business. You got yourself involved and you're going to confirm what happened in the alley way ." He pointed at a chair and she sat down in it feeling her ears flatten against her skull. She couldn't place the main reason for this, embarrassment? Fear or anger?

"Oh, what happened in the Ally way? Is it your business? Please do tell ..." The man said as if implying something perverse. Zac scowled at him.

"Don't be disgusting Johnas she's going to tell you exactly why I came back empty handed."

"Oh? " Johnas looked at her waiting for her to say something. What exactly did Zac want? She didn't know what he wanted her to say. What happened in the alley? What exactly about that?

"I wandered down an alley.I got captured by some really big man with a really weird tattoo who had a jelly fish for a brain, got free ...the other men laughed at Za....um, Mr. Ferinanots sword so he dropped it and grabbed my arm and we ended up here."

Zac glared at her with his underworld eyes and Sirina wondered what kind of poisons he was envisioning.

"I wouldn't have told it quite that way but it's close enough. I had everything under control but when a civilian showed up I had no choice but consider her safety priority. I have exposed myself to the enemy. I do however have information on a particular map seller you will find very interesting. I think he's a large contributor to the disappearances in the city."

Disappearances? Oh great, I came to the main continent thinking it was going to be safer.

"Well, thats something at least. I suppose I'll have to punish you, though , you get guard duty for two days and you get to train some of the new recruits for two weeks, we have a shortage of instructors with the amount of rookies showing up." He then looked at Sirina with an amused expression.

"Whats your name fauna?"

"Sirina Minux Sir." She replied politely sensing he probably could make her life difficult if she was rude. His eyes lit up.

"Ah! Your not by chance the chieftain's daughter are you?" He seemed delighted by the thought. Sirina found herself sitting up a little bit straighter a mixture of pride and cockiness as she glared at Zac for a moment. The man thought she was a weakling and treated her like a child after all.

Ha! How does it feel to know this girl is practically royalty? 

 He had a expressionless look on his face but when she looked into the dark orbs of his eyes she felt instantly an emotion that seemed to seep out of him like an icy mist. It almost seemed to say 'I can destroy you.'  She wondered if she was imagining it and felt the hairs on her back prickle. With a flash she realized that Jonas had actually told him he would be instructing the new recruits. She then remembered she was a new recruit.

"Um yeah ...that's my mom." Her words barely audible.

"Wonderful! I met Zenna  just once when I was just a kid when I was a squire,  your mother was only nineteen but she had already slain a Basclisk  I mean really? A basclisk? By herself? I thought it was a lie but they grilled the thing at the festival we were attending. I was sad when she moved to the islands she really did alot for Uscea when she was here. You have alot to live up to with a mother like that." He said cheefully.

Sirina wished she could feel cheerful on hearing that but she felt her chest tighten. She wasn't anything like her mother, she tried her best to imitate her mother's cool attitude and grace when she fought but she was better at falling on her face and making people laugh.

I'm a fierce fauna woman and no one can ever bring me down. She chanted to herself mentally but her confidence was already shaken.

Growing up she had taken turns living with her mother and her father who had eventually remarried and had other children. While her father was loving , goofy and laid back her mother was ambitious , strong , impatient and stern. She couldn't remember her parents ever getting along well and she knew it wasn't because her father didn't like or care for her , but the other way around. She seemed to look down on her father because he had no ambition for anything but being a father and carving small figurines and apparently that had made her stark crazy.

But the whole village worshiped Zenna Minux, the monster killer, goddess of war, chieftainess of Linux and inspiration to a great many sailor ballads so she had always been expected to follow in her mother's likeness as her only daughter. She had failed time and time again and the last failure was the worst and most embarrassing.

She had told herself and others that she had come to Zett to build herself into someone her family could be proud of it , but that really wasn't the whole truth. She was also here to go into hiding and wait. Returning from bathing in the river and screaming to the top to your lungs about seeing a mythological creature that apparently might have been a hallucination you pretty much didn't have a life any more if you didn't leave. Especially when you had returned devoid of clothing dripping wet and your mother had important visitors.

She wouldn't dwell on that or linger in the memory of the horror and laughter on everyone's faces.

Nope not one bit.

"My mother has a pretty solid reputation." She lightly stated In Response remembering where she was.

"Well welcome to your life as a new recruit kid! A message was sent our way about you already so we have some accommodations for you. Now I'll have Zac here show you around it's the least he can do!" Zac was slapped on the arm and glanced at almost threateningly by his captain.

"It's also the most I'm willing to do," Zac said exasperatedly.