Searching for treasure. (CLOSED)

[Ingway Desmodius]

Amoungst the steep and jagged face of the mountain, a lone man attempts to traverse its deadly terrain. As he slowly and steadily ascends, his eyes shift from side to side, as if looking for something out of place in the surrounding topography. I swear, if that informant gave me some bogus info, i'm gonna eviserate that bastard! Why is it that supposed legendary weapons have to be situated somewhere nigh unreachable? Upon finishing this thought, Ingway pulled himself up onto an outstreatched plateau to rest for a short bit.

[vincent]

((Obviously this is after Vincent's cured from his poison deal =/))

As Ingway pulled himself up onto the plateau, he would have seen a middle-aged man with tanned skin, blond hair, grey eyes (though one had a more cloudy look to it than the other), and dressed in a...pirate captain's coat...?
The man wasn't a pirate, but no one knew that and if they did, they knew too much.

At the moment, he examined a dried out plant on the ground. After pulling a few bits and pieces from it and stuffing them into his coat pocket, he couldn't help but notice the other man not too far away from him.

"Hey," he casually greeted, nodding his head a little, "nice uh...day, huh?"

[Ingway Desmodius]

With a quizzical look, Ingway examined the pirate and found the circumstances rather out of place. Maybe he's here for the treasure as well? Whether he is or not only one man will be getting it. But wait...maybe i can use him. The ruins are sure to be crawling with all types of foul creatures after being abandoned so long ago, and another blade could make the venture much quicker. First things first, i've gotta find out what he's here for. Not wanting to give off a suspicious air, he replied, "Why yes, tis a beautiful day, most amorous sir, but do pray tell, sir pirate, what are thou doing amongst the mountains when your place is most assumably at sea?"

Ingway did not usually speak in such a manner, but what better way to coax others into a false sense of security than to present himself as a gentleman. He had already lost the most obvious sense of surprise, but who's to say there's only one opportunity to get the jump on someone.

[vincent]

Vincent, sadly, trusted very little in the world to begin with. He'd met hundreds, thousands of people in his lifetime and made friends and other such helpful acquaintances around the world in his travels...
Yet he trusted a total of three of those people: his old general, Yeligar Maelstrom, his wife, Hala Loque, and his daughter, Jasmine. At times, he still worried about some of the information he gave Jasmine.

Normally when asked what he was up to, he'd laugh and tell the person, "Nothing you need to worry about" but it seemed that he truly did appear to be a pirate to this man - probably more so with the recent loss of one of his eyes. Vincent wasn't going to complain about that.

...He did silently snicker at the ridiculous way this guy talked, though. 'Must be from Santo-Luce like all those other weird-talking, fancy-dressed show-offs...' he thought to himself.

He stood and straightened himself up as he turned to Ingway and replied with, "Ahoy! I'd prefer 'corsair' rather than 'pirate', but I suppose it makes no difference in the end. Good sir, I'm gathering supplies fer me crew, enjoying the land, searchin' for treasure, and perhaps splicing the mainbrace before I be headin' out. What are you up to out here?"

Vincent had spent a great deal at sea, and fought many pirates so some of their lingo stuck in his head. He forgot to say "ye" rather than "you" in the last bit of his speech, but he hoped one slip-up wouldn't entirely blow his cover.

[Ingway Desmodius]

Ingway's suspicion had hit its peak now. The man's voice and tone had changed since his casual greeting causing Ingway to pick up on the mans effort to fool him... voice-wise at least. The man would be a convincing pirate, if not for a few follies. On top of his attempted audio-trickery, his garbs do not befit his tone; he must just fancy the swashbucklers attire. Perhaps i best continue on my own for now though; as a precautionary measure. Should he, by some chance, be a pirate, I'd rather not tangle myself in their matters.

Keeping his lofty appearance, Ingway began to make his way past the man responding simply with, "I am but a simple traveler, searching the world o'er for fragments of histories past." It's wasn't a lie, but should his information be right, this "fragment" could cause a big uproar.

"Do pray tell, kind corsair, but have words of ruins in this mountainous region crossed thine ears?"

[vincent]

Vincent shrugged.

"Aye, I've heard a few things," he lied. His pirate talk was still a little lazy but he cared less at the moment as he continued, "now why would ye ask?"

[Ingway Desmodius]

"Why what better place to search for the lost tomes of time than in the bastions that took notice to the events. Now if you so kindly direct me to said ruins..." Ingway paused for a second. "It seems my manners have left me, for i have not introduced myself. I am Luke Von Corellion, and what, may I inquire, is your name, sir pirate?"

[vincent]

"Former Captain Rufus Flint," Vincent smiled as he started walking, "and aye, I suppose I could be showing you the ruins - but what's in it fer the old sea salt?"

As he started walking and looking around the area however, he seemed to remember actually hearing something of some ruins that were in Roccia. It was passing information in a tavern or two, and it had been awhile since he'd heard anything, but he was sure what the man here with him was looking for actually existed somewhere nearby.

Now all that he needed was to remember whereabouts he'd heard of them being. The problem with that was the directions to the exact location were all rumours, too.

Yet somehow? The caves that were approximately a mile eastward from where they were sounded almost right, and so it was in that direction that they were going to be headed...or at least Vincent was. Whether this stranger was following or not was a different story - Vincent wasn't really looking for whatever this Luke von Corellion was, he was just collecting things for his wife and daughter to use in spells and potions.

[Ingway Desmodius]

Ingway was at a mental crossroad. The man is almost definitely not who he says he is, but what effect does that have on his claim? It is possible that he does know the whereabout of the ruins, but what if he doesn't? His mind spun at the constant cyclical argument. Realizing the man was waiting, he came to a decision. Thought reluctant to follow, Ingway was one to take any lead overtop of no lead.

Giving the man a coy smile, Ingway responded, "Why your reward shall be that which satiates the appetite of even the most avaricious man." Reaching into his cloak, Ingway pulls out a sizable bag filled with gold and brandishes it in front of Rufus. "Do we have a deal, sir, I'm sorry, Captain Rufus Flint?" He said with an extended hand.

[vincent]

Vincent stared at the man for a long moment, raising an eyebrow as he gave the man another look-over. Something wasn't sitting right with him, though he wasn't sure what it could have been. Nevertheless, he smiled at the bag of gold yet he did not reach his hand out to the other man quite yet.

"Aye, I 'spose we could have ourselves a bit of a deal...but why them ruins? What's so special about them? Can ye answer me that one?"

[Ingway Desmodius]

Ingway was getting aggrivated with the man's constant questioning of his purpose for going to the ruins. Maybe he's trying to test my consistency, trying to make me slip up. But wait...that would mean he'd have to suspect me. I'd best be careful with this one. Either he's just kind of thick, or he and I are playing the same game. If it's the former, then he'd best just give up; it's nigh impossible to beat a player who already knows all the tricks" Regardless though, Ingway once again explained his formerly proposed purpose to the man.

"I've heard the ruins hold valuable note of past event that took place here. I've traveled far to try and seize these notes so as to assist the world in understanding our history. Now if were all done here might i propose we endeavor onward, and for both our sakes, i do hope you dense of direction is more formidable than your manners." Ingway replied moving his hand back to his side.

[vincent]

Vincent grinned.

"Watch what yer saying about me manners, boy," Vincent grinned, "y'know, not a lot of people come down here in these parts for the sake of learning. You're definitely an odd one, lad."

'Boy' Ingway was definitely not, but out of habit Vincent called him one. He turned in the other direction and began walking eastward to the caves he had mentioned before, yet he rested his hand gently on the hilt of the sword by his side. Whether he was going to trust 'Luke' or not had nothing to do with it, being prepared for any ambush was also a habit of Vincent's.

He led the man quickly down and through the mountain, at some point getting a little worried that he may have remembered the directions to the caves wrong. He was relieved to see a few minutes later that they were just over a dusty old bridge; it was a short one, but damn the fall was a long one.

"There you go. After you, Luke," Vincent said, stepping off to the side and motioning for Ingway to take the first step ahead.

[Ingway Desmodius]

"Knowledge must be sought to be learned. My journey has taken me many places and I am no more out of place here than the others."

Whilst they walked eastward towards the supposed cave, Ingway noticed the man's hand as it rested on his hilt. It was of little consequence really. So long as things ended in neutrality or for the better, Ingway had no need to unsheathe his blade.

Upon arriving at the chasm, spanned by only a rickety, wooden bridge, Ingway's heart fluttered for a brief moment. Excellent! A bridge acts as a sign of human presence, and on such a treacherous path it must mean there's something important on the other side. Regaining his composer he noted the man suggestion that he pass first.

The bridge was poorly constructed, but little did this matter to Ingway. As a thief, he was used to being fleet of feet and having feather-fall steps. Smiling as he began to pass by the man, he picked up speed as he approached the bridge and almost glided across, the bridge barely noticing his footfalls.

"The bridge seems fine, sir Rufus, though do try and be careful. The fall is rather daunting."

[vincent]

Vincent watched Ingway cross the bridge and raised an eyebrow. The stupid thing didn't even so much as let out a creak as he slid across it, it was unbelievable. So this man's name was Luke von Corellion, a fancy and eccentric name it was for a man who was also just as eccentrically dressed, he was able to walk light as a feather across the bridge that it was like he had no muscle on him at all, and talked like he was living in some kind of love poem or whatever those kids called it these days.

'It's finally starting to make sense, now...he's gay,' was the only thought that came to Vincent's head as he slowly strode across the bridge himself, having to adjust his footing every now and then as he listened carefully to the creaks and cracking sounds that came from beneath him. One board cracked down the middle but Vincent was able to step off just in time before it broke through all the way.

As he stepped off of the bridge on the other side, he shrugged at Ingway and said, "Well, there be one obstacle outta the way, Mr. Corellion. Now off to the cave there, yes?"

[Ingway Desmodius]

While waiting for the "pirate" to make his way across the bridge, Ingway took note of the strange gazes the man sent his way. They were odd, lingering stares, almost as if the man had discovered something; come to a realization about something that made him feel uneasy. Dammit! Has he figured me out?
Ingway's hands folded up inside his cloak, debating if he should cut the rope bridge and be done with the his suspicious guide, but sadly, he needed the man to show him right to the location. As the man stepped of the rickety bridge onto solid land and mention that they press forward, Ingway replied, "Yes, let us dally no longer on this treacherous path. Lead the way, Sir Flint."