Nightime Visitor

[Neki]

A shadow moved throught the dark streets of Haven slums. The wind blew, ruffling the hair of a figure hiding in the shadows. The dark, red black hair moved in the lsight breeze, uncovering the tanned face. Shinrah glanced up and down the street searching for any signs of life. The pitch black night echoed around her, showing that not a living soul was out

She checked her bag, making sure it was secured properly. The she checked the leather straps for any wear, wondering if her heavy load was having any negative affects on her sturdy bag.

Tonight she had a personal mission, to find someone. Her closetse friend had known this man, and he was now her only connection to sanity. I wonder if her even remembers Jaythen? He was only fourteen then, and his father died not long after he dissapeared. She shook her head, bringing herself back to now.

Shinrah moved, too quickly. The chestplate and greaves in her bag clinked together. The girl flinched and reached for the necklace around her neck. The small power cell gave off a red glow when she touched it, absorbing some of her eco. She let go and it thudded against her chest. She glanced at the street again, making sure no one heard her.

The hosed passed ashe she moved quickly and she found the one she was looking for, the house of Leo Charter. It was a smaller house, set between to larger ones. She tried the door, finding it locked. Shinrah took out a small piece of metal, sliding it into the lock. The mechanism gave a satifying thunk and she openedd the door.
It was a nice house, but prospective goods wasnt her objective.
Ya know, for an ex artifact hunter this guy is missing the whole " artifacct" part. She thought to herself, noticing there were none in the house.

She shook her head, moving upstairs. The stairs creaked slightly, and the armor clinked again. The door was cracked, and she pushed it open. The room was dark, and there was a figure lying on the bed. Leo was a tall person, his thin form sprawled over the bed. His bluish hair hung over his face, the brightest thing in the room.

Shinrah sat on the floor, trying not to wake him up. Ahs he sat the armor clinked once more.
" Fire and Rain!" She muttered, cursing to herself. Of coarse Jaythen had to leave her the noisiest of artifacts. She stopped moving and sat, watching him. Maybe if I let him sleep he won't be as mad that I broke in. The thought passed through her mind. Normal people would come during the day and talk politely. She gave a small chuckle. Since when have I ever been normal? Jaythen was the most normal thing in my life. She sighed. Shinrah closed her eyes. Only sunrise would tell.

[Altairas]

The sun shined brightly in the pale blue sky. The sandy mountains jaggedly running across the horizon. A small wind whipped the golden sands across the dunes, spraying sand ageist Leo's body. He smiled, his mouth covered by his scarf and eyes covered with a set of goggles. As the wind died down he slowly lifted them off staring intently at the ground.

An artifact lied beneath his feet, a large artifact, the bronze precursor metal giving off a bright glare. As he slowly crouched down to examine it a large shadow enveloped him. His heart beat quickened as he saw the shadows arm aiming a blow.

Clank!

Leo jumped out of bed the sound something clanking making his eyes shoot open, once again he was sightless. Quickly whipped the sweat off his brow and grabbed for his staff his button poised over the button to activate the blade that was hidden inside. He could hear someone breathing, but he couldn't be sure, the sound of his own heart beat overpowering his hearing.

"Who are you and why are you here." Leo asked trying to calm himself so he could try to pick out where the person was in the room.

[Neki]

Shinrahs head bobbed up as Leo jmped out of the bed.
" Relax dude, I'm not here to steal anything." She told him, shaking her head. She had hoped he wouldn't wake, but her hopes were dashed in that one Instant. Then something else came to mind. He had asked who she was.

She was torn, unsure what to tell him. She didn't know him well enough to give him her true name, but if she told him she was The Red Dragon he would most likely freak out. She pulled in a breath of air, unsure what to do. She sighed, muttering something under her breath, and took a blind leap of faith.

" I;m Shinrah Marr." She said hesitantly. Even though she had made her decision she was still very unsure.
" I had a friend who knew you. His name was Jaythen Kairey." Just saying his name cut daggers into her heart. She had been without him for so long. He was the one who had helped straighted her life out. He was even going to try to make it so she could live with him before he disapeared.

" His father was an artifact dealer, and he taught Jaythen how to make replica constructs that were supposed to be like precursor machines." She explained. Shinra opened her bag and pulled out the chest plate and greaves. They were a dark colored metal, not bright like precursor metal.

" He made these, and left them for me. I don't really know what they are other than armor. I can't read the precursor on here either. Jaythe tried to teach me ancient precursor but I never caught on." She gave a shrug. It was so unlike her to spill all her secrets, but she was trying not to scare Leo. She had only met him once before, and even then only for a moment. He probably wouldn't even remember her or Jaythen.

Fire and Rain! I shouldn't have done this. I should have just stayed hom with the mystery of Jaythen stuck in my head. Maybe I should have just ignored him that first time we met. I should have just stolen the artifacts and left. But I had to just stay with him She gave her head a slight shake.

" So....." She said into the dark room, unsure what to do now.

[Altairas]

Leo shook his head his blue long blue hair covering up his blank blue eyes. He was confused, why did the girl have to beak in if all she wanted to do was talk to him and ask him about artifacts? This is really suspicious. Thinking that she could have probably found him hanging about the library on his off days. With a small gust he blew his bangs out of his face and sighed rubbing his head and staying silent letting the girl finish with her story.

"Jay. . ." The name sent a wave of memorys back to him. The hustle and bustle of the way things were back in Spargus. "Ya I remember Jay's father. I would help him price goods so he could sell them on the market." Leo could remember seeing the pieces parts of failed replicas throughout the man's shop. Good man, been ages since I've. . . He shook his head and looked to where the girls voice was coming from.

"Why don't you ask Jay. Unless something happened to him." Leo took that idea into consideration, figuring that she had said the word left which could mean that he was killed. "Is he ok?"

[Neki]

Shinra shivered. She hated to think about what had happened to Jay. He was her closest friend, and he deserved better than what he had gotten.

" The KG got to him. I think he's in the prison, but I havent heard from him in years. He's just, " She waved her hands, "Gone." The girl watched Leo for a moment. He was just as Jaythen had described to her. Tall, lanky with bright blue hair.

" His father died after he was taken. Everyone says that it was a heart attack, but he was too healthy. I think someone killed him." She didn't mention it was someone like her, an assasin. That probably wouldn't help her.

Shinrah moved forward just enough so that she was within reaching distance. She held the chestplate and greaves out, hoping this man could read them. He was her only chance to find out what they said. She didn't even know anyone else in this city. She had her contacts, but no true friends. She had givenup all hope of ever having friends again when Jaythen had disappeared. She was so broken up then that her heart had almost hardened over, making it nearly impossible.

The armor in her hands made noise as she moved, and she flinched. It was a noice laden with memory. The sound of KG armor coming after her. She never wore real armor just so she woudnt have to listen to that sound..

" Do you think you'll be able to tell me what this says?" She asked in an uncertain voice.

[Altairas]

Leo let out a long sigh. He could remember the young boy who he had met so long ago and to imagine him behind bars. If Dad was still alive, I bet I could have gotten him out of there. The thought of is Dad came to mind and his hand twitched a bit, a small spark of blue eco crawling up his arm and then vanishing. As the girl made the sudden clanking he was broken out of his memory s.

He extended his hand into the dark space in front of him feeling around in the open air. He quickly put a small charge of eco into his hand, a distinctive spark between the two surfaces telling him that it wasn't to far away. Leo grinned as his palm touched the metal surface, his fingers running over the ancient markings.

Leo went over the chest plate first. He found that is was a replica of Mar's mythical armor. He must have found references in a book. He noted as he ran his fingers up and down the text. "The best of friends must part." Mumbling he stopped and let out all long sigh. "I'm sure he carved it himself, the text is to sloppy to be precursor and so is the build. There are welding seems all across it."

[Neki]

Shinrah sighed. So that was the message Jaythen had left her. It made her want to cry. She wiped her hand acrosss her face, taking away the small amount of moisture that was leaking from her eyes.

" Thank you." She said in a small voice. She sat down, overxome by her emotions. She was so sure he had given her a way to rescue him. So sure.

" He carved it himself? I know he made the armor. His father had some book all about Mar. He told me he was making it." She thought about all the things he had made. This, the power cell necklaces they wore. That made her think.

She picked at the clasp of her necklace, taking it off.
" He made this too. There was one for him, and one for me." She held out the miniature power cell, the burden of its memories in her hand.

[Altairas]

Leo laid the two pieces of armor beside him on the bed and let out a yawn, unable to tell what time it was. He extended his hand, as it twitched again the blue eco hopping from his hand to the artificial power cell and then disappearing out of sight. As he grabbed hold of the power cell he was very impressed with the craftmanship. The seems were almost non existant. Slowly he tried to focus his eco, his hand twitched a bit as the blue eco flowed into his arm and from there to the power cell.

It burst open in a small flash of light, the small peices circleing it. He outdid himself, he must have been trying to sell them. He examined it, listeing to the small hum of the machine and he thought for a breif moment he could see the blue light coming off of it. Letting his eco drain he felt the cell snap back to its normal shape.

"All I can tell you is that it is crafted. . ." Leo stopped in mid sentence as he felt over strange groves in the powercell. "Its been used." He mumbled under his breath. A small smile crawled across Leo's face and he jumped onto his feet. Using his blue eco he ran to the small desk in the corner of his room going through the stack of books balanced on there. "The red book with the black binding." He mumbled to his visiter running his hands over the stack.

"I think it's a key." Leo shook his head and corrected himself." The replica of a key. I think Jay's father was onto something big."

[Neki]

Shinrah stoof up and walked over, closer to Leo. He was running his hands over the books on the desk. Shinrah was wondering why he wanted her to get the book. Couldnt he see it? She thought back to the first time she had seen him, cloudy eyes and all.

She gave a small gasp. He's blind! I never realized it. I must seem like a terrible person. She looked at all the books on the shelf. There is was, the red book with black binding.

" Here." She held the book out to him. She wondered what it said. She knew how to read well, but anything other than normal precursor was beyond her.

Shinrah closed her eyes, and wondered what she had gotten herself into.

You stupid boy Jaythen. What were you doing with your father in that workshop. Whatever it is, there must have been more than the armor and our two power cells. What were you doing?

[Altairas]

Leo was in the zone, artifacts were his element. He took the book out of Shinrah's hands and snapped open the cover tracing his hands over the seemingly blank surface of the book. Damn it. He cursed mentally shoving the book over to the strange girl wile he bent down, sifting through piles of papers and books. "I don't expect you to read it. I expect you to look through until you find pictures. Pictures of power-cells to be exact, should be somewhere near the front. "

Leo stopped for a second and reached over to the wall, patting at it until he found the metal attachment for the light. "Hope that helps you." He felt over the parchment trying to find the right array of raised bumps on the papers. You need to organize this all sometime. Finally he came across a old map of a seemingly foreign land.

"If you were trying to open something with a power-cell where would you go on here." Leo asked Shinrah his hands twitching nervously on the table, sparks arching from his fingers.