Fighting in the Shadows[Addie, Za'azuu, and Scarlette]

The air outside the city limits was stale and dry. It had been some time since Za'azuu personally took time to make his way out into the cold desolate situated around the outskirts of Evalin City. Very few lived out here and the few that did were protective of what they called their home.

He stopped outside one of the few serviceable huts housing a person of great importance to him. Her field of work was dangerous but it helped put food on the table. At one point in time, Addie's choice of work might have sparked an argument but they were long past that point. Both of them faced great dangers on a daily basis and came to a mutual understanding of sorts to keep their relationship stable.

After a moment of spacing out in contemplation, he finally stepped into the hut, making sure to knock first of course.

Za'azuu. She sensed him approaching, and she knew he had to be close. She looked at the herbs in her hand and knew he would be displeased with the fact that she was handling the ingredients for xanderphin. Mutual understanding or not, it still worried him. She hadn't even had time to decide what to do with them when she heard his distinctive knock. It was an ear-shattering sound, event when placed against her tiny, ratty door. She fumbled with the herbs in her hands, still trying to decide what to do with them. She wouldn't have time to hide them properly, and she absolutely had to answer the door. As a last ditch effort in concealment, she dumped them in the vase beside the door.
She swung the door open.
"Za'azuu!" She slung her arms about his neck. It was so comforting to know he was safe. Her smile could not have been bigger as his scent filled her nostrils. It was a musty, woodsy smell, like that of a traveler. His scent changed frequently, and yet it was so familiar to her, almost as familiar as the scent of willow's bark or chrysanthemum petals. She would know it anywhere, regardless of where he had been or what odors traveled with him. He was here, and the feeling of his rippling muscles beneath her fingers exhilarated her beyond what words could say. It told her he was safe, the mission had gone well.

"Heeyy, Addie." Za'azuu chuckled warmly as he lifted her with ease into his arms. Due to their great difference in height, her feet dangled freely in the air. This always brought him slight satisfaction. It was almost as if he could pick her up and put her in his pocket (even though in reality she wasn't that small).

"What have you been up to?" A question with an obvious answer but still worth asking, at least. After taking in the warmth of her body for a moment, he finally let her down, smoothing out her hair for her with a gentle hand.

He didn't see any wounds, nor did she seem very stressed. Her day must have gone by without a hitch, at least in whatever sense that a black market doctor's day could have been.

Addie frowned slightly. "I'm backlogged on medicines and I need to go gathering again. I've been treating the boy down the road for some strange fainting disease and I've no idea what it might be..." she trailed off. She knew if she continued on she would just ramble about her patients and they had more important things to talk about. Her hands fluttered about him, as though they had no idea what to do. They finally settled on his shoulders and then slid down to his hands.
"How are you, though, Zazie?"
She had been anxiously awaiting his return for weeks on end and she has missed him so. Many were the nights she had spent worrying herself over him.

He grinned victoriously, leaning back against the wall with a confident air about him. Though it took them weeks, the rebellion force had succeeded in taking down a small chunk of the Dactin Army, lowering their number ever so slightly. In these times, even the smallest victory was worth celebrating.

"I'm fine. We won this battle." He reassured, sensing the worry in her voice. Though he generally worked as a spy, he would sometimes offer assistance out on the field. His surprising skill in stealth helped turn the favor towards the rebellion force - for this battle at least.

She grinned. She, of course, knew they would do well. The rebellion was a powerful force to be reckoned with, the cream of the impure crop. Crop. Her eyes widened and darted to the vase. She needed to finish making that batch of z-fin, her clientele would be coming by in a few hours. Of all times for him to come to her, why now? She realized that looking at the vase would probably give her away, even though it was probably to late for that any way, and quickly moved her eyes back to his.
"I've missed you...," she mumbled, hoping he hadn't noticed her gaze faltering.

"Hm...?" His gaze followed her's to the vase for a moment. "I've missed you, too." He cocked a brow, noticing her sudden anxious tone. He had a good hunch regarding what this was about. It was inescapable, really, and a part of her everyday life.

With a sigh and a quick nod in the direction of the vase, he pulled back ever so slightly. "You have something to finish?" The subject made him quite uncomfortable, and although they agreed not to argue over it anymore, he still wished she would at least cut that one drug out of her sales. It wouldn't hurt that much... right?

Her face tightened slightly. She hated this, but it was the way things had to be. She had to do it, it was the right thing to do. She nodded.
"If they don't get it from me, they'll get it from some one else, some one who tampers with it."
She stepped over to the vase and removed the stash, moving it from hand to hand. She grimaced. Xanderphin was a nasty drug, no matter who made it or how you look at it. She was glad she had never personally touched the stuff, and she felt bad for those who came to her in search of it. She turned back to him, looking up at his face, searching for disdain, anger.. anything that might clue her in on how he was feeling. Seeing nothing, as usual, she placed the items on the table in the middle of her shack. She motioned to a small chair near the table.
"Take a seat, if you like. You must be tired..."

He paused uncomfortably for a moment then nodded and took his place in the seat next to her while she worked. He was indeed tired, and even more spacier than usual. His latest mission was more rigorous than all the others. His magic worked wonders both on the field and whilst performing recon but this time he overexerted himself. It was a miracle he somehow managed to make it out here. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make, though. It had been far too long since their last encounter.

"Have you heard anything interesting from your clientele recently?" He asked casually. He might as well make use of her risky profession while he was there. Strung out drug addicts sometimes proved to be valuable sources of information if they were willing to talk... and if they were coherent enough to understand.

She arched her brow and turned to look at him briefly.
"A girl came in the other day, actually. A child, practically, by the name of Scarlette."
It was hardly rare for children to come to her in search of ... relief from the stress of having families involved in the war, however they were often dirty and very urchin-like in their appearance. This girl was clean, though. Shaky, but clean. Almost too clean, actually. She was chatty, too.
"Have you heard of her before?"

"Hmmm... Scarlette?" He pondered over this, losing focus on his surroundings in the process. Another inevitable space out. At least he was lost in the process of recalling where he had heard this name before rather than swimming around in... nothingness. The name was familiar. In fact, he might have heard it while infiltrating the Dactin Headquarters.

After several long moments of staring blankly down at the table, he finally looked up in Addie's general direction. "She might be related to the overlord somehow. I remember hearing that name last time I broke into the church's headquarters." Knowing someone from the church was hooked on Xanderphin could prove to be useful in the future. He would have to look into that later.

"She mentioned Flores when she was here. Something about feeling like a lapdog. She was really off, though. It seemed as though it had been a while since she'd had a fix. She mentioned something about how her usual ..." she paused, disliking the word she was about to use, "... dealer was injured. She said she needed a new supplier." She placed an herb into her stone mortar and worked the pestle to grind it into a powder. Leaving that for a moment, she wove around the table and behind Za'azuu to get to the cabinet with her chemicals. She struggled to reach the handle.
"This thing is always such a bother!" She groaned and reached up on her tippy-toes, still unable to reach. Usually, she just used the chair Za'azuu happened to be sitting in, but now he was in it. She sighed exasperatedly,"Such a bloody bother!"

His mood perked up slightly despite the fact that Addie was currently mixing up the formula for some Xanderphin. Whoever this Scarlette was, she could be close to the overlord herself. If he could find her and speak with her in private, there could be a way he could provide the rebellion force's tacticians with some valuable information on the ever elusive Alexandria.

After organizing all of this in his mind, he stood, noticing Addie's trouble with the cabinet. He towered above her, opening the cabinet and reaching inside. "What are you needing?"

"I need the wormwood extract and the toad venom." She gazed up at the shelf, watching as his hands rifled through her apothecary supplies. "If you'd like to speak to her, I'm sure she'll be by tonight. She should be on her last bit today and in need of more. Do be careful, though. I'm not sure she'd open up to some one who is so obviously on the opposing side."
She slid out from between him and the cabinet to make her way back to the table. She poured what was in the mortar into a slightly larger bowl and waited for him to give her the mason jars containing what she was lacking.

"Is it really that obvious?" He chuckled lightly as he carried the requested materials to the table. If it was necessary, he could use his magic to his advantage. Stealth was his specialty for a reason, after all. If Scarlette was as talkative as Addie implied, listening in on their conversation would suffice. However, he had already used his powers extensively earlier that day. Any more could cause him great harm.

She grinned. "Yes, I'm afraid so. You look much more worn than one of a higher class might. Also, your demeanor screams rebellion. You speak freely, you smile easily... Every bit of you says you're a free spirit, unlike the Dactinites."
The very mention of those fools made her tense up. They were what had caused this... genocidal civil war. She shook her head and tried to loosen up, resuming her work. This batch was almost finished up and soon all she would have to do would be to let the mixture set and dry. It was a relief to be so close to done. She had been slaving away all day on this and various other pharmaceuticals the people of lower E-city required.

"That sounded like a compliment yet an insult at the same time." He stated in jest. It was starting to look like he might have to use his abilities after all. Perhaps, the amount of rest he was currently receiving could prevent any further damage. It seemed very unlikely though, given that it had only been about two hours since the last time he activated one of the runes inscribed into his arms and most of that time was spent making the trip to this very location.

"Don't worry. I can hide and listen in." He suggested with a small shrug, eyeing the drying Xanderphin on the table. The ingredients didn't seem to bother him as much as the finished product did.

"That sounds perfect and I'll get you something for your energy later as well. In the meantime, feel free to enjoy my company." She laughed and winked at him, noticing his increasing discomfort. She knew this was his least favorite part, if there were any less worse parts of it, anyway. She picked up the drying drug and tucked it away in a small cupboard in the corner of her tiny den. Once that was put away, she came back to the table and began clearing away the left over herbs and putting them in their respective places. When that was over and done with, she hopped up onto the table and sat cross-legged across from him.
"So, why don't you awe me with some of your battle stories, oh great warrior?" Her lips formed a warm grin, her face contorting into a strange mixture of curiosity, worry and excitement.

Za'azuu visibly relaxed as she put away the drugs. Out of sight, out of mind after all.

"Wellll, let me see..." He leaned forward in his chair, supporting his chin with his elbows against the table. There were many stories in his repertoire, but which one should he talk about? He supposed his latest mission would do. "Where to start...?"

Of course, while contemplating what parts of his story would make an epic tale of sorts, he spaced out again. He sat there for some time with the biggest herp-derp face before perking up to speak as though he had never lost focus in the first place.

"I broke into the headquarters hmmm... about a week ago and uncovered some intel about a raid the Dactin Army was planning for today. It was a lucky find, come to think of it - but anyway, I relayed this information to our tacticians to allow them to come up with a plan." At this he began to grin wildly. "They decided on an ambush, and this time, I decided I would join in on it." He leaned back in his seat, using his hands to illustrate the story as he went on. "So when everybody took their places, I sneaked around and watched from a distance for some time - it was pretty amazing actually, the way our soldiers managed to get the army to disperse so quickly, lowering their defenses. When they were scattered enough and caught off balance, that's when I began to strike. I picked off some of the higher ups orchestrating the raid using my best runes and I nearly got caught a few times but I made it out just fine. The only problem was that I tired myself out pretty badly."

He figured the rest of the story basically told itself. The other soldiers took care of the rest of the work, while Za'azu assisted the best he could in the background. He was a crucial component in the battle but definitely not the most important. Those roles were given to the tacticians and the soldiers who did all the fighting. Plus, Za'azu preferred to stray from any type of narcissistic mind set.

She nodded and mhmed throughout his story, finding it amazing how much he helps the rebellion and how lost they'd be without him. Za'azuu was truly amazing at times, what with how he uses magic and natural, inborn stealth in tandem. The boy was a wonder, and that had proven to be both a blessing and a curse. The rebellions' leaders used him frequently and hardly a day went by where he didn't receive some sort of summons to be briefed on some sort of mission. It was a huge strain on them both, with him constantly away and in danger. She hated the constant worry and had often thought about becoming an official part of the rebellion. She had received multiple offers in the years prior.
"Maybe I should stop teetering on the edge and just... join up."

He grinned energetically at the thought of having Addie by his side in the rebellion. She would make a good addition to the team, especially with her unique abilities and various connections throughout Evalin. "Well, I'm not gonna force you. Buuut... It would make me happy." Okay, that might have been some form of persuasion but at least he wasn't trying to force her into joining. A decision that large had to be made on her own accord and it would make him feel terrible if she joined merely on his account.

"It certainly is something to think about, I suppose..." She trailed off, wondering what on earth the people of lower Evelin would do without their only doctor. "I don't suppose I'd have time for both my apothecary shop and the rebellion..."
She frowned. It would kill her to leave these people to suffer. Many of them were suffering through slow deaths simply because their genetic make-up was faulty. Others had been kidnapped and tested upon by the Dactinites and just dropped off in the woods. Just thinking about it fueled her rage at things she could not change. She shrugged it off. That girl might be arriving shortly, seeking z-phin and some one to (hopefully) ramble at.

"Should I be hiding soon?" Za'azuu cocked his head curiously. Her slight change in demeanor could mean a customer was on the way. Having him around could certainly be problematic but not if he couldn't be seen. His runes, though tiresome to use at times, were perfect for situations such as this. Despite his tall, glowing appearance, he was excellent at using his magic to his stealthy advantage.

Without uttering a word, Addie grasped Za'azuu's hand and pulled him out of the chair. She sensed someone coming and they were close. She kept glancing over her shoulder, anticipating a knock as she led Za'azuu to the room adjacent to her den. Sure enough, the moment she had tucked him away, there was a quiet rapping at the door. Trying to move quickly, Addie went to the cupboard and pulled out the now dried z-phin and laid the drug on the table. Just as swiftly as she had made it to the cupboard, she glided to the door and swung it open.
She greeted her guest with a nod and wordlessly led her to the den. It was showtime.