Another bright afternoon at Marigold. Not too hot, yet significantly warmer. It was obvious the climate was heading towards summer, as the temperatures in the last couple of days have progressively increased. A relatively clear sky greeted all that would look up to see the sun. On days like these, it was expected to find high activity in town, especially with an event of sorts in the running. One particular person decided to make use of this.

--Usually, he wouldn't be going around asking random people to tag with his antiques; understanding that each had their own thing, and each wanted to focus on their life. In his personal case such was exceptionally true, coming from a guild that put its emphasis on self-betterment; however, today was different.

"Hey! Hey you there!!" He called out, reaching out to the random stranger. A long-haired, dreaded young man that looked to be around his age; minding his own business, if he had to put it that way. Though pressing matters were at hand. "Pardon me hasting, but I could use your help. It won't take long, I promise!" He pleaded, clapping both hands in-front of him as he bowed to ask. Shame had no room when important favors were involved; it was better to keep your head low and admit, one couldn't manage entirely by themselves.

Especially in a scenario that required a partner.

Normally, Lucian would have chosen to be active at the night time hours, sleeping the day away under some tree to pass the time, but for some strange reason he found himself among the people today, a few weary looks here told him that he was definitely not a common sight to them during the day and he couldn't blame them. He had come to know the city and its people well during the midnight hours and so to be among the masses in all-black attire in the middle of the spring. He was basically asking for the stares, but that didn't matter these were simple folks and there was no point in dwelling on the matter.

Besides fate had some reason for him to be awake at this very moment, whether it was to be at a distinct point in time for action, to be a witness, to receive something, or to be apart of a bigger moment, only time would tell. But for now, it would be possibly heading back towards the tavern, maybe he could get him a drink...

He heard the hey like he heard the fast approaching feet, the rustling of cloth in the wind. Someone was coming and it better not be to sell him something. They always lead with a pitch of sorts that was always boring... Turning to face the approaching individual to turn them away, Lucian was caught off guard as they asked for help.

The individual bowed and clasped their hands together in a sort of plea, did they not have any respect for themselves. I am no one to grovel at. Why in the world?

"Get up...Do not beg. What is it? And why would you need me specifically?"

Lucian snarled the words and crossed his arms, the public eye draped over them at the sudden commotion.

The man was elegantly dressed, his clothing made of fine white silk, his hair was a black shimmering waterfall of fine thin strands. Some merchant prince or noble boy gotta be. No one just dresses like this for enjoyment, besides he smells like lavish perfume...

"Out with it. Before I make myself scarce."

358/300

Jan Ren hadn't quite expected to be turned down, not after pleaing like he did; though that was more in customary habit than in urgency, if we're being honest. Nevertheless, he was met with an unwelcoming tone to put it mildly. This man definitely had some issues or whatnot... Could this be a dud? "(Ah. Okay then...)"

Now, one could treat this in one of two ways. The first, supposedly more common, would see the unpleasantry to be stronger than the immediate need, and simply skip off to another person; as unfortunately, per the stranger's suspicion, it wasn't even him specifically that was requested. No, the Sinese simply found someone who caught his eye in a, well, special way; but I digress. The other way, thankfully the one our local Sinese chose to take, would be to take those words at complete face value, to interpret it the way that suit him the best.

"Thank you!" The young man thanked, promptly raising his face, a rather stressed but glad expression on his face regardless. "You see..." And now we finally reach the meat on the bones.

Making a swift glance right, then left. Noticing the crowding that has formed upon this instance meeting, the boy figured it would be a bad idea to share out loud when everyone's obviously listening in. So first...

"--Everyone, I'm sorry to alert you all!" It may spend some extra seconds, but it was worth the end-result. The Sinese signalled the long-haired stranger to wait, as he turned and made a hastened, respectful bow to the bypassers. "I am Blue Pegasus' Jan Ren. Please don't mind us, and do go on with your business!" He requested, flashing a well-practiced smile at the crowd. Thankfully, such was enough to lift the stares, assuring the citizens that this was routinal. How powerful was the name of a well-known guild, huh? Or perhaps it would be in his crowd control skills.

"--As I was saying." Jan Ren continued, then turning to the disturbed; now able to speak his mind in normal tone. "There is an event of sorts going on right now in this city and I happen to take part in it. I ask to impose on you to be my partner in this scavenger hunt. What do you say?" It was a quick request, a weak argument if he had to rate; but a direct one suiting the tight schedule.

Hopefully all would go well.

Groaning inwardly, he watched as the young man seemed to take charge of the crowd of sorts, quickly addressing their concerns...Blue Pegasus? A guild mage? Why was a Blue Pegasus doing here in Marigold? Was he doing some sort of quest and needed some help? Unless this is some sort of set up...I do not know for what but this is way too coincidental...but as I know, fate doesn't deal in coincidences and so this meeting was fate predetermined.

This man was clearly deranged, who in the hell just walks up to an individual, let alone a stranger, and suggests they go on a scavenger hunt. He clearly had to be crazy, mad, and damn near deranged. Do I look like I have a scavenger hunter license or easy friend written on my forehead? Have I grown that soft since being here that I am just exuding such an aura of welcome? I...whew fate you cruel mistress why have you forsaken me...

This man was loud, to say the least, he yelled to just talk but he strikes me as the bright-eyed young man with the heart for adventure. He had a fire about him, and though he clearly had seemed to lack some measure of vocal restraint, it was easy to tell he had to be genuine, this really was just who he was.

"Jan Ren, I accept."

Lucian knew that this was not going to be the smartest decision he has ever made, but this was fate's call and now he was at the mercy of way things went, all he could do was move along with the flow and maintain the course, but really a scavenger hunt? There was no way he could've not known that such an event was going on in the city unless it was some sort of purely guild mage type work.

"So where do we start? And what are we looking for?"

This was going to be mental.

331/300

Luck was on his side today! For the moment, anyway. Without too much of an explanation, the other -- despite the initial body language suggesting he was going to turn tail and leave -- accepted the offer. This meant, with the requirements met, Jan Ren could now participate in the scavenger hunt as well! Man, he had him worried there. Or maybe this too was attributed to his occupation, rather his self?

--Doesn't matter. The point is, "Great!" the two were now paired up. Pumping his hand in accomplishment, it would be clear this event held some significance for the Sinese.

Lowering his tone, the young man gestured to lead the way; a skip to his step, not just in excitement but also in light tension, that he-- now they, would be too late to find the supposed 'grand prize'. "Alright. We do have to stay discrete, I wouldn't want to hang everyone in on the competition if we can help it." He admitted, looking into his newly-acquired partner's eyes; hoping the two would stay on the same level.

This stranger woud be the first person Jan Ren had attempted to ask, as such he may have hit the jackpot there. However, it was still a way away from the starting spot, and with that the first task at hand was... "I'm grateful you would work with me, mister... ...I'm sorry, I never asked." ...introductions.

"Pardon my rudeness. What's your name?" He asked, a rather apologetic smile plastered over his expression as he uncomfortably rubbed at the back of his head.

From the earlier affirmation, the dreaded man already took in the Sinese' near-full identity. Though his side was entirely oblivious. If they had some distance to cover as it is, it'd be best to familiaze himself with this stranger. That, and... He did hold a mystery Jan Ren was interested in uncovering.

What have you gotten yourself into Lucian, this guy was completely insane and here you are about to traverse the city with him on some possible wild goose chase in an unknown game of a scavenger hunt. What could I gain from this... Except a wasting of my time and my life.

I clearly have lost my mind as well, but then again...the best stories are the ones you don't prepare for or expect. Lucian walked grudgingly next to his temporary partner, the man seemed to be highly excited for whatever this upcoming challenge, and granted his competitive nature was respectable, at least he wasn't in this to just lose per se.

With his hands behind his head, he could feel the eyes upon them, but it didn't matter, he was used to looks of confusion, and they did make for a uniquely strange duo, one clothed in white silk and flowing cloth and somewhat paler skin, The other dressed in all black with more form-fitting wear and darker skin.

One a cheerful glee-filled happy individual and the other one a quiet somber man with a snarl for a resting feature. As they continued forward, Jan ren turned to initiate a conversation, an attempt to lessen the divide between the two of them.

His name...I don't trust this man yet and I don't believe giving out my actual name will do me any good...

"You can call me V. And before you ask yes, just the letter. "

Lucian began to notice that their stroll was beginning to take them further towards the center of town, the marketplace coming into view.

"So any idea what we are looking for? And how we can go about finding it?"

There was no point in going about this without a plan of sorts.

303/300

Having learned to ignore-- or rather, welcome the gazes of everyone around, Jan Ren paid no mind to the scenery surrounding the two as he led the way. The more they looked, the better; if he'd get a good name for himself in a foreign town, it wouldn't simply add to Blue Pegasus' name as a guild (granted, it was already established as a powerful one regardless); but also to his own fame. And that meant... Eventually he'd get better chances with the ladies too!

Yep. Attention from the surrounding folk was always welcome.

The marketplace was thankfully a single, straight-lined street towards Jan Ren's destination. It was easy to memorize, though a tad long to traverse. Surrounding merchants would call out to the pair in white and black, offering their goods here and there. Those that didn't simply yelled out the contents of their arsenal, for the most part foods; vegetables, meat, and few with some high-quality jewelry. If he would have bothered to take any note, the young man would come to browse through these sections at a later time.

Now there was an unusual name. Raising an eyebrow as he chose to naively accept the other's supposed identity, he couldn't help but doubt it to be the guy's real name. Vee? Not a name he could attribute to any specific nationality. That's a first. Ah well, to each their own, even the quirky.

As for where they were going... "Right. Apparently it's collecting some parts of an item. The pair who manages to find the most gets rewarded with a whopping 200,000 Jewels!" Sounds shady at first, right? He thought so too. However, the confidence he held in this belief wasn't baseless.

"As it turns out, it's sponsored by the same company that runs Sorcerer's Weekly." Not that he reads that anyway. "I figure they wanted to draw in wizards if they could help it."

"So collect parts of an item and we win 200,000 jewels. That seemed simple enough."

Does this guy really not know that sharing that kind of information could lend itself to some dangerous outcomes because if I was truly like some of these folks out here, I would just help him do this, kill or rob him and then make off with the entire prize. Unless this guy was just that confident that his powers would keep him from harm, or he just believed everyone had an apparent sense of goodwill and kindness.

Or...Lucian couldn't help but see that the young man had a bubbling personality, he was drawn to the oohs and ahhs. He enjoyed the people, he was a warm soul, or at least that is the persona he has revealed so far. It may be true that this Jan had placed no thought into the idea of him being a possible criminal, thief, or negative at all. This guy just trusted him, or maybe he was planning to leave Lucian hanging anyway and just needed some help to achieve what he couldn't do on his own...

But, Lucian couldn't just sit there and not acknowledge that his instincts would have warned him about something. And even still, he had enough experience with those of theater and this world to know when someone was just playing a part. Maybe this guy was really just that an honest mage. And for his sake, I sure hope so, because I do not feel like beating on anyone today. I would much rather choose to relax this day away but clearly fate has other plans.

"Mmm, a publicity stunt to put people in a cheerful mood. Typical. So I guess then what exactly is this item we are looking for? And is it possible the clues could be in the magazine?"

Lucian knew that this was probably just some company's attempt at manipulating the masses into believing they were a group of people about goodwill and peace. Especially with the locals of Marigold having to overcome severe adversary with the recent tragedy, it was safe to assume they would be the main targets for a do-gooder event.

His innocence would show easily there, though through all his antics, Jan Ren had actually thought this through. Somewhat, anyway. Common sense applied, the Sinese believed that rather than winning the guy over, increasing both of their chances to win in the contest at hand was the best course of action; though there was, of course, the fact that if they were to partner up then this V person would have to know what their task is, and what the reward at stake is. If he'd kept secrecy regarding the matter and attempted to lie, he'd be going against his preferences, on top of possibly failing with his recruitment. People nowadays seemed less and less gullible.

"We'll see that when we register." The Sinese admitted; "Participation in pairs, you know. They wouldn't share that information with anyone lest they had someone to come with, right?" Trust me, I tried.

This man was quite perceptive. "Huh." The young man let out, eyebrows raised a bit as the realization hit him. "I hadn't actually thought of that. Maybe they'd try promoting their magazine through this event too." It was a longshot, but it was a possibility. Sorcerer's Weekly didn't strike Jan Ren as a company with a real agenda, but in the end, it was still a business. And a business had its financial interests, on top of social ones. Separating the two would prove to be an error in most cases.

... "Here we are." A short way after the marketplace, by the higher-priced settlements. A short road away from the Lord's castle, a stage was set up. A single stall laying in wait, a man in his late thirties; half-bald, blond hair, seated by the desk. A large banner reading the name of the event could be seen, yellow in color and letters bolded in red for all to see. Classic attention-grabbing techniques. Not even a line formed in-front of the stall, spoke to show how late they pair was with their registry. All goes to show why the Sinese rushed like that in the first place.

"Alright." Jan Ren turned his head to his newly-acquired partner, hastening to the stall to register. "I'll be back in a second!"

That made sense, not to share such sensitive information before someone was confirmed to be apart of the competition, though granted this man was definitely determined to join this whether or not he knew what he was searching for. Which means this punk insisted on my help on a whim?!

If this is not fate's hand then I don't know what this is. As they neared the signed up area, he could see that the large table was sure to draw in all possible attention necessary, this was going to be clown fest filled with more than its fair share of wannabes. Great. Just great.

Lucian watched as Jan ran towards the sign-up booth with youthful enthusiasm, and probably anxiety considering the lack of people around the booth meant, that the team was going to get a much later start than their completion. Where do we even begin?

And if so I just pray he does not come up with some stupid team name that makes us look like some naive team of idiots. What am I saying...I'm sure that is gonna be the case. Standing by a nearby street sign, Lucian watched as various pairs seemed to scour the area, their plans to just see if the company had been simple enough to leave the prize nearby. Idiots, this was not going to be that simple.

I just wonder, what is it that we are truly looking for? And for the love of Krotodamus, how are we gonna go about finding it?

The single instance in which the young Sinese looked back to check if his partner was still there, was as he was about to write the other's name for their pair; not granting their pair name any thought. His head briefly turned back to the darker man, offering half a smile, as if saying "we've got this". Part of the reason he'd omit a 'team name' was due to absolute muselessness, not seeing necessity in the matter, and more importantly... ...Lack of time.

"--I'm back. Thanks for waiting." A rather hastened reply, but a legitimately positive one nonetheless. In his hand, Jan Ren held a folded flier, unfolding it as soon as he reached sufficient range; taking to V's left side. Spreading out in-front of himself, slightly to the right to allow his partner to read and view as well.

The contents showed an originally-drawn map of Marigold. Detailed just enough to show key areas, but not to show particular spots. A definitely intentional design flaw, Jan Ren would assume; if they were particular with the map, most people would easily find the required locations. Everything from the marketplace, to the farmlands, even to the Lord's Castle were properly marked on the map, according to their real-life locations.

"As it turns out," The young man started explaining, eyes running through the map; "There are around three hundred green stickers scattered around Marigold. They made sure to hide them in all sorts of places. Whoever collects the most is elligible to win the grand prize." So, why green stickers? Narratively speaking, the amount of magics and talents that could specifically single out those, would be awfully scarce; thus giving everyone a fair shot. The shape of the sticker was put on display right above the map, the letters "SW" framed in white.

"If they're all over Marigold, I'd bet people have already started gathering them. Which means the more crowded places are probably a bust already. Where should we look first?" While Jan Ren had his mind set on the Farmlands first, it was mostly due to his personal familiarity with the spot. If V could think up somewhere else, or rather -- if the Sinese could take V's personal input on the task, maybe they could cooperate better; having gotten a general understanding of the stranger's preferences and style.

Lucian studied the map with quick precision, the various areas in the Marigold area were clearly set up to make sure that no one could get any specific information to a unique singular spot in the city.

Groan, 300 stickers, this is going to be such annoying undertaking, but I guess they couldn't do one item and just have different parts to it.

Folks magic would probably make it too easy to find considering the various different forms of the arcane that existed, this was to give everyone a fighting chance to perform well or at least feel like they are competing.

Jan had a very distinct set of observation skills, and he had already devised a sort of plan for them to tackle this competition. The crowded areas had already been scoured of all their possible stickers and there is was no reason to stay here any longer. But then again, if that's the case then this means, the most fringe place would be the farmlands, hiding it among some of the greenery.

"Alright, so we should start in the farmlands, I believe you are definitely having it in your mind. Once I sniff one of these stickers, I should be able to pick up on their scent and it should be smooth sailing from here on out."

Lucian looked out towards the sky and started walking, the sun was still high in the sky but time was of the essence, and losing was not apart of the plan. I refuse to lose.

"Jan Ren, Let's win this. Fate shall provide."

Lucian took off towards the farmland and toward the competition.

Wow, this guy was perceptive. Either that or they just happened to think of the same location; truth is, Jan Ren was sort of a fan of chances. Per V's idea, it appears the man in question had a developed sense of smell; something he did come across before. Not to jump to conclusions that is, but the Sinese' personal experience with a certain blue-haired guildmate immediately shot the term 'werewolf' to the top of his mind. If so, then he just hit the jackpot! How's that for lucky partner choice?

His eyes moved to the darker man, giving a determined smile. This will definitely serve for a proper edge. "Hmm, hmm. I had the same idea!" Stress swapped for eagerness, he chose to take his partner's word as definitive provocation. They were in this now, at last.

Not quite to the Sinese' surprise; though as they made haste to travel through Marigold, he did manage to track and snag three green stickers. One was handed to V, naturally, as if his sense of smell was as developed as he claimed it to be, it would indeed be the best course of action. Though evidently, there weren't that many stickers sprayed around the way regardless. Regrettably, Jan Ren could testify to spotting a single green sticker on their earlier way to registry, only to find it gone once they passed through.

This was a race, and he witnessed the competition put up a fight.

Quick enough, the duo reached the farmlands. And right off the bat... "There's another one!" The young man announced, reaching to grab the sticker off the sheep's wide-spread fence. A lucky find. Though at the same time, as his eyes scoured the fields, there was already an evident issue.

"...Farmer Jim doesn't usually invite that many people around. Looks like others had the same idea as us." He commented, groaning mentally a bit as his expression took a more perplexed turn. Not just one or two, but four other tag-teams present at the scene, scouting for stickers. In a way, Fate was kind enough to allow them to find a single sticker in the area off the first minute.

"We'd better get moving."

The spring air was at a slight simmer as they traversed through the town towards the farmland, there were various amounts of different teams that seemed to watch them with vengeful eyes. Ignoring them, they pushed towards the farmland, hoping to cover as much ground as possible to make up for the lost time. Jan seemed to keep up and definitely had an eye for the smaller and finer details of things.

This was a contest of wits and as well as speed and thankfully they had both. As the group made their way through, Lucian eyes darted to and fro hoping not to miss a single sticker on the way towards their destination. They couldn't afford to miss one opportunity, especially with such a late start to the game.

Jan ren seemed able to snag three of the stickers on their way to the farmlands, sniffing the sticker, tendrils of scents started to pour in, most of them coming from the farmlands, meaning they were definitely headed in the right direction. The smell of the plastic and a cheap cologne permeated throughout the air, and it was clear they just needed to stay focused on this scent.

Reaching the farmlands, Lucian picked up the scents of eight people and before he could get the information out Jan ren seemed to have gathered the same information, they were not alone and they were going to have to pick up the pace.

Looking out over the farm, Lucian knew that the further reaches of the farmland were unexplored. Taking the lead, he rushed through fields of wheat, they had to move quickly, if their completion caught on to their plans and ideas, then they would lose the element of surprise.

"Jan ren, We are headed to the last few fields in the back. I am smelling a good collection of them among the barley. Look around the bottom of the stems and then we can check the farmhouse. Double back around and meet up at the very farthest field. "

Rather surprisingly, V decided to take charge; initiating their next course of action. Not to say the Sinese never counted on his partner's idea, on the contrary; the man's self-proclaimed hightened sense of smell was going to be their guiding aspect to victory, certainly. The assumption that the will be the leading figure wasn't based on his partner's actions, but rather on his behavior up until now. A light chuckle escaped the young man's lips as he could see the aura shifting, V now determined enough to come up with a battle plan.

At least, that's what he figured had happened. "Roger that."

But seriously, how impressive was those Werewolves' sense of smell? Managing to track small stickers in a field of wheat. He'll believe it when he sees it, but... Damn.

The farther fields in the farmlands radiated an understandably strong smell of wheat, lightly accented with the fragrance of freshly cut grass. Either the local farmers have recently tended to their fields well, or the local mages did their works with the greenery to find the stickers. It was enough to dominate Jan Ren's nose with no question; as such, relying on the darker man's nose was his only possible option.

Reaching out to the farther fields, he methodically scoured through. Searching for stickers at the base of the plants, huh? Tedious... But not too bad. Fortunately, the soil was dry enough to prevent his white robes from being dirtied. As he looked through, trying his best not to miss anything that would stand out, Jan Ren eventually snagged two more green stickers, shimmying around the tall crops some before moving to another field. "(This is taking too much time!)" He mentally complained; was there no better way to collect those?

Though time-taxing as it was, the Sinese managed to find yet another sticker -- before promptly coming to hit an obstacle.

"Well well."

He raised his head up to see, probably not the best thing to run into. Another tag-team, two men, both evidently higher than him (even should he had stood up straight). One better built than the other, but both awfully alike. As if they were brothers or something. "Look here, brother!" Oh, they really were brothers. "Spotted a rat in our territory!"

Don't tell me... "Oh yeah. Well, let's try putting those pest control skills to use!" ...Ohhh, right. Of course.

Regulations loopholes. Nowhere in the instructions was there anything mentioned about interferring with other teams' process. It hit him there (thankfully not literally, yet), that this was also an option. And according to Fiore's apparently chaotic tendencies among wizards, things would undoubtedly lead to it. "Uhhh..."

"... ...Hi?"

Lucian sifted through the crops searching for the stickers, the cologne from whoever hid them was some truly cheap stuff and the musk cut through the scent of the wheat. There was no telling how many of them there were but at least it should be a good few, grabbing at them like a tiller with plants, Lucian managed to snag a few of the stickers. 8 in total in the large rows of plants, as the musk from the cologne started to disappear his ears picked up the sound of his partner and two other voices. I knew there was a chance that the rules wouldn't prevent direct interference between teams, so clearly someone was trying to sabotage the situation. Moving quickly Lucian darted out from the fields, his senses leading him directly to his partner, bursting through the plants, Lucian didn't wait to have any explanation. Gathering his strength, he launched a savage superman punch with his right hand, the blow sending the unsuspecting foe careening through the foliage.

Before the other could respond, he grabbed him by his shirt and tossed him on top of his brother, the bodies colliding into one another and falling into a heap. Lucian tugged at Jan's clothing hoping he would follow.

"Jan to the farmhouse, chances are they will follow us, we can lose them there."

Lucian ducked through the barley as it passed by in a slight blur, he could hear and smell the approaching brothers as they followed in hot pursuit, the smell of blood was in the air, and Lucian had a feeling before this completion was over there would be more.

Reaching the farmhouse, Lucian looked up towards the large red structure, the barn was filled with several bales of hay and other assorted plants. The stacks reached up towards the second floor, where it seemed to be dark save for the small slits of sunlight that came down through the roof. A single rope hung down from the top and Lucian began to devise a plan.

Looking a Jan, Lucian hoped his teammate was preparing a plan of his own.

Out of the crops jumped out V, with an almost comically straight face; punching away the two brothers right in-front of Jan Ren's eyes. He couldn't help but feel impressed, almost as if the man in question laid down to ambush them. That, was pretty cool. "Hey, thank-- HEY!!!" Though before things would go his way, the darker man reached and grabbed at the Sinese' shirt, tugging him forcefully with him towards the farmhouse. He was right, it'd easily be the best course of action, but...

"W-Watch it! The shirt, watch the shirt!!" Despite understanding how dire the instance was, Jan Ren still, somehow, prioritized his personal image to survival. As such, he broke away from V's hold and ran by himself, towards the farmhouse; all the while groaning a bit as he fixed what mess became of his precious top.

...

In the farmhouse, the two sat low and observed what they had to work with. The obvious choice was the darkened area near the rooftop, with the rop conveniently hanging from the center. The climb shouldn't pose much of an issue, what with numerous substitutes for platforms served. Still slightly upset but understanding, the Blue Pegasus mage looked to his partner, their eyes meeting. He chuckled. "--Sneak attack, right?" He asked, confident the brothers would follow; that would be when they'll neutralize them.

An eye for an eye.

...Though before beginning to climb, the Sinese couldn't help but notice something odd. "--Hey." He called out, eyes fixated on V's hand; the one he used to punch the first opponent. "Your hand's covered in pollen." Covered, more like swamped. Green pollen fully encased the warrior's hand, a disturbingly irking sight. Jan Ren almost had the urge to wipe it off himself.

--"Sons of bitches, they're in the farmhouse!!"

An irritated voice sounding awfully close by. There wasn't much time.

Lucian looked down at his hand, the pollen covering his fist in a mess of yellow and green plant mist. It was almost like a solid mass of green slime. Clearly, either the plants or one of the brothers had been covered in the stuff. Mmmm. Lucian wiped the mess on some of the walls of the barn. Flinging his hand, into the air to get it off. Watching Jan Ren climb the rope, he was happy to know that he had caught on to the plan in a sense. Jan was going to handle his own business and Lucian was confident that the young mage could handle himself to a degree.

Looking at the door, Lucian knew he had to goad the brothers into staying in the same position, they were just in. If they stayed under the rope, it would make it easier for Jan to get the jump on them from above. And since this time Jan was the one who was going to be the attacker, then it was on him to be the bait. But how would he do so...

Standing on the beam, he decided the most direct approach would be the most effective. Gathering his collected stickers, Lucian left them on the ground under the swinging rope. Standing in front of the hay bales. He decided to play weak, maybe they would be too excited or ready for revenge to pay attention. Or maybe this would just turn into a slight 2v1. Either way, he was ready.

As the stomps got closer and closer, Lucian could smell their approach before they even reached the open bar doors. Slowly to a stop, they waltzed into the open bar door frame, looking down at the stickers on the ground, they seemed to eye him with arrogant snickers. They assumed themselves to have won and the devilish sadistic smiles on their faces would tell him all the information that was on their mind.

"You got tired of running didn't you little worm. But I'll tell you now. Those stickers ain't gonna save you or your little friend's ass. So how about we just get this ova wit. And then we are on our merry way."

Lucian could smell Jan's scent in the air, he had made it to the top as they planned and he would have the best vantage point for the situation. Lucian never took his eyes from the duo, their dark sneers spread across their face.

"Come on now fellas. I was just defending my partner. Just leave me be and let me go. Take the stickers."

"No. I want to punch you back."

Dummy, who wants to waste much time, especially with the competition coming to an end in a little while. He nor Jan had time to use either, they needed to get these guys out of their way now.

"It doesn't have to be like this. Don't hang yourselves."

The pair continued to look ahead unaware of the unsuspecting danger above.

Initially concerned that the pollen was of suspicious origin, Jan Ren let it slide once his partner simply smudged it off on the near wall and literally threw the rest of it off to the air. Seems he was just worried for nothing. That's good! Then they could simply focus on their plan of attack.

By some draw of sorts, it was decided the Sinese would be the one on offense; V taking the baiting role. If previously their tasks were reversed, then this was to be the young man's chance to show off this time. He'd gladly take it; if he could strike a proper good impression on his partner, that was for the best. Besides, something told him he'd be better off not confronting these two again face to face. That said... He didn't quite see himself as the offensive type. That is, while he knew himself not to get in fights often, that strethced out to his skill in a wizard battle.

But it's not like he couldn't try anything. This would be... What, the second or third time he'd try to attack someone with his spell?

Using the rope, Jan Ren managed to climb up to the roof, sitting (awkwardly) on the thick wooden beam above. His Qipao dangling from it, possibly giving his location away what with the out-of-place white fabric simply hanging down some by the rope. Ugh... Fine. He chose to remove it for the occasion, folding it neatly and placing it by the dark footing he held onto; top now fully bare, and nothing obvious giving away his location. The Sinese crouched down, building up his magic power as he steadied his breathing, looking down to monitor the scene's development.

As the two brothers barged in, looking ready to pick a fight, the Blue Pegasus mage steeled his mind. He'd have to give it to V there for coming up with this deception idea and following through with it like that! If he was in his position, he'd have used the stickers for bait too.

Breathing in, then out fully. No air left in his lungs, he held his breath; making out the shape of a gun with his right hand -- index finger and thumb fully stretched out, the rest clenched tightly. Reaching to silently hold at his right forearm, grabbing it with his left hand. Shoulder, steadied. Arm stretched out, elbow joint locked. One eye closed... Aiming down. Locked well on the front brother's scalp. In this distance... It's a sure-hit.

"(Shot Drop: Qang!!)"

With two consecutive shots, one after the other, Jan Ren sniped at the two brothers' heads; the two dropping down to the floor with the spell's impact. Critical Hit! As his head was struck, one of the brothers seemingly released a large cloud of green spore, sticking to the surrounding stacks of hay. ...Ahh, that's where it came from. Good thing it couldn't be put to use.

He leaped down from the rooftop, somehow managing to use a stack of hay for proper footing before coming down to the ground. "Whew!... Nice job there!" He awkwardly uttered, raising his hand up for a highfive. He'd have really preferred to talk this out... Then again, this was wholely in his favor, so no harm done!

Lucian watched as his partner dropped the two brutes with easy shots to the back of their heads, the water dripping from the large knots that were beginning to form on the skin. So a water mage huh? That could come in handy at another time.

Stepping over the sleeping bodies, he watched as the green pollen pores rained down from one of the brothers, so clearly it was meant to be a tracker or part of some magic. Kinda glad he didn't get the chance to use it, don't know what that would have done to my sense of smell.

Lucian scooped up his stickers. Placing them into his pockets he stared at Jan trying to high five him, staring at the gesture, Lucian chose to dismiss it, time was of the essence and they could focus on the celebration at another time. Lucian was not used to the idea of camaraderie or friendship, but at least things were going pleasantly well.

Walking out of the barn, Lucian sniffed at the air...the smell of pollen and seeds filled his nose...Okay...wiping his nose, Lucian tried to smell again but once again he was only catching the scent of pollen.

Damn it...Walking through that cold may have done more damage than intended. There go some of their competitive advantages. Unless they found a way to quickly clean out his sinuses. Staring out, Lucian had to try and gather a plan together to figure out how to move forward. Maybe they could just Jan's magic to clean out his nose and face. Or they could rely on something else. He didn't know what else unless Jan had some special skills he wasn't revealing.

"Jan...It is up to you and where you think your skills are. The pollen cloud from the hillbilly ruined my sense of smell for the time being. If you can you either help me flush out my system or we can use a skill of yours. but we gotta move fast or else things are going to go south fast."

Left hanging, Jan Ren remained with his hand held up, smile slowly deforming from genuinely excited to absolutely forced. V didn't seem like a team player at first either, but... This was their victory. What harm could be done with a simple gesture like that?? He mentally sighed. Embarrassingly dropping his hand, pouting some in dissatisfaction. Jeez... You could at least say something!

Moving towards the defeated bodies, the Sinese decided to take the initiative; nonchalantly entering the spore cloud, nearing on the two brothers' bodies as he began searching their pockets. "Sorry again, guys, but. An eye for an eye." He 'innocently' recited, stealing however many stickers he could loot off this duo. With the already six he held in his own pocket, the young man managed to scout out five extra stickers from the defeated adversary. Loot for victory? --Sounds like a good concept.

The next piece of news though... "Huh??" ...wasn't very pleasant. In fact, it'd prove a direct foil to Jan Ren and V's chances of victory. "You can't smell!?" He repeated, almost in disbelief. This is a first... A werewolf that lost his sense of smell! With that aspect being their trump card, the Sinese couldn't help but mildly panic a bit. Well, he'd managed to reduce reaction to a minimum, not to make a big deal out of it on the outside, but... How were they supposed to get a lead off now!?

"O-Okay, okay, we can still take care of this." He said, shaking his head violently; dispersing the creeping pessimism in his mind. That's right. Stay positive. Don't get discouraged. "I'm a water mage, I bet I could try flushing it out from your nose. But... It's going to take some time." That'd be the challenge. Were they going to use up more of their time, while already being rather behind? Despite collecting some stickers off the defeated brothers, it was still minimal in comparison to the sheer number of stickers in Marigold. What's five to three-hundred?

These guys... Probably attacked us out of desperation.

Building up his magic power, Jan created a stream of water between his hands; "Alright, this is... Going to be quite uncomfortable. So we're going to do this quickly." He explained, green eyes staring straight into the darker man's own black pools. "Unfortunately, I don't have a sensory skill of sorts. Our best chance is your sense of smell, V. Without it, we'd be just two plain guys running around Marigold. Our eyes can only take us so far here. ...So, are you ready?"

Of course this race would entail many 'trials', but not for a moment did Jan Ren think he'd have to stretch to discomfort like that.

The water forming in the palms of Jan was uncomfortable, to say the least, but this was going to be the only way that they would maintain their competitive advantage and win, there was no time for hesitation, or holding back. Time was of the essence and this was the only way.

The rush of water that ran through Lucian's sinuses burned with a violent fury as the liquid rushed through his head. It was like he was being dunked through the washer of some sort. Swimming through an ocean of fresh water was all he could describe the feeling as.

As the water came out of his orifices, Lucian laid on the ground in a daze, there was a chance he could have drowned, but fate had other plans for him. The world was covered in a watery haze, coughing and spurting out water, he gasped for breath. Sitting up he sat down for a moment catching his air as he tried to piece together what the world.

Slowly, he took in a deep breath, spurting out water as he did so. Sniffing Lucian could get the faint trace of barley and wheat. His sense of smell was returning but he knew it would be no good to smell one of their stickers, since more likely than not they would be covered in the pollen or other scents and it would set them back again. But at least he was back to form.

"Thank you Jan. My sense of smell is back but now we gotta find some stickers genuinely. I can't afford to smell any of the others for fear they may ruin my nose."

Shaking the water from his hair, he envisions the rest of Marigold. Where else could they go that would have stickers...A loud train whistle blew into the air. The station...It was perfect.

"Jan lets go to the station, there may be some stickers there and we can go ahead and get some fresh ones to use for later. If you have another idea let me know but we gotta be fast. We lost a lot of time with my arrogant folly."

Lucian continued to shake the water from his body waiting on his partners response. The only way they would win this is by trusting one another and there was no way he could make it through this without Jan. Even if he didn't want to admit it.

'Nervous' wouldn't begin to explain what Jan Ren felt, having burdened with such a task. Well, burdened himself with it, anyway. He gulped down, intensely looking at his partner as the operation started, bringing his hands closer to the other's nose. "Heads up." He hesitantly commanded, understanding this'd be the only way it would work. Steeling his mind further, breathing deeply; in, then out, he sent the water gently with much precision, straight through the werewolf's nostrils. "Hng..!"

... ...

It was a short-lived operation, yet a fortunate and successful one. By the time Jan Ren had manipulated the streams of water out of his partner's nose, the water bodies were practically dyed green, having touched up every nook and cranny in the other's nose, until he could no longer go in. If V was a cute girl... This could have been weirdly sexual. Panting from the stress himself, the water mage flung the two streams away; the two dissipating into nothing in mid-air, with the pollen in them. He sweated a bit, crouched down as a smile rose to his face with his friend's gratitude. "Heheh... Yeah!" He offered a thumbs up before straightening himself, "In the end we're gonna wait it out more, huh."

Suits them just fine.

Somewhat startled, head ever-lightly lowered as the young man came to lay down his options. "Marigold Station?" Truth be told, it'd be new grounds for him. --Right, there was a 'station' part on the map earlier... "I can't think of any other places for now. But I've never been to the station before, so it'll be up to you to lead the way. I'm counting on you, V!" Hopefully by the time the duo would reach the station, this werewolf's sense of smell would make a full recovery. It might have been a bit dependent to rely on his partner's sense of smell again, though it was their primary advantage.

"Alright. After you!" Though he declared that, Jan Ren had already reached for the shed doors, pushing them open with a decisive movement. There wasn't much time, after all!

Taking the lead Lucian remembered the station was located to the west of the farmlands, but they could easily cut some time if they cut through some of the hills between them. All that they had to do was cross some hills and they would be standing right above the station, plus it would give them some time to explore the station and get a full scope of the situation while maintaining high ground. After the acknowledgment from Jan, Lucian began to run again, the time had been lost and they needed to make up the lost time as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The fields passed by in blurs, the smells of the world were returning but it wasn't quick as he wanted. This is was a competitive advantage and they needed all the help they could get if they were going to have any chance of winning this thing. Crossing through the forest, Lucian could make out the sounds of various feet. Of course, they wouldn't be alone. Though granted no one was making any move of sorts so it was safe to say some others just had the same idea to a point.

Looking back at Jan, Lucian couldn't help but think about the journey he had been roped into so far. Granted this was more excitement than he's experienced in the last few months of being in Marigold but still, the fact that he was now in a scavenger hunt for some stickers with a guy who was more worried about his physical appearance than his enemy. If he told the story no one would possibly believe it.

Turning back to look at the path ahead, they would burst out from the foliage, the hills coming into view. Taking off towards the station, Lucian could feel the rolling of the land as they made their way forward. As they continued to put on the distance, Lucian faintly caught the scent of something in the air. Fire... he knew that they were gonna have trouble, either someone had started to burn something or they had some trouble coming their way.

Damn it...They only need a few more meters to reach the station, but it was clear someone or something was about to impede their progress.

As expected of a Werewolf. He'd had a vague idea in his mind already, but it turned a lot more evident when he had to catch up behind. Making obvious effort not to lag, Jan Ren had to dash at his full speed just to keep up with his partner. He'd come to suspect the difference in physiology from a previous encounter with a werewolf, but he'd never thought it'd be quite this drastic. Nevertheless, the Sinese acknowledged how dire the situation was, and with V riled up, he could at least rest assured mentally.

Physically, is a different story.

Crossing the hills and struggling to make extra steps, climbing rock and sliding down slopes, Jan Ren had resigned himself to following the darker man's lead. A part of him, mostly due to fatigue, wondered if the other was deliberately leading them through the rougher terrain, if just to make things more challenging. But if he was to trust this man with his achievement, the boy also acknowledged he'd have to rid himself of such thoughts. Difficult as it was.

It's important to note, the young man's sense of smell wasn't nearly as developed as his partner's. As such, the smell of fire had eluded him for a long time, perhaps also due to his gradually intensifying heavy breathing. Until, it couldn't be ignored any longer. "H-Hey..." He called out, "Do you... Do you smell something, hff... Something burning...??" Oh God, don't let it be another obstacle. But then again, of course it'd be another one. This was one hell of a race, the more time in they took, the more the nail was struck to deliver that message.

It wasn't that the few pairs back at the farmlands followed, no. This time was a hurdle placed right before the station. With the building coming into sight, Jan Ren had witnessed arguably one of the most bizarre arsons he'd laid eyes on. "...What the heck is that!!?" He couldn't help but stop, yelling out in frustration as he slowly caught his breath again.

The building wasn't set ablaze, but was engulfed beautifully in a wall of yellow fire, two openings from each side of the station present to still allow trains to come and go. The entrance, was completely blocked off. And with a crowding of Marigold citizens gathered by the front, it was obvious whoever caused this had no intention of letting anyone get in. Truly a spectacular blockage.

"Great." He complained, shoulders slumped. If Jan Ren had a guess, it'd be that wizards participating in this race decided to flat out isolate the station and gather every sticker inside. Either that, or... "These wizard folk really have no class, do they! The nerve!!" ...someone fought inside, and this was the aftermath.

Either way, there was no way of knowing without checking it upfront.