Before Crisis [Gabranth]

[Auric]

Before Crisis
... and soon after.

If there's one story I've never told Faye, it's how the hell I got Judge Magister Gabranth's armor. It was the real thing; which was something she never stopped bugging me about but you know the truth behind it all is kind of simple. See, to make the job work... there had to be a distinct lack of certain details -- the Judge Magister had to be missing for a very specific amount of time. If I'd kept him out of appearance for too long, then eventually the military would realize he was missing. Can't have that, can I? But when you work as a professional intending to get through a military structure, the biggest thing you can use against people who barred your way was 'rank' and a level of 'need to know'. When we'd infiltrated Draklor laboratory, the soldiers had stayed out of my way for that very reason. It was a big success... one which would have been a little more complicated if I didn't have it with me.

As for why I've never told this story to Faye? Well, I'll be honest, it's just fun to hold it over her. I know -- cruel, right?

---

Judge Magister Gabranth wasn't someone just anybody could go up against. He was a leader in the Imperial Army of Archades, after all... not a man to be fought by challenging him to a duel and declaring the spoils. He was also fairly loyal; they had, after all called him the Emperor's hound at one point... and Auric was unwilling to take many chances. Not that he was afraid to fight the man, mind you... but kidnapping him for his armor wasn't something he was going to do by risking a battle... after all, the last thing you'd want is to have to break the damn thing and be in a sticky spot trying to find a decent enough artisan who'd be willing to repair it discretely.

So it begged the question -- how did Auric kidnap a Judge Magister without the world knowing and without so much as a fuss? Well... that was the easy part. Auric had literally NINJA'D him. He didn't need a tight corner or even some alleyway... even if he did it out in the open, popping gas grenades and a flask or two of Aphonia? Done! No one would be using magic. And then a Metal Veil? Now everyone was blind. Blind and no ability to use magic -- all you needed from there was a carefully placed pit... assuming you were the kind of person who appreciated comedy or a fishing net. But if you're a professional like Auric? You'd use a bag and excessive amounts of your choice of threading as a binding (Marlboro Vine was perfect back then) and use the nearest culvert for rapid transportation.

He even wore the Ninja garbs and everything.

The difficult part was taking the Judge Magister somewhere where he wouldn't cause too much trouble. Secure prisons were hard to come by -- nevermind that most dungeous he could access would probably have enough monsters to turn his captive into some kind of beast food. And as much as that might have been the easy thing to do, that didn't make it right... Auric wasn't some psychopath killer who callously let his victims dry in the sun that the next wolf would mistake for a piece of jerky. No; if he had to do this he had to be smart... the greatest prison in the world didn't have any bars, after all... and when he thought on places where Imperials wouldn't be welcome, only two places came to mind but only one which he could successfully keep him in without any risk whatsoever that someone would discover him by accident.

It was the perfect place. A good apartment in Lowtown where the locals might hang out but not entirely be eager to check. The resistance was also fairly active and kept in quite the loop -- a man fitting the Judge's description would definitely bring down a whole lot of wrath faster than his victim could get any aid from the nearest Imperial Outpost. How did Auric smuggle him in without facing any scrutiny? By keeping the dear Judge unconscious and putting him into a box... and dressing up as a delivery man claiming it was new furniture for the newest tenant. Sometimes, it doesn't need to be too complicated... a couple of mattresses to barricade the door to prevent sound from leaking out and a small payment for someone to deliver a daily meal and you had your humanitarian makeshift prison.

Clever, right?

But now the job was done; Auric and Faye had successfully infiltrated Draklor laboratory and did as they had intended... it now lie in ruins, its archives now in a fresh disk stored on board and encrypted within the Ragnarok... and pieces of nethicite still hidden in one of its compartments until he found a safe place to store them. Auric was dressed in much the same manner as when he'd assaulted the Judge; whether or not he'd been seen at all wouldn't matter... Auric wasn't about to risk revealing his identity. Even going as far as to wear blue contacts to make sure the color of his eyes would be a point of misdirection; at worse he might have been seen as a disguised SOLDIER.

He hoped his... guest wasn't too uncomfortable... Auric had to go a bit far in using adamantite shackles and stripping the place of objects which could be turned into a key... a clever man himself, he was making sure that, barring the exception of certain special abilities, Gabranth would not be going anywhere. And so as he placed the key to the apartment... he was quiet in walking in... closing and locking the door behind him, his eyes looked upon the door to the room which housed his guest. The disguised Hero for Hire approached it and knocked gently upon its wooden surface.

[Gabranth]

you should have made plans with me, you knew that i was free--
you can call all you want, but no one's home-

Oh how his head hurt. The pain was unforgettable, but that's what you get for being drugged up the arse and being locked up in some dingy room in only Zodiark knows where. The Judge spent some time simply getting used to his environment, using as much information as he could to find out where he was and how to get out. The mattress that barred his door was a nice pure white, used but at least it wasn't some urine soaked mattress that his captor dragged from some random gutter. The mattress was more then just an act of kindness or sound barrier, it showed that his captive knew what he was doing.

Which was the same thing as the delivery man. Who came once a day to slip the man a decent serving of food. At first Gabranth gobbled it down, he doubted his captors would try to poison him. After all they could have killed him any way they liked while he was passed out. Regardless the delivery man was important too. Even though he only said a few scarce words to the Judge Magister, he did give away enough from his thick accent and exotic looks to inform the man that he was in the city of Rabanastre. The man spent a shockingly large amount of time in the city during the Archadian Occupation. Then compiling this with the quality of his new "home", he could only come to the conclusion that he was in the lower slums. Which was perfect. He could easily break out and leave without raising an eye brow.

Gabranth spent days upon days breaking out of his shackles. Adamantite was a lot easier to break if one knew how to break it. Slow, steady, and powerful blows over a large time would normally suffice, and it was best to aim for the thinnest part of the metal. So the man aimed for the pins that head his shackles together, using the cuffs them selves as a hammer and focal point for his offensive magic known as ruin. The shackles coupled with the explosive magics slowly chipped away over the course of the past few days, freeing the man from his restrains. Now all he had to do was to wait for his captor. He may have lost to him once, but that was only because the mysterious man had the surprise. This time Gabranth would have a little surprise for the man that kidnapped him.

Clad only in his leathers, and without any kind of weapon Gabranth waited for his captor. It was easy to tell the difference between him and the man that delivered his food. The delivery boy was loud, sloppy. He could even hear the man's loud footsteps beyond the few cracks of the doorway. But his captour was quite, stealthy, or better yet had tact. Gabranth didn't even notice Auric's approach until he knocked on his door. Yet the mattress was a bane as much as it was a boon. It allowed Gabranth to move without altering Auric. He quickly pressed his body against the wall, right next to where the door would open. His fists were balled, even if he had no weapons or armor he would find a way out of this and get information on his captor. And hopefully "sentence" him to death in the process.

[Auric]

Adamantite's single strength was also its single vulnerability. Such a hard surface was brittle when exposed to wear and focused physical attention... the question, then, was not 'if' but 'when'. Auric wasn't a fool. Any man driven to gain his freedom wasn't about to allow themselves be barred by physical constraints alone. But that was hardly Auric's concern... the Judge Magister just needed to be out of the picture long enough that he could carry out his mission without risk of word spilling back from the man himself. The rest? Well, he let the armor and the status do the talking. What mattered was the end result. There were too many factors when it came to discreetly holding a live guest; noise, interference, discovery... all were natural considerations.... but of all the things you could always count on? Resistance.

The smart thinking man does not avoid looking away from a situation and trying to strong arm his subject into living a certain way. Rather, he counts precisely on the actions of the victim to guarantee their constraints. Such was the current living arrangement; the door separating the two rooms was about as sturdy as what you'd expect of your typical Rabanastran Lowtown home; a large amount of wood with enough metal to detour the simplest vandals and petty thieves but not heavy enough to completely bar those of steadfast determination. You have to remember, at one point these homes were used frequently for the storage of goods for the shops, stalls and vendors above.

Auric stood on the opposite side of the door's hinges, his back to the wall, casually waiting for what would confirm the health of his captive. An eery nothing; perfect invitation for investigation. Or an ambush. And sure enough, the silence continued... although it would have been extremely awkward were the room to be empty. But the house was otherwise undisturbed... no sign of forced exit. No sign of investigation of the surroundings, either... be it cautious or panicked. "That won't be necessary." his voice came out; changed as he read the quiet man's intent the mattress dulled sound but never completely. If the Judge had ever spoken into a recording device or even heard his own echo he'd have recognized it as his own. Another prop Auric had used to secure his anonymity during their raid. It had some slight damage due to the temperature extremes of that battle but it was once again in working order. Circuitry was simple to fix when your mind sees the world in much the same way.

"If it's all the same, I'd rather not spill your blood. It would have made securing you rather pointless. And I doubt you've forgotten your duty and charge." he sighed, knowing how this would all end. He was, of course, referring to Larsa... and the station to which the man in the room had held.... no doubt he would have explaining to do but such was only natural. Still, the air of hostility needed to simmer down if they were to talk.

[Gabranth]

you should have made plans with me, you knew that i was free--
you can call all you want, but no one's home-

The Judge Magister remained quite for some time. Carefully contemplating his captors words. His voice was like his own, was it Basch? Yes, it could very well be. Basch was the only one who could mimic his voice, because they had the same. And his traitor of a brother fled to Dalmasca, where he was held captive. It all made sense. Although it was never Basch's style to stage a kidnapping such as this. His brother honestly didn't think he was smart enough.

"Very well, traitor," Gabranth finally called back, the last word laced with venom. The hate in his voice was clear. Yet his oath to protect Lord Larsa was far to great to him then a sibling rivalry to get in the way. He had no choice but to play Basch's game. "Leave my armor and weapons behind, and pray that I do not catch you Basch." He paused for a few seconds, carefully thinking his next few words over. "I let you live all those years ago, because you were my brother. My twin even. Yet if I see you again I shall cut you down."

The Judge walked over to the barrier between the two rooms. With a grunt he ripped the mattress off the wooden door, causing it to fall to the ground with a loud thump. Gabranth threw himself down on the mattress, using it as a seat. "You have five minutes to leave Basch, we both know I can easily tear down this door and you." The anger in Gabranth seemed to boil. His honorless twin betrayed him once when he left for Dalmasca, and now he insulted the very name Gabranth spent years building in Archadia. Oddly enough the voice device created wonders for Auric. Gabranth truly believed that he was his lost twin, Basch fon Ronsenburg.

[Auric]

Uhh. Woops. Perhaps it wasn't the greatest idea to use the voice changer with the last setting on... a valuable lesson; not that it mattered so much. But of course, Auric wasn't about to turn a man out to the streets and leave this particular person here thinking it was "Basch". It was strange to know how Auric could feel that Gabranth must have had a bitter history between himself and this other person. Genetic twin brother, no doubt... the voice being the same so it was only natural to think that. Mind you, Auric's knowledge so far beyond his own observations extended to the files archived within Draklor Laboratory... and if there was truly a connection between Gabranth and the knight captain named Basch of Dalmasca, he could definitely see why this connection would be stricken from the records. Not that he'd had too much time to consult the details in full; doing so would take longer as would be sifting through the rest of the data. Of course he wasn't all too interested in the political affairs and history of Archades' realm.

It made for nice reading but beyond that? He lacked the interest. Still, there was much he could understand just by how Gabranth spoke of Basch. "Would that your arrogance match your deeds." he spoke back, the voice changer modulating his voice as he mimicked the verbal mannerisms that this realm seemed to exhibit. He was curious as to why the Judge Magister didn't care to ask what had been done with his armor and weapons... or even why he'd been subdued. Actually, the fact that he didn't ask would have meant he already had a guess as to why...perhaps this was fitting payback to him, after all he was willing to take it and give a few minutes of grace for his captor, "Basch" to leave. No questions asked.

Boy was he going to be surprised when he got back. Having to explain both his disappearance and deal with possible arrest and finding out that acts committed under his guise had lead to the crippling of the Archadian war machine. Even worse so when there was a war going on. Now that he thought about it if they were supposed to be twins... then it was only logical that much of their upbringing would have been the same; Basch's history was no secret. Home to a country that was invaded by Archades, he joined the knights of Dalmasca and took to his new purpose; whereas Gabranth became a Judge Magister of the very same country that had invaded and destroyed his home.

Who the heck does that?

"You use my name to kill my own king then torture me further by placing me in some prison to rot? You may be loyal to your charge but your idea of a kindness does not bode well for your character, brother."

Wait a second, why am I kicking up this drama again?

[Gabranth]

if you didn't care, what happened to me
and i didn't care for you
we would zig zag our way through the boredom and pain
occasionally glancing up through the rain
wondering which of the buggers to blame
and watching for pigs on the wing

Gabranth brooded on his mattress for awhile. That was just like Basch to never let sleeping dogs lie. It may not have been the most honorable thing to do, but it was the best for both Archadia and Landis. The home of the Ronsenburg family never truly died when Archadia took over, it's government simply shifted from one to another. The place was still a pleasant farming country with more or less the same values.

Besides glory went only to the victor, which Landis was not. So to Gabranth it only brought shame and dishonor to the Ronsenburg name to fight long after you have been defeated. "And you never let a battle go unfought brother." Gabranth finally snapped back. "With the acquisition of Dalmasca, we protected not only the Imperial nation but Dalmasca herself. Rozzaria would have been a fool to attack Archadia, especially with the tactical advantage of both Nabudis and Dalmasca." Protection it may be, that didn't mean it was all that soft and gentle. Gabranth was a fan of tough love, although Auric probably noticed that by now.

"Now I will ask you once again to leave me be with my possessions, I care little for your endeavors." Gabranth went on. One way or another he would find out what Basch did while he was incarcerated. And to be honest Gabranth would rather hear it from some where else, the very thought of being near his brother made the Judge weary. He thought he put Basch far behind in his past. But it looked like he was wrong.

[lyrics :: pigs on the wing (part one) - pink floyd] [tags :: auric] [location :: lowtown]

[Auric]

Defeatist ideology was to accept the terms of the victor. To look at the surrender and say "this is acceptable". For the generation of an invaded country, fighting for the sake of your country was a grey area that had no true positive end. But it was best to be realistic; one does not change their identity and claim that it is the same. If there was one thing Auric knew with complete absolution, it was that, in the end... you fought not for country or for people... but for the values. Valendis was a republic; its political structure built for and by the people.... at least, from what Auric knew and could tell from a brief description. It was admirable, really... so many nations he'd seen seemed to be centered around some other domineering power. A house, a king... fal'Cie... to an Aurelian? Such was not worthy of much respect.

But from what he imagined of Basch? He must have continued his fight against the Empire; not out of loss of his country but out of dislike for what it represents. A nation hungry for conquest; eager to consume all. It was only natural that Auric's mind could connect the dots... he wouldn't have been excellent at assuming the roles of others were it otherwise. "Battles must be fought when one has little choice but to fight them. Especially when your empire is the one that starts them to begin with." he cracked back. It was true. Really, most wars were fought out of greed. "You fight others, destroy their homes and kill their loved ones, deny them food and drink and then place them where the light will never find them then you tell them that it's in their best interests. Has your gullibility no end? As you did so to me, you did to Dalmasca. Do you even know what you are anymore? Or are you naught but a dog, sick of being hungry and desperate for scraps from its master?" he went on.

He knew that wouldn't translate very well. Auric was little different when it came to some tough love; the difference, however, was in method. You'd be surprised at what he was willing to do... and how he executed his actions. But there was a good reason for his choice in pursuing this further. In Auric's eyes, he could already admire the man Basch must have been; after all... his actions mirrors that of an Aurelian. For so long as one had their life, they had their duty. Shame and dishonor mean little or nothing when one already had a purpose. That was what duty was; to leave it unfulfilled when one was still breathing and to do so willingly? It was a sin. Inconceivable. No Aurelian would have chosen otherwise. But the world would not yet know what it means...

[Gabranth]

if you didn't care, what happened to me, and i didn't care for you
we would zig zag our way through the boredom and pain
occasionally glancing up through the rain
wondering which of the buggers to blame
and watching for pigs on the wing

This was very typical of Basch, to say the least. The two brothers were never very close, and they bickered often. It often had to do with their different morals. It's his own brothers morals and actions that drove Gabranth to change his own very name. And his actions now only brought more shame to the Ronsenburg family. It made the Judge's blood boil in rage. How dare he ruin his family's name even more, he already destroyed it years ago. What else did he have to take from their family?

"You forget yourself Basch," Gabranth said as he rose from his seat on the knocked over mattress. "Dalmasca was on the verge of war, if not conquered by Archadia then she would have fallen into the hands of Rozzaria. It was better that we had the country under our control then Rozzaria, it would only be a further deter the rival Empire from going to war with Archades and turning Rabanastre into a battlefield." His voice was loud, very loud. Just lough enough to mask his foot steps which made their way back to the corner he previously hid in. Just lough enough to mask the gentle sounds of metal scrapping against stone as he withdrew his sword from the hiding spot in the corner.

"The lack of food was not due to Archadia's neglect," Gabranth went on, once again masking his foot steps with his own voice as he returned in the door. "It was the Resistance that raided our food caravans to the nation, taking our supplies for the Royal City for themselves. A resistance you supported no less." By now Gabranth was in front of the door that separated him and who he thought was his brother. Small broken pieces of prongs from a metal fork was scattered across the ground. They served their uses, but now they were useless to him.

A few days ago Gabranth managed to break free. He used the fork from his own food as a lock pick. He was careful to leave shortly after the food delivery. He was confident that his captor would not show up within a few hours of the deliveryman, after all a professional wouldn't risk exposing his true identity or that he was even there. No he would play it safe. And it was his own caution that was his undoing, it gave Gabranth plenty of time to mount an ambush, his original attention was to take down his captor and arrest him. But when he heard his brother he had pity on the man, wanting to set him free. But Basch's own arrogant attitude only seemed to evoke Gabranth's rage.

He raised a lone foot towards the door, Gabranth didn't stop to think. He knew what he had to do. With a grunt serving as the only warning, the Judge Magister kicked the door down, sending it off it's hinges. Even the kidnapped was standing to close then he was most likely about to get hit with a heavy wooden door, if not it was his lucky day. "In the name of Archadia and her Emperor, Lord Larsa, I Judge Magister Gabranth place you under arrest for both kidnapping and terrorism!" The man shouted, that was the signal. A wave of heavily armed Archadian trooped charged into the room, their own weapons drawn. Overall there was five of them, with a few more standing on guard outside. They were perhaps the finest troops stationed in Dalmasca, simply because Gabranth didn't want to risk Auric escaping.

As the dust settled from the door, Gabranth was unable to see who his captor was just yet. The Judge's blue eyes carefully scanned the scene around him, looking for the man that wronged him so. His sword, a cheap replica of the one he normally uses was drawn and gripped tight by Gabranth's two hands. The meager sword served as his only true defense. Yet the man still felt confident, he had the element of surprise. He would not let this cur escape his wrath.

[Auric]

It's funny what justifications one has when it comes to waging war. You can talk politics all day but what it all really comes down to is greed. It didn't matter that a nation was on the verge of war; it doesn't warrant an armed intervention. While Auric wasn't a direct supporter of Amalia's resistance, he wasn't a fool -- he knew that in the end, Archades was a machine that grinded its gears on the blood spilled from waging war. And to think that Rozarria was little better. There were few leaders who were actually worthy of respect... especially since he saw beyond the impressive charisma. Time would tell if Amalia would be worth it... but that wasn't his primary concern.

When he thought on it now, he wondered if he could have the man inside the room see the light. To know that, whether or not the resistance had erred, it had all stemmed still from that of a greedy nation. It always starts somewhere. And while it's true that one can claim that the other should take responsibility for their actions, the truth of it all was that there was a consequence for everything you did... and no one could adequately justify their actions beyond a meal. Besides, Gabranth was no politician. He was a Judge Magister and a soldier... it was better for him to stick to his role but never to fool himself into thinking that his beloved empire was in the right. Especially when one wields a sword and stands over a corpse.

As he heard Gabranth's petty dribble he could see the shadow beneath the door. Small things paint larger pictures. Auric was a difficult man to ambush with good reason. As he stood still he balled his fist and loosened his wrist. In his ninja garb he withdrew the voice changer and switched the module to a default setting -- a general tone that was rather obvious in its fake nature. He readied himself, securing the cloth that covered his mouth, he closed his eyes and threw himself forward. It was a single, long stride. He was light on his feet as he suddenly threw his weight back, coming off the top of a table Gabranth's grunt was perfectly timed as the front door barged open. Auric was hardly ill-prepared. For at the very moment that the first guard stepped through, his feet made full contact on his chest plate, barrelling his fellow Imperials as he was thrown back through the door. The room behind Auric flashed in bright yellow -- the metal veil blinding all foolish enough to have their eyes open.

It was the same method by which he'd grabbed the judge to begin with. He turned back, looking towards Gabranth -- giving it a good moment for it to sink in that this clearly wasn't his brother. It was an important step for them to realize that it wasn't him... before he tipped a crate and kicked it into the door frame, barring the only exit as he made short work of the scattered Imperials. To think that these troops were the finest stationed in Dalmasca... it mattered little. He'd brought down two Judge Magisters before with little ease -- what hope could did those of the rank and file possibly stand to one such as him?

"Brash. Feeble. Foolish." he sighed. Much can happen in a few spent seconds. "This is what your haste has wrought. Enjoy the fruits of your failures." he announced before turning to leave and getting lost in the crowd. The Judge Magister's armor would be found within should he care to search...

[Gabranth]

if you didn't care, what happened to me, and i didn't care for you
we would zig zag our way through the boredom and pain
occasionally glancing up through the rain
wondering which of the buggers to blame
and watching for pigs on the wing

Rage boiled up inside of Gabranth. This wasn't his brother. Any sense of mercy he had shown previously was all for some impostor, and somehow he was even worse then Basch himself. A blinding flash of light filled the room, forcing Gabranth to cover his eyes. He knew this is where the man would make his escape. As the flash ended, his eyes darted open in horror to see what laid before him. He was just in time to watch Auric make a fool of his own men by dancing through his ranks like no warrior he had seen before. He knew his captor would escape, there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Before Gabranth could even shout out any knew orders the man spoke, enjoy the fruits of your failures. The words would echo in his head for some time. He thought he was clever, smart enough to out wit his overly cautious. He was clearly wrong. But most importantly he was using the voice of his brother. He made a fool of him, and he would pay for it. "CHASE HIM!" Gabranth roared at his troops, who immediately dove into the crowd. Shoving peasant to peasant aside, looking for the masked man. The Judge Magister knew they would have little success, regardless of their own rank. So he moved his own efforts to search the room he was in. His crystal blue eyes carefully scanning the room.

There was none, the room was clean. Just like the man's escape, save for a single bag. The bag itself was made in Rabanastre, and common place among its house wives. Anyone could pick it up in the bustling market for only a scant piece of gil. The contents of the bag didn't surprise Gabranth, it was both his armor and blades. Now that his captor was done with them, why keep them? It was a easy way to dispose of his trash. But to Gabranth it was an insult, to throw back all that he loved after humilating him so. Was that their conversation? A simple ruse to kick the Judge while he was down?

"Sir, we could not find him. But we will continue searching." One of the soldiers said moments later, his hand raised in a salute. Gabranth rose, his weapons in his hands. "No, call the troops back. We shall find nothing but humility in searching for him now." The Judge Magister said, there was little chance in finding a man such as this in an area as crowded as Lowtown. It would be even worse to embarrass the army of Archadia. But that didn't mean he would give up on chasing the man. All he needed was information. A small little smile spread on Gabranth's face, and he knew just where to start.

[OCC :: Derp, quick post. If your done I'll PM a staffy to archive the thread.]

[Auric]

The crowd was cover, the mistake made was the aggressive searching of a man whose description had taken that of an anonymous form. The Archadians may have been overeager in wanting to find a single man who made mockery of their poorly executed ambush. It wasn't difficult to watch them individually comb through the crowd, splitting off from one another as more soldiers joined the search. Perched in the shadows on top of a stack of crates, sitting next to another streetear he placed a small pouch of gil in the man's hand and quietly thanked him as he stepped down and waited for another soldier to come their way. This soldier would be the one. Receiving a tip, he moved behind a small stack of crates to which Auric followed him into...

He'd become quite accustomed to mimicking the behavior of Imperial soldiers. Their military doctrine was easily learned and he and Faye both had been able to copy their disposition with relative ease before their trip into the Archadian capital. But where Gabranth was searching for a man who might move away in fear of capture, he was instead victim to one last insult. For the soldier that stood before him was Auric himself; saluting and giving his report. "Yes, Judge Magister. I will recall the search party right away." he acknowledged as he lowered his salute, turning about and finding the next man clad in armor to pass on the new instructions. It was all clicking into place... with the character of his former prisoner, he knew that Amalia might have new allies to support her cause. But that's not his motive... rather, it was to to protect the resistance; to put into play the very idea that it might have been someone else. That, and to guide the Judge Magister down a long road...

Where it stops? Well... that all depends, doesn't it?

-- Auric, out.