{PP-F1} Schemes Hidden Within Plans -Aereth and Myself-

[Domarus 0]

Domarus had recently found a way to put Aereth in a situation where he would inevitably need Domarus and the other Generals.  When he told Aereth about the group that had kidnapped Esther, he told him that he learned of a second group who were seeking out children and kidnapping them.  What they were doing to them Domarus had no clue but he told Aereth he was suspecting the worst.  And to Domarus great pleasure, the scout was filled with rage.  Now Aereth insisted they talk about the group on a deeper level.  This would be where influence would be vital.  Domarus led his scout general towards the general direction of his shop.  The shop was outside the town so that pkers had access to it, but also so that he didn't need to keep up his 'knight in shining armor' facade twenty four seven and have a little peace.  For while Domarus could easily work within chaos, he also needed some quiet from time to time for when he was making plans.  And he made plans often.  Now however he'd be planning with Aereth as well.  Keres wondered If Aereth had ever been to Domarus' shop before.  As they reached the shop Keres opened the door for the two men and closed it behind them.
     "Can I get you anything Aereth?  Drinks?  Snacks?"  
     "A bottle of whiskey for me Keres."  After hearing both players speak she bowed and made her way over to get the items ready.  Domarus gestured for Aereth to follow Domarus into his bedroom.  There was only one other player who saw the inside besides Keres and now Aereth would be the second player.  Inside his bedroom was a desk, bed, chair and window.  On the desk were loose pages with drawings, symbols and writing in greek.  Domarus enjoyed the Greek Alphabet and would sometimes use that for cryptic messages.  There were only two books on the shelf, one that seemed like a locked leather journal, and the second seemed like a book one would find in the real world.  Domarus pulled one of the chairs out and placed it opposite of the first chair, sitting down near his own bed, switching to casual clothing rather than the armor.  His clothes were a white shirt, black jacket and black pants.  He leaned back and crossed his legs, taking a relaxed position.
     "Alright then.  Shall we get started?"  

@Aereth

[Aereth 1]

To say Aereth was angry was an understatement. He just learned from Domarus that there was a branch of the guild that supplied the group of players who was capturing children for god knows what things. Unfortunately Aereth had once again to walk down to the first floor without the use of teleport gates, since his red cursor didn't allow him to enter the settlements with said teleport gates. 

When they finally reached Domarus' shop and Keres opened the door for them so that they could enter. The shop itself was quite neat looking. "Make it two. I think I'll need that if want to stay calm after the story..." he added after Domarus told her to get him a bottle of whiskey.

After that Domarus lead him to his bedroom. Nothing too fancy, but very practical. A bed, a working desk, a bookshelf and some chairs. Aereth took a seat opposite of Domarus and nodded to his question. "So tell me. What is actually going on with that group you told me earlier about?"

@Domarus

[Domarus 0]

Domarus listened to Aereth's straightforward answer and question.  The player was determined and he could see the tensity in every area of the man's posture.  His eyes especially cared for every small little detail.  Domarus could probably make stuff up and Aereth would believe them.  However even if he did make up information, he needed to make sure the information would be something that couldn't be proved false or else it would be clear he made it up.  Regardless, he had something locked away that would make this night very...  Interesting indeed.  He wanted to see how far Aereth would go for information so tonight doubled as a test of sorts.
    "I know of their existence, that they use the potions Mari had, and that they're kidnapping children.  For what reason I have no idea, all I know is that the children aren't seen again.  However unlike the first group, this one is completely made up of red players.  Save for one.  There is one player who remains green.  I suspect it is his job to collect the children.  However there are only so many children in sword art online, so I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if the children are all gone.  This does not mean of course that I wish for the children to vanish so that my curiosity is satisfied."  After saying this Keres walked in and opened her inventory, pulling out a small table and two large bottles of whiskey.  She bowed to them and walked out of the room.  Rhozarth flew in and landed on the desk, watching the two as he usually did.
     "I've heard three different names be used with their group so there's no way to tell which is their group's real name.  The group I helped take down was the black adder.  However I believe their group's name will be related to something involving deception.  Either that or their symbol.  Here, look at this."  He handed over a drawing of a hawk with a tail longer than most.  It's image was similar to a turkey vulture.  
     "You recognize this animal?"  Domarus had no doubt his scout would detect that the drawing was in fact a hawk not a vulture, but whether or not he'd figure out what the animal was called would be interesting to see.

@Aereth

[Aereth 1]

Aereth silently listened to Domarus' explanation of the situation of the whole matter. Even though he trusted the man, he would need to confirm every important information he would get from today. They were talking about the lives of others and Aereth wasn't stupid. Yes he may be filled with anger, but he wouldn't make rash decisions on such an important matter. "So they use the same way of luring out players as the group of the two guys I killed... But having only one green player doesn't make sense..." he thought. Aereth rose an eyebrow at the last comment about what would happen if all the children would be gone but choose to ignore it. Just then Keres walked in and placed a small table with two large whiskey bottles on the ground. "Thanks Keres." he said emotionless. After the maid left Aereth decided to share his thoughts on the matter with Domarus. "So correct me if I'm wrong but from what you told me, I assume this group is mainly operating on the first floor, since most of the kids stayed back there after the nightmare started." His gears were already working on a plan. It was clear who was the first target for this operation. If they really only had one green player in the guild, Aereth only needed to target this player to hinder them on getting more children as well as maybe luring them out... But before he would decide what to do he needed more information.

After that Domarus mentioned that he knew three names related to this group. The first one was the black adder. But instead of giving Aereth the second and third name as well he showed them a picture of a bird with a long tail. Aereth was by no means a bird expert, but he could definitely see that this was indeed a hawk. In Aincrad he was able to grab some books about birds, since he was naming all of his armor pieces after birds that shared some colors with said armor pieces. "I can't say it for sure but this looks a little bit like a hawk to me.... But the long tail is irritating me a little bit... What do you say to this?"

@Domarus

[Domarus 0]

Domarus began to pour some of the whiskey into his own glass as Aereth spoke his mind.  As he took the drink, his scout asked the obvious question.  Domarus laid down his drink, nodding to the player as he did so.  
     "Yes, that would be obvious to everyone.  However there is one thing that makes me most curious:  If the children start to disappear surely someone would have noticed.  Especially players who care for the children.  If so, why have they not said anything?  Surely not all of these people can be members of this guild, especially if the group is mainly made up of red players.  So what is keeping these players from informing other players?  Spreading the word?  Or even asking the front liners for help?  My guess would be either bribery or threats.  Even though this group acts by itself, I'm certain it can gain the help of other groups in the guild.  Black Adder was one such group but has been eliminated thanks to Mari's helpful information.  However there are many more groups in this guild.  So it could be possible that this guild can carry out their threats, even to players in the safe zone by gaining the assistance of another group.  However I currently hold no knowledge to these other groups."  Domarus took another drink as the player continued, moving on to the drawing of the bird.  When he shared his thoughts on the matter Domarus couldn't help but grin.
     "It isn't that well known of a bird I'll admit.  The hawk is called the zone tailed hawk.  It's appearance and tail gives it the illusion of appearing to be a turkey vulture, which are normally harmless to anything that isn't dead.  Thus animals that are normal prey for hawks are unaware of it and are snatched up just like that.  My guess is that this guild has no actual name, but rather uses this symbol.  It might also be possible that they use the word zone for some sort of significance, however that part is just a guess, no actual way of knowing."

@Aereth

[Aereth 1]

Aereth also poured some whiskey in the second glass on the table and took a sip form it. This whole matter was going much deeper than he had thought. "Well, right now there are two main things roaming in my head right now. First: You said they have only one green player who gets the children out of the safe zone. So that means that if we stop this one guy, the whole kidnapping group would stand still. And second: some players that have the trust of the children are helping the group from inside the safe zone... And I think this is where I need to start. Do you know of some kind of orphanages on the the first floor?" Aereth asked the red haired man and noticed that he still wore his battle gear. He swiftly opened his menu and changed in his casual clothes. A simple white shirt and some blue pants.

It made sense. Aereth was impressed that Domarus was able to find out what kind of bird this might be. "That would fit perfectly as a symbol of the group. But I have a big problem at the moment. You see that cursor. I can't just go into the town of beginnings to start gathering information about the whole matter. I can't even enter that goddamned city..."

@Domarus

[Domarus 0]

Domarus listened to Aereth speak all the way through.  He was missing two vital points but he'd wait till the player finished.  When he did he tapped his glass before drinking it.
     "I know of an orphanage, but before we get to that you are missing two important points:  The first is that if you remove this green player, I'm guessing he or she will be replaced by another player.  The second is this:  You need to think of the aftermath as well:  One of their groups has already been eliminated.  What would happen if a second group is destroyed as well?  At the very least they will grow suspicious and take precautionary measures.  However I suspect they'll be seeking out who's doing this.  Which of course means that they'll find me and Keres outside the safe zone, and you can't hide in the safe zone.  So we need to plan accordingly for this as well."  When Aereth said that he'd be doing it, Domarus showed annoyance outwardly, but on the inside he was very pleased with the player's thinking.
     "What's with this solo talk?  Why do you think I'm here Aereth?  I intend to assist you with this, not sit back and let you take on the entire group alone.  Even I had assistance."  He sighed as he stood up.  
     "Regardless, I have something that might work out for the both of us.  Keres!  Bring him over here."  Aereth, while waiting, could hear a door being uncovered, unlocked and then hear two pairs of footsteps approach.  Keres walked in along with a man.  The man's clothes were ragged as well as his hair.  He was very dirty and his hands were tied together.  He seemed rather scared.  Domarus returned his attention to Aereth.
     "Most of the information I've told you I figured it out.  However the original seeds of info I gained from him.  He was from the group I helped destroy:  The one that captured Esther.  I can't do anything painful to him to gain information since that counts as harming a player.  However seeing as how you're a red player that shouldn't be too hard.  If you need to," Domarus opened his menu but before he went any further the man fell to his knees.
     "NO!  DON'T TAKE IT OUT!  I-I know, I get it.  He can torture me with no further consequences!  I understand Doma-"  Domarus glared at the player who flinched.
     "Aaha, I mean, master.  I understand.  L-look, I'll tell you anything you want, I swear!"  The second part he said towards Aereth, his eyes pleading.  Domarus turned to Aereth.  
     "You're call on this one.  However I'd rather you not kill him.  I figured Vex could prove useful to me."

@Aereth

[Aereth 1]

"You are right there, I know that. But after collecting all information about group size and strength I need to start somewhere. So tell me what would you do? We need every information that we can get, and then start luring them out of their hole. And they won't come for you and Keres as long as you stay out of the matter. I don't want to put you two in danger." Aereth answered Domarus.

When Domarus told him how he would help him with the group, Aereth was slightly surprised but didn't even have time to respond, because Keres brought a very shabby looking guy into the room where Domarus and Aereth were talking. Aereth decided to took another sip from his whiskey while watching the whole scene unfold. 

When Domarus turned to him and told him how he shouldn't kill the man, Aereth simply chuckled, slowly walked over to Vex and bent down to the level of the man. "First of all... How did you end up getting here." he asked Vex, looking directly into the fear filled eyes of the man... Depending on his answer, Aereth would decide how to approach the 'interrogation'.

@Domarus

[Domarus 0]

Domarus watched as Aereth chuckled and then observed closely at how Aereth began his interrogation.  It seemed he wanted to see the reaction of the player and would then determine how to go about the investigation.  No doubt Vex' answer would draw out further rage from Aereth, seeing as how he probably already was disgusted with the man.  Or perhaps his lack of understanding as to the man's link to the group would give him some sort of mercy.  He was interested to see how this played out.  The man had flinched when Aereth stopped in front of him, then opened his eyes when Aereth spoke to him.  It was clear the man was filled with pure terror.  Domarus had ideas as to how this player could be of some use, but he needed to be whipped into shape first.
     "I-I...  W-w-well...  There's no point in hiding it since he could tell you everything anyways.....  Please forgive me, I-I was misguided please forgi"  
     "SHUT UP.  Enough excuses, just answer the d**n question."  The man flinched at his voice but nodded shakily.
     "S-sorry...  Master.....  It started when I met those players.  They asked me if I'd be interested in some entertainment in exchange for col.  I don't like talking about that scene but I swear I didn't hurt anyone.  Essentially they enjoyed the company of women.  Submissive women.  When I asked how they found them they told me that thanks to a player's help the group had a potion that made anyone submissive.  They said I'd get a girl of my very own if I earned it.  So I joined them....  A month after I joined is when.....  Is when master showed up...  That's how I got here."  The man was close to tears now, filled with pure terror that the red player in front of him would begin to torture him in some way, whether physical or mental.  Domarus sat there with a cold and emotionless gaze, watching to see how @Aereth would react to this.

[Aereth 1]

So much was going wrong in this world. But what was he expecting? This place was filled with about 10000 people at the beginning. No wonder that there would be much scum. To say Aereth was disgusted was an understatement.  The rage was indeed burning inside of him, but he choose not to show it to the man. At least he know how to start with the interrogation...

Aereth closed his eyes and slowly stood up again. He turned around to face Domarus again and with a small nod he signalized him to take out the potion. After Domarus would have taken out the potion from his inventory Aereth would slowly walk over to him and take it into his hand. With his other free hand, Aereth opened up his inventory, and took out a vanity dagger and a pair of hand wraps. Both items materialized in the hand and he slowly walked back to Vex, placing all of the items on the nearby table. After that he took the paper with the zone tailed hawk on it and lowered his body to face Vex once again. "Now I'll give you the rules of our little game here. I'll ask some questions and you answer them. You lie, I hurt you. You try anything stupid, I hurt you. Understood?" Aereth asked the man in his ever so calm and cold voice...

@Domarus

[Domarus 0]

The man watched as Aereth had nodded to Domarus.  He was nervous at first but when he saw Domarus nod back and open his inventory his eyes widened with absolute horror.  He gripped his chair tightly and shook violently with terror.  He knew what that potion was capable of.  
     "No..  No no...  NO!!!  NONONONONO!!!!!"  The man began to scream but stopped when Domarus began to get up.  After staring at the man he simply sat there shaking, barely composing himself.  Aereth pulled out his tools and asked the man his question.  The man was nothing besides horrified at the words.
     "T-the f**k would I lie for?!  I KNOW THERE'S..........  I-I know there's no way out of this at all, I know that.  Even if I managed to get out of here, where the hell would I go?  The Black Adder will find me, or find out about me at least, one way or another....  I'm in no position to make any sort of requests so....  Whether I like it or not."  He gave a terrified glance at Domarus, who stared back with surprisingly cold eyes.
     "I have no choice but to do whatever you ask of me......  I-I don't know much about any group outside the one the master helped destroy, but I will tell you everything I do know, as well as do my best as to helping you figure out what they would do......."  Domarus watched as the man fell silent after his little 'speech'.  It was clear he was submitting utterly and totally to Aereth and clearly hoping that the player chose not to torture him, but rather would accept his submissive action and listen to him.  Domarus' cold gaze did not cease of course.  He disliked the man not because of his deeds.  He could care less about that, he hadn't actually done something as of yet.  But his group had kidnapped Esther and thus he hated those responsible, and disliked all the others.

@Aereth

[Aereth 1]

From the mans reaction to Aereth's preperations, he could clearly see that the man was already broken beyond repair. He wouldn't need to torture Vex physically in order to get all the information he needed. But he wouldn't let the man know that he was opting not to torture him...

Aereth rose an eyebrow at the small monologue of Vex. "I need your help, my friend. You see, I have some trouble with understanding everything you just said. Would you mind explaining to me how the Black Adder will find you if this guy..." he pointed in Domarus' direction "... and his party destroyed this particular group? " Aereth could think about the answer himself. Most probably the whole group hadn't been destroyed by Domarus and his party, but he wanted to hear it from Vex.

Vex would have given his answer he showed him the drawing of the hawk and asked. "What do you know about this symbol?" At first he would ask some question to which he would already know the answer in order to see if the man would be lying to him...

@Domarus

[Domarus 0]

The man stared as Aereth raised an eyebrow and asked for Vex to clarify the part about the Black Adder finding him.  The man shook his head, tears still in his eyes.
     "Y-you seem to have misunderstood me, no wait, I didn't clarify it was my fault...  If you let me go they will find out about me, find out that I'm still alive, and bring me in, torture me, and kill me.  Now I understand that you two could most likely do worse to me than they can, but I doubt even you two are that heartless.  Whereas I had betrayed information that ended with one of the group's destruction...  I'm a traitor in their eyes.  I want nothing to do with them, or their goals.  I was stupid to want something like that."  While it was clear he was beginning to compose himself in his voice, his eyes and body showed that he was still clearly fearful for his life.  His body shook and tears dripped steadily down his face.  
     "As for how the guild will find me, they have eyes and ears.  Every organization does.  While they may not have many, they know what to ask, and what to listen for.  If a player spots another one there's a very high chance they will tell someone about it....  Especially if that person had been bribed to share information like that."  The man flinched when Aereth pulled something out, but then sighed when it was just a piece of paper.  He looked at the symbol and nodded, a little nervous.
     "Th-that's the symbol of another group.  I saw it when they gave me the general idea of how big this guild was.  They kidnapped children from the safe zones but I don't know how or why.  All I know is that my group said that if I met one of them that I shouldn't listen to them.  That's all I know about them I swear!"

@Aereth

[Aereth 1]

Aereth listened once again very closely to what Vex was telling him. It really seemed, like Aereth misunderstood some things about the whole matter. "I see. Now I understand completely." He told the man in an indifferent voice. It was clearly visible that he man was still filled with fear, but Aereth was pleased with the fact that Vex was finally beginning to compose himself. What he said afterwards confirmed what Domarus and Aereth were thinking earlier. They must have hidden players inside the safe zones. Aereth sighed. "Can you tell me anything about those 'eyes' and 'ears' you just talked about? Or some kind of contact persons of that guild?" He asked Vex, while he walked over to the table, picking up the dagger, playing with it while listening to the answer of his question.

When he mentioned that this sign belonged to another group of the guild, and that his group told him not to listen to this other group, Aereth once again rose an eyebrow and stopped playing with his dagger. "Two more questions. You mentioned that you only know about this particular group because they wanted to show you how big the whole guild is. So tell me... How big is it? And the second question: Why did they tell you not to listen to them?" Aereth asked, while slowly walking back to Vex with the dagger in his left hand.

@Domarus

[Domarus 0]

Vex relaxed a little when Aereth mentioned that he understood.  The tone the player said gave Vex the feeling the player really did, and didn't intend to harm him in any way.  Vex had no clue what to do or where to move on to besides doing what he was told.  Who knows how long the two would hold him captive.  And even if he was released he had nowhere else to go until the black adder was eradicated.  Even if he was somehow able to avoid them, what on earth would he do?  Then the player asked another question and Vex began to answer, his voice a little shaky at first from seeing Aereth mess with the dagger.
     "M-most of them are just, players or specific npcs that were bribed.  Nothing much more than that.  There could be players from the guild assisting but if there are then they will probably have maxed out stealth and have high damage before getting to work.  Most likely they'll have paralysis poison on their blades, so even if they were in the safe zones they could paralyze you.  These guys are experts after all."  Hoping this answer was satisfactory he became silent again.  The part about the players he was still uncertain about.  It was true that there may have been players like that acting as eyes and ears but there was also the chance there might not be.  Then Aereth stopped playing with the dagger, which somehow frightened the man more than when he was, and asked another two questions.
     "I-I'm not entirely sure how big the guild is.  I was shown info on our guild and the symbol from the one you're interested in now.  From what they told me I'm g-guessing maybe five, six groups in the guild?  Each with different task and skill sets.  I don't know exactly how many.  And I asked that same question to them but all they would tell me was this:  'While we're better at potions, they're better with words.  That's all you need to know.'  After that he avoided the subject.  I'm guessing they stay out of contact but why I'm not sure."  If Vex was honest with himself he was secretly hoping that this player might help make life better for Vex.  While many would hate or disagree with him, he felt he was just another victim.  However he knew he could never get his life back.  Maybe he could start anew if given the chance.  Domarus took another drink of whiskey, getting rather bored.

@Aereth

[Aereth 1]

"So, about five or six groups..." Aereth thought now turning to Domarus. "The group you and your allies took down, how many players were in it? And how hard was it to get them down?" He asked the bored red head. Aereth wanted to get an overview over the whole group as it was right now. Even if the overview might be incorrect because of differences in the groups, it was better than nothing. 

Turning back to Vex, Aereth stored the dagger back into his inventory. He looked in the eyes of the man kneeling in front of him. His eyes showed fear, despair and maybe... regret. With another few movements of his hand, Aereth's sword, the Sin of Valor, materialized in his right hand. He gripped the hilt of the sword with his left, and slowly started to pull the blade out of its sheath. Aereth sighed and closed his eyes. "Well it seems like I've asked all the questions for now..." he said and rose his blade which started to glow in a dark blue color, indicating that he was charging up a sword art. After another moment of silence, Aereth vanished, and the sound of the blade cutting through the air could be heard. 

Suddenly Aereth was standing behind Vex, the blade resting on his shoulder guard, and the ropes the restricted the movements of Vex scattered into tiny little polygons. "I'd like to borrow him for something I have in mind. And I hope you are ok with it, @Domarus. I promise you that nobody, besides me, will take the life of this guy. And I will only do it if he tries to do something stupid, and if I got the ok from you. He's your hostage after all."

[Domarus 0]

The man sighed with relief as Aereth had switched his attention back to Domarus.  Vex was very tense and nervous about this entire situation and hoped that either of them would show some mercy and spare him, maybe even help him get on his feet.  It was a longshot, sure, but he still had hope.  Domarus turned to Aereth, listening to his words.
     "Hmm.  Besides Vex here, I think there was five in total.  They were fairly strong, more about strength than numbers, which made me wonder why they bothered with Vex.  I sometimes wonder if their group was the least important."  Then Aereth put his knife away and replaced it with a sword.  Domarus' eyes narrowed, watching carefully on every little detail.  Vex of course, widened his eyes in horror at what he was seeing before him.  When Aereth prepared to swing Vex gulped and closed his eyes, silently praying that he would be spared.  When the sword lashed down Vex didn't flinch.  He slowly opened his eyes and saw that his health was still at maximum and noticed that his bonds were cut loose.  Upon Aereth's request Domarus frowned.
     "That would depend on what it is you wish to use him for Aereth.  I don't want him killed or harmed.  And I plan to make him a servant instead of a hostage soon enough.  Vex, as long as his use for you is reasonable, you follow his instructions to the letter."  Vex nodded to Domarus.  He wasn't sure what Aereth was like on a normal basis, but perhaps he would be a better master than Domarus was.

@Aereth

[Aereth 1]

Aereth frowned slightly when Domarus mentioned that the group he and his party took down was probably the weakest or least important one. "Seems like I have quite a task ahead of me..." he thought and gave a small nod to Domarus.

After his little stunt, Domarus told Aereth that he was only allowed to use Vex if he could ensure him that Vex wouldn't be harmed or killed in the process. "I can ensure you that I will look after him and that nobody will harm him. But I'd like to discuss the full plan with you in private. Vex! Pack your things, if you have any, and wait for me until I'm finished here. And don't forget, as long as you are under my protection nothing will happen to you, but I swear to god, if you try to escape now I'll hunt you down until I find you, and after that things will get ugly." With a swipe of his hand, Aereth opened his menu and sent Vex a party invitation. After Vex pressed the accept button, Aereth turned to Keres. "Keres, would you be so kind as to bring him out of the room for now, please?" He then waited until Keres brought Vex out of the room and slowly walked back to Domarus, storing his weapons back into his inventory and handing the potion back to Domarus. "Now to the plan... I intend to use him in order to lure out some of the members of the group that we just talked about. I'll send him into the Town of Beginnings. When they see him and notice who he is, they'll most probably start following him. After that he'll lure them out of the safe zone where I'll be waiting for him and them. But don't worry. He will never be in danger. Before we start the operation, I'll give him an instant teleport crystal to my shop, where he will be safe." Aereth sat down and emptied the glass of whiskey, before refilling it. "Vex will be safe, and I'll have some subjects in order to gather more information about the group..."

@Domarus

[Domarus 0]

Vex listened to Aereth and was confused as to why Aereth didn't believe Vex when he said he had no reason to betray them.  Although he supposed he would just need to gain the player's trust.  He nodded slowly after Aereth finished.  
     "I have nothing since Domarus defeated me.  Not even a weapon.  And I won't run.  I know how futile it is."  Domarus watched this go on and watched as Aereth turned to Keres and asked her to take Vex out.  She smirked at Aereth.
     "You should be a little more commanding to a servant dear.  Come on Vex, we should get you dressed up for your master's assignment."  As she led him away, Domarus thought for a moment about what Keres just said.  If this assignment went well, then Vex might become Aereth's servant.  Domarus was thinking about what need he would have of the player and while he might need him after he rose to power, he had no use of him currently.  So he believed Aereth could use him as his own personal servant until then.  It was up to the player of course.  He listened to Aereth's plans carefully and it seemed he was putting himself on a high pedestal.  From what his plans stated, it seemed he believed he could take these intelligent men off guard and that the edge would guarantee his victory over these men.  Even if he could, there was no way of knowing if these players would talk, even under torture.  And when the group discovers their absence, they'll come after Aereth.  Unless of course his goal wasn't to capture these men.  He folded his hands.
     "And how exactly do you intend to gain intel from them?  Follow them?  Capture and interrogate them?  And what makes you think you're capable of taking on these players?  We know nothing of how strong they are or how many of them there truly are.  You have little to no valuable intel in this matter.  If you be patient, then we can thoroughly prepare before hand."  Domarus was hoping with all his might that Aereth would choose to ignore the wise option of patience and proper preparations.  It would give Domarus the ideal scenario to officially bring the generals together once and for all.

@Aereth

[Aereth 1]

Aereth nodded at Vex' comment about how he didn't have anything to pack and rolled his eyes at Keres' comment about him being Aereth's servant. This guy was a mere hostage, and as soon as he outlived his usefulness Aereth had no intentions in keeping him around. He would either let him free or return him to Domarus. But that wasn't something that needed to be discussed right now. 

Domarus had a point, but Aereth was confident in his skills and even more confident in his ability to analyze situations and create proper plans for those situations. "Well, you see... This here.." he pointed at his cursor. "...prevents me from gathering intel inside of safe zones, so I need to lure them out of their hiding spots in order to pin them down and start my information gathering there. We need to start somewhere. Or do you have a better idea? What would waiting do for us? We have no starting point, Vex knows almost nothing about them.  And I'm not stupid." he said opening his inventory and spawning several crystals and potions. "If the situation gets too dangerous I'll just get my a** out of the situation with either teleport crystals or antidote potions. And I don't intend to capture them alive. I will kill each and every one of them until only one more man is left. And belief me, after a fight where its kill or be killed most men or women will talk. Let's just say I've got some experience in this regard. And if not... Well, dead men tell no tales." 

@Domarus