His time spent in Greenie Pass had been rather pleasant, and eventful. He encountered a new comrade in the Revolutionary Army and got a show in the process. He had been holding up in one of the nearby villages, building a rapport with the locals, though pure intentions guided these interactions there was something a bit more tangible for him to gain from it. Information was one of the most valuable resources around, and they were chalk full of it. Considering the new mission he and Odin were about to partake in, they would need all the dirt on Lulusia Kingdom they could find.

"Where to begin?" He would ponder aloud as he sat in one of the local bars. Still very sober, his drinking was more for show than pleasure, blending in with the reverie of drunks that had come to enjoy his company. They would sing the merriest of bar songs and tell tall tales, much the same as most rowdy bar patrons. The difference were their tall tales held a little more weight than most. Many of the patrons there were former members of numerous guilds located in the Common Grounds of Lulusia Kingdom, a few drinks would certainly loosen their lips enough to speak of their glories days.

Or maybe even the inglorious ones.

"Another round on me!" His bold statement met with rousing applause and appreciation, chants of his name filling the inebriated air. It was an especially lively day in the cozy pub. They would continue to drink heartily, their connection to clarity slipping away with every gulp. Exactly what Judan wanted. 

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Drunker slurs and half remembered truths would fill the lively pub. Many of the patrons not being able to control their own inhibitions, they partook in round after round of frothy libations, no healthy respect for consequences shared among them. Meanwhile, amidst the chaos stood Judan, unimpaired and focus. His motivations drove him to more responsible decisions, faking his involvement in the collective drunkenness as he enacted his schemes.  

"I bet drinking wasn't this fun in the Common Grounds with the nobles messing up everything!" A belch escaping behind his statement as he broke into slurred laughter. His declaration met with the clanging of cups and various agreements expressed in similar fashions. There was clearly no love lost between the village's inhabitants and the residents of the Emerald District. , though even their distaste for the silver spooned nobles couldn't cease their fun.

Judan would align himself with a small group of people, all of varying genders of sizes, all equally drunk. He would come to find out they were all previous members of various guilds throughout the Common Grounds, escaping to Greenie Pass to remove themselves from the growing discourse that plagued their previous home. The emotional pull of the situation still present within them as patches of somberness engulfed them throughout the lengthy conversation they shared with the young hybrid.

"They took so much away from us. Friends, family, business. They took it without a second thought, even the innocent." Pain heavy in her voice as the memories vividly played in her mind.

The scars of their time spent in the Common Grounds were still very fresh, tension fighting the air sullied with drunken stupor. Judan would take a momen to himself as he sat, his eyes once again scanning the people that shared the space with him, cataloging the varying faces and expressions, all sharing a visage of despair hidden behind forced masks of happiness and jubilant times. These people were broken, their lives torn asunder by the misgivings and unconcern of those seen as above them, solely as a result of fortune and lineage.

It was infuriating to him. Though he'd maintain his cover, easing his way through the minefield of feelings and privacy, searching for answers and leads.

"What happened to you all?" The only question he could muster without forcing them into an uneasy capacity, hoping that his attempt at understanding would unlock the doors guarding the history of the Common Grounds.

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Though still guarded in their tales, the inhabitants of the bar still revealed useful information to the young man. They would inform him of certain people still in the capable that have a bit more of a rebellious nature to them than they initially let on. They also pointed him in the direction of certain guilds that might have more knowledge on the current standings of the Common Grounds and its relationship with the Emerald District. Though the most pertinent piece of intel was much closer than either location of mention, and spoke of much more highly than either. It was a home belonging to a single woman, far off into the woods of Greenie Pass. Little was revealed about her except for her name and a single statement meant to entice him.

"Lady Emri will have all the answers you want, and the ways to get them. It won't be easy though." Hiccups following behind the cryptic notice as they all reengaged in their drunken festivities.

Lady Emri, he had never heard the name before, she was entirely a mystery. Needless to say his interest was piqued as he began his trek through the dense forest that overpowered the coastline of Lulusia Kingdom. He was told of a path that would reveal himself as he headed deeper into the forest, north from the village. The dense foliage would twist and turn the further he reached inside its clutches, the feeling of safety and control dissipating with every step. Something was definitely wrong, he was no longer alone, it didn't take any special gifts to figure that out.

Though they certainly helped.

"How long you gonna hide out?" He'd speak clearly, no hesitation in his voice. While they put in effort to visually conceal themselves, they couldn't hide their scent, not from the beast within him. It was amusing for the predator to be treated as prey, it was a shift he hadn't felt in quite some time. Had the villagers tricked him, sending him to his death like they had sent numerous others? Or were they working indepdently?

This island just seemed to be chalked full of surprises, and he would peel each of them back, layer by layer.

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