A young, perhaps in his mid-twenties, beige furred with rather large brown stripes cat sat at a large desk littered with books. His tail swayed leisurely behind him, striped to the tip like a tiger's. His brown hair was pushed back, a few strands on the side falling over his forehead, long pointed brown ears like a lynx sticking up out of it. He was rather proud of them, keeping his ears and fur well groomed and cleanly. On the tip of his nose were reading glasses on a gold chain around his neck, a gift he holds quite close to him. He would have rather slept with them on if not for the possibility of breaking his glasses.

Behind him were large bookcases reaching the ceiling all around the room, crammed with books and piles of papers not yet bound. The cat would have well preferred to keep this "little" library clean, but helpless stacks of books and papers were scattered around the shelves and his desk. He called them poor homeless buggers, not having the heart to put them outside the room in fear they may be forgotten or misplaced by others inside the large mansion. This was his office and the mansion's library. Infact, it was considered the city of Vidalie's library. No where else were there more well kept and recorded books. It was the cat's little heaven.

He hummed a cheery tune as he scribbled notes inside a large book, a little smile kept on his face before reaching to his little cup of tea. After a small sip, he heard a little bell sound from the ceiling. He looked up to it curiously before a broad smile appeared, hurriedly collecting a writing utensil and a small book for note taking under his arm. That bell was used for two purposes. To indicate the return of the master of the mansion or to be called by him. He found pleasure in his job as a personal assistant to one of Vidalie's most powerful man. Financially and for...other reasons, of course.

Descending the stairs, the cat turned the corner with a cheerful expression as he entered the main hall with a broad smile. "Welcome home, Ma-ahh-AH!" He ended in a surprised yelp, dropping his notebook and pen to move his hands near his mouth as he stared horrifyingly at the man who closed the door behind himself with a very...very glum, if not angered expression.

The cat examined Aetherius Scarlatto, his clothes dirtied and torn in some areas, blood seen at his neck and if closely, matted his fine black hair in the back. He stood erect, but it was clearly seen that Aeth was exhausted from his travels, taken in haste.

Loki, the cat's name, ran up to Aeth with his hands still near his face, frightened to touch him. "Yo-Your Grace! What happened?!" he exclaimed, almost brought to tears to see his beloved master in such form. Loki had never seen Aeth so tattered before, perhaps a scratch or two, but not this! Suddenly Loki's features strained, becoming angered as he balled his fists. "This is unacceptable! Who would dare harm Sir Scarlatto?!" He turned around, gritting his teeth in vengefully, black eyes glinting in a scheming nature. "Why I--I'll throw the books at them! A hundred roubles for every strand of fur they dirtied with their filthy hands!"

"...Loki..."

"They won't know what hit them! They'll beg for mercy for ruining a distinguished man of stature and respect! How could they do this?! Is everyone blind?!" He shouted, throwing his hands into the air. "I simply cannot accept this! The brutes that litter this world to harm my master!! They should all pay for their--!!"

"Loki. You're thinking out loud again."

Suddenly, after hearing Aeth's voice, Loki turned around quickly with a mad blush, holding a hand to his mouth in embarrassment, his glasses askew on the brim of his nose. "Oh! Dear me! Was I? You must pardon me, sir. I just couldn't stand the idea of...of..."

" 'The brutes that litter this world to harm me'?" Aeth repeated with an upturned brow.

"Yes! Exactly!" Loki smiled, pointing up a finger as though he had just heard the description and found it brilliant.

With a tired sigh, Aeth began to walk towards a maid who was waiting across the room with a worried expression, a handful of towels ready in her arms. Loki hurried to follow after dashing to retrieve his notepad and pen on the ground, following Aeth to the lounge room.

After Aeth settled into a leather chair, the maid promptly tending to the wound on the back of his head with a dampened cloth. Loki sat beside facing him with his book and pen at the ready after fixing his glasses on his maw.

"So, master. Wha--"

"What do you know about the Swords of Chaos?" Aeth interrupted, an elbow set on the chair's arm, fingers holding the side of his cheek thoughtfully.

"Er--Well, not very recent information, I'm afraid." Loki replied, setting his notebook down on his lap to tap the tips of his index fingers together. It helped him think. "Why, the organization or army known as the Swords of Chaos, previously led by a deceased Sir Kelico Pardia, had dissolved near the time of his death at least 15 or so years ago."

Aeth closed his eyes coolly, "And what of it's successor?"

Loki jumped a bit in sudden recollection, "Ah! That's right! Please excuse me, your lordship, my studies have been on the war as of late. But, yes. The Swords of Chaos follow a family orientated succession. The leader now is..." Loki paused in thought. "...A Lord Zael..."

"No last name?"

"I've heard rumors he refuses to say."

"Strange. You would assume there would be question whether he were a relative to Sir Pardia."

"Quite right, sir."

Aeth frowned as he opened his eyes thoughtfully. Why would Zael want Vincent? Actually, the description those soldiers gave were green and red eyes...they were looking for Vincent's son. But why?

"May I ask why you are asking about them?" Loki asked politely, smiling gently.

"They were the ones who trespassed into my quarters and dirtied my clothes." Aeth replied, a hand holding his tattered jacket, examining the damage leisurely.

"Those fiends!!" Loki shouted, standing up suddenly, startling the maid as his book fell to the ground.

Aeth seemed unfazed, "Mind your tone, Loki." he muttered, the maid glaring at Loki with her hands on her hips.

Again, Loki blushed, sitting back down with lowered ears, especially to the glare from Miss Dollet. "Please excuse me."

"Yes. But any information of their location would assist me."

Loki straightened his back at the word 'assist', but later his features began to worry. "L-Location?" He laughed quietly, looking away innocently as though he didn't know what Aeth wanted it for. "Haha...whatever for?"

Miss Dollet finished tending Aeth's wound, pleased he didn't require a wrap. She quickly left to fetch fresh clothes in his quarters. Aeth thanked her before she left, standing from his chair as she exited, fixing the cuff of his jacket.

"I expect to be paid in full for the trouble they had caused me. They had also stolen from me." Aeth answered Loki, beginning to walk out of the lounge and into the main hall. Loki hurried to follow after. He knew where this was going.

"But, forgive me saying, my Lord, the Swords of Chaos are heavily guarded!"

"Perhaps you have a print of their mansion for me to follow." Aeth joked with a smirk, walking up the stairs towards his quarters.

"Well...actually yes, I do." Loki thought for a moment before shaking it out of his head. "No, no! What am I doing?! This is insane!"

"Doubt my abilities, Loki?" Aeth smiled as he walked into his room, large and adorned with royalties and expensive furniture. Aeth never gave them a second glance. He walked to the dressing screen where already set clothes awaited him. Miss Dollet had already foreseen Aeth's intentions and had laid out an arrangement of Aeth's preferred "working gear" out for him. Aeth had always thought of her as a splendid woman.

Loki stood outside of the screen as Aeth began to change, turning his back for good measure as he spoke. "How could you ask me that?!" he exclaimed in agony, biting his bottom lip, "I am only concerned of the odds! There must be hundreds of soldiers lurking in that filthy fortress!" Loki was sure to punctuate the insult, the new word to describe the Swords of Chaos in his vocabulary.

"I'm beginning to believe that you do doubt me, Loki. Have you forgotten Lord Barrons already?" Aeth remarked behind the screen.

"Er...I must admit I have..." Loki said, staring a bit as he recalled that event. Lord Barrons was a rather...unfit man for the political field and there was a hire to 'rid of him' from the senate chair. Lord Barrons was also a greedy man who had many guarding his mansion. After Mr. Scarlatto accepted the job, no one heard a thing...and no one tried asking.

He shook the memory out of his mind as Aeth stepped out from behind the screen, garnished from head to toe in black, knee high boots holding his slacks tightly with a belt with empty slots around his waist, a long sleeved shirt with black and gold bracers on his forearms. Aeth walked to a large cabinet, opening both doors to reveal his choice weapons covering every inch of the walls. He began placing weapons on his belt, pouching small balls with fuses and his set of lock picks.

Seeing how Aeth refused to listen to his warnings, Loki resorted to begging. "Oh, please, master! Please don't go there!! You haven't even eaten yet! It's hundreds against one!" he cried, following behind Aeth steadily as he passed by Loki, walking towards the cat's study. Aeth glanced around the mess of papers before he turned towards Loki. The cat pressured himself to walk to a specific shelf, pulling out a scroll of an old print of the Sword of Chaos' mansion. "You'll get mauled! Those monsters have no sense of honor!--" he kept talking as he handed Aeth the scroll before they both began to walk down the steps heading towards the main hall where Miss Dollet was waiting at the door with a pleasant smile, holding a package in her arm and a black coat in the other.

Loki followed behind Aeth continuing to beg him to stay, but it fell on deaf ears as Aeth took the coat gladly from the maid and put it on, taking the package of food she had prepared gratefully.

"Thank you, Miss Dollet." Aeth said charmingly as she bowed with a courtesy in respect.

"Do be careful, your Grace." She answered.

"--and they have Rhino guards! I heard that! I heard they have Rhino guards! What can you do against Rhino guards?!--" Loki stood next to Miss Dollet as he continued to exclaim in his litany of reasons. Aeth kept his attention to Miss Dollet.

"Be sure to inform the others of where I've gone. You understand. I expect to return within the week." Aeth informed.

"Of course, sir."

"--they're crazy! Mad! Insane! They'll treat you so poorly! Armed with hundreds of silver swords and I heard they have these things that explode! Some new invention called fire powder from the East! You don't know what that can do! They--"

Aeth turned as he opened the door. "Goodbye then."

"Farewell, my Lord."

Loki stopped as Aeth began stepping out. "Goodbye, your Grace."

The door shut quietly, leaving the two of them standing looking after their master. Suddenly Loki broke into a cry, lowering his glasses as his other hand pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, using it to dab his eye.

Miss Dollet looked at him in shock, "Why, dear! What's the matter?"

"Master's gonna die!!" Loki wailed.