[Andromeda]

Jeuno - Horwen-Morwen – With Qeromna still sleeping off her experiences with the strange statues, Terin stayed behind while I journeyed back to Jeuno. We needed to know more about the statues before we proceeded further. The adventurers we metaru had provided us with a great amountaru of information, but I needed to verify it. So I knew Jeuno would be where I needed to investigate next-wext.


The three nations were gathered together in the Duchy meeting every day according to the press releases they have been giving out to the local papers-wapers. They had nothing further-wurther to report on the statues other than that their investigation is still on going. However, I had my suspicions that they knew more than they were letting on. While the adventurers were bold and curious, the leaders of the nations could not be so slow or ignorant to not have figured them out already.


When I arrived in Port Jeuno from the Bastok Airship, I headed straightaru for the stairs to Ru’Lude Gardens where the conference was being held. The square was less packed than usual, but the Jeuno Knights were stationed everywhere watching the movements of anyone that when near the Grand Duke Palace. They were refusing entrance for anyone that wanted to go through, disappointing some that had come to spar with Maat. However, I was not about to let that stop-wop me.


I ran off for the auction house and to the stairs where I could hide myself from the guards that patrolled. I caughtaru the eye of a mithra was the making deliveries for an adventurer, but waited it out until she walked away. Once the area was clear I stepped under the stairs and raised up my Utsusemi summoning shadow clones of myself to throw off any possible pursuers and then I used my Tonko Ninjutsu with Monomi to make myself almost completely invisible to anyone.


Now prepared, I rushed by the guards that did not even give me a second look as I breached the inner halls of the audience and conference wing of the Palace. Unfortunately, they had been keeping the location of the conference a secret-wecret to protectaru the representatives forcing me to search out the rooms. I spentaru two hours sneaking and waiting on the maids to make their rounds so that I could search without alerting anyone. If I made so much as a noise it would alert the guards and I would be thrown into the dungeon so fastaru. The tension was making me sweataru as I slowly marked off the rooms that the conference was not in.


Finally, I got a break-wreak with a butler being fresh water to the representatives. Before I even entered the room I heard a bone-chilling laugh that anyone from Windurst would recognize making them freeze up in an instantaru. It went “O-hohohohohoho!” and I knew the momentaru I stepped in how dangerous my situation had become. There sitting across from the renown Engineer Cid and Prince Trion was Shantotto holding her hand up to her mouth releasing the most frightening laugh I’ve ever heard. I’ve head rumors that say she can just look at a person and curse them on the stop. The sightaru of her made my legs shake-wake as I nearly gave myself away when the door closed behind me leaving me inside with the representatives.


The air in the room was tightaru and hotaru as I could see tempers being strained at the table-wable. Before I caused any trouble for myself I quickly made myself a seat in the corner to listen in on the meeting. Cid was addressing the group once Shantotto was quietaru again. He reported on what his team’s findings were from the recent expedition to the statues. He seemed to be at a loss for what the material of the statues were.


Shantotto spoke up again commenting on Cid’s team failure. “We already know all of this. Repeatedly testing it is not going anywhere. We need to send teams back into the plane between the times.”


I was at a loss to what she was talking about, but her words made it clear to me at that momentaru that they knew how to use the statues like the adventurers. They were hiding this information from the public.


Prince Trion leaned in looking tired and spoke to the both of them. “We know that these statues some how connect through time to twenty years ago during the Crystal War. But still don’t know Altana’s purpose for doing this. We can’t be willing to trust this Cait Sith’s riddles. I don’t believe staying in the in-between space is advised until we understand the motives of this cat.”


“Are the Elvaan afraid of the unknown,” Shantotto spoke up looking like she was baiting the Prince into taking her side. The poke to his pride seemed to ruffle his feathers as he glared back at Shantotto. I had never seen someone stand up to her before and not be instantly turned into a frog.


However, before anyone could say anything further she suddenly turned to the corner of the room that I was sitting in looking straight at me. “You hear enough?” she said to me as I fumbled my pad of paper-waper. Everyone stood up alerted and called for the guards at the door. On instinctaru I threw out a Sairui tool creating a large cloud of smoke that blinded everyone in the room allowing me to reach the door before I heard Shantotto startaru to cast a spell. Thankfully, my clone took the hit for me as I burst into the hallway staring down three guards running to the door.


My size worked for me allowing me to weave through their legs and escape them without anything more than my ability to evade their wide swings. I made it to a dead end of the hall hearing the echoes of boots coming towards me, but I had come prepared for this. My hand was already holding on to a warp scroll that I raised up towards the ceiling as I chanted the simple verse. The time it took seemed like forever as the guards came charging around the corner just as the vortex took me away.


I finish this report from the dark alleys of Lower Jeuno fearing for my life as the entire city is on high alert looking for me. I pray that this gets to the paper before my life is extinguished.



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Editor’s Note: Horwen-Morwen was caughtaru shortly after sending the report by Jeuno Knights and is being held in the dungeon-wungeon where he is unable to move or speak due to a curse that was mysteriously placed on him. He is remaining in the custody of the Duchy until the curse is broken-wroken or wears off.