The Dark Side of Ambition (Raine)

[Altair Eleison]

I sighed, laying on the bed, shackles around my arms. Typical. Just typical. I had to have been recognized now. Luckily, it had been while Raine was distracted by the bulletin board, at the town entrace. I had taken just a few steps away and was instantly arrested. Something definitely was amiss here though. There was no warning, and they didn't even tell me the charges. I was just shackled and brought here.

And I had never been here before. I sighed, sitting up and keeping my shackled arms in front of me, as I walked over to the iron bars, that looked outside to see the busy port town of Riri bustling about while I was behind these wretched walls. I wonder how Raine was doing, now, clearly she had to notice that I was gone. I sighed again turning and sitting back on the bed, trying to slide my left hand out. I was weaponless, and bound.

And again, what was the reason?

I was definitely confused on the cause of this, as I'm sure I would've been anywhere but Tully. I had committed crimes. Just not here...

Damn, I hoped Raine would come soon. Something was very wrong here...

[Raine Fleur]

Standing outside of the building that withheld criminals, Raine narrowed her eyes at the solider which guarded the entrance.

Something was definately not right in this town. Although it seemed to be pleasant enough, Raine felt the peaceful atmosphere was only a facade to the truth.

And how did she end up here? Upon entering the port city with Altair, Raine wandered over to the bulliten board in hopes of finding some information that could be useful. The next thing she knew, Altair had disappeared completely. At first, it didn't alarm her since she knew that it was a habit of Altair's to explore new places. However, once she overhead a rumor that the soliders had 'captured' the man in the wanted posters, Raine begun to have a sick feeling in her stomach and decided to investiagate.

Somehow Raine had the feeling that Altair was involved and most likely mistaken for being her brother. It didn't make sense; especially since Altair looked nothing like him.

Approaching the guard, Raine cleared her voice. "I have reason to believe you have mistaken my friend for being the criminal in the wanted posters, sir."

"Do you really expect me to believe such things? Do you even have evidence that supports your theory?"

Raine held up a wanted poster that she had ripped off the bulliten board from earlier. "Last time I checked, the man in the wanted poster doesn't have long purple hair."

The guard shifted uncomfortably. "Ma'am, I believe it is in your best interest to leave this place."

As if Raine would simply walk away from this.

"And I believe it is in your best interest to release my friend."

[Altair Eleison]

I sighed, struggling against my chains and heard a guard slam his staff against the wall. "Quiet down in there." I grinned, leaning my head back and looking at the wall, talking through it.

"Oh, what are you going to do? Come in here and beat me around for not listening? I'm already a prisoner. There's not much worse you can do, but lose freedom!" He slammed it against the wall again, as if showing his authority.

"You don't want me to come in there do you?" I smirked, feeling I was getting somewhere.

"Oh, no. I certainly don't want your ugly ass in here." I heard the clank of metal armor, as the guard ran through the hall and opened the door, his staff pointed at me. Clearly he was angry, that I had insulted him. He thrust the staff at me, and I dodged it, kicking off the ground and to the side. He swung it, to hit me, and I stopped it with my shackles, grinning.

"You're clearly not very intelligent." I turned on my right heel and jabbed my left foot into his side, slamming him against the bed and ran out of the cell, closing and locking it, while he lay dazed on the ground. I removed the keys and opened of the wrist parts, with the second key. However, there was no key to unlock the other part of the shackles.

Which was just fine. I had free hands now. "Why don't you clear your head in there a bit, man? I think I'll just go now~" Running down the hall, pocketing the keys, the shackles hanging off my left wrist, as I ran to the main room. I sighed, not seeing my weapon anywhere.

I was going to have to search through more of this mansion. Damn...

[Raine Fleur]

As much as Raine would have enjoyed talking back to the guard in front of the mansion's gate, she had better things to do. Pretending to give up, Raine stormed off in the opposite direction until she turned the corner around a hedge. In the shadows, Raine quickly changed into her special boots. Backing up against the wall facing the hedge, she rushed forward and vaulted over the hedge and fence with ease. Landing on the soft patch of grass, Raine quickly glanced around.

No guards on this side.

Cautiously, Raine approached a large window slightly ajar which meant one of two possibilites. Either the person in the mansion was expecting them or someone left it open to let in fresh air. Deciding to take her chances, Raine carefully opened the window and climbed inside. The room she was in appeared to be part of the entryway. In the distance, Raine spotted a few guards on various points on a grand staircase and another cluster roaming the hallways on the ground floor.

Now then...which way to the dungeon?

[Altair Eleison]

I was about to sneak up the stairs, leading to a higher basement level, but heard the chains clank, on the shackles. I sighed, locking the second wrist lock onto the left wrist, the chain hanging down. It still made sounds, but it was more muffled, and would allow me to hide.

I slide up the side of the stairs, freezing when I heard voices or people walking. Which wasn't often. I sighed, reaching the next level, which was below the ground floor. And it seemed a bit smaller. And more crowded. I heard several voices and people walking about, so I had to be careful, finding the 2nd key and my weapon.

This was going to be difficult.

Extremely difficult...

[Raine Fleur]

By sheer luck, Raine was able to slip past a guard making his round down the closest hallway. Pressing herself up against the wall, she cautiously peered around the corner. Among the many doors on the left, a staircase could be seen leading downstairs to the dungen, no doubt. However, there was one slight problem - a guard stood watch nearby facing in the opposite direction.

What should I do now...?

Her eyes fell upon a loose rock near her feet. Picking it up, Raine dreaded what she was about to do. It wasn't like her to break into a mansion in hopes of breaking her friend out and hitting a guard out cold but...

I'm sure Altair would have done the same thing.

With perfect aim, Raine threw the rock at the guard in the helmet and the guard let out a surprised cry as he fell to the ground knocked out cold. Plauged with guilt, Raine crept by the unconcious guard and cautiously headed down the stairs.

[Erza Scarlet]

(Altair's turn... apparently.)