A young lady sat upon a faded cushion before a low table at the far corner of Khalem-Dol’s most famous tea shop.  Eyes the shade of the reddest apples casually read through her notes, written in a tiny neat scrawl that filled the small leather-bound book held aloft by fair, delicate hands.  Without a doubt, she would have stood out like a sore thumb had a dark hooded cloak not hidden most of her features from view.  Beneath her hood, long raven-black hair was partially pinned up, just enough to keep it from being a nuisance in her daily activities.  Soft pink lips pursed as she thought, going over her current set of information for any possible new clues on the artifact she sought.  With her head lightly resting on her right hand, she went over the chain of events that had occurred ever since leaving her home in Jakuu.<br/><br/>She shuddered at the memory of the ugliest statue she had ever had the misfortune to lay eyes on.  Now that her trip to the nearby ruins had proved unfruitful, she needed to decide where to go next.  She felt as though she had hit a wall of late, with dead ends turning up every which way.  If only she could get some more information she might be able figure something out…but she had already exhausted the resources of the Great Kanzem Library and there were still some key bits of information necessary to pinpoint even a proper direction in which to look.  She sighed, flipping back to the beginning of her notebook once more.  Perhaps she had missed something…<br/><br/>Closing the book with a slight snap, Rei tucked the book away for now, turning her attention back to her tea.  The owner had recently come by and refilled her pot, surrounding her in the sweet floral scent of her favorite blend.  If she had to rate all the tea houses she had been to, this one would be at the top.  Considering that such a list could fill a book or two on its own, it was quite the compliment.  Good tea was almost as good as learning new magic, at least to this strange lady of the Kuro’an family.<br/><br/>Delicately sipping on her tea, she finished her scone as her eyes wandered the space of the tiny establishment.  Whilst she had been engrossed in her reading, many more patrons had entered the shop, filling every table as their voices joined as one to create the low steady clamoring of a busy shop.  Leaning back against the wall, she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, taking in the scents of herbs, flowers, and fruits along with the faint hint of dirt and sweat that followed mercenaries everywhere.  Exhaling slowly, she cast out her senses, taking a hold of the many sounds within the room like a child would a handful of grass before pulling out each blade one at a time.  Leisurely, she sifted through the room’s conversations, listening for a bit here and there to pick up the participants’ topics.  Growing up in the forest, she had loved doing as such, finding the process of exploring her surroundings via sound very relaxing.  After she had grown, she had found other uses for this skill, namely, information gathering.<br/><br/>Just as she was about to give up on finding anything useful here, a certain pair’s conversation caught her interest.<br/><br/><span style="color: violet">“Legends say that there are three wishes granted to the possessor of this artifact…”</span><br/><br/>Immediately, Rei focused her attention solely on the pair so as to pick up their every word.  If they were speaking of what she thought they were…<br/><br/>Patiently, she continued listening, preferring not to take any action until she was sure.  Where there any other artifacts that granted 3 wishes?  Possibly.  In her travels, she had also vaguely heard legends of a golden lamp that housed a special being who would serve whoever possessed the lamp.  As interesting as the story was, it was not her main objective and if there was one thing she learned from her ancestors, it was if one allows oneself to get sidetracked at any and every point, the end goal will forever be just a dream.  Though perhaps she would look into the lamp after her current endeavor.  A research paper on the origins and workings of wish-granting artifacts didn’t sound too bad…<br/><br/>She watched with wide-eyed curiosity as the woman began some sort of Sabakujin ritual.  She had read about such bonding rituals, meant to establish trust and loyalty between individuals bound by neither blood nor tribe.  This was her first time witnessing such an event however, and she briefly wondered if there was a more magical version of the ritual, one will very real and dire consequences should the vow be broken.<br/><br/>Putting her thoughts to the side, Rei waited for an opportune moment to enter their conversation.  Even if the objects they sought were different, gathering more information couldn’t hurt.  Her patience was soon rewarded however, as the Sabakujin man began uttering the start of a string of words she knew all too well.  A small smile graced her countenance, an innocent and pure smile similar to the one she had shown when she first discovered magic.  This could be the lead she was in need of.  Without making a move, she spoke to the two from across the room, for just as she was able to capture sounds within a 15 meter radius, so too could she project her voice within that range.<br/><br/><span style="color: crimson">“…Devasting Glory.”</span><br/><br/>Her soft voice finished off the artifact’s name in a gentle whisper that only the 2 could hear.  Her words and tone were polite, well, polite as she could hope to be after eavesdropping and interrupting their conversation.<br/><br/><span style="color: crimson">“Nice to meet you, I’m Rei.  Sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation...It seems we have some common interests.”</span><br/><br/>Once the pair locked eyes with her, she offered a friendly wave and an A+ smile before slinging a traveler’s bag over her shoulder, picking up her tea, and gingerly navigating the room to make her way towards the Jakuuzoku and Sabakujin.  Though she remained on her guard in case the two responded negatively to her approach, she made sure to keep both hands in full view, holding only her teacup and teapot and exuding no trace of animosity to ensure they knew she meant no harm.  When at last she stood before them, she gave a small nod in greeting.<br/><br/><span style="color: crimson">“May I join you?  Please don’t be alarmed.  I am merely a scholar searching for the same thing object that you seem to be seeking.  I believe we all can…mutually benefit if we join forces.”</span><br/><br/>For all she was a Jakuuzoku, she was at heart a sincere person.  She had no great designs to find and make use of a group of adventurers before tossing them aside; she just wanted the artifact for her research, even if it was after others took their wishes.  A single wish for herself was just a bonus.  A smile still on her lips, she waited for the two to respond, mentally crossing her fingers for a desirable outcome.