Romanoff Dukedom: Eschira Forest

In the dead of the night, lurking in the shadows while swallowing the best of their self-restraint, were three young men who wished they were inside their chambers. Aaviren and Ulysses could only hope to be embracing their soft pillows and blankets rather than the cold breeze of the evening.

"Seriously, why are we even inside a forest? This just seems so foolish." Aaviren spoke of his complaints as he slumped back on the tree trunk.

As of the moment, Aaviren had hidden under the canopy of Northern Red Oaks, sitting on top of a branch approximately thirty meters off of the forest floor.

A stretch to the young man's right side, Ulysses could be seen with his arms crossed, tired of hearing his companion's rumblings. He merely allowed Aaviren to mutter under his breath. Accordingly, if ever Aaviren Brosch spoke louder than the warranted volume, it would be certain that Parvor would hit this companion of his without reservations.

On the other hand, perched on the highest branch of the most towering tree that could be located within the vicinity was Ivar Chroly. It was quite a distance away from Ulysses and Aaviren, so he refrained from communicating with his comrades.

It's an established fact that the hearing ability of the wolves towered over other shifters and demi-humans. However, beyond the one hundred meter mark, they would have the need to increase the amplification of their voices a tad. It came with a risk of disclosing their location to their equally capable enemies.

'Until when are we going to wait? Ius is behind schedule. It's already half-past twelve. At this point, I'm going to fall asleep.' Ivar simply groaned to himself, impatience getting the best of his rationale.

At the outset, they arranged for this part of the plan to last for only a couple of hours. Lamentably for the three young men, four hours had long passed with them being idle. Although they might have preferred being in their beds, validating their nonchalance, they still couldn't stand the thought that they were doing nothing.

'And where is Fluger? He's supposed to arrive before Ius. Why are these people following their own pace when we're clearly on a mission? They should be more considerate.'

Thereafter uttering his grievances, Ivar heaved a deep sigh to try and expel his frustrations along. With that, he spent his time in quietude while abiding for the arrival of his comrades.

Fortunately for them, they didn't have the need to wait for a little more. At the entrance of the forest -- the one beside the plaza -- two figures could be sighted walking next to each other.

Looking closer, it was not the cordial type of closeness. The actuality was that the taller of the two had one of their hands around the neck of the other.

"Don't dare make any attempts to escape. I will crush your neck the instant that you do." Ius threatened his captive, tightening his grip as he did so.

He articulated the intimidation so insouciantly that it might've sounded as if it didn't have any substance at all. For the receiver of his words, it was quite the contrary.

Domineering and suffocating, the aura that the young Romanoff directed at them was enough to make an individual pass out of fear.

"I don't know why you suddenly showed up by yourself. But if you are scheming behind our backs, you better tattle, or else I'll have to prolong your agony until you reveal it."

Smothered by the atmosphere exuded by Ius, the old man couldn't even open his mouth to respond. His frame, wherein the skin appeared to have no chunks of flesh separating them from the bones, looked so pitiful all the while he was shivering.

The freezing wind was no less brutal than Ius was. It might be even more unforgiving.

Ius spared the man no chance to recover his belongings the moment that he discovered his hideout. Granted that they underwent a chase -- from the southernmost edge of the capital towards the center of the commoner's district -- it was only the old man who got himself exhausted that led to his eventual capture.

"Learn that you have to answer whenever I ask something. Are you going to be this stubborn?" Ius lectured as he pulled the old man's hair with his free hand, tilting it back till their gazes met.

"A-ah, for-fo-- I, no, for--"

The old man opened and closed his mouth, like a fish underwater, yet he was simply able to let out gibberish.

Ahead of assaying to speak once more, the old man swallowed the saliva that was blocking his throat. Regrettably, it only started his coughing fit instead of helping him talk better.

At that very second, Ius' forbearance was nearly depleted. He was on the verge of becoming a ravage by virtue of his day that was filled with nothing but mysteries upon disappointments. The young Romanoff shoved the old man down the ground. The poor man's face crashed on the rocky dirt first, earning him gashes, two broken front teeth, and a bloody nose.

Although he saw that the bony old man was suffering from his action, Ius didn't show an ounce of repentance nor sympathy. He simply glowered at the pathetic excuse of a former elder of a respected snake clan.

"It was by chance that I happened upon your lair. You made a fool out of the Empire's forces. As expected of you, Riberto Ilvos. Now, tell me. Why are you spreading terror in the capital? And who are you with?"

Riberto was disinclined to give a rejoinder to the hurried Ius. The old man just focused on propping himself up with his wounded arms. In the first place, he didn't have the energy to incite another confrontation with the young man. He had not eaten for the duration of his stay in the capital.

The old man was the runaway that the Orschettas were trying to track down. And Ius just happened upon him during his night walk.