Some Random Town Somewhere

"I know it must be difficult but we have to be able to defend ourselves in case something like this happens again!"

"Exactly! But they have magic.  You are what they call a 'muggle', a person without magic.  Unless you have an ability such as mine, you won't be able to defend yourself."

"You seem very knowledgeable on the subject, if you can find a way would you mind telling me it, friend?"

"Possibly... I can't guarantee anything."

"Even just trying is enough for me..." He told him with appreciation for any future efforts.

This man is very strange to Jack.  He's never had a follower before, he had never had even one friend before Sally... "I'll do what I can..."

"Thanks a lot! If you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if I can recruit more people. Farewell my friend!" He waved to him and started to walk away.

Civilian clothes never felt normal on Crest. They limited mobility and felt like a million pounds on him compared to his usual garb. 

Nonetheless it allowed him to blend into the crowd. He walked around and surveyed the  repair efforts to the town.

But it was not the attack on the town that interested him. It was the chatter about an odd group forming in this town. He couldn't know for certain what their purpose was but he would know soon.

This was the town that had been ruined by a wizard?

She kept her head bowed as she threaded herself through the dingy streets, calm eyes watching scaffolding being constructed around a house. She was unsure where to start, wondering where her entrance and acceptance as a friendly face in the town would come from. They seemed like such a close knit community, but they had clearly been haunted by the events of the last week.

Carefully, she approached a woman in her late thirties, who was struggling to pick up a sandbag. 'You'll hurt yourself if you carry that, let me.' She insisted, beaming a bright smile at her.

He moved through the crowd, not spotting any suspicious behavior immediately. Either the group moved in secret or they were in plain sight all around him.

There must be someone who knew about them. It was just the matter of finding the right person and shaking them down. 

"LISTEN TO ME PEOPLE!! THERE IS A TERRIBLE SCOURGE UPON US!!! WE MUST ACT NOW!!" Came a man on the street standing on a podium. With him were three other people handing out flyers that spoke of the 'Magic Inquisitorial League.'

Crest turned to see this mass of people gathering to them. 'My lead. Pursuit Tactic, infiltration. Stalk joining member, observe from distance.'

The lady she'd been helping shook her head, muttering 'Not this nonsense again....' Which made Donia all the more curious. Excusing herself, Donia stood underneath the podium, listening to the man's words intently.

'You think the wizards ruined our town? We should shoot them!' She shouted, garnering the murmurs of approval from people around her. 'Wizard or not, a weapon still hurts.'

The street preacher, Simeon by name, turned his desperate eyes upon Donia. "Yes child! We cannot let such horrors befall our town again!"

Crest turns his eyes upon the woman who just shouted in approval. Was that Donia? What was she doing in this town and with these malcontents no less. 

He began his hunt with even more questions than he started. He needed to stay out of sight but monitor it closely. 

Close but untouchable.

She was fully aware of the risk she was taking, how overt her operation was. This usually wasn't part of her plan, she never revealed herself or stepped into the spotlight.

But this was the only way she could succeed.

Despite the high chances she was being watched, she clambered onto the tiny stage, preparing to speak. Even if she was apprehended, she was by no means affiliated to anyone. 

'I believe this man. I believe him because what has happened to this town is scientifically impossible. What other explanations are there? That a storm did this? The weather has been completely still, dead even. Storms don't roll out of nowhere and destroy towns, but s magical entity could. '

The girl cleared her throat, levelling the fear and certainty in her voice, remembering how her time at grammar school would aid her here. She had been a naive muggle too, once upon a time. 

'It might be hard to believe but just think about it, what other reasoning do we have?'

A luster of hope came to Simeon's eyes as people started to discuss to themselves what this mysterious young woman was saying. She could be the saving grace of his others slowly forming cause, "My dear, what is your name?"

Crest couldn't believe it. They were actually listening to her. What did she stand to gain by siding with them? Too much was uncertain. She'd have to be gaining something if she was partaking in this insanity.

'Donia.' She replied sweetly, placing a faint smile on her face. 'I used to live here as a kid, until strange things used to scare me. Like random things falling from rooftops right next to my head, when my stuff  disappeared or became something else when I woke up the next day. I thought at the time I was simply crazy.' It was a true story, but it had been Donia's magic that had triggered it, not someone else's.

She addressed the growing audience again. 'Maybe all the coincidences that happen to you aren't actually accidents. Maybe that one thing you don't remember moving or even owning isn't an accident either.'

Simeon sat back and let her speak, she was a natural spokeswoman for the cause. He found himself thankful and impressed that this angel of words had come to breath new life into an otherwise doomed cause.

But while Simeon felt relief, Crest felt a sense of worry. With her influence this cause could become a serious threat. He had to break it up before they amounted to anything. Maybe then he could follow the members, discover their meeting place and route them before they caused any damage to the fragile illusion that wizards didn't exist.

He took out a chunk of peruvian darkness powder and hurled it into the growing crowd. Call it a morbid sense of shyness or just a natural instinct to remain a proverbial ghost, Crest didn't want to be seen and wanted to disburse the crowd of potential threats. This would accomplish both ends.

That was the mistake Donia needed. 

She carefully placed her hand on Simeon's shoulder, knowing she could keep him there until the darkness dispersed. Her words were soft now, whispers even, just so the leader in the making would only hear them.

'Its broad daylight, and suddenly we can't see a thing. A wizard is here, and they're trying to shut us down. Its because we're right, and they're scared of us. Dont give up, my friend.'

She spoke loudly now, piercing the inpenetrable darkness with her strong voice. She may not be able to see the crowd, but they would still be there. They would either be too confused to move or too stricken.

'This.' She yelled, putting as much force and passion into her tone. 'This is the work of a wizard. This is a wizard who realises we know too much, and wants to destroy us. Do not panic, for this darkness will not harm you, but we can harm them. If you didn't believe me before, this is proof enough that they're real.'

She knew not all of the muggles would listen, but the ones who his could be convinced enough by the fact that whoever was following her had just fuelled her fire. That meant this movement had a chance to thrive, and Donia had the upper hand.

'She's good.' Crest admitted in his mind but would never outwardly state. While he should've been livid she'd thwarted his strategy so easily, it was just too ingenious to be mad at. It was the same admiration of one chessmaster against another, the brilliance of a move couldn't be denied.

However he could still salvage his efforts by getting close in the darkness. And he made his way through the thick darkness to find a good spot near Simeon to stay out of view until he could learn more.

Simeon held onto Donia to keep track of where she and by extension he was. "Come back to my lodge!" He announced to the masses, "I will protect you from this pestilence!!"

'I will follow you.' She said lowly, with pride even. She knew she could not apparate away, as much as she wanted to. Muggle transport sickened her. 'When the darkness dissipates, we'll take ourselves and some of the people with us, we can discuss our problem more.' She offered it as an idea, knowing this was one of her only ways of becoming a key to the movement.

Whilst it was likely the wizard who had threwn down the powder had fled, it was also likely she was being followed. Either way, she'd sniff them out.

Soon the darkness lifted and Simeon and a couple of his followers had fled toward a grand cottage out on a hill nearby. What was known was now their concerns had credence. What wasn't was they had a new face among them, one who by use of a potion had changed his appearance to john doe to better infiltrate and if necessary dissolve.

And from the present course of things, it WOULD be necessary.

She marveled at the architecture, smiling at its simplicity. Donia appreciated finer things in life, small changes that muggles didn't usually notice. It's why she was good at her job. Although she was aware of a potential follower, she didnt know if the actual threat existed. 

'Thank you for bringing me back with you.' She was courteous with her actions, bowing slightly towards Simeon. 'Do you think we should discuss a plan? I'm just glad i was able to help you with your evidence. We can do something now, we can move forward, wherever we go.'

OOC Sorry, meant to tell you, I intend to make a new page for the lodge. After I make it, would you mind copying and pasting this? ^.^; sorry!

yeah sure c: