JENNA: * The next few jobs they take send them criss-crossing the countryside, largely within the boundaries of Rune-Midgard Kingdom, though one sends them as far north as Al De Baran. It's from that job they go farther west than their rounds normally take them, out to the constantly twilit city of Comodo. Before reaching it, however, there's jungle and swamp to track through, all of it only slightly more dangerous than the bandits said to watch the well-worn trails.

JUSTIN: * The jungle territory is all a bit new to Shane, who has thus far only seen temperate forests, rolling plains, and -- briefly -- desert. It just seems like excess everything. Excess plants, excess bugs, excess humidity. "Have you been this way before, Jo?" He finds himself asking finally, having been quiet about it for the first leg of the trip.

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head, somewhat tired of the sweating, biting and rain that seems to fall at random from clear blue skies. "Well.. I've been down to Comodo once or twice, but not for a while." She gives him a tired smile, reaching over to pat her peco, which is practically wilting, too weary to even complain. "It won't be so bad inside the city, though. You know why they call it that, right? The Twilight Paradise?"

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head, giving her a relatively blank look. "No..." He shifts in his saddle, hoping he didn't miss something she said about the place earlier.

JENNA: * Jo grins at him, laying a finger slyly to the side of her nose. "The sun never rises or sets on Comodo, and the streets are always lit with festival lamps. It's in a cave, you see." She looks ahead at the long train of wagons. They aren't the only guards on this trip, but the pay is good enough. "As for why it's called a paradise ..." She glances at him sideways and scratches her cheek, feeling unaccountably embarrassed. "Well, it's said you can get anything you desire in the city, if you have the money."

JUSTIN: * Shane blinks, sitting back in his saddle and pondering on this. "Anything you want? That's a pretty tall claim." He slips her a sideways glance of his own, and a curious look takes over his face. "Ever tried to test that theory?"

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head, laughing weakly as she tries to think of another way to explain. "No ... it's just their way of saying the laws are fairly lax about ... certain activities." She looks ahead with a tired sigh. "I doubt we'll need to stay there long, though it probably won't be hard to find work."

JUSTIN: * Shane thinks that sounds undeniably fishy. Lax laws? "I can't say it sounds like the most inviting place..." He shifts in his saddle again, looking momentarily sullen. "At least... not for a fellow like me." He scratches the back of his head, wondering if he isn't being too serious about it all. "I guess I'll be all right, though. Just going to be working, after all."

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head, sighing faintly. "You'll see when we get there, I guess." She glances at the surrounding jungle. "Gambling's a popular pasttime there, at least. Not that I was ever much interested in gambling. Fray tried his hand the one time we went, but he said all the tables were rigged." She grins briefly. "Whether he was lying or not, we should probably stay out of the casinos."

JUSTIN: * Shane clears his throat quietly, feeling no better the more she divulges. "I... I'm not the gambling type, really." He straightens himself in the saddle, sighing silently and trying to look less bothered. "I trust your judgement well enough. I'll just follow you. No need to go poking my nose where it doesn't belong."

JENNA: * Jo nods, feeling an odd surge of guilt for bringing Shane to a city like Comodo, but she doesn't have long to think on it, as shouts ring out ahead of them, as well as the sudden sound of fighting. Before she can move to help out, however, arrows strike the wagon just near her head, and several men spring out of the forest, armed with an assortment of swords and knives.

JUSTIN: * Shane immediately snaps out of his moping, fingers wrapping around the handle of his gun and lifting it out of its holster in a flash. "Jo, are you all right?!" He swings his peco around, the bird forgetting its weariness with the sudden commotion. Seeing that none of the arrows have struck her, he immediately turns his attention to the bandits, raising his weapon and firing.

JENNA: * Jo doesn't answer, assuming he can see for himself, and instead focuses on facing the bandit closest to her. The group attacking their caravan seems perturbed at the sight of the gun, but it doesn't stop them for long, and the archers in the trees continue their covering fire as the group charges forward.

JUSTIN: * Shane decides to ignore the bandits on the ground, noting that his gun is probably the best means of taking out the archers in the trees. He peers through the leaves for the slightest sign of movement, and then raises his gun to fire a shot. There's an explosion of leaves, a muted cry, and then he's rewarded with a body falling through the branches to land on the ground below.

JENNA: * Jo concentrates her attacks on the ground forces, charging in with the peco (it protests) to mow down one bandit, turning to mark another with one of her throwing knives. Down the wagon line, it seems the battle is raging steadily. The thugs seem organized and well-prepared, but the caravanners, obviously experienced with this sort of threat, have prepared as well, and their mercenary forces are more than a match for the ambush.

JUSTIN: * Shane continues to pick off archers, one by one, and it soon becomes apparent to the tree-bound bandits that firing off an arrow is a good way to make yourself a target. As such, the rain of fire from above becomes significantly less thick, and less frequent, as archers die or lose their nerve. He finds himself becoming a popular target for the bandits on the ground, however, and eventually is forced to switch his gun for his sword in order to properly defend himself.

JENNA: * Jo comes to his aid shortly, sending one of her knives into the neck of an attacker and getting close enough to draw another off. the shouting down the line becomes steadily more frantic, and a few voices can be heard calling for retreat. One of the bandits closer to the woods seems to think that an excellent idea, and the rain of arrows ceases as the archers follow in suit.

JUSTIN: * Shane fights off the last remaining bandits, cutting one down as the other few flee after their companions into the thick of the forest. Not quick to trust their retreat, he takes out his gun and fires a shot after them, as if to encourage them not to rethink their choice. "Bloody bandits." He mutters under his breath, watching the last few flickers of movement disappearing into the thick foliage. Once they're gone, and there's nothing more for him to direct his weaponry at, he puts his gear away and turns to check on Jo, face instantly losing its edge. "Are you all right? Did you get injured at all?"

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head, smiling briefly. "I'm fine, you?" She tugs a cloth from one of her saddlebags, cleaning off her knives. "You all right?" she asks him, sheathing the daggers and walking the bird over to him. A new set of voices comes down the line -- the wagonmaster asking if everyone's intact. Jo lets the man driving their wagon tend to it, still watching Shane.

JUSTIN: * Shane stops to think about this for the first time, glancing down at himself, and his peco, and feeling around for any wounds. Aside from some tears in his coat, he seems to be in one piece. "I... I'm fine, I think." He pets his bird's head, which gets him a shake in response.

JENNA: * Jo grins, relaxing back and giving a long stretch. "Not so bad.. and we earn our page again." She ruffles her bird's feathers, and it squawks, fluffing them at her. "With any luck, that'll discourage anyone else, too." She watches the wagonmaster go past, making his way to the end of the line.

JUSTIN: * Shane lets out a heavy sigh, reaching up a hand to rub at his jaw. "Why anyone would want to camp out in this place for /anything/ is beyond me, even for the chance of easy zeny." He shrugs his shoulders, smirking slyly. "Not so easy, in this case."

JENNA: "Really, they should have known better than to attack a caravan this size." Jo shrugs, and the wagonmaster comes up the line. "We're moving out in fifteen," he barks, repeating the statement at every wagon, and Jo gives a silent cheer, not wanting to remain in the hot and damp any longer. "We're only a few hours from the city, I think," she says to Shane, grinning. "It'll at least be cooler there."

JUSTIN: * Shane looks relieved by this news, and he smiles happily. "Even Comodo has to be better than this jungle. The sooner the better." He hops down from his peco for the time being, stretching out his limbs and taking a long drink from his canteen to replenish what the hot air keeps draining from him.

JENNA: * Jo takes a drink from her own canteen and smiles faintly, ready enough to reach the city, in spite of itself. "We'll just stay a night," she says. "We can catch a caravan moving out, I'm sure." She glances up as the wagons begin moving again, then nudges her peco into a walk, following along.

JUSTIN: * Shane climbs back onto his bird, nudging it along beside Jo and relaxing for the moment. He hums quietly to himself, apparently having higher hopes about the visit to Comodo after surviving a bandit attack just to get there. If it's going to be trouble, he'll at least make the best of it. "It certainly can't get any worse." He muses quietly to himself, unaware he's even said it out loud.

JENNA: * Jo glances at him, but she doesn't respond, mouth quirking into an ironic smile. The rest of their trip is peaceful, bugs and heat aside, as is the passage through the first cave into the city. The wagons ease their pace in the dark caverns, rattling warily over the wooden bridges that cover the cave's many streams. It seems almost bright as day when they step through the last archway into the cavebound city, lit by lanterns and the occasional starburst of a firework. As promised, it is distinctly cooler, and the air even manages to be a little drier than aboveground.

JUSTIN: * Shane sits up straighter in his saddle as they enter the cavern of the so-called "Twilight Paradise". He has to admit, on first inspection, it looks like a very pleasant place: lots of color, lots of light -- fireworks? It's like a festival. "Is there some sort of holiday going on?" He leans over to Jo, giving her a questioning look. "It's awfully... jubilant."

JENNA: "Every day's a holiday in Comodo," Jo murmurs, tone ironic, as they follow the wagons to their destination and wait for pay to be distributed. "It's a very lively city," she adds, "though the festival atmosphere is mostly for tourists and clients." She watches the lights for a moment, and the milling of the people beyond them, conducting business in the city's own, unique way.

JUSTIN: * Shane sits back again, looking no less confused, but almost twice as curious. "My... it must be an interesting place to live in, that's for sure." He continues his surveillance of the the bright and lively city around them, all but forgetting the caravan and their waiting payment.

JENNA: * Jo glances at him with a faint chuckle. "That's one way of putting it." She doesn't elaborate, and before long, the wagonmaster comes along with their pay, gruffly extending them a bonus for their help in the fight, in spite of it being their job. Jo nods her head in acknowledgement, letting the man move on, then she stretches, giving a weary sigh. "Let's go find an inn, shall we?" The other mercenaries are dispersing as well, toward different areas of the city.

JUSTIN: * Shane murmers some sort of reply to the departing wagonmaster, slipping his part of the pay into his pocket to be momentarily forgotten. "I think that sounds like a proper plan, to me. Lead the way, madam." He smiles cheerily -- he'll wait until he actually /sees/ something questionable before he lets his mood get dashed against the rocks -- and trots his peco around her in a brief circle.

JENNA: * Jo snorts, leading him away from the wagons and angling toward where she vaguely remembers there being a fairly respectable inn. "We can do a little sightseeing later, if you really want to," she says idly, weaving her way lazily through the crowd. "The beach is worth seeing, at least."

JUSTIN: * Shane tilts his head to the side, considering the offer. "I guess it couldn't hurt... the beach sounds nice, in any case." He smiles a bit, following her through the crowd and staring at all sorts of things as they pass. "At least it's legitimate, right?"

JENNA: * Jo glances at him, brows lifting. "The beach? Hard for it not to be ... It's a natural part of the cave." She grins at him, weaving ahead slightly to see if she's going the right direction. As she does so, a young and fairly attractive woman materializes seemingly out of the shadows, ambling over to lean appealingly against Shane's peco, resting her hand lightly against his leg. "Hi, honey," she purrs at him. "Need anything? I can show you around ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane is in the middle of formulating a sheepish response to Jo's point, when he's started by the sudden touch and voice. His peco looks over first -- already enthralled by whatever exoticly scented perfume the girl is wearing, but Shane is less swift on the pick-up. "I beg your pardon...?" He blinks down at the girl, then moves a hand to slip his hat off, looking terribly polite. "Oh -- no, thank you miss, but I already have guide."

JENNA: "Aw, honey, I'm sure I can show you a much better time," she replies, not to be put off, and leans closer, permitting the already flimsy material of her shirt to slip and give an ample view of her cleavage. The peco's inordinate interest does not appear to bother her, and she runs her fingertips up along to the edge of Shane's boot, where she tugs lightly on the fabric of his trousers. Jo, meanwhile, has not noticed this development, peering ahead through the hazy city.

JUSTIN: * Shane swallows a sudden lump in his throat, eyes widening slightly before he manages to focus his gase soley and completely on her face. "I... I'm not sure she would agree..." He starts off, then clears his throat, shifting in his saddle and wiggling his leg away from her fingers as inconspicuously as he can manage. "I mean -- I, uh. She's my partner, see..."

JENNA: * It's about then that Jo turns around, eyebrows lifting suddenly as she spots the exchange. She walks the peco back silently as the woman continues to make her case, pressing closer and more suggestively until she notices Jo's presence, at which point she pulls back in surprise. Jo's mouth quirks into a smile. "Shoo," she says lightly, and the woman gives her shoulders a jerk, stalking off in annoyance.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks utterly confused by the time the girl is gone, and he watches her leave for a moment in silence before turning to Jo. "Wha... what was that all about?" He's half annoyed, half relieved. "You didn't have to be rude... though, she was being rather pushy. I told I already had a guide, but she kept insisting she would be better for the job." He sighs, looking somewhat down about the entire experience.

JENNA: * At this, Jo is unable to contain a helpless snort of laughter. "I doubt she wanted to guide you anywhere," she says drily, turning back up the street and pushing the peco into a slow walk. "Except maybe out of your clothes."

JUSTIN: * An alarmed expression comes over Shane's face, and he gives Jo a long, blank stare. "Just what are you trying to say? That she was coming on to me?" He thinks that is highly unlikely, considering the vast crowd of men around. "Jo, I think you're looking a little too far into things." He sniffs, turning his peco to walk around side her. "So where is this inn we're looking for?"

JENNA: * Jo rolls her eyes. "She was a prostitute, Shane. You can go back and ask her if you don't believe me." She glances at him sideways, shaking her head. "Those lax laws I mentioned apply largely to her trade." She points ahead of them a bit. "The inn I remember is a few streets up. Lodging should be reasonable there, and I think they have baths."

JUSTIN: * Shane's expression sinks low again, and he gets a very potent feeling of nausea in his gut. The better part of him wants to say something very righteous and indignant about being propositioned by a harlot, but he just can't muster the strength. "Let's hurry... please... I think I need to lay down."

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head again, reaching over to pat his arm in a sympathetic way. "It's not far." She pushes the peco into a slightly faster walk, leading him through the milling crowd to a modest inn, where their pecos are stabled and the manage to acquire a room with a view of the beach for only slightly more than the usual price. Jo unslings her pack as she enters, noting that there are two pallets laid out -- not full beds in keeping with the jungle theme.

JUSTIN: * Shane seems relieved to be out of the city streets, where he can at least pretend to be somewhere more to his liking. The decor of the room strikes him as vaguely familiar, though -- only made more so by the beach view. "Almost like Jawaii, but far more modest." He muses, sliding his pack down next to hers and ambling over to flop onto his "bed".

JENNA: * Jo nods, dropping into a sitting position and stretching slightly. "If you want to rest, go ahead.. the wagonmaster mentioned something about another job, so I thought I'd track him down and see what it was about before too late." She pauses to check over her gear, tugging her knives out and giving them a cursory inspection. "I should be back in time for dinner. Unless you want to come," she adds, looking up at him again.

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head fairly quickly, lying back on the cot and looking far too happy to be there. "No no, I think a little rest will do me good..." He smiles as cheerily as he can. "All the excitement, new city. I'm just a little tired, really."

JENNA: "All right." Jo returns her knives to their sheathes and gets to her feet again, pausing to give him a curious look. "Sure you're all right?" she asks, walking over to her pack. "You might want to catch a bath.. it might help. They're up the hall." She pauses again, watching him.

JUSTIN: * Shane thinks this is a good idea. "...maybe you're right." He thinks about the girl's hand rubbing at his leg, and he shivers. "Perhaps I'll do that before I nap. I mean -- it's been a while, right?" He chuckles weakly and climbs awkwardly to his feet.

JENNA: * Jo nods, smiling at him briefly. "I'll take one after I get back. Won't be too long," she says again, kneeling to look through her pack a moment before walking out the door. She shakes her head once as she lets it close behind her, still unsure whether to laugh or sympathize.

JUSTIN: * Shane lets out a long, ragged sigh before half-heartedly slipping out of his coat. He kicks off his boots and lays all his equipment out on the cot, before he finally makes his way to the hallway and begins his walk to the bathing room. He's relieved to find the area empty, and decides to hurry things along before that fact has time to change.