One could argue that most of his military career had been one long, cruel joke and if so then the joke surely didn't end here. After inadvertently injuring some adventurers in Mor Dhona, Anzio had left the Yataghans behind for a different line of work. He was a new face in the Red Wings, transferred just in time for whatever in the seven hells this debacle was supposed to be. Given his relative newness to the unit, it could very well be that he could plausibly offer himself up to Swift at the Hall of Flames and after some brief questioning, get off scot-free. However, the Lalafell had been played dirty by corruption in the chain of command before. This whole situation had the same stink. It had right from the start.
The Wings were his new home and he wasn't about to abandon them. Nymeia had a way of making sure he had some grand challenge to overcome in some form or another. Why not treason now? His own Flame pearl left him appraised of some of the situation. He had kept it as far as Drybone, heard the reports of two of the unit's members being captured. At that point he subdued a crow with an under powered lighting spell, and appended his pearl to bird's leg. There were methods of backtracking pearls, so if Chains had access to them, they could have fun figuring that one out. Some of the members of the Wings seemed like newer hires. Anzio had been with the Flames since they were thrown together before the Calamity.
The Wings' patch might have been new to his uniform, but he was a veteran of the Sultanate and had earned his way to NCO status not once, but twice. He had heard of the Chains in passing. A unit that effective at its very specific MOS was certainly bound to garner some reputation. He knew a couple of things about them, but lacked details. One thing he had heard was that they always got who they were looking for. Anzio was a clever Lalafell however, and wasn't going to make it easy on them. Serving for the years he had, there were plenty of contacts and allies of his own he could draw on, both within the Flames with without. First he had tapped an old CO for some details about the Chains merely to know what he was dealing with. Information was ammunition after all.
The other things he had acquired was some choice equipment and a little better disguise than a mere robe. Now he stood in the shade of the Twelveswood, white hair flowing from from a heavy weathered hat, with a matching faux mustache sitting on his lip. A monocle sat over his right eye to help cement his identity as old trader. Of course he had the simple robe too. Otherwise how would he obscure all the equipment he was carrying? Quarrymill wasn't too far from Thanalan. He had picked this place for a couple of reasons. The thick-knitted trees of the Shroud would seriously cut back on sniping range. If that wasn't enough, the settlement’s high walls would do the rest. If they came for him, they might still be shooting at him, but it would be within eye shot.
“You sure you want these littlefella? Mighty hot.†A local trader that stood in front of him held out a few Dragon Peppers none the less, snapping him out of his reverie. Anzio had been bartering with another peddler that was traveling through Quarrymill, with a particular purpose.
“Sure do! Ol' Saruta Baruta isn't afraid of a little heat. I got a mean recipe for these little buggers.†He took the peppers with a smile, ignoring the Hyur's casual slight of his height, normally something that would outwardly irritate him. Reaching for the coin purse on his belt, Anzio withdrew some gil with his free hand to give the man.
“Pleasure doing business Mister Baruta. Don't eat those all at once, you hear.â€
“Oh, I shan't be. They're for some one very special.†He smiled again.
