"....." Sharp was silent for a moment.

"Ah, yes." he said.

"I want you to clarify something first." he told her.

"Where WHAT one went? What are you referring to?" he asked her.

"If I am in possession of something I oughtn't to be, then please let me know." he said further.

"Cannot imagine WHAT, though..." he then mumbled, looking around slightly.

".............excuse me?" Sharp asked, before looking at the painting.

"This... makes so much sense." he said.

"Well, I'll tell you this much, I was never happier parting with money, than when I won that painting." he told her.

"But we can discuss that later." he commented.

"Right now we desperately need your help tracking down someone that died a long time ago." he told her.

He then proceeded to tell her the situation, and the conundrum they were in.

"So we could really use the help of the man who knows how to create these statues, in order to destroy them." he finished.

Sharp nodded.

"I understand." he said.

"As far as anyone here is concerned, you were never here." he told her.

"But please. Do what you can." he then said.

"We need to put a stop to these menaces, and we need to do it ASAP."

Sharp watched her go, and sighed.

"...good luck." he said.

He then got up, and left the office.

"Guess I may as well check on Kiah and Illias." he reasoned.

"See if they're making ANY progress at all."

"........" Hal was silent, before sighing when he saw Kiah, and smiling.

'One of my best damn employees.' he thought.

'Thanks, Kiah.' he thought further.

He then looked around, and nodded to himself, before he quietly snapped his fingers, materializing a cup of exquisite mocha in his hands. He then set the mug down by her, and stepped outside the office.

"Hopefully she likes it." he told himself before leaving.

Those that knew of the nack snappings were panicked, and it was NOT helping the general mood.

Ash was managing to stay calm, but it was clear that he was freaking out a little about this.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it." he cursed, as he stopped where Cass was.

"We're losing good hunters here." he said to her.

"And I KNOW my brother's told me of these things before! I remember there's a way to temporarily stop them!"

"And there's nothing we can do to stop them." Ash responded.

"They seem impervious to attacks." he went on.

"Just... like they're nothing." he went on.

"It's seriously frightening." he mumbled.

"....Cass, these things could take out the entire guild."

Ash was silent.

He'd never seen Cass like this. She was getting desperate, and it was frightening.

"...these things seem to be attracted to... well... either mana, or life signs." he said.

"Maybe... maybe I can lure them away." he suggested.

"If I start running, and flare up my mana... they may chase me." he went on.

"Maybe I can keep them following me..."

Ash just growled.

"DAMN IT!" he cursed, punching a wall... hard.

He then looked down to the floor, before looking back up and freezing.

"Cass!" he exclaimed.

"Down the hall!" he said.

"There's one looking right at us!" he told her, as he continued to look at it, to see if it would make any moves.

"Shit... shit, I didn't think they'd spread out THIS quickly..." he muttered, not daring to move a muscle.

".....huh?" Ash muttered.

"Cass, what are you doing!?" he exclaimed.

He then started to run towards her, but it slowed to a stop when he saw that the statue wasn't moving at all.

"....it's... not moving..." he muttered.

"All right, Cass, what are you doing?" he asked again.

"Seriously. Being that close to that thing CAN'T be good."