Beyond These City Streets...

[Reine]

((Closed))



Down beyond these city streets
With gutters filled with black debris
And alleys void of any life
Where nameless things live out of sight

Rise Against – Chamber of the Cartridge


Faelynn was a fan of museums for one reason and one reason only; lots of shiny, expensive things were housed in them. True, they held historical pieces of artwork and weaponry that may or may not hold clues to humanities evolution and history, but she honestly didn’t care about that. Sometimes she enjoyed looking at the paintings and the sculptures that lined them purely for aesthetic reasons and sometimes she found a piece with a story behind it that truly fascinated her. Most of the time that was not the case. Today happened to be one of those days.

She was supposed to be meeting someone here at noon. Looking out through the large, glass windows, she could see the sun had passed that point in the sky. Another job opportunity lost. She was starting to become frustrated. This was the third one in two weeks. If things didn’t pick up she’d have to move on. A thief could not work if there was no thieving to be done, or in her case, no one that would hire her to do the thieving. There were plenty of things within the city of Radasanth worth stealing, Fae happened to be a little pickier in her thieving enterprises. She didn’t steal from whoever caught her fancy or that caravan travelling through Concordia over there. No, she played the role of a professional thief and was paid well to steal for nobles. Truly, they were far more corrupt that any criminal in this city, in fact, they created and hired most of them. Their schemes ran deep and they treated people like her as a pawn. She lived with that though, knowing it was her choice and she could leave it at any time.

Sighing, Fae ran her fingers through her hair, shifting about the straight, brown strands until they fell perfectly back into place. She had no other plans for the day. Allen should have been a reliable source for her. This job should have been a sure thing. Now it was nothing.

In the end, she couldn’t do a thing about it. Getting pissed off would solve nothing either. She might as well explore the museum, she was already in it.

There were more people here than she thought there would be, making this a much more secure area for the meet than initially came to mind. Children and families and couples walked to and for staring at old pieces of someone else’s life with little plaques beside them, telling them inane things they probably didn’t even care about. She actually thought it kind of sad to have your valuables end up here. Thousands of eyes would lie upon them, but not a single one would truly ever know the person that held and owned them, they’d only know the plaque. But a plaque couldn’t tell you who a person was or how they lived, only vague information about what they did.

The display of the month she happened to walk in on: Radasanth, the hero this city was named after. Artefacts from his life were on display, weapons and armour that he supposedly used or were used during his time. They all lay behind pristine glass cases to keep people from reaching out and touching them. They must be worth a fortune. Still, something within Fae would never allow her to steal items like this.

Moving with the crowd, Faelynn stopped and examined the occasional thing that caught her eye; a letter at one point, an intricate looking hair brush and mirror set at another. Jewellery and bits of fabrics pinned in cases that somehow made up someone’s clothes, long ago rotted. Eventually, she found herself in a room filled with weaponry and armour from the era of Radasanth’s life. Most of the armour and weapons lay open along the walls; their blades were tarnished and stained, whether by blood or time she didn’t know. In the centre though, lay the museum’s most valuable pieces. The sword and armour that Radasanth himself wore, or at least that’s what they were insinuating. Paintings and poems and stories filled this room, all telling of his life and the deeds that he had done, not a one being able to proclaim truth.

To her, these pieces looked like all the other ones. To the people that stopped and stared, they were legendary, something god-like and not to be touched or tampered with. One in particular seemed quite fascinated by them. His deep brown eyes were lit with excitement as he stared through the glass to the items beyond. The hands at his sides clenched and unclenched as if they imagined touching and holding the items he would never be able to. He wasn’t bad looking either. An angular face kept shaven and clean and hair messy in all the right ways, giving her no need to imagine what it would look like after a quick romp. His clothes couldn’t even begin to hide that beneath them he was well toned and probably knew how to use it as well.

He would make an easy target, and a good looking one at that.

Faelynn normally felt herself above petty thieving, but with her job opportunity shot, she needed something. It wasn’t the money, she had enough. She just felt frustrated at not being able to do anything and needed that quick adrenaline release to sate her now. Slipping up next to the man, Fae examined the nondescript sword, and then moved over to the next item. As she did so, she brushed up against him, her hand reaching along his waist and carefully removing his purse in one smooth motion. He really should learn to pay more attention to it instead of fixating his eyes on the past.

Turning her back to him, she felt around the leather pouch only to discover it rather light. Curious, she opened it and discovered it to be rather empty inside. He had no money anyway. Laughing lightly, Faelynn shoved the purse into her pocket and turned to leave the room.

Just her luck today...

[Ceidon]

Ceidon Lore stood in the center of the “Lord Radasanth” exhibit with a puzzled look on his face. He scratched his chin with his right hand and scanned the painting that was mounted on a wall in front of him. The painting perfectly depicted Lord Radasanth’s daughter, Niema, a glowing young woman with dark brown hair and the most brilliant golden green eyes. They were so brilliant, in fact, that the painting was aptly named ‘Niema oro D’or,' loosely translated as ‘Niema’s Guiding Light’ in the common tongue. Ceidon had looked at the painting a thousand times and even when he wasn’t admiring the woman’s beauty, it still caused him quiver slightly with desire. Long ago the adventurer decided that if he ever fell in love with a woman, she would look exactly like the one in the painting.

According to elfish history (as accurate human records were not kept until long after Radasanth's time), it was Niema’s death in an unsuccessful raid of the humans' mountain outpost that prompted Lord Radasanth to take arms against the demons and liberate Corone some 1800 years ago. Following the war, the humans, elves and dwarfs signed the "Treaty of Serenti" which announced Corone’s independence as a single sovereign nation and made Lord Radasanth the first steward of the country. He built the city now known as Radasanth at the Niema River delta, which he named after his beloved daughter. This interesting bit of canon is why the museum curator found the painting important enough to display in the center of the “Lord Radasanth” exhibit with a number of Niema’s lost trinkets locked in a case behind him. Every hero needs a cause, apparently.

But Ceidon wasn’t particularly interested in Niema’s beautiful eyes or her magnificent story at the moment. Instead he was completely focused on her lips and the smile—or lack thereof on her face. Just minutes ago, Ceidon noticed something peculiar about Niema’s expression. She was certainly smiling, but had her lip risen in what appeared to be a slight smirk. The painting was so well drawn that Niema’s expression was fairly hidden, but Ceidon was sure that if this smirk were placed on another painting, it would look quite sinister. Taught to examine every detail when studying Althanas’ secrets, the young adventurer rarely took things for granted, especially on ancient paintings. If Niema was indeed smirking, the artist surely intended it to be that way.

“That’s strange,” Ceidon mumbled. “What are you up to?” He lowered his right hand from his chin and started clenching both his hands as he pondered. After a few moments, he took a few steps back to search for other anomalies in the picture. But before he could begin, he felt his hip bump into something soft. Broken from his trance, he turned to find that he had backed into a young woman with long dark hair. “Oh dear! I’m terribly sorry!” Ceidon exclaimed, but the woman didn’t seem to be interested. She simply continued to walk towards the exit with a slight swagger in her step. He stared intently at her rear as she walked away and then something unusual came over him. Perhaps it was the desire to share his discovery with someone or maybe it was the manifestation of the quiver in his stomach, but something caused him to belt out, “Hey you!” Ceidon immediately cringed when he realized that the tone of his voice sounded like he was accusing her. She stopped. “Yes you…” he said less accusatorily and more excitedly. She turned around and Ceidon could only manage to mutter “…with the pretty green eyes.”

When he realized he was staring, Ceidon quickly looked up at the painting of Niema. “Do you…what do you think of this painting?” he asked coyly.

[Reine]

The beat of her heart triple within her chest. Did he really notice his purse gone so soon? How could he have known that she did it? What would he do to her when she turned around? She could keep walking and pretend like she didn’t hear him, but everyone heard him. In fact, she was not the only person who stopped to stare at him, but he was the only one looking her way. Perhaps she could talk her way out of this. Use a bit of her charm to make him forget all about the purse and focus on other thoughts. Besides, it’s not like he had anything inside the bag anyway. What kind of man walked around a city like Radasanth without coin? A poor one.

She turned around to confront him, only to find him starring at her. Apparently she didn’t even need to use her charms on him; he was already quite caught by her eyes. As if embarrassed, he turned away, his eyes travelling once more to that painting he had been so fixated upon. The next words that came out of his mouth surprised her more than anything. He actually asked her, her opinion on the painting. He hadn’t even noticed that she’d taken his wallet.

Letting a soft smirk spread across her lips, Faelynn walked over to the man and stood close enough for him to feel her presence, but not close enough to touch him. The painting was quite interesting indeed and was apparently of a woman named Niema, Radasanth’s daughter, a rather important historical figure. Tilting her head to the side, Faelynn’s eyes travelled down the lines of her face. Intriguingly, she had the same kinds of eyes that Fae had a bright, golden green.

“She’s smirking at you.” Faelynn said. “Like she knows something that you don’t, either that or she had an affair with the painter and he’s trying to make her look very seductive.”

Fae laughed softly. She wasn’t very good at critiquing paintings, in fact she never even thought much about what was going on within them. Most artists were trying to capture a scene, a person and put some kind of meaning behind them, but she was not very good at figuring it out.

“I’m not sure what you want me to tell you about the painting. She almost looks like she’s flirting with you, but when you take away the playful gleam in her eyes, her smile looks sinister. The painter obviously wants to subtly tell you she’s not the innocent little girl history portrays her to be.”

She turned towards the man and shrugged almost helplessly, giving him a small smile of embarrassment.

[Ceidon]

Ceidon stiffened when the young woman approached. He simply couldn’t believe that she wanted to talk to him, especially considering he practically scolded her to get her attention. The young adventurer nearly shook when she gave her opinion on the painting: he could feel the air move as she spoke and her hair smelled like cherry blossoms. It was like the gods had suddenly given him the senses of an elf. Ceidon was scared to look her in the eye, that is, until she said something quite startling and amazing.

“You noticed it too!” Ceidon exclaimed, loosing up and turning to the shorter woman. “This is a painting of Niema Radasanth, supposedly. She was the steward’s daughter and the reason Lord Radasanth led the clans against the demons. Are you a history buff,” he asked.

Before the woman could respond, he ranted, “Ok, I have to be honest. I wasn’t the one who originally discovered the sinister smirk. My friend Caduceus Grimaldi told me about it. We’re members of the Order of the Golden Dawn together.” Ceidon was so involved in his story he’d forgotten the existence of the Order was supposed to be a secret. “There’s a huge conspiracy theory about Niema Radasanth. Most of the theorists believe that she was Radasanth’s daughter, but they also believe that this painting isn’t actually her! They think it’s a picture of one of his mistresses…the real reason he went to war against the demons.”

Ceidon was getting pretty animated, flailing his arms in every which way. At one point he bumped his arm into hers but continued to speak in stride. “Oh sorry! Anyway, once the war was over, Radasanth apparently had her erased from history for some reason, but no one knows why” Ceidon slowed down. “So, that’s why I’m interested in it, there’s a great mystery behind this painting…” he volunteered.

Shortly thereafter, Ceidon caught the woman’s expression. When he saw that her sheepish smile had turned into an amused look, he melted. Once again, he found himself lost in her eyes. “Erm, but you’re right, your eyes…her eyes,” he corrected, “are flirting with me…you. She’s not the innocent girl that everyone thinks. Embarrassed, Ceidon turned back to the painting. He was pretty sure that he just messed all of that up.

“Hey there’s a little coffee shop downstairs in the lobby. Do you want to grab a drink? I would love to tell you some more about this museum’s little intricacies.”

[Reine]

Faelynn was no history enthusiast. She never got the chance to tell this to the rather handsome and quite tall man because he never gave her the chance to. He asked the question, but moved along just as quickly as the words had passed his lips. In all honesty though, she didn’t mind. He was so animated and enthused about the whole thing that she got lost in his words, and his action. It was rather cute, in an odd, scholarly kind of way. On top of that, she actually learned something about Radasanth’s history and was pretty sure her history teacher would fall down dead if he heard about that.

The cutest thing of all; was when he compared her to the painting and kept getting his words mixed around. It quite obviously embarrassed him, but she didn’t mind. It was still a compliment, a rather enjoyable one too. The woman in the painting was far more beautiful than Fae ever would be, and yet, for a history enthusiast, he seemed so much more captured with her eyes than what lay trapped in history before them. So, when he asked her for coffee, she couldn’t resist.

“I would love to hear more about the museum; and maybe some about you too.” Her voice was quiet and insisting, almost pleading with him slightly. All while she gave him that same, small smile, the one that brightened her already light, green eyes.

Taking another step towards the man, Faelynn reached out and looped her arm through his, holding him close to her. He seemed quite surprised at this. His body even stiffened slightly beneath her touch, allowing her to feel the strong muscles of his arms even more.

“Oh, okay... wait really?” He almost sounded as if he expected her to say no. Perhaps he did, but why would she? Her job had already fallen through and for some reason he made her smile. Even though he talked so much about history, he didn’t bore her either.

Giggling softly, Faelynn began leading him away from the paintings and artefacts and out into the busy halls of the museum. He still seemed slightly uncomfortable and awkward having her so close to him, clinging to him like she was his lover. His eyes kept glancing down at her like he expected her to vanish. He even guided her away from the large crowds, as if he were protecting her from the other patrons. He was just adorable!

It didn’t take the two of them long to make it to the coffee shop. A small place really, busy with tourists from places close and places far. The large windows allowed the late afternoon sun to stream in along the stone floors and across the iron wrought tables and chairs. Coupled with all the greenery, Fae would swear the shop was outside rather than in. The only thing it missed was a gentle breeze kissing her skin. Finding an empty table, Faelynn let go of the man’s arm and slipped her hand into his, leading him. His palm felt really large and warm to her and the skin was rough and calloused. Adding that to the way his arms felt, even beneath his shirt, she would bet this scholar was much more active than those she was used to dealing with.

Taking her seat, Faelynn slipped off her Bag of Infinity and leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs.

“Before we order, do you think I could be granted the pleasure of knowing your name? If you feel more comfortable, I’ll give you mine first. It’s Faelynn Thiadore, though most people just call me Fae.”

[Ceidon]

If Ceidon were an egg, he would be served sunny side up. His encounter with the pretty young woman was going exceedingly well. In fact, when the reality of his success set in, it completely changed his demeanor. When they first locked arms, Ceidon was sweaty and somewhat aroused. He intentionally avoided groups of people to hide his embarrassment. However, by the time they reached the coffee shop together, Ceidon was nodding his head courtly at random people. He was quite proud that he had a woman at his side, especially in a place frequented by couples on dates.

The young woman chose a table near the walkout patio of the café and Ceidon waited for her to sit before sliding into the chair across from her. An authentic Radasanthian flute band played an energetic jive outside. There were periodic laughs as couples sloppily danced around to the music, but Ceidon barely notice them. He was focused on the young woman, who finally introduced herself as Faelynn.

“Faelynn,” Ceidon repeated. “That’s so delicious.” He involuntarily licked his lips at the thought, but stopped immediately when he saw that she noticed. “Oh, erm…I’m Ceidon. Ceidon Lore. Did you know…” he began, but suddenly stopped. What was it that Caduceus had once told him? Ask her questions, she’ll think you’re conceited if you talk about yourself too much. “Oh, I mean, what brings you to the museum today?”

“I was supposed to meet a friend here, but he never showed.” Ceidon cringed slightly when he realized that Faelynn could have a boyfriend, but was vindicated when she said with an adorable pout, “Just your luck though, for now you get me all to yourself.”

“That sounds splendid, Caduceus will be so jealous!” Ceidon replied, still thinking of his friend’s advice. A waitress came by and asked if they wanted something to drink. “Two lattes please. You’ll love these,” he added, turning his attention back to Faelynn.

She laughed softly. “So what is it that you do, Ceidon? Judging by your physique I don’t think you’re a historian, or at least a regular one. All the scholars I know are fat and boring and you don’t seem to fall into either of those categories.”

Ceidon’s eyes opened wide. She was flirting with him! With a shrug and a grin he replied, “Oh, I’m a member of the Order of the Golden…” Ceidon recanted, but it was too late to avoid announcing his groups’ name. He resolved, at least, not to tell her what they were doing in Radasanth. “…Dawn. We study Althanas’ history and preserve its secrets.” Before she could inquire any further, he added, “And what do you do, Fae?”

“Ah, well…I suppose you could say that I’m a store manager, accountant, sales woman and guinea pig for my brother’s experimental gear at his shop in Underwood. He’s finally unlocked the cage and given me some well deserved vacation.” She bit down on her lower lip and leaned forward slightly. “So what is one who preserves Althanas’ secrets doing here in Radasanth?”

“A shopkeeper,” Ceidon mumbled, “You should be a model.” He answered her question in his regular tone. “Oh, uh, well I’m kind of on vacation as well. Between jobs if you will,” he tried to think of a lie but couldn’t. Instead he just avoided her question. “I just brought something in to the museum from my last venture and just happened to be walking by Niema when I saw you.”

Faelynn leaned back in her chair and pouted at him. “Wouldn’t the museum trade handsomely for such a trinket?” Ceidon wondered what she meant. “Look, if you’re going to lie to me, you might want to try something a bit better than that. Oh, please tell me! I promise not to tell anyone else.”

Ceidon frowned. He really did want to share his adventurers with her. Faelynn was the first girl in ages that seemed genuinely interested in him and what he had to say. From minute one they'd been flirting with one another. However, Ceidon had taken a vow to keep the existence of the Order and their purpose a secret. If the wrong people learned what Ceidon knew, the world could be destroyed. She was incredibly cute though. At that moment Ceidon resolved he would tell her, and then he would introduce her to Caduceus and have her initiated into the Order, as his girlfriend. The pan flute band began a slower waltz. “I’m not lying, I simply…I want to dance,” Ceidon exclaimed. “Please join me,” he asked with a slight twinkle in his eyes.

She blinked at him in surprise, but silently took his offer by standing and extending her arm. Ceidon took it and walked her to the patio. He chose a spot in the middle of a few couples and pulled her close. She placed her arms around his neck; his hairs tingled at her touch. “It’s been awhile.” she warned. Though generally awkward, dancing was one of Ceidon’s secret passions. The two danced for a moment, gliding across the wooden floor. Moments later Ceidon leaned his head down and looked her in the eyes. He wanted to kiss her, but instead put his lips to her ear and whispered.

“Sorry, I trust you. It’s just…I took an oath not to only to preserve Althanas’ secrets, but also to protect them. A lot of people at the museum have been asking questions about what I do and where these rare relics come from. I tell them I’m a treasure hunter, but look at me, I don’t fit that bill. My disguise is wearing thin. Look, it’s all very secretive and I probably shouldn’t tell you. But I like you.”

At this, Faelynn pulled Ceidon closer, pushing her pelvis against his thigh. She said nothing, so Ceidon continued. “The Order is in Radasanth searching for magical residue. It’s hard to explain but when powerful magic is used it leaves a traceable amount behind.” Ceidon sighed. “You seem to appreciate history, so then you’ll know that Lord Radasanth’s story just doesn’t add up. The elfish history briefly mentions him, Radasanth, the man who united and freed Corone. Not only that, but after years of steadfast leadership, he absconded. He left the country to a steward and ministry that destroyed it. Who in their right mind would do something like that, especially a leader like Rasadanth?”

Like before, he began to excitedly fidget, though Faelynn did a good job of controlling it with her body. “We think…I think it all has something to do with that girl, Niema, or whoever she is. I think she might have been a witch who seduced Radasanth with incredible power. Caduceus is a pretty adept mage and he thinks that whatever she gave him might be here, buried in Radasanth in the form of an item. Can you imagine? The scourge of the demons buried right beneath our feet.

Faelynn’s eyes lit up. “Really? Such a thing like that could be here in Radasanth? If that’s the case, why has no one found it? Why aren’t people out there looking for it? Better yet,” a smirk noticeably reminiscent of Niema’s appeared on her face, “why aren’t we out there looking for it? Imagine discovering something like that, an ancient piece of history erased from the pages of time. It would be incredible.” She mumbled, “it would be worth a fortune.”

“We already did…” Ceidon whispered, too excited to hear her comment. “…found the place, I mean. Caduceus is there now.” Faelynn lit up and Ceidon bragged. “Often times magical relics are hidden deep underground where the magnetism of the planet prevents traces from reaching the surface. Radasanth is built on the ruins of Teria, a dwarf city. There is a far more intricate labyrinth below ground than there is above in this city. Naturally, most of the catacombs have been searched, but we’re pretty sure we’ve found Niema, or whoever’s, tomb.” She looked at him intently, waiting for a location. “We think it’s hidden in a place so full of magic it would be hard for any mage to distinguish its source: below the original dwarf foundry. The one they used to build the city.”

“Wow, Ceidon…” she responded, slowly pushing him away. “It’s true, all of it?” He nodded, walking her back into the café. “I promise I won’t tell another living soul. On one condition,” she added. “That you take me with you when you go look for it. I can’t pass up on a vacation adventure.”

Ceidon smiled. “You are more than welcome to join. I already decided that I was going to initiate you into the Order anyway. Every great adventurer needs a girlfriend…erm, a damsel in distress to protect." Faelynn made a comment about how she doubted she’d ever be in distress, but Ceidon ignored it, attempting to entwine her fingers with his own.

When they arrived back at the table, the waitress was waiting with the lattes. Ceidon thanked her and released Faelynn’s hand. He reached down to his waste for his pouch, only to find that it was gone. “Oh no!” he exclaimed, “My wallet’s gone...” Ceidon began to frantically pat at his pockets. The waitress frowned at him and Faelynn gave a sheepish look. This continued for a minute until Ceidon said, “Hmm, there’s no way I could have dropped it. I must have left it at the Inn.” He turned to Faelynn, “I feel terrible, but would you mind paying for the drinks? I promise I’ll pay you back.”

Faelynn made an ironic laugh, but paid the waitress. If she was frustrated, she did a good job of hiding it. The two talked about Niema and Lord Radasanth for the next hour until Ceidon mentioned he needed to prepare for the excavation that night. He gave Faelynn directions to the old foundry and told her to meet him there at midnight. They would enter under the cloak of darkness. She kissed him on the cheek as she left, causing him to melt temporarily. Once she was out of sight, Ceidon turned around and pumped his fist, shouting, “Yes!”

[Reine]

She couldn’t wait for midnight to befall the city of Radasanth. Time seemed to crawl slowly along the city streets and the sun moved at the pace of a snail, so much slower than it usually did. She didn’t understand why. Normally, the day flew by before her and she had a hard time remembering where it all could have gone. But today, she counted the second and minutes, being far too excited to even want to sit still. She wandered the streets, even went for a little walk in some of the gardens that most people of her class did not dare to venture in to. She didn’t care and the guards didn’t stop her either, as long as she caused no trouble.

When the sun had disappeared behind the tall stone and wood buildings and the air had grown cool and damp, she had retreated to her home. She needed to prepare herself for this little adventure. After all, any good treasure hunter knew that where there was treasure, there were monsters. She didn’t know why and had heard theories that magic attracted both humans and monsters, but either way she didn’t care. She’d just need to take care of herself. After all, she couldn’t actually have Ceidon rescue her. Well, she could and it might be a lot of fun to play the damsel in distress, not to mention he would receive great pleasure from it. Though she was mostly using him for his knowledge, she did like him a bit. He was very exuberant and seemed like a generally caring and nice man. A little too trusting, but he probably had not been betrayed yet.

After what had felt like an eternity, the clock in her living room read half to twelve. If she left now, she’d make it to the site he’d given her on time, or just a few minutes before. Faelynn slipped Amalia and the sheath that housed the enchanted spear onto her back, followed by her Bag of Infinity. With that, she left her modest home, locking the door behind her and slipping into the semi darkness of the city. It was never truly dark in Radasanth, lights always burns providing people like her with shadow to hide in and light to find their way.

Tonight, she had opted to wear a tight fitting black jacket and a pair of black pants and of course her boots; The Iron Shackles. Every now and then they glinted, having caught the light of a lamp. She didn’t need to hide herself tonight, she was not going out to steal anything, but old habits die hard.

Bringing up the directions she had memorized, Faelynn soon found herself down a lonely street deep within the city of Radasanth. It looked like the old market place and the signs swinging from the above empty doors and broken windows confirmed this. The new market place lay closer towards The Citadel, this one was probably older and had been abandoned and left to slowly rot and die when the new one had become more popular.

The exact address happened to be a smithy, ironic in a way. The door to the shop was open slightly, revealing a dusty, wooden floor, an old counter and shelves long ago empty. Behind the counter she could see a door into the back room. Judging by the footsteps left in the dust, she could tell that others had been here recently. With a soft step, she moved into the old building and made her way behind the counter. On the other side she could hear the sounds of quiet voices, muffled by the wood. Opening the door slightly, Faelynn slipped in as quietly as a ghost and leaning back against the wall, looking about the large back room with its abandoned forge, waiting for someone to notice her.