View Full Version : Fire and Blood
Sometimes people make decisions that in hindsight are less than intelligent, but up till whatever current unfortunate condition they found themselves in had all seemed very rational.
Thus Sokket Dachenan found himself waiting outside in the sopping rain. It was shortly after dusk and there were very little people on the streets, and those that did find themselves force out of doors kept themselves as tightly bundled as they could against the wind and elements as they hurriedly bustled towards whatever goal they were headed to. It was a fairly moderate sized town, not huge, but big enough for a stable industry in trade. It was actually a waypoint from the port town to the south for caravans and other various travelers, so it got a lot more traffic than its size would suggest. Enough traffic to support more than a few large inns about the town.
The one Sok was currently waiting outside was called The Bride and Bramble, with a sign above the door featuring a rather buxom young lady caught in a patch of thorns. He didn't want to know the story behind it, these people Outside were savages. Of course, it didn't help his mood any that he didn't even have a cloak to his name during this storm. He hadn't expected to need one, true it was winter... but down south here it was supposed to be mild! It didn't even snow! Grumbling nothings to himself softly, he adjusted the fit of the headband around his ears. It was getting loose and soggy with the rain. Then resettled himself in his position leaning against the building, and tucked his hands into his armpits for warmth, trying to squeeze all the shelter he could from the eaves of the roof that hung over the side of the building.
He had already been standing out in this unquenchable weather far too long and felt that it was going to seep into his bones. He hadn't gotten into this situation from any particular chain of events, though. He was simply unfortunate enough that he was supposed to meet someone out here for a job, not that he knew who exactly yet, so he was more than halfway tempted to simply go back inside and have of a nice warm meal. Perhaps it would be a hearty broth with bread and cheese, and a mug of warm steaming mulled cider. I'll definitely have to get something like that soon enough, just hopefully after the client gets here.
His summons had been in the form of an anonymous tip, a note shoved under his door, that he should wait out here at this time for a very nicely paying job, one that should be well worth the wait. He doubted the legitimacy, but he may as well. All in all he didn't have much better to do than stand shivering in the wet cold, besides basking in warm food and the comfort of a fire that is. And if it's legit, it's going to be well worth the wait. At least it would if all went well. There was always a margin of error in a job, freak accidents, risks, lack of vital details.
Icy wind whipped more water across him, it didn't help that he didn't even have a jacket, just his standard light leather vest he always wore, the same one he had brought with him out of Al Dria. He could have sworn he was waiting in the right place:
Dusk, 3 days from now. Just outside the entrance.
High pay, over a matter of most importance.
Please be punctual.
And that had been it, no signature, but if someone had delivered the note to his door he imagined they also knew what he looked like. So then somehow he found himself miserably waiting in the stormy cold, hoping his new job wasn't a bust before it even started. "Please be punctual" He harrumphed, Well what about you? I'm not seeing anybody out here yet. He definitely hoped he wasn't just the victim of a sick practical joke here.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a figure approaching him.
This person was wearing a large black overcoat, a deep black hood, and a thick scarf. Over all it had an effect of hiding almost all details of the person’s identity, along with the obvious benefits of protection from the elements, except there was long silver hair that flowed down its back under the hood and was getting subsequently soaked with rain, much as Sok's much shorter hair already was. The figure in black reached out with a glove hand for Sok to shake, which he did.
"I hear you are man who be trusted for various odd jobs, yes? I am having correct person?" The figure spoke with a strange accent, as far as Sok could make out, with an odd speech pattern and strangely gender neutral voice. So it took an odd moment for him to figure out what the stranger was trying to say, it wasn't as if the Aldrian was yet perfectly comfortable even with the common dialect that was spoken Outside, though he had no problems understanding those who spoke it regularly and he himself no longer had an accent.
"Ah, yes" Sokket replied, "I generally take on various occupations. Do you need something?"
The figure inhaled sharply, "I have... letter. I am called Chash. We go inside, yes?"
Sok took another moment to figure out what the other person was saying, but it was getting easier. "Of course, Chash, lets get out of the rain." Letting the figure, Chash apparently, lead the way they quickly rushed inside and Sokket hastily shut the door so as not to let more water and cold air in than he needed to. The contrast in environment between inside and out was stark, and with the slightly fire-toasted air of the inn Sok soon felt alive again. It was a fairly decent place for all that, there was fresh sawdust on the floor and it was neither too full nor too crowded. Sokket and his potential employer easily found themselves an out of the way table near the fire.
Chash didn't take off any of its protective clothing such as its coat or hat when it came inside, instead it just started rifling through its pockets and it spoke again, producing a letter from deep within its coat. "I have job for you. Cannot... speak well. So, letter... yes?"
"Um... yes..." Sokket replied, taking the slip of folded paper delicately. The paper itself was actually slightly crisp and yellow with age, almost like an old piece of parchment. The writing on it though, was very new on inspection. It even ran slightly and was slightly blotched by being folded up, as if it was hastily and folded before it completely dried. It was slightly puzzling fact, but nothing noteworthy. So Sok gave it a second read through, it had a different hand than the first note:
Dear Trusted Contractor,
As a matter of most importance I am contacting you via my representative. Chash is bizarre, but trustworthy, and will by my contact with you should you choose to accept this request. But I hope you were not left waiting long.
In the port town due south of where you should have gotten this message, there is a bandit group that has come onto possession of something which belongs to me, it is a simple gem, fist sized but rounded smoothly into a sphere. I require in back ASAP.
I am not certain how exactly you should find them, but you may be able to find help along the way, I have ample with which to reward any parties you should deign to travel with. I only ask that you find and retrieve it for me as quickly as you can. Chash should be able to find you once you have retrieved it, so don't worry about getting in contact.
Sincerely
...and there was no name. This entire course of events seemed fairly fishy to Sokket, less wholesome than his usual jobs. But at the moment he couldn't be picky, he wanted to turn this sort of thing into a stable occupation, and he hadn't really had any work for a while. It does seem a fairly straightforward "these people stole from me, I want it back" sort of job, so that should be fine. But in that case, why all the mystery? It was really rather puzzling.
However, if he was going to make something of himself Outside like this, it sure wouldn't be by doing nothing.
"Okay, I'll take the job..." Sokket piped up suddenly, "Ah... Chash?"
"Yes?"
"Do you have any other information for me?"
The creature paused and tilted its hooded head, "No, no. That is all. Job is taken, yes? Good!" It didn't even wait for Sok's reply, which was fine given he'd already accepted anyways, but was slightly off-putting. Perhaps they were having some translation problems. "Good good, master pleased will be. I must see things now and attend. I will be seeing you, yes?" And with that it seemed to scuttle away as fast as possible, almost as if it didn't want to give Sokket the chance to refuse. Of course that wouldn't actually be the case, as there wouldn't be any reason for it to, but again: it was slightly off-putting.
Ah well, no harm done. Sokket simply decided that he would have as little to do with the creature as possible. After a quick meal, and a few extra minutes and coins spent to convince the inn keeper to post a bulletin saying he was accepting contracts for help with the job, he went to bed. He kept the details vague as to not attract the unsavory sort for companions, and he would just meet them at the Port.
Shortly before the crack of dawn he packed up his spear and his pack and set off down the road. The road south was fairly straight through the woods, so with hope he would get there before nightfall. He wanted to get this done in good time after all, happy customers made future customers.
Karuka had been walking a long time. Since she'd parted from her comrades, she'd been following her pendulum. She'd just wanted to explore a wee bit and then get back, but it had led her on much further than anticipated, and she had no idea how to get back to her friends now...if the pendulum didn't lead her back to them, or to someone new that she could trust, she'd wander Althanas completely lost until she learned her way around or died.
"I dinna want t' wander roun' this wee world, necklace," she started admonishing the lodestone pendulum that dangled from her hand. Karuka sighed, shaking dark red hair out of her honey brown face and looking up at the sky with bright blue eyes. She had come to Althanas fresh from France out of Ireland, and while normally even-tempered and chipper, the young lass was now more than mildly irritated.
"I WANT t' get t' friends," the railing continued. "I dinna enj'y walkin' this road a'tall. If I canna be let t' travel t' India back on Earth, since tha' werenae th' current will o' th' Norns, why canna I stay wi' mi friends? Why d'y' nae jus' let me stay wi' 'em, an' 'twould ay be happy?"
Karuka sighed, sweeping the hair back from her face again. Since she'd left Scara Brae (she still for the life of her had NO idea why she had allowed the necklace to lead her onto a boat, since she dreaded being on the water almost more than death), she had only had a run-in with trouble on behalf of a willfully helpless straw-haired boy. The only positive side of that wee encounter was that in their haste to leave, the group of thugs had left behind some money. It had meant that Karuka had spent last night (a right rainy one) at an inn, in a bed. She'd started out again this morning hoping to have a path back to Scara Brae... and had met nothing but boats.
Di' i' ay ha' t' be boats? I'm ay willin' t' follow dharma, but canna i' stay t' lan' ev'ry once in a while?
That annoyed Karuka immensely. If she was going to follow her dharma, then it should at LEAST have her doing something worthwhile and far away from boats.
But the pendulum wasn't leading her on to any boat. She sighed, relieved, as she walked past the dock and into the woods, onto a forest path. The question still tormented her at the back of her mind: why, WHY was she here? She drew a few runes from her bag...three came, a very familiar trio that she had come to recognize as simply stating "fate." So, she was SUPPOSED to wander lost and alone in a strange world. Very comforting. Loki must have been laughing at her VERY hard. Well, she'd teach him, if she ever saw him. Karuka grumbled under her breath at the twisted humor of the gods that had brought her all this way.
There was a traveler heading toward her, and she was subconsciously aware that she looked a mess with her stained-gray outfit that was little more than tattered rags. Oh well. The outfit was partially obscured by the thick cloak she'd tossed on this morning due to the slight chill...a darker and more even gray, made from the fine wool of her clan's sheep. She'd not bother the man with the spear and headband, anyway, so no need to worry about it.
She looked down to tuck her three runes back into her rune pouch, and the hand holding the pendulum brushed over the small crimson chakra on her forehead, and as she wasn't looking where she was going, she veered a little bit and accidentally bumped into the man.
She stepped back and her pomegranate-red lips curled into an apologetic smile. "Hallo, I'm ay sorry t' ha' run int' ya, but I wasnae lookin' where I was goin'."
She glanced at the pendulum again, to get her bearings straight, but it wasn't moving...it was just at a slight incline towards this tall new man. Was this why she was all the way out here? Was she supposed to be here?
"Y' look like y'v got some sort o' trouble brewin'."
TRANSLATIONS
"I don't want to wander around this world, pendulum. I WANT to get back to my friends. I don't enjoy walking this road at all. If I can't be allowed to travel to India back on Earth, since the Norns didn't allow it, why can't I stay with my friends? Why don't you just let me stay with them, and it'd be very good indeed?"
>>Did it REALLY have to be boats? I'm perfectly willing to follow dharma, but can't it stay on land every once in a while?<<
"Hi. I'm very sorry that I bumped into you, I wasn't looking where I was going."
"You look like you've got some sort of trouble brewing."
Sok was making good time, he was better with long walks like this than he used to be. The day was only a little over half spent and he was already more than half way there. So in other words he was in a good mood and somewhat surprised when the small girl who bumped into him on the path actually stopped to talk. She was a little on the short side given the height of the women back home, but he expected for an Outsider she was actually fairly tall. Of her hair, and skin she was actually darker and deeper than anyone else he'd yet seen Outside, of those particular colors. Perhaps she came from some sort of far off land or isolated community, like he did.
Which would probably explain why he could not understand a word she said. He thought he caught the word 'sorry' somewhere in that mess, but he was still puzzling through the rest of it when she started the much more understandable phrase "Y' look like y'v got some sort o' trouble brewin'." That was probably true enough. I guess she’s apologizing for bumping in to me, but I wonder why she would say something like that second bit out of nowhere. Trouble? I’m sure plenty of people travel with weapons these days, so that can’t be it. She has a sword herself.
For the most part he understood the apology, so he just waved that off and responded to her second comment.
"Actually, I might be," he said, "I've taken a job procuring an item for somebody down in the Port, things may turn out messy." Seemed like a high risk enough job, but he could move quietly... so it would probably work well enough," He eyed her sword, and what appeared to be some sort of necklace clutched in her hand. It suddenly occurred to him he would have to be careful, anyone he talked to may turn out a bandit and report what he was doing ahead of time. I don’t want to say too much. "No offense, but I'd rather not say too much. It may get dangerous though."
She did appear to be going in the other direction, so it would probably work out. He wanted to be on the safe side though. In a way he was glad she bumped in to him though, she’d lead him to the revelation that he may not want to be too trusting in a job like this.
"'Tis ay generally bad business t' go an' grab somethin' fer someone...if they canna do i' themselves, there's ay trouble, unless y' be some sort o' local authority? But y' dinna look i'...an' takin' a job isnae th' same as doin' yer job."
She looked at the man again...yes, he was a man looking for trouble...expecting it, even almost embracing it. What sort of a man could he be?
"I jus' came from th' port, a wee bit t' th' deas o' here," she pointed south, the way of the town, before continuing. "I dinna much know abou' th' res' o' th' town, but 'twere ay quiet a' th' docks. 'Tis possible tha' th' quiet ha' somethin' t' do wi' yer wee job, but I canna say."
She glanced back at the pendulum, giving it a shake so that it would start leading her back on, and it swung erratically for a moment before swinging back and forth between the two people. Karuka let out a curse in her native Gaelic. She didn't WANT to go with some random man she met on the road, she WANTED to go back ho -- well, if not home, to friends. She wanted friends and laughter and ale and stories by a warm hearth with decent clothes and her troubles far behind her. But that wasn't what dharma had in store for her. She sighed heavily, accepting once more that fate was cruel.
"Well...I'm nae a dutiful traveler. I follow th' necklace where'er i' takes me, an' right now i' seems t' want me t' go wi' y'. My name is Karuka. I'm ay useless in mos’ combat, but I've a few wee rune spells an' a fair decent punch. I know ‘tis prob’ly right hard t’ understand why someone off th’ road would jus’ bump inta ya an’ offer t’ go on some journey she dinna know a thing abou’."
Karuka shrugged, and her sun-and-sky eyes crinkled merrily as she smiled again. "But ‘tis jus’ somethin’ I b’lieve in…fate, tha’ ‘tis. If y’d nae wish for me t’ go wi’ y’, I canna impose on yer free will…but ‘tis ay lonely down a’ th’ waters, an’ t’ go int’ danger alone is th’ greatest chance o’ comin’ out dead."
TRANSLATIONS
"It’s normally a very bad idea to go and get something for someone…if they can’t do it themselves, there’s likely trouble, unless you’re some sort of local authority? But you don’t look it…and taking a job isn’t the same as doing your job."
"I just came from the port, a little south of here. I don’t know much about the rest of the town, but it was very quiet at the docks. It’s possible that the quiet has something to do with your little job, but I can’t say."
"Well, I’m not a dutiful traveler. I follow the necklace wherever it takes me, and right now it seems to want me to go with you. I’m Karuka. I’m useless in most combat, but I have a few rune spells and a solid punch. I know it’s probably hard to understand why someone of the road would just bump into you and offer to go on some journey she knows nothing about."
"But it’s just something I believe in…fate, that is. If you don’t want for me to go with you, I can’t impose on your free will, but it’s very lonely down at the waters, and to go into danger alone is the best way to come out of danger dead."
Sokket just stood there for a moment blinking, trying to digest everything she just said. She used a lot of words, and he was still trying to get the hang of her accent, it was coming a small bit easier now though. If he caught a basic sense of it though, she seemed to be under the impression he was some sort of thief! He cursed himself for not coming up with some sort of story beforehand, he should have realized someone might take his comments suspiciously. At the same time, he didn’t want to lie though. Dishonesty didn’t sit well with him, and he’d rather be thought a thief than jeopardize his mission.
Which didn’t seem to matter so much, the girl seemed to have moved on to some other topic already, something about her pendant? She was holding it out in front of her, and it was swinging fairly rhythmically. He wondered if it operated under the same principle of the pendulum on a clock, except the direction of its movement seemed to change erratically. It defied all the logic of nature he knew, perhaps it was magic. He had caught the phrases “fate” mixed in with “free will”, was it divination?
She seemed to be expecting something from him, had she said she was going to follow him? Even though she thought he was probably a thief? He reached up and scratched at his hair just over his ears, the drying headband was getting rather uncomfortable, he would have to find a second one somewhere so that he could change it sometime. He’d used his last as a bandage a while back, but in any case he didn’t like the distraction. Still, it gave him another split second to sort his thoughts before answering.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some sort of thief, and I’m definitely not going to accept any traveling companions who think so.” He was itching to get a move on though, they were wasting time, he’d wanted to get there as soon as possible to start making arrangements. He tapped the butt of his spear on the ground a few times and started taking a few steps, not quite turning away. “In any case, if we’re going to talk can we be walking? I want to have plenty of time for lodging arrangements and such in the town.”
No doubt she would probably wander off now, she’d been traveling in the opposite direction after all. Who would completely change their course to talk with a stranger?
Karuka shook the pendant once more as the man started moving off...she'd much rather her dharma lead her back to familiar territory, instead of with every random stranger she should happen to encounter on the road. But she had no such luck, and the pendulum swung determinedly after him.
Why dinna I get t' choose mi ain dharma?
Sighing, the scraggly red-head slipped the pendulum back around her neck and hurried up to walk beside him. If it were her dharma to go with the stranger, and he kew where he was going, she wouldn't need its direction anymore.
"I dinna say y' were a thief. Y' said yersel' tha' y' ha' t' get somethin' fer someone. Who'd hire a man wi' a big spear t' go an' pick up a poun' o' fish an' a barrel o' ale? Unless, o' course, th' grocers in th' town are ay mean."
She grinned a moment, as though what she said was funny, but a more somber look crossed her face. It didn't quite suit her, as though she spent more time smiling than working on any other sort of expression.
"But I jus' came from th' town...'tis ay quiet there, wi' a sense o' forebodin'...like there's a storm loomin' tha's goin' t' break ay soon. An' when a storm breaks in a place like tha'..." she shook her head, not continuing. She didn't need to.
Translations
>>>Why don't I get to choose my OWN fate?<<<
"I didn't say you were a thief. You said yourself that you have to get something for someone. Who'd hire a man with a big spear to go and pick up a pound of fish and a barrel of ale? Unless, of course, the grocers in the town are very mean."
"But I just came from the town...it's so quiet there, with a sense of foreboding...like there's a storm looming that's going to break soon. And when a storm breaks in a place like that..."
Hmm… it appears she’s following me. Did I tip her off, and she really is in with the bandits? Is she just that dense? Ah well… Maybe he would be able to trust her, if she seemed inclined to meddle anyways, if not he may be able to ditch her in the harbor or a tavern somewhere. Either way, he would have to see.
Only semi-consciously the spearman reached inside his vest and checked the letter, he needed to find a good way to decide. He supposed he might as well just come out with it, what would be the chances of finding any help when he'd already gotten there if he couldn't trust someone he'd met all the way out here? If she was working for his targets, she may be able to put two and two together from what he’d told her anyways. And what were seriously the chances that one of their informants just happened to be on the way to meet him? Sok didn’t want to be too paranoid, but on the other hand, did he want to make the gamble?
He was probably over thinking all of this, he wasn’t used to these high risk jobs yet. When he was traveling around with his buddy Cor and their various companions there was never a need for all of this intrigue. He let out a short withdrawn sigh, he had chosen his lot and there was no need to belabor it, he just had to think clearly and pay attention. Such as to the fact that he was still being spoken to, at least he had begun to understand the girl a little more easily now. She mostly had a habit of chopping parts off of words, and running others together. He paused for a bit before responding,
“Well, one reason I could be carrying my spear with me is because I plan to be there a while, and I don’t have anywhere safe to leave my possessions behind. Don’t judge people so abruptly like that.” It was true, to a point. A lot of the time he did carry his spear with him for convenience sake, but right now he was just playing devils advocate. “But anyways… the town is quiet. I’m not sure whether that makes me happy or worried.” It may make things hard to poke around a bit. “Can you tell me anything else you may have noticed around there?” He was probably being a bit too blatant, but he supposed he already half-trusted that she wasn't an enemy. Fate would have her way, in the end, so he couldn't worry too much about things that slipped out before he thought them through.
"I dinna say I think yer a thief. Y' sai' tha' yer goin' t' get somethin' fer someone. Mayhap I'm wrong an' yer jus' goin' t' get a letter fer a wee ol' lady...but tha' town has ay bad karma."
Karuka didn't understand what, exactly, was so hard to understand about what she was saying. Yes, she sounded different than most everyone she'd met, but certainly a girl from an entirely different world was allowed to be a little bit different. Come to think of it...he did seem to have more trouble than most people did, trying to understand her. Maybe he was slow...? Or spoke a different native language. Surely Althanas had more than one language, like Latin, Greek, various Celtic languages, and the Germanic tongues existed back on Earth.
She stopped a moment, frowning slightly, but quickly followed on again. She'd just have to try and be friendly and remember to speak slowly.
"Actually, earlier on I were wishin' fer a boar huntin' spear. Or maybe an ay big sword, but a spear is better. Y' can stick aon end in th' groun' an' point th' other en' a' th' other guy, an' he can spear himsel'."
She fell silent for a moment, before remembering that he'd asked about the town, then was silent for another few moments as she gathered her thoughts. What had the town been like, anyway? A slender hand reached out to brush against the still-dripping boughs of trees.
The town had been big, for certain, with a long series of muck roads, but cobblestone down by the docks. Some buildings seemed to have been made of driftwood, while others were made of timber, and others were mostly well-masoned stone. But that wasn't the interesting part. The interesting part was the people, or rather, the lack thereof.
"I dinna stay long in th' town. I only saw a few people...mos'ly men, an' they dinna e'en look a' me."
The deep-red mouth twisted in a sort of frown. Come to think of it...for a port town, that sort of behavior would be rather odd. Where had all the children been? And what about the women that were making sure they were misbehaving only a little? Why, in a port town, had there only been a few men skulking nervously about?
That didn't make sense to the red-head, especially since most of the piers at the dock had had a ship moored. Even she knew that crowded docks normally meant busy ports. There was definitely something amiss, and it bothered her.
"'Twere almos'," she concluded carefully, "like they were all afrai' o' somethin'."
Translations
"I didn't say I think you're a thief. You said yourself that you're going to get something for someone. Maybe I'm wrong and you're just going to get a letter for a little old lady, but that town has bad karma."
"Actually, earlier I was wishing for a boar hunting spear. Or maybe a big sword, but a spear is better. You can stick one end in the ground, point the other end at the other guy, and let him spear himself."
"I didn't stay in the town long. I only saw a few people...mostly men...and they didn't even look at me."
"It was almost like they were all afraid of something."
PS -- sorry it took so long. >.<
Brutus traveled many long miles on this unknown land, far too many without an ounce of rest. His eyes were blood shot from the lack of sleep and his ankles were becoming numb to the point where it felt like sharp splinters digging into his tender flesh. He had just been released from his hell no longer then a month ago, the world still seemed alienated to him, as if he lived his whole twenty eight summers isolated. He no longer was the man he once was; now he was bitter and cold. His heart no longer pumped with passion and love like it used to, but with sorrow and malice.
The storm eventually caught up to him and he was drenched by the time he finally made it to the keep, where he could finally get a good nights sleep. A good night of sleep? What the hell was that? Fiction…
Brutus De Ronheart made an oath to himself this very night. He swore to the god Zeus himself that he wouldn’t stop searching and fighting until he got his family back, even if it would bring him to his downfall. After all, being in the ring for eight years, the thought of death no longer brought chills up his spine. You could say he grew some kind of immunity to it. Death was just a word to him. The only thing that kept him alive was his own will to take back what rightfully was his. But before he could do anything about that, he’d have to find himself some money and get settled in, get to know the place, he had a feeling he was going to be stuck here for awhile, might as well adapt.
Brutus’ tough palm slammed against the doors to the keep, causing the heavy oak door to swing open with enough force it slammed against the wall beside it. Everyone looked at him awkwardly as water ran from him like the rain itself before tending back to their own business. The Inn Keeper, who was cleaning a glass with a rag, watched over him a few moments before speaking. “Can I get you a room for the night sir?”
The eyes of Brutus’ slowly shifted to the heavier set man. “Got any work around here?” This was what he needed the most. Work. He wasn’t going to get anywhere on this Island if he didn’t find himself a good job. If it meant taking ones life and causing all hell, he was up for the standards. At this point, he really didn’t care if he had to take candy from a baby.
“The bulletins to your left. There was a boy about your height looking for help earlier; perhaps you could be of help for him.”
The tall gladiator shifted his body to the given direction meeting the large bulletin board, which had many papers nailed to it. His dark brown eyes, which were reflecting black from the lit candles, scanned every paper closely. All of them seemed to be finished and done, all but the one that the Keeper had mentioned a second ago. “Set me up a room for the night Inn Keeper. I want to be woken as soon as the roosters cry…”
The Inn Keeper put on a fake smile and nodded his head in approval. “Sure thing sir, you can pay me in gold in the morning.. Your room will be up the stairs, third room to your right.”
Brutus ripped the paper from the wall folding it, placing it into his sack for safe keeping. He saluted the man with no respect and marched up the wooden steps, his heavy feet thundering behind him. The Inn Keeper sighed and went back to cleaning his glass.
Walking into his room, he looked over the area before collapsing right on the straw bed. In minutes he was out like a light, not even the scream of an elephant would wake him. The night would pass before he’d know it. It seemed like he got to sleep a whole three seconds before the Inn Keeper was waking him. “The roosters cry sir…”
Grunting, Brutus shifted onto his side, glaring up at the man looking down on him. “Very well.” Brutus snapped coldly as he lifted himself up, letting his feet touch the floor. Brutus grunted again and stretched out his body, he felt like an utter hell. He got what he deserved for forgetting to take off his armor before proceeding to rest. Like he was thinking before, what exactly was a good night’s sleep?
The Inn Keeper watched him closely with that fake smile. Before he would leave the room he announced “I will be down stairs, you can pay your nights stay down there.”
Brutus nodded as he scratched his head and let out a deep restless yawn. Well, at least the sleep he got through the night was better then no sleep at all, but he sure wished he could have slept in. There was no such thing as sleeping in when there was work to be done. He would be meeting this boy soon, so he grabbed his things and stomped down the steps where the Keeper was waiting patiently. Brutus slapped down a few gold coins on the counter and walked out the door.
“Please come again. Every lad is welcome in my tavern.”
Now the quest was on, this boy, whoever he was, most likely left already, so he had to move with long vast strides to catch up. This was no problem for him; he used to do it all the time back when he was a roman soldier. Bandits, this was all he had to help with? Brutus shook his head and grinned, shouldn’t be too rough, but he wasn’t going to think too highly of himself, not just yet. Bandits can be dangerous when in high numbers, much like those little creatures known as Kobolds. The little creatures are nothing when there’s only a few of them, but if you have a large quantity of them, they can be a real pain. This he knew from experience. Being a gladiator, you had to go through some very odd obstacles at times.
Brutus would walk at a decent pace for a few hours in hope to find this boy, who was said to be around his height. He passed a few people here and there, but none matched the description, they were all shorter. His hand rested loosely on the handle of his Gladius as he moved on. He was sure to find him sooner or later, if he wasn’t dead…..
Sok walked for moment in contemplation before responding; what was that she said again? Ah yes, mean grocers... and something about trouble and town. Perhaps he could afford to be a bit more trusting. She seemed a right enough girl, if somewhat flighty. It was probably a fault of his, but she seemed a bit too open for him to distrust completely, and a bit of somber compassion echoed in his voice in response to the sound of hers. He had a feeling he was missing something though.
“I fear my carrying a spear may have something to do with both the former and the latter. We don’t live in a kind world.” He still wasn’t being completely forthcoming, even if he had decided not to mistrust her there was still the matter of not getting her involved. She could probably take care of herself, but… he was dodging around the issue. She seemed nice, and he wanted to keep this sort of thing professional. He’d learned what it is to have friends die. He smiled softly, “Besides, I can’t exactly leave it anywhere.”
He had to remind himself though, that the fact that she changed direction completely to follow him was somewhat suspicious. Perhaps she was simply bored and lacking direction, like he spent much of his own time while unemployed. Or perhaps she really did have some sort of fate that lay in his direction, but personally he believed in a fate that was much harder to read than that. On the other hand, perhaps she simply was working with the bandits and not tipped off to him, but looking for a target, and thought that someone going to town for an equally disreputable task would be easier on the conscience. That last one was more unlikely, he doubted that he looked like he had much of value, but also on that route perhaps she was with the bandits and looking to recruit people.
Augh, he reached up with his free hand and massaged his temples, his brain felt like it was traveling leagues in a second. Most people don’t obsess over things like this, I need to calm down and take things in stride. Think clearly, take in concrete detail before acting. That would be a start. With all of his floundering, he would be surprised if she in fact didn’t suspect him, as she claimed. He wasn’t being himself, he needed to cool off, be straight forward. Actually asking, instead of trying to figure it out on his own, would probably work wonders.
“Since I’m being reticent at the moment,” As he spoke, he noticed people on the road were becoming more frequent, and there seemed to be a building up ahead, Probably a waypoint, we must be almost there, but he continued his question uninterrupted, confident in the fact that if things took a turn for the worse he would be more likely able to politely dodge her in a more urbane setting, “what sort of thing are you up to in these parts? You’re a traveler you said? Why’d you change direction just to follow me? Something about fate you said?” He was getting able to understand her well enough now, but he couldn’t recall what she’d said then exactly. Maybe she’d be willing to go into more detail.
Karuka watched the man's facial expressions change as he mulled over...something. He was going around what she was saying so badly that she had no real idea what he was talking about.
Perha' he still dinna understan' what I'm sayin'. Still...former an' latter...wha'?
She wondered what was going through his head. He probably still thought she was out to do some evil to him...and of course, she couldn't be sure he meant her no ill (but he hadn't attacked her while they were alone in the woods, which she viewed as a good sign). The only reason she'd gone with him at the pendulum's insistence was because she had enough faith in the gods to believe that if they were going to make her fight a man with a spear, they'd give her enough distance to try and defend herself.
Finally the man spoke, asking her more about why she was here and what she had said about fate. The red-head drew a relieved breath. There were so many questions she couldn't answer and so many things that she didn't want to think about that it was a relief talking about something so central to her beliefs that her world would collapse if she stopped believing.
"Well, everyaon ay has a diff'ren' dharma, or life-path. I'm ay new t' Althanas, so I dinna ha' a way o' livin' here established, like I used t' ha', back in Irelan' -- Irelan' is th' lan' o' mi birth. So I travel aroun'...mi necklace is a pendulum, an' 'tis ay good a' d'terminin' direction t' go. Since I dinna ha' anyaon t' travel wi'...or I dinna, until I met y', I normally jus' walk in th' direction i' swings. I' has ay lead me t' some interestin' an' distan' places, an' on a bunch o' differen' adventures, wi' a lot o' strange new people -- strange an' new t' me," she was quick to qualify. "Anyway...I dinna see how 't'has led me wrong a'fore...jus' t' places I dinna ay wish t' go."
That was all she could really say about fate and why she walked the path she did. There were a few people about now...men looking suspiciously at the girl accompanied by the armed man -- or more at the man.
"This town isna a good place t' be righ' now, nae by a long way," she said softly, turning a little to look at him.
"So, what'r y' doin' in these parts, really...well...firs', how abou' y' tell me yer name? I dinna seem t' catch i' earlier on."
Translations
>>>Maybe he still doesn't understand what I'm saying. Still...former and latter...what?<<<
"Well, everyone has a different dharma, or life path. I'm new to Althanas, so I don't have a way of living here established, like I used to have back in Ireland -- Ireland is where I was born. So I travel around. My necklace is a pendulum, and it's very good at determining [which] direction to go. Since I don't have anyone to travel with...or I didn't, until I met you, I normally just walk in the direction it swings. It's led me to some interesting and distant places, and on a bunch of different adventures, with a lot of strange and new people -- strange and new to me. Anyway, I don't see how it's led me wrong before...just to places I don't necessarily wish to go."
"So, what are you doing in these parts, really...well...first, how about you tell me your name? I didn't seem to catch it earlier on."
Ah, I suppose we never really had much in the way of an introduction at that. Had he really just been traveling and conversing with a person without either introducing himself or getting her name? For what it was, he didn’t particularly care himself, but these Outsiders seemed picky about that sort of thing and he normally did a good job of keeping track of their social niceties, something must be going on with his head.
In a way, her answer was just crazy enough to be true though. Sokket couldn’t imagine anybody actually thinking that up as some sort of subterfuge. He understood that Althanas was the name most Outsiders gave to the world, but he didn’t even know where Ireland was supposed to be for instance. What was it supposed to be, the Land of Ire? At least he assumed that’s what she said, some of her words he still had to fill in because of how they ran together.
In any case, they seemed to be either getting definitely closer to town, or simply traffic was increasing due to the time of day, but there were a lot more people around, and not a few of them were looking at him rather oddly. Perhaps they thought he was trouble because of his weapon, although he did see quite a few of them wearing swords or long daggers, at least a walking stick or quarterstaff. Could it be because of the girl? Or was he being paranoid again? He suddenly realized he’d been silent for a few moments after she’d asked, and they were standing just in front of the waypoint as people passed in both directions. Inn, it’s called an inn. This particular one is the Wayfarer, He didn’t know why he felt like he needed to clarify that for himself, it was a waypoint because it technically existed outside of town and was a good place for travelers to check in, the term worked.
Uhg, my head is swimming. Even after it had occured to him before, he was still just standing there watching people as his thoughts bounced back and forth within his head as she waited for his answer. No doubt it wasn’t really that long a pause, but it seemed like it to him at the moment. His ears were stiffening under his bandana as his pulse was quickening in a distant semblance of panic. Ugh, what was happening to him? No wonder he was getting dirty looks, blocking traffic. He forced himself into action.
“Ah, sorry if I spaced out a moment there, and I’m sorry if I didn’t introduce myself earlier. I am called Sokket Dachenan. It sounds as though you’ve had an interesting time of things.”
Perhaps he just needed to sit down for a while, it was only just over half a day of walking so far, but he had spent the night standing in the rain and the air was still damp. Perhaps it was going to his head.
“Do you might if we stop for lunch, since you seem to be coming with me anyways, I feel I-“ What was he saying? He stumbled forward a step, towards the inn, but caught himself by leaning on the butt of his spear just before falling into a rather large puddle from the rain that had only been a night away. Ahg, I can’t think. Maybe I caught a bug or something… hasn’t really happened much before, but there’s a first time for- His mind went blank, and he continued his topple forward with a splash.
Karuka watched the man -- Sokket -- as he struggled to answer her. His skin was somewhat pale, as though the blood had been sucked from his face, and his eyes were glassy, as though he had a fever.
He started saying something about lunch, but began to collapse before he was done speaking. His spear slid out from under him, and Karuka rushed to catch him, her bare feet splashing into the puddle along with the spear which fell from his limp hands.
"Malchadan! Yer ay a heavy aon."
She leaned down, grabbing the spear, before bumping his unconscious form so that she could wrap her arm around his waist and slide his arm about her shoulder -- easiest way to carry someone.
She kept muttering curses at him as she dragged him toward the inn. She propped the door open with the spear and dragged the both of them into the sparsely populated in.
"I need a room an' a couple o' buckets o' water, aon hot an' aon col'."
She got some odd stares from the staff, and propped the spear against the table so she could pull her satchel around and grab a handful of coins from it. She tossed these coins (mostly from the coins the bandits had forgotten a week or so before) onto the counter.
"A room!" she snapped, starting to get irritable. "I've ay go' a sick man here."
The gold seemed to communicate where her accent had not, and the manager pushed a little book to her. "Please sign..."
She took the quill, jotting down her name the only way she knew how to -- Ken-Ansur-Rad-Ur(inverse)-Ken-Ansur Tir-Is-Daeg-Ansur (http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b56/Kaymiril/Karusig.jpg), with the proportions off enough that no one would ever be able to use it as a spell. The man looked confused, but ordered one of his men to help the girl carry her friend to the room, and ordered a wench to see to the water and some clean rags.
It was only a few minutes before Karuka had everything she needed, and then she was left alone to tend to her friend.
She shucked the damp shirt off of him, as well as the boots, covering him with a blanket before unwrapping the bandanna from his forehead. He had big pointy ears, which he'd probably meant to hide. It meant nothing to Karuka, whether he was a human, an elf, or something else entirely. Right now she was more concerned with the state of his health.
He seemed to be running a slight fever, and his skin was clammy to the touch. She dipped one rag into the cold water, placing it gently on his forehead, before starting to use the hot water to sponge off some of the cold and damp from his skin.
"An' here I though' I were th' only aon t' ha' no better sense than t' be ou' in th' rain."
The Irish lass shook her head slightly and sighed, waiting for Sok to come back to.
She tossed her canvas over the back of the chair -- it was too thick and heavy to be comfortable indoors, anyway. It was a fairly sparse little room...single bed, a chair and a little desk. There was a little window overlooking the road to town, and a little hearth.
Karuka took the four steps to get to the cold place where a fire should be roaring, checking to make sure there was space for the smoke to escape, before putting the wood and kindling into the pit and taking the flint and steel to start the fire. She'd done this very same thing thousands of times since she was a child, and the fire started after a few minutes, quickly starting to warm the chilly little room.
With nothing else to do, the red-head jumped up onto the bed's foot board and crouched down, hoping Sokket decided to come to soon.
Translations
"Dammit! (lit. "curses") You're a heavy one."
"I need a room and a couple of buckets of water, one hot and one cold."
"A room! I've got a sick man here!"
"And here I thought I was the only one that had no better sense than to be out in the rain."
Brutus would have never found the boy when he reached some kind of town, but to his luck, he brought his attention out to the public. A boy, matching the same description, had passed out just in front of the tavern. There was a woman with him, must have a follower working for him already. Brutus wasted no time and his eyes remained glued on the two, cautiously following so he wouldn’t be noticed just yet. His steps were slow as he followed them to the room. The boy looked sick and very ill, Brutus wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, but it looked like some kind of fever.
The old gladiator was glad to have finally found them, he was starting to feel that he was just wasting his time trying to find someone he has never seen before in his life, and now he was here, passed out...
“Wake him..” Said his deep voice from behind the woman. She might have been startled by his sudden voice, but he seriously did not care. His hand rested gently on his gladius as he looked to the boy. “Here, I’ll help you..”
The man picked up the cold pale of water and dumped it right on Sok’s head, throwing the bucket aside after all the water was dumped. “Quit lying around like a paranoid boy and get with it.” Brutus pulled out the slip of paper and would let it fall to his lap. “I’ve traveled all this way to find you, and there is no way in hell your going to be sick and slow me down. Time is valuable to me. So if you could kindly get off your rump so we can work together and get the job done, it would be greatly appreciated.”
Brutus turned his back to the both of them as his eyes scanned the area from out the window. “The names Brutus, incase you haven’t heard of me, I was once a well known gladiator. You might have heard of me, then again maybe you haven’t. Lets just get to the point, I need this job to live. I have no money and my children are out being slaves somewhere.”
(sorry if its short.. i was rushed.)
A deep and heavy voice with a grave and emphatic accent came suddenly from the bedside, and the man, armored in leather, dumped cold water all over Sok, who remained completely unresponsive.
"How dare y' t'..." Karuka stammered, indignant, before she got a good look at the man's face. There wasn't any mistaking him as a Roman, especially after he announced himself as a Gladiator.
The Romans had been forced to relinquish their hold on the Celtic lands in Ireland and Scotland centuries before Karuka's birth, but the hatred against them still burned bright. They'd crucified Druids and wiped out entire Clanns before they'd left, and the damage they'd done had shaken the peoples' faith enough that the foreign and hypocritical god Paternoster or Jehovah had been welcomed into her native land and allowed to ruin the traditional beliefs of her people. The Romans had heralded a slow death for all that was sacred to her people, and she would never forgive it.
The lithe red-head leapt from her perch at the foot of the bed, grabbing the heavy spear of her comrade and jabbing it roughly toward the Roman.
"Bi falbh!" she spat, blue eyes flashing with unrestrained rage. "Marbh mi tha sibh!"
She stepped forward, still brandishing the war spear at the Roman. Her intention was obvious -- if he didn't get the Hel out of that room, she was going to poke him full of holes, and it didn't matter to her if he was bigger and stronger. Anger ran hot through her Irish blood, and in that moment, all she saw was red. She wanted the Roman dead. She wanted all his kind dead. They didn't deserve life after all the suffering they'd inflicted upon the world, to Celts, Africans, and Nordics alike.
Translations...and they're necessary this time!
"How dare you...!?"
Gaelic --> "Begone! I'll kill you!"
Also...bunny of Sok approved.
Brutus looked at the enraged woman and didn’t realize she was Irish until she started to speak. She was defiantly holding a grudge against him because he was Roman, why did things always tend to get worse for him? He took a step back giving her a warning glare “Calm down!” He shouted at her, his hand tensing on his handle. “Put the weapon down!”
She wouldn’t listen, the Roman had no choice but to unsheathe his gladius and slap at her spear to get it out of his way. Brutus was growing less and less tolerant as he kept on blocking her jabs. “Knock it off!”
Brutus finally got upset and side stepped one of the jabs and would step in, brining a swift elbow to her nose, hoping to knock her back before she killed him. The Roman wished not to take a life, not hers anyways, they might have been sworn enemies back at their home lands, but here, things were much different.
After Brutus had swung his elbow at her, he quickly jumped back in a defensive stance. “Please, just calm down and hear me out Irish woman. I am not your enemy! Were not at the homeland where we once was enemies, but in Althanas. Nows not the time to hold a grudge lady.. Let it go..”
He was speaking Anglish, this Roman. How the Hel a Roman knew Anglish was beyond Karuka's comprehension, and she really didn't much care. She had a Roman in her sights, and she'd be damned if she let him get away from her now. Instead of leaving, he'd drawn his weapon, and that would be the last mistake he made.
She stumbled back as his elbow connected with her face, and she could taste the blood as it ran from her nose onto her lips. It merely brightened them and reddened her teeth as she snarled at him, animalistically. Rage boiled within her slender frame...rage and hatred, and she had the object of her hatred well within spear range.
Karuka got back to her feet, pointing the spear once more at her leather-clad target. She wanted him to know why she hated him...she wanted him to know why she was going to kill him...she wanted him to know.
"Fer all th' villages yer people burned...fer all th' babies they merdered an' women they raped...fer all th' brave warriors they put on display like animals an' butchered like sheep...fer all th' Druids killed fer th' knowledge they possess...fer all th' lives destr'yed...none o' yer kind deserve t' live."
Her voice came in a growl...only once could the red-head remember being so dead set on killing someone...and she hadn't been able to. She'd make it different this time.
Translations
"For all the villages that your people burned, for all the babies they murdered and women they raped...for all the brave warriors they put on display like animals and butchered like sheep...for all the Druids killed for the knowledge they possessed...for all the lives destroyed...none of your kind deserve to live."
Sokket Dachenan was floating. Blackness enveloped his consciousness as he contemplated. He had been a fool. He’d been going about this entire affair rather badly thus far, not watching his words and placing his trust in the wrong places. This was obviously a job that required someone with already established resources, not one that he could try to do while establishing them. There were just too many variables on who to trust.
For instance, he more than half suspected that he had been poisoned. His mind had been slow, moving in circles, and he’d been in worse weather than that without showing much more than a sniffle the next day. He figured he was probably dying at the moment, thus all of his chance for reflection. He was oddly calm. Actually—
Suddenly a cold wetness splashed across his face, and he snorted for breath. He snorted for breath? He felt as though he was attempting to claw upwards from beneath a thousand heavy wool blankets inside his own mind, but he was definitely wet, and definitely cold. It was a reminder that he was alive as he attempted to sort through the various signals his brain was suddenly getting. There were people shouting nearby, and there was a soft fabric against his flesh, he was probably in a bed. Someone must have taken him to an inn, disrobed him, and then saw fit to try to awaken him with a bout of chilled freshness. Suddenly his bed gave as if somebody had stumbled into it.
He was not ungrateful, but he was wondering what the commotion was about.
He struggled, and though they felt like they had been glued shut he managed to first of all rip his eyes open and blink away the moisture that had settled upon them. The ceiling was wood and plaster, cheap but effective. Good. It was probably the inn he recalled seeing just before collapsing. He was partially right about being disrobed, his vest and boots alone seemed to be elsewhere, as he sat up his muscles groaned in protest, and a single piece of paper fell from his lap. He didn’t even need to read it to know what it said, as soon as he saw it.
URGENT. AMPLE REWARD.
A job concerning bandits to the south, travel to the port and seek me out for more information. High-risk, high-pay.
-Dachenan
And so he could only assume that of the two people warring just inches from his bedside, the heavily built man was seeking him out for his job. That or he was there to finish Sokket off to see that the bandits weren’t interrupted, but Sokket himself would prefer to assume the former. He had little choice at the moment.
If nothing else, he would keep the poor girl that had apparently saved him from spitting the fellow before he even knew what’s what. Sokket's brain was finally up to speed by this point though, so he was thinking quickly again, which would let him move quickly. Thus with muscles protesting his movement, and limbs still shaky but recovering, he leapt the short distance out of bed to grab at the girl who was wielding his spear. The two people appeared to have been fighting, and Sok definately wanted to try to mediate that away before worse came to worse.
“Please! I am grateful for your help, if it was indeed you, but whatever your grievance with this man I would prefer he was not spit upon my weapon till I’ve heard his say.” He groped for the piece of paper that was still among the sheets. “If I assume correctly he is here to help with a job of mine, and that would be something most beneficial.”
Brutus sighed as he watched her fall back and starts to bleed. He shook his head ashamed of himself for hitting a woman, but he had no choice, his life was a stake. He listened closely to what she had to say and his teeth clenched, not in anger, but a slight guilt. His eyes glanced down to the ring on his finger, then to the Irish woman. That was when his gladius fell to the ground, his arms just went dead.
The images of the Druids burning flowed through his mind; the thought of them being forced to be chaotic made him ill. Rome destroyed their lives. Brutus has felt guilty for it many times before, but to see just how much he was hated for what he was really pinched him, pinched him far more then usual. And the thought he was acting just like the lifeless roman he was built to be, draining water on a sick man to wake him of his sickness.
Brutus looked down as his eyes burned. “I did not do those awful things to my will. I raped no one. I had a wife and family, and the only way to keep them alive was to serve as a soldier. Even then, I failed to do so, now my wife is dead and my children are slaves.”
The Roman glanced out the window before he took a step toward the woman, leaning down, he grabbed a cloth. She would probably kill him, her kind were very stubborn people. “I am no longer a man of Rome. More of a pest, they would treat me, as if I were the Irish as well.”
Brutus usually wasn’t this soft, but the guilt, it was killing him. Why did he follow orders to kill those innocent people of the forest? Why had he helped to destroy the Celtic beliefs? The druids never harmed anyone and the Romans went in and destroyed what they were.
The ex soldier of Rome took another cautious step toward her. “Please, let me help you, your bleeding pretty bad.” His eyes gave her a sorry look as he waited to see her reaction. She probably wasn’t going to accept his peace treaty, but it would be worth a try.“I’m sorry….”
Luckily the boy was awake enough to snatch back his spear; Brutus had a feeling he was going to get stabbed for being a fool and lying down his weapon. His eyes glanced at the boy before looking back at the Irish woman.
Karuka recoiled from the Roman as he stepped toward her with the rag. "Dinna touch me," she hissed.
So, on top of being a Roman, which was cause enough to kill someone who may have been otherwise innocent in Karuka's book, THIS bastard had actually BEEN there! He'd plundered the sacred groves of her people, burned the Druids, with their sacred knowledge, in the great wicker men, and crucified them like petty thieves. He'd fought them, killed their warriors and heard the screams of their dying women and children...and like a monster, had thought nothing of the holocaust around him because he belonged to Ròimh*.
He deserved to die.
Karuka strained against Sok's hold on the spear for a moment, but luckily for the Roman the pointy-eared man was stronger than she was.
Instead of redoubling her attack, she ducked under Sokket's arm, stepping around behind him with the same muscle tenseness as a cat on the prowl.
Her hands came up to her nose, and she snapped the cartilage back into place, grabbing one of the clean rags and pinching it to her nose. The bleeding would stop in a few minutes, and the blood staining the rag would serve as a reminder to the red-head of a man that deserved to die.
Meanwhile, she would watch them talk, these men, from the corner of her eye.
Translations
"Don't touch me."
*Rome
Things were not going well at all.
Sok was trying his best to ignore the seething of the spitfire figure standing behind him, but the girl did not make it easy. A detached portion of his mind hoped she didn’t get blood on him, but she seemed to have her nose under control, so he concerned himself with the more pressing immediate concern – that being the man currently standing in front of him.
He was obviously a soldier, about Sokket’s own height but much more heavily built, with the blunt frame and facial structure that screamed of masculinity. Sok also noted that the man was quite heavily armed and armored, with a large square shield and studded leather garments. He was obviously a fighter, not one given to infiltration and subtlety most likely, and so Sok decided to trust him for the time being. It was not a decision that took him long.
This was just as well for Sokket, his muscles were screaming at him to sit down. It took a good deal of his will not to just collapse back on the bed. Not yet, I have a job to do. Not that I quite understand everything that’s going on yet, but that hasn’t stopped me before. In any case, he had to start somewhere.
“Look, I understand that there is some enmity between the two of you. I’m not quite clear on what it is, but this is not going to get us anywhere.” Sokket glanced behind his back to the girl who was still glowering there and clutching her nose, “I truly am grateful, but a man’s past shouldn’t be held against him, please let us hear him out.” Finally finding the paper again among the sheets, Sokket firmly grounded the butt of his spear again and used it to lever himself back into a more upright position and gestured to the man, “I assume you brought this? It’s mine, as you seem to have assumed. I’ll be willing to discuss matters, if this situation here calms down.”
Brutus watched as the woman as she decided not to take his help, meaning she didn’t want peace either. His hand crumbled the rag and he tossed it to the ground with aggression before turning and grabbing his gladius. By the dull look in his eyes, he was going to kill her, but instead the slightly sharp blade slid into its sheath. His arms crossed as he just watched the two for a moment.
“Oamenii dvs nu a fost singur pentru a cãdea”. (your people were not the only to fall)
“For there was a man, far greater then any druid, mage, and witch, then I have ever saw in my years of being a soldier. He could make the blind see again, he could make the dead breathe again. The man could walk on water and feed thousands of people with very few bread and fish. You know what happened to him? He was crucified not because of us, but for the jews, because they did not believe he descended from their god. So us Romans, had to finish him off, and the site of his pain I’ll never forget him. Sometimes he makes me question Zeus.”
Brutus looked out the window as he took in a breath of air. “He was nailed up by his wrist and ankles. His screams could be heard all around. The man didn’t deserve what he was getting. We were just following orders. It wasn’t my fault. Many people looked at me in hate for me only being there, guarding the area. I’m hated by thousands of people Irish woman, one more wont effect me...”
The man looked at Sok and nodded. "Lets us talk about this little mission of yours. I traveled miles to find you and don't plan it to be a waste of my time."
(Just to let you know.. Im just kinda mixing history.. Not really going by the actual years these events happened. )
"A man greater than any? Th' son o' 'God'? Ay, I kno' th' aon yer speakin' o'. His teachin's followed down through th' centuries, caused th' fall o' th' so-proud Empire tha' conquered th' worl', an' shattered i'. An' 'tisnae all."
Karuka was a Druid...as proud of her Celtic heritage as any Berserker to go off to battle roaring the battle songs. But she had encountered Catholics..."Christians" that went along subduing and effacing any other religion in the name of brotherly love and eternal life for all believers of their god.
The Roman had been around for the crucifixion of the Christ-figure, had watched him die, and Karuka wished the brute had stayed dead. If he had, then the Celtic shamanism that she had grown up learning would not be vanishing from the face of a world that grew colder and more violent with every new decree that managed to trickle down from Italy.
The red-head momentarily felt bad for Sokket...this wasn't going to get any easier for him if both she and the Roman stayed in the same room, and he was really the only one with business there. Sometimes a person couldn't deal with fate. Sometimes she had to say that there are just some things that are unacceptable and walk away. So that was what she would do. She would say her piece and walk away.
"He was aon man, an' wha' he taugh' conquered th' worl'. More people ha' been merdered in his name than e'er th' brutal Romans slaughtered...an' more are t' be. So great a mage shoul' AY be prou' o' wha' he did, preachin' love an' eternal life fer everyaon, an' then turnin' th' worl' int' a blood bath in his name. He shoul' AY be prou'. An' as t' makin' y' dou' silen' Zeus...th' Jew y' merdered killed him, an' is killin' th' gods o' mi people as well."
She looked at Sokket.
"Ye'll ne'er get yer business atten'ed t' like this. If 'tis yer dharma, ye'll fin' me again. An' if 'tisnae, then may th' road rise t' meetcha."
The Irish lass wiped her face before tossing the bloody cloth into the bucket of hot water and grabbing her canvas. She then left the room, closing the door behind her and stalking out of the inn, heading to town.
Translations...good gods, you got the girl started on Christ. Btw, not an outro . We can figure something out.
"A man greater than any? The son of 'God'? His teachings followed down through the centuries, caused the fall of the so-proud Empire that conquered the world, and shattered it. And that's not all."
"He was one man, and what he taught conquered the world. More people have been murdered in HIS name than ever the brutal Romans slaughtered...and more are to be. So great a mage should be VERY proud of what he did, preaching love and eternal life for everyone, and then turning the world into a blood bath in his name. He should be very proud indeed. And as to making you doubt silent Zeus...the Jew you murdered killed him, and is killing the gods of my people as well."
"You'll never get your business attended to like this. If it's your fate, you'll find me again. And if it isn't, then may the road rise to meet you."
Sokket no longer had any clue what they were talking about, not that he had much of one before. There seemed to have been a great man who was also killed by this man's people, one who had shaken an entire world for good or ill, but it was all a matter over Sokket's head and at the moment he wanted to keep it that way. In fact, it was all a matter he would well see behind him, he was inclined to follow the girl's advice. Karuka was her name...? If it was fate she followed, odd thing that it would stop insisting after she'd more or less saved his life... maybe he was fated to actually do something here, either that or fated to owe her. Whichever would happen, he wished her well.
Sadly, of course, she disappeared before he managed to energize himself enough to actually say goodbye. This had been an exhausting experience so far, hopefully things would look up once he'd managed to reach town, but for now he just wanted to sleep, his body was pulling him downwards as it took all his might to cling upright to his spear and he hung his head. He was going to have to say something to the warrior who remained in his room, but he didn't really want to deal with the hassle at the moment.
“Listen, Sir...” He started, “I don't know what you two were arguing about, but it doesn't make for a pleasant waking. Quite frankly, I'm exhausted. You can keep trying to talk to me if you want, but at the moment I just want to sleep.” His head felt like the inside of a bee's hive, one that somebody had thrown into the lake moment ago. He wasn't sure why that analogy had occurred to him exactly, but it seemed appropriate, and he didn't much care, he just wanted to topple over. He wouldn't though, not while there was someone present anyway. He forced himself to gingerly lower himself back onto the bed and prop his spear up against the wall behind it – gently – not just letting it drop. His limbs all felt like they were on fire besides his head fuzz, he was suddenly grateful he was already undressed because otherwise he would just be falling asleep in his clothes again, and that's never very comfortable.
Curling up under the blankets Sok tried to keep one of his eyes open on the man, he was tired not crazy, he didn't even know the fellow. He knew it was somewhat less than polite of him to just lie down like this, but he partially didn't care as much as he normally would.
Maybe the guy would stick around maybe not, not like there wasn't plenty of other work in the area for the fellow, with all the merchants around some are always looking for new guards. Whatever would happen, would happen.
Karuka stormed away from the inn, just following her pendulum until out of the corner of her eyes she noticed that the grays and dull browns of civilization were becoming the earthy browns and greens of the forest. She'd expected to have been brought this far to do something of worth, and instead she was just being led away after having done nothing? There was an entire town full of people living in fear, and had she not been brought this far to help them?
She dipped her hand into her rune pouch, pulling out Othel, its spade-shaped face turned upside down. Essentially, it said that she had nothing to gain here now.
Sputtering, the redhead put it back. "An' what abou' th' people?"
Her answer came in the form of two more runes, Sigel inverse and Tir. This battle was not her battle, and interfering in it, as weak and useless as she was, would only bring disaster upon her and others. Not a good cast, then. Apparently, she'd only been sent on this road merely to help get Sokket to an inn and have her nose broken by a Roman.
Why? How was it important that any of this had happened? She really didn't know, and the pointlessness of it frustrated her.
Sighing, Karuka slipped her pendulum from her neck and let it lead her on. It didn't matter that she'd wasted time here. It wasn't like she really had anywhere to be, or anyone expecting her. Just pure dharma, yanking her in directions she didn't understand.
Thing of note: most of this is waaaaaaaay old writing, and my writing style has since changed.
Sokket blinked his eyes blearily as in the morning sun, he was still tired and not yet altogether that well. He had to get a move on though, he had little time to spare... especially considering he no longer remembered how much he had gotten around to telling his two disappearing guests, word could have gotten to his targets. With the entire drama that occurred he imagined, hoped really, that no one would recall anything conspicuous.
He was already annoyed at himself for falling asleep while the man was still present, but when he awoke the next morning he was alone and all of his belongings were still in the room with him, so at least that seemed well enough. He also found that the girl had already paid for his lodging the night prior. He was eternally grateful, he did not know what would have happened to him without her help but it would likely have not helped him get his job done. Of course, he probably would have little reason to need a job by that point, but it wasn't a point worth belaboring. He'd never really gotten much sick before, he would have to be more careful in the future.
After checking his belongings once more, he tightened his pack, knocked the ground with the butt of his spear a couple times, and set off down the path towards the harbor town once again. It was a rough start, but the quest was still salvageable, he would have to try to be a bit more careful with more than just his health was all. Perhaps, if the opportunity presented itself, he could find out a bit more about his employer even.
His muscles groaned and his head still felt somewhat stuffy, but perhaps he just needed to warm himself up a bit with some activity. With luck, he'd be over his bug before it could get in the way much. Without luck though... well...
He'd have to find some paper and talk to one of the merchant's heading west. It had been a while since he had written home.
(End pt. 0, to be continued, guess Brutus isn't coming back.)
Christoph
09-10-07, 08:59 PM
General Notes:
The ending of this quest disappointed me. To an extent, that’s good, because if I thought that this thread was without merit, I wouldn’t have been disappointed its abrupt ending. :) There was definitely some potential here. All in all, though not perfect, it was a good start. This judgment wound up a bit longer than I’d expected…
Continuity: 4
Sok: I really didn’t understand where Sokket was coming from. From what I could tell, he just sort of appeared “Inside” or something, from what I could tell by his talk of “Outside.” It didn’t make much sense to me, sadly. I never did figure out where this quest took place. Karuka did a little better by at least telling the reader where she came from. There was still no mention of where she was. I understand that it was done in the “Other regions” forum, but I still would have liked something more than a land of indeterminate size, an indeterminate distance away from the rest of the regions in Althanas. I was really in the dark.
The first meeting seemed a bit cliché, to be honest. It wasn’t terrible, but it could have been much more creative. It struck me as a little odd that Sok would automatically start talking about his job to a perfect stranger, especially since you portrayed him as being practical and sensible the rest of the time. Karuka’s reasoning for coming along was random in a consistent way. There will be more on all of that in Persona and Action.
I got a little bit from Brutus, but even that wasn’t very clear. I couldn’t truly tell if his first paragraph was some kind of artistic metaphor, or if it was literal. Other than that, you just seemed to be out for a job. It was pretty standard, but not very creative. To your credit, you did give him a decent motive, regarding his family. More on that later. Other than that, I was left hanging at the end, but you did give a reasonable attempt at giving me a general idea of what was going to happen next.
Setting: 4
The main problem here was that there wasn’t enough setting given. All I could gather was a road and a port town. Other than a mention of a forest, the surrounding landscape was all a blank to me. I didn’t even know if the port town was on a river, an ocean or a sea… or a lake of fire. Also, as I stated in continuity, it was never explained where, exactly, the setting was.
Aside from that, the setting given was described pretty decently at the beginning. I got the cold rain and the Inn reasonably well in the first post, and Karuka described the muddy rode decently. More vividly described surroundings that include more sensory details and are interacted with more regularly would have improved this, though.
Pacing: 3
This was probably the weakest area of your quest, I’m sorry to say. It started off rather slowly, and dragged on quite a bit, and then ended without much of a climax or resolution.
Brutus’s entrance was long, and it could have fit into the flow of the posts better than it did. It chopped up the conversation between Sok and Karuka, thus disrupting the pacing. A helpful thing to consider is that character entrances are just another opportunity to be a little dramatic, to add some foreshadowing. The trick is to put it in the right place so that it doesn’t seem random.
Again, the main problem here was that the thread really wasn’t complete. There was a lot of build up and then… nothing. The closest thing to a real conflict was the fight between Karuka and Brutus… but that wasn’t enough. The ending really left me disappointed. I’m sure that, had the quest carried through entirely, you would have scored quite a bit higher on pacing, and it would have been far more enjoyable to read.
Dialogue: 6
The dialogue didn’t flow very well early on. It wasn’t so much a conversation as it was two characters swapping speeches and monologues. On the positive side, Sok’s frequent misinterpretations of Karuka’s speech due to her accent came off as fairly realistic and amusing. I think this was overdone after a while, though, but not terribly so. Also, Karuka’s dialogue displayed a nice sense of humor. I also picked up on a lot of Karuka’s anger through her words. On the whole, this wasn’t bad. I liked the way Chash spoke in the first post. It sounded Russian, which made me smile.
Action: 5
Sokket’s fainting spell in page two struck me as a little random. I sort of got it, but it could have been built up to a little better. I didn’t notice any preliminary symptoms in the posts leading up to it. Brutus: There was a bit of an issue with your character speaking a language that he wouldn’t have realistically known. Also, your reactions to Karuka’s anger were a bit unrealistic, but there will be more on that in Persona.
On the whole, I didn’t spot anything very special here, unfortunately. The little scuffle between Karuka and Brutus was fairy run-of-the-mill. Of course, action doesn’t need to be only violence. Karuka was the only one who seemed to put much effort into portraying her character’s body language in good detail. Little things such as how your character stands and moves, how often he blinks, and whether or not he fidgets makes a character much more believable and real.
Persona: 6
While Karu’s anger and prejudice toward Brutus made sense and was well explained and really added to her character, Brutus’s instant understanding of her anger seemed a bit of a stretch. The Roman Empire was a massive place that stretched on for a long time. It seems unlikely that Brutus would have been around at the perfect time and place needed to have been involved in the relations between the Celts and the Romans. Even if he was, the Romans were largely so egocentric that they wouldn’t have even noticed the hatred that “lesser peoples” had for them. It’s possible, but it struck me as unlikely.
Sok struck me as a little naïve and hard-bitten at the same time. I spent a good chunk of the thread trying to decide if it was a bad contradiction or not. ;) Not bad, keep working at it.
Karu: What more is there to say? Dharma says walk forward, and she says, “Blindfold on or off?” Her frustration toward her supposed fate came through very clearly. Nice work.
Mechanics: 6
Sok: You had quite a few run-on sentences and others that weren’t grammatically correct. You also left out apostrophes here and there. Proofreading would have caught most of these. Feel free to PM me or catch me on AIM if you would like to go over them in detail.
Brutus: You didn’t have quite as many run-ons and incorrect sentences (there were still enough to detract from the writing), but you did mix up your tenses a couple times. Again, proofreading would have helped. The same goes for you regarding PM or AIM.
Karuka: Your spelling and grammar was quite good. I didn’t see anything bad that stood out.
Technique: 4
I didn’t see any examples of more sophisticated literary devices from Sok or Karuka as I started reading this thread. Then, when Brutus entered, it was a metaphor overload. Metaphors and similes can be great, but be careful not to overuse them on things that aren’t very important. A little more effort and detail could have really added a lot of color to the writing for all three of you.
Clarity: 5
Aside from the issues already raised, there was some inconsistency in the beginning when Karuka said that it looked like Sok had “trouble brewing” while Sok then described his character as being in a good mood the post that followed. Always remember, it’s very important to work together, whether in quests or battles, to make sure that everything is consistent from post to post. Aside from that, I generally had a decent idea of what was going on. This should improve on its own as other elements on your writing improve. And always remember to proofread.
Wild Card: 6
This quest had a lot of potential. I’ll give you a six for actually trying to wrap it up instead of letting it sink into the depths of Althanas, never to be seen or heard from again. I look forward to seeing all three of you write in the future.
Final Score: 49. Congratulations!
Gold/EXP:
Karuka Tida gains 937 EXP and 190 GP, minus three four the room she paid for. (So 187)
Sok gains 460 EXP and 190 GP.
Brutus gains 314 EXP and 130 GP.
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