On Duty (Open to other Workers)

“You're hired, Rhiannon. We're looking forward to having you here with us in the Underwood Patrol. If you have any friends with a good set of arms and a good head on their shoulders, bring them on out. We're really hurting for people right now due to the whole mess with Corone. They shipped a ton of my favorite men off to battle. If you're ever interested in enlisting-”

Rhiannon smiled, her eyes not leaving the officer's broad figure. “Well, Officer Roland, that would sure be asking a lot of a foreigner, now wouldn't it?” she questioned playfully. How else was she going to have a good reputation and insure to get the job? She needed to make a living in this world more than he knew.

The officer chuckled, nodding his head slightly as he crossed his arms. “Haha, you're quite the bright girl. Your patrol will be starting in a few hours, so I'd advise you get rested. There will be a couple new recruits like you tonight, so do your best to follow the rules and regulations. Most of all, be careful. You never know when this place could get a little crazy. Once in awhile something will make its way out of the forest, but other than that...bah you got nothing to worry about.”

Rhiannon smiled as she gave the man a thumbs up. Hard telling if such a physical expression were the same here as they were back in home. If not, the chances are he wouldn't know what it meant anyways. “You can count on me. I won't let you down, Mr. Roland.”

As Rhiannon turned to walk away to the inn she rented for the night, the officer cleared his throat slightly, which gave her the impression to stop a moment. “Yes?”

“Don't forget about our drink tomorrow night after your watch. I can tell you anything you wish to know about our home here in Underwood. What was it you said ya were from again? Alaska?” Roland asked, his fingers combing through his black beard.

The women couldn't help but shake her head. Men. They truly were all the same. It didn't matter what world she was in. “No worries. How could I forget a drink with such a strong and chivalrous man? Now if you don't mind, Officer Roland, I have important business to tend to.”

“Of course. Be sure to report in with the higher ranks before and after your shift. I'll be looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Laying down softly in her bed, Rhiannon closed her eyes, taking in a big wiff of air. The pleasant smells of fresh flowers outside her window helped her relax as she placed her hands behind her head. Since there were a few more hours until nightfall, the woman figured she'd take this free time to relax. Rhiannon couldn't remember the last time she got to enjoy a comforting, feathered bed. This totally had the logs, mud, and rocks beat by a long shot.

While she remained there with her eyes closed, she let her other senses take over. Beyond the flowers were the smell of the horses, tied to their posts. And from her door was the smell of the kitchen downstairs in the inn. The cooks were making a fresh stew over the fire. In the distance, pass all the hooves of horses and clanks of armored feet, children were at play, giggling and laughing. A smile fell on Rhiannon's lips. For once. There was peace. If it wasn't for her abnormally keen senses, Rhiannon wasn't sure if her sanity would be so sane if she were to live life without it. There were so many things she could experience with her powers, and to think that knew abilities could come at anytime. Was there anymore to her than what she already was?

Ignoring her thoughtful questions for now, she simply enjoyed herself. Didn't think about work, the Union, or the portal and Lazzo for that matter. Too much of that little man could drive about anyone insane. And she meant anyone. A slight laugh still escaped her lips thinking about it. Despite his rude, arrogant behavior, Lazzo was a funny man.. Gnome.. Kuh-Knome. Hah, she remembered that episode. Well, so much for not thinking about Lazzo...

Sighing, her eyelashes opened softly, blue orbs glancing around the room. She didn't want to get too comfortable before work, so she got up and headed for the window. The wind pressed at her blonde hair, blowing it back politely, giving it a artistic sway as she watched the town under her. So, this would be the small town she would swear to protect for the time being? It honestly didn't seem all that bad. Most of the people seemed pretty friendly around here, but then again, she didn't really speak to anyone other than Roland. Hard telling if they'd take kindly to an outsider. Her accent was far off from theirs. An Alaskan accent... Who would of guessed? Everything was still so much different to her. This world, Althanas, was so mysterious.

Rhiannon was just finished putting on her light chain mail when the door knocked three times. Her eyes glanced over her shoulder at the large oak door, knowing that it was one of the town guards. “Come in.” she said aloud.

With a loud creek, the door opened passively as a man suited in armor looked at her, nodding in respect. “We're gathering the next patrol shift. You're to meet down in the armory to receive your sword.”

“Sword?” Rhiannon questioned, her golden eyebrow rising as her hands plopped her iron helmet over her cranium. The woman was never trained or ever asked to use a sword before. All along she thought she'd be using her own weapon. It was her own fault for assuming things she guessed. “Right, a sword. I'll defiantly be needing that. I'll be down in just a moment.”

After giving her boots a proper tightening, Rhiannon made her way down into the armory, receiving her sword. The armory manager informed her bluntly that she is to bring all weapons and armor immediately after her shift. “Igh, sir. I'll have your armor and weapon returned to you immediately. Where will I be patrolling, would you have such information?”

The manager rolled his eyes, pointing a boney finger to the board across the room. “You'll find everything you need there. Didn't your officer inform you of anything about this line of work?”

“Of course,” Rhiannon assured, blinking slightly, “It slipped my mind is all.” This whole plot of her trying to act like she knew everything about Underwood was becoming an act of failure. No matter how hard she tried to understand the place, she just wasn't comprehending everything in one sitting. The wall had her name written under the west side of the village. Taking in a breath, she held her breast high and stepped out the door. First night of work here we go.

The night was a festival of wild music as the crickets sang their choirs under the shining moon. The West side of the village was empty, only a few torches here and there left to light the common roads for the night patrol. The night air was fresh and Rhiannon couldn't help but take in a big breath, slowly letting the air escape her lungs powerfully. What a pleasant night.

Clich clich clich clich.

The sounds of the woman's boots clanked against the dirt surface as blue orbs glanced from alleyway to alleyway, her hand resting gently on her sword. Sword. How odd it felt to even have one attached at her hip. Not only did all this armor and weapons make her feel unproportionate, but it also made her feel slightly off balance. If she could have her way, she'd simply lose all of this cumbersome metal and move freely without it. In honesty, her acts of combat would be much more proficient this way.

Clich clich clich clich.

Suddenly the rhythm of her footsteps came to an immediate halt, her ears perking as she heard a light whimper in the distance. By the sounds of it, the voice was that of a little girl, no older than twelve years old. The voice was a distance away, but as Rhiannon neared, it led her to a dark alleyway. Holding her torch up, her eyes squinted as the torch light revealed a little girl, hands holding her face as she remained on her knees crying. Rhiannon cleared her throat softly before she called out to her. “Little girl, is everything alright? Curfew has passed and you are not to be outside of your home.”

The little girl sniffed, looking up at the soldier through her long locks of her. Her lip quivered as more tears ran down her face, shaking her head in objection. “I can't go home until I find Massy. She ran away and I can't find her...”

“Massy?” Rhiannon asked, taking a few more steps toward the girl, “Who is Massy? Has one of your siblings gone missing?”

Shaking her head, the little girl answered. “No, Massy is my dog. She heard a noise and ran out the window...” Overwhelmed, the girl covered her face again, wheeping.

A soft heart struck Rhiannon and she felt her gut tighten. Looking around, her eyes fell back on the girl. “Alright. I'll find your dog, but you're to go right home and I'll return her to you. In what direction did she flee from your house?”

“T-that way.”

Clich clich clich.

The alleyway was long and dark. Walls around here only grew taller as she walked deeper, her footsteps echoing through the emptiness of the alleyway. There was no sound of the dog at all, and the alley only led to a dead end. “Are you sure she-” Gone. “Little girl?”

“Behind you.” answered a voice that most defiantly did not belong to a little girl.

Shocked, Rhiannon swung around, unsheathing her sword to see a seven foot tall demonic figure. Its red eyes glared at her as sharp fangs smiled at her grimly. Taking a step back, Rhiannon put herself into a defensive stance. This was bad. This was very bad. What was this thing? No time to think, she had to act.

With a strong will and determined face, Rhiannon clonked in heavily, bringing up her sword to smite this wicked creature. To her horror, the monster simply snatched it like a stick, holding the woman a few feet in the air so they could see face to face. "Foolish woman, do you really think you stand a chance against me? I've killed many like you before, but you, oh you... look scrumptious."

A long, drippy tongue rolled out of the creature's mouth, slopping all around Rhiannon's face. Of course she screamed in disgust, falling to the floor from letting go of the sword. Getting up as fast as she possibly could, stumbled to her feet, clenching her teeth tightly in rage. "What's wrong, sweetheart? A little too much tongue on the first date?"

Rhiannon knew there were no other guards around her. She had to fight this thing to survive. By the looks of him, he moved far too fast, which took running out of the question. The monster moved in fast, too fast, lifting Rhiannon off her feet. "Enough of small talk, lets get on with our meal shall we?" The monster opened up its jaws, wider making it very abstract to the rest of his body.

...No, not today.

What would Clint Eastwood do?

Narrowing her eyes, she grabbed her elecrto baton, igniting it.

You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk?

Slamming the electric powered baton down the creature's throat, it screamed in great agony as electricity pulsed through his skull violently. He immediately threw Rhiannon against the wall as he choked, falling to his knees, his hands choking himself. Slamming his fist down, her cursed. "Y-you stupid bitch! I'll will devour your corpse and leave your rotting organs for the rats!"

The power of this creature was tremendous. Whatever wind was left in her chest was completely knocked out, leaving her gasping for air as she remained against the wall on her ass. Unfortunately during this whole act she lost her baton. She thought for sure that last attempt would kill the creature. Wrong. Horribly wrong. The creature stood over her and gasping, Rhiannon closed her eyes. This was it. Blood splattered everywhere and a loud roaring scream lit up the town.

Roland lifted his sword, pressing its sharp edge through the creatures body. The man's strength had enabled him to make the thing into two sections. Arteries rained blood, making Rhiannon an even bigger mess than she already was. An attack from the back. Rhiannon was very surprised, she too never noticed where Roland came from. It was as if he appeared out of thin air.

“Are you alright, Rhiannon?” Roland asked, kneeling down in front of her. “I came just in time. Akunas are not creatures to be reckoned with. Luckily, there was one. These creatures tend to come in packs.”

Rhiannon let out a soft moan as her Head Officer lifted her onto her feet. “Yeah, I just took quite the hit against the wall.. took the wind right out of me..” Already feeling bruising, the woman rolled her shoulders, great discomfort written on her face. “You saved my life, I'm in your debt. If it wasn't for this heavy armor I would of-”

“That armor saved your life, Orris. If that creature would of threw you against the walls without it.. well.. well I'd be cleaning your brains off the walls instead of the blood of this blasted Akuna.” There it was again. Roland's serious face. “Now let's get you back to the head quarters. You're probably going to need a few bandages. Tomorrow you're going to be getting up early in the morning. Soon as the sun rises..”

“Why is that?” Rhiannon groaned as she limped her way to her baton, scowling slightly at the dead Akuna under her feet. Its blood was as thick as tar. Nearly dark as it too. “Picking up a morning shift?”

Roland had his arms crossed, his thick dark eyebrows still serious, but not angry. His tone was a bit stern though. “I'm teaching you how to swing a damn sword, that's what. You handled it as well as a six year old child. I saved you this time, Orris. I may not be there next time. Now take your sword and don't drop it..” Okay, so maybe he was a little angry.

The warmth of her bath immediately brought relaxation as she closed her eyes, letting out a small sigh of relief. Luckily for her, she only had minor damage. Just a few bruises along her ribs, which would heal over night. Roland was right about the armor though, it probably saved her. Her mind splitting headache would be a mind split skull. That, if fact, would not heal.

Roland had bought her this bath out of his own pocket. Shes only known the man for a very short period of time and she already owes him so much. Rhiannon was used to saving lives, not the one being saved. It was like she had to start all over again. Work her way to the top like she had with the Technocrats... Why were they taking so long to contact her? Had they lost hope, given up? “Damn it, Hoss... Where are you? I'm still alive...”

Althanas sucks. Absolutely sucks. Ringing out her blonde locks of beauty like a rag, Rhiannon stepped out of the bath, snatching a towel. A shower sure as hell would have been a lot better. The woman couldn't remember the last time she had actually taken a bath. Then again, it was soothing. But still. She was used to showers, tv, radios, and metal music. Suddenly she found herself missing the 10 o'clock news rambling about political lies. The woman hated the news. ..Ren and Stimpy... oh, Ren and Stimpy...

With a towel wrapped around her, she silently took her clothes and headed upstairs to her room. Walking into the hallway, two patrol guards looked at her dumfounded as she walked by, her cheeks getting fed with colorful shades. “Damn it. Sorry guys.”

They didn't mind at all. They helped themselves to stretching out their necks to have a second look.

“Wow, did you see that? New recruit sure has it going for her.”

“I'd ravage that ass.”

“Uhm, wow.”

“What?”

“....That's gross man.”

Rhiannon rolled her eyes as her door came to a slam. Sometimes... Sometimes Rhiannon hated her keen senses. She couldn't control her powers of perception. At times like that, she wish she had. Though her anger wasn't pinpointed at the two young males, it was this. This god forsaken world, time, whatever the hell it was.

Seeing that she was so flustered and pissed off, it was almost impossible to sleep right now. Not being this upset. One week. Its been one week and the Union hasn't showed up. It was hopeless. They weren't coming back. Shes stuck here..

Smash. Rhiannon's fist shot into the wall, hitting it like a cannon ball with a loud thud. The wall was much more sturdy than her fist, causing a rush of pain up her arm. She didn't care. Sniffling, Rhiannon pressed her forehead against the hard wood wall, a few tears running down her face. 'Quit it Rhiannon. Crying is only for the weak. You never cried when you were tortured and beatin. Why are you crying now?'

Was there any hope at all?

It only felt that Rhiannon slept a few moments before Roland's hand was pounding on her door. “Get up, Orris. We got some work to do. Its going to be just you and me today...”

Groaning, the woman stretched around in her bed, rubbing her eyes with a frown. She only had a few hours of sleep and by no means didn't want to get up, but by the sounds of it, Roland would break down the door if she didn't. “Yes, sir. I'll be out in a minute.”

Taking only a few minutes to arm herself and tie her hair back, she met Roland downstairs. His arms were crossed and a curious eyebrow rose when she approached. “You look a little rough, Orris. Did you have a rough night?”

“You could say that,” Rhiannon murmured. “So what's on the agenda for today?”

Roland's eyes smiled, almost grimly. “Today you'll be learning how to properly use that sword of yours. There may be a time where you have to fight an Akuna and I won't be there to help you. So grab a bite to eat and we'll get this show on the road.”

“Right,” Rhiannon nodded, giving the burly man half an attempt of a smile. It was just too early right now. Grabbing a small breakfast, seeing she didn't have to eat as much to receive her daily nutrient, met her head officer outside, and was immediately attacked. Luckly her keen senses heard the thunderous clanks of his feet, making her jump back as the sword made a dust cloud as it smacked against the earth.

Unsheathing her sword, Rhiannon glared at Roland as if he lost his mind. “What the hell are you doing!?”

“Training you. There can be an ambush at any time, and you always have to be on your toes. Now defend yourself by holding your sword out. No, its to close to your body, hold it out, like this.”

Rhiannon mimicked the man's technique, feeling slightly nervous about him attacking again. He was so powerful. She had to doubt in her mind he'd smite her with no problem.

((Hope you don't mind me jumping in. I'm on a 24hr shift so i figured i would jump in.))

"What's your name?" A weathered old man asked the recruit.

"Rhelin," he replied simply. The scribe penned his name quickly before stopping to dip his fresh cut quil in the ink well.

"Surname?" He eyed Rhelin impatiently, answers never came soon enough.

Rhelin thought about it for a moment, if there's any question everyone should know, it's their surname. Feeling the implied pressure of not only the scribe, but also from the five or so hopeful applicants in line behind him, he hurried an answer.

"Gleamedsilver. Rhelin Gleamedsilver."

His answer was met with a skeptical frown. "I'm glad we don't ask whence came and whither traveling anymore," he scoffed. "Here is the contract, sign here, initial here and there. Go to the quartermaster's office, then report to the sergeant on duty. He'll get you right."

Rhelin did as instructed, and Rhelin was glad of the lack of ceremony, a few signatures, or Xs for the illiterate as was common, and a quick oath. With that handful of easy steps, Rhelin was now a member of the watch of underwood. A rabble of untrained citizen-soldiers, ex criminals, and a few hard nosed veterans that made of the backbone, it was intended to fill in where the standing army could no longer be reasonably expected to in, the face of a civil war.

The quartermaster's office was next door, a squat warehouse where all of the basic issue equipment was kept and signed out. A line of newly-sworn men and women shuffled down a long counter, soldiers on the other side hurriedly issued all the items a fresh recruit may need. Armor, a sword, a shield bearing the colors of underwood, and a pack to carry everything else, together with a sleep roll.

"Always keep accountability of your equipment, if you lose any of it you'll pay for it," the supervisor warned.

Rhelin rolled his eyes, twenty minutes in and he's already annoyed. It was almost as clausterphobic as the small helmet they gave him. Weighted down like a pack mule, he was quickly ushered out of the backdoor into a small court yard, where sponsors sized up each one, they made their selections based on the needs of their units, or more often their own whims.

It didn't take long for a large man, an officer, to stop Rhelin and begin questioning him.

"You look like someone that can swing a sword...or use a shovel. Ever seen combat in the name of your master?"

Rhelin's free hand balled instinctively into a fist. Of all the things this pale face could say to him, it had to be based on the assumption that he was once owned. A common, though infuriating misconception based on nothing more than the tone of his flesh.

He calmed himself before answering, "I've seen some fighting on my own accord and for my own reasons, " he cut off the officer's next question and continued. "I'm not a freed man, because i've never been an owned man. If you want to see how well I can fight, keep why not ask how my mothers doing, since you can't accost me on being a slave? "

Rhelin stopped himself, but the anger flowering in his eyes surely exposed the fact that he could have kept going. Insubordination wasn't to be feared, but peehaps he had gone too far. The officer regarded him for a moment and laughed heartily, slapping Rhelin on the shoulder, causing him to shuffle so he didn't drop his equipment.

"I see I don't have to ask you anything else. Welcome to the unit! Come, follow me to your quarters. They aren't much, but damnit it's a roof, whether it's over your head or falling around your ears!"

(I don't mind at all actually. Keeps me on my feet. Welcome. Heads up your computer posted your post twice.)

“Good, that will do for today, Orris. Go take lunch at the quarters. You're doing well, but there is much work to be done in little time.” Roland instructed, looking over Rhiannon's shoulder. “Looks like we have some new recruits for the Underwood patrol, so its probably to my best interest to give them a more warming welcome than your fellow brothers will.”

How could that man speak so passively as Rhiannon remained on all fours, breathing heavy as sweat ran down her nose, soaking into the dusty soil below her? He was crazy, and her eyes would express it all the more to him. Its been awhile since she had a rough workout training like this, and Roland hardly broke a sweat. She was starting to realize there may be more to him than she may know...

With a smile, the burly man headed into the quarter, eying the few new recruits as they passed. Rhiannon, on the other hand, huffed and puffed a few more times before she brought herself to her feet, following to the quarters. She needed... rest.

The oak door opened as she stumbled in, immediately tripping over a bag that most defiantly wasn't there when she left in the morning. “What the-” she questioned as she looked at the same recruitment bag she had received a few days ago. There must have been some kind of mistake. Standing, she kicked the bag a little so it wasn't right in the door way. “Uhm, I think there might be some kind of mistake here..” The woman's voice spoke out to who'd she soon find was a new recruit by the name Rheln.

Before the poor confused man would have much time to explain, she just shook her head, her arms crossed. Right now her attitude was very biased and short due to the hard course brought upon her by her head officer. “No no. You got the wrong room here. You're in my room..If you don't mind.... leave.”

((Thank you, if I need to revise anything just let me know.))

"...You're in my room...If you don't mind.... leave.” The woman looked annoyed, and her insistence upon Rhelin leaving was imperious, especially in the way that she stood with her arms folded like someone of importance. Perhaps that's why he made no move to acquiesce in the face of her demands, that and she made no attempt at saying please, or allow him to get a word in edge-wise.

A simple please goes a long way.

In truth, he didn't feel like debating, nor did he feel like leaving at that moment, it was getting late. The fact t hat she didn't say please really did bother him. So much so the at Rhelin could feel his own annoyed gestures filtering through the otherwise diplomatic expression on his ebony face.

"Listen, the e hour grows late, and it's going to be an early morning for both of us. We'll settle this tomorrow, I assure you, but for now all I want to do is sleep. I'll sleep on the floor."

He knelt down to grab his bag that apparently was in the way of her majesty's feet, not letting his eyes leave her in case she wished to challenge him, and she seemed the sort that would. Without any further word he tossed his bag next the wall furthest from the bed, fluffing it as best he could to serve as a pillow. Unfolding his bedroll, he took a moment to look over his shoulder at the woman, partially to gage her intentions, but also to disarm the tension that filled the room.

In a half-jokingly way, he smiled to her, "don't worry, you're not my flavor," he said, drawing attention to his skin tone by rubbing his wrist with a finger.

If eyes could shoot to kill, he'd surely be in her line of target at that moment. Uncrossing her arms she sighed, walking toward the window to witness the downfall of the sun. This was very aggravating having a man in her room, especially one who didn't seem to care the fact that he was invading her space.

“Not your flavor?” she asked, seeming somewhat insulted. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Suddenly, to save the day, Roland poked his head into the door. His dark eyes looked from Rhiannon and then to Rhelin. “I heard you yelling from down the hall, and now I can see why.” he said nonchalantly, bringing it upon himself to come inside. By the looks on the woman's face, he knew that she was pretty upset for the most part. “There seems to be a mistake in our rooming situation here, obviously.”

Rhiannon nodded her head, looking down on the new man on his bedroll with a much calmer, collected look. “Yeah, I kind of went off. Apologies.”

Roland chuckled with kindness. “Haha, don't apologize to me dear Orris. I believe it belongs to the poor fellow on the floor. Anyways, I'll have this solved tomorrow. So try to make peace until then, you'll be on the same patrol. Its probably best that you introduce yourselves...” The burly man left with a grin. Things seemed to be solved here.

Rhiannon sighed again, her arms once again crossed. Once the sound of Roland's thunderous footsteps were gone, her gaze fell on the man before her. “Er, sorry...” Leaning back against the window, she enjoyed the small breeze that came into the room. “I didn't mean to go off on you like that. It was just very unexpected, really.”

“Not your flavor?” she asked, seeming somewhat insulted. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Rhelin gritted his teeth, did he really need to explain himself? Perhaps he had taken it too far. However, appraising the woman's growing anger made him wonder if he didn't push it far enough. Before he could escelate the issue further, Roland opened the door and began saying his peace.

Rhelin was glad to see Roland come in when he had, it cut through the tension and perhaps defused a situation that could have easily became over-blown. Once he had settled the situation down like throwing a blanket over a canary's cage, Rhelin once again settled in, leaning against his over stuffed bag.

“I didn't mean to go off on you like that. It was just very unexpected, really," she said once she leaned back against the window, obviously looking at something far deeper than their little room.

Rhelin huffed, well, truly a sigh of relief. He felt the pang of guilt for being pretty rude to the woman, knowing that this was indeed her place first. He felt the need to apologize himself.

"It's fine, it truly is. It was fairly inconsiderate of me to make myself at home when it's not my home to make. I'll be out of here tomorrow, but until then, we should leave this worry behind us and get some rest."

With that, Rhelin drew his rough wool blanket around him, as he turned to his side facing away from the woman, he said aloud. "Orris, huh? Weird name," he chuckled "but I suppose Rhelin's a wierd one too. That's me by the way, pleased to meet you, Orris."

With that, he forced his eyes shut. He knew tomorrow would be a big day, as all first days on the job go. He put the whole altercation to the back of his mind, but the possibilities of the next day preoccupied his thoughts, until the dreaming came.

Rhiannon smiled, something of which would never be thought to come, occurred. “It sounds like an odd name because it is my last. Rhiannon is my first name, not that you really wish to know, but figured I'd inform you. Goodnight, Rhelin.” Now wasn't a good time or reason to take any of this to heart. All of it was just a misunderstanding.

Quietly and passively, she took off her armor, placing it aside. A small grunt escaped her lips as she rubbed her shoulder, which looked pretty well bruised. That Akuna had quite the impact when it had thrown her against the wall. Such power.. but it was becoming relevant that Roland shared nearly the same strength. People were much different in this world, much more powerful than your typical American. Althanas was a fantasy come true. A curse.

Cuddling herself in a blanket, she sat at the window cuddled up, letting the breeze posses control of her hair. Closing her eyes, she relaxed. It wasn't the window she took a fancy to every night, but the wind. It... was the only thing that reminded her of home. Even the stars here were much different than what you'd see on Earth. The night sky put Earth to shame with its twilight. So beautiful. Green eyes gazed up at it to have another look for herself. She wondered, were there constellations here, zodiacs?

Maybe Rhelin would know, but that would wait till tomorrow. Slipping out of the window and into her bed, she lightly closed her eyes, having no trouble to quickly fall asleep. Morning would come short, but only five hours passed before Rhiannon was awake, feeling far, far better than she had yesterday. This woman, thanks to the Technocratic Union, only needed five hours of sleep to be feeling one hundred percent ready to start her day with no flaws. Well, that was if she wasn't damaged from combat..

Rolling around, her eyes searched out to see if her new roommate for the night was still resting. Usually, she'd be the first to wake, but there was no telling how comfortable that hard wood floor would be for Rhelin...

The morning came too quickly as it always seems to for the weary. The first hint of sunlight teased through the windowpane, just enough to rouse Rhelin from his bedroll.

He turned about to check on his roommate, whom still appeared to be resting, it was too dark still for him to see her blue eyes. "Rhiannon Orris" he mouthed, still trying to work her name off his tongue. Strange to him still, no matter how he tried to get used to it, but get used to it he would. After all, in spite of their auspicious start, she was the only person he knew, even if it was her tempter that he knew her by.

He lurched up and popped his back one way, then the other. He had slept as well as he always did, given that he was used to sleeping on floors, the ground, or on anything else that would allow him to lie down, he wasn't picky. There was more of a reason for him not taking the bed than he let on, other than attempting to be a gentleman throughout the ordeal. In fact, he rarely ever slept in beds, the memories of his dear mother prevented restful sleep - the world’s oldest profession left more than a broken home for Rhelin to contend with.

Rhelin pressed past those thoughts and refocused his efforts on more fruitful ends - getting ready for the day. He wasted no time in getting dressed, as quietly as he could so as not to bother Orris, donning his leggings, boots, and padded tunic. He'd forgo putting on the armor and messing with his sword belt, out of common courteously, at least until he was certain she was awake.

He slipped over to the basin and poured water into it and began shaving, tending to his shoulder-length dreads, and preparing his mind for whatever may come throughout the day. That is one thing Rhelin had learned, from being hidden away underneath his whore mother's creaking bed, to digging graves for a gold piece a day, or dealing with the tricks and traps of forgotten tombs - tomorrow was never a promise, each day was unique.

Checking over his shoulder one more time, he finally noticed that she was awake, and offered her his sincerest smile, even though it was awkward. "Good morning," he said "I'll soon be out of here so that you may dress as well. They'll be marshalling for the patrol soon. We best not be late."

After drying off his face and emptying the basin outside, he pulled his chain maille shirt over him, and the colors of Underwood over that. Securing his sword belt around his waist, he snatched up his shield and helmet, and was quickly out the door.

It was a warm morning, destined to be a sweltering afternoon, a fog had settled over the compound, but it didn't stifle the smell of charring wood and cooking ham. Breakfast, the most important meal of any warrior - Rhelin assumed. He still felt out of place in his uniform. He got in line at the mess, grabbing two bowls, one for Orris and another for himself. Once he had gotten their share of rations he'd return to offer her something of an olive branch, a peace offering. Even if it was only breakfast.

Rhiannon gave him a half smile as she rubbed her eyes a little bit, sitting up in her bed as she let out a couple yawns that's been waiting to escape. “Good morning, Rhelin.” She replied casually as her eyes took a gander around. She had to admit, she was surprised to see this dark man was awake before she. Perhaps the discomfort of the floor kept him tossing and turning all night, which lead to a dreadful start to the morning. He sure didn't seem dreadful. His smile was legit.

“Oh, yeah don't be too worried about that. Its fine, really. I may be a bitch at times, but I wouldn't be a woman if I wasn't.” she said with a slight chuckle, hoping to get a laugh out of him. “I like your hair by the way, I was always a fan of Bob Marley..”

“ Don' worre, bout ta thang, cuz every lil thang, is gonna be alrighta.” She sang to one of his tunes, practically butchering the attempt of a Jamaican accent. Yeah, she probably shouldn't ever do that. Again. “I used to listen to him a lot when I was a little girl.”

Rhiannon didn't mind about getting dressed in front of the man, she hadn't a change of clothes at the time, so only dressed into her armor all the same, readying herself for her next shift. She enjoyed the life as a patrolman, er patrol women, and found it a pretty stable life style. All sorts of different kind of people were picking up this job.

The woman followed Rhelin, being sure to be at his side as they got in line. To her surprise, Rhelin handed her a bowl of food. What a kind gesture. “Why thank you.” she said, smiling. “So you know, their food isn't half bad. Couldn't tell you what any of this stuff is though. You could say I'mmm..foreign. We'll go with that.”

For the rest of the morning Rhelin contemplated the woman. It wasn't infatuation by any measure of the word, of that there was no doubt. So he didn't feel anything strange with the ease in which he spoke to her. No, if infatuation wasn't the word, curiosity would do.

It was that curiosity that drove him to wonder, Rhelin knew she was foreign, just like him. How foreign was the question, she seemed almost other worldly.

Rhelin quickly ate his bowl of, well in truth he didn't know what it was either. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't think the cook knows what he made either," he smiled. He thought for a moment longer, rolling questions around in his mind like polishing stones.

"Rhiannon...who is that Bob Marlin fellow you spoke of before? Was he a bard or something?" He returned the bowl and began the short walk to the assembly area alongside his companion, if he could dare to think he had one. The patrol would be on its way soon.

Rhiannon let out a small laugh from Rhelin’s comment about the cooks. He was probably right; they probably didn’t know what they were making half the time. If she was correct on her guess, they probably just used whatever they had. Underwood wasn’t the richest of places on this Earth, well, world. “You’re probably right, haha.”

Dipping in a mouth full of the dish, she quickly spit a little bit out as it burnt her tongue. You would of thought the steam would have been a fair warning before she tried to devour the bowl’s content. Perhaps she was hungrier than she thought..

The woman remained silent as she ate, unsure of what to talk about with this man. Though silent, she felt comfortable around him. She guessed it was probably because he was foreign, meaning they had something in common. He kind of felt the way she did in a sense.


"Rhiannon...who is that Bob Marlin fellow you spoke of before? Was he a bard or something?" he asked.

Her expression looked confused a moment before she snapped out of her daze with a quit blink. “Bard? Well, yeah, he could be considered as a bard. Where I come from, he was announced a musician in reggae, which is a style of music he played. He was a very peaceful and calm man. Always wished the best for people and the world.”

Rhelin stared for a moment, not at Rhiannon, but past her, much deeper than she could imagine. Into depths that even scared him. Bob was just as alien to him as what he stood for, according to Rhiannon. He milled the prospects of peace about in his mind for a moment, contemplating the scant idea of a person wishing the best for those around them, and actually meaning it.

It was laughable at best.

Finally, he broke the silence between them, but would eventually wish he hadn't. "What a foolish man," he blurted. "Surely such a man died for some lost cause, an idea that never came into fruition. People like that always do," he spoke sternly, matter-of-factly, and from the stone expression on his face, that fact wouldn't change in his mind.

His lips pursed tight and he tensed up a bit, reacting to his own terse words and expecting a coarse reaction from her in turn. Some retribution was due to him.

"Listen," he spoke quietly, "we need to go to the assembly area. Its about that time and we shouldn't be late on our first day." Rhelin could have apologized to her for his outburst, he should have apologized, but he didn't. No one apologized to him, not ever; more importantly he didn't expect it from anyone. People like that always died before their time.

He looked upon her, unable to mask the sadness in his eyes, from both words and thoughts. "Just remember, Rhiannon. No good deed goes unpunished, no matter where you find yourself. Now, come. The day awaits us."

The woman fell into a long silence as she watched the ebony man look not past her, but into the depths of his own mind, his precievance of this world. She tried to read him, but her abilities lacked the ability to proceed through the lock of one's mind. That's not what the Technocratic told her...

'Your mind will grow extremely powerful, Agent Orris, which is why you're our most admired and important Agent of them all. You give the Union more powers, possibilites, and better future. With the hyper active cells and movement in your brain, with much practice, you will be able to read others like your own..'

'You mean... like in the movies? Hoss, such things are impossible?'

'Not anymore. You consist of the science to.. and together... we will understand..'

Rhelin's pain was more than evident. It was as if she could almost feel it herself. The empathy flowed through his eyes, making her feel scarred, guilt, and the lack of trust. 'What have you seen, dear Rhelin. What scars do you bare?' she wanted to ask him, but didn't have the gut at such a given moment. Pushing buttons with a man she hardly knew could quickly turn things for the worse. Bob could come another time.
Rhiannon stood, stretching tall as she took in a big breath of air. Looking around a quick moment, she quickly scanned the other members of the Underwood Patrol. Trying to snap the tension in half like a slim jim, she smiled an almost evil (joking) smile. "You mean YOUR first day."

Turning to walk away, Rhelin spoke again, destroying any hope of breaking the sadness and pain. Closing her eyes solomly, she walked away. This quote would stick in her mind for quite some time.

She tease him, chided him for his dour way, and if his flesh could express it as well as his fair-skinned counterpart, he would've blushed from the experience. Rhiannon seemed almost put down by his last words to her, and Rhelin let that be for the time being. He kept pace with her on their way to the rallying area.

Something about the woman didn't sit quite right with Rhelin. It wasn't a bad thing all together, not knowing what she had hidden. It wasn't wholly good either, though. It was like a luke-warm cup of water, not entirely enjoyed but still refreshing.

The group of watchmen that gather under an ancient, sprawling oak tree represented all of the races that could be scrounged up in Concordia. Humans, elf-folk, cross-breeds and even some bestial races stood to the call to arms for the sake of Underwood, whether it was for home, glory, or gold was irrelevant at the moment.

The Officer of the guard handed the Sergeant of the same a rolled up parchment containing the districts that were to be patrolled throughout the day, it changed often in order to spoil the chances for subterfuge. It would be much harder to plan an ambush, or a raid, if watchmen couldn't be counted on to be somewhere conveniently out of the way at any given time. In spite of all that forethought, the task of assigning the soldiers to their duties was arbitrary at best, which would work out to Rhelin's advantage it would turn out.

No one would be a lone, with the dangers that inherently came with being town watchmen ever present, along with the added possibilities of war approaching Underwood, teams of two was the rule. The Sergeant of the Guard went down the rank and file, eventually squaring on both Rhelin and Rhiannon.

"You two!" He bellowed, the bass in his voice the product of years of yelling at fowled-up soldiers.

"Rhelin and Rhiannon, Sergeant!" Rhelin snapped to.

"Your names don' matter, troop." He said, even as he penned down their names to the parchment.

"You and her have the warehouse district, there will be a couple of other patrols in that area, so if you have issues, just...shout," he grinned. "Your shift don't end 'til the crier sounds off nine O' clock. Now go."

Rhelin's heart sank at those orders. He knew this job wouldn't be glamorous, he understood that to be sure. After all, what was glamorous these days? Still though, the idea of guarding crates and bushels had no appeal to him in the slightest. However, he would still make the best of it, his mood seemed to lift in the face of a twelve-hour shift. In the right company it would go by quickly.

He flashed Rhiannon a spirited smile, giving an exaggerated smile. "After you, M'lady! Wood and grain need protecting!"

While in presence of the officers and higher ranks, Rhiannon remained very still, much like a statue. When it came to work, her personality would very much change to serious behavior. When her name was called, a hand folded flat above her brow. Listening to her command to watch the warehouse, she called. "Aye sir." Feet immediately hit the surface quickly as she proceeded to head toward the warehouse, figuring her partner Rhelin wouldn't lag too far behind.

As the other patrol would grow in the distance as more names were called out in different locations of Underword, her green eyes peered over her shoulder, a smirk written on her face. "Well, aren't we just lucky. Seems that we won't be parting as soon as we thought. Have to admit though, wasn't expecting the whole warehouse thing. Roland better of not done this. He knows I was attacked by an Akuna the other night."

Her lips were still after that moment as her mind collected the thoughts of that night. That creature was anything but human. The thought of running into another one brought a paleness to her complextion. Though she didn't want to seem weak because Roland had to smite the creature before her. It bothered her. "Hadn't it been for Roland, I feel I would of met my demise that night. I wasn't expecting a creature so strong, so fierce. It was... a monster.."

There were no monsters in her world. Just bad men and wild animals.

"All I know is I won't be caught off guard again..."

This was now her new life, her new beginning to this world that she still has yet to understand. All comes with time though, and Rhiannon knew this. The woman hoped this was only a temporary home, but was prepared to face the truth if she could in fact never return to her home on Earth. This was the new chapter of her life, the start of her experience in Althanas.

Everyone loves looking at their scores and reading their critiques, but please guys, if you're going to take anything away from this judging, let it be this:

Reading is a writer's best friend. We all have our own styles, but please trust me when I say that in all my experience, the thing that will benefit both of you the most, will be reading (from start to finish) a thread by one of Althanas' accomplished writers. The easiest way to go about it would be to check out the crystal ball section of the main directory (very bottom) and checking out any thread in "judge's choice". You don't have to emulate them. Indeed, you'd be discouraged from doing so. But they all scored very high, and with good reason.

With that being said...


Plot Construction

Story ~ 3/10 - Honestly, there wasn't much of one. This was a missing element in "On Duty". You both made a new friend to roleplay with, and that's better than gold pieces on Althanas. But as for a story... "On Duty" fell short of the mark. Its hard to coordinate an adventure with other players, but if the climax of your story is conversation over breakfast, keep writing. 20 posts isn't long for a quest thread, believe me. Next time, keep going! Give us more! I was hoping to see the two of you team up and kick an Akuna's ass, but instead, you ate oatmeal and talked about Bob Marley. I like Bob and everything... but no. You scored a little higher than I was originally going to give you, and that was solely because I justified it as Rhiannon finding her niche in Althanas, but even still, you would have gotten a much higher story score if it didn't end so abruptly.

Strategy ~ 4/10 - I think everyone has wanted to feed a demon a cattle prod at one point in time or another, but Rhiannon lived the dream. Personalities fell a bit short of solid, but never the less, I think I learned more than a bit about both your characters by the final post. I've always felt that characters not from Althanas have a bit of a handicap when compared to Althanas natives. References to Earth always seem a bit clunky, but Rhiannon, I have to say, you did a pretty good job. Rhelin, you noticed that she had an alienation theme going and you were quick to compare it to your own history, and as a result, the two of you played off of each other rather well. Kudos. This is another category that suffered due to the brevity of the quest.

Setting ~ 6/10 - A strong point. For both of you. Its summer time right now where I live, and nothing is better than the breeze coming in through an open window after a hot day and at the risk of sounding all mushy, I absolutely love it. I do not, however, like the smell of cooked ham, Rhelin, but I'm not going to hold it against you. What I'm trying to say is smell and texture are very much underplayed parts of setting, and you both managed to incorporate them into your respective posts. I'll never eat breakfast in the Underwood barracks after reading this quest. Rhelin, I liked how you brought a larger scope of the people living in Underwood with your posts where it was lacking initially.

The bad news: physical descriptions of the world around you guys were at times, absent. Posts are as long or short as they need to be, but I recommend both of you adding another good, fat paragraph of what your respective characters see and feel from place to place. Signs. Descriptions of people. Wagons in the street. The color of the flowers you were smelling. What did your standard issue swords look like? Were they beat up from repeated use? What did the little girl Rhiannon met in the alley -look- like? Know what I mean, jelly-bean?

Total ~ 13/30

Characterisation

Continuity ~ 4/10 - Underwood is a great place, and a lot of people have their first interactions and quests stemming from that city. I think one of an Althanian writer's biggest fears is stepping on toes when it comes to using pre-existing locations in their quests, but guys, you're level zero. Underwood is YOUR place! Play with it! Make it do tricks. Really make it your own. That is what you will have to do to earn a higher score in this category in the future. Don't be afraid to leave foot-prints on Althanas. Burn down a building kids! Have fun!

Hmmm... What else... OH! Rhiannon, you get a point just for mentioning that other places in the world have lent good soldiers to the war effort. That's a very logical reason why a character might get signed on to the town watch. Good job. The continuity as it pertained to your story... Well... Once again, it ended a little bit too abruptly to say, but your characters were pretty consistent from start to finish. *shrugs*

Interaction ~ 6/10 - I scored this a little higher than I normally would have, because to be brutally honest, it was really the only part of "On Duty" that stood out. Rhiannon met Rhelin, and the two of you interacted. At first you didn't like each other, and by the end, you did. Meat and potatoes. Officer Roland served as a bit of a crutch and disappeared entirely by the end of the thread, but I noticed that the two of you were more comfortable interacting with each other by the end, so I suppose he wasn't really needed anymore. If I were Rhiannon, and I'm not, but if I was, I would have been seeeeriously offended by the comments of the guards in the hall. "I'd ravage that ass"? Jeez. If I were half as badass as you, I would have shown them what's what. Stun-gun to the crotch and I bid you goodnight.

Not much else to say. Interaction doesn't stop at character to character. Interact with surfaces, objects, weapons, animals, and ambiance. You had the right idea with your breakfast being too hot to eat, but keep going.

Character ~ 4/10 - I'm going to single out Rhelin here because of one word: Depth. You have a rough past, you've suffered through being mistaken as a slave (a huge offence to you), and your profession isn't altogether savory, but you're a nice guy too. Its those levels of depth that score high in the character section. My advice to this: run with it. There are sooo many literary devices at your disposal to slip in a bit of background info about your character. Be a bit more daring. Have a flashback or something. I fully expect you to score at least two points higher in your next quest in this category. You have the potential and the foundation to do so.

Rhiannon, yes you're alien. Yes you're a hot blonde. And yes, you were part of a military organization. But I could get a pretty good sense of most of that by looking at your sidebar. Are you a tom boy? A girly girl? Was it maternal instinct that caused you to sympathize with the lost little girl? Is it difficult to be taken seriously as a female warrior, on Althanas or back on Earth? I chose questions of gender as an example because you made a lot of cliche references. Men are all the same. Guys checked out your ass. If you're going to explore gender as a stand-alone aspect of your character, go a little deeper. That is all.

Total ~ 14/30

Writing Style

Creativity ~ 3/10 - Not much out of the ordinary here, but its good to start with a strong foundation of the basics. Rhelin, you used a slightly advanced diction to your advantage. The voice of the Akuna was portrayed with bold lettering, which really gave me a sense of him being bigger and badder than you. Those are good starts, but as I said, its the basics. Rather than explain to you how to be more creative (I would personally find that insulting), I'm just going to reference the point I made before the judging. Check out those judges choice threads. Read them. If you have a favorite author, try and pin-point what they've done to stand out among so many others. Creativity can be (but isn't limited to) your ideas for quests, how events unfold, how your characters react to a given situation, your own personal writing styles, and literary techniques/artforms (such as poetry, monologues, and flashbacks). Scores in this category can only be improved with practice, so please don't be discouraged.

Mechanics ~ 5/10 - Acceptable. Rhelin, I know that you don't use a spellcheck function. I can tell. Typos and silly mistakes like l etters no t be ing con nected are easily avoidable with a simple proofread. Its a shame because you seem to have an almost advanced grasp of the English language. Really a pity. Rhiannon, a few spelling mistakes here and there. One thing that I'm guilty of myself is throwing down a comma when it should really be a period and a new sentence. They weren't necessarily run on sentences, but it looked like there were times when you tried to hybrid two separate thoughts with a comma to make it a little longer. Short sentences might seem choppy at times, but you'll score higher in the mechanics section. Not bad though. Not bad.

Clarity ~ 7/10 - I'm really pumped to be able to give you guys a high score BUT, it comes with an asterisk. Short posts and threads are easy to make clear and easy to read. You both wrote very clearly, due greatly in part to the fact that posts were short and sweet, as was the thread over all. Rhiannon went here. Rhelin sat there. She felt this. He did this. You get your high score here, but honestly, I would have rather given you a three because there was too much information to puzzle out. Again, I'm not going to say that length makes it better (that's what she said) but you're both talented enough to deliver more.

Total ~ 15/30

Wildcard: 5/10

Total ~ 47/100

Quote:

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Spoils!

For keeping the graineries and lumberyards of Underwood safe for another day, you are each awarded 100 pieces of gold for your efforts (in addition to gold for quest completion). Rhiannon, Officer Roland would like to offer you a little something extra as his way of saying "sorry you got beat up by a demon on your first day."

In addition, feel free to keep your soldiering gear if you so desire.

Rhiannon gains 225 gold, an iron longsword, an iron suit of chainmail, and an iron helm.

Rhelin gains 190 gold, an iron longsword, an iron suit of chainmail, and an iron helm.

Rhiannon gains 700 XP and Rhelin gains 330 XP

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EXP/GP added (several days ago, actually, just archiving this now)