GDRP - Book One: Norrburahki

Approved Characters:

The Beatmixmaster – Vressin Grelaium
The Doctor – Rúcin
Kristy Killings – Nymeria
Moose – Leontius
FallenSanity – Cejiso Ljcien
The Hangman – Trundum Galissar
Xazhi – Arnethr / Vadokr’vurzra narr ogm Kgodavn
Xazhi – Zaubukra'krjzhoth vrokan kog Dandtur
Jeremy Hunter – Thesia
The Meta – Tilki
Legendarystory – Ast
Cel – Udalgûrz

3984 Cultured Era - Mid Autumn

The State of Halid, the Grand New Land, The East. If the people of Izantin gave it any more names, it would have been given a book by now. And yet, for all the misty eyes, all the hope, all the wonderment, it’s not what anyone expected. A new front for fishing, some untapped mines, and a port city. That’s good for a while. But once the land of Mainne suffers war, how well is it going to hold up?

All across Mainne, from Demonsreach, Niy, and even some parts of Lasyra, people have fled. Some pushed out of their lands and homes, some simply scared for what could come.
And Halid, as it has been so often said, is a new land, a new place to settle in. What better place to flee too?

With it’s population nearly tripled in the last hundred years, Halid is hitting harder times than anyone had expected, and Izantin is not going to give it’s aid to a land that could so easily crumble. The Governor of Halid, Solúmn Daëlízh, has inherited a tiresome problem that he alone cannot fix. With the cities of Cantai and New Monali falling into poverty already, and Trinidad close behind, the best he can do is hold on.
Keep morale as high and possible and try to survive.

Recently, Daëlízh let out a public notice; anyone able and willing to fight had a unique job opportunity. If they desired to pursue it, they had only to come the Governors Quarters in the Grand Hóuise, the largest building in Cantai and home to the Governors Quarters and Investigators Department, and make an appointment with him. Though he has been very tight about the details of the job, it has not stopped the mercenaries, soldiers, and other killers for hire from extending their hand out to his in interest.

The smoke was thick and deep in its colour as the black heavy clouds rose up and up into the air, diluting the already dark and murky sky. In their streams, which faded up from the earth, was the bright flickering light of flame.

A great wall of flame in fact, burning through the forests and bushlands and plains, as towns and cities crumbled into ruin around him, his eyes scanning for the crawling martyrs, pleading for life to those around them, all choking and hacking and bleeding and dying.

Even the children took up arms in bewilderment, slaying themselves and each other in the confusion of the finality of all of this. And up, up high in the tower, in the Pinnacle of the Majya Höpha, which slowly turned into the Tower of the Jyllan Star, stood Cejiso.
It was from here he could see it all, the anarchy, the fury, the war, the famine, every aspect of life that had caused this apocalypse of the ages.

It changed, sometimes. Sometimes it was unsullied war, Ljnn on Maeyr, Otaizine on Standur, all out blood combat. Other times, great beasts and shadows rose out of the earth and rent it in twain for Cejiso to witness. But recently, it was new. The dreams had changed.

There was no enemy now. Only fate.

Cejiso opened his eyes, letting out a low breath. As he looked up and out the small circular window he could see the setting sun, indicating his time. He was to be on duty very soon; his three hours rest was over.

Dressing, clasping his belts, and draping his cloak over himself, Cejiso made way out to the Grand Hóuis, taking his halberd from the changing guard as they stepped past each other. Adal Mehd was the name of the guard who had just exited for his break. A tired man, and very anxious of non-Otaizines.
Cejiso had little patience for him.

Stepping up to the side of the Governors chair, Cejiso went silent and fulfilled his normal role as guardian of the Governor of Halid, Solúmn Daëlízh.

The large man was laughing at something. A note, judging by its seal from the far west, from Izantin. More than likely from a fellow Governor of political power. Otaizines had strange ways of acting in the face of impending doom, as Cejiso had observed over his time in Halid.

But he had no time to think on it.

“Dear Cejiso, my most cherished sentinel! Welcome back from the dreamlands. Was this one as fruitful as the last?”
Cejiso nodded, his lips thin and motionless as he stared forward at the large wooden gates.
“Come now Cejiso, you know how this operates. You may talk in my authority, there is little need for such stoic guardsmanship.” Cejiso would have loved to sit and chat, but it was against much of what the Jazierih lived by, especially when on duty.

“Governor Solúmn, there is no time for talk, is there?”

The Governors face fell dark with seriousness all of a sudden at these words.
“There is now. See.” He handed over a second note – this one had no symbol of Izantine or even the Ozaitines, but a symbol of Niy – that was different. As Cejiso slowly read, he nodded gently, and handed the note back.

“Plans to attack and reclaim Stonefall. I see. And do you intend for the Jazierih to lead the assault in the name of Halid?”
The Governor shook his head, leaning back in his wooden seat, rubbing his beared chin a little, thinking. “Far too risky; if I send too many men, the city will be available to strike. The Lord and Lady of Lasyra feel the same way. We are not sure how to turn.”

“Send some. You must aid in this effort against an enemy that dared itself against your continent. It would be foolish not too.”
Solúmn nodded, sighing softly. “I think to send you as the emissary of Halid, with a hundred Ironkitoi to carry with you. The Matriarch of Niy has lost more than any other standing power in this conflict; she will be sending thousands to reclaim that doomed city. It will be a shocking defeat if it could even occur.”

Cejiso didn’t want to think of such things. Niy stirred something strange in him, it had for a long time gone, ever since his first visit and meeting with the Matriarch. Something about Niy was so… strange.

“If you command it, Governor, I shall lead your Ironkitoi in the name of Halid.” The Governor pat Cejiso on the back once, smiling warmly.

“Then it shall be done!”

The caravan was rumbling down the road, and Thesia felt herself lurch into the girl next to her. Smiling apologetically, she returned to her seat. The caravan of slavers had finally reached Halid, and right now, they were heading for Del Mantis, Halid's largest slave city.

Thesia shivered a bit, then felt a few girls draw closer. Nodding, they huddled together, sharing body heat.
They didn't speak. They had talked enough on the way there, so the slaves knew each other well enough. Thesia ended up being the go-to girl for hugs, as some of the younger ones cried.

A slave since birth, Thesia knew how hopeless it was, but knew a simple hug would help them. And so, she held a particularly young girl close as they huddled together. They could hear some of the males in the next cart complain about the lack of blankets, but were silenced with sharp cracks of a staff or whip. One girl whimpered, and received a lash on the back.

Soon enough, they all were dragged out of the cart and lined up at the Del Mantis' slave stalls. The main three Slave Lords paid for the Slaves, and soon Thesia and the girl she was holding were lined up.
One man tried to seperate them, but Thesia glared. He managed to pry her away, but the girl had since learned to stay quiet.
Stuck in the middle, the few others she had befriended elsewhere, Thesia stood there quietly as the stalls were opened, and people started to come by, looking for slaves.

Oh boy...I've really pissed them off this time. They'll chase me all the way to the border to put me back in shackles. Not this time...

Tilki had been on the run for over a day...ending up--by some odd reason--in Del Mantis. It was cold out, and he was forced to find shelter to keep warm, lest he catch death by cold. He looked up and could actually see the sun, a blessing, considering he lived over a decade in Cantai.

Seeing as the immediate danger had passed, Tilki quickly left his improvised shelter and threw up his hood to protect himself from the wind and cold. He kept his pace as casual as possible, hiding himself in the crowds. As an Otaizine of average height, and black hair, he didn't stand out in a crowd. As he wove his way through the city, he passed by the infamous slave stalls.

Seeing all the nobility there, he resisted the urge to filch some of the money from their pockets. The allure of easy money right in front of his eyes made resisting all the harder to do. And for Tilki...he really didn't want to go to jail again. His arrest record alone could have made a booklet. He slowly made his way to another building, hoping to avoid notice.

He then spotted a lineup of people out of the corner of his eye: in there, was a girl--shivering in the cold along with a few others in that line up--to be exact.Wow...she's beautiful...and she's in trouble. Looks like I could play the dashing hero. he thought as he found a perch with a direct line of sight on the stalls. Once again, he suppressed the urge to take money from the nobility.

Then again...those nobles would be the easier prize. And I really like it when they're just practically hand their money to me.... Tilki took stock of the situation and looked at his options, knowing that he'd most likely be caught either way...yet again.

Vressin walked on. Halid was rumored to have plenty of jobs for him. Well, him and Trundum, his friend. They were both Standur, both friends, and both mercenaries. They had fought together over the years, loyal to whomever payed the most, and to each other. Any time they ended up fighting each other, they would never go for the kill. In fact, they never struck at each other knowingly, or rather, Vressin never did. He didn't know about Trundum, but he trusted Trundum as they had grown up together, and because of this, was one of the few people who ever knew Vressin's voice.

Vressin rarely ever spoke. He didn't see the point. Actions tended to be the more influential, so he let his actions speak for him. Gestures and grunts managed to get him through life, and only when it was absolutely necessary did he ever speak outside of his friends' presence.

His heavy plate armor and shields clanked against one another, the robe he wore over his armor swishing back and forth and interrupting the meeting of the metals where it could. He had two shields on him, a large heavy kite shield, large enough to protect most of his body easily and thick enough for a good number of non-Standur to lift, as well as a smaller, lighter buckler shield on his hand. In his hand he held an iron ingot, whittled down to a point as he chewed on it idly, his teeth sheering the metal into shavings as he walked alongside his friend.

I walked along next to the caravan, in line with the guards in front and behind me. Guard duty across the caravans could still be quite exciting, but this trip had been long and dull. I almost regretted signing on in the first place, but the truth was that I needed to get into Halid and this was the best way.

"Ast"
Del Mantis
Market

Nádúiranam knelt in an alleyway, next to the market. The market was busy, men were either selling their goods, working in the fields, or guards. Or thieves. Many meats, fruits, and textiles were sold at the market. A butcher with freshly butchered meat was selling his wares not far away, the smell of animal blood wafted over, and tickled Nádúiranam's nose. His stomach growled, and he leaned over in pain. He had not eaten for the past few days. The patrons of the market wouldn't notice him over the hustle and bustle of the crowd.

His arm reached out, toward the crowd, digging into the dirt with his fingers, until the pain in his stomach began to subside. The sun beat down on him, like an unrelenting slave driver. His once pale flesh had long since been tanned by the Mainne' Sun. His eyes clenched shut, as his stomach gave another, smaller, vibrating gurgle. He needed to eat. But you needed money to eat here, and he's in no condition to earn any money. So he begs, he lifts his hands to the street, and begs for money. He has little knowledge of the languages, when he begs, he says "Money, please, food".

A man in blue robes, approached with a smile on his face, his hands had rings on them. A merchant? He looked wealthy, would he give Nádúiranam money for food? The man spoke fluently in the Otaizine language. When the man finished talking, Nádúiranam looked at him, his expression unchanging. When the man finished, Nádúiranam said, his voice desperate, but tinged with hope, "money, food." The man smiled, and nodded, pointing somewhere. If he had gold, he'd give it to me, why is he pointing? He begins walking away, but Nádúiranam doesn't follow. He's confused, he thought the man would give him money for food.

The man started to do a "come here" gesture with his hands. Did he want Nádúiranam to follow him? He wasn't sure if the man could be trusted, but, was he looking a gift horse in the mouth? What if this man was going to bring him to a market stall, to buy him food? or the bakery? Nádúiranam's stomach growled again. He pushed himself off the ground, and began to stand, leaning on wall of the alley way for support. pains in his gut making it difficult to stand. As he stood, the man's lip twitched, Nádúiranam was not clothed, he had no money for such a thing, mud and filth covered much of his lower legs. When the man saw this, he tossed a coin at Nádúiranam, and hurried away. It was not enough for food, but it was better than nothing.

Nádúiranam would go to the stalls and ask for handouts, but, the guards didn't want a naked man walking around the market. He knelt back down, to his original sitting position, only now with his hands outstretched, begging for money.

The more Trundum walked, the more he felt uncomfortable. He was usually a really loud Standur, and all this silence was killing him.
He wondered when he and Vressian would arrive at one of the "Great New Land"'s cities. Del Mantis to be exact.
There had been rumors of jobs for mercs like him here. Which has been a hope lifter for him. It's been slow lately.

Vressin turned to look at Trundum. "You're quiet. Like me. What is wrong?" He asked in Strandurr, the native Standur language. Despite never talking, Vressin had learned his people's language.

"Nothing." He said in their native tongue. "I only wonder what is in store for us in this new land."

Leonitus sat, almost disconnected from the rest of the people wandering the streets. He sat not alone, but accompanied by his ever faithful four legged companion. The small dog sat on the floor, one of his legs seeming to slant. As they sat, Leonitus wondered upon why he had ventured to Halid. The call of work was not exactly his guiding light here, in fact, he didn't know why he had ventured to this part of the land. Where about in Halid he was he knew not, he was simply somewhere. In a sense, this was his and his small companions life, a guide less, almost lost wandering throughout the changing land. And so he sat back, staring at the sky.

"If the rumors are true, there are many things waiting for us. I wouldn't mind making more money, to be honest." Vressin replied. The buildings of a city were in the distance. "Hopefully these people are more forgiving than that Ljnn from the last job."

I chuckle at the memory. "They learned not to play us that day."

"All they had to do was pay. If anything, they've learned to always pay up for a job they offer. What do you think will be the nature of these new jobs? Hunting? Protecting? Maybe even Searching?"

"Perhaps they might need help collecting debts? We'll find out soon enough however. I only hope it's not protection again."

"What's wrong with protection? It's simple money. Stand around, look dangerous, smash bones if anything happens, which it rarely does."

"Nothing wrong it. If anything it's stealing. But boring most occasions."

Vressin chuckles. A low rumble from his throat as he laughs at his friend. "Only you would find easy money boring." He smiles and looks at the town ahead.

As the slaves were bought, Thesia found herself being left with less and less people, and after a few hours of being there, she found herself with half as many slaves as they had when they got there. Business was doing good today, it seemed.

Something Thesia was a bit happy about. It meant she could be bought, and usually the people who bought her were better then the slave lords.

At least the little girl was taken away by a couple looking for a girl who could help cook. That much Thesia was thankful for.

But others, she knew, were not so lucky.

She prayed she would be lucky enough.

Ahhhh...so THAT'S where they're keeping today's intake. It sure doesn't look like an easy job. That's bound to be a tough nut to crack Tilki thought as he eyed the event. There were guards prowling the place, and there looked to be only one exit...and it made it that much harder to get away. Tilki looked at his options with a careful eye.

I need a distraction...something that could draw their attention AWAY from the crowd and AWAY from me...but how...and with what? The area is like a fortress... Tilki looked around and really couldn't come up with a solution that didn't get him back in the stocks. An even fool might have went in there with a foolish plan, and the guards would have come down on them in a hurry. And although Tilki was a fool...he wasn't stupid enough to go after a prize that would get him killed or captured. These guys were not only tough, but they had the weapons, training and experience that they had.

Ah well...maybe a different time and different place. I'd like to live another day, thank you... With being in already enough trouble with the authorities in Cantai, the last thing he wanted pinned on him was an international incident. He admitted it to himself...this place was going to be more than he could handle. Tilki just settled on a perch and watched, throwing back his hood and watching the crowd. If anything...Tilki didn't have a death wish. For now...he settled on playing the part of observer, none of the guards and foreigners paying attention to a loner like him. He now prayed that none of them were smart enough to know who the hell he was.

People thought Halid was the future of Easthur. They thought it was changing everything, prospering unlike anything else. They thought it was a new Empire.

As Cejiso stood on the overlook of the Governors Quarters, staring out at the city of Cantai, all he could think was how pathetic it looked. Just down the steps people were crawling around and picking up some coins that had fallen out of a mans purse. Such antics in what was meant to be a new stage of Otaizine advancement was pathetic, and to some extent, Cejiso relished in it.

He made his way down the stone steps, pushing aside a beggar as he strode into the streets. People didn’t look at him as they used too, a high guardian of the Governor and a Ljnn, to them it was obscenely unlike anything they were used too. But as of late, the lands had changed and now a Ljnn was hardly worthy a turned head. There was much more in Cantai and indeed all of Halid these days.

Cejiso enjoyed he’s rather experimental break; the Ironitkoi were reading themselves in the barracks, and would head to New Monali soon to await their commander. But for now he was given free reign, to enjoy the sights and sounds of Halid.
It was the worst kind of enjoyment he’d ever partaken in.

He had been given a slight privilege by Solúmn, however. One he intended to make full use of; hiring mercenaries to increase the volume of this army. Any criminal, soldier, hired sword, or any kind of being who would fight and die for money was open to come with them now.
Cejiso knew a great place for such dealings.

He held tightly the bag of over one thousand Gerπ, and made way for the stocks. His steed was being readied as he took every step, kicking down a beggar that tried to get his purse of money, and with this mount he would leave for Del Mantis.
Slaves, mercenaries, bounty hunters. Any kind of soldiers that could turn their army into a true threat, rather than shock troopers.

They went silent afterwards, mostly because Trundum couldn't come up with a come back. Soon they had passed through the city gates.

"So, do you think they'll have signs saying where to go?"
I walk forward into the strange town without waiting for him to respond. I don't want all the jobs taken before we get there.

Vressin shook his head, now in the presence of other people. He clapped Trundum on the shoulder and points out a tavern. "A likely place to meet new bosses." Is what he was trying to get at, but whether that came across depended on Trundum noticing which place he pointed to.

Having been with Vressian for quite awhile now, I knew when he wanted attention. It usually came in the form of physical contact.
So I turn my head and look back at him, seeing that he was pointing off somewhere. I follow it and see the Tavern.
"Ah. I see."
I walk over to it and open the door. I had to duck to get through it though. Nobody guessed a seven foot would come waltzing in.

I followed Trundum, ducking into the tavern as well. I looked around at the various people around, Breniin, Ljnn, Humans, Standur, every race was in here. I tapped Trundum and pointed at an empty table. It looked like the stools and chairs were all reinforced, just so if a Standur came in they could sit. I plopped myself down next to the table, sitting my shield down behind it and waiting patiently.

We walked in through the gates of the city. The man in front of me turned and raised his eyebrows at me briefly.

"Welcome to Cantai, Dakash."

I nodded back to him.

"It is quite a marvel."

We walked for a short while longer, eventually pulling in near the market area. The owner of the caravan jumped down and began handing out payments. I took mine, thanked him and left quickly. I had used yet another fake name, it was always safer, and I didn't want any questions to be asked.

Leonitus stared for a while, his gaze at the sky never seeming to break. So it went on for several minutes, as the crowds passed, he and his companion just sat, ignoring the area around them. Eventually Leonitus' stare was broken by a sharp bark from his small companion, to which Leonitus stood up, and glanced around. He still knew not where he was, except for he was somewhere within Halid, so he, followed by his dog, began to walk, in whichever way felt right.

I went to the table with Vressian and set my weapon against a chair. Then walk to the bar to speak with the human bartender.
Moments later I'm walking back with two pints of ale and a couple coins less. I sit down at my chair and put the tankards down it.
Then slide one over to Vressian. Without looking to see if he accepted it, I take a drink of mine.

I was roaming through the city, keeping my eye out for anything worthwhile when a certain individual caught my eye. He looked almost royal. I changed my direction to intercept his.

I raise my tankard up high in a silent toast and down a mouthful of the ale. It burned slightly, but it was nothing too bad or painful. Iron went down worse than this ale. I look at Trundum and raise an eyebrow as I swallow. "Was this the strongest you had?" I was trying to say.

As I neared the noble, I tripped over a rock and fell into him, cutting one of his purses as I did so.

The grime on his jacket disgusted him. One of the beggars had pushed on him, asking for a simple boqh. Cejiso pushed the foul man to his back, kicking him as he fell, snarling a little.

“Filth. Do not dare touch me again, not so rudely! You are not my equal, you do not deserve to act like one.”

Many of the people began to part for him as he made way into the larger open areas, near the central roads of glorious Cantai. He could hear a caravan nearby, whether it was selling foods or weapons or possibly slaves, he’d more than likely never know; he had no opinion on caravans and no true interest in them. Merchants were their own, and he was his.

However, he had always had a strange spot for those who accompanied them. And as it seemed, one was leaving from the same road that had very recently worked roads. The tracks were still present.

The figure was a Ljnn. A well dressed and armed one at that, possibly a mercenary or hired sword; exactly what Cejiso was looking for.

The Ljnn did not stop in his steps, still walking forward towards the main gate house down a few more roads, watching the figure gently.

But Cejiso's ignorance didn't last long, as in some pathetic show, the caravan wanderer managed to trip and tear open one of the many purses around his waist, pouring out gern onto the ground. Cejiso pushed the figure back up, grumbling a little and looking down, and then at the cautious people watching them.

"Gah. Watch your step, trader."

I stand back up, aided by his push.

"My apologies and thanks, Sir."

I bend down and start collecting his coins up for him.

"Let me help you with this, I have a spare purse that you can borrow."

"Hmmm? Do you not like it? Heh. I can't blame you, it's not great."

I set the tankard down on the table. And think. How long will it take to get noticed this time?

"You know. I want to see this town a little bit before leaving it. And maybe we'll come across a flyer or something?"

I stand up, leaving the tankard there and head for the exit.

Thesia shifted on her feet, eyes still lowered. The slave buying had gone down, and the slave lords were preparing to make them stand until closing.

Thesia rolled her shoulders, and prepared to wait even longer.

Tilki looked to the crowd once again, keeping a casual eye on the activity. Since that mess in Cantai, he really wasn't looking to cause any more trouble than he could handle. He didn't dare draw any of his weapons, knowing any guard that saw even the slightest hint of metal would go after him in a heartbeat.

I'm amazed...even without my hood on, no one here really knows who I am. Amazing how notoriety works. Tilki chuckled at the thought, his eyes once again drawn to the girl in the white dress. He really couldn't describe the feeling...since he's rarely ever met a girl.

Mom would say I've fallen in love with her...And I think she's right. Tilki enjoyed the thought as he casually looked in her direction, avoiding direct eye contact with her, even from a distance.

Certain in my choice to look around, I go left at the entrance. Everything is strange looking. It's different then what I'm used to.
It was like a combination of Human and Ljnn, with some Standur carving in the stone. It was... a bit unusual, to say the least.

I've been wandering around a bit by now and I find myself in a lesser part of town. The slums, I think they're called.
Not even twenty paces into it and I find a couple... human girls standing in a line. One however, stand out among the others.

And I thought this new land would be better then to have Slaves.

As I inspect them closer, I realize that they're all young. At least I assume so, I couldn't tell with Humans sometimes.
I approach the one I noticed a moment ago. The one with black hair and a white dress, looking somewhat older then the others.

Thesia glanced up. A Standur was studying them. He seemed to be looking at her.

Nineteen years of slavery kept her from shaking, but she remained scared. Scared that every new master would be horrible to her.

She stood there...waiting.

"Ast"
Del Mantis
Market

Nádúiranam managed to gain several coins, of which the worth he knew not. He gripped them in his hands tightly, and stood up. His legs shaking, he began to move forward, nudely, into the market. As he looked around, he saw what he assumed to be a slave trader, such a profession was foreign to him, and a number of slaves waiting to be sold. There was a food stall, near the slave, and he wanted to hurry and get his food, before the guard became agitated by his bareness.

He shuffled toward the food stand, the common-folk getting out of his way. He could only imagine how bad he must smell, over the past few weeks, when the last of his meager clothing ripped and fell useless to the ground, he'd grown use to the smell of his of his filth sodden body. The Slave-guards looked at him in disgust as he progressed closer. He recognized the vender, the man had given him bread when he first saw him. Nádúiranam held up his hands, shaking with hunger, to the Vender, saying, "Food."

The vender, with a look of concern on his face, offered his hand, and Nádúiranam dropped the coins into the awaiting palm. The bread seller counted the coins, and handed some of theme back to Nádúiranam. Nádúiranam, having no clothes, simply held on to the coins, trying to hide much of his privates from the public as he could, standing exposed as he was. The Vender handed him half a loaf of bread, and the shaking bum accepted the loaf, smiling weakly.

Nádúiranam stumbled off, devouring the bread in the process.

Having learned the Common Tongue due to my job choice, I started with that. Hoping she knew it.

"You.. you are a slave, yes?"

It took me a second to notice that she looked scared as most of my enemies. So I give a smile, but I'm not sure how friendly it looked.

Felix wrote:

"Hmmm? Do you not like it? Heh. I can't blame you, it's not great."

I set the tankard down on the table. And think. How long will it take to get noticed this time?

"You know. I want to see this town a little bit before leaving it. And maybe we'll come across a flyer or something?"

I stand up, leaving the tankard there and head for the exit.

I watch Trundum leave. I sit there and just nurse my ale. I was used to stronger things, but I wasn't going to rush this drink. That would be impolite. I may be large and strong and powerful, but I am not a rude individual. I glance around the tavern, looking at all the patrons. A few notice me, eye me up and down, and then go back to their conversations. One kept glancing at me. A Breniin. I nodded silently at them and looked at the door, waiting for Trundum to return from his investigation of the town.

Tilki eyed the Standur warily. He was sort of used to seeing them, so Tilki wasn't really shocked at the sight of a Standur roaming around in public, but he was curious as to why he was here.

Tilki just watched the exchange from his perch, wondering what would happen next.

Ya know...maybe I'll tail them...see what happens. Curiosity compelled him to continue watching, despite him not wanting to.

Thesia glanced up, but managed to keep her cool.
"Yes sir." She answered. She didn't say a syllable more.

"Er... what can you do? And how much food do you require everyday?"

After being with humans for so long, I never really knew how much food humans needed.

"I can cook, clean, dance, and carry things. I require a loaf of bread and two cups of water three times a day sir." She spoke with as few words and clearly.

"Really? That's it?"

I thought about it, actually buying her. But then I thought of one more thing to ask.

"How do you feel about being near battle, little one?"

"Ast"
Del Mantis
Market

Nádúiranam turned his head at the mention of the Otaizine word for "bread" and "water". Some of the bread crumbs fell out of his beard and onto the ground. Even though he had a few coins left over, he figured they weren't enough for another loaf, or drink. One of the slave guards was watching him. He felt eyes on him, and felt the need to be in a dark place. He looked around for an alley to solicit. His gaze passed a tall pale creature, with goat like legs, and horns coming from its head. Nádúiranam stared.

In his trance he didn't notice a city guardsman approach and poke up with the butt of his spear. "Hey, get out of the road you vagrant!" The man shouted. Nádúiranam knew better than to speak, and obeyed, moving to the alley near the slave stall. But the slave guard would have none of that. As he approached the slave stall, the man puched him, the metal guantlets dug into Nádúiranam's flesh. The feeling wasn't painful, but discomforting. Nádúiranam fell to the ground, what little coin he had scattered on the ground, few of the peasant folk stopped and stared at this commotion.

Nádúiranam tried to stand as quickly as he could, and hide in one of the many alley's he's come to call his home. The guardsman was fast approaching, and Nádúiranam scurried, half crawling until he got to his feet, and then all but ran to the alley to cower.

"I have been sold and resold for nineteen years sir. Every time, moving away from battle. So all I know is escape. I do not know how I would feel. Probably afraid." Thesia said, then went silent. probably spoke too much.
She slightly braced for punishment.

Tilki turned as he heard raised voices, spotting a homeless man running from one of the many guards that were posted. To be honest, Tilki felt a bit of pity as he saw the altercation, then man scrambling for an alley near the stalls. Tilki felt like helping, but didn't dare.

Of all things I don't want to do...I don't want to attract any unwanted attention.... Tilki then turned his attention back to the exchange between the slave girl and the Standur. Tilki was curious as to what would happen next.

I saw past her at the guard who had struck what looked like a cowering human. Today just was not a pleasant day.
Beggars beaten in the street while little girls are being sold as slaves. I sigh. I knew what the right thing to do was.
"I'll be back."

It takes a couple strides to get over to where the beggar is. Then put a hand on the guard's arm, telling him it was enough.