Impure Light

M

Moonlit Blade

Guest
Original poster
The sun shone brightly on the land, a ball of unforgiving fire, beating on the land. What wind that blew across the earth was a breath of life for all. The summers were wretched, at times, yet would also be wonderfully pleasant. The morning dew would evaporate quickly on the sparse flora outside the town of Coile. The day went by, the guards walking the walls, cursing the sun. Yet they would walk, always vigilant, waiting for the wind. for with the wind, came news. News of family in distant cities, news of the war, and even news of new technologies being discovered, or rediscovered.

The hours passed, and the sun remained relentless. many prayed the day would finish, for the cool comfort of the moons Lunara and Astara. Yet prayer did not touch time. The only ones who did not pray for the days end were the barkeeps. The longer the heat, the more customers would come in, seeking the friendly mug of cool ale. And, in these bars, news spread, rivalries fought, friendships forged, and adventures begun....


Aeryn swore as he walked into the Golden Footstool. Of course, such a thing was so natural that no one paid him any mind. The heat was just as wretched as it was yesterday, and the day before, and so forth. Wiping sweat off his brow, Aeryn sat down at a table and kicked back, resting his large sword beside him. It wasn't long before a barmaid approached him, to take his order.

"Hello, sir. What'll it be?" Grinning, Aeryn reached out and patted her bottom.

"Well, now, can I order anything?" he asked, laughing as she swatted his hand away. "All right, all right, hon. A mug of beer. Cool, mind you. Oh, and put in a bit more ice than normal, would ya?" he knew very well the beer would already be watered down, but he wasn't looking to get drunk. At least, not yet. Right now, he just wanted to cool down, and beer tasted better than water anyway. It was just for the flavor, of course. He looked around, combing his hair to the side with his fingers, though only just. Licking his lips, he waited for his beverage while contemplating what he should eat. He was lucky enough to have remembered to show the guards at the gate his Tech badge. He had managed to get in without paying a single coin, thankfully, because he was a Technician. That, and being a bit famous didn't hurt. Though what he was famous for, exactly, was a mystery.

"Here ya go, sir," the barmaid said upon returning. Of course, by now she had recognized Aeryn and was keeping well away from his probing hands. Placing the beer on the table, she looked at him with an eye, raising her brow. "If ya need anythin' else, just call. Mind you, you can only have what's on the menu." With that, she walked off to take care of other customers. Laughing, Aeryn drank his ale, crossing his legs and looking about. The people in the bar looked like regular folk, a few Techs here and there. Of course, most were Mechanics, since they were the ones with the most free time. Tinkers were too busy studying and Technicians were too busy helping and teaching. Of course, Aeryn had managed to get out of the latter.

Now, he just waited. Paladins were going to strike here soon, and he wanted to be there to kill a few dozen.
 
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Evander was not one for mingling, he could have recognized that fact above any other about himself. The idea of someone trying to make small talk with him made him very nervous. Still, all of this aside, there he was sitting at a small table in the back of the Golden Footstool, his gaze focused on the wood grain in front of his face while he rested his chin on the tops of his hands. It was an unusual series of events that at the time had seemed perfectly normal to get him here. So normal, he could not recall even exactly what had led to his presence in the clean, if rather small, bar.

After a few minutes, a barmaid approached him, her rosy cheeks and seductive eyelashes indicating that she expected her beauty to be recognized in some masculine fashion that she would coyly squirm away from with only a smile. This would not be a shining moment for her ego, but Evander was honestly too preoccupied with his thoughts to spare much effort in trying to make the woman feel pretty. "I'll take whiskey, if you would" he said tonelessly and she lost her flirtatious demeanor almost immediately. Flashing him a withering look, the barmaid continued on her way and left Evander to stew in his thoughts once again.

It was not as if he were afraid of these places, with so many people, he tried to reason with himself. Surely, he was not afraid of the subtle undertones that floated through the room carrying indistinct voices. There was nothing at all to fear in the occasional glances he received from other patrons where he felt that they might be boring into his being and judging what they saw. Anxiously, Evander shifted in his seat. His eyes met those of another man who, quite contrarily to how Evander felt, seemed to be enjoying himself. He even patted the barmaid's rump as he grinned. Evander shook his head and in an attempt to ease his worry, he continued imagining patterns in the grain.
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[FONT=&quot]Surely there was some kind of law against sweltering heat when Karen was having such a good hair day. The brunette would never classify herself as vain but a girl only had perfect hair maybe twice a year. Sweat had plastered her bangs against her forehead in a less than attractive manner. Her red duster coat protected her from a sun burn though not from heat stroke. With heavy legs she made her way into a little pub and out of the sun. Taking a seat at the bar she removed her coat, draping it over her short clad thighs as she ordered a mug of ale. <o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]<o:p> </o:p>[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Karen took a moment to examine the patrons, the little bar was a hush of hot, tired voices. It was too miserable outside for arguing or a brawl, everyone was just trying to cool off. The barkeep placed her drink in front of her from which she immediately took a large swig. It wasn’t great beer, watery and not very cold but was still fairly refreshing. She sat quietly trying to enjoy herself before it was time for work, a shift at the clinic. If not for the heat she would probably have gotten to loaf around all day but the faux hospital was surely overwhelmed by patients with heat stroke and fevers. “The curse of an education.” Karen mumbled under her breathe downing her drink and ordering another.<o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
 
"Ugh this heat will be the end of me" Ash was usually Ok with heat but it seemed like today was hotter than usual. "And this stupid chainsaw i have to lug around sure isnt helping anything." He stepped into the Golden Footstool The normally crowded bar was even more packed than usual. "All the same, i prefer a table anyway" He wandered to a table away from the crowd and took a seat. The barmaid walked over to him and asked what he wanted to drink. "Hmmmm i can either have an ale or a beer but which to choose which to choose, of course i could always go with a water but eh you gotta live a little, ill take a beer. The barmaid gave him a puzzled expression and rushed off to get his order.

The barmaid returned with his beverage and left quickly leaving ash to sit with his thoughts. "Perhaps i would have been better off with" ash grumbled to himself in regards to the heavily watered down beer in front of him. He looked around enviously at the groups of patrons who chatted amongst themselves happily. "perhaps someday ill be in those groups, but alas, today is not that day."
 
Taking a sip from his canteen, Wesley looked at the guarded town in front of him. Covering his eyes from the sunlight, he squinted and saw the guards taking tolls from people without a Techinicians badge. Qith a slight chuckle, he put his canteen back in his knapsack. He didn't see the opportunity to socialize worth paying for, but this seemed like a fairly secure little place so Wesley thought it might be a good idea to camp out nearby for a night or two.

Picking up his rifle, he slung the strap on his shoulder and grabbed his knapsack. Taking a deep breath, he began his trek to the town, unsure of what he would find or who he might meet. Each step he took felt heavy, like he was carrying the weight of all the fear and uncertainty in his pack.
 
Finishing his beer, Aeryn set the mug down, licking his lips. "Oi!" Calling to the barmaid, he glanced at the menu once more, then nodded to himself as she arrived. "I'll have a steak and a chicken, then, if you don't mind," he said.

"Expecting someone?" she asked, raising a brow as she watched for his hand. She scribbled down his order on piece of paper, adding a beer because she knew he'd ask anyway.

"'Course not, I'm just starving. Ah, and add a beer, please." With that, he managed one pat on her bottom when she had turned away, earning him an annoyed look from her. Laughing, he looked up. Just then, the door to the bar opened, and a man and a woman walked in. Each had a Technician's pin on their coats, though the coats were slung over their shoulders.

"You Aeryn? Aeryn Mis'carde?" the male asked. FLashing his Technician's badge, he sat down. This one was only a Mechanic. "You know what they call you 'round here? 'Thousand-Blade Aeryn. And Aeryn of the White Gale. You're well known, here."

"Really?" Aeryn seemed genuinly surprised at this news. Sitting up with interest, he looked at the female and winked at her. He got nothing but a cold look in return. "How's that? I've just arrived here an hour ago!"

"News travels fast," the woman said. She had long, sleek, silver hair. It ran down to her waist, perfectly straight. It seemed to glimmer in the lighting of the bar, and when she sat down, she swung it to the side just slightly. She was fairly well built, her eyes an icy blue that seemed to completely contrast the day's heat. Dressed in tight Technician's clothing, she seemed almost regal. Someone who knew what she was about. She flashed her badge as well. She was a full Technician. A Gold Class, however. She was one rank higher than Aeryn, who was Silver Class. Aeryn didn't particularly remember much of being a Bronze and Iron Class, he had been promoted very quickly. He possessed talent; that was wat they had said at the Academy.

"News of what, may I ask?" Aeryn said, now slightly annoyed.

"It was said a man with an eye patch wiped out a legion of Paladins. In WestShore. It was an aspiring Technician's city, only starting to build the clock tower in its center. When the Paladins found out, they quickly sent an entire legion to 'take care of the problem'. You stopped them. Alone. While that is impressive, I'd like to know how myself..."

Aeryn blinked in confusion. "WestShore... WestShore... Oh! I remember that place! I don't remember much, though... I recall a legion approaching, but.. I think I was ill... I had passed out for a while... Iwoke up in their inn, and the problem was gone. I heard someone took care of it, but it wasn't me. When I asked the citizens there, they all gave me a strange look and said nothing. So I left."

The man looked at his companion in wonder. "Is that so... Well, even so, you are a Technician. We need you. You know of the Paladins approaching, correct? Good. Well, you're being assigned to a station and will supervise."

Frowning, Aeryn crossed his arms. "What makes you think I'll do that? I prefer fighting on my own."

"Because this is an order from Commander-General Ashira," the man said. "I'm Greize. I personally work for her."

"Is that so?" Aeryn said. "Well, tell this 'Comander-General' that I don't take orders, understood? If she can catch me, then I'll do as she says. But by the time you go fetch her, I'll be long gone!" Getting up, Aeryn grabbed his blade, just in time to feel a hand on his shoulder.

"Got you," the silver-haired woman said. "I am Commander-General Ashira, and if you do not follow my orders, I hold the right to strip you of your rank, Technician. I expect you at the north wall tomorrow." Turning around, she surveyed the room quickly. "You three," she said, pointing at Ash, Evander, and Karen. "You seem sensible enough Technicians, come forward and state your names and rank. Hurry, now, I don't have all day."
 
"Uhhh, the purpose of the differential is to change the direction of rotation, though it can also... Provide gear reduction. The differentials drive the wheels. For this machine, the differential exchange between speed and torque in the mobile shoulder unit allows me to either drop my arm quickly and normally or pile drive whatever's under it. In the fuh... f-phalangeal joints, the exchange allows f-finesse or grip strength," Eli finished, stumbling through the last portion of the explanation. The big words just didn't come naturally to him. He understood what they meant, but forcing them out was not only difficult, but it made him nervous. He'd been a country boy all his life and now two years into his big city life he still got teased for an accent, and then for being quiet and shy. It wasn't that he was shy per se, but that he just didn't want to be made fun of for opening his hay-pickin' mouth. More than that, he didn't want to say something that would, heh, torque any of the ladies off, because around here they were more than capable of showing him that what he'd actually thought was his elbow had been his asshole all along. How he'd gotten through life without such helpful women before was beyond him. His mother had no sympathy in her letters, either.

"If you know all this, then it behooves you to let me know that, too," Meyers said. The squat old man barely looked like he could beat down a toddler but he sure had a mean glare. "You can keep up the dumb ox act all you like, but you can't fool all of us, nor is it in your best interest to. Sure, they'll keep you around for that arm, but they'll bore you to death til they can get their hands on it, too. So you better start acting like you want to do more than oil cogs and replace crankshafts. Being a steam-addled greasemonkey is enough for some of these tykes, but you can go places." Meyers scowled at Eli and Eli scowled back, but they both knew who would win that match. It was enough that Eli could keep a smidgen of his pride. "Now get outta here before I make you clean up all the oilstains in hangar A!"

Eli grabbed up the grease and hydraulic-fluid stained books before him on his little desk and trooped obediently out of the classroom. Everywhere on the campus smelled like machines and Energy--they both had a sort of heavy, sweet smell he recognized now as an anti-freezing solution, but still brought back memories of the oiling rig back home. He tromped down the steps and out of the building, dropping the books into his old leather knapsack, and jogged down the green onto the cobbled street. Someone's ... Something was clanking away like it was about to go out of control in an alley, but in all the steam and hubbub, Eli could hardly get a glimpse of it. Besides which, he had no intention of doing work--or trying to--when he could be dropping an ale down the old hatch and grubbing whatever cold cuts were left this late in the afternoon. He swung a right into the Golden Footstool, a favored watering hole of all the Technicians, and stopped dead.

The scene before him promised a grisly finish--everyone stock still and silent as a woman Eli only recognized from paintings stared down another man and suddenly announced that she was, in fact, who Eli vaguely remembered her as--Commander-General Ashira, a legend in her own right. She called down three others. Meanwhile, Eli was still deciding what to do--stay, or go? His stomach gurgled, his mouth was dry as the dirt on the street, and so he made up his mind. Stomach matters always overcame angry women. He clomped over to an empty seat, plopped down, slapped his books on the table, and looked around for the waitress. It wasn't like he was getting dressed down for insubordination. He was just a Tinkerer stopping by for a spot of grub.
 
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[FONT=&quot]Karen had all but sunken into the cold yet clammy atmosphere of the pub when the high rank Technicians entered silencing the crowd. Glancing over her shoulder she recognized the woman as Commander-General Ashira whom she had seen once before though never actually met. They began harassing some other Techie, hardly interesting. The woman turned back to her drink until she heard the man’s name. <o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]<o:p> </o:p>[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Aeryn Mis’carde?” Karen mumbled under her breath while grasping her mug. The name was more than a little familiar to her, she had the misfortune of rooming with the biggest gossip in all the organization, one Ms. Canary, a Tinker trainer. The story being recounted about WestShore was one Canary had taken great pleasure in recounting. Karen caught herself chuckling at Aeryn’s response to the claims, Canary would be so pissed and, in fact, would be once Karen got home.<o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]<o:p> </o:p>[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Her attention was almost immediately stolen by a lumbering Tinker, judging by his books. The poor thing looked like a deer in the headlights to be cliché, the tension in the little pub was enough to frighten away any newcomers but he came clopping in loudly dropping his books. Karen smirked taking another drink, she liked the kid’s attitude.<o:p></o:p>[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]She caught the woman pointing at her and relinquished the hold on her glass, hopefully this would not be anything to strenuous. Karen stood to attention, her coat in her arms. “Karen Pasternak, Mechanic, Silver, ma’am.” <o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
 
Ash had gotten as comfortable as possible at his table, as was his habit, he had gotten himself lost in thought about ways to possibly improve upon the prosthetic. "maybe i could make it way less... would definitely be easier to carry around" He was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed a face he had seen before though not in person. Commander-General Ashira was sitting across from an unknown person. Ash almost choked on his beverage when he heard the way that the unknown figure who had identified himself as Aeryn Mis'carde, talk so casually to her.

Apparently this Aeryn person didnt even know whos presence he was in though, as she revealed herself to him upon his trying to leave. The tension in the room immediatley got heavy upon this event. A tension which was felt very heavily by the tinkerer who walked in took a seat and placed his stack of books down on the table. "wow, gotta admire gotta admire someone as ballsy as this guy" Ash was pulle dout of his thoughts when The Commander-General called him and two others out of the crowd. "Great, just my luck, i hate having attention called on me" Ash said quietly to himself as he stepped forward. "Ash Campbell Maam, Mechanic, Silver". Ash couldn't help but get a bad feeling in his gut.
 
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Evander took to his feet, surprised and more than irritated for being called out of the crowd. It would be just his luck that of all nights, he would be here to get notice called to himself. As the others stated their rankings, he was half tempted to just bolt from the building, but he knew he wouldn't get very far. He felt like a rodent in a cage and made a sour face as eyes turned to him, expecting his response next. Being put on the spot made Evander feel sick.

Beneath his breath, Evander muttered something, but as it was Commander-General Ashira, the same who had several years ago provided him with an identity unwittingly, he took a deep breath and began to hollowly recite his information as had been explained to him when he ran away those years ago. "Evander Lighte, silver" she had not asked for his talent and he felt no need or desire to share it. He hoped that she would see the overabundance of mechanics in the group and assume he was of the same cloth. Perhaps he'd get out of it, if he were lucky. He had no idea why she'd need them.... in hindsight he regretted not taking the opportunity to personally lower his rank to something more like... iron. He didn't think he was terribly impressive at any rate and was half certain he had only been promoted so rapidly because of the scarcity of possessors.
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"Very well!" Ashira said. Her voice was stronger, now, for having revealed herself. She always commanded complete attention when in a room, and a bar was certainly no exception. "The four of you will report to the north wall! I will personally be leading that post, so the four of you and I will be spending quite a lot of quality time, together." Turning, she faced Aeryn.

"Aeryn of the White Gale, so named 'Gale' for your incredible speed and ability when confronting your foes, and so named 'White' for your hair. You possess more strength than you know, but you limit yourself because of your lazy ideals. To live, you must strive. And to strive, you must live." With that, she turned to Evander.

"Evander Lighte. You carry much talent and skill within you. Quick to understand, you shall eventually see that you have more to offer than you believe. Let not the chains of your past hold you back, for our loved ones wish to see us soar." And so she moved on to Ash.

"Ash Campbell, you who walks the path of knowledge alone. You see the true purpose in things long since lost. Do not fear the breath of others, for in our world, we who wish to live, wish to do so together. You have a future filled with friendship ahead of you. Or a future filled with despair. The choice is yours, you must recognize the paths." And then, to Karen.

"Karen Pasternak. The one who hides in a shell of ice. We are all human, and as such, imperfection is a part of our perfection. With our flaws, we are brought together, to fill the gaps others bear. We are all but a puzzle, meant to fit together to better us all. It is up to you to decide where you fit."

Nodding, she turned away from all of them, and walked up to the doorway, glancing back at them over her shoulder. "You are all probably thinking, 'How dare she! Who is she to speak to me like this?' Well, I shall tell you why I dare. I've long since given up any and all personal goals for myself. My dream, is to crush those who wish for us to follow their faith blindly. My quest is to guarentee the future of the Technicians. And my duty is to grind the edges off our children to reveal the shining diamond within. Each person has something special hidden within them, it is up to them to bring that out. Many people fear this, so I must aid them. My methods are not kind; they will hurt. Many have weeped before me, others given up. But others... Others have stood proud before our enemy and crushed them. Death must not be a fear, for we shall all die, eventually..."

Sighing, she turned her head to the doorway. "Remember. Tomorrow. North wall. And for all you other lazy technicians in this room, find an officer and get ready to protect our beloved ideals! Tomorrow, we fight!" With that, she walked through the doorway, her cloak whipping in a momentary gale.


Gritting his teeth, Aeryn sat down again. "Wretched woman...." Looking at the other three, he shook his head. "Picked the wrong day to come to this bar..." Closing his eyes, he suddenly picked up on the scent of his chicken and steak. Instantly ravenous, he devoured his food quickly, stopping only to drink his beer. "Order somethin', the four of you. Have a seat, it's on me..." Finishing his plate, he grabbed a toothpick from the center of the table and began picking bits of chicken from between his teeth. "That woman can be a handful, I'll tell you that now... Just like her sister... Although her sister was so much more pleasant..." Suddenly, a dreamy look touched his eyes. "She'd always let me sleep on her nice, soft bosom when we were traveling back then..."
 
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Evander felt a little shaken by the woman's words to him. It felt as if she had dipped her hands into the icy pool of water containing his soul and dribbled the drops in plain sight. With an exhalation belying his resignation in the matter, he sat down gingerly as far from the others as he could. Three men and a woman, a strange crew. He was glad now that he had been tight-lipped with his information. Taciturn and quiet as usual, he retreated to his own mind as he examined the other three.

The woman, she did seem icy, her eyes caught on Aeryn as he ate ravenously. She was fair, pretty, but even her stance concealed her emotions. The man beside her was stuffy, but somehow warmer. He held the composure and air of a loner, but he was not condescending, nor did he bear the aloof presence the woman had. The man, Aeryn, seemed thoroughly unconcerned with everything. Evander felt weary, these were who he had to deal with? He had dared to hope that they would be friendly with one another if he had to work with them, so he might be overlooked, but his luck was not panning out well so far.

Somehow, this felt like the man, Aeryn, had a large part in the fault here for why Evander had been drafted into... well, he wasn't sure. However, Evander was not very pleased with being told exactly who he would be working with. Maybe being near others could be optional...
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Ash took a seat with his three new companions. "well quite the unseen turn of events" Ash said aloud to no one in particular. He couldn't help but feel a little thrown off by the words that Ashira had spoken to him.They were vague yes, but also accurate. He placed an order for food since this Aeryn fellow was paying ad took some time to examine this new group of faces

The one known as Aeryn seemed completely care free as if nothing could ever faze him. He proceeded to eat away at his meal as if the new company wasnt even there. The Woman had an intimidating aura around her that made Ash feel slightly uneasy. And lastly was the other male. He seemed a logical type, lost in thought but still aware of everything around him.

Nonetheless, this seemingly uneventful hot day had definitely picked up. Ash wasn't sure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing yet
 
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She grabbed her drink and sat next to Aeryn, her coat draped over the back of the chair. Karen liked his attitude; he was clearly a guy who liked to have a good time, the other two not so much. “Free food, huh? You sure know how to woo the ladies. Keep it up and my bosom could be your next pillow.” Karen teased lightly with a flirtatious wink. She ordered a chicken breast with potatoes from the barmaid who, like the rest of the room, had relaxed since the departure of the high ranking Technicians. <o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]<o:p> </o:p>[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“So gentleman, were any of you planning something special tomorrow instead of fighting? Personally, I had a full day at the clinic scheduled, not to sorry to be missing out on that. Karen enjoyed meeting new people and socializing; being guarded and being anti-social were, after all, two different character traits.<o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
 
The stiffness in Eli's back flowed out when the general left the building. He ordered after... Karen, he thought, also taking the meat and potatoes route and asking for their coolest beer. Whoever had invented refrigeration was a true hero of the people. He looked over to the higher-ranked woman when he finished. "Ma'am, what is the invading force looking like?" He was on repair duty during the battle, as no one seemed to trust the tinker class on the field until things got desperate, unlike, he'd heard, the other side, which used low ranks as fodder. Still, if putting more back into getting equipment back on the field tomorrow meant his class was less likely to get yanked as backup...
 
Grinning, Aeryn winked back at Karen. "Really? In that case, my wallet is your wallet!" Laughing, he stretched his arms, then took the liberty to answer Eli's question. "I actually saw the enemy force, while on my way here. They've got approximately.... Four legions of Paladins, out there. Meaning if every single one of those Paladins got in the city, there wouldn't be enough room. They have about seven times our number."

Shaking his head, he touched the hilt of his blade. "But, we have one thing they don't have. Intelligence. Those guys out there are a bunch of fools, really. Give them some sign that they need to sacrifice themselves on the spot for their God, and they'll kill themselves..." With that, he touched his eyepatch, adjusting it ever so slightly. The three interlocking gears on the eyepatch usually served as a badge in itself, since lower ranking technicians weren't allowed to wear the three gears. But he loved showing hs badge off, like he did at the gate, simply for the fun of it. "But that woman... Ashira... I hate taking orders from anyone, but she seems like the type of person I'd hate taking orders from the most... Her cocky attitude isn't gonna work well with me..." Crossing his amrs, then, he watched them all order their food for a few minutes. "Really... if I had stayed I might've been a Platinum ranking technician. Then we'll see who takes who's orders...."

Suddenly laughing, though, he shook his head. "Ah, but that's too much responsibility. I'll be fine in my own ranking. Being a Gold rank is a real pain in itself, but a Platinum? I'd never want that hellish rank. Silver is the perfect rank for a Technician like me. You're just underneath Gold, so you don't really have to take orders from too many people, and just high enough that you can do whatever the hell you please, and order the lower ranks around whenever the need arises. No offense, though," he added, grinning.
 
As Wesley neared the town, he pulled a flask from his back pocket and took a sip before placing this things on the ground. He laid on his back, resting his head on the knapsack. Closing his eyes, he began to think about his mother and how much he always missed her. The elegant blue-gray of her eyes, her long red hair, and the way she was always able to calm him down when he was mad or frustrated with his father's teachings. Wesley couldn't help but tear up, and so he took another gulp of scotch to forget again.

He rubbed his eyes with his hoody sleeve and put the hood over his eyes so the sun wasn't blinding him. He put the lid on the flask and put it to the side. Hearing a quiet, scratching noise, he slowly reached his knife and quickly stabbed it into the rat making the noise next to him. It squeaked pathetically so Wesley grabbed its head and snapped it sideways, causing it to go limp. He then proceeded to sit up and use his knife to skin the rat, removing its head and skin.

Leaning in and taking a sniff, he grimaced at the delicacy in front of him, then bit straight into its flesh. Blood dripped from it's frail body as Wesley continued to knaw at it. Within minutes, Wesley tossed the tiny carcass away by its tail, which was the only meat left on the creature. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he felt queasy, but in his mind, at least he wasn't hungry anymore.
 
Eli listened impassively as the louder man rattled on. Everyone had seemed impressed by the man's name, even the general, but Eli had no clue who the man was. Still, Eli didn't want to speak up. No use getting ragged on about the mud on his boots. Half the technicians around acted like they had no idea that farmers even used mechanical equipment. And who fixed the stuff when the technicians couldn't be bothered to visit small towns and villages? Most of these people were much too big for their britches, as grandma would have declared.

Still, the people were better off here than under the Paladins, who would see a man his starvation and then raise him a hanging. "Thank you, sir." A technician would only get snotty at you unless you actually did commit a crime, rather than just complaining or not getting enough grain in. Eli's family had people on the other side and things sounded bad over there. It wasn't a surprise that most of the movement across the border--well, that wasn't made up mostly of people getting their fight on--was just normal folks trying to go over to a side that wouldn't name them heretics for trying to get the most out of working the earth.

Some men what didn't have the sense good god gave ticks still moved their families over to the other side, though, and that must be the idiocy where four legions of Paladins marched out to Coile. If each group was at the weakest strength of three thousand... Twelve thousand at best, and about twenty thousand at worst... And the "best" was bad enough. Hell had beaten feet to Coile and looked like a would-be righteous army of god. Eli's face had turned drawn and pensive at the high-ranked Technician's words. The tinker had never seen real combat. His only encounter with the Paladins had led to the false arm that had stolen him away from the farm life he'd expected for himself and the family that had borne him. He rubbed his shoulder, that damn arm feeling suddenly terribly heavy.

If they drag us out onto the line, then.. Very likely Eli would wind up in straight combat for the first time, as a Possessor. He was a strong enough one to activate a good many of the even damaged machines not already assigned out to techs in the field. No amount of drinking could make Eli look forward to killing a man.

The waitress came out loaded with food and mugs. The improbable amount of grub she carried was almost as impressive as her figure. He took a bit to admire her while she wasn't looking... Mainly because he didn't want all his beer in his lap and still have to pay for it. He dug in after a quick "thanks," scarfing as only a semi-starved student could, washing it down with huge swigs of only somewhat watered beer.
 
[size=-2]
Evander sat quietly back in his seat, watching the multiple exchanges. Aeryn was popular, wasn't he? Cocky, it seemed, perhaps even a little arrogant. Clearly talented, the woman had been here seeking him. The woman was inquiring about their plans for the next day, and Evander was reflecting on what he had planned to do. "I suppose I would have been fighting whenever the need arose. Something else entirely to be ordered to fight, though... Being taken direct notice of, since if something goes wrong... I just don't like the sound of where that's going". He sounded unnecessarily morose, more so than he intended or even felt. He shrugged, slumping back and observing the man, the coarse one who had been so noisy, admire the barmaid.

Evander stared at her for a moment, struggling to grasp what the other men saw in her. She was a little plump, only so much so that her bosom was large and the rest not too big. Evander broke his gaze, knowing how long she would bask in it appreciatively and when it would begin to vex her. She was nothing special, and he could not fathom any reason for staring at her for any length of time. Evander took a mug of beer and took a deep drink before setting it on the table.

Maybe if they were quiet, he could get pleasantly drunk and stare at the wood grain until he fell asleep...
[/size]
 
"Well, I'm about done here," Aeryn said, standing up. Shrugging on the cloak, he grabbed his sword and strapped it to his back. "I'm going to go get some shut eye, so I can fight tomorrow. If any of you are looking for a good inn, the one across the street is pretty decent. And it's right across from this bar, too." Nodding, he paid the owner, giving the bosomy maid a nice tip, which finally earned him a seductive smile.

Chuckling quietly, he turned to them. "Also, keep this in mind. You don't want to be late, tomorrow. That woman is scarier than a hellhound when she's pissed.' And with that, he turned and left the building, heading over to the clocktower at the center of the town. He had things to discuss with Commander-General Ashira. And it wasn't going to be pleasant.