Lost Heart IC

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Doughguy

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Disclaimer: Due to the nature of the RP there are often player actions that are important to the plot, or discoveries meant for only one player. You are only allowed to read the spoiler with your character's name on it. You also cannot read other player's replies. When you post your reply please place it in a spoiler so other player do not accidentally read it.

OOC here

A blizzard halfway up Mt Lun the previous night had left an inch of snow on the ground around the lake. Strong winds were still picking up more off the mountain’s sides and blowing it down. With dawn only just past the air was still cold and the wind had a chilly bite that cut right through light clothing. A few fishermen sat on the rarely used port hoping to catch a few final fish even though dawn was past. A lone fisher boat floating in the centre of the lake hoping the same. Further south a pair of trader ships had just entered the lake on their way to Eul from the south.

To the north and east stood the path that led up the mountain to the Und where Ue’s best were trained. A stranger could mistake it for a Beurn herder’s path. It was a simple dirt track that left the main road and started its way up the mountain, identifiable by a single wooden sign with the word Und upon it and the Uen symbol next to it. Not a single guard was in sight, but that was normal as there wasn’t a need for one.

Apart from the fishermen there were few people around. The trader roads went far around Mt Lun to avoid the worst conditions and any contact with the Agents.

It was here that Maya awoke.

Barely a few hundred metres away the ground was a vibrant green, covered in all grasses which swayed with every passing wind. On top of these grasses sat the great Fort Pure, one of Ue’s most well equipped and supplied forts in the empire. Five towers faced the mountain pass leading into the Firelands, each one’s top bristling with siege weaponry all pointed right at the entrance. A lower wall stretched around the fort in front of the towers with more siege placed upon it, ready to fire. As the sun rose in the west tiny shadows could be seen moving back and forth along the walls and towers, while others remained silhouetted in a single spot, their eyes permanently trained on their target.

In stark contrast to the clean, organised feel of the Uen fort, Fort Brakkis resembled a sudden, natural upthrust of stone bursting from the side of the mountain. Its outer shell was made of obsidian, with spikes of the same rock surrounding it to hinder any charge at its gates. The actual fort was made of grey stone and was a short yet long half cylinder emerging from the mountain. There was less siege weaponry atop its form, but there were hundreds of rocks ready to be released onto any army that tried to pass through. In addition a resevoir of lava sat to either side, ready to be unleashed. It was one of three forts on the small stretch of mountain pass guarding the way into the Firelands.

In the pass below the fort a nest of salamanders began to emerge from the pools of lava that dotted the pass. The long, flat beasts shook the remains of the magma from their backs and began strolling around looking for breakfast. Far above them a lone smoker drifted through the air, its purple skin filled with hot air allowing it to float with ease.

As the base of the sun was clearing the Histan Mountains far to the west bells sung all along the mountain pass signalling the official waking time. Soldiers rolled out of their threadbare beds and began pulling on clothing and armour. Breakfast would be served in a short fifteen minutes and there was no second chance if you missed it. The majority of them had dark tans or skin though there were a few whose tones were lighter. Among those few was Syrix.

On the top of the fort stood Commander Jenx. Though only a normal human he had complete control of the fort and only had to answer to the Clutch. He wore a suit of heavy, red coloured plate armour that offered greater protection that the laminar armour the foot soldiers of the pass wore. His eyes were fixed on the enemy fort in the distance, a calculating look in his eyes.

Therin was a sleepy little town near the edge of the Uyar plain, yet too far away from the actual mines to be anything more than a night stop for the caravans transporting the mineral. The situation was well liked by the inhabitants who enjoyed a small town feel while making a good amount of profit off the caravans who, in the past, were very common. The homes and shops reflect the town’s prosperity and it has two large inns for the merchants and their guards.

Recent events however, have had a drastic change on the town. The rebellion immediately cut off the supply of caravans coming from the mines and their source of income suddenly disappeared. Then, when the Karthan armies returned to the north, battered and bloodied, a smart thinking general decided to set up camp outside Therin. While the noble officers have taken up residence in the inns and saved them from bankruptcy, the presence of two thousand unruly soldiers looking for a fight camped just outside the town is something the citizens are eager to be free of.

This morning though, no civilians were willing to step outside to complain about their presence. Soldiers had swarmed the streets and were searching through every room in every house. A thief had snuck into the general’s room at the inn during the night. When a soldier had entered to give the man a report the thief had disappeared in a cloud of smoke, taking the general’s gold scabbarded Uyar sword with him. The Kar family noble was furious and had told his soldiers he would not let them rest until it was recovered. Every street had guards and every alley was being searched.

Juntaal was an average sized coastal town on the eastern coast of what used to be Uen territory. Now it resided in the region known as the free cities under the protection of Lugrun further to the south. It had a modest dock and saw at least two dozen ships per day, whether they were coming in to dock or passing through along the sea trade routes. It kept the town turning a nice profit during the summer and autumn seasons when the seas were calm.

However this autumn had been less prosperous that the citizens had expected. While their release of the Uen Empire had been a drastic move the sea trade had continued unabated. Some merchants no longer passed by yet the local ones picked up the slack. It had only been when the pirates of the south east had suddenly turned their full attention to their west that the problems had started.

Dozens of ships were sunk in the first months and Juntaal had seen a massive drop in their trade. Even when armed boats began to patrol the coast the inexperienced crews couldn’t keep up with the pirates who had been attacking well-armed Aramian ships for decades. The situation was growing worse with every passing day as fewer ships were willing to take to the waters. Many believed it was only a matter of times before the pirates began landing and attacking the towns on the coast.

It was in this desperate town that Figwig now found himself in as the sun broke the horizon to the west.

The large trader boat bumped up against the city’s dock just as dawn was breaking to the west. Tired eye dock workers ran up to the ship as the sailors threw their lines to them. Despite the weariness of those involved the process was completed quickly and the Lila’s Love was secured with no problems. A wide plank of wood was slide over the side to rest on the dock and allow passengers and cargo to disembark.

The city the ship had arrived in, called Olial, was on the western coat of Aramis. Once a prime target for the pirate raiders of the islands the recent alliance and brought a halt to those activities. The sudden peace had left the townspeople confused, as if living a life where they could sail safely was not normal. Combined with a sudden boom in trade now no ships were being stolen the town felt like a child in puberty unsure of who they were or what they could do.

Though he had not ordered them woken, it was unlikely any of the passengers aboard the ship were still asleep. The bump signalling their arrival and the work going on up on deck as cargo was unloaded was not an easy thing to sleep through. In one of the private cabins was Thulile, having made her way to Aramis from New Karthar. And thanks to a particularly loud sailor’s cursing she was now awake.

In the hills of Aehraut, far to the west of Ossa, the first rays of light touched the land. At Jerris’s camp the three night sentries rubbed their weary eyes and waited for their replacements to arrive. The other ten fighters at the camp were waking as one, groaning from sore muscles. Fast marching and carrying their own supplies everywhere was a difficult and tiring business. The chosen ‘cook’ for the day forced himself up and began rummaging through their supplies. They were close to an Aehraut town and couldn’t afford a fire so it was cold meat and bread for everyone.

From the south a lone scout was returning from his nightly spying. Marru was there to greet him and hear his report. Once that was done he grabbed his own portion as well as Jerris’s and walked over to his commander’s tent. “Breakfast sir.” he said and waited to be invited in. Once he was he passed the food to Jerris and saluted.

“The scout has returned sir. Ekalin has a small garrison, maybe fifty soldiers at most. But they appear to have a few horses with them. This is a good chance if we can even the odds. It’s possible one squad is just riding through, if we wait we may be able to catch them on the road in lesser numbers.” The man finished his own report and waited for Jerris to speak.
 
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Syrix woke up to the sound of bells, as usual. He was usually one of the first ones ready, and this time was no different. He got up out of bed in a matter of seconds and was dressed shortly after. Just like every other day, he followed the other soldiers to the mess hall where they all ate breakfast. The mealtime was uneventful, as Syrix kept himself isolated from the other soldiers. No one could be trusted, especially in the army. Even if he wanted company, everyone seemed to avoid him. If it was because of his unusually light skin tone, his personality, or just his stern demeanor, Syrix didn't know or care.
 
"Whaa...?", Thuly groaned. For a moment she struggled to find her footing. Then she remembered she had boarded a trade ship to Olial - a port on West Aramis. First Thulile thought she'd woken to just another day at sea. Not this morning. The hustle and bustle outside sounded different. Somehow muffled, and as if sounds came from beyond the constraints of Lila's Love's decks. They must've hit Olial at the break of dawn. 'Finally', Thuly thought, 'I've smelled enough sea salt for a while'.

Snoozing, she retraced the reason for her awakening. It took Thulile a couple of minutes, before she succeeded. 'Cursing', she dredged up, 'some sailor's cursing'. Thuly started some cursing of her own, easily rivalling the rude expressions produced by the sailor. During her journey she'd experienced a lot of cursing. Usually it had something to do with Shrew. Admittingly the sturdy mountain mare was a handful. And she didn't like seafaring. She'd been on edge since they'd boarded, biting and kicking everyone who came close. Not a few of the Love's sailors had gained new bruises and marks. Worried that Shrew was - once again - the reason for the cursing, Thulile shot on dark leather trousers and a loose, linnen shirt, and hurried barefooted towards the hold.

On her way forward, Thuly ducked and dodged around sailors busy unloading cargo. She heard an excited whinny from the cargo hold, which she recognized as Shrew's high pitch. As always, her companion the rough and brown haired gelding Canelo waited stoically for what was to come. Shrew was another story. The steelblue mare vented her frustration. She clearly smelled firm ground. 'Yes, yes, I'm coming. Don't be so impatient!', Thulile thought as she hurried towards her two ponies.
 
The steady stream of sunlight filtering through the treetops was the first sign of dawn breaking. It passed through the leaves and spread towards the surrounding branches where a figure sat leaning against the treebark high above the snow covered ground. The dark colored hood that hid the person's face fell back as they seemed to awaken from their slumber. Dark purple eyes scoured the skies in search of a white bird. To Maya's dismay the sky remained ever clear excluding the occasional tufts of clouds. For the past day or so she had gotten lost within the constant frozen tundra that befell the mountain and took shelter in the high branches of the trees. She had no knowledge of where she was for her bird, which she considers as her personal map, was no where to be found. Maya wasn't concerned though for she knew that it could take care of itself fairly well and was probably taking shelter from the biting cold.

There was the option of asking one of the near-by fishermen for directions but Maya really had no destination in mind. Materializing the obelisk, she hopped onto the sleek platform and floated down the tree. Hovering slightly above the snow mound she found a curious little sign half buried in the whiteness. It was there that she discovered a little dirt path leading up to the mountains. The previous snow storm seemed to have calmed and perhaps she would find her bird in higher elevation. Without another thought to the matter, Maya turned the obelisk into the direction of the path and began her flight upwards.
 
Jerris looked over the food with concealed distaste, but ate it anyway. "I think we could take Ekalin, but we'd have to be lucky, and we'd never be able to hold the place. We just don't have the manpower. Hitting a squad on the march, though... that should work. Provided we know where they're headed. Wouldn't do to set up an ambush here and find they're headed away from us."

He swallowed and continued outlining his plans to Marru. "If we can't find that out by sundown, then we hit Ekalin 3 hours after dark. Won't be a pilfer-and-pillage raid. Civilians and their homes are to be left alone. That being said, if the garrison doesn't have enough mounts for our needs, well, we need horses. But I want it ABSOLUTELY CLEAR to the boys; no plundering the townsfolk!"
 
As Maya floated up the mountain it grew increasingly cold, the temperature dropping much faster than would be expected. By the time she was a hundred metres along the path she would be shivering. There was very little to be seen along the dirt path, the ground to either side of it had been blanketed in snow killing any smaller plants and sending the animal life into whatever hole they could find to shield themselves. There were a few hardy trees half buried but with leaves clinging on tight. The main feature of the mountainside was the piles of snow that seemed to form randomly like sand dunes.

By the time she was two hundred metres along the dirt road, which was miraculously free of snow, the temperature had reached below freezing though there was no snow to accompany it. She was only fifty metres up the side of the mountain however and the start of the path was still visible behind her.

It was then a voice spoke. It appeared to come from in front of her but there was nothing to be seen in that direction, no movement at all. “Stop where you are.” it said, “Get off the platform and raise your hands into the air.”

The soldiers ate their meals quickly, scooping the unappealing gruel into their mouths before the next bell rang. However before it did Syrix would notice a few of those who were closest to him getting up and moving away. There was a small measure of fear in the eyes of those across from him. If he were to turn around to see the source of their fear he would see a large man in full plate armour though missing a helm. Standing at 6’5” Arredar was the tallest and widest person in the fort and greatly feared by the soldiers. As Jenx’s adjutant he had almost as much power as the commander though far less restraint and used it to punish insubordination harshly. The salamanders enjoyed it when he was the one who fed them.

If Syrix didn’t turn around in a few seconds he would find a large, gauntleted hand on his shoulder spinning him around to face Arredar. Whichever occurred what happened next was the same. The man’s face was blank as he spoke, “Jenx wants to see you. Get up to him.” His voice was deep and gravelly. With the message delivered the man marched off, only pausing to spit in a random soldier’s meal before exiting the room.

As Thulile made her way across the deck of the boat the captain’s gaze followed her, relief visible in his eyes. He had not had a good relationship with the noble lady, and her damned horse had not helped. His ship cutter had had his hands full dealing with bruises and bites. There had even been a broken femur form a particularly lucky kick. And it was the same this morning. And the woman was some noble from Karthar before the collapse and she acted like it. His crew hated her for the way she acted around him and he felt the same.

Eager to get the woman and her demon horse off his ship he’d sent two sailors to lead them off but Shrew had immediately bitten one and that had been enough for the other to give up. Yet the captain had not wished to be responsible for the woman’s waking and risking her ire. Thus he had let her sleep wand was glad she was up on her own before too long. He walked over to where she and the horses stood, “Your box of things is already on the dock ready for you to take. Just get those horses off my boat now.” With that terse order he turned around and went back to supervising the unloading, trying to put the woman from his mind.

Marru nodded in response to Jerris’s order. “I’ll send one of the men into the town and try to get some more info and convey the orders to the rest. They’ll follow them. They remember what it means to disobey their commanders. Even if you won’t do that the fear will keep them in line.” With that he saluted and left leaving Jerris alone. Outside the sound of orders being barked was quickly audible as were the affirmative responses. In the Karthan armies disobedience was met with whippings at best, slavery at worst. And civilians met with the same if they disobeyed military officers. Fear was a useful tool to the nobles.
 
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She found the her ponies perhaps a few inches from where she'd lef them. Clearly the ship's crew had attempted to lead them from the ship. A dark smirk showed her pleasure in their failure. Shrew had probably made an attempt on their lives. Canelo looked as placid as ever at her, when Thulile walked up to them. Shrew, agitated as hell, hadn't seen her approach, and as her mistress grabbed her reign the mare snapped at her. Temper flaring, Thuly saved her arm from the horse's teeth. "Don't!", she groaned, as she slapped the pony in it's nose. Shrew recognized her, and calmed down a bit.

From behind Thulile heard a terse voice: “Your box of things is already on the dock ready for you to take. Just get those horses off my boat now.” Looking over her shoulder, she saw the ship's captain walk off. He didn't look back. Thuly grinned. She knew her ponies and she had been a pain in the ass for the boat's crew. Still, she recollected the outragious price they'd demanded from her. For that money they'd earned her disrespect and all the broken bones Shrew had caused

Pulling at their reigns, Thuly dragged her ponies from the barge. A couple of sailors had to scramble from their path, as Shrew whinnied and kicked. On the dock, Thulile looked around for her stuff. She spotted them at the end of the pier. "Com'on you two", she spat, steering Shrew and Canelo towards her belongings.

Off the boat, men hadn't met her yet. So of course, she felt eyes undressing her. Arming herself with a paricularly dark aura, Thulile made her way to the dock's end. There she tied her ponies to a rickety fence, before rummaging through her things. Finding what she sought, she quickly, with practised ease straps on her sturdy battle leathers. Routinely she slings her late husband's sword over her shoulder, strapping it to her back. Next followed her round shield. Thuly took a moment to study the intricate design etched into it, before swinging it on her back as well. Prepared to face Olial, Thuly turned back towards her animals. Quickly she loaded them with her things.

Finished, Thulile looked around. Spotting the church in the distance, she started to make her way towards it. From experience she knew the better inns usually closely hugged the theologic centre of a city. After all the believers were in dire need of a drink after mass.
 
Sharp eyes searched the surrounding path but found nothing but the slightly masked presence of another. Maya disliked unnecessary bloodshed and it seemed that whoever this stranger was they didn't have any intention to harm her. At least for now. Though potential danger was potential danger and she was not going to meet it unarmed. From the hidden corner folds of her coat materialized drones, a specialized weaponed that she had crafted (or really brought into reality) on her own. They remained still and out of sight as they waited for a sign of danger to obliviate from existence.

Slowly the obelisk lowered itself to the dirt packed trail but continued to hover an inch or two above the ground. Maya quietly stepped off the black platform and dematerialized it as a sign of cooperation. It took no more than a second to reconstruct the obelisk so the danger of being unable to escape was slim. She raised her hands slightly above her shoulders as the biting cold nipped at her exposed arms. The temperature didn't bother her much but without her cloak it would have been impossible to have survived the night. Despite that knowledge she preferred to travel through the snow covered terrain in light clothing. Furs and heavy cloth would have just hindered her progress.

The silence mingled with the howling winds continued as she awaited the invisible stranger to make their move.
 
FigWig walk into the town with an alchemist kit fit snugly into his back. As he looked around, he decided to go to a dock, and set up shop there. After some looking around, he feels a wooden box would do, so he opened up his backpack, and after some quick assembly, placed the set on the box. He took out a cup and filled it with sea water, then plucked a nearby rose and a daffodil further away, and proceeded to mix the two into the sea water. He then whispered a simple word into the mixture, and then demonstrate it's magical qualities by taking it and placing it in a nearby empty barrel. He then proceeded to take a seat, and waited, with much expectation, to see the spectacular reaction
 
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A few metres ahead of Maya the snow and ice began to move. The effect was obviously magical and began slowly as if to indicate it was no threat. The snow piled up and stretched towards the sky, eventually becoming a solid wall of white blocking the otherwise clear path. It seemed to be a more symbolic wall however, as it would be easy to walk or fly around. A small indentation appeared, running from top to bottom in the centre, and splitting the wall in two.

“You are heading towards the Und.” the voice said, now seeming to come from the wall, “If you have official business state your intentions now. Otherwise if you are on this path by mistake, announce you are lost, turn around and head back down the path you came up. The facility is off limits to civilians. If you continue on this path without permission you will be detained or eliminated.”

(OOC Note: You can read about the Und in the ‘Other World Information’ section under ‘Locations’.)

Even from the dock it was easy to tell that the town was busy. Just getting off the pier and onto the main street was a challenge with two horses considering the number of people around. However Shrew was just as good at crowd control on the pier as he was on the boat and Thulile left a trail of cursing voices behind her. No one dared confront the demon horse and its evil looking master though. The rest of the pier instead quickly took notice of what had befallen their fellow workers and made sure she had room to pass through. From the muttered whispering around her it seemed that she was going to be part of the local gossip that evening.

Descending into the town proper Thulile looked very out of place, dressed in armour and leading two horses of her own. The citizens were dressed in mostly light blues and greys with the occasional darker red in the crowd and wore normal if slightly fancy clothing. It was clear that the new found wealth was being spread around. Her own brown and gold stuck out very noticeably. There were also an abundance of guards posted along the streets, a leftover necessity from the past. They were dressed in a dark blue undershirt and white pants covered by an iron breastplate and iron leggings. The chest piece was adorned with a leaping fish of average quality.

As she entered the flow of people moving about town two of these guards began moving towards her, the sea of citizens parting easily before them. They were both armed with spears though the weapons were sheathed on their backs and they wore expressions of amusement on their faces. Unless Thulile attempted to evade them they would soon arrive in front of her to block her path. Both men were slightly taller than her and of average build.

“Miss New Arrival.” the first said in a deep voice, “What exactly is your intention here in Olial, all armoured up like that?”

The reaction started off slowly, with a few pops and crackles as the salt reacted magically. As the sounds grew more frequent a pleasant smell began to rise from the mixture and spread into the air. It strongly resembled the scent of roses thought it was not quite the same, and each sniff produced a fizzy feeling in one’s nostrils. The overall effect was not unpleasant but quite odd. A few people walking by the dock stopped to smell and a few of those seemed interested, but many were put off by the simple set up Figwig had and only two of them seemed to have much interest at all. The mixture continued to pop and fizzle for a minute, filling the air with its scent, before finally burning out.
 
When the sea of people parted for her Thuly took it all in her stride. She found it only natural for the lower classes to make way for her.

Usually Thulile wasn't interested in the people around her. They just didn't interest her. But now it was different. Years ago she'd been here, with her family. Thuly gulped the storm of emotion tied in with the word 'family' back into her now turbulent stomache. A solitary tear tickled the corner of her right eye. Quickly she blinked it away. She felt like the town had transformed. It had gained in stature, colour and pride. Even the lowliest of inhabitants seemed to have risen beyond their former station. Of course she'd heard of the town's growth, but she'd not expected it to be this obvious.

Absorbed in her thoughts and the remnants of her internal, emotional fight, she hadn't noticed the approach of the two guards. So, when they accosted her suddenly, it startled her.

The thing she noticed right away was their outfits. Since her last visit even the guards had experienced an upgrade. They no longer resembled bad off buccaneers, with colours matching the town's flag, proper iron armour - even their hair was properly cut. Still, their appearance wasn't matched in courtesy. Especially when dealing with someone of her stature. Their derogatory "Miss New Arrival" didn't sit well with Thulile. Irked she responded in a particular gruff and sarcastic manner: "Gentlemen...".

She knew the way men appreciated her turned out in fighting leathers. After all the supple leather flattered and hugged her just as supple body in all the right places. The only way they couldn't have noticed it was if they were blind (which they obviously weren't), or if they were more interested in each other than in the female part of society. "I'm here to do a spot of horse-riding", Thuly responded to their question, arching her back slightly to point out some of her physical perks. "Can't hardly do that in my silks, can I now?"

Shrew becoming restless and nervous by the crowd; they'd gained onlookers during the interaction. After all Thulile stood out like a sore thumb. Everything about her screamed 'outlander'. People were curious in the gist of her conversation with the guards. As they pressed nearer, perking their ears, Thulile's mare fidgeted. She seemed to position herself, her rear quarters, to kick out with her hind legs. Sensitive to her horse's ways, Thulile kicked Shrew in the shin. "NO", she grunted at her. It was hard to keep the horse steady in the oppressing crowd.

Turning back to the guards, she ventured: "So, can you two gentlemen point me towards some riding greens nearby. As you can see for yourselves my horse is rearing to go".
 
Syrix ate his meal just as quickly as the other soldiers. He noticed that some of the nearby soldiers began to move away, and he had a pretty good idea why. He turned around to find that his idea was spot-on. While others may have felt fear if Arredar had something to say to them, Syrix was simply annoyed. He didn't fear Arredar as the others did.

"Jenx wants to see you. Get up to him."

Syrix stood up and made his way to where the commander was, hoping that he had some sort of special mission for him; he was starting to get bored of being a typical soldier.
 
Unlike the sailors on the boat the guards weren’t the least bit intimidated by Shrew. The one who was yet to speak began to circle around, inspecting her two horses with a careful eyes. His arms remained crossed the entire time and his expression changed little, the same look of amusement was on his face.

The speaker stayed in front of Thulile and looked to have no intention of moving out of the way just yet. His eyes did travel Thulile’s form as she emphasised herself and the expression on his face was twisted briefly by a hungry look before returning to its previous amusement. As she kicked Shrew in the leg to stop him a flash of success went through his eyes. “Olial is an awfully long way to come to ride your horses Miss New Arrival. Especially with such feisty mounts. Why that one there looks ready to kick Bornd in the head just for looking at him, more like a fighting horse than a riding horse.” He made a small gesture to indicate Shrew’s intent gaze on his partner.

The other guard tapped her boxes of luggage with his knuckle, “Awful lot of equipment you’re bringing with you. Didn’t know horse riding took more than a saddle.”

“Perhaps we oughta open up those cases you have there, make sure you’re just carrying your spare silks around.” the first speaker said, “Olial’s a nice and peaceful town now, we’re just making sure you ain’t a troublemaker is all. Not a pirate or something.” At the mention of pirates many of the crowd who had been gathered around began to move away, no longer wishing to be too close to the scene.

“Of course,” said Bornd in a quieter voice as he approached Thulile, “Everyone knows pirates are unlawful thieves who would never pay the new town entry tax. The sort of tax a nice horse riding lady would.”

“Pay with gold or, something else.” the first guard said, his gaze travelling around Thulile’s body again.

OOC Note: You'd have the gold to pay them but it would dip into your funds.

The doorway to the top of the fort was guarded by two of Jenx’s elite soldiers dressed in heavy plate armour. They were standing directly in front of the door, blocking it with their mass, but stepped aside when Syrix approached. Upon the roof there were five other people. One of them was, of course, Commander Jenx, who was staring towards the enemy fort with his back to everyone. The other four were ordinary soldiers in the plain grey laminar armour of Firelands infantry. They stood facing the commander, waiting for him to move.

Upon Syrix’s arrival he turned around to face them all. The commander wore a serious expression, mouth set into a firm line and cold, green eyes a stark contrast to his darker skin. He beckoned Syrix to come forward and stand with the other soldiers. Unlike Jenx, all four soldiers had the paler skin of city dwellers. The man waited until the new arrival had joined the line before he began speaking.

“I’m sending you all to Fort Girix where you will report to Commander Yenta.” he began in a deep voice, “He will give you your new assignment there. Take your weapons and armour and nothing else, any supplies you require will be provided there. I’d advise you to make a quick trip of it, there is a reason you are all pale skinned.”

Fort Girix was the first fort in the Gates of Hell, the first line of defence against any Uen invasion. It was about two hundred metres away and wouldn’t take the soldiers long to cross at a jog or walk. “You have fifteen minutes to prepare and leave. I expect you to act appropriately and prove to the soldiers at Girix that Brakkis is taking its duty as seriously as they are. Dismissed.” The four other soldiers saluted and began to leave.
 
As one of the guards started to circle Thulile and her horses, Shrew's nervousness jumped over to her mistress. With an half eye she followed his progress. 'Why can't they just move along? I'm sure they're not getting paid for harassing innocent travellers', she thought. The one, still blocking her way, did take notice of her female form. Thuly noticed the short flash of interest. Then he adressed her again:“Olial is an awfully long way to come to ride your horses Miss New Arrival. Especially with such feisty mounts. Why that one there looks ready to kick Bornd in the head just for looking at him, more like a fighting horse than a riding horse.”

Of course she knew her answer to their initial question didn't really say anything. She'd hoped they'd be satisfied by her humourous response. Clearly they were after more, than introducing themselves to new-arrival. Still, unsure what they were after, Thulile just shrugged. The guards remark about Shrew being a fighting horse - although very near to the truth - didn't need to be answered. Any answer would weaken her position. And Thuly wouldn't let these lowly guards dominate her.

Then the other guard, Bornd, tapped the boxes on Canelo's back. As they kept talking she finally understood where this was going. Clearly new and swanky clothing hadn't changed the nature of the local guards at all. Just like on her earlier visit they were trying to fumble gold out of her. Thulile peered at them through her eye-lashes. Then she took a deep breath. With that she dove into her core. Curled up in a place just below her bellybutton, lay her magically ability - dormant. Then she looked up, defiant. "Gentlemen", she said, "I'm a lady, and those are my silks". As Thulile stroked and coaxed her magical core her eyes burned with licks of bluish flames. "Where I come from men who want to rummage through a lady's silk are the ones to court, men are the ones to pay".

Clenching her teeth together, Thulile strained to find the water essence she was looking for. 'So glad that a human body consists for 80 percent of water', flashed through her mind. Firmly grasping the water within the guards' bodies, she twisted them slightly; letting it swirl inside cells and organs. From experience she knew, this usually caused an extremely uncomfortable feeling of nausea. "So, if you want to court me you can. Although I'm not easily pleased. Otherwise let me pass and calm your passionate bodies and lecherous minds".
 
The reaction of the guard’s due to Thulile’s magic was immediate. Both of their faces went green and twisted in very sick looking expressions. No sign of the amusement that they had been sporting moments before. It looked like Bornd was going to throw up while the other seemed to be closer to exploding from the other end. The latter did took a shaky step backwards and did his best to straighten up, nostrils flaring as he took deep, calming breaths. Though his face still looked sick there was anger in his eyes.

“That,” he started, pausing in between each words to take a steadying breath, “is assaulting a town guard.” His menacing tone was ruined by the panting that accompanied his words. For a second it looked like he was going to reach for the spear on his back, but he gave up on the idea. Instead he and Bornd turned away from her and started pushing, rather harshly, through the crowd on the way to their post. A few choice insults could be heard through the crowd from their direction.

Now she was no longer the target of anything but the confused stares of others in the crowd Thulile would be able to resume her journey to find a decent inn. Up ahead were a smattering of churches, each likely devoted to a different Lares important to Olial. There were some which were obviously much older even with recent renovations, while a few appeared to be still under construction. An oddity considering that Lares were few and far between.

There were also a number of inns around as well as bars and other shops. The dock area was obviously the mercantile section of the city as well but things were organised. The only stall traders were those in front of closed buildings and they acted like normal shopkeepers, waiting for buyers to browse their wares and not loudly advertising themselves. Seafood and sea faring equipment took up a large number of shops as did armourers and smiths.
 
For a moment Thuly thought she might have made things worse for herself. Of course, she could make things even worse for the two guards. And she would! It wasn't necessary. As the shaky town guards wobbled off, a nasty grin curled the corners of Thulile's mouth upwards. "Don't mess with nobility", she chuckled. Shrew whinnied as if agreeing with her. Canelo on the other hand seemed to have dozed off. With a sigh, Thuly pulled on their ropes. "Time to find some lodgings. Com'on you two".

She felt a little tickle as she passed the stalls with goods. Thullile loved to shop. Anything, everything! Still, the cost of the transfer to the island had put a big dent in her finances. But when a familiar smell hit her full in the nose she had to stop and search for it's source. Just on the other side of the road Thuly saw the fruit stall. Apples, pears, bananas and... tangerines! Her horses had picked up on the scent as well, and she could feel Canelo salivating all over her sleeve. "Stop it", she growled, as she started to pull the duo over to the stall. They knew whenever Thulile gave in to her obsession with tangerines they were bound to get an apple of her. Excited they danced around, annoying and obstructing more of the streets occupants. Ignoring their protests, Thuly pulled herself and her horses over to the other side of the road.

"Five tangerines and two apples", she demanded. The person behind the stall looked her over.

OOC: Thanks for your effort! I appreciate you keeping the story alive for me. I feel kinda privileged. Thanks!
 
After looking over Thulile the female stall owner looked disapprovingly at the two horses behind her causing problems with the crowd. They were likely getting in the way of other shoppers and disrupting the stall owner’s profits. It would explain the rather annoyed look on their face as they turned back to Thulile. “One gold for each apple and two for each tangerine. They’re shipped in from the mainland, cost more than growing them here. Twelve total, quickly now!” The woman began gathering up the fruits and placing them in a small bag as she waited for Thulile to pay.

Unnoticed by Thulile or her horses, Bornd stood two dozen metres away on the opposite sidewalk watching her. Their trail was easy to follow thanks to Shrew, and it was unlikely Thulile would see him even if she looked his way. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were focussed directly upon where she was. Occasionally he would to the left before his gaze returned.
 
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