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[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Lotus lay on the ground in a daze. Everything seemed to occur swiftly and without a cause--nothing but a great roiling chaos. He remembered that he saw Wil, that man of noble character he had encountered several days earlier.

This is all too much, he thought to himself.

"Lotus! are you ok?"

Lotus flinched, and almost ran away before he realized what the words meant.

"Im sorry for asking you to do that, I should have thought before talking."

Lotus looked at Nameless with despondent eyes as he was helepd up, glancing at the guns that had been shot not too long ago.

"This humble one," Lotus sighed, "Does not believe Stranger Nameless understands."

Lotus cast a look at Alabast, then back to Nameless, then to his hands. Some of the mud had gotten off them during the chaos, leaving part of the green tattoos there exposed. Lotus considered the possibility that leaving the Mogili Steppes was a mistake to begin with, that he should have never considered the possibilty of finding someone worthy of calling a Good Friend in such a place as this.

"This humble one simply wishes to leave this place now."

[Arato]

Gwen winked at Arato.
"As you wish." She flew off in the direction of the back door. Once she reached it she waited for Arato to open it for her...

"Let's be off then." Arato had trouble keeping up with Gwen's fast pace, but he was grateful that she wasn't slowing down very much. She understood the urgency of the situation. Soon after leaving a few more gun shots were heard and Gwen turned to avoid going in that direction. As they approached the breach in the wall Arato saw Lotus, Alabast, Xavier, and Nameless. Lotus looked shocked at something, and Arato noticed some dead guards.

Arato mentally cursed himself for their bad luck while he approached his friends.
"Alabast are we ready to leave now? Xavier, how've you been since I saw you last?, Lotus, would you like some help? Meet Gwen guys, she has been a big help."

[Crimson Lego]

While waiting, Leo heard hushed voices. Casting his hood on, he readied his knife in case they were guards. Instead, it was the group he had seen earlier, this time followed by 2 others. They introduced 1 of the members to another, then were obviously preparing to leave, from Leo's point of view. Hmm....I guess I'll follow them after they leave, just to see where they're headed.

[Nightshade]

Gwen waved to the rest of the group while giving them a mid-air curtsie.

"I'm pleased to meet you all, but we need to leave... Like now." She thought for a moment.With luck most of her contacts from the woods would still be there, happy to help. "Arato, if we get into the forest we'll be safe... But out here I fear we are being watched." She looked over her shoulder into the city... A feeling of uneasiness was creeping over her.

She turned suddenly to Arato. "We are being followed."

[Arato]

"Arato, if we get into the forest we'll be safe... But out here I fear we are being watched."
She turned suddenly to Arato. "We are being followed."

"Are you sure?" He replied, the urgency in his voice evident. "Blast it all," he muttered, "Let us hurry before anyone can stop us. Gwen, Adrasteia, Lotus, and Xavier go first. Alabast, nameless, and I will stop anyone who attacks from behind. Understood?"

Arato didn't give anyone time to reply, he quickly started moving to the rear to cover those who went first.
Arato strapped his staff into its holding spot inside his cloak and pulled Endulon slightly out of its sheath for quicker availability.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Lotus went through the hidden exit as quickly as he could--he was eager to put this city behind him. Ready, in fact, to leave everything behind him and simply return to the north.

There is no peace here...

[Steel Samurai]

OoC: Hey guys, sorry about my lack of posting recently. I'm gonna try to make it up. Creative energy has been in short supply as of late. I think I'm going to need to draw up a rough map of Kinaancha, just so everyone's on the same page. I should've done it earlier, actually.

The wagon plodded along without further incident, finally stopping at a small inn close on the outskirts of the seedy market district. Wil mechanically lifted Kreyhana out of the bottom of the wagon and set it securely in its holder on his back, which he had found in the bottom of cart while they traveled. He leapt to the ground. Now he was faced with a dilemma. Help Lara or Sephrenia out of her seat? Obviously they were both quite capable of getting down themselves, but the custom was almost universal that the man help the woman down should she be in a place elevated above him. However, should there be two women in the vicinity and only one man, etiquette got somewhat more complicated, and changed depending on what region you were in. Wil was fairly certain that here, the higher ranked woman was helped first. Etiquette courses were a large part of Dragon Knight training, in order that wherever they were sent to keep the peace, there would be no offense given through an ignorance of correct protocol, which could endanger the peace process. Now, Lara seemed to be ranked higher than Sephrenia, but it was possible that the elf girl was a princess traveling incognito. In which case technically she should be helped down first. Wil reflected, however, that if she were an elven princess traveling incognito, she would not want attention drawn to the fact by being helped down ahead of one who seemed to be a higher rank. So, Lara it was.

He walked around to the side of the wagon, his heavy, hobnailed boots clunking on the cobblestones, and reached up to help Lara down.

* * *

Dusk had fallen. The hubbub surrounding the incident in the marketplace had died down. The guards were checking all persons entering or leaving the city, but other than that life was back to normal. This was the Imperial City of Kinaancha, after all. Disturbances such as this were not at all uncommon, especially in a city with a population larger than many of the small countries surrounding it. The guards were used to this sort've thing, a Neko berserking was uncommon, but not horribly surprising or difficult to deal with. Similarly with the magic, whatever it was, that that boy had used. If they caught them, good, a few less ruffians to deal with on the street, but if not, as long as they caused no more trouble, the city guard did not care.

* * *

Wil dozed lightly, slumped against Lara's door, his massive legs blocking the hallway, his arms curled around Kreyhana, which leaned against the wall. Her door opened outwards, not inwards, so anyone attempting to get in would need to move Wil first. Sephrenia was one room down, the last door on the hallway. At least, that was the room Lara had given her the key to. It was possible she was no longer in there. Wil shifted slightly, resting his head against the door frame. It was the end of the first day of his enslavement. He could only hope the other two were less . . . violent.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Lotus still could not lift that heavy feeling from himself as he found himself outside the city, as the others followed behind him. Complex feelings tore at him, uncertainty abound in his thoughts. He looked back on Kinaancha with a mix of anger and sadness.

"Lotus?" one of the others asked with concern, putting their hand on his shoulder

Lotus jerked in fright.

"Nas tacta!" he shouted, backing off from the group a fair distance.

Frustration grew in Lotus as realized no one knew what he meant. He grumbled and spoke again, every Non-Mogili word felt like it took some impossible labor to pronounce..

"Do... not... touch..."

Lotus turned his back on the rest. He clutched at his chest as he did so, as though he were trying to pull some invisable thorn from his heart.

"Do... not... follow..."

Lotus walked around the city to the beach that divided the Isle of Cha from Lake Cha. There, where no one could see him, he tossed off the blanket he had dirtied to make his disguise, revealing his proper Mogili clothes. He fell down on his knees to the waves washing up on the shore.

He sat there for the longest time, periodically splashing water in his face to wash off the mud.

[Sephrenia Katrov]

She was sitting in her bed, cloak discarded unceremoniously on the floor, bow leaning haphazardly on the footrest, just feet away from her busy hands. Her vision was still blurry, but she could make out enough, now. She moved her fingers deftly, mixing herbs that she'd been carrying in her cloak. Beside her, several arrows sat in a neat pile, their tips glistening. Each had a single red-dyed feather tied haphazardly to the end. Since she wasn't a very good shot to begin with, having an unbalanced fletch never seemed to mess her up.

The room was comfortable. Or so she assumed. It had been ages since she'd rested in a bed that didn't scratch at her back. She looked forward to having the chance to rest here and finally be better. Her intention had been to sneak out and meander into some tavern, listening for news or for a convenient ride to somewhere new, but the events that had transpired over the day dissuaded her. The city was too dangerous. She had to be ready to defend herself, if she was going to leave. She sighed as a ruckus emerged from the streets. It seemed that this area was just prone to noisy skirmishes and the like. Tomorrow, she thought, I'll sneak out and... And something. She felt foolish, running around and trying to accomplish nothing at all. But there was something that needed to be done, she knew.

She placed the last of her red-feathered arrows on the small pile and sat back, satisfied. She'd accomplished something, today. Her vision was nearly complete again, and her arrows were ready to fly. She'd eaten well and cleaned up nicely. And she'd made some kind of ally, for now. With one final, sweeping look around the room, she moved her pile of arrows closer to the head of the bed and placed the bow neatly beside it, and flopped down into the bed, snuggling the pillow.

Edited by Sephrenia Katrov, 02 March 2009 - 11:19 AM.

[JRPomazon]

It was still uncertain where he was. He never carried a map, he had no need for such a device at most times. He wandered and these wanderings were random at best. His life didn't have a set direction. People may see this as a problem, but Gate never minded much. Then again, he never minded a lot of things. Like how he was trekking through a forest with a muddy floor. Even something as simple as walking was far more difficult here than it had to be. It was just one of those times.

Eventually, he came across a fallen deer in these dangerous woods. It was laying in the muddle and had been severely injured by what appeared to be a large bite, but it's body moved with quick paced breathing. So it still lived. With a wound such as that, it would not last for very long. With a single dagger, he decided to end the creature's misery. It pierced it's head, for what Gate could consider the least painful of deaths.

There the creature was dead, no longer struggling and no longer suffering. Gate wiped his dagger on the deer's body and placed it back where it belonged. Was it out of pity that he killed this creature, or was it because he wanted to kill it for the sake of killing? Maybe there was no reason.

He continued on his way and discovered a small patch of land that was solid. He would rest here for a moment and hopefully leave this place behind.

[cubeboy]

After hours of sleep Cecil woke. He reflected on his decision to leave the city without confirmation on the safety of the people he had met, but he felt they would be safe. His hand rubbed along the dirt beneath him, feeling the strands of hair left from the full moon's touch. As Cecil began to fully awaken his thoughts became magnetized to his inevitable fate. He had been exiled from his village... no... he had escaped his village. The streams of moonlight that had cut through his childhood friendships like daggers now seemed to form a wall between him and the rest of the world. He was different. He would find no peace. Yet, in his sorrow, he realized this was a shared fate. Shared by the young and the old, the rich and the poor. Cecil stood, now clutching the book he had received prior, and began walking further into the forest. He read as his legs carried him through the woods.

[Renegade]

Alabast watched everyone leave through the escape rout that was found. He kept looking out for the pursuers but saw nobody.

Was there even pursuers? Better be safe to watch.

So there Alabast waited with his hand resting on the hilt of his katana.

[Crimson Lego]

As some of the people began to leave, Leo could wait no longer. I better find out who they are. Standing up, he dove through the hole and rolled. Getting up quickly, his hand was on the hilt of his knife, ready to fight.

"I mean no harm. My name is Leo Crimson. I come from Zok." he said, slowly and clearly. A misunderstanding is what I definitely need right now.....

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Lotus sat in the water for the longest time, even long the mud had completely washed away.

He had spent his time simply thinking about what to do. He remembered his cuase, his reason to go so far south, beyond the wasteland that seperated the Mogili from the rest of the continent. He remembered why he wished to discard his xenophobia.

He had overcome so many hurdles to come this far--to Kinaancha. He remembered hearing the city's name before, that it was the center of this civilization. He thought it was here that he would find those of the Not-Mogili who would sympathize with his want for peace. And yet, the strongest display he had seen here was of hate, of xenophobia.

With that string of thought, Lotus knew why his heart felt like it was being torn--his ideal of peace was disapearing to see all as being universaly violent.

There, Lotus become hungry. He had no will to forage. Eventually, his lips grew dry with thirst. He did not even have the will to bend over and drink from the lake.

His purpose for living was meaningless.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Ah, has Lotus heard of the Order of the Dragon?”

"Order of the Dragon? This humble one has heard of the giant creature Dragon, but this humble has never heard of what you speak."

"The Order of the Dragon is a . . . group of men dedicated to making peace between all men, and protecting those who cannot protect themselves. I have finished my training to become a Dragon Knight, and go to complete the ceremony. We have adopted the emblem of the dragon to symbolize our quest for wisdom and power to protect and make peace."

"This humble one is curious, and happy that there is a group of many seeking harmony. This humble one especially wishes to seek harmony between Mogili and Not-Mogili."

"As do we, my friend, as do we . . ."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lotus opened his eyes to see the dawning sky. The sun was not to be seen, yet it's rays touched the clouds near the horizon. Soaking wet in his cloths, he sat up and walked out of the water, shivering from the cold. He noted the blanket he had discarded yesterday, dry.

Lotus removed his soaked clothes, wringing them out and allowing them to dry for awhile as he hundled under the blanket. He took another look at the sun that began to peek out.

"Dragon Knights..." he uttered in his oddly accented voice.

When his clothes finally became dry enough, Lotus suited himself up, and marched to the nearest city entrance. As he walked, he searched his thoughts for the correct words to speak. There was no room for making mistakes.

As he appraoched the gate, the gaurds stationed there began to mobilize, recognizing him as the criminal they were looking for yesterday. Noticing their weapons being drawn, Lotus stopped, bringing his hands out from his sides. Palms exposed to the possible attackers, Lotus spoke up.

"This humble one is Lotushendranae en Ordra Tentari, Bringer of the Blue Sky of the North Thunder! This humble one surrenders! This humble one has no wish to fight!"

There seemed to be some commotion, then a few more armed men came out. One of them was carrying shackles, one had a crossbow out and ready, and other appeared to be holding a chain. Lotus gulped, unsure of what would happen, but still convinced himself that this was the right path to take.

"You understand me?" said one of them as they appraoched.

"Yes," Lotus nodded.

"Hold out your hands."

Lotus did so, and the guards began to put the shackles on.

"What if... he tries that magic?" one of them asked.

"Don't worry, the metal of the shackles will prevent that," said the one who spoke first before.

Soon enough, Lotus was being pulled along by a chain by that particular man back into the gates.

"I'll be taking him to the garrisons, don't worry."

Lotus, tried to keep his breath even, and followed behind the guard. It felt so odd to have the shackles upon him--the rythm of the earth seamed to distort and disapear.

Lotus kept up the pace, while holding onto the pride-filled words of Wil.

Edited by Ken the Wandering Soul, 11 March 2009 - 01:02 AM.

[Selena]

Lara slipped out of bed at the crack of dawn, scratching her side as she moved toward the door. The hotel wasn't exactly bad. It just wasn't home, either in terms of luxury or familiarity. She hated sleeping in foreign places. It wasn't terribly safe. It was usually less pleasant in terms of comfort. Her family's manor in Himmel was large and had the finest beds. It was like sleeping on a cloud. She had no problem roughing it if need be, but long distance travel was such a bother. There were fleas here. And probably ticks. She looked down at her arm and was pleased to see that she was still free of parasites. Now all she had to worry about was the pressing matters of the day. Sort the goods, ship them to her usual buyers, purchase the weapons that were needed in Himmel. First on the agenda, however, was breakfast.

Now, to see if that Dol Enol boy was still there.

Though still in her sleeping garments, she turned the handle and moved the door open, only to face the weighted resistance of one blonde giant. Yup, still there. She peered through the crack of the door at what appeared to be his shoulder. "Rise and shine, blondie. I'll buy you breakfast before we start our work."

[Steel Samurai]

Wil's eyes snapped open. You were not allowed to be a deep sleeper at the Dragon Knight training grounds at Castle Dvorec. If one was not on his feet and ready to fight (albeit with wooden staves) within four seconds of being roused, one was on latrine duty for the day. Wil pulled himself to his feet, allowing the door to open further. He turned to Lara, but instantly averted his eyes once he saw what she was wearing.

"Breakfast it is, miss."

* * *

After a hearty breakfast of fish from Lake Cha and six scrambled eggs, they were off. Wil at first found his job to be rather easy. All he had to do was stand near Lara and try to look menacingly at anyone who gave her lip, made excuses, and other things of that nature. He didn't think he was very good at looking menacing, but it seemed to work. He had not had time to check in on Sephrenia, but she seemed as though she could take care of herself. At least he was getting to see the city. The more sordid parts of it, anyway.

About noon they stopped for lunch.

"So," said Wil, between bites of a rather large stick of skewered chicken "Where, exactly, are you from? You're not nearly comfortable enough with the city and the people you're trading with to be from here. And you speak Kinaa perfectly, though I can't quite place your accent. It sounds a lot like a Himmel," (Traders from the Himmel Islands were not uncommon in Dvorec) "But not quite."

[JRPomazon]

Gate had been traveling through woods and muck for what seemed to be an eternity. His stomach was making noises, hunger had finally set in. He needed food, soon if possible. Not many animals occupied these lands, save that deer he killed earlier. The taste of rotting meat didn't seem appealing at the moment or in any moment Gate had experienced. He kept on traveling through the woods, food would not come to him. All seemed hopeless for a spell, until he ran into a tree bearing strange fruit. He had never seen anything like them before, red berries with white spots decorated all over. He didn't reach for them, unsure as to whether or not the fruit as actually editable. He needed to test it somehow.

A small bird flew towards the berry tree and snatched a pair of the fruit for itself. It vanished within the woods, leaving with it's small prize. If the animals could devour them, surely he could as well. He grabbed a single berry for himself and placed it in his mouth. It had no real distinct taste, rather bland but the texture was smooth. He let it slip into his stomach and grabbed a few more. It wouldn't solve the food problem for very long, but it would keep him alive long enough to find something more filling.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Lotus looked around the city as he was pulled along. What he saw at first was much like his first visit, not terribly great looking, but okay. However, the conditions improved as he moved through the city, the buildings beginning to look like they had better upkeep. Lotus soon noticed the guard that lead him began to slow down as they had come upon a large wall that lanced through the city.

A large gate laid directly in front of them, and as they passed, Lotus noticed similar gates up and down the length of the wall. Soon enough, the knight stopped completely, and Lotus did so in turn. A few more guards were guarding the small gate.

"You need to pass?"

"Yes, I'm taking him in to be detained and questioned."

The questioning guard looked over Lotus with an analytical eye.

"Very well, go on through."

The guard who did the questioning motioned for the others to part, and quickly jotted down some notes on a slate. Lotus had little time to see anything else as the guard pulled him along. What he saw next was a definite change in architecture and atmosphere, a bit more militaristic feel. Lotus noted more men sporting armor of varying degrees, everything from leather to steel. He even took note of some men practicing swordplay with straw-stuffed dummies. Even a few were practicing against each other, a wary third party not too far away to make sure things never went out of hand. Some of them were likely soldiers of Kinaancha.

Lotus was soon enough lead into a building, feeling a bit jumpy when he noticed the cells as he went inside.

This is what I came back for, he reminded himself.

"I'm here to turn this one in," the guard told the jailkeeper behind the counter.

The keeper took a look at Lotus.

"He the one that caused the ruckus in the southwest side? You finally caught him?"

"Yes, he came right up to us and surrendered though," the guard admitted.

"Hmm," the keeper grunted, "Very well, I'll take him off your hands."

The two went on to engage in a little bit of paperwork as a couple of guards took Lotus to a cell. Lotus himself breathed a small sigh as he sat down in the cell, the shackles still upon him. Things could have been worse.

Edited by Ken the Wandering Soul, 14 March 2009 - 11:53 PM.

[Selena]

Oh, dear. Personal questions. Lara had tried so hard to avoid getting into details about her business or family. It was best not to tip him off completely. She didn't need Wil following her tracks after he got his freedom back. Dragon Knights weren't exactly her idea of favored guests to her manor, be they cadets or veterans. She used the excuse of chewing her food to delay a response long enough to think up a feasible lie. Couldn't tell him that life was perfect, of course. Everyone knew the Himmel Islands were chaotic. He just didn't need to know that she preferred them that way.

"You were correct with your first guess. Yes, I am from Himmel," Lara answered. "I work for a small network of people trying to stay afloat in the turbulent political climate. The raiders naturally make things very hectic, but they eat up weapons and other such goods. It's not very glamorous, but options are limited. This is one of the few methods of staying safe. Otherwise they would see us as potential weaklings and victims, just taking whatever they wanted. You can't exactly go about a normal life in Himmel. Much too dangerous."

She took another bite of her meal, hoping that would allow her to stall again.

[Steel Samurai]

Well. She had told him nothing more than he already knew or guessed. A neat dodge. Obviously Lara did not wish to speak of personal issues.

"I see." Wil said simply. He pulled another piece of meat off of the skewer with his teeth. "This is good chicken."

They finished lunch in silence, and then continued with the rounds of the various suppliers Lara needed to visit. Wil kept his eyes open, learning as much as he could of the city's underworld. One never knew when it might be useful. It soon was dark, time to return to the inn. Only one day remained of Wil's servitude. One day until he could finally reach his goal.

OOC: Sorry about the crappiness of the post, guys. I'm having a bit of trouble here.

[Arato]

"Do not forget to watch your surroundings young one!"

"I won't master!" Arato had eagerly replied, only to get beaten in his next match because he lost his footing.

"A true fighter not only knows how to fight, but how to put his opponent at a disadvantage, never forget that Arato."

Arato's next fight began.

"Mind my surroundings, manipulate my opponent, mind my surroundings, manipulate my oppo..."*THUD*

Arato returned to the real world just as a man appeared behind them and introduced himself.
"I mean no harm. My name is Leo Crimson. I come from Zok."

Arato and Alabast both had weapons trained on the man but Arato replaced Endulon in its sheath.

"Well Leo, as you can see, we are rather busy at the moment and would like to move with as few delays as we can. If you insist on meeting each of us individually then I suggest you follow us closely."
Arato turned and kept walking. He scanned the party could not find Lotus. "Blast! I can't go find him now... not after all of this. I hope he can take care of himself"He thought.

Arato walked up to Adrasteia, patted her shoulder and whispered in her ear "Lotus is gone again, I don't think he means to come back nor do I know where he went, but it would be too dangerous to go looking for him now... And I'm sorry for what happened back in the city." He lowered his head and walked silently off, keeping a close eye on the edge of the woods they were approaching. He felt like being alone again.

[Steel Samurai]

The end had finally come. It was five pm when Wil and Lara visited the last of her clients. They returned to the inn, and Wil collected his things. He hefted Kreyhana in his hand, and then set it securely in the holder on his back. He turned to Lara.

"Well . . . this is it for the moment then, I suppose."

[Crimson Lego]

Weapon still ready, Leo relaxed his grip as the man replied, "Well Leo, as you can see, we are rather busy at the moment and would like to move with as few delays as we can. If you insist on meeting each of us individually then I suggest you follow us closely." Nodding, Leo slung his axe back onto his shoulder.

"I'll tag along then," he replied. Walking after the group, he took one last glimpse at the hole in the wall to make sure there was nobody following them. As they walked towards the woods, Leo thought he would try to find out more about his new companions.

"You got a name?" he asked the person.

[Renegade]

Alabast watched the whole engagement between Arato and Leo.

Great, another companion. Well better make the best of this I suppose.

Alabast looked over at Leo with a bored expression, "I'm Alabast."

[JRPomazon]

The berries from earlier were losing their touch on Gate's stomach. Hunger was beginning to set in once more. Food. He needed food. This swampy environment held nothing but muck and moss, vegetation of a grotesque nature. They would harm him if ingested. A small light brimmed from beyond the trees that shaded the dark sky from view. He had noticed this light before when he first arrived. Civilization of some sort or a someone fed up with civilization? Didn't matter, someone lived here. Gate headed towards the light he could barely see, perhaps it held an answer to his current problem.

[Crimson Lego]

Nodding in reply, Leo's face began to itch and he scratched it a bit.

"I gotta get a shave sometime," he muttered. Drawing his knife, the dwarf cut off a small portion of his beard and dropped the hairs on the ground. Sheathing his knife, Leo felt better.

[JRPomazon]

The light was coming from a small fire that stood in the center of a dry patch of land and around a small wooden structure that resembled some sort of hut or tent, a combination of hide and wood that although appeared ineffective against the raw elements seemed to hold it's own. Gate slowly ventured out of the trees that had held him captive for a time unknown and noticed that the keeper of this small place was sitting my a fire assumed to be his. An aged man, clothed in rags much like Gate with dull eyes and gray hair.

"Hello stranger, to what honor do I hold your arrival?" The man asked, looking up from the flames to greet Gate.

"You have food?" Gate asked, getting straight to the point.

"Why yes, but I have no intention of letting you have any without some sort of payment. What can you trade?"

Payment, it always came down to this. Whether in a city or in the middle of nature, humans wanted something for their time and troubles. They were all selfish. Gate shook his arm and out came a dagger.

"Oh, I see. You're one of those types." The man said, pulling a piece of rope by his side.

There was a loud snap and before Gate had realized it, he was hanging upside down from a tree.

"You just hang there for a bit, cool that temper of yours and I might just let you go." The man shouted as Gate swung from side to side.

Gate bore no ill will towards the man, a temper was the last thing he had. He needed food and if killing this man meant achieving his goal, then so be it. However, he dropped his dagger on the forest floor and being upside meant that the rest of his weapons could slip out of his clothing if the wrong move were made. This had become a time for him to reflect on his actions after all.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

After a few hours in the jail, someone tapped on the bars. Someone, one of the people responsible for running the place, called Lotus over and out of his cell. Soon enough, he was being lead over to another building, a more official looking place.

Before he knew it, he was standing before a man on a high rise. He wore spectacles, with which he was reading a paper filled with long lists of names, crimes, dates, details and judgments. A couple other people were in there too, including a guard and a man that Lotus recognized as the owner of the jewelry shop he visited. The magistrate looked down at Lotus with an intimidating gaze.

?Ah ha, this is the one brought in for causing the windy disturbance yesterday??

?Yessir, Magistrate Coen,? said the one who brought over Lotus.

?Mhmm,? the magistrate grumbled, ?A Mogili. You understand Kinaa??

?Ah,? Lotus stumbled over his words, ?This humble one speaks, yes.?

Good, the magistrate thought to himself, it will not be a repeat of that stupid fool who refused to speak anything other than Himmel.

?Very well then, what is your name Mogili??

?Lotushendranae en Ordra Tantari.?

The magistrate cocked an eye as he picked up his quill pen. Lotus blushed and looked to the floor.

?Most call this humble one Lotus.?

?Very well, do you know why you are here??

?Yes, this humble one performed a wind's dance, and caused unwant.?

?Close. Nothing says magic is illegal, but the way you used magic was the cause of your crimes. Specifically, damage of property and the disturbance of the peace. Do you understand?

Lotus held a blank look as he translated the meanings of those words.

?Lotus, do you understand?? the magistrate repeated.

?Ah,? Lotus nodded, ?Yes, this humble one understands.?

?And did you commit these crimes??

?Ah, this humble one supposes so.?

?Lotus,? Magistrate Coen spoke as he massaged his temples. He felt like he was trying to speak to a child. ?Do you know definitely that you committed these crimes, or do you not??

?No...?

Magistrate Coen sighed. He knew others who would have taken Lotus's original statement and just accepted a guilty verdict, but he had too much of a conscience to do so. The poor sap obviously had no idea what he was getting into.

?Very well then, please explain what happened yesterday, according to your own recollection.?

Lotus took a short time to gather his thoughts, then spoke.

?This humble one saw one of his companions being spoken to loudly by many. This humble one saw that the companion, a cat-like, risked becoming dangerous from the loud talking. This humble one knew that a cat-like being enraged is dangerous, so this humble one wished to stop the rage. This humble one performed a wind's dance so the cat-like companion's rage could be stilled before before dangerous things could happen. This humble one saw the-? Lotus stopped, trying to think of the right term, ?-the weapon holders. Ah, the guards. This humble one saw the guards with weapons ready to strike and was scared of being killed. This humble one then ran.?

?Very well, that is all I need to know. Ah, Mr. Denwood, could you please step forward??

The guard who had been sitting next to the store owner stood and up and walked over.

?Yessir, Magistrate Coen??

?I understand you were witness to the events of yesterday??

?Yessir, Magistrate Coen.?

?Could you please state what you saw??

?I was patrolling when I noticed that some rowdy folks, probably drunk, down the street we restarting to harass same neko. The neko started to look kinda weird and when that happened, this one,? the guard pointed at Lotus, ?Started chanting some sort of magic and was dancing, kicking up some nasty winds. Eventually, he stopped. Me and a few others went to arrest him when he ran away. I was told to help with cleanup while others went after him.?

?That is all then, Mr. Denwood, be seated. Mr. Tennington, if you please.?

Lotus noticed the wary look he was being given by Tennington as he came forward. Actually, it was the same look that he had been giving Lotus since he walked in, a look of horrified recognition.

?Mr. Tennington, your part of the story??

?Ahem, yes,? Tennington spoke as he looked away from Lotus, ?Well, this... young man walked into my store and then left shortly after. I... I thought he had maybe stolen something afterwards, so I checked. By the time I was certain nothing had been stolen, a wind storm had started to kick up in the street. I looked outside and saw... him as the cause. The winds managed shake my shop up enough to collapse part of a wall and a some glass. Some of the jewelry was damaged too. Then I saw him run away.?

Tennington sounded agitated, as though this were the last place he wanted to be at the moment.

?You are sure?? the magistrate questioned, noticing the uncomfortable speech.

?Yes.? Tennington said firmly.

?Very well then, you may be seated. Now then, Lotus,? the magistrate spoke as he turned to the Mogili,?With all evidence present, you have been deemed guilty of the crimes of which you are accused of. Your punishment as such will be...? the magistrate stopped for a few moments and grumbled as thought of something that sounded appropriate, ?Well, I suppose two nights in the jail. Then, you are to assist Mr. Tennington with the repair of his shop.?

Lotus nodded silently, and allowed himself to be taken away, back his cell.

----------------------

Tennington had come back to his shop and home, casting a forlorn look at the damage that still scarred the place. Boards had been put up temporarily as walls, until repairs could be made. His wife looked up at him, she herself having cleaned up the glass mess while he was away.

?Well Enris? How did it go?? she questioned.

?Well, it was for the judgment of that damnable fool who did this, like I expected. He's gonna be thrown in jail a couple of days, then he has to help fix the shop,? he stated.

?Enris, you sound worried.?

?Laran, you don't understand. This... person... I swear, he looks like her. You saw him yesterday!?

?Well yes, but we were talking about the inheritance dispute--?

?No Laran. I took a good long look at him in the magistrate's chambers. I swear, that ain't no man, that's Serra's ghost in disguise!"

[JRPomazon]

The feeling of blood rushing to one's head wasn't a pleasant experience. Gate had been hanging for so long however, that he had gotten used to it. The man responsible for his inconvenience was now sleeping in his shelter after putting out the fire that brought Gate here in the first place. The problem was simple in nature, he was upside down, he needed to get down from the tree. How to do this? He looked over at the rope that held him up, wrapped tightly around his boot. His boot? Could he move his foot independent from his boot? He shook his foot, he had some movement after all that wasn't held by the rope. Gate shook his foot and leg repeatedly and before he knew it . . . .


Thud.

[SL the Pyro]

In a hotel room near the edge of Kinaancha, Shadow was doing his best not to go stir-crazy. Having been trained in the arts of both assassination and theivery meant that he could be very patient, and he had to put this patience to good use. He first attempt to get free from the city had been a failure, thanks to that fairy he had foolishy enlisted the aid of. He constantly had to remind himself that not everyone in the world had killed their emotions like himself, and so the fairy went to warn the Neko's friends of her impending danger. The plan called for the Neko's death to look like a suicide, but that wouldn't work now that her friends knew it would have been a murder.

Despite how much he tried to think, he couldn't come up with another plan of escape. All he could do was wait for the criminals to be caught and brought to justice so that the lockdown would be lifted, hopefully before the body of the second slain Dragon Knight was discovered outside of the city walls. With each second that passed, the chances of that grew more and more slim, especially since there were wanted posters of him all over the city -- hence the reason for his disguise as a commoner so he wouldn't be recognized. Luckily no one living knew his true face, only his traditional attire.

If only he knew this city better, then he could sneak out. But alas, he hadn't ever been to Kinaancha before, and it was unlikely that anyone would help him. For now, all he could do was wait and hope.

Edited by Shadow_Link, 23 March 2009 - 10:57 AM.