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Post by Golurkcanfly on Feb 4, 2014 18:08:24 GMT -6
Arcturus smiled as placed his arm around Pearl's shoulders and nuzzled his head against hers before turning back towards Elia.
"Well, I'm not sure what we can do then, unless you somehow plan to survive out in the wilderness by yourself." he let go of Pearl again before swimming to the edge of the pond and walking out.
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Post by SwordMasterEX on Feb 4, 2014 18:16:36 GMT -6
"No sense! Magik man help traveler all time. Give food and shelter to people. He house stop by. Master make portal, then Jam lead. Magik man always welcome visit!" Pearl excitedly jumps up. She smiles toward Elia with an oblivious joy.
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Post by GX1997 on Feb 4, 2014 18:19:48 GMT -6
And come to think of it, there's no way I can survive with only a knife. I need help.
"Is there anything else I could use as a backup plan? There just has to be. Could I stay with your family, Arcturus? Just for a few days. I can work to pay off my debt to you. Just please, give me a chance to get my life back together!" Elia said with passion and conviction.
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Post by The Big Cheese on Feb 4, 2014 18:24:20 GMT -6
There was an oft-spoken mantra amongst Herod and the men he employed as runners (well, mostly men.) That is, their claim is that they're a family, always looking out for each other. This attitude was all too common among the gangs and criminal organizations in Kadath, and presumably abroad. After all, when there's nobody you can trust, fostering a workable team takes a conscious decision to put your faith in the group. Of course, sometimes a beating works just as well.
Well, if any group of ruffians in Kadath could truly and proudly consider themselves a family, it was Herod and his boys. And if they were a family, Hamon was the redheaded step child. Sure, they had his back, but nobody considered his apathetic personality to be in any way beneficial to their group. And rightfully so, really.
Hamon takes a few steps into the smoke filled lounge, crooking his head for any signs of Herod. "Hey, where's the boss-man?" He asks aloud to no one in particular.
"Up in the bath house." A squeaky voiced thug replies. "But he's busy, see? You don't wanna' go bug him right now."
"That so...?" Hamon asks. "Well, I'd say I don't want to wait around all night, but I don't really have anywhere better to be..."
Actually, that's a flat out lie. Anywhere is better than this dump on my last night in town for a good, long time.
"What're ye' talkin' about!?" The thuggish lad asks. "Anywhere's better than this sty!"
"Yeah, I just realized that." Hamon says. "If you see the boss-man, tell him I need a word."
"Yeah, whatever..."
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Post by Golurkcanfly on Feb 4, 2014 18:34:51 GMT -6
"Pearl, I can't open up a portal to Nivian Lake from here." he told the overexcited nymph as he tried to air out some of his armor. "The portal that I used before was not my own, and I didn't bother to create a new one while I was there. Also, of course you can stay Elia, as long as my father agrees. Actually, that's the reason we were here in the first place, to collect elemental steel in exchange for Pearl staying at my house. Granted, she did destroy his prized lance, but you get the idea."
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Post by GX1997 on Feb 4, 2014 18:38:52 GMT -6
"Thank you so much. That really means a lot, Arcturus."
Elia gave a sigh of relief, and smiled for once.
My back is healing, I have someplace to stay... it's a miracle. Okay Kryla, I'll believe.
"But Arcturus, I have to ask... how will your father react when you bring home not one, but two girls?"
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Post by Golurkcanfly on Feb 4, 2014 18:44:23 GMT -6
"He'd probably laugh and make fun of me." Arcturus sighed truthfully. "He'd be all like, 'I didn't know my son was such a naughty boy! Bringing home not one, but two girls? I expect some fine sons from both of them.' He's pretty annoying sometimes. However, he has a big heart, so he shouldn't turn you away. Plus, he might even teach you how make another dagger or something."
I should probably tell them about the problem though.
"We do have a dilemma though." Arcturus admits as he lowers his head. "We only have two beds. That means you might have to share a bed, or someone sleeps on the floor."
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Post by GX1997 on Feb 4, 2014 18:48:49 GMT -6
"Sleeping on the floor beats being locked inside that room again, so I don't mind that."
But I'm sure I don't want to be in the same room as Pearl and Arcturus, with how they're acting now...
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Post by Golurkcanfly on Feb 4, 2014 18:55:44 GMT -6
"Then that's all set." Arcturus spoke as he stretched his back. "Do you want to sleep in my room, the forge, the kitchen, or the washroom?"
Please don't say my room...
"Oh yeah!" Arcturus remembered as he scratched his nose. "We have a cat, so be prepared if you have any allergies. Be warned though, he will bite your fingers given the chance."
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Post by GX1997 on Feb 4, 2014 19:16:38 GMT -6
I should walk through the whole house and figure out what the best place will be.
"I'll decide when I get there."
Elia began moving a little more, testing to see how her back was. Obviously satisfied with the result, she had a huge smile on her face as she sat up.
It really is pretty here. The pond being like it is just makes it even better.
Elia then looked back at Pearl and Arcturus, her face showing that she was almost ready to go. But before she could leave, she needed to take a moment to let the water restore her energy. So she waded out into the pond until the water was up to her chin, and then she took a deep breath and went under. She stayed there for several seconds before standing back up, fully refreshed and healed.
"We'll go whenever you two are ready."
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Post by Golurkcanfly on Feb 4, 2014 19:22:29 GMT -6
"Pearl, are you ready?" Arcturus asked as he increased the gravity beneath him to drain the water from his clothes faster. "I'm opening the portal now."
He walked back over to the spot where they came from and opened a circular portal before tapping it to test its stability.
"It's fine." he confirmed out loud.
Now here's hoping for the best.
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Post by The Big Cheese on Feb 4, 2014 19:43:47 GMT -6
Hamon sets back out into the night, letting a cool air sweep past him. The climate is even more arid than usual, forcing Hamon to choke on his own breath until he got used to the dryness. Twisting his neck until it made a very audible crack, he walks down the street with a measured stride.
He passes through the Lower Quarter on its Eastern end, moving into the Magick Quarter. Shady alchemy shops and vocation schools lined the street all the way to the Upper Quarter, although most were unlit, leaving the street very dark. As he approaches the end of the Magick Quarter, a woman's scream reaches his ears. For a jaded guy like Hamon, that's not ordinarily alarming, it's just life. But unlike those times...
That's...!
Quickly reaching a sprint, Hamon races to the source of the disturbance, an alley just behind the Mark's Discount Scrolls on the corner of the Magick Quarter. An average looking man stands imposingly over the shrinking blonde maid, who's bound in hastily thrown together chains of steel. The man has a knife to her throat, and he's saying something generically threatening that Hamon couldn't even be bothered to hear out. The coin plows through the assailant's skull, roubounding from the wall back into Hamon's palm.
"Elda! Are you all right?" Hamon runs up to the frightened woman, who immediately tackles him into a hug.
"Oh, Hamon! I can't believe you were there!" She cries. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"It's OK..." Hamon says reassuringly. "Everything's fine. Elda, what are you doing out here? What was that man doing with a knife to your throat?"
"Ah, Master Kaim went out three hours ago and hasn't come back." She answers. "I was getting worried, so I went to see if he was at the pub, but it was empty..."
"Why did you leave...? It's not so unusual for him to go out like that."
"He said he'd only be out for a few minutes... He's never lied to me about that before..." Elda takes a deep breath, regaining some composure. "...That man wasn't after me. He put a knife on my throat and started asking me about master. But I really didn't know anything and... And..."
She sobs some, trying to keep her cool, but failing dramatically. "Alright, now you've gone and made me worried..." Hamon says, helping Elda out of her chains. "Well, it's good that you're still coherent enough to do that. We should look for Kaim, if one assassin was after him, there's bound to be more."
Elda nods, wiping the tears from her face. "Yes... Let's go."
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Post by SwordMasterEX on Feb 4, 2014 19:47:37 GMT -6
"Jam ready! Jam not want Elia get capture again, but glad stay together." She quickly hugs her before rushing over to Arcturus's side.
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Post by Golurkcanfly on Feb 4, 2014 19:52:26 GMT -6
"Okay everyone." Arcturus called Elia over and directed Pearl into the portal. "Please keep your arms, legs, head, and neck inside the ride at all times. Failure to do so may and will result in one or more of the following: lacerations, incineration, broken limbs, decapitation, and death."
I hope that was funny.
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Post by GX1997 on Feb 4, 2014 19:57:50 GMT -6
Elia nodded and walked to meet them at the portal, taking once last look at the glowing pond.
"That was a decent joke until you started talking about decapitations."
She stepped through the portal first, nearly running into someone as she arrived in the living room of Arcturus' house.
Oh no, hurry and come through that portal before your father thinks I'm some sort of burglar, Arcturus!
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Post by Golurkcanfly on Feb 4, 2014 20:13:11 GMT -6
"Ba doo, ba doo ba doo ba doo ba doo ba doo, ba doo doo doo, ba doo doo doo..." Arcturus' father hummed to the tune of Funiculi Funicula as he prepared the forge as he heard someone enter through the portal.
"Oh hey Arcturus." he greeted the stranger as he kept his back turned and stocked the furnace with an iron rod. "How was your-HWAUGH!"
He stumbled as he held the rod out at Elia in a threatening manner.
"Caesaria!" he yelled in fear and disbelief. "But you're dead! You died so many years ago! How could you be here!?"
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Post by GX1997 on Feb 4, 2014 20:26:01 GMT -6
Elia fell back in fear when Arcturus' father pointed an iron rod at her threateningly.
"W-... who's Caesaria?" she stuttered as she stared at the iron rod in fear, trembling and with her eyes opened extremely wide.
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Post by Golurkcanfly on Feb 4, 2014 20:35:16 GMT -6
Arcturus' father lowered the rod after realizing he wasn't seeing a ghost.
"Caesaria was my wife..." He looked down as he clutched his arm, accidentally brushing off some of the soot from his blacksmith's apron. "She passed away twelve years ago."
He sat down in a nearby chair before clutching his head in both hands.
"I'm sorry, forgive me. You look just like her." He sighed as he rested his hands on his knees. "How did you get here anyways?"
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Post by The Big Cheese on Feb 4, 2014 20:36:49 GMT -6
"Ah, dammit. No sign of him in the Residential District, either." Hamon let's out a string of curses, before looking over at the way to the Herald's District. "We still haven't searched the Fire Quarter, but..."
"I'm sorry..." Elda says pathetically. "If I could use magick, or anything, then I wouldn't have to keep close to you... We could split up, or..."
"Don't sweat the small stuff." Hamon tells her. "What's important is that we warn Kaim about the assassins. Or help fight them off."
"...You're certain he's OK?" Elda asks, looking up at Hamon for reassurance.
"Kaim's a slippery one. Even more than me. If anyone's in danger, it's the assassins."
"Yes... Thank you."
The two walk into the Herald's District, letting the sounds of running water and clanking metal replace their conversation. A smith is working after hours on his forge, quietly minding his own business, and otherwise the place looks empty.
"Let's search the Tabernacle Quarter first." Hamon says calmly. "I don't think Kaim would ditch you to hit the agora, and there's no business to be had around there."
"OK..." Elda agrees.
"By the way, where's Belinus? Still staying over at the luxury house?"
Elda nods. "I left without telling him. Maybe if I hadn't..."
"Like I said, don't sweat the small stuff. What's done is done."
The air in the Tabernacle Quarter is forebodingly silent, the calm drowning out the smithy down wind.
"You could hear a pin drop here." Hamon observes. "I don't think Kaim-"
As if by tempting of fate, Hamon is cut off by a loud crash. Mana surges in the air, and the roof of an ancient stone temple slides down, cut at a perfect diagonal angle.
"Scratch that, looks like we've found our man...!" Not even waiting for Elda, Hamon begins running to the scene, leaving the maid in the dust.
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Post by GX1997 on Feb 4, 2014 20:50:08 GMT -6
"Arc-... Arcturus and P-... Pearl. We fought the golem to-... together."
Elia couldn't seem to pull herself together and stop stuttering. Her eyes were still wide, but she wasn't quite as scared as she had been.
I look like his dead wife...? That's really creepy. And where are Arcturus and Pearl, they were supposed to be coming? Unless they stayed at the lake for some... private time... ugh, I don't even want to think about that.
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