Post by Caimvarin on Jul 13, 2009 17:05:22 GMT -5
The Vanguard- Chapter 1- Fate is a Cruel Mistress
The view was magnificent, from her room she could see all of the grand city of Yuranthil, its majestic marble towers and houses gleaming in the moonlight, a city of a thousand stories, stories of hope, of fear, war, love and peace, every person caught within its walls a character in the magnificent tale of history, so many others more interesting than hers, up until a month ago that was.
“Brother...Remus...where did you go?” Shiari placed a hand on the glass of the window watching out into the distant shadows of the city at night,
She clenched a fist, ‘no more, I am sick of being stuck here,’ she walked over to a wardrobe slowly “you could be lost, wounded, or worse...or maybe you're doing fine...but I need to know brother.’ she opened the doors slowly, pulling out a cyan silk tunic, with yellow and green trim on the sleeves and chest, she slipped out of her noble dress, throwing the tunic roughly onto her body, she stepped into a pair of black silk trousers and tied up some tan leather boots, she ran her hand back through her long black hair, feeling it fall against the middle of her back before taking a brown cloak out and wrapping it around herself.
‘I will find you brother, and I will find out why you ran...’ she turned to the door, “I need to dissappear, I need a new name....” she thought hard as her eyes wandered the room, “...Azel...” the name brought back childhood memories of rare happiness, one of the only women ever allowed to stand by her, a knight of the order whom she wished to be like upon her maturity. The memory brought a faint smile to her lips as she stood infront of the mirror, she took her well maintained rapier from the table nearby and reached her hand back, holding her hair up, sliding the blade against the clasp of hair “to the end of Shiari...” she whispered as she swiped the blade through her hair with a loud shing, strands hit the marble floor as her now neck length hair swayed jaggedly, “and the birth of Azel...”
She looked over to the window one final time, tonight was the night she would glimpse her city for the last time.
“Were leaving already? geez and I was just starting to like this place!”
The city centre was pretty quiet at this time of night,the voice's deep toned sarcasm echoed throughout the enchanting view of the centre of commerce of this giant city.
“Damn it Harabec can't you just appreciate where we are for once?” came a calm, collected voice.
Two figures stood near the large white fountain in the middle of the square, looking at the nearby 'White Horse Inn'
One of the figures folded his arms “I suppose I could...” he had a strange look to him, he wore a black cloth vest with blue cloth straps that passed over his shoulders with a third strap that went diagonally across his chest.
His waist was home to a black cloth belt with three black tassets that fell down over his legs, each with blue trim on the edges.
He donned a pair of dark grey trousers that folded into his black leather hiking boots,
he had a metal pauldron on his left shoulder and a green cloth vembrace further down the arm.
His right arm from his forearm down was bandaged up in green bandages,
his face was mostly covered by a large blue collar that fastened via two large gold buckles to hide the bottom of his face and also ran down into a scarf behind him. His medium length brown hair fell in front of his eyes in a centre parting, a scar ran down his left cheek and disappeared under the mask, a longsword and spear crossed over on his back.
“....maybe while I'm at it I could learn to fly, or survive a fleshpound attack, or hell if I'm really making the effort, I could even try giving a damn!” he giggled to himself a little “Victor, you've known me seven years...you should know by now that the look of a place means jack to me...its what's inside it, and this place is like any other...a couple of bars, a couple of shops, and a couple hundred people...and no chance of anything interesting...”
Victor sighed “I guess you're right,” he said reluctantly
scratching the back of his blonde spiked hair, a black shaded visor rested atop of his white eyes, his face was quite youthful with a small shade of stubble on his chin,he wore a thick dark blue sleeveless jacket which the parting was oriented far to the right, fastened tightly by two large silver clasps.
Black leather straps attached to the left side of the jacket held some small metallic canisters and brown pouches in place.
Under the jacket he wore a long sleeved white shirt,his left hand was concealed in a strange metallic gauntlet with sharp claws and an elevated compartment on the back of the wrist which housed three small holes.
He wore white trousers with some dark blue leather chaps atop them, brown boots on his feet and a flintlock rifle slung shoddily on his back by a carrying strap.
“hopes shot down again by Harabec Kroth, worlds best skeptic!”
“Realist!” Harabec intervened with a grin under his collar, “anyways we've done what we came to do...so lets get some damn rest and then make trails tomorrow,”
Victor nodded, their job for today was indeed done, they had indeed tracked down the notorious thief Greyan De Bergmont, and they had indeed seen to it that he returned the items he had stolen, which happened to be a prized mare and a few gemstones from a respectable member of this town's society, and they had finally got him back to the jailhouse, though when they had told them to 'make sure he cant run away again' he didn't quite expect Harabec to break both of Greyan's shins...upon reflection, dragging Greyan's moaning and screaming mass along could have been what slowed their pace down a little.
But being a wanderer you had to do this sort of thing just to survive, especially in Victor and Harabec's case, both entangled in a debt with a notorious bounty hunter it was a case of do this job or I do mine.
The two of them walked up the steps of the inn and opened the door, the man behind a small counter in the back of the room looked them over slowly, Harabec met the man's gaze with a hint of annoyance, but brushed it aside as victor stepped forwards “we need a room...” he said slowly as he walked up to the counter, “twelve gold then sirs...”
Victor stood back a moment “wait WHAT? We only paid five gold at the last place!”
“Then go back there...” the innkeeper grunted,
something caught Victors eye, behind the innkeeper was a plaque that showed the price range “but that sign says six gold for a night!”
the innkeeper grinned a menacing grin “that's for locals only!”
Harabec sighed and took a step forward, Victor looked back at him “whoa whoa, Harabec wai-”
Harabec got up to the counter and took a deep breath before leaning over it to look the keeper in the face... “five gold...”
“twelve”
“six,”
“twelve!”
“you have beautiful eyes...”
“What?” The innkeeper shot a puzzled glance, but no sooner had he done it Harabec planted a hand on the top of the innkeeper head and thrust it onto the counter face first.
“AARGH YOU B.ASTARD!” the innkeeper yelled,
Victor buried his head in his palm “not again!” his voice strained
Harabec grinned under the collar “...shame you're not gonna be able to see much with em for a few minutes....here's six gold...give us a room...” he took his hand off the innkeepers head who fell back onto his bottom “okay okay room 4!”, Harabec than put six gold pieces on the table and looked over at Victor as he took the key to room 4 from the wall “lets go...”
They both advanced up the stairs at the end of the room quickly, and trod down the corridor counting the rooms, 1, 2, 3 “here it is...” Victor took the key, unlocked it and walked in,
It looked really cosy, two beds on opposite sides of the room, a big table in the middle and a large wardrobe beside each bed, a great green rug blanketed the floor in the centre of the room, the whole room had a yellow and green motif going on, Victor walked over to the window and looked out of it “man, moon sure is bright tonight!”
“wonderful” Harabec remarked nonchalantly “only thing I care about that's bright at the moment is the light shining off our reward we get tomorrow” he laughed “nothing shimmers quite like gold...”
Victor nodded in agreement with a grin “never a truer word spoken my friend!”
he turned back to Harabec who had taken the spear off his back and was in the middle of setting it down near the bed. “so how long do you reckon this reward will stave off hunger?”
“Few weeks I guess” Harabec smiled “though I wish rewards like this weren't so hard to come by...there are times when I really hate being a wanderer”
Victor smirked “I hear you...but at the same time, at least you always know what you're getting yourself into!”
“Good point!” Harabec grinned as he clicked his neck and shoulders “now lets say we just get our heads down for--”
“get your hands off me you wretch!” the voice was female, and seemed to be coming from under their window “leave me alone!”
“no you're coming with me...there's nothing you can do!” came a gravelly voice.
Victor looked at Harabec, who nodded at him in unanimous agreement, he bolted for the door,
Victor opened the window and climbed out before digging the gauntlet into the wall and sliding down the side of the building to the ground.
As he straightened up he saw a man in light armour wearing a helmet pulling a woman wrapped in a cloak, “Hey!” Victor narrowed his eyes “is that any way to treat a lady?”
“Leave us!” the man in armour snapped “this does not concern you!”
the woman in the cloak turned to victor, he couldn't make out her face but she spoke loud “help me please!”
Victor took a couple of steps forward “she just asked me...so I guess it is my concern now....huh?” he swung the flintlock round to his front using the strap,
“Don't do this....you're making a mistake...”
“no friend...you are...my friend Bec here will give you a couple of pointers on how to treat a woman!”
“huh?” the man turned around to see Harabec's figure bounding towards him,
“One you gotta be...” Harabec threw a fist across the man's head “gentle!” , the man let go of the woman with a loud grunt, he staggered backwards as his helmet flew off and bounced off the floor.
Harabec didn't stop, he placed his hands on the man's shoulders “Two...you have to listen to her!” he thrust a knee up into his chest, watching him double over,
The woman stood behind victor, who looked back at her she was surprisingly beautiful under the hood.
“Last but not least...” Harabec watched the kneeling man as he gasped for breath, “you gotta show your..” he gave him a final punch to the face knocking him clean out, “...more gentle side...” he gasped a little at minor exertion as he wafted his knuckles in the air “right Victor?” he grinned at Victor.
“maybe if you practised what you preach sometimes you'd have a little easier time with them” he laughed.
Harabec joined in with the giggle before heading over to them, they both turned to the woman “you alright?” Victor asked “mm..” she nodded, “j...just a little shaken....thank you both,”
Victor nodded “it was our pleasure ma'am, I am Victor and this is my good friend Harabec...”
“Hey!” he grinned under the collar.
“nice to meet you both...” she replied with a warm smile then perked up “I..I have to go...thank you again!” she turned quickly and started to run “hey!” Harabec yelled after her “You have a name?”
she stopped and turned, and called back one thing before running out of sight, “...Azel...”
“Strange broad...” Harabec shrugged before turning back to look at the man on the floor “what you want me to do about him?”
Victor shook his head puzzled “good point...um....anywhere we can stash him?”
Harabec looked around the small alley before seeing a refuse cart, a large grin swept across his face “I have an idea!”
Victor followed his line of sight to the cart “you're a real bastard sometimes Bec...I like it, what's say we get our heads down after this?”
Harabec nodded “sounds good to me...lets do it!....”
The view was magnificent, from her room she could see all of the grand city of Yuranthil, its majestic marble towers and houses gleaming in the moonlight, a city of a thousand stories, stories of hope, of fear, war, love and peace, every person caught within its walls a character in the magnificent tale of history, so many others more interesting than hers, up until a month ago that was.
“Brother...Remus...where did you go?” Shiari placed a hand on the glass of the window watching out into the distant shadows of the city at night,
She clenched a fist, ‘no more, I am sick of being stuck here,’ she walked over to a wardrobe slowly “you could be lost, wounded, or worse...or maybe you're doing fine...but I need to know brother.’ she opened the doors slowly, pulling out a cyan silk tunic, with yellow and green trim on the sleeves and chest, she slipped out of her noble dress, throwing the tunic roughly onto her body, she stepped into a pair of black silk trousers and tied up some tan leather boots, she ran her hand back through her long black hair, feeling it fall against the middle of her back before taking a brown cloak out and wrapping it around herself.
‘I will find you brother, and I will find out why you ran...’ she turned to the door, “I need to dissappear, I need a new name....” she thought hard as her eyes wandered the room, “...Azel...” the name brought back childhood memories of rare happiness, one of the only women ever allowed to stand by her, a knight of the order whom she wished to be like upon her maturity. The memory brought a faint smile to her lips as she stood infront of the mirror, she took her well maintained rapier from the table nearby and reached her hand back, holding her hair up, sliding the blade against the clasp of hair “to the end of Shiari...” she whispered as she swiped the blade through her hair with a loud shing, strands hit the marble floor as her now neck length hair swayed jaggedly, “and the birth of Azel...”
She looked over to the window one final time, tonight was the night she would glimpse her city for the last time.
“Were leaving already? geez and I was just starting to like this place!”
The city centre was pretty quiet at this time of night,the voice's deep toned sarcasm echoed throughout the enchanting view of the centre of commerce of this giant city.
“Damn it Harabec can't you just appreciate where we are for once?” came a calm, collected voice.
Two figures stood near the large white fountain in the middle of the square, looking at the nearby 'White Horse Inn'
One of the figures folded his arms “I suppose I could...” he had a strange look to him, he wore a black cloth vest with blue cloth straps that passed over his shoulders with a third strap that went diagonally across his chest.
His waist was home to a black cloth belt with three black tassets that fell down over his legs, each with blue trim on the edges.
He donned a pair of dark grey trousers that folded into his black leather hiking boots,
he had a metal pauldron on his left shoulder and a green cloth vembrace further down the arm.
His right arm from his forearm down was bandaged up in green bandages,
his face was mostly covered by a large blue collar that fastened via two large gold buckles to hide the bottom of his face and also ran down into a scarf behind him. His medium length brown hair fell in front of his eyes in a centre parting, a scar ran down his left cheek and disappeared under the mask, a longsword and spear crossed over on his back.
“....maybe while I'm at it I could learn to fly, or survive a fleshpound attack, or hell if I'm really making the effort, I could even try giving a damn!” he giggled to himself a little “Victor, you've known me seven years...you should know by now that the look of a place means jack to me...its what's inside it, and this place is like any other...a couple of bars, a couple of shops, and a couple hundred people...and no chance of anything interesting...”
Victor sighed “I guess you're right,” he said reluctantly
scratching the back of his blonde spiked hair, a black shaded visor rested atop of his white eyes, his face was quite youthful with a small shade of stubble on his chin,he wore a thick dark blue sleeveless jacket which the parting was oriented far to the right, fastened tightly by two large silver clasps.
Black leather straps attached to the left side of the jacket held some small metallic canisters and brown pouches in place.
Under the jacket he wore a long sleeved white shirt,his left hand was concealed in a strange metallic gauntlet with sharp claws and an elevated compartment on the back of the wrist which housed three small holes.
He wore white trousers with some dark blue leather chaps atop them, brown boots on his feet and a flintlock rifle slung shoddily on his back by a carrying strap.
“hopes shot down again by Harabec Kroth, worlds best skeptic!”
“Realist!” Harabec intervened with a grin under his collar, “anyways we've done what we came to do...so lets get some damn rest and then make trails tomorrow,”
Victor nodded, their job for today was indeed done, they had indeed tracked down the notorious thief Greyan De Bergmont, and they had indeed seen to it that he returned the items he had stolen, which happened to be a prized mare and a few gemstones from a respectable member of this town's society, and they had finally got him back to the jailhouse, though when they had told them to 'make sure he cant run away again' he didn't quite expect Harabec to break both of Greyan's shins...upon reflection, dragging Greyan's moaning and screaming mass along could have been what slowed their pace down a little.
But being a wanderer you had to do this sort of thing just to survive, especially in Victor and Harabec's case, both entangled in a debt with a notorious bounty hunter it was a case of do this job or I do mine.
The two of them walked up the steps of the inn and opened the door, the man behind a small counter in the back of the room looked them over slowly, Harabec met the man's gaze with a hint of annoyance, but brushed it aside as victor stepped forwards “we need a room...” he said slowly as he walked up to the counter, “twelve gold then sirs...”
Victor stood back a moment “wait WHAT? We only paid five gold at the last place!”
“Then go back there...” the innkeeper grunted,
something caught Victors eye, behind the innkeeper was a plaque that showed the price range “but that sign says six gold for a night!”
the innkeeper grinned a menacing grin “that's for locals only!”
Harabec sighed and took a step forward, Victor looked back at him “whoa whoa, Harabec wai-”
Harabec got up to the counter and took a deep breath before leaning over it to look the keeper in the face... “five gold...”
“twelve”
“six,”
“twelve!”
“you have beautiful eyes...”
“What?” The innkeeper shot a puzzled glance, but no sooner had he done it Harabec planted a hand on the top of the innkeeper head and thrust it onto the counter face first.
“AARGH YOU B.ASTARD!” the innkeeper yelled,
Victor buried his head in his palm “not again!” his voice strained
Harabec grinned under the collar “...shame you're not gonna be able to see much with em for a few minutes....here's six gold...give us a room...” he took his hand off the innkeepers head who fell back onto his bottom “okay okay room 4!”, Harabec than put six gold pieces on the table and looked over at Victor as he took the key to room 4 from the wall “lets go...”
They both advanced up the stairs at the end of the room quickly, and trod down the corridor counting the rooms, 1, 2, 3 “here it is...” Victor took the key, unlocked it and walked in,
It looked really cosy, two beds on opposite sides of the room, a big table in the middle and a large wardrobe beside each bed, a great green rug blanketed the floor in the centre of the room, the whole room had a yellow and green motif going on, Victor walked over to the window and looked out of it “man, moon sure is bright tonight!”
“wonderful” Harabec remarked nonchalantly “only thing I care about that's bright at the moment is the light shining off our reward we get tomorrow” he laughed “nothing shimmers quite like gold...”
Victor nodded in agreement with a grin “never a truer word spoken my friend!”
he turned back to Harabec who had taken the spear off his back and was in the middle of setting it down near the bed. “so how long do you reckon this reward will stave off hunger?”
“Few weeks I guess” Harabec smiled “though I wish rewards like this weren't so hard to come by...there are times when I really hate being a wanderer”
Victor smirked “I hear you...but at the same time, at least you always know what you're getting yourself into!”
“Good point!” Harabec grinned as he clicked his neck and shoulders “now lets say we just get our heads down for--”
“get your hands off me you wretch!” the voice was female, and seemed to be coming from under their window “leave me alone!”
“no you're coming with me...there's nothing you can do!” came a gravelly voice.
Victor looked at Harabec, who nodded at him in unanimous agreement, he bolted for the door,
Victor opened the window and climbed out before digging the gauntlet into the wall and sliding down the side of the building to the ground.
As he straightened up he saw a man in light armour wearing a helmet pulling a woman wrapped in a cloak, “Hey!” Victor narrowed his eyes “is that any way to treat a lady?”
“Leave us!” the man in armour snapped “this does not concern you!”
the woman in the cloak turned to victor, he couldn't make out her face but she spoke loud “help me please!”
Victor took a couple of steps forward “she just asked me...so I guess it is my concern now....huh?” he swung the flintlock round to his front using the strap,
“Don't do this....you're making a mistake...”
“no friend...you are...my friend Bec here will give you a couple of pointers on how to treat a woman!”
“huh?” the man turned around to see Harabec's figure bounding towards him,
“One you gotta be...” Harabec threw a fist across the man's head “gentle!” , the man let go of the woman with a loud grunt, he staggered backwards as his helmet flew off and bounced off the floor.
Harabec didn't stop, he placed his hands on the man's shoulders “Two...you have to listen to her!” he thrust a knee up into his chest, watching him double over,
The woman stood behind victor, who looked back at her she was surprisingly beautiful under the hood.
“Last but not least...” Harabec watched the kneeling man as he gasped for breath, “you gotta show your..” he gave him a final punch to the face knocking him clean out, “...more gentle side...” he gasped a little at minor exertion as he wafted his knuckles in the air “right Victor?” he grinned at Victor.
“maybe if you practised what you preach sometimes you'd have a little easier time with them” he laughed.
Harabec joined in with the giggle before heading over to them, they both turned to the woman “you alright?” Victor asked “mm..” she nodded, “j...just a little shaken....thank you both,”
Victor nodded “it was our pleasure ma'am, I am Victor and this is my good friend Harabec...”
“Hey!” he grinned under the collar.
“nice to meet you both...” she replied with a warm smile then perked up “I..I have to go...thank you again!” she turned quickly and started to run “hey!” Harabec yelled after her “You have a name?”
she stopped and turned, and called back one thing before running out of sight, “...Azel...”
“Strange broad...” Harabec shrugged before turning back to look at the man on the floor “what you want me to do about him?”
Victor shook his head puzzled “good point...um....anywhere we can stash him?”
Harabec looked around the small alley before seeing a refuse cart, a large grin swept across his face “I have an idea!”
Victor followed his line of sight to the cart “you're a real bastard sometimes Bec...I like it, what's say we get our heads down after this?”
Harabec nodded “sounds good to me...lets do it!....”