Successfully gaining the attention of those around him, all eyes switch to focus on Sebastian. Seeing him throw coins in the air, only for them to remain there, bob up and down or spin and twirl in all kinds of directions was indeed a spectacle to see and certainly one that raised eyebrows.
Some put it down to being drunk, while others saw it as a minor trick, under the impression that Sebastian was some kind of Magician.
The only ones who truly knew what was going on however, were Rodrick and Erin.
Strangely enough, though. Of all the people to ignore the nobleman, it was the group of Soldiers at the central table, now in deep conversation amongst themselves.
Richard leaned forwards and lowered his voice a little; It's been two years, but I can't say I miss The Count.
You're telling me! replied Brenner. I heard the rumours, but who really knows what happened that day? We'll probably never know for sure.
Lee nodded; I hear ya. Still, did you hear about the beasts in the east? Supposedly Windham fell to the hawk and his loyal "men".....if you can call them that.
Clyde shook his head and sighed. I'm sure it's all folk tale.
Smirking, Lee said Alright, then ask yourself this - How easily did The Band of the Hawk halt the advance of the invading Kushan empire? How quickly did kushan numbers fall? We all know that if it weren't for them, we'd still be in a war today. The Band of the Hawk single-handedly conquered Doldrey and with it, ended the 100 year war and now, almost five years later, they're back.
Richard nodded. Yea, but didn't you hear about their leader? Supposedly the King of Midland welcomed their return with open arms, serenading them as they rode their horses through the cobbled lanes of Windham, right after their victory at Doldrey.
Anyway, their commander abandoned them and shortly after the leader of The Hawks was found in bed with Princess Charlotte.
Taking a sip from his tankard, Richard continued; Needless to say, the King wasn't going to let that slide and so he sent his men out to apprehend the one responsible for the sullying of his daughter, skipping trial and instead torturing the man for the best part of a year. That was the moment the leader of The Hawks succumbed to his fate.
Eager to get a word in, the younger, dark haired boy sitting next to Lee (the archer) argued his point. That's not how I heard it. Sometime after The Hawks were forced out of Windham, the 100 man slayer returned with that female soldier and the remaining Hawks to free their former leader, successfully escaping with him under their care.
Richard didn't believe a word of that and tried to shoot the boy down; Yea, but Tomaz, that was four years ago.
And? replied Tomaz. You all had that dream, right? The dream of the White Hawk. Who's to say it isn't him out there now? What if he didn't die at all, but instead, found a way to rectify his wrongs and climb back up to a position of power?
Well, you've got me there. Richard shrugged and downed the rest of his drink.
Izsha only passingly followed the spectacle with the coins. Between the grand sorcerer's pishaca and her own study of chakra and magic she was used to much more impressive displays of sorcery.
When one of the soldiers mentions a dream of a white hawk, she perks up, if only for a moment, before responding to Jura: "I always wondered how much of those tales were true. Frightened soldiers often see those who defeated them as much greater adversaries than they really were."
"I am afraid I would not have the coin to reimburse you for your service."
"I suspect there is more to the Black Swordsman's tales than we know." Jura responds before looking over at the woman's collection of gear. "You mentioned that you were a healer? Maybe we could trade services, I protect you and in return you fix me when I get hurt."
She wonders a bit. Then, chills the one coin she was holding before she throws it at her observer, returning his, now cold, coin to him
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As I start to fish out for another coin I notice one of the caught ones starts to glow a strange blue and the air around it starts to glitter. I stop what I am doing and move my head a bit closer, to see what is actually happening. But as soon as I get too close the coin projects itself towards me, leaving a small trail of what looks snow in its path.
I try to pull my hand up in time to catch the coin, but it hits me scare between the eyes, "OW! Why is that so cold?!" I rub my face with my hand, "So you don't want more than three coins, you didn't have to attack me though. That actually hurt."
I look around and notice people glance over at my exclamation of pain, "Great, now I must look insane! A gentleman talking to himself and imagining floating coins." I quickly look to see if there is any snow left on the table, but it has already melted. I quickly stand up and walk briskly to the the bar and ask for three wooden cups. Once I have them I get back to the table and place the coin that was thrown at me under one of the upside-down cups, then place the other 2 cups next to it also upside-down. I then start to move the cups around switching their places with each other and after half a minute I let go of the cups and wait to see what happens.
She sits back. This is quite a fun game. She thinks for a bit. Trying to see which one has the coin
But she had difficulty spotting the right one. So she simply points at a random cup
"That one!"
As her magic lifts one of the cups
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As the cup rises into the air, there is no coin present underneath. I then pick up the third cup and show the coin. I let out a laugh and cover the coin again, then shuffle the cups around again. I seem to lose all interest in everything else that is going on in the room, giving my full attention to the game.
She closes her eyes. Much more fun if she can guess correctly. And once again she points
"That one!" she laughs and sways where she is sitting, cross legged
She cheers excitedly as she picks the right one. She then rolls one of the 2 remaining coins she had over to him
"Again! Again!" she calls out while laughing
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To the left of Jura on the large round table, the red headed man, Richard, looks over to the only member of his group who hasn't yet spoken.
You're unusually quiet today, Kirk. What's up? he asked almost casually, with a subtle hint of concern.
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She she was enjoying the game, the one man seemed to draw her attention. It did not look good. Neither did he look too well. She decides to keep an eye on him, and the game. No need to stop playing now after all
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As the cup rises and the light reflectsoff of the brass coin I let out a laugh, "Oooh, well done!" I pluck up the rolling coin and place it beside my empty crockery, before shuffling the cups again.
"Good luck."
She claps her hands excitedly as she watches the cups mix again
This time he was a bit slower than the last 2 tries and she easily spots the right cup and tips it over
"Gotcha!" she exclaims and rolls over the last coin
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"I am out of wound medicine at the moment. But yes I am. I think we could help each other.", for the first time this evening she smiles: "My name is Izsha."
"That sounds," Jura mutters, distracted by the young solider. "Good."
A man in shock, not the first time I've seen it. What's set him off though? Either way, I don't like it.
Slowly trying not to attract too much attention he stands, indicating Izsha should follow as he grabs his weapon. "That young man's in shock, reminds me too much of men who see war and lose themselves in it. We should go, at best he's lost in memory, at worst your dredging them up."
Still in shock, eyes unmoving, Kirk slowly but clearly and quietly aims his speech towards Jura.
I-it's n-not the...it's not the Kushan...
The young man slowly shakes his head side to side repeatedly.
Richard holds his hand up towards you, Jura and Izsha, signaling to hold on a sec. Leaning in to Kirk, he expresses actual concern this time. Kushan or not, we need to get you some rest.
Seeing the man, Izsha tries to identify the cause of his shock, perhaps its a condition.
"You are right, he seems to be reliving trauma. But this is not my presence causing it."
Richard tilts his head towards you Izsha, looks with a mixture of concern and slight confusion, then softly says; He wasn't like this, this morning.
Brenner on the other hand, doesn't quite know what to say and finishing his apple, gets up, puts his knife away and makes his way over to Sebastian.
I am about to start mixing up the cups again, to have another round when I see one of the soldiers stand and make his way to me. I stop what I am doing to watch him carefully.
Upon reaching your table, Brenner places both hands down and looks you dead in the eye, pondering.
You remind me of someone I once met. The resemblance is uncanny.
Meanwhile Lee, sitting closest to the door and between both Kirk and Tomaz, stands up, slinging his Bow and Quiver onto the table, then heads towards the bar. Clyde on the other hand is still sulking. Tomaz isn't doing much either, seemingly concerned for his friend, Kirk.
I listen to the man speak and absently start mixing the cups up I am moving them for a couple of minutes.
"You must be mistaken, I have never met you before this day. My family is also quite closed, so meeting any of them would also prove to be difficult. Are you sure you are not just mis-remembering the details?"
Brenner smirks and flips up the cup revealing your coin.
Naah. You definitely remind me of him. He would have been older than you, a Noble like you. The way you guys carry yourselves is pretty telling. He came on urgent business to our Castle Town roughly two years ago. I remember him because he stood out....just like you.
I nod when he selects the correct cup and lean back, "And what pray tell, makes you think that I am of Noble birth? Although I suppose I should be honoured you think of me as such. Where is the Castle Town of yours? Mayhaps my father visited you at one point, he often visited places to try and arrange trade agreements."
Failing to contain himself at the attempt you made of concealing your nobility, Brenner let out a pretty short but loud laugh, flicking both hands outwardly towards you in an over the top fashion.
Need I say anymore? Haha.
Your father? No. This man would have only been a few years older than you, if by much at all. He had business with The Count, though none of us questioned him further. He had a drink with us. Seemed decent enough.
Moving over to the window, Brenner looked out, turning back to Sebastian.
North West of here. That's where we're from. About a days walk.
"The name of The Count sounds familiar, however I figure that everyone from these parts would also know of the name." My tone turns colder, "If it was not my father, then it was no-one from my family."
Erin looks from the cup to the 'game intruder'. She crosses her arms, and pouts. Slowly the pout fades and turns into a grin. She sternly looks at the 'game intruder' as a shadowy glow seems to move from her and seems to settle on the 'game intruder'.
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See. I'm just not convinced.
He turns around to face Sebastian, kicking back a bit against the wall, leaning and then letting out a sigh.
You folk are normally all for your introductions and manners. This guy was no different.
Raising a finger in the air, he began to think a little more in his over-dramatic way.
Your last name. What is it?
Brenner then scratches his forehead as the sudden urge to itch rushes over him.
She points at Brenner and starts to laugh loudly
"That will teach you 'mr-i-interrupt-peoples-games'"
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"I am Sebastian of the House Vorell, and it may be true that introductions are the basis of initiating a conversation. However you are the one who came over to me and didn't introduce yourself before addressing me, which in most cultures is considered extremely rude."
I go to continue but then the soldier begins to scratch himself, "I do not think that you should have interrupted our game, spirits can be quite mischievous I have been informed."
I begin to shuffle the cups again and once I am finished I point to each one and number it with my fingers. Then hold my hand over the cups with my palm down and three fingers extended.
Yea, it is, but then I'm not one for manners. I do... Looking frustrated, Brenner begins to scratch behind his right shoulder, before continuing ..as I please.
I was referring- *scratches some more* to him. The other Noble.
Brenner's itching becomes more and more intense, forcing him to talk in short, quick bursts, getting as much out as he can between each overwhelming itching sensation he endures.
Vorell....that was it. So, you're his brother....or maybe a cousin?
Grinding his back against the wall, in the hope that his chain shirt would offer some extra relief, Brenner laughs momentarily.
Spirits? More like fleas. G*! d#%n this he pauses to scratch his lower back place.
Grumpy Clyde, looking over at his less armoured Blonde friend, shouts Oh for crying out loud, what now!?
Raising his voice a little, Brenner then shrugs erratically and replies with I can't. Stop. ITCHING!
Her concentration now back on the game, she ignores the predicament of her scorn. A big grin on her face as she tries to watch the cup
She giggles as she went up to the cup and wiggles it around
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At the word brother my eyes turn ice cold and all warm drains from my voice, "Don't ever call him my brother, he is not part of my family. Family don't slaughter each other, he is no Vorell!" I am about to get up and possibly violent when I notice the slight movement of the cup, I close my eyes and let out a deep breath. As I pick up the wobbling cup I whisper to my gaming partner, "Sorry about that outburst, let us return to our friendly game."
I lift the cup to reveal the coin underneath and smile, the shuffle them again.
Erin glares once more at the intruder, he doesnt seem to learn, he is influencing her game in a very bad way, and she was starting to get irked. but her friend seemed to want to continue, so she claps her hands in anticipation then watches the cups gain
her eyes almost lost sight of the right cup, but she quickly catches herself, then wiggles the cup the coin was under, clapping her hands in triumph
Having finished his meal, Rodrick decides to retire for the evening. The antics of the other patrons were starting to interfere with his self-loathing, which is how he had hoped to spend the remainder of the day. He gather hus belongings and quickly leaves his seat, shouldering his way through the inn until he makes it to the bar. Along the way he musters an angry glare at the spritely creature but swiftly averts his gaze, fearing that he may draw its attention otherwise.
He makes it to the bar and finds the owner. "How much for a night?" he asks.
A little surprised by Sebastian's reaction, Brenner brushed the noble's comment off with his light hearted, care-free attitude, even if it lacked tact somewhat. Chill, high born! I meant nothing by it.
Scratching himself some more, Brenner walked forwards a few feet and attempted one last time to reach out to Sebastian, scratching himself throughout his speech.
All I'll say is, that guy had good intentions. He was like any other noble out there, maybe even more so than most. His intentions were admirable. I liked the guy. I just find it weird that you say he....well, I won't ask you to repeat it, but all I'll say is, he went to see The Count, for what reason, don't ask, but....I saw him rushing out on horseback, even said hello and yet it was like I didn't exist. He rode right past me. That was two years ago now and I never did find out what happened in there, nor did I really care.
I'm not gonna guarantee anything, but maybe Theresia will know more. She is his daughter afterall....and now the rightful ruler of that god forsaken Castle Town us guys call home.
Walking past his comrades, he carries on scratching Guys, I'm calling it. I can't take this itching crap anymore. I'll catch ya in the morn. before heading up the stairs to one of the available rooms.
Meanwhile, Rodrick makes his way to the bar, catching Adelaide and Lee deep in conversation. There was nothing flirtatious about it, just an air of concern from the two of them.
Ah, apologies. said Adelaide. She then told the Ranger to wait while she handles your request.
Approaching you with a smile, Ad answers almost instantly, no doubt used to hearing that question asked, along with the unchanging price of her warming accommodation. It's normally 2gp a night, but for an extra silver piece, I'll cook you breakfast in the morning and wake you if you wish?
"I thank you for a lead on finding the traitorous waste of space, now I know where to go. Hopefully this Theresia will know his more recent whereabouts."
I turn back to the game, "Last one for tonight I am afraid. I need to rest so I can set out refreshed on the morrow." I begin to shuffle the cups once more, a smile playing across my face. "Finally, a lead!"
Rodrick scowls beneath his wrappings. He thumbs his one remaining gold coin in his pocket with dissatisfaction. He avoids eye contact with the woman and grumbles "Don't have it..."
He turns away from the bar and heads for the door. Another night in the wilderness.
"It's getting late," Jura mutters. "Do you have a room?" He asks, softly placing a hand on Izsha's shoulder. "There's nothing we can do for this man at the moment, let his friends take him to bed, we should retire ourselves. You're welcome to stay in my room."
Izsha sighs, "Unfortunately we really cannot. Thank you for the offer, but I think I will take my own room."
She sagged a bit. But she understood. Then watched
She was obviously disappointed as she misses the right cup and had to guess
As she wiggled the cup, and the coin was revealed, she snatches the coin up
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As Rodrick turns around, Adelaide gently places her hand on his arm.
Then, speaking quietly to not upset the other patrons, she asks; I have a spare room. It's not much and I mainly use it for storage, but I'd rest easier at night knowing those who've visited my Inn at least have a roof over their head. How much can you afford?
I smile at the moving coin, "keep it, in memory of our games tonight." I stand up and grab my bow and quivers, then head over to the bar. I place a silver coin on the table for the meal and trying not to interrupt the bartender and man in wrappings, I speak up a little. "Do you have a stable I could stay the night, I have a companion that I do not wish to leave alone much longer and I doubt I would be able to afford lodgings."
Awaiting Rodrick's response, Adelaide nods to Sebastian.
It's not warm, but there's a stable right next door. Without one I'd probably have far less business, though if you hang back, I may be able to do you and this man here a deal for the night.
"I'll meet you back down here in the morning then." Jura says as he gives her one last look before turning away and heading up stairs.
Once he reaches his room Jura stops for a moment and looks around for the embarrassed captain from earlier. If he was going to take revenge he'll do it tonight most likely. He thinks to himself, searching for signs that the man had been around.
Curious, Jura walks down the hallway and looks around the corner. Wonder where he got to? He thinks to himself, his hand brushing the hilt of his sword for comfort. Am I paranoid, maybe. But better to be cautious than dead. His hearts beats a bit faster as he rounds the corner.