Both of the guards appear wholly unprepared for this turn of events, Caelus breaking free from the tall one and haughtily sweeping himself over to Draegar. "I got the bruise in my sparring lessons yesterday. Now leave us alone or I'm gonna tell my dad!"
The blonde guard looks like he's going to say something, but the tall guard puts a hand on his shoulder and shakes his head. "Come on, he's fine. Let's just let his family know where he's at."
Blondie turns to Draegar with a sneer, eyes flicking to Caelus briefly. He holds out his hand. "Permit?" The tall guard gives an audible sigh behind him, two fingers on his temple like he's getting a headache. After blondie takes a moment to look over the permit (painfully slowly), he returns it with a look of frustration. "Fine, but stay out of trouble. The High Cardinal is going to come right through here-" He gestures towards the street running between all the technologist booths "-and I'll have my eye on you." Giving one last glare up at Draegar, he and the tall guard go back to minding their post.
Caelus goes behind the booth, then responds to Esdras. "I'll be fine! I just wanted to see the cool stuff out here." He gives a sheepish nod. "Alright."
Topaz can't help but laugh a bit at the goings-on. Didn't the nobility have anything better to do with their time than run around stealing stuff? She's grudgingly impressed with the merchant, though, offering to hire the kid instead of turning him over to the guards. The noble-type who grabbed the kid looks vaguely familiar, or at least his giant sword does. He must've been in a tavern sometime, slumming it. No wonder he recognized the kid... nobles are all alike, playing games where the common folk are trying to actually live.
As for the guards, they don't seem much different than those she was used to. Some straightforward and vaguely decent, like tall guy over there, and some obsessed with permits and bureaucracy like blondie. Nothing the Whispers hadn't run into before. If the others are like them, well, they may not care enough to help us, but they won't be too hard to avoid or deal with.
With the crowds growing and the High Cardinal coming through imminently, Topaz realizes she's going to have trouble making it to the rendezvous now, and pushing through the crowds fast will just draw attention. Guess I'll have to wait it out here. Pella will understand.
She decides she might as well say hello to the technologist with all the doodads, the one she remembers from conversations in the past, while waiting for a chance to get back to the alley. As the crowd's attention turns away from the scene, she moves toward Cass. "Got some new shinies there, ain't ya?" she says, grinning at him and pointing at his belts and straps full of contraptions.
The woman approaching Cass is short and thin, bordering on scrawny, with brown eyes and somewhat unruly brown hair. She is wearing very nondescript clothing, the browns and greys of a minor household servant, and a battered backpack. She has a package wrapped in butcher's paper under one arm. A close look might notice a sheathed knife at her hip.
Cass blinked in surprise. ”Well,” he mused to himself, ”that was certainly a sudden change…” Everything worked out in the end, Cass figured, it always did – so there wasn’t much to worry about now. It looked like the merchant had it well in hand. It was driving Cass a little crazy that he couldn’t quite place him. And then...
This person he did remember! "...I know you! I think. You played a bit of the..." he waggled his fingers in front of him as he searched for the right word for the instrument before giving up. "Regardless, you were spectacular. A true gem!"
Gem, gem... Cass' mind went into a bit of a journey as he searched for the right word. Jasper? No. Agate? Alexandrite? No. Opal? Beryl? Topaz?" "Topaz!" he suddenly exclaimed. "That's right, isn't it? Could never forget your performance. A bit dressed down though, yeah?" He looked over Topaz discerningly for a moment before continuing, not even letting her respond.
"How have you been? Good, I hope? You're far from Alamor." He paused at that and furrowed his brow. "You are REALLY far from Alamor. Come to see the coronation or whatever they call it...?" He gestured broadly at the guards as a means of explanation.
Equal parts a working-class man and a scholar of the mysteries of Ikeroth, his appearance somehow reflects both. Tattoos of the geometric patterns of the stars, the planets, and their paths and orbits run up both of his arms – which are leanly corded and taut and look like they know how to swing a hammer or work a forge. A thick auburn beard covers his face with his mustache waxed carefully into points that curl slightly up from his lips which, more often than not, feature a thick cigar dangling from it. The earthy smell of that cigar smoke permeates into his clothes – a off-white beater shirt and suspenders that hold up the thick leather pants of a blacksmith. But on his waist and across his chest are a series of belts and bandoleers – each hold the tools of his trade; glasses, wrenches, hammers, screwdrivers, and a wide variety of contraptions that look overly-designed with clockwork mechanica. Each of these are polished and well-maintained, the brass and steel gleams sharply in the light – offsetting the grease and oil that has stained his clothes.
A rucksack hangs across his shoulders, and tied securely to it are a trio of waterproofed books covered in canvas for added protection, the first two look dog-eared and well read and a closer examination would reveal the titles: “The Applied Mechanics of Ikerothian Astronomy” by Valentine Wentworth-Chambers and “Improving the Efficiency of Clockwork Mechanica Through Implementation of Minor Arcana” by Nicodemus Highmoore. The third reads, in Sarvic, “A Comprehensive Elucidation of Arcanum Fantastica Utilizing Historical Classifications of Magicka Obscura for Identification of Large-Scale Planetary Phenomena” by Caspian M. Abernathy – and it looks relatively new compared to the others. The rucksack itself jangles with the sound of his tools and half-finished projects as he walks. It is a walk of confidence, straight backed and with purpose. But a look at his eyes would tell otherwise – hazel in colour they dart everywhere, taking in as much information as possible.
Esdras was actually happy about how the situation turned out. It could have been a lot of trouble for everyone if the vendor had not been wise enough to hire the kid. He then looked at the sun, imagining if he would have enough time to go back to his room in the inn to change his clothes before the High Cardinal arrived.
As the man Esdras imagined to be Cass mentioned about 'a performance', 'Almor', and the girl's name, Esdras quickly recognizes the girl that just arrived. "Isn't she that singer from that tavern in Flint?" Esdras wondered. "I don't recall the place's name, but I'm almost sure... do you remember I mentioning how the singer strangely looked like my sister?"
"Hum... I don't really recall. As you know, sometimes it is hard for us to focus and see what is happening in the outer world. I do remember Jaidev was specially unsavory about his comments about her looks." Gideon answered a bit uncertain, taking his time to walk around her. "However, I must agree with you... she indeed looks like an younger version of Isabela, scrawnyer of course and with short hair, but still..." By the way Gideon was looking at the girl, Esdras was sure he would have been slapped.
"I believe 'reception' is the term you are looking for... I believe you are 'Cass'? Professor Highmoore pointed me towards here and that bowl of food was for you. I believe you heard when I introduced myself to those men, but, just in case, I'm Esdras Martalen." He then turns his attention towards the just arrived girl. "And you, I believe I've saw you before singing in a tavern in Flint... I don't recall the name of it, however."
"Well, you've a good memory!" Topaz says to Cass. "Except there weren't no instruments, just me. But we did chat about your..." She gestures at his clockworks.
At his mention of her clothes and being far from home, she chuckles. "Everyone who's anyone's here for the fuss, so why not come an' try to earn a coin from entertainin' them? An' I wouldn't want to give away the show before it starts, eh?" She cocks her head and looks Cass up and down. "What're you doin' here, come to that? An' what happened to you? You just sorta stopped comin'. Figured you must've found better beer somewheres else."
Careful, girl, she thinks. Sharp eyes, this one.
As Esdras joins them, she turns the same appraising look on him. The sword's familiar -- not many folk come into dockside taverns carrying things like that -- but she can't say she remembers anything much else about him. A brief flash of relief passes over her face when he mentions Cass's name. Cass! That was it. The look is soon replaced by a slightly crooked smile.
"Must've been the Bell and Frog, sir. Can't imagine the likes of you anywheres else." She bobs her head briefly in an almost-proper note of respect to a noble, but there's a twinkle in her eye and not a great deal of actual respect in her tone.
Esdras doesn't notice Topaz's actual disrespect towards him, which is a good thing for even if he doesn't actually really care about his noble standing, his blood is not made of ice. Instead, he smiles frindly. "Yes, that was indeed the place... the Bell and Frog! However, you'd be surprised about my actual habits and prefered places. In Ra'an, my closest friend Bruno is a common man, a war veteran like myself, and an incurable gambler... and I regularly meet him in less than savory places."
Then he remembers about something else Topaz just said. "Ow, and just a friendly advice when dealing with the likes of me, as you've said: always go for my lord instead of sir. I don't care about it, but I'm the minority among the nobles. Always go for a higher title, for it is better to err on the side of caution." His tone continues to be friendly, showing that his advice was indeed in good faith and not a reprimend.
"So, are you a religious person, Topaz?" He asks with curiosity.
Topaz realizes that she’s probably on thin ice and should behave, but can’t quite manage to keep her annoyance at this noble deciding to lecture her on protocol — however friendly he was trying to be — off her face. They really are all alike. Ol’ man wi’ a big sword an’ a fancy title thinks he gets respect just by sayin’ he should. What’s he know about anythin’?
To his question, she shrugs. ”The Soldier’s all right, I suppose, my lord,” she says, over-enunciating the last two words. ”Can’t afford to spend much time thinkin’ about it, really. Got to work to eat an’ all that.”
Esdras raises an eyebrow, now both interested and suspicious. "So, Topaz of Flint, a girl who sings at the Bell and Frog, who got to work to eat, and who is not religious... whoever, is here, in Caranusca. Before departing Ra'an, which is the closest city from Almor to here, the tickets where already pretty expensive... so expensive that a couple wealthy merchants and minor nobles were not able to attend or bring their whole families, all people who do not need to work to eat."
Esdras crosses his arms, studying the girl. "For someone that is indeed religious, however, it might be worthy to spend a hefty amount to come here nevertheless, for this is a historical moment of political and religious significance... but, as you've said, you are not religious. What are you truly doing here, Miss Topaz?"
"Good catch, Esdras... there is no way for someone like her to be here on her own. Even if she is a formidable performer, the competition with the local artists is so fierce that she would not be able to earn not even a quarter of the amount the ticket costed..." Saying this, Gideon focus his attention on Topaz, trying to figure what might be of place.
"These are indeed my thoughts. This is why I asked first about her religious beliefs, for that was the only acceptable motive. She is hiding something, Gideon. I wonder if for the best or for the worst."
Cass opened his mouth to reply to Topaz and then quickly shut it when Esdras began speaking - he watched the situation for a moment before growing slightly annoyed. He wasn't a noble, though he had been forced to study alongside some in the university and had to hobnob with plenty more during his travels. He avoided nobles whenever he could. This was exactly the sort of thing that led him to drop out and pursue his education on his own.
He had no desire to engage in this conversation but couldn't help but stand up for the singer he admired in the tavern all that time ago. It felt like years, but maybe it was just months ago? Time kind of blurred together after a while. "Who cares why she is here? What business is it of yours?" He paused and moved on, his mind already turning its attention to more important tasks. "Speaking of business..."
With that he turned his back on the man with the sword and away from the squabble and towards the man who he still couldn't quite place. "An inquiry, if I may, now that I have your attention? The spider - what are you using for its power source? It seems to be moving fairly independently without a manual control - but I can't quite figure out how you are doing it. Usually such a contraption would require the use of a large electrical power source or intricate clockwork but this is so small to contain either. Unless... you are using some sort of arcanum?"
Cass leaned over the counter, hands behind his back, as he examined the construct carefully.
Topaz is very glad for Cass's interruption, as it both backs her up and makes her pause long enough to keep her emotions in check. Watch your tongue, girl. Don't ruin it all just because some noble is bein' a noble. She takes a breath and smiles at Cass -- or at least at his back, as he turns back to his business -- before continuing.
"Wha' he said! My business is my own, m'lord," she says. "I won't ask wha' yours is, if you'll be so kind as t'not ask mine." Her tone is still not what you'd call deferential, but it's a bit more polite after she's had a chance to catch herself.
"You're the second person to ask about that today," the big man smiled. "I'll tell you what I told the last fellow. You're welcome to take a good look, but all the internal mechanisms are proprietary."
"So I can see the internal mechanisms?" Cass' eyes flickered eagerly. "For what its worth - I'm not one of those who would steal another inventor's work. I'd much rather learn what I can than steal, anyways. Stealing is for lesser men," he cast a quick sideways glance at the boy at that.
Cass reached around his neck for the small brass loupe attached to a chain and brought it up to his eye to magnify his vision for a better look.
Evidently the wind is blowing west today, for a loud bell tolls over the city, announcing the arrival of the High Cardinal earlier than expected. The buzz of the crowd spikes up as excitement of the event sweeps across the docks and streets. At the docks, the massive vessel emblazoned with the name Lord's Refuge begins preparations to make port. The sails are lowered as the steam engine is entrusted to carry out the last leg of the journey. A ship that seems built party for luxury and partly for war, with fine trimmings and artwork adorning the hull that has dozens of windows for cannons.
As the crowd begins to get swept up in the excitement, the city guard begins sweeping through the streets, trying to get them cleared. "Alright, one side!" "Make way!" "Clear the streets!" "Make due where you are!" People are swept to the sides, leaving most of the streets available for the expected pathway of the High Cardinal.
"Hey, you lot! Behind the booths!" Those at the Damage Industries booth are ushered out of the street and behind Draegar's booth, much to the discontent of Caelus who starts swiveling his head to stare at all the potential thieves suspiciously.
Esdras shakes his head, clearly unhappy. This Cass is a naive young man... the kind of naivety to be expected of a young man who spends too much time their own tiny world...
The was would have transformed him... Gideon added.
The war transforms everyone... me and you included... but this is not the point. 'What is my business', he asks. Its nobody business... until it is everyone's business. No one cares until everything is on fire. Lucky are the ones who are able to think only about their jobs, or about some weird contraption. He shakes his head again. [/i] You were not paying attention, Gideon, but just this morning the Gratians mentioned extremists...[/i]
You don't think she is involved, do you? Gideon inquires, a bit of suspicion in his tone and posture.
I don't know what to think, but as far as I know, there is no reason for this girl to be here... she is up to something... nevertheless, I'll get nothing pushing her for an answer.
"Very well, miss Topaz..." He is then pushed towards the back of the weapon booth. "Well, I guess we are staying here then, at least the High Cardinal passes..."
Draegar wasn't here to see the High Cardinal. He wasn't sure he could care less about some muckety-muck of a religion he didn't follow. He was here for the business opportunity. He went back behind his kiosk and said "End lockdown." The spider bot stopped laying down on the merchandise and warding people off with it's front legs. Instead it went back to holding Draegar's portfolio and being a glorified easel stand.
"Tell you what, if you can open her up, you can look inside," he said to the man next to him.
The spider contraption was an impressive piece of machinery. It was clearly built for durability and heavy use. Every part of it was overbuilt. Every cog and servo was underneath plates or reinforced metal lattices. Each leg had a shield plate on the forelimb area shaped a bit like a convex teardrop, that could open and close like a fan when needed. The main body seemed like one solid sphere save for where the legs articulated from. Each hemisphere of the spherical body had four legs coming out of it. There were seams where the shell-like body joined, but no obvious hinges, bolts, ports, buttons or other controls. There had to be a trick to opening it up, because there was nothing obvious about how to do it any other way.
Cass furrowed his brow as he examined the spider closely - how were the mechanisms sealed inside so carefully? It was a puzzle, to be sure.
There was a seam that he could see but no hinges. So they had to be on the inside to allow for repairs. He noted the command that Draegar gave as well. "Hinges on the inside, yes? There's a command you have to give to open it up, perhaps? Is the spider attuned to just your voice? I've seen the occasional theorywork on golemcraft at the Academy but never paid much attention to them. Perhaps I should have it would help expl--"
And he was interrupted rudely, he cast a frown at the guard but moved aside - reaching into the pocket of his trousers to pull a small brass pocketwatch to check the time. He still had time to meet Nicodemus but this parade would likely cut short the amount of time he had to research both this spider and any other booths he might find of note. With a sigh, he stepped aside, tucking the watch back into his trousers and grabbing a thick leatherbound journal from his rucksack.
He only paid half-hearted attention to the goings-on, instead sketching out the spider and some possibilities for the mechanisms within.
"So it seems indeed, my lord," Topaz responds as they are pushed behind the booth to leave a path clear. There's a bit of amusement in her voice. Poor noble, stuck wi' all us common folk!
It's clear she isn't going to make it back to the rendezvous with Pella before the parade gets through. Best see what I can see here. Who knows what might slip. Maybe I'll get lucky an' learn somethin' useful.
She finds a spot with a clear view of the path and the crowds around it and keeps her eyes open.
Draegar chuckled. "Take all the time you want, friend. If you figure it out, it means my designs aren't as good as I think they are."
He idly watched the procession slowly move past, occasionally trying to make sales but gave up once it was clear that the crowd was utterly distracted by the muckity-muck parade.
Unwilling to move through the crowd and knowing that even if he did he would not reach the docks in time, he relaxes a bit. To be honest, he would prefer to be here than there. He looks around, hoping to see any sign of the blue banner. When he doesn't see it, he calls Gideon in his mind.
Gideon, since I'm stuck here, could you search for our new friend? The thin man nods in agreement but doesn't say a word, quickly moving through the crowds.
As a distraction, Esdras tries to talk to Topaz, since the other two were talking to each other. "So, Miss Topaz, if you allow me a question, what do you think of Caranusca?" He gestures towards the people and the buildings.
Topaz shrugs, not taking her eyes off the crowd as she talks. "It's a lot fancier'n what I'm used to, tha's for sure," she says. "Cleaner, too. Though maybe not so much after all these people leave." She gestures around at the crowd, with their food crumbs, dropped plates, and who knows what all else.
"An' you, m'lord? You been here before?"
The next half hour only sees a rise in the chaos and excitement. The early arrival of the High Cardinal seems to be throwing off a lot of people's plans, who are now shoving their way through the crowd to rush through their business or get closer to the docks. The guards do what they can to prevent outbursts but are vastly undermanned for the task. More than once the people huddled behind DAMAGE INDUSTRIES catches an elbow to the ribs or has their foot stepped on.
With much fanfare the procession of the High Cardinal begins, making its way parallel to the water, southwards down the coast and right down the street where all the technologist booths are set up. The chaos and excitement of the crowd surges further, much to the dismay of the guards, but they are reinforced by the advance unit of the Knights of Theveste who march in a double-thick line well ahead of the royal procession. Unlike the guards they seem to have little concern for diplomacy and calming strategies, seeming to adhere to the idea of "if something is out of place, snap it back into place". Rowdy crowd members are struck without warning and thrown back into the surges of people as the cold, detached knights advance forwards.
Topaz manages to find a two-foot stone ledge behind the booths and climb up onto it, getting a better view of the crowd. As she half-mindedly talks to the noble she sees Pella in the distance, way over by the food booths. Pella manages to make eye contact and waves, shrugging about the sudden change of events and signalling she hasn't found anything particularly useful yet.
Esdras tries to talk back to the distracted woman who keeps scanning over the crowd, and following her gaze he finds the banner bobbing above the crowd again. As he watches the banner seems to be following along with the royal processing, somewhere near the center. If the spirit continues to follow the procession, than it should pass right in front of Esdras at some point. As long as he has a decent view that is.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Behind the DAMAGE INDUSTRIES booth, the young rich kid Caelus is pulling at the armored wrist of the blonde guard that was confronting Draegar earlier. The guard has an angry and guilty look on his face, not unlike the one Caelus had earlier. "Keep the peace boy! I don't care who you father is I'll have you..." Caelus, still tugging on the guard's wrist, turns and shouts to Draegar. "He was trying to take something! The paper thing here!" The kid points down to the booth permit.
Topaz is relieved to at least make visual contact with Pella. Knowing that Esdras is probably watching her, she keeps her reaction subtle, just a wink and the barest nod before looking away.
As Caelus yells, she looks down from her ledge. Well, well. Guards ain’t above causin’ trouble instead o’ fixin’ it? Typical. She watches both Caelus and the guard closely to see whether she can tell what either of them is up to. The guard looks guilty, but she wouldn’t put it past the noble kid to be doing something, either.
While trying to talk to Topaz, Esdras gets once more distracted by the banner. Noticing its course of action, he looks around for a vantage point that he could climb in order to keep an eye on it.
Meanwhile, he is drawn towards the confusion between Caelus and the guard. To him, it appears that the guard was a dishonest man trying to get some revenge on the vendor for freeing the boy from trouble earlier. However, the big vendor was able to handle the situation pretty well before so Esdras waited for his reaction.
Lets see how he handles this... in any case, I'll make sure to remember this guard so I can report him to his superiors later.
Cass shifts his weight uncomfortably as the events begin to unfold - he had no desire to involve himself in affairs of cultures and people he didn't know but he also couldn't stand by while other people were robbed. He side-stepped a bit, worming his way through the crowd, until he was next to Topaz.
He kept an eye on Draegar and the kid all the while, wanting to see how the merchant would react. With his voice low, he leaned over to Topaz, figuring since she was from Alamor she wouldn't be superstitious about magics. "Hey," he whispered, "Forgive the inquiry. Magic here? Liable to get me burned at the stake or just waved along my merry way?"
Cass honestly didn't know. He knew Breica was a heavily religious state and he didn't want to push it and land himself in hot water before he had a chance to learn whatever he could.
Draegar had been considering closing up shop just to make a bit more room when Caelus started causing a new ruckus.
The big Skive put his spider mech back in Lockdown mode and moved around the booth to aproach the guard.
"I'm sure he was just checking my permit's validity," Draegar said with a hint of ice in his voice. "Right, guardsman?"
The guard rips his hand free of the kid, shoving him back. He looks at Draegar, face red with anger. "Validity hardly matters when you stole the permit! Hundreds of people applying for permits and they give one to a vulture? I don't think so." He marches up to Draegar, jabbing a finger in his chest. The size difference between the two would be comical if it wasn't for the very real threat being presented. "I'll be nice though. You tell me who you took it from and I'll put in a good word for you." He says with a smirk.
To Cass’s question, Topaz shrugs. ”I s’pose so long as y’don’t do anything too flashy ye’d be all right. They church folk don’ like big stuff, but they don’ care so much about little stuff. I don’ think.”
Topaz frowns as the guard tries to put one over on Draegar. Not really my business, I s’pose, but tha’s pretty crude even fer a city guard. Her sympathies are definitely with the merchant, though. First a noble’s kid tries to steal from him, and now the guard was going after him.
She looks over at Esdras and speaks loudly. ”Tell me, m’lord, do y’think it’s right fer a guard to be insultin’ an’ shakin’ down folk what are tryin’ to do their business?” She points toward the guard. ”’Cause tha’s wha’s happenin’ here.”
"Sure. I'll tell you exactly where I got it. The notary. His name's at the bottom there."
"I have a copy of the receipt also. Those permits aren't cheap."
"How about when the procession is finished, you and I take a walk over and talk with him about it. I'm sure he'll remember me. He asked all kinds of questions about what I was selling. He wasn't sure what category of sales goods an automaton counted as. I had to assure him it wasn't for sale."
"Then, after we talk to him, we can talk to your captain about accusing merchants of theft or forgery without any evidence at all."
"How's that sound?"
The guard stays persistent, even with some of the crowd members turning to look at the scene and whispering amongst themselves. There is a flash of anger across his face, but then his face turns smug. "Alright, fine. Let's get your day in court." He reaches to his belt, taking off a pair of manacles. "Hands. We will get all of this sorted out. Has to be all official though, so I gotta take you in. Can't have anything going wrong on such a special occasion now can we?"
Cass felt a flush of anger rise to his cheeks at the slur. He had heard the word bandied about before in the Academy towards a young skive girl who had worked in the kitchens and answered the insult with a punch to the perpetrator’s nose. Cass had broken the kid’s nose and ended up having to copy a textbook on proper etiquette seven times by rote as punishment. He didn’t regret it at all, but seeing how the other kid wasn’t punishment was just yet another reason he grew dissatisfied with the rigid structure of the academy.
”We use words here, not our fists,” echoed in his mind from the instructor that had grabbed him by his collar and dragged him away from hurting that kid even worse. Fine, Cass glowered at the guard. Words it is.
He quickly ran through the arcane formulas he had committed to memory, cross-referencing them to some of the notes he had scribbled in his journal before settling on one. Illusion was a tricky school to master but he found it very useful when he was in a tight spot before. Unfortunately it wouldn’t help much here. But Illusion had another property – Cass considered the differential equations for those spells to be fairly congruent to one another. Both affected the way someone saw the world without affecting matter itself. It would do.
Cass quickly distributed the formula of the spell, breaking the geometric patterns into derivations of the pattern before making a few tweaks. Shifting the formula about he recalculated his work, distributing the arcane energy where it needed to go until his mind cleared, the old illusion spell having been replaced by a different one. In the past – working through the necessary formulas would have taken Cass several minutes, but he had prided himself on discovering several shortcuts that enabled him to recalculate and reform the arcane energies that hummed through Ikeroth in a matter of seconds.
All it would take was a simple word and a gesture but Cass didn’t force it yet. He wanted to see how it all played out – especially how Draegar responded. It was, after all, his move. He had no idea what the guard's problem was but he knew enough to know nothing good would come out of a person using that kind of language. He also knew that he should only cast something on someone in a position of authority as a last resort. So he waited - Cass was, after all, a man of infinite patience when needed.
"Caelus, go get another guardsman. First one you can find." Draegar folded his arms across his massive chest.
Caelus nods with a mix of anger and fear on his face, as if he knows he's somehow not being treated fairly but doesn't know how to challenge a city guard. He nods to Draegar and quickly disappears into the crowd, heading towards the docks where the guards are denser.
Meanwhile the blonde guard only gets more angry. "Hands, now!" He widens his stance and draws a sap, holding it up threateningly. "I'm not asking again!"
Esdras observes the unfolding conversation until he can't take it anymore. He steps forward while answering to Topaz. "No, Miss Topaz, it is not acceptable for a guard to act like that. If were in Ra'an I'd make sure such such guard would learn how to properly do his job." He stops besides the large vendor.
"Guard. I advise you to step back while you can. You can walk away with probably just a notice of missconduct from your superiors but if you insist on this clear shakedown, I'll make sure you will be punished as a corrupt guard should be. I'm far from Almost and from Ra'an, but the Martalen's influence are far reaching."
"Tell you what. You start swinging, and we'll see how long it takes for you to get the job done." Draegar said with a small shrug.
Topaz may never have been to Brieca before, but she's guessing that guards didn't normally haul people off in manacles to ask about their permits. She's pleasantly surprised to see Esdras try and intervene.
Well, I'll be. A noble actually usin' his status to try'n help a commoner.
Seeing Draegar challenge the guard to take a swing, she figures maybe it's time to try a little distraction. Her mind racing, she starts improvising a song.
"Oh, listen my friends, and I'll tell you a tale
A tale of a heart cold and hard,
The heart of a man who is meaner than mean,
The heart of an unfaithful guard.
He doesn't want glory, he doesn't want fame,
He doesn't want love or renown.
No, the unfaithful guard wants his money in hand,
Or he won't stop till he brings you down.
He'll call you a liar and call you a cheat,
But he deserves those names and more,
For if you should cross him, he'll take what he can,
From either the rich or the poor."
The blonde guard looks ready to respond, but stops halfway into the first word. He turns to face Topaz, looking bewildered for a moment then becoming intrigued as he quietly listens to her makeshift song. The half-dozen or so people in the crowd that are paying attention to the escalating scene look on in confusion at the sudden turn of events.
"Over here, right over here!" Caelus squeezes his way through the crowd barrier on the street, dragging behind him...one of the Knights of Theveste. And not just a knight, but somebody of higher ranking by the look of his helmet. Evidently Caelus took his responsibility very seriously.
The Knight is hard to read due to his face being obscured by his armor. He takes a moment to scan the scene, then looks down and speaks to Caelus with a muffled voice. "I see nothing amiss Caelus. Come, your parents are already worried."
Noticing the arrival of an officer, Esdras tries to help once more, imagining that the blond guard would not be distracted by Topaz for much longer.
"Excuse me sir, but I believe we have a delicate situation here. This guard..." Esdras points to the fascinated man. "... was here earlier in the morning, along with another one, following an insignificant misunderstanding. After that problem was sorted out, this guard insisted in seeing our friendly vendor's license, which he promptly complied and was in order."
"This guard, however, appears to have some sort of unhealthy grudge against those with Skive blood for he came back now intending to steal the same license. If not for young Caelus here, such criminal act would have been successful. The whole incident would have already been strange and unfitting for a guard of Brieca but instead of recognizing his mistakes, he instead insisted arresting our friend, which is unacceptable."
"I wholly believe this guard does not represent how the laws are and should be applied here in Brieca and the guard itself. I believe this man should be treated as a corrupt guard but since I'm not in my home city and country, I leave the procedure to you, since I'm sure that, as an honored Knight of Taveste, you understand how dire his actions are." Esdras then moves aside. "If needed, I can escort young Caelus back to his family, for just this morning I was introduced to them. I'm Esdras of House Martalen from Ra'an and a give you my word that no harm will be done to him."
Topaz keeps singing, watching to see how the knight responds. If he starts questioning or interacting with the guard, she’ll end the song, hopefully leaving the guard a bit flummoxed while he’s trying to respond to the knight.
Cass, as well, watches carefully. Like Topaz he is ready to act if needed but if Esdras can resolve this without Cass' aid, so much the better.
So he kept quiet for now, fingers strumming along the side of one of the brass tools he kept at his belt. Depending on what happened, he had several spells in his repertoire to diffuse the situation but hopefully he didn't need to resort to any of them. He took a step back - putting some distance between himself and the two guards and waited.
Draegar shook his head, not really sure what had distracted the guard so thoroughly, and not really knowing who the fellow with the fancy hat was. He turned around and started Packing up his kiosk, rolling up his sale goods and breaking down the table and stand.
This place is awful, he thought to himself.
"Esdras Martalen. Yes I saw you at the docks. Welcome to Caranusca." The guard removes his helmet. Underneath is a Briecan man in his late 20's, with curly brown hair and bright green eyes. A faint scar runs from his upper lip to his nose. And the man is sweating profusely. Evidently wearing full plate even this early in the morning is quite a task given the heat. One can't even imagine the stifling exhaustion it would cause in the middle of the day.
The knight cradles his helmet in his left arm and inspects the scene. His gaze lingers long on Draegar and his stand, and after sweeping the crowd he looks at the guard expectantly.
The blonde guard blinks a couple times, then looks around as if to get his bearings. The knight in his shining armor is hard to miss and the guard's eyes go wide as his lips tighten. "Uhh..."
The knight arcs a brow. "Sharpen up soldier. This is no time to be distracted by dockers." The blonde guard nods dumbly, looking thoroughly confused. The knight looks at Draegar packing up his stand for a moment, then continues talking to the guard. "Do you have some reason to suspect this man of wrongdoing?"
The blonde guard swallows, Adam's apple bobbing. "Ummm, no. I mean yes! Yes, he was harassing the young Mr. Gratian earlier." He trails off.
Caelus stomps his foot. "No he wasn't! He's lying!" The kid puffs up his chest proudly. "He gave me a job after he caught me steali-" Caelus stops himself too late, face freezing.
The knight looks surprised for a moment. He looks like he's about to say something to Caelus, then shakes his head with an exasperated sigh. "No, not today. Caelus, you will follow me and return to your parents at once. And you two." He points at Draegar and the blonde guard. "Drop it. I don't care who's at fault. Unless you see somebody who is a threat to his holiness I expect you to stay at your post, remain vigilant, and not waste your time with petty squabbles. Understood?" A beat passes and the knight frowns. "Is that understood?!" He says, louder and more firmly. The blonde guard gives a small jump. "Yes, yes sir!" He quickly moves back to where he was stationed, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Draegar.
The knight takes a deep breath, taking a cloth from his belt and wiping the sweat from his brow. "Mr. Martalen, your family would like to see you back as well. Your sister is worried for you." He puts away the cloth, putting a hand on Caelus's back. He pauses and waits, indicating he would like for Esdras to follow but he has no intention of forcing him.
Draegar gave the knight a small nod and walked over to Caelus. He handed the lad a flechette with a leather shoulder holder, and three coins. "You earned what I promised you. Thanks for your help today."
Esdras sighs slightly but visibly. "Well, much like young Caelus here, I got caught." He moves towards Draegar and offers his hand. "Good buy. I believe I've never caught your name, my friend..." He then walks towards Cass and repeats the gesture. Finally, he moves to Topaz and when he takes her hand, he gives it a small kiss on the back of her hand. "I hope our paths cross again in the future. Until then, farewell." He says to all of them.
Going back to the Knight, Esdras signals that he is ready to follow him. "After you, sir." Once they are on their way, he talks to him once more. "I'd like to thank you for your help before and also I'd like to know your name."
”Caspian Abernathy, son of James Abernathy of Abernathy and Sons,” he paused and offered as a way of explanation in case Esdras decided to interrogate him too, “currently in between jobs.” Cass glanced at Esdras briefly, he seemed a lot different than the noble that was just harassing Topaz a few moments ago. Friendlier even. The way people’s moods shifted depending on extenuating circumstances – Cass had a theory that the astrological phases also had an effect on people but hadn’t had much time to look into it.
He glanced up at the sky. In fact, he hadn’t had much time to do his usual studies of the celestial ecliptics during his journey and resolved to do so tonight before he turned in for a welcome rest. But now he had other things to do.
He looked longingly at the spider as Draegar packs it up and sighed. He murmured a single word in Sarvic, ”deprehendere,” as he reached for his loupe, tapping it twice, before bringing it down to his right eye. He cast a quick glance around the crowd nearby.
He wanted to take a quick note of any merchants with arcana for sale and mentally tag them for further conversation.
Caelus goes from looking angry and embarrassed for admitting his thievery quickly back to excited as Draegar offers the flechette. Before he can hand it off the knight steps between them, holding a hand out. He takes the offered flechette and spends a moment examining it, then returns the nod to Draegar and hands it off to Caelus. The knight glances in the direction of the blonde guard, who is fairly far away now, and then speaks again in a lowered voice. "Apologies. Make a copy of the permit and hide it, they have unique numbers on them." He offers.
When Esdras asks for the knight's name he inclines his head. "Marcellun Baro. Captain of the Knights of Theveste. Your gratitude is appreciated. Although our only responsibility today is keeping his holiness safe, I find that a placated public is often a boon for that goal. This..." He waves a hand in the general direction of the departing guard. "Disturbance is not acceptable. I apologize for any distress it has caused."
"Distress? Well that hardly sounds good on such a wonderful day as this." The crowd in front of DAMAGE INDUSTRIES shows great excitement even as they are pushed back by a line of Theveste Knights. Behind them stands none other than his Holiness, High Cardinal Theodore Philius.
His Holiness is a man of advanced years, although not so far advanced he would seem frail or airy. He stands at above average height and an average build, wearing heavy and decorative robes of white and gold which depict the Lord aspects of Azgaar. He wears an ornate headpiece that seems as designed for showing off as it does for protecting his head and eyes from the weather. His eyes are a deep blue and he has a white goatee, and he walks with an ornate white and gold cane, although it doesn't look like he needs it. Despite the temperate and heavy clothing, he doesn't appear to be bothered by the heat.
Marcellun bends his head sharply down, speaking as he looks at the ground. "My most sincere apologies your Holiness. It was my own fault. I tried to placate young Caellus here so he would stay with his family. I should have kept him there once he made his presence known."
The High Cardinal gives a kind smile and chuckles, looking down at Caellus. "And are you satisfied? Did Marcellun's gambit pay off?"
Caellus nods with a great big grin on his face. "Yeah, he scared off that mean guard who was bothering him!" He says, pointing at Draegar. "He even gave me this for protecting his stand!" He says, offering the flechette with pride.
The High Cardinal's brows shoot up in surprise, gaze going to find Draegar and sweeping the people near him. "Consider me very impressed. It is no mean feat to get on Caellus's good side." He gestures to the knights, who quickly advance and split, creating a barrier between DAMAGE INDUSTRIES and the rest of the crowd, while leaving the High Cardinal and the few people at the booth isolated. The nobles behind him look a combination of confused, angry, amused, and uneasy.
The High Cardinal walks up to the booth. "City guards were harassing the vendors? I will have to make note of that. I was hoping to spend at least one day enjoying the warmth of the Isles before having to work, but alas. It is evident my presence is indeed needed here." The High Cardinal steps back...and inclines his head. Marcellun looks shocked, and a number of the nobles farther back gasp audibly. "I apologize for the injustice you faced."
Topaz can’t help but chuckle a little at the guard’s discomfiture as he tries to explain himself to the knight. The chuckle is replaced by a raised eyebrow and an impressed look as Esdras speaks. Who knew?!
As Esdras kisses her hand, a slight flush spreads to her cheeks. Tha’s a new one. ”You’re not so bad after all, m’lord,” she says with a smile.
But all that is abruptly ended by the arrival of the High Cardinal. Well, this day jus’ keeps gettin’ more interestin’. Caught inside the knights’ perimeter around the booth, she tries to be inconspicuous while listening to everything that happens.
Her surprise at Esdras’s behavior is nothing to her shock at seeing the cardinal apologize. Do they *do* that?! In her experience, people in power just do what they want and an apology from such a figure is unheard of.
"Draegar, the big man said shaking Esdras's hand. He might have said more, but a lot was happening all at once. He watched and listened, letting his spider mech handle the majority of the cleanup behind him.
When the High Cardinal showed up, the big Skive didn't react like most of the others. To Draegar the holy man was just another person and he was treated as such, with earnest, neutral respect but little more. When the Cardinal inclined his head, Draegar returned the gesture exactly as it was given.
"He's a good kid. Reminds me a lot of myself at that age. He helped me out a lot today."
"I appreciate your attention to this unpleasantness though. You're right that it never should have happened. Hopefully with people like yourself and the Captain helping to guide folks, we'll see less bad behavior from people who are supposed to be trustworthy."
"Guards trying to arrest people without evidence or provocation really shouldn't be your problem to deal with, but I'm glad you're willing to tackle it."
Esdras remains besides Marcellun as the High Cardinal reveals himself. He thought about introducing himself but decided against it... not that he had something against the holy man, but instead disliked to be the center of the attention. Nevertheless, he also imagined that his brother would be upset if in the future introductions he had already known the High Cardinal.
As the High Cardinal publicly mentioned the incident, Esdras felt some discomfort. This is not good... at least not good for Marcellun. The way he said it might implicate that Marcellun is not doing his job correctly... or that none of those in charge of Caranusca or even Brieca are... This is not good.