[Flashback]How to Meet a Dagger(Open)

[Al'jaroth]

Time Stamp: 20th of Fall, 506 AV

After traveling for several days, Al'jaroth had finally reached his destination. He was within site of Zeltiva, and was making his way down to the city gates. He had brought with him only the basic items needed for travel. His pack, his staff, and himself. His staff and pack were slung across his back, to make quick travel easier. Glancing around, the Jamoura frowned slightly. He smelled rotting meat. So, turning from his chosen path, he began to make his way slowly towards the source of the smell, his eyes darting all around.

When he finally found the smell, he stopped and blanched. It was a dead fox, skinned, and left lying next to what remained of a campfire. It got worse, as the Jamoura looked around. There were several other fur- and flesh-less creatures, each left to rot next to the campfire. And the campfire wasn't even put out properly. There were still red coals, and a large pile of wood about to fall onto the coals, which could cause a fire. With a growl, Al'jaroth stamped out the coals and turned his nose to finding the ones who had defiled Nature.

The smell of the trappers, for that was surely what they were, led towards Zeltiva, through the surrounding trees, and down towards the valley leading into the city. Pulling his pack, and staff, straps tighter, he leapt up into the trees and after his new targets. When he reached the valley, he dropped from the trees and took off after them on foot, always smelling to see if they had changed direction. He was within sight of the city gates when he saw the trappers. Picking up speed, the Jamoura charged towards them, reaching back behind him to grab his staff.

[Rand]

Rand was sitting by his fire enjoying the morning. Today was a rather nice day, his camp was set up neatly. His tent was pitched between two poplars and he'd cleared a neat area for his fire pit and he was currently cooking a small quail over the fire. The man was young a mere twenty one years old. He was a skinny fellow, however he was well tanned and his slender arms showed corded and toned muscle which seemed to promise more strength than showed. He was relaxing leisurley by the fire obviously lost in his own thoughts.

I wonder how what would happen if i traveled? If i left this place and simply left? Rand was thinking out loud again as he stared at the quail waiting fot it to cook. His culinary ablility was a bit lacking but the natural fat of the quail made it easy to cook. His thoughts returned to travel, then to his mother. As he thought he fingered the small charms hanging from his necklace alternately, sword, heart, fish.

Mother why did you go? As Rand continued his rambling thoughts he saw something run past him towards the city gates from his camp. His view was obscured so Rand quickly jumped up see this odity. Noone ran towards the gates like that, there was nothing to fear in Zeltiva. Whatever was running was either in trouble, or in a big hurry. Either way Rand wanted to find out.

Leaving his quail forgotten Rand ran quickly after this stranger. Moving out of the woods Rand saw that the being was moving quickly towards some trappers returning towards the city. As he ran, Rand noticed that the beings intentions seemed to be to attack the trappers. Rand was not sure what was going on but he had to do something.

This thing is crazy, its going to get killed. These men work as trappers they are well armed. Rand poured on the speed drawing his blade as he ran. He was forming two plans as he ran, his rambling thoughts temporarily put in order, as he thought of disarming the situation.

HEY!! HEY!! STOP!!! Rand yelled after the mysterious being as he continued to run. Unfortunately his yelling alerted the trappers as well and they turned and drew their weapons dropping their pelts into the dirt as they prepared for the attack.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian was the new kid on the block. With only a couple of weeks residence in Zeltiva, he was exploring his new city every chance he got. Here was freedom. Here was the future. Here he was going to learn every drop of knowledge and wisdom he could squeeze out of the University. With exploration on his mind, he walked out the city gates to get a closer look at the foothills of the Zastoska Mountains, and once there, a wider vista of Zeltiva holding court over Mathews Bay.

It was with initial surprise and trepidation quick on its heels that he became aware of men running with naked steel -- always dangerous -- and a great big gorrilla... no, it had a staff. His mind quickly reclassified what he was seeing: a Jamoura closing on armed men with only a staff and its (he wasn't sure if it was male or female) great native strength

He froze. The man screaming had alerted the guards at the gate. The wisest course was probably to retreat into the city and go for a nature walk tomorrow, but instead he stayed to watch. It wasn't everyday one saw this sort of thing, after all.

[Alistair deGrey]

To others, it may sound strange that Alistair deGrey hated this day. However, this man hated every day. The sky was clear for fall, and the air was apple crisp. Or rather, clear and crisp outside the city's underbelly. Hoping to experience the clean air and humble nature of the wilderness surrounding Zeltiva, Alistair pushed his way past throngs of market goers and academy students. Briefly deGrey watched the students in their clean attire, and thought of his own set of academy clothes hidden away in the underbelly he had emerged from. Alistair did not own a house, had no family anymore, and had little friends. He lived to attend the academy. He hated everyone.

Seven days ago had been Alistair's birthday, and the memory hovered about him, painting the city in greyscale. There was no event, no celebration, just another reminder that Alistair was one step closer to dying. This was how Alistair compensated, by rewarding himself with a trip outside the city. Of course, he brought only small provisions for a day trip. Some bread, a hunk of salted meat, and water.

Near the gates, a sound rung out in the Autumn day. Somebody shouting, the words were unclear. deGrey was about twenty feet away from the gate when he saw the guards start and sprint away from their post. Curious, inevitably combat of some sort. Too close for an animal attack, nobody commits robberies outside the city. Yes, combat, between people of course. A sigh escaped deGrey's lips as he came to the portal. Alistair's sigh was cut short as he saw a massive ape galloping toward the small band of trappers entering the city. No, that is not an ape. That must be a Jamoura, generally unintelligent simians do not carry provisions. His eyebrows rose to the sky, What exactly is a Jamoura doing this far south? Regardless, Alistair refused to deny himself his small vacation, and slipped out the gateway and over a few feet to the wall. When the guards arrested the Jamoura, or trappers, Alistair would be removed from the fanfare. Arrest, or kill. deGrey began to muse about the simian, actually, I suppose that Jamoura has quite an array of information at his disposal. Mayperhaps I could plumb his mind whilst he is under arrest. But first he has to be alive... Alistair shrugged as his head toyed with the idea. There was nothing he could do at the moment.

[Al'jaroth]

The Jamoura cursed as the trappers turned to face him, drawing blades as they did. Humans and their screaming. Why couldn't they come up with another way to warn someone? thought Al'jaroth as he pulled his staff out with one hand. The other was drawing Res out and forming it into a hard ball of water. He threw the water towards one trapper and swung his staff at another, hoping to knock both out of the fight and leaving him with only six left to deal with.

In the time it took for these actions to occur, Al'jaroth slid to a stop in the center of the group of men, with various blades pointing his way. Ignoring the cold glint of metal, he roared and then screamed at them, "What gives you the right to defile Nature and leave the rotting corpses of your prey there?!" It seemed a bit crazy to the casual observer, but it made perfect sense to the Jamoura, who had spent his whole life learning that Nature was to be served. Not used, like these trappers had done to the animals.

[Hadrian]

At the sight of active Res, Hadrian began to pay particular attention. His own skills at reimancy remained meager, but he knew he could learn by seeing it in action. Water. His element. And a Jamoura; he wondered what it would be like to study with a Jamoura. He had mentioned them as an alternative to the University, but mostly only as a tactic, knowing Zeltiva would be more acceptable to his parents than living with the talking apes and learning mysticism.

He began to tunnel-vision a bit, barely taking note of the other people stopping to watch the fracas.

[Rand]

Rand continued to run fiercley, his lungs were burning and a stitch was beginning to form in his side. Still he ran as hard as he could, he had to stop the fight before someone was killed. The large being seemed to be an ape now that Rand had finally gotten a look at it. There was nothing like this Veltiva.

Suddenly the being stopped and seemed to throw water to at one trapper, then swing a staff at the other.

Magic?! What really? Rand said to himself. That this being could do magic was amazing, yet Rand held some fear in his heart. Magic was dangerous as werer those who used it. He'd been taught to fear magic users, so what should he do? Turn on the being? Rand was formulating his thoughts as the large being yelled directly at the trappers something about the defilement of nature.

This being wants to protect nature, he wants defend what he cares for? Rand's thoughts turned to his past, his childhood, of his mother who had been taken from him, the only one to truly accept him wholly. Rand's mind returned to the present with a snap, his mind made up. He jumped into the circle putting his meager human body in front of the giant being. It looked preposterous, a young man holding his weapon in his right hand with the actual blade facing towards the ground. The weapon placement was a defensive measure meant to put the trappers at ease slightly.

Gentlemen, we can work this out, there is no need for violence today. Please calm down, we can all be civilized Rand's words sounded ridiculous even to himself. He had no clue what the temperment of the being behind him was or even if it would see him as a friend. Rand kept his place stoicly. Even in these times Rand's mind wandered his thoughts crept to what ifs and different scenarios as he tried to wait for everyones response.

[Liminal]

The trappers were each armed with a long knife. They were hard-looking men; trapping was at best a fringe occupation in Zeltiva, and one would need to spend a lot of time in the wilderness to make a living at it.

There were only two guards on duty -- most of the traffic in and out of Zeltiva came by sea, and the main body of Zeltiva's tiny military was stationed at the top of the pass that went over the Zatoskas. They were several hundred yards away, and they looked uncertainly at the situation, not exactly sure what they were seeing.

Then the attack came. The trapper hit by the water went down, blindsided by the completely unexpected blow. The other, however, managed to deflect the staff blow without serious injury.

So there were seven blades pointed at Al'jaroth's head as he slid to a stop. The head trapper appeared almost puzzled at the Jamoura's question. "There's folks as what wants furs, but ain't no one in Zeltiva as what eats foxes." The surreal nature of the situation gave him just enough pause to still be hesitating when Rand arrived.

"The Jamoura with you?" the head trapper asked, still a bit uncertain. "We ain't the kind as takes kindly to being attacked when we're law-abiding folk doing our jobs." His men now had Rand and Al'jaroth surrounded, and he seemed to regain some measure of confidence. "It's your friend that's violent, not us, and if there's to be any more violence, the pair of you will most likely be on the wrong end of it, so I'd recommend you walk very quietly back into the city. Less'n you want to end up in prison." He jerked his thumb in the direction of the guards.

Zeltivan prisons, of course, were legendary. No one, so far as it was known, had ever escaped from one, and the conditions inside were so notoriously harsh that many prisoners didn't make it to the end of their sentences. Zeltiva was a (relatively) safe place precisely because the punishment for crime was so severe.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian was somewhat disappointed that the guards had broken it up before he could observe more Jamouran reimancy at work, but he decided it was probably for the best. That being said, he decided to hang back and possibly approach the talking gorilla when everything had been smoothed over. Perhaps he could learn a thing or two about the race, the culture, and the magic.

He glanced aside and noticed Alistair, a man he did not know. Curious for a moment, he watched him.

[Alistair deGrey]

The ignoramus that had alerted the guards clearly knew nothing about Zeltiva. If it was not obvious from that, it was obvious from the fact that they had came by land without so much as trade goods. Frankly, it was Alistair's opinion that Zeltivan guards could not stop so much as a herd of deer from wandering into their city. Mildly ironic that the prisons were so harsh.

Dark shadows pulled from the wall washed over the first half dozen feet of ground, housing deGrey. But clearly he was not well enough concealed to defer all attention, as a bystander noticed him and proceeded to watch him. Dolt, I am sure you have better things to do than watch me. Off with you!

The mute rebuke reverberated in Alistair's skull as he considered the prudence of telling off a stranger. More often than not, the small social conscience in Alistair's mind dry fired. The inventor simply had no time for the hordes of people unable to overcome the simplest of obstacles in life. Or even worse, those who were so weak as to be unable to handle their mudane failure, and had made the choice bolster their microscopic efforts at success with Djed. Despite a thousand acerbic replies howling to be loosed, Alistair decided he would rather not even attempt to bridge the massive intellectual abyss that lingered between them. It was best not to confuse it.

When Alistair saw the water materialize from the Jamoura's hands, his face instinctively wrinkled in detestation. Mayperhaps I do not want to converse with it. deGrey was sure the trappers would eventually kill the simian in any case, men like that would most likely be unable to pass up such a splendorous fur. Both sides of the conflict were equally foul, a Jamoura and its Ignoramus, and then the brutish trappers. Then there was that man watching him.

Tired of being held up by the now subdued congregation, and of the other observer, deGrey moved from the shadows and began to strike a large roundabout path, staying clear of the combat zone. The man was noticeably more self conscious as he moved away from the wall, pulling down his ragged tunic and adjusting his belt. The blades were not soaked with blood yet, but that would undoubtedly change. Best to get past this wagon wreck before the guards became even more involved.