Another Year Older(Closed)

[Fade]

Fade watched the beggar make his way through the tavern and get thrown to the floor she marvelled at his self control as he got up and moved away moaning, she would have got really angry had she been in his place.
She looked at Wystern knowing all to well that he would have to do something.
She turned trying not to look at the beggar and at Wystern tracing the wood work on the table.

As the beggar came forward she felt pity in all her heart, but she couldn’t spare a coin and anyway as Wystern was saying all people could find a job. She looked at him as he stopped right beside her, maybe she looked the most gullible.

She wondered what the beggar’s reaction would be, if he was indeed a beggar. He could be anything really she mused as she sipped her ale letting the sharp sensation fill her mouth.

[Aren]

Having to bend over a bit to cross the threshold of the tavern, and being blue skinned to boot, Aren garnered a few looks of interest from some of the patrons in the establishment, before they went back about their business. The massive scythe perpetually strapped to his back didn't generally help matters in that regard, either.

Just as timing would have it, as Aren came in, he happened to catch a glimpse of a scene between a poor beggar and two large men. Possessed of a rather intense dislike for such needless cruelty, he was about to interfere on the poor man's behalf, but the situation didn't seem to escalate any further. Instead, the beggar seemed to shake the encounter off, moving on to a trio of individuals.

Observing this new encounter for a moment, one of the trio did not seem to care for the poor man's begging, either. More than that, however, Aren thought he recognized that sanctimonious tone of voice...

Slowly he inched closer and closer, attempting to match the voice with what little of the face he could see from his current position. Even as he got nearer, his eyes seemed to squint further, and further. It was like his brain was trying to remember a long forgotten childhood memory.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, it came to him (so close to the man he could have practically identified him by smell in a crowded room).

"You..." It was Crow, a man he had met one night, late last season.

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny's hand slowly fell to his side as Wystern spoke. His face, shadowed by his large beat up hood, made no expression, save for the single twitch in the corner of his upper lip. His head lowered a moment, even so much as to obstruct his own sight from Fade, who he might have tried to bother further for anything if he was paying attention. Ash'eny reached upwards, slowly pulling the hood off of his head and stared straight at Wystern. He wanted him to look him in the eye when he spoke. Even if he was young, that didn't mean he was any more fortunate than the last homeless man, except that maybe he had suffered less of the lifestyle. "I can stomach physical harassment, sir, but-but dishonor against my child, no matter how foul our situation may be, I cannot endure. If I had the strength in my body to do so, I would kill you where you stand. However, the Gods have shown little favor upon me, and I lack even the capacity to defend me or Dessa." With this, Ash'eny replaced the hood on his head and limped away from the table, convinced that that man's words would discourage both his companions, three if you count the man that just came in, who was an intriguing blue coloration (Ash'eny had never seen of the Akalak before), from offering any sort of assistance. Ash'eny limped to a back table of the tavern as sat down, lowering his head until his cheek was literally resting upon the wooden surface, his eyes were staring towards the entrance. Maybe Dessa wasn't biologically his daughter, and neither was she living today, but just mentioning her name nearly drove Ash'eny mad, the very man that could keep his nerves in almost any situation. Ash'eny would just give up for today.

[Wystern]

"Well, if either of you want to eat, you will have to find a job!" Wys raised his tone of voice as the hooded man turned his back on Wys. Wys rubbed his eyes again with a deep sigh, slightly angry at himself. He was on duty for a little over three years. The Knight almost saw it all at this point in time. He didn't take threats lightly, and neither could he just sit and let begging happen.

"This is against so many laws, and I do not quite have the strength to execute them," Crow said with an annoyed smirk,"neither do I want to. This is supposed to be simple, kill those who threaten safety and those that are a threat. Stop the begging and exile those who do not work, unless they turn into a threat, and in that case, kill them. This is supposed to be simple, why isn't it, ever?" He gave another discomforted sigh and reached for his ale.

"Now I will have to make sure he gets a job because this happened on my watch. Moral choices are never clear, are they?" Wys asked his companions.

"You..."

"Me?" He said looking in the direction from where he heard that sound. He saw an Akalak he met a few good weeks ago. Great, a beggar, an Akalak in an angry tavern, and a law keeper who is failing at his job.

[Aren]

Aren smiled when he heard the poor beggar's words, directed at Crow. It took courage for someone in his position to directly threaten a knight, especially over a matter of honor. It was something you didn't see too often in human lands.

Walking over to the beggars table, Aren's largeness all but blocked his view of the entrance. Without a moment's hesitation, the Akalak dropped 9 silver mizas on the round wooden surface, before heading towards a separate table to wait for a wench, so as he could order his tasteless human drink. Seeing as he had just randomly dropped almost an entire gold miza on a beggar's lap, one was by his table almost before he could sit down.

"What would you like, sir?" Aren simply flashed a couple fingers, then tapped them down on the table. The serving girl, looking a little confused, hesitantly headed back to fetch the drinks. Any two would do, she figured.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Deleting for another thread...

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny sat there a while, staring at the door, he wanted to break his act and jump that man, but he knew he was no match for a Syliran Knight. Hell, he was pretty much useless against anybody except a one-armed man in a bare-knuckle brawl, and even then it was questionable who would be the victor. When Aren randomly stepped in Ash'eny's way, he jumped lightly, the large blue bodied man's appearance gave him such a startle, and an instant fear of being beaten to death, that he felt himself frozen in shock, maybe even fear. But he didn't strike Ash'eny, no, instead he dropped several silver mizas on his table and walked off. Ash'eny smiled lightly as he slowly scooped the coins up in his left hand, which since it was now being used, was obviously missing a pinkie finger. Then, without warning, the other man, which Ash'eny took little notice of until now, tossed him a single coin, but a gold miza. He hesitated a moment, assuming that Wystern would say something, but it didn't matter, he had been blessed. He picked up the coin and placed it in his left hand and stood up and moved to Aren's table. It was startling that the mere size of the man was so significant that they were still almost eye-to-eye. "Sir, I thank you. If I could have your name, I will never tell of it to the other, but I will thank you every night until I die." Ash'eny then turned to face Jaeden, he was talking to the girl, he wouldn't want to bother him too long. "You as well sir, I thank you." Ash'eny smiled and nodded to the man, and because of them, he already lost all desire to try to rip out Wystern's throat. He wouldn't be too quick to call him friend still, but at least his anger was squelched. "I must go now so I can purchase food for my family. I thank you, both of you. Bless you both." And with that, Ash'eny left the tavern, limping as he did so.

[Wystern]

"This doesn't feel right, goodbye, Fade, and I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name." Wys said turning towards Jaeden. He waited for the man to answer and then stormed outside, trying to catch the beggar, taking out two gold mizas as he did so. He finally remembered where that look in a man's eyes come from. He is probably from Sunberth, Wys had that same look ten years ago. He thought what he was going to say in those brief five seconds it took to catch up to the beggar.

He finally caught up to the man, before he turned around, Wys grabbed his left palm, putting the mizas in his hand and put his left hand on the beggar's shoulder, keeping him from turning around. The man seemed to be missing a pinkie.

"Don't turn around, after I say what I say, keep walking, don't follow me. Here's the deal, take the two gold mizas I'm giving you, buy yourself and the girl something to eat, may she be real or not is of little importance to me. If you need a job I, or anyone else, can give you the address of the Employment Office. There is mercy in Syliras, there is little charity. If you start begging, we will find you. Please, don't make us find you." Crow said with a grim look on his face. "This is a warning, other Knights may not be so courteous. If you won't take my words seriously, you and the girl may, or rather, will be exiled from Syliras. I hope this is the last time we speak on this subject. As I said, keep walking, I will be watching from the crowd." Wys finished before disappearing back into the crowd.

Wys walked towards the tavern, found a bench to sit on and pondered if he should return to the tavern.

[Kaelithus]

Kael walked up from behind placing his foot on the bench "you know...doing that could cost your job...and maybe even your life." kael smiled his accent showing he was a Inarta and new to this town. He let out a high pitched whistle as a pure black falcon landed on the bench beside him, His Blue eyes looking at the back of the knights head with his hand already on his blade never sure if this knight would turn to kill.

Midnight jumped from the bench onto the ground picking up a worm and soon facing the knight his beating eyes staring into his, he let out a squawk stretching out its wings flying up to Kaels shoulder as Kael handed him a piece of meat. "you know 'sir knight' I dont suppose you've heard of any contracts being needed complete now have you?" Kael smiled silently feeling the design on the Hilt of the sword.

[Wystern]

"You know...doing that could cost your job...and maybe even your life."

Wys didn't turn around when he heard the voice, he just quietly listened for steps as the man was talking to him before noticing some bird, an eagle, hawk, or falcon, Wys didn't see much of those creatures that weren't trained for hunting. Either a human that is prone to eccentric, a Kelvic with a thing for birds, or Inarta. Crow turned his head to where he can see the person talking to him with a corner of an eye, probably Inarta, and carrying a weapon at that.

"Cost me my job? Hardly. I simply adhered to my code of honor, giving a starving man just enough money to feed his family for the night because there is not enough time to find a suitable work place today, as well as the name of the place in which he could find such a job to feed himself and his daughter." He said playfully, refusing to take this situation seriously." As for my life, why? Who would want it? Why would somebody want it? Or, maybe, you were referring to yourself?" Wys finished keeping an eye on the bird. He didn't particularly like animals, but he was a big friend of chicken soup.

Crow rubbed his eyes, taking a second to feel the weight of the shield and two wakizashi on his back, concealed by the cloak. A dagger was firmly attached to his hip, over the leather armor. He started to feel some more need for alcohol.

"You know 'sir knight' I dont suppose you've heard of any contracts being needed complete now have you?"

"Please take take your hand off the sword before you cause a ruckus." Wys said turning around, looking worn out. Yeah, he should talk, how hypocritical. "What exactly do you mean by contracts? And by the way, my name is Wystern."