Kaie |
| 74th of Spring, 513 AV The streets were just as busy as every other day in Syliras. People of various races all crowding the paths with their cargo, all heading to the epicenter of the bustling urban center. Some days it seemed the Bazaar was impossible to reach, the bodies packed so tightly together in their desperate searches for their necessities. It was this absurd cluster that the seventeen year old Myrian woman was found. Kaie had become somewhat of an expert at dealing with these crowds, weaving between tight spaces just before they closed. It was a wonder anyone got anywhere. With the closing of Spring, the sun's merciless rays had intensified to heat the city below. Slowly, Syliras was becoming the climate she was accustomed to. Hot and humid. The crowd packing so tightly around her sure as hell didn't help either. It was like the warmer seasons had developed their own distinct scents to her in the nastiest sort of way. The strong smell of sweaty laborers permeated the busy air to mix with the perfumes of hot, freshly baked goods. What an awful combination. Nonetheless, she had to go with the flow to find the goods she had in mind. Surely, the citadel was the most popular place for every traveler from every corner of Mizahar to congregate. The diversity inside the Stormhold Castle was truly one to behold. "Always so many different barbarians," Kaie thought absently to herself, bold brown eyes scanning the soon forgotten faces in the crowd. Yet not one was visibly of Myrian descent, and it had been some time since she had even looked upon a single face of Myri's followers. It was beginning to look like all familiarity was lost in her world. All but the Talobian stories seen on her decorated Gladius, of course. She prized her father's heirloom like it was a sack of pure gold. She never had the chance to spill her first blood with her favorite weapon, not in these heavily guarded streets. It was more than likely that here she never would. She could feel its weight against her hips as she glided through the people; carefully concealed behind her brown cloak. The only tangible reminder of her home. Her hood was pulled up over her head despite the heat, a light shadow covering her face and hair. She preferred not to draw too much attention, not because she loathed interaction, but because she knew herself all too well. Myrians had a reputation, and though her lack of tattoos and piercing didn't make her heritage obvious, some had managed to find her out. Kaie had a sharp tongue and a confidence that could quickly fuse into aggression. Or violence. Once, her short temper put her in the slam, and she'd be damned before she found herself there again. She was stubborn though. A time of misery wasn't a deterrent to keep her from protecting her pride or faith in her people. She'd gladly beat another man savagely if given the chance. Myri alone knew the belligerence in her heart. The flow was beginning to slow now, the closer she was to the Bazaar. People were starting to reach their destinations and veer off course to stop at street vendors. It was somewhat helpful in loosening the congestion. Still packed, but at least she was able to breathe comfortably. Kaie was nearing her destination, The Great Bazaar. She knew there was more than one entrance down to the fourth tier. Kaie could almost see them now, the vast array of shiny metals, their blades sharpened to perfection. All the different shapes and sizes so readily available to her. What she was searching for was a good dagger. Sure, she had her food knife that she kept sharpened. It was in good condition, but it wasn't something she'd brandish before the eyes of an enemy on the road. Eyes flickered to the sound of chain mail. A Sylirian Knight making his rounds, judgmental gaze surveying the crowd for the tiniest disturbance. They passed each other, short lived eye contact made before they went on their own ways. Never stopping. She was just another face in the swarm. To her, he was just another cocky, self-righteous human with a spear shoved up his royal... Her train of though was brought to an abrupt stop. It wasn't anything heard or said, but what her eyes found. Not too far away, a grubby looking child sat against the thick walls of the Stormhold Castle. Clothes were torn and his hands had a light layer of filth on them to signal his social status. If you could call that a status at all. He was hastily about to cram a steaming loaf of baked bread into his mouth, until a hand snatched his tiny wrist roughly. A middle aged man. Clearly human. His black hair was a mess and a scruffy excuse for a beard coated his face. Large hazel eyes were angry and his thick muscles tensed with the iron-like grip he had on the child. "You think you can steal from me, brat?" He growled lowly near the child's face, gritting his teeth together. There was no doubt this was a bad guy. Malicious to the bone, and the Myrian easily noticed his false sense of confidence. Was there even anything about his looks or demeanor to be proud of? The grubby kid shook in his grip, lip trembling like he was being read his death sentence. You would've thought he was standing alone in the gallows. "I'm sorry, Sir. Please, Sir. I'm sorry! I was just hungry," He whimpered hopelessly, too afraid to even look up at the big brute. The poor kid wasn't lying. A sack of bones was all he was, tight skin around a corpse. Probably hadn't eaten in a day or two. Her leisurely stroll slowed as she neared them, arching a curved brow at the situation. She was coming up behind them in a few moments at this speed, and could hear every word as quiet as they tried to be. No one liked Sylirian Knight attention. "Sorry doesn't get me my Mizas," The man spit, moving a second hand up to the kid's throat. He turned the kid with his hands, pushing behind a circle of vendors outside the Bazaar. The people kept about their business, shouting requests at store counters and bartering off whatever they had with them with enthusiasm. Too busy to pay attention to their environment. Kaie watched with a placid expression, shrugging it off even. Yet the way the man handled that kid made her blood boil, and she could see the hand closing upon the throat. He was growling some threat in the kid's ear now, and no one could even be bothered to notice. Was she really the only one that wasn't so oblivious? "It's not my problem," She reasoned thinking about the Knights again. This was their city, not hers. These were not her people. Why should it be her responsibility? It shouldn't be, that was for sure. There was something familiar about the boy's desperation though. She couldn't quite pin point what it was, but there was no denying it was there. It bothered the hell out of her. She physically couldn't will herself to walk away from this one. Avoiding conflict was never her forte. "A Myrian with a visible conscience. Everyone will just about lose their minds at such a thought," She grumbled in her own mind, thinking about the savage reputation her race had. So quickly did the wheels in her mind turn, it hardly seemed like a chime had passed when she made her decision. Kaie's movements were casual as she walked purposefully toward the man's direction. He had his back to her, his free hand pointing a finger in the child's chest. Bad idea. She was upon him in a few steps, her hand withdrawing her food knife from her pack stealthily inside her cloak. Her feet were directly behind him, her body only inches away from his. Simultaneously her right hand, keeping close to her hip, dug the knife into the brute's side. The edge pressing into the soft tissue just above his hips. Meanwhile, her left hand slipped around him, trailing over his stomach to his chest in a provocative manner. The man stopped dead, whatever he was saying cut off abruptly. He was like as still as a stone, frozen in shock. Kaie leaned up toward his left ear, letting her chin settle on his broad shoulder. A trick for the outside eye. It would appear she was caressing his torso and speaking softly, rather than holding a concealed weapon against his back. Slowly, her lips parted to breathe on his neck just before she gave her own threat. "Move, and I'll gut you right here. Don't think the illusion of the Knights' careful patrol will prevent me either. By the time I'm finished with you, I've already vanished in the crowd." She laughed quietly under her breath, his surprise hadn't left his being. Kaie needed to get her point across before he had the audacity to respond. Or worse, call for the Knights. The child stared at her with wide, fearful eyes. Surely from his angle he couldn't see the knife that lay behind the edges of her cloak. That wasn't to say her was incapable of guessing either. The woman let her gaze wander about, looking for anyone who had seen through her little act. She found none, and so she shifted her lips to the other side of his head. Her voice became more intense, cruel, and serious. She wasn't playing games with this piece of filth. "Now. Release your hand from the kid's throat. Slowly. Keep your hands where I can see them." She commanded solidly. He grunted with displeasure, but sure enough the hand dropped from the kid's throat and down to his sides. His confidence was coming back to him though, she could tell. Her little intervention was coming to a quick and dangerous close. "Get that off me before I turn around and snap your pretty little neck." Why was it that they were always so charming? Another laugh escaped her lips, a sinister smile gracing their curves. This guy definitely wasn't the sharpest or the brightest guy in Sylira. Had they been in a city without so many eyes, she'd gladly let him know that. With the hand on his chest, Kaie motioned for the child to make his quick escape while the crowds were still thick. No sense in leaving him here with this piece of work when all was said and done. He departed quickly without another word, nodding his thank you before he was gone. "Hm. What an interesting thing to say to someone with a knife to your back. So tell me, how do you think you'll look when I finish skinning your face in front of your entire family?" It was odd how casually she could dish out such phrases without hesitation. So blunt one would've thought she was asking you about the weather. Kaie heard his jaw snap shut quickly at that, his teeth grinding together in silenced aggravation. "That's what I thought," She said to herself alone, her grin widening with the satisfaction of his submission. "If I see you ever put your hands on someone again, I will personally return to slit your throat. It would be in your best interest that you keep your mouth shut about our little talk." She said in a bored tone, dragging the knife edge absently down the outside of his shirt. The man didn't say a word, and that was all the Myrian warrior needed. As quickly as Kaie arrived, she was gone again. Slipping the knife back into it's proper place and backing away into the flood of people once more. By the time she saw him turn, his hazel eyes had already failed in their attempt at discovering her. He never got a good look at her face, let alone her clothing. A voice would never hold up in an investigation, and she knew that. Now let's see about that dagger... |
I hope you don't mind, Kaie