Completed I. A Crack in the Armor (Part 1)

[Orion Michaels]

Mod noteThis has the Accolade "Seal of Approval". PM him with questions.

38th Day of Fall, 513 AV
Dyers District
11:30

Peyton Morothon. That was a name he had never expected to hear from. The man that seemed as though he hovered just above doing illegal things. The knights hadn't brought him down for anything, so he must have kept his nose clean, but the peculiar notes he would post, promising payment for a range of things, well, they were unusual to Orion. The knights were in charge of the city, but things that weren't of concern to them seemed of much concern to him and his mysterious 'employer.' In the end, he didn't care a lick about Peyton, his employer, or whatever it was he was interested in.

At least until he got a note from him.

Blue eyes scanned the parchment again, an unexpected delivery from the courier that came to the squire dormitories. With the public denied access to that location, it was the best way to go about getting the attention of a squire if it were needed. Orion always felt sick when he received a message, as it was rarely anything good.

The former doctor read the note silently to himself.

"Orion Michaels,

Your name has come to my attention and I do believe we could reach an agreement which is mutually beneficial. Come to the Dyres District between the eleventh and twelfth bell on the 38th day of this season. Don't worry about finding me. I'll find you. I expect to see you there, so don't let me down.

-Peyton Morothon"

Orion had received the note a few days back, but between training, the dramatics with Hadyn and their child, and life in general, he'd not had the time or energy to worry about it. When he did finally sit down to think on it, he'd wasted an entire day going back and forth about it. Dinah was busy that day with responsibilities beyond his need to know, and that left him to train on his own. There was no reason in his mind that he couldn't meet with Peyton and still train on his own. The day was quite young as it were. It couldn't take more than a bell for him and Mr. Morothon to talk about whatever it was he wanted and then be on his way.

"Now..where is he?" That would be the most difficult part. He'd been quite vague in his note. A district was no small space, and the amount of foot traffic which the Dyres had was nothing short of absurd. The Great Bazaar was here, after all. He'd never even laid eyes upon the man to know what he looked like, so unless he asked every passerby if they were him, he'd have to hope the man could find him as he said he would.

Orion adjusted his swordbelt, took a deep breath, and set of about wandering the district. His nerves were on edge about this, and he couldn't quite place why. It wasn't the first time he'd responded to a note, after all.

So..what's the problem, Orion?

[Accolade]

Orion wouldn't have anyway to know this but, a person of interest had been posted near each of the entrances to the district, so no matter which side the squire decided to come into, he would be seen. A sign of the level of influence Peyton Morothon had and the coin he could put to use. It would be Mordy, a tall slim man who would find the squire wandering the city. The man had dusty grey hair and appeared in his late forties. His attire wasn't the best, but better than what Orion was used to seeing on a daily basis.

"Are you the squire Orion Michaels?"

"This way please.."

If Orion had any questions he would get no answer, and if the squire was persistent, he would get a hard glare, before the man would turn away and continued on. He was short on words, and the truth was Peyton Morothon hadn't told him anything beyond going out and bringing back his new contact. It was an easy job for Mordy, having retired from a private guard, he was used to watching people and prided himself on knowing faces from one peek.

He lead the squire through the neighborhood, making several turns before he stopped at an faded green door set against tanned aging stone. It appeared to be a residential home, but that was before they entered. What Orion would find on the inside was a private restaurant with the flare of the White Swan Inn. The place was set to be very comfortable and colorful peach seats and booths were set in the floor and against the walls all around.

There, sitting at a table not too far from the corner was a man who sat alone. Mordy continued on into the building ushering Orion along with him to meet the single fellow in the room. If Orion didn't remember the man before, he certainly would now. The short, shout body, the balding head and ponytail latched at the back. It was the same pudgy man that the squire had saved at the festival in the late Spring.

"Ahh, there he is! My savoir and newest friend. Please, come and sit."

[Orion Michaels]

Just as Orion expected, it didn't take terribly long for one of Peyton's men to locate the squire. He did not, however, expect it to be such a gruff figure to be the one to approach him and even less so he didn't think he'd be so unwilling to engage him in conversation. It wouldn't be the first time someone ignored him in the way this stranger was, and it wouldn't be the last. It didn't make it any less annoying. "I wondered how long it would take it would take for someone to grab me. I am he, and you are?"

"This way please . . ."

"That's an interesting name," Orion replied, somewhat dejected. Rude. Some people were just so rude. "Well, Mr. This Way Please," he continued, keeping up with the quiet and angry looking stranger. "What does Mr. Morothon want with me?"

". . ."

"Is that so? Simply astounding," Orion deadpanned as he rolled his eyes at the absolutely absurd man. This wasn't a battle he was going to win. Rather than irritate them both further, Orion fell silent for the remainder of their little journey together.

Orion wracked his brain trying to figure out why he was being summoned to the nobleman's side. He didn't have any connections to him, did he? Orion was just a squire, a doctor, and a man who partied too hard. Was it his working partnership with Leo Valini? It was the only thing he could think of which could possibly link them together . . .

When they finally arrived at the location, Orion was quite impressed with the lavish room he was escorted into. It was quite lovely. Someone would have to have quite the deep pockets to afford a place like this. The knights were very protective of space within the walls; a luxurious location required good reason or a lot of coin.

Orion raised an eyebrow when he laid eyes upon the man sitting in the corner of the room. Memories came rolling back of earlier that year. Peyton Morothon. That dirty little vagik. Short, pudgy, and it seemed to Orion that he had a fine layer of grease across his entire body. It was during the Spring Festival. He was walking with that redhead woman. Her name escaped him, and sadly, he'd never laid eyes upon her after that day. But this man, he'd talked down to them and then demanded his escort.

If not for Orion's blade, Peyton Morothon would be dead. Was he repaying his debt?

"Mister Morothon," Orion began, strolling over towards the wealthy man. "To what do I owe the pleasure? It's simply a joy to meet under . . . less hostile conditions." The squire took a seat across from him, regarding the man with a cool and suspicious gaze. "I do hope you were able to retrieve all your baubles after the events of last time." At the time he had almost wished that he didn't intervene. Perhaps it would be made worth his while that he'd aided in the rat's escape.

[Accolade]

Peyton smiled, a wide cheesy smile, the kind of smile people gave when they really wanted something, or were in dept. Pushing his plate aside, the man extended his hand for Orion to shake, and he would shake firmly. "Yes, yes Mr. Michaels everything is going great, and I have you to thank for that, don't I? Well one good turn deserves another, and since you were so willing to come to my aid before, I was wondering if I could ask your help again?"

Once Orion was seated, Mordy took a few steps and stood by the wall closer to Peyton. He didn't stare directly at Orion but positioned his gaze to where he could see them both out of the corner of his eyes, and catch any movements by the squire. Peyton rested his short arms on the table as he waited for Orion to answer him. He figured the man might have questions, asking questions was a favored thing for those in the order, but those could come after he agreed..if he did.

"So here's the story." he started and leaned forward a bit closer to keep the words just between them. "There is a merchant in the city, a man by the name of Weaver Tellas. He deals mostly in rare items. Whether that be gems, fabrics certain..weapon types. Anyway, I met him..I wanna say..a few years ago and HE acquired for me, a few very expensive and rare gems for a client of mine. And, with everything in order I decided to use him as a contact when I needed something."

He paused in his long speech, rubbing his stubby hands together as he thought over how to explain the rest. "I was really impressed with him, and have been buying from him every since then. But..It's come to my attention that he might be getting his wares from a less than credible source. Now..I don't know if this is true or not, but if it is... I can't be seen doing business with someone accused of whatever it is that he is doing. You understand?"

He sighed, and leaned back into his seat and placed his hands upon he belly. " I don't know where he keeps his goods, but you can find him at his home in the Roshin District, or at the Bazaar, or even the local tavern. I just want to know where his supply comes from. I'm not asking you to steal anything, I just need someone who can look into this without raising suspicion and who isn't afraid to rough people up..if you need to."

[Orion Michaels]

oocSoloing this from here on out. Reward approved by Acco

Orion shook Mr. Morothon's hand, not the least bit thrown off by how he approached their conversation. Of course he wanted something from Orion. There's no way he'd take time out of his schedule to meet with him otherwise. "Indeed you do. It was lucky you ran into me, or else that rather large man would have made quite the mess of things. I'm listening." He'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested in what the man had to say. That name carried quite a bit of weight within the city and he could at least hear him out.

What he actually had to offer Orion was quite surprising.

There were a lot of things the squire would do, or had done. His own history was marred with failures and cruel acts, but he never expected to revisit that which should remain in the past. It was time to leave. To ask a squire to do something so foolish was unbelievable. Peyton Morothon had to be a much smarter man than that. The story he gave Orion was exactly what one would expect of a sleazy man like that. Maybe not illegal, but certainly shady.

"Surely you jest, Mr. Morothon. You would ask that I sully my sterling reputation? Roughing someone up to get a little information? I'm not sure who you think I am, but you seem to have me mistaken for one of your thugs. I thought you an intelligent man. I think we are done here. Thanks for your time." Orion stood up to leave, but Peyton put his hand up to motion for him to stay.

"I thought you would have a problem, but see, you don't think things through like me," he began, a smirk on his lips. He had Orion exactly where he wanted him, and had since the moment they met. "I'm fully aware of your situation, Orion. You have a daughter, hmm? And another child on the way. And the lovely, wonderful knights don't offer you anything, isn't that so?"

Orion narrowed his eyes, slowly returning to his seat. "What's your angle, Peyton. I'm not interested in playing games."

Peyton chuckled, the smirk never leaving his lips. "Ah, you see my point then, don't you? Yes, sit, sit, and calm yourself. Things don't need to be so hostile between us. I sense a very mutually beneficial relationship could form." The sleazy man reached down beside his seat and pulled up a small bag and dropped it on the table. It landed with a thud, the familiar jingle of coins ringing out. "It's not like I'm expecting you to do this for free. Thirty gold mizas for your trouble. Payable upon completion, of course."

Orion rolled his eyes at the insulting offer. "Thirty coins? You really are a joker, aren't you? That's not worth my time. You'll have to do better than that."

"Oh, isn't it? I'm not asking you to do anything life threatening. You're just going out, finding a little information for me, and reporting back. I'm not asking you to rough anyone up. It's only if it requires it. Besides, how much is that nanny putting you out? I like you, so I'll give you forty. That oughta cover what, ten days of your childcare? And just to go ask a few questions for me."

Orion stared at the potbellied man, trying to hide the annoyance he felt. He was right. It wasn't a ton of money, but pulling in forty gold for a single days work? That was a bigger rate of income than when he was a doctor. "Forty still seems low, I'm not su-"

"Stop it, Mr. Michaels. You don't now the going rate for this sort of thing. I'm being unbelievably generous. It's my offer. Just go and find out where he's getting his wares and you'll get the coin. Deal?" The man stuck his hand out once more, stubby fingers covered in the grease from his dinner.

He had him. He needed that money. He had a nice bit saved up, but it was going to be gone sooner rather than later. "..I'll see what I can do."

"Excellent! I knew I could count on you. I'm never wrong about this sort of thing, you'll do wonders of it, I'm sure. Off with you now! You mustn't waste any time!"

[Orion Michaels]

With the offer accepted and the door shut behind him, Orion finally felt like he could breath. Exhaling heavily, the squire placed his back against the wall and tried to wrap his head about just what had happened.

"Did I really..?"

Was he so easy that a few coins could sway him? He wasn't hurting for cash, but every little bit could help him out, that much was true enough. Still, to cave so easily for that pittance of gold, it was something that surprised even Orion. The thought of running out of money again, it was a horrible feeling. He'd been there when he was in Sunberth. He'd found himself barely scraping by. It had been a miracle that the blue eyed man had made it back to Syliras in one piece.

It's all for Emily. Every little bit I can scrape together will make sure I can care for her, right? She might never love me, but I'll die before this girl is left without anything she needs.

Yes, it was dramatic, but that's what it could take to allow Orion to commit to the actions which lay in his future. For today he'd risk it all. At least that's what it sounded like. Orion, the unexpected squire, was going to turn into a common thug?

Gods I hope not..

He'd just do this one job and that would be that. He'd never deal with Peyton again. Just pocket the gold and call it a career. Everything would be alright after that.

First things first, he had to make contact with the man, or possibly someone who worked close with him. It seemed as though he'd been sent on somewhat of a wild goose chase by Mr. Morothon. It was something else to try and locate someone in Syliras. There were some fifty thousand people in the city. Weaver Tellas was only one of them. He'd have to ask around and see what he could find out. Running to a random tavern or moving blindly throughout the bazaar would likely be a fruitless endeavor, but he'd have to start somewhere right.

I'll wonder around the taverns first, then if that doesn't work I'll have to go to the bazaar. It would be far too suspicious to just go straight to his home and start demanding for him to give information about his shipments. I need to find a way to be subtle about it.

Even though it was to be quite the stressful task, it was quite interesting to think on how to approach it the correct way. If he made the man weary of him, he'd never be able to deal with him and get the answer he needed. Everything would have to seem like a chance meeting. Truth be told, it would sort of be that way regardless, but Orion was searching for him.

"First up, the Rearing Stallion, I suppose." He could barely remember the last time he was there. He didn't frequent the location nearly as often as he once had. He'd had an interesting encounter with a barmaid there, and from what he'd heard she still worked there. He'd not seen her since that encounter in the Bronze Woods. That was a day he thought they'd both die, and yet by some miracle they'd managed to survive.

In and out, ask around and not tarry too long. Maybe he'd get lucky and he'd be able to find Mr. Tellas and avoid any dramatics in one fell swoop.

Pulling himself together, Orion moved from his resting spot against the wall and began to stroll down the corridor. It would take him a little bit to make his way to the Rearing Stallion. It would take him a bit of time, but he'd at least make it by early afternoon.

"That'll give me plenty of time to talk myself out of this fool's errand," he muttered, placing his left hand on the hilt of his sword as he walked forth. He felt completely lost in a city where he'd spent almost all his days. He had no such confidence that this job would do anything to help him find this place.

"At least Emily will get a new dress out of the deal.."

[Orion Michaels]

Orion was in no rush to make his way to the Rearing Stallion. There was nothing wrong with the location itself. He'd spent a good amount of time within its walls. He spent a fair bit of time as a cook there in the past, and after Lyla's death he found himself drowning himself in golden brown alcohol and also in the flesh of many strangers. The tavern had proved to be a place full of emotion for him. All of that was fine; he'd lived that bit of his life to the fullest, perhaps a bit too fully. Not only had he lost his temper with a worker at the tavern, he'd gotten a woman pregnant a few seasons back. The Rearing Stallion was a place where the former doctor had experienced the highest of highs and the absolute lowest of lows.

All his history with the location was nothing to him at the moment. When compared with what he struggled through, it was a non factor. All he could focus on was the job he'd taken. There was a pretty good chance that Orion would have to knock back a few beers if this was going to happen. Was he really so desperate for coin that he would work for such a slimy rat? It seemed so; Orion feared not being able to do what he'd agreed to do so much that he would sacrifice what little integrity he had to get involved in the petty situations of the Syliran wealthy. It didn't help that he'd be out of coins in a few seasons. If he didn't have a steady income by the time that came around, his knightly ambitions would come to a rather abrupt stop. Emily, Hadyn, and their unborn child was depending on him in some way or another, right?

Orion took a deep breath and looked wearily at the door to the tavern. It was such a draining sight, the wooden doors to his old stomping grounds. A place where he'd once spent eve after eve was now foreign to him, but at least for one night he'd have to call it home again. He slowly opened the door and entered, breathing in the once familiar air. 

As always, the Stallion was busy. It was the common man's bar, in Orion's opinion. Everyone who wanted to relax, wet their tongues, dance, or hear a little music could have their desires sated. Tonight was no different a night for many in the locale, buttonight Orion wouldn't be able to fully enjoy the entertainment if he was to complete his task. The problem was pretty obvious. He was walking into a crowded tavern with nothing beyond the name of his target. He didn't know what he was supposed to do without even knowing what the man looked like. Orion supposed he could just ask around. There were plenty of people out and about, and it was possible that one of them knew of Mr. Weaver Tellas. It wouldn't' hurt him to ask, but before he shot off blindly into a crowd, he was going to get himself a drink.

Orion winded his way past the tables and people, making his way up to the bar. Men and women alike were laughing, drinking, and playing guards. It was almost refreshing, and if it were any other night Orion would have found himself face deep in a barrel of ale. Instead, he pulled himself up onto a barstool, retrieved his coin purse and tossed a handful of coppers onto the counter top. "A mug of beer," he requested, blue eyes rising up to meet those of the person manning the bar. He worked to hide the shock as a somewhat familiar face met his.

..Really? Just my luck.

[Shiress]

A steady hum of voices and occasional roar of laughter filled the busy tavern. The lunch bell had arrived and with it came hungry, but more thirsty, patron's filling the tables of the Stallion. Shiress was happy having only the bar to tend for a change. The passing weeks, and wet conditions, had brought more and more Syliran's meandering through the tavern's door, seeking a dry refuge and change of scenery from the confines of their homes. The barmaid couldn't imagine here feet could ache any worse had she walked to Zeltiva and back completely bare footed. Walking back and forth along the length of the bar was a welcomed, if not -almost- restful change of pace.

Shiress stood behind the bar, eyes locked on busy hands sorting the eating utensils into piles then rolling them into cloth napkins. A tedious task, but the one tending the bar had dinnerware duty and Shiress was content to do it. "Don't look now." Carmen, a fellow barmaid and friend, said as she stepped up behind Shiress. "That doctor squire just walked in." Shiress twisted around just as the entrance door snapped shut behind the familiar, blue eyed man. "Orion Michaels." She said softly, arching a brow. The last man in Syliras the girl thought would strut through the door of The Rearing Stallion.

"He's a headin' for the bar." Carmen said, snatching the towel from Shiress' shoulder and draping it over her own. "I'll see to him. Head on to the kitchen and I'll fetch ya when he's had his fill and leaves." Shiress turned slowly back to her co-worker, her green eyes drifting away in thought.

Orion Michaels was a man the girl avoided like the pox, just as she felt sure he also avoided her. He'd walk in one door and she would see her way out the other. It had been nearly 2 seasons since she had seen hide nor hair of him. The man had taken something dear from her then seen fit to stomp her heart in the ground afterwards. She had not spoken to him or even seen him until one night in late Spring when he would walk right into the midst of her own nightmare and she'd not laid eyes on him since. Little would the doctor turned squire know that what had ensued that night, what he had walked right into the middle of, would change the very core of who Shiress was. Then again, maybe he would, he did end up knee deep in the shyke too.

Shiress smiled. "No, Carmen, I think I'll see to him this time." She said, sliding the towel off the woman's shoulder. Carmen raised her eye brows and shrugged. "Welp, come and get me if ya need me." Shiress nodded and turned back to the bar just has the squire slung several coins onto the wooden surface.

"Hello, Dr. Michaels." She said with a smile, one hand calming the spinning coins, the other placing an amber liquid filled mug on the bar. "It's been a while."

[Orion Michaels]

So it was her. Not many people called him by that name. Even fewer tried to call him friend, but she was one who'd done both and certainly not come out unscathed for her efforts. His luck had to run out soon enough. It wasn't possible to avoid someone at their place of work for this long, and truth of the matter, he was lucky that it had lasted as long as it had. It was time to face the music.

Sort of.

"Hello..ma'am." That was a good start. He couldn't even remember her name. They had a history, sure, but it was an interesting one. He'd done what he could to save her life in the midsts of a chaotic operating room. That Myrian girl fought him at every turn, and he'd had to knock the injured brunette out in a rather barbaric way just to get things under control.

The events that followed were ones all too common in the squire's history. She'd wanted revenge; a lot of women wished to lay claim to that. When she'd tried though, Orion's charm had worked its magic, and rather than revenge, they'd enjoyed a rather lusty romp. In the aftermath, though, he'd stormed out yelling, and she'd been reduced to tears.

"I trust your injuries are fine?" Orion took the mug from the bar and brought it to lips, sipping on the lukewarm liquid. "I'd hope so, it's been some time since then. You've a talent for walking yourself into trouble, don't you?" He smiled, his blue eyes resting on the surface of his drink. Seemed every woman he interacted with had a flair for the dramatics. Zith, babies, cage fights. They all felt the same to him anymore. It was a constant battle to keep himself ahead of the war.

It wouldn't be polite to try and jump right into business, he figured. Despite the events of a few seasons back, fighting for their lives in the Bronze Woods, he had no doubt that this woman still bore some enmity for him. Making demands would only inflame the situation. So there was only one thing to do.

"You look well," he stated before taking another, deeper drink from his mug. The alcohol would calm his nerves; not about her, that was old hat. The job from Peyton never left the forefront of his mind, despite efforts to push it back long enough to enjoy a beer. "Healthy. Glad to see that. It's a much better look on you," he said, adding a friendly wink at the end. "Was beginning to wonder if a god had cursed you or something. Seems you're not so unfortunate, huh?"

Orion kept his peripherals searching for anything that might clue him into Mr. Tellas, but considering that he had nothing to go on, he was going to have to make due here. If he was a regular at the tavern, perhaps the barmaid here would know something about him. If not, well, this wasn't the only drinking hole in the city.

[Shiress]

"I'm doing fine." She replied, tucking away stray hair behind her ear. "More than fine, actually. in fact, I haven't felt more unburdened as I do right now in a very..." She paused, finding the man's blue eyes with her green. "..Very long time.

Shiress smiled and shook her head. To dredge up such long ago anger felt silly and unwarranted in light of all that had happened to her since that unfortunate night spent in her apartment with the then doctor. Her action's were more than childish at the time, as was Orion's, but it just didn't seem important to her now, seemed a lifetime ago. It was a lifetime ago as far as Shiress was concerned.

Shiress pressed her hip against the side of the bar with a sigh. "Yes, I have walked headlong, and seemingly blind, into my fair share of trouble, but I have actually managed to elude some, believe it or not." She laughed then fell silent a moment before leaning further down against the bar, resting her arm against its worn and rough, wooden surface. "Orion, that night. She paused, pondering the right words to say and pulled in a long breath before continuing. "That night in the woods, well, it changed a lot of things for me and anything before that night is just pointless to think on, ya know? I've finally broken free of my past. All of my past."

And there it was, whether or not he wanted to talk about it, he'd just heard it, her part of it anyway. It didn't matter if he decided to reply, change the subject or get up and leave, she had had her say of it and she meant what she had said. It was pointless to put thought into something as trivial as hurt feelings when she was thankful to have her life and be able to live it free of the fear of a haunted past.

"Well anyway, I'm sure you've not come here to hear my story." She said, taping the bar as she straightened herself. "If you need anything else, I'll be about." She added before placing her now trembling hand softly on his. "It really is good to see you again, Dr. Michaels." She flashed the blue eyed man a smile and turned to step away, but hesitated and turned back and slid her closed fist across the bar, leaving the copper mizas by the mug. "This drink's on me."