Open Stomping grounds

[Star]

Star shivered and pulled her cloak tighter around herself, whimpering slightly as she neared the bar. She was, for obvious reasons, scared to go anywhere near a bar but she was so hungry and couldn't stand it any longer. She clumsily tied the cloak around her neck and started digging through the muck and garbage. "Oh gods this is so gross." she thought, cringing as she brushed away flies. A small crust of bread was in a puddle and she crawled towards it, grabbing it and wiping it off on the cloak. It looked a little green but she was desperate, even if she knew the hunger pangs would fade once Leth came to rule the sky once again."Please Leth...save me..." she murmured softly. She shrieked in surprise and fear as a man passed dangerously close to her and jumped back, landing in the pile of garbage. She had dropped the meager piece of bread in her surprise and it was crushed under the man's feet. Star froze and her eyes widened as she heard a familiar voice. Wrenmae. The man who originally owned the cloak she now wore. She started muttering prayers out loud, hoping that Leth would save her from another encounter with this dangerous man.

[Xavior Silhouette]

The night proved to provide less comfort than the hot, testosterone laden, tavern. A fall chill in the air seemed to permeate Xavior’s cloak fibers as the sounds of the tavern began to grow softer. The occasional cough and whispered conversations were like the wolves’ howls of an urban forest. His cloak, frayed at the edges and permanently stained by soil, dragged across the filthy ground. Xavior felt fortunate to own a pair of boots as the stench of urine and fecal foreshadowed what else lurked just beyond fire’s light. It was a scent that was unique and those who spend enough time within the city had grown used to it. Xavior lost that ability and was soon evident as he walked behind Wrenmae carefully wrapping a bit of cloth around his head. He eyed the familiar buildings, some with scars of the past, a past he shared with many in the community of Sunberth. The Djed storm had left behind much destruction. The tent city was not present before the storm, but was a necessity made by the community. This is where Xavior called home, his tent never really vacant. His hospitality was great, but the simple fact of nothing of worth to steal and free security made Xavior even more accepting to allowing some strangers to have shelter in his tent. The heavy boots soon came to rest on a dampened path as Wren took a moment to lean against a building. “The exhilaration of fight has begun to wane hasn’t it comrade?” He teased, voice muffled. While Wren began to update him, he unclasped his cloak and began to roll it into a bundle. His body had grown adjusted to the initial start of the temperature change and began to grow to warm under the cotton cloth. He was left in his usual attire of rough, leather, pants, and a jacket that he kept slightly open on his marbled torso. “I had plans to leave Sunberth for a very long while, setting about to return to my homeland.” He crossed his arms and decided to lean on the wall as well. “However, I got sidetracked out of curiosity and landed in a city named Nyka. They were a strange type, pretty cautious of me, not to mention quite differently structured.” He paused and smiled with a huff, “but I don’t need to bore you with that. You can just call my travels before I returned here a,” he moved a hand up to flick at some of the ornaments that hung from his antler-like horns. They thudded together as if a wooden chime, “spiritual journey.” “How about you,” he began, “you mentioned that you had left as well?” His head tilted forward to look down at Wren. “What caused your change?” His shoulder left the wall, as some of the mortar chipped away as his frame left the building. “I had a feeling that those that were in the CE would not remain faithful.” He paused a moment, “and if they have met death I hope they met it with dignity.” As soon as he ended his statement he heard a clattered in a near by pile of scraps. His eyes, filled with deep, passionate, violet traced over the darkness toward the sound. The silhouette was only briefly illuminated by the stray lights from the windows of a building. He focused even more firmly and soon began to notice the shape of a woman’s body beneath the fabric of a filthy cloak. His brow rose as he continued to study, “how disturbing,” he thought. A low grumble of anger in his chest, “sure I do not own or have much coin entitled to me, but at least I hold myself in a higher light than this. This sister doesn’t reflect Leth in a good light. Disgraceful.” Xavior grew closer as he kept his mouth shut on his opinion. His eyes soon could see Star’s own, the sadness in them only disturbed his being even more. “That, is just a sorry sight. Leth is with me always.” He finally spoke up and pointed at Star, “hey Wren look, it seems we have a prospective member of CE.” His tone was laced in sarcasm as he insulted the leadership that Cade had shown in building the supposed team of mercenaries. (OOC Note: Unbolded lines of dialogue are inner monologues and not spoken out loud.)

[Wrenmae]

"I fought for the Zeltivan Waveguard," Wren revealed with a rueful smile, "Pays a bit more than our banditry in Sunberth and carries quite a bit more perks than the ill refute we earned on these streets." He shrugged, rolling his shoulders forward and stretching out his hands, "Few are ready to accept that those who defend their law will be the most likely to break it. It's a cloak of anonymity that I prefer to the target painted on my back here."

Passing around the corner of the bar, his foot squelched the dropped molding bread as a familiar face fell back from him in a familiar cloak.

His cloak.

So. Fortune had a way of returning lost items. The Ethaeful so piteously trying to edge away from the two of them was the same clueless creature who fell from the sky a season ago in Sunberth. He had a mind to sell her then, but she'd run without provocation.

His cloak looked a little worse for wear, but still functional. Not that he couldn't buy another, but the thing was important to him. It had weathered him through Kalea's cold and followed him to Sunberth. It was more his right than hers.

"Spiritual journey, eh?" The hypnotist offered back to Xavior, filling the alley with his shadow, "What sort of spiritual journey does a god's castaway hope for...anyways? Isn't that right, Star?" He smiled at her, leaping into the alley before she had a chance to completely take her feet and swinging in behind her.

"You have something of mine, don't you, dear?"

[Star]

Star looked to the other person as he spoke and realized he was an Ethaefal too. It was only then that she realized that it was night already. "How did I not realize that?" she wondered to herself in surprise but then quickly answered the question for herself. "Its this city. I have to worry about so many other things, my safety, food, somewhere to keep warm, that I don't even notice when the moon comes up...this city is bad for me..." Star made a squeaking sound as Wrenmae noticed her and gulped, trying to scramble deeper into the alley. But before she could get far, he was behind her. She yelped and clumsily spun around to face him. "Y-yes b-but you can have it back!" she yelled, trying to sound defiant or brave but failing. She started to try to scoot backwards towards the mouth of the alley as she yanked the cloak off herself and threw it at Wrenmae, trying to get it on his head so she could have a few precious seconds to escape. She knew it would be harder to escape the evils of Sunberth without any clothing but she knew Wrenmae was a bad person and she was scared of him. "Just please leave me alone! D-don't hurt me!" she begged. If Star is able to scramble backwards, she would look up to the other Ethaefal as she nears him with pleading eyes, hoping that the fellow child of Leth would save her. If she manages to get to the mouth of the alley, she would try to stand up, only to slip on the refuse and fall onto the other Ethaefal. She would squeal as she fell against him, or down if he moved or decided not to catch her, and close her eyes and brace herself for whatever would come next.

[Xavior Silhouette]

"Castaways? Ha!" His voice bellowed as he moved into the alleyway as well. A man looked over at him. The commotion in the alley could be heard by him, but instead of aid he simply turned and walked away. "Only those who cast themselves away are truly forsaken of their god." "Good ol Sunberth, looks like Wren has business with this. My ill removed sister." Xavior thought as he followed Wren and Star. It was quick, but it would seem that Wren had maneuvered himself behind the Eth, effectively pinning Star. She looked like a trapped rat, "how could someone allow themselves to conduct their presence in such a way?" He pondered but unconsciously he knew that inside he felt just as confused and out of place as Star. His brow crooked as the other Eth decided to pull a cowardly move. She tossed the cloak at Wren and began to run toward himself. "Does she not see me, or does she think there will be comfort in me?" His head followed her movements and finally came to the conclusion that she was determined to leave. She slipped suddenly while Xavior braced to block her hasty exit. He caught her and began to push her back into the middle of the alley, "ahhh, why run from your problems?" He chuckled and took a step forward to help close the gap between Wren and himself. "Face them head on and live in Leth's light." Xavior finally asked with a chuckle, "Wrenmae, do you know this gypsy?" He thought, "oh how amusing this is an eth who fears man? Why fear them? You're destiny is already sealed to return to our god's domain." At least that is what he hoped.

[Wrenmae]

Catching his cloak from the air, the hypnotist quickly folded it up, slipping it between his belt and pants before turning back to Star. She cut a pathetic figure, malnourished, timid, dirty, weak. She clasped at Xavior’s feet as though expecting him to save her. For the life of him, Wrenmae couldn’t remember why she had such an intense fear of him. He’d taken her for a lunatic when she’d broken company a season or two ago and fled into the streets. She had no way of knowing they were on their way to sell here, likewise that she was to be sold at all. Perhaps he had been too cruel, too callous…it was a state he was accustomed to being in while Shroud…but those times had passed.

He breathed a sigh through his nose explosively, squatting down, resting his arms on his knees and examining what she’d been picking through. Not even the rats had deigned to touch what she had considered ingesting…and for good reason. Her once beauty from the fall had been completely stripped from her. She was no more enamoring than a street urchin now…he’d be lucky to receive a fraction of what she might originally go for. Now she was wild, desperate, scared.

Wrenmae straightened.

“The girl was a fallen who found herself naked in a strange city, wrong place, wrong time. I saved her from those who would do her harm and she repaid me by stealing my cloak and dashing off into the night. I hadn’t given her a second thought till now…but she’ll serve.”

He strode quickly over to Xavior, towering over Star with a slight frown. “Examine, if you will, the fruits of Sunberth. This, Xavior, is why this town is only fun to visit, never to live in. The people cannot and do not support each other. They breed desperate savages, scavengers. Zeltiva was far better by comparison.”

Shaking his head, the hypnotist bent down again and placed a hand on her head. She shrunk away from it, twitched, terrified, but he only kept it there a moment before withdrawing it.

“Well, girl. You’d make a poor slave now…but I’d wager if you had let it happen you’d be fed more than moldy bread. Tell me. What’s so important about your life?” He put a hand on his long dagger, drumming the pommel with his fingers.

“What makes your life worth keeping, your path worth walking?” The smile became a grin.

“Spin me a compelling reason you should live and I’ll see what we can do about getting you out of this filth.”

[Star]

Star whimpered and struggled as the man, Xavior, pushed her back towards Wrenmae. She looked back at him, looking into his eyes and wondering how her brother could betray her like this."Doesn't he know what this man is like?!" When Wrenmae said that she had run for no reason, she spat defiantly, "I had a bad feeling about you from the start! As soon as you took me into the d-darker parts of Sunberth!" she tried to sound brave but her voice still shook. "M-maybe it was Leth trying to warn me! Maybe he w-was trying to save his daughter from the worst scu-scum of this city!" Star's attempt at bravery was immediatly cancled out, however, when she cowered away from Wrenmae's hand. She froze when he put his hand on his dagger. She shrunk against Xavior as he spoke and thought frantically, "Is...is he threatening me?? Is he going to kill me?!" She tried harder to get away until she heard his last sentance and stopped. “Spin me a compelling reason you should live and I’ll see what we can do about getting you out of this filth.” "Please take me out of here! Please I promise I won't struggle! I'll-I'll learn to be a good slave please!" Star begged. She didn't like Wrenmae and was scared of him but she was scared of this city even more. "I can't stay in this city any longer or I'm gunna die here!" Star had tears in her eyes as she begged, wanting more than anything in the world to get out of this Shyke called Sunberth.

[Xavior Silhouette]

Xavior's expression shown nothing more than insensitivity toward the Eth. He listened to Wren's explanation of how the two knew each other and only nodded. His expression didn't change even while Star spoke. However, when she explained how she though Leth had guided her, or warned her, he only crooked his brow as Wren continued. "It sounds to me sister that you've turned your back on Leth." He moved a hand to touch her head. "Wrenmae seemed to have extended a hand out of the kindness of his heart. Do you not see the foolishness and missed opportunity that Leth handed to you on a platter? Leth is with us, protecting us if you put your faith in him." He removed his hand only when Wren extended his own hand. "Slavery?" Xavior's head turned toward Wren, "this child of Leth was up to be put in slavery?" "I would of used that to an advantage," he thought to himself and furthered his thoughts, "Such raw people born to serve whomever pays enough coin. Raw minds to convert to being a loyal servant of our god. An opportunity of unity." Wrenmae began to continue and Xavior listened closely to what he had to say. He nodded in agreement and decide to answer in analogy, "I'm certain a castle would seem better than living in the forest. This is a forest," Xavior extended his hands, "full of animals out to survive." His feet moved a bit as Star continued to huddle away. "Man had to start somewhere, land before law, land before culture and tradition. This city, could be the next greatest kingdom if the proper seed is planted in society." Xavior's train of thought and how he relates to Sunberth was hopefully more clear. He looked down at Star as Wren began to deliver a shrouded ultimatum. Xavior was curious as to how Star would reply as well but when pleads and begs ground like sandpaper in his ear he had almost lost any building sympathy. "You put your faith in Wren's word, you think he'll get you out of the grave you've dug yourself in." Xavior was calm in his speech, "what is your purpose? You leave Sunberth, then what? You'll still be penniless, you'll still be unguided and wild. I've been to other cities, each of which I was treated as an outsider. A threat to civilization and even threatened, yet a calling made me push through tough times. I can say, I've felt more acceptance here in Sunberth. Even though the acceptance is with bows, arrows, and quick fists, at least those seem to fit this city's character." He quieted himself after he ranted. He wanted to tell her, "you made this city your own Hai." But stilled his tongue and instead waited for Wren to chime in. It wasn't he who Star begged to.

[Wrenmae]

Wrenmae sighed, absolutely disgusted. The blade vanished back into his sheathe and he stood, kicking the garbage in the side street over her barely clad body.

"You're disgusging," he said shortly, "No fight in you, no ambition, no pride, no backbone. You're a hole waiting to be petched, to be raped. I should throw you to the thugs near the mines, I should carve you up myself, but I don't want to waste the time on such impure flesh."

He turned from her, looking at Xavior with such pity that it was almost palpable on his face, "How could you two be so different. What happened to you that has not to her? Should I cut her? Do I torture her? Do I give her reason to hate? A whole season she spent in Sunberth and she has learned nothing but gobbling garbage...she can't even think of a good reason for me to spare her life."

Making a dismissive noise, he turned from her and threw up his hand. "Xavior, she's yours. I'll be leaving for a season to Sahova. You have that long to find her backbone and see if she will be of use to us. If not, kill or sell her, keep the profit. If she proves useful, however, take her and yourself to Zeltiva. I'll meet you in the Winter."

He aimed a kick at her, burying his foot into her ribs and sending her onto her side. "I have plans for that city, plans that involve strength. Most of the Crimson Edge is gone. Prove to me you're worth keeping and I'll show you ambitions beyond petty Sunberth."

Striding past Xavior, he headed for the pier. "A season, Xavior, no more. Show me what you can do."

[Xavior Silhouette]

Xavior waited for Wrenmae to vanish in the shadows of Sunberth before he turned his attention back to Star. He knelt down to her level, the leather he wore beneath his robes complained loudly, as he locked eyes with Star. For a moment his eyes closed and he began to feel his djed as it flowed through his body. He called upon his magic with a deep breath and began to allow his djed to congregate behind his eyes. He tapped into his very personality, that of pity, yearning, want, need, all the emotions that he felt deep inside him that truly made him sad. He began to chant in his mind an idea, simple, the idea was only but a seed. "You have paradise, all you have to do is escape." Xavior impregnated his djed with this suggestion and began to feed it through the connection of his own eyes with Stars. The djed squirmed like invisible snakes through air toward Star, the suggestion coupled with the emotional baggage that Xavior was sure Star and he shared, allowed his djed to merge with her own. He continued to to integrate the simple suggestion into her body. "Star, why do you endure being treated like such. Why do you fear these worthless mortals?" He asked with genuine concern and sadness. He began to will his djed away from his eyes as he began to move the flow of his soul to his lungs, mouth, and even his hands. His suggestion changed as the initial seed was implanted into Star's subconscious. He could feel the light caress of magic across his sensitive nerves as the djed in his palms was drawn for optimism and confidence. "To escape, is to die. Rejoin Leth in paradise." He repeated the suggestion before he even opened his mouth. "You shouldn't fear them. If they kill you they'll only be doing a favor." Each word carried the fertilizer to help the seed previously implanted into Star grow. Star would not feel anything in result of his hypnotism in that moment. However her mood most likely had been tilted toward sadness as the undying love and need to be with Leth was stimulated an intensified. "Heck, even if they drive you to," there was a pause as Xavior turned his attention to his palms. The djed buzzed as Xavior prepared to transfer the emotion of confidence and optimism. He extended a hand and wrapped it around Star's wrist. It was a simple lending of the hand to Star as he pulled her up out of the filth. "Suicide." He uttered the word as he released the djed of optimism into her body, "yes even Suicide would help you escape back into paradise." He continued to use his optimistic side to strengthen his words. "If this world is not meant for you and you feel that you've arrived here out of error, then you should escape the world and return to our father." Star would not want to go kill herself right out, however the idea of suicide was planted into her. Perhaps when she faces difficult situations she'd allowed those foreign seeds to grow and sway her to realize that she didn't have to put up with the little things mortals thought of as power. Perhaps as she encounters sadness she would realize the gate to Leth's domain lays in death. Let Dira herself bring her back to her brother's kingdom. "Anyway, Star you've been put in my care apparently. How about I take you back to my tent there is a clear patch that allows the moon's light to flow heavy and rejuvenating over there." Xavior said this as he turned on his heel and began to depart through the dangerous maze of Sunberth and back into the Tent City.