Completed For Jenkins' Sake (Kel Tempest)

[Chandray]

Continued from Snakes Path Day 6 of Spring, and later on a few short posts in a open tavern thread by Caelum on Day 27, where Chandray picked up Kel. Timestamp: Day 27 of Spring 514 AV in the evening It was evening and Chandray and Kel (and the otter Jenkins) had stopped for a chime right outside Alements, the way people can stop in surprise, to try to be wise and think of things twice. Chandray wondered if she really had swooped in at a tavern, picked up Kel and snatched him out... … it could seem so, actually. She had been impulsive there, to say the least. But it was too late now to think of which impression this quick action of hers could have made on others in the tavern, if they had noticed it at all. The last traces of a blazing sunset lingered on the sky, pale reminiscences of rose fading away as dusk took over. It would be a walk in night’s darkness, if they were going somewhere. Perhaps he just wanted to stand outside the tavern, perhaps he was going back in again…the party was in full swing in there, and the music, voices, laughter, cheery shouts could be heard out here too. It was like they had stepped out from a soothing bubble of warmth where all the partying guests were feeling completely happy and high (as far as Chandray had seen and understood) and now…the air was fresh and smelled of salt water, the sea could be heard, and the somewhat distant sound of the waterfall. The wind brushed her face and moved in her hair and the world felt huge and wide and full of adventure. Chandray looked at Kel Tempest. “Did your little talvan try to fight alongside you? ” She paused before she continued. “I can see now that you were wounded too. Good thing you got out of it alive. Care to tell me more about it ? I didn’t want to ask indoors…there can be some of those akalak guards, I don’t know much about them and their ways yet … ” This was true. She had seriously considered turning to the city guard, the Kuvay'Nas, after what had happened to her and Stefan that night in the beginning of this spring when they had been playing at Coils Club. But she wasn’t from Riverfall. She remembered that “welcome scroll” with Riverfall laws she had been given when she arrived. It had seemed to imply that foreigners who made trouble in Riverfall were in for harsh treatment. If she had only been attacked the case would have been clean. But after the promise she had made, it could in worst case be seen as she was now an accomplice to a dhani cabal. She knew utterly little about the snakes in questions, except the fact that at least one of them had something with Kenash to do. Anyways, she was innocent, at least so far…but she had no idea how the Kuvay'Nas would think and do if they were told. She didn’t want to take the risk to be banned from the city. There were so many things she planned to do there, so much to discover and learn, things she would need to know about if she ever would be able to make her dreams about the future come true. These were the thoughts on her mind, and perhaps Kel Tempest would see something in her face if he was paying attention, but maybe not. She looked at the otter and smiled. The small and alert looking animal seemed to like the fresh air, she thougt. Now, let’s see … a little planning was never wrong… while she waited for Kel Tempest to answer, Chandray took out her well used city map and studied it. The new tavern, Alements, wasn’t on the map, but she knew they were on the lowest tier of the city, near the docks. Chandray lived at the other side of the city, in Northwind Suites. If they would walk along the bay, towards the waterfalls, this would be the right direction for her to go … But she bet the svefra lived on a boat nearby and wouldn’t be keen on ending up far away from his ship and his podmates. Or would he? How attached was he to the company of his mates ? But how could she know, and why speculate, when she could just ask him ? “It’s very good for the otter to be outdoors, isn’t it?” she said. “So happy we went out. For Jenkins’ sake. Now, do you want to stay right here - perhaps you don’t want to leave your podmate, the shark ? Or maybe you want to return to your chactawe ? Otherwise ... we could walk …” She told him the options. It was up to Kel to say what he found best. She would stay here if that was what he wanted, or else walk in any direction he preferred.

[Kel Tempest]

Continued from...

Jenkins followed behind the Svfra, a little slower than normal as they headed out of the Alement. The ocean breeze hit Kel in the face, jolting him slightly as it revived him from the atmosphere that the bar seemed to have over its patrons. His head cleared a little from the alcohol and he inhaled the familiar salty fragrance deeply. His leg ached a little, it had been injured two and a half weeks ago and he was almost one hundred percent. Almost.


He didn’t notice it too much, there was a little stiffness to it still but his mobility wasn’t too badly affected. Jenkins was taking a little longer to heal, having taken blunt trauma to his leg rather than a puncture wound. He hadn’t complained and Kel was proud of him for taking the pain like a true warrior.


Chandray looked up from Jenkins to Kel and asked him where he wanted to go. “Let’s be goin’ to me ship. I needa somethin.” He wanted to pick something up. He never felt comfortable without it for extended periods of time.


She then asked about the fight. He lit up at the opportunity to tell about his exploits. The one thing he enjoyed next to actually fighting was talking about it. “Aye, teh’ lil’ rascal was s’pposed to stay n’ teh’ Laviku’s Wrath but he be followin’ me when I went bandit huntin’.” Kel started walking, expecting her to follow.


“I went outa’ town to find me some bandits.” He looked at her, a small smile tugging at his lips. “T’was gettin’ bored yeh’ see. Went ina’ woods and came across two bandits campin’ out there.”


A scowl crossed his face at the thoughts of the Akalak that patrolled the city, keeping it safe from bandits, Zith and wild animals. “Teh’ blue freaks need teh’ take their swords outa’ their arses, if yeh’ ask me. Full’a shyke those ‘uns. City be too safe, needs some danger to be keepin’ people on their feet.” He shook his head irritably as they continued down the docks, towards his ship.


“Nyways, yeh’ can only find bandits out of teh’ city. There t’was two of them. Jenkins the lil’ petcher, followed me and the two men flanked me. T’was gonna eat Jenkins they were. Teh’ man with the mace injurin’ Jenkins when he bit teh’ man, defendin’ me,” he stopped for a minute, taking a deep breath feeling the rage simmer again at the memory of the man attacking his friend. After a minute it faded and he continued. “I speared teh’ man threw teh’ groin and left him there to think of what he be done."


He was quiet for a moment, as they made their way through the moored ships. It was relatively quiet since the normal chaos that ensued on the busy port was gone, workers in their homes or in the closest pub. Only a few others wandered past them.


“Teh’ man with teh’ sword be managin’ to disarm me.” He scowled again and cursed quietly under his breath. He was still irritated that he had been so foolish to allow the man to take his weapon away from him. He showed her his hands, where the cut was fading on his hands from the sword slash. “Took teh’ sword to teh’ back as well. But me had me kukri on me.” He patted the blade under his sash that was secured against his lower back.


“Almost, had me, he did. Not much experience with that ‘un weapon. But me be makin’ do. The petcher got me inna’ leg with his bladed boots.” He shook his head in amusement. “Not be seenin’ that ‘un comin’. Gotta’ give ‘em credit for that at least.”


They had finally reached his ship at the end of the pier. He jumped onto the gunwale and then with a thump, landed on the deck. He crossed and flung the cabin door wide open. He disappeared momentarily before reappearing with his trident in one hand. He spun it once around him in a figure eight. He winked at her.


“Aye, much better.”


Kel slammed the door shut and jumped back up on the pier. “This be me ship, the Laviku’s Wrath.” He began walking along the dock confidently. He didn’t know they were going but he wasn’t going to let that stop him. The black haired Svefra looped the trident over his neck and draped both arms over it lazily.


“After teh’ man knifed me inna’ leg, I be managin’ to jump ‘em and stabbed him in the chest.” He chuckled at the memory of the man’s shocked face. “I went to Jenkins and the lil’ petcher pretended to be dead. Wanted to see me reaction.” He growled at Jenkins, still annoyed that the sea otter pulled that stunt. Kel rolled his eyes at the otter and let the woman lead them wherever she wanted to go.


“I was a tad angry, so me went over teh’ man who be killin’ Jenkins and tortured ‘em.” He said it matter of factly. “Me got their thumbs as a trophy.” He jerked his head back towards his ship.


“They be hangin’ on a line over me ship, fish be nibblin’ the flesh off. Yeh’ see, the thumb be teh’ most important part of teh’ body. Without it, yeh’ can’t hold a weapon. Not in this life, not in teh’ next.”


He was silent for a moment. He realized he had just talked for an incredibly long time. He never talked to anyone that long before. He shrugged. He liked combat. He liked talking about combat. She would either appreciate it or would be afraid. It didn’t particularly matter to him. He was used to both. Usually the latter.


“Nyways. ‘Nough about me. What be that blade yeh’ dropped in the tavern?”

Legend

Fratava

Kel's Common

Kel's Thoughts

PC/NPC Common

[Chandray]

They were walking along the bay, heading towards the Bluevein Falls that divided the city in two halves. While Kel spoke Chandray listened attentively to him, not only to his words but also to his aura … the man’s somewhat unusual style had piqued her curiosity, and it wasn’t easy to really get him. The more she listened to him the harder it was to know what to make if it… so she gave in to the temptation to use her auristics and see if she was able to discern something that way. While they walked she started to tune in on him slowly. She hadn’t even thought of tuning in on people this way before, but something made her do this now, with Kel. It wasn’t the complete and urgent focus she had used that night she and Stefan had been in trouble. It was more like she just slowly opened her mind a bit more to the surroundings. She listened to the sounds. The sound of their steps and sea otters small paws, the sound of the sea rolling in against the piers and cliffs, the sound of the falls, the sound wind in trees somewhere nearby, the sound of Kel’s voice … she opened up for it step by step and took it in, and with it ... the presence of Kel Tempest - and a faint whiff of another presence, that felt like Jenkins. The beat of another heart, the breath of another soul, the fresh and chilly air, the water and the wind, the smell of salt … “What am I?” she had asked one time, when she spoke with that healer in the Anchorage Flotilla - it was now several years ago. ”What have I become, what has this magic made me? Am I what they call a wizard, a witch?” “You are what you would like to be” had been the answer. “You are what you would like to be.” It wasn’t like auristics would make her able to read thoughts or know concrete things about other people. It couldn’t tell her anything about their history or memories. The auristics could maybe be compared to what animals did when they sniffed at people and things, though this was another sense, sensing at Kel’s aura as she allowed it to blend in with hers. So she sensed at Kel. He would hardly be aware of this, if not he too had a higher sensitivity, and sensitivity didn’t seem to be the foremost quality of Kel Tempest. For a start she just had the impression of ... self-assured relaxation, being at ease, feeling comfortable with the situation, and maybe a liking for the physical activity the walking provided - and at the side of it a small faint touch of something wild and feral, that she realized was Jenkins’... little otter aura, slightly merging with the man’s - though she wasn’t sure if these impressions came to her by auristics. It could be just he confident way he walked there beside her, telling her the story about exploits. He seemed to like to speak about the fight. Superficial things, maybe discerned by auristics, but maybe things she would have noticed anyway? It was like the immediate first things, like the top note of perfume, the first thing that strikes you when you pat in on your skin and the fragrance starts to unfold. For a start this was all. Kel was speaking on and Chandray listened and sensed. But when he came to speaking about cut off thumbs of enemies, a new impression emerged and the first, more general and pleasant ones dispersed. A raw and predatory feeling had replaced them and dominated what she was she was sensing of his aura, now matching fully with the otters smaller one. She sensed something lethally and blindly feral, not concealed, like nobody saw reason to conceal it. It just was what it was, just like the otter was what it was, ferocious, wild, genuine. Chandray felt the cold, callous practicality the man emanated when he spoke on about the thumbs - but there was also an impression of cruel satisfaction. Not sure what it was she was sensing with the auristics, or why she had started at this closer investigation of Kel in the first place, she started to come out of it and go back to a normal state of mind … Kel’s sudden question about the dagger cut in ... a final new impression of something else, lashing out, sharp, bright, quick, keen … and there it stopped as her mind fell shut. They weren’t far from the falls now, and stairs nearby were leading upwards through the second tier. She stopped there and looked at him. “The dagger? “ she said. “ What do you mean?”

[Kel Tempest]

The three individuals strolled through the city, the darkness bearing down on them, only broken by the soft light that spilled out from passing windows. Kel’s arms draped casually over his trident, forearms bouncing along at each step, prongs facing away from Chandray. The leather wrapped pole rested along his shoulders and neck, the familiar weight comforting him.


His black attire caused him to occasionally disappear into the shadows before reappearing in the light, the metal of his weapon gleaming menacingly under the moonlight that peaked through the clouds. His natural swagger and heavy footedness kept him from being stealthy however. Subtlety was not his strong suit. He preferred a more head on approach to situations. Stealth was more up his Aquia’s, his podmates, avenue. He didn’t have the patience for that kind of diddling around.


Chandray stopped and looked at him. He couldn’t read her expression but her words brought him to a grinding halt. The Svefra stopped and looked over at her incredulously, cocking an eyebrow as she asked him what dagger he was talking about. He didn’t know if she was genuinely stupid or trying to hide it from him. If she was, she had done a terrible job at it considering she dropped it directly in front of him at the tavern.


“What’da mean what blade? Teh’ one yeh’ be droppin’ at teh’ Alement right befer’ we left. It was all…” Kel wrestled with his rebellious tongue as he tried to find the word in Common to describe the knife. He grunted irritably, feeling tension rile in his chest as he grasped about for a way to explain. “Gah! Different! There. Yeh’ be puttin’ it in yehr’ pocket.”

Kel smirked, "In case yeh' didn't realize, I kinda be havin' a thing fer' weapons."


He jerked his chin as he looked at her cloak where he saw her place the weapon earlier that evening. His boots thumped along the cobblestone streets as they made their way to an unfamiliar location. Kel had no idea where she was leading him but he didn’t particularly care. The unknown was always an adventure.


Normally, a person’s wariness would cause them to hesitate before jumping into a situation without knowing the details but Kel always threw caution to the wind. He would never let that stop him from pushing forward where excitement might be had. His only question was which direction should he point his weapon. Because with him, any sort of interaction would usually end up in some sort of conflict.


It was his nature after all.

Legend

Fratava

Kel's Common

Kel's Thoughts

PC/NPC Common

[Chandray]

The stairs were leading upwards through the second tier. Chandray put her hand on the handrail, watching Kel thoughtfully. She was a little bit shorter than him, but not by much. And she was not too bad with the rapier. This made her feel reasonably confident. Not that she was keen on finding out how it would be to truly be at odds with the man, she wasn’t, but a spar just for fun…not right now though. So, he had seen the unusual dagger and was interested in knowing more about it, as he had a thing for weapons. It wasn’t hard to believe him. The way Kel held the trident spoke volumes. It looked like it was part of him, an extra limb resting over his shoulders, his hands resting on the weapon lightly, relaxed, yet …ready. “One of the first things I did when I arrived in Riverfall was to visit the Arma’Drex and buy a new good weapon” She said. “It’s a top class weapon shop, the Arma. It’s said to be so very peaceful here, but I don’t like to be unarmed. And how right I was ! I can tell you this city is way more dangerous than it seems. I can tell you … “ If it had just been any dagger she had bought, Chandray would have been happy to show it, get it admired and have a discussion about it. But this dagger came with a story. She wasn’t sure yet if she would share that story with a stranger. She was often quick to trust people, that was true. It wasn’t like she was stupid, it wasn’t like she didn’t see the risk. But to her the chance of a good outcome was always worth more than the risk of a bad one. This optimism had however backfired more than once, and she wasn’t unaware that her current company seemed more than average high risk. So. How to think … what do decide? Then again, she thought. If her new and coiling “friends” lost patience and became troublesome, it could be really good to have befriended somebody like Kel Tempest, couldn’t it ? She thought of the impressions the auristics had given her. Wouldn’t it be natural to just say farewell here at the stairs ? Wouldn’t any sensible person do so ? Wouldn’t the logical reaction to the way he spoke of weapons and of thumbs, in combination with the auristic impression, be to avoid the man at all cost? How could any sane woman even consider making him walk her all the way home … In Chandray’s case the answer was: She was in serious need of people who had a thing for weapons and wouldn’t hesitate to deal with cutting off things, like snake’s heads for instance, if it would come to that. In that way Kel Tempest seemed like a catch. As the city of Riverfall didn’t feel particularly safe to her anymore, Kel’s company oddly made her feel safer, in comparison to the option of being alone. Like thoughts use to do, all these thoughts went through her brain at high speed. And as usual with Chandray she made up her mind here and now. She never needed long time for decisions. The conclusion was clear to her: Kel Tempest could become a tremendous ally if she managed to befriend him, or a gruesome enemy if things went out of hand. Dare something, win something. Her decision was made. And Laviku may care ! “The dagger. Yes. It’s an odd story Kel” she said. “I found the dagger in a shady tavern, a gambling den full of blood. I found it there in the small hours of night, in the beginning of the sixth day of this spring, after a squirmish with half a dozen hostile dhani, mark my words.” The sound of footsteps interrupted her and she stopped there. She looked up and saw a couple of men on their way down the stairs. As they approached she could hear them speak in tukant : akalaks. Petch, she realized she and Kel were maybe looking a bit suspect. A man armed with a trident, a woman armed with a rapier, speaking about weapons, fights and blood in a dark corner of the lower tier, while an otter watched them … she could only hope the two akalaks hadn’t heard what she had said. She could only hope they weren’t guards. She could only hope it wouldn’t come to trouble here, with the fight-loving svefra there to draw her into things that could get her banned from Riverfall. Kel Tempest stood there so relaxed and looked quite cute but mostly cocky, with his hands resting over the weapon. He was looking at her with an alert and lively gaze that reminded her of his otter Jenkins. It looked like Kel was about to answer. By now she was able to guess that whatever he would say, he would speak in a loud and self-assured voice, say things that was better to not say, and draw attention from people better not to alert. Kel must be silenced before he got time to say something and mess things up ! Chandray didn’t have time to come up with brand new ideas. She would make use of ideas she’d already had : the “win chactawe sheme”. And sometimes a trident can be extremely useful to add, like now. Quickly, she leaned into Kel and whispered “City guards! Stay silent! Stand still Kel! “ Then she grabbed the svefra’s hands, pulled them forward resolutely and tried to hold them hard, while she leaned even closer in and tried to kiss him. She was attempting to shut his mouth and keep him kind of tied up and trapped by the trident and her hands, so he wouldn’t be able to complicate things. Admittedly, this wasn’t exactly how she had imagined that kiss or two, when they were in the tavern. But necessity is the mother of inventions. She would soon see if this would work or if it would backfire … with some good luck the two approaching akalaks might think it was just some strange and secret svefra ritual …

[Kel Tempest]

They started moving again, up through the second tier of Riverfall. The stone structures loomed ominously overhead. Kel felt claustrophobic, the walls always seemed to constrict around him, especially at night as the shadows danced eerily around him. He was used to the open seas and freedom that the infinite expanse of water held available to him.


As of late, he was comfortable walking on the solid ground, much to his irritation. That meant he had been landlocked for far too long. The sea called out to him. He could almost hear Laviku whispering in his ear, calling him back to the sea. The pod had taken small trips out, stealing casinors and rescuing shipwrecked podmates but otherwise, his existence was momentarily bound to the life of a land dweller.


His instincts demanded action. Those same instincts are what lead him to his current injuries. He was unlike a lot of the people he had recently come into contact with. They were content living their lives peacefully, roaming the city, traveling from one meaningless task to the next. Never experiencing the thrill of adventure or the rush of adrenaline that comes with fighting for their lives. Most of the people living in Riverfall would never feel their throats constrict with fear or feel their stomachs tighten as they narrowly avoided death.


A low rumble of irritation reverberated in his chest as he thought about the dull lives of other people and how he was forced to live like them for the time being. He was doing everything he could to throw off the shackles that society demanded him to conform to, to live the life of a “normal” person. He sought out trouble as if his life depended on it. Because if he was in trouble, that meant he was doing something wrong. And the only ones who broke the law were the ones who turned away from what society deemed acceptable.


The Svefra rolled the shaft of his weapon back and forth across his shoulders as they walked, lost in the justifications of his life. Because the life of an adventurer wasn’t deemed adequate in most social circles, most of his stories verged on the shadier side of the law and would most likely get him locked up if told to the wrong people. It worked to his advantage that his sociopath tendencies also included the lack of a moral code. Otherwise many of his exploits would have leveled him with guilt.


Chandray began speaking, dragging him out of his reveries. She seemed reluctant to speak about the dagger for some reason but finally opened up and explained its origins. Weapons, fights, blood and shady taverns, all of Kel’s favorite words wrapped into one sentence. Maybe the two would get along after all.


Kel opened his mouth to respond when the woman eyes widened and she looked over at his shoulder at something. She urgently told him to be quiet because a few Akalak were coming. He scowled, turning his head to look over at them, “Those petchin’ blue fre-“


His hostile words were cut off as Chandray closed her hands over his, pulling him close. He stumbled forward, startled at the sudden movement as her body pressed close to his. He could feel the heat of her slim form through his clothes just as her soft lips pressed urgently against his. His immediate reaction was to pull away but then as he realized what was happening, he relaxed slightly. The Svefra felt his pulse start to rise as they kissed, lips locked together. He pulled back slightly, just enough to speak. He looked at her smirking as he felt her hands tense, trapping his as she held them against the trident.


“Restrainin’ me, eh? I think Ty might be havin’ some shackles back at the boat if yeh’ are interested inna' that sorta thing…” He winked at her scandalous but the sound of footsteps reminded him of who was approaching.


The spell Chandray tried distracting him with broke.


Kel pulled his face away from Chandray, the mischievous light extinguished from his eyes and hardened as he heard the two blue men talking to each other. Their voices lowered as they eyed the two armed people standing in the shadows. The Akalak slowed as they passed by and Kel sent them a scathing look.


“What yeh’ be lookin’ at? Can’t mind yehr’ own business?” Kel jerked his head, indicating they should leave. The Akalak traded dark looks as they were talked down to by the Svefra and their hands strayed to the hilts of their weapons. Kel pulled away from Chandray, freeing himself from her grasp and glared at the two, when instead of leaving, they stopped.


“What is your business here?” They eyed the trident and sheathed rapier that glinted faintly in the moonlight that peeked out from behind the clouds.


Kel snorted, “None of yehr’s, I can tell yeh’ that much.” Anger began to rile its ugly head in his chest as the two were rudely interrupted. He hated how the Akalak looked down on the rest of the races, solely because it was their city. His encounters with them always rubbed the Svefra the wrong way and he was less than cordial. It landed him in a few more trickery situations than he could remember.


He shifted his weight, distributing it evenly as he stood on the balls of his feet, ready to pounce without hesitation if provoked. If Chandray didn’t interject and do some fast talking, the hot headed Svefra would undoubtedly end the night going down swinging.

Legend

Fratava

Kel's Common

Kel's Thoughts

PC/NPC Common

[Chandray]

It had seemed to work. The two akalaks had been on their way just walk past the two kissing people and the otter. Chandray had time to feel a quick relief, but this relief didn’t last for long. She could hardly believe her own ears when she heard Kel Tempest speak to the akalak guards this way stand there like he was ready to fight. Laviku, she thought, what is he thinking and what is he doing! The guards hadn’t said a word, it was Kel who had started this by his aggressive “what ye looking at” question. The question, the tone he spoke in, his body language-he was picking a fight … the guards hadn’t made any trouble, but Kel was being cocky and aggressive and picking a fight! The bad news what that though Chandray Evereene spoke better than Kel did, she wasn’t a skilled negotiator. She too was the kind of person who acts first and thinks later. This sometimes saved her. Then again, sometimes the opposite. Her recent negotiation with certain dhanis hadn’t ended so ideally, even if it had solved things and saved hers and Stefan Teagans lives …for a while. She had a feeling she’d been had, even. Nor was she a great persuader. Maybe she just needed to learn, maybe she could learn, but as was, alas … she was worried she wouldn’t be able to stop this by using words. She shared Kel's opinion that it wasn’t the akalaks’ business what she was doing there with Kel and Jenkins. The svefra was only telling them the truth here, in no uncertain terms. She hadn’t done anything wrong, at least not right here and now. She saw no reason to crawl for the local authorities like she was guilty of something just because they approached and asked questions. She saw no reason to lie to them either. But unlike Kel she realized that just refusing to answer at all would just get them into trouble. She was certainly not going to be banned from the city just because of having gone for a walk with Kel and refused to answer questions from the guards. Chandray would simply go on from where Kel had started and tell them the truth. “I and my friend here, we were at Alement’s opening party, and now we are walking this fine little otter, Jenkins. It needed to go out. ” She pointed at Jenkins, who sat there looking cute and alert in the dim lantern light. The akalaks looked at the otter and then they glanced at each other. Their blue faces didn’t reveal anything, and their pale eyes seemed cold when they looked at Chandray and Kel again. The akalaks were totally calm. They were old experienced akalaks and they weren’t going to let things go out of hand. Also, they highly respected all svefra and liked weapons, so they didn’t react overly much when Kel was a bit rude and even might seem to want to start a fight with them any tick.“It’s our city and it’s our business what’s going on here” one of them said calmly. “We’re only walking the otter” Chandray said again. The two akalaks looked at her. “Alright. If you say so.” They seemed to feel done with the situation and walked away. Chandray felt relieved. She had actually succeeded at convincing the two akalaks. Perhaps she had become a bit better at rethoric after all. Now she looked at the otter. “Poor little Jenkins” she said. “I forgot … Your otter is injured and this walk may have been too long and hard for him. Aren't you worried about his leg?”

[Kel Tempest]

Irritation and resentment festered in the Svefra as he watched the blue men react so calmly to the situation. He could feel the restlessness stirring in his chest from it slumber, the urge to lash out and inflict pain on something. It demanded to be released. The Akalak could be the solution to the tension he felt.


But he also knew that the city dwellers in Riverfall were highly skilled in combat and he didn’t stand a chance against one, much less two of them in an armed conflict. His grip tightened on the shaft of the trident, begging for an opportunity to present itself allowing him to strike. But Chandray seemed to convince the blue freaks that nothing was going on and then continued on their way.


He didn’t know whether to be frustrated that he didn’t spur on the argument with the men and release his restlessness on them or be grateful that he wouldn’t get his arse handed to him by the warriors. Even had he fought them and then tried to escape, his chances of evasion were slim. They knew the city better than he did. They also knew he was Svefra and that meant his home was somewhere on the docks so they could easily drag him off to the area at any time. Chandray did him a favor by talking to the Akalak instead of allowing Kel to give in to his carnal instincts.


Her words drew him out of the hazy he found his mind to be in. It slowly cleared as the irritation, frustration and anger slowly dissipated, bring him back to his usual, semi-sane self. He grunted, clearing his throat as she asked about the condition of Jenkins. He barely even spared the sea otter a glance before answering.


“Jenkins? Bahh, he’s fine. Us have survived worse than that. He just walk it off. Don’t yeh’ pay him any mind. He just be tryin’ to get yeh’ to pity him so he can be carried.” He shook his head half impressed; half disgusted at the way the sea otter was able to manipulate people.


“He just be usin’ his cute lil’ face to make yeh’ feel bad fer him. Don’t let it fool yeh’.” The Svefra didn’t know which direction the woman’s house lie but he knew that he didn’t want to stand around anymore. If he couldn’t fight to expend energy then he would at least get some exercise moving through the city. Kel allowed one hand to let go of the trident, arm swinging freely beside him. The trident rested in his other hand, prongs pointing into the air. Jenkins trotted slowly beside him, loyal as ever.


“So what does a woman like yehr’ self do fer fun around here?” He thought back to all the ways he had devised entertainment, normally at the expense of others to keep himself busy. He sighed as he looked down each of the dark alleyways. He was almost hoping someone would jump out and try to mug them just so he would get the thrill of skewering them through. But nothing happened. Even if it did, knowing his luck, he would probably get the blame for it.


“Tis’ a tad annoyin’ how the Akalak be keepin’ these streets so safe. Can’t they just be leavin’ a few thugs around for me teh’ fight?” He scowled, talking to himself more than the woman walking along beside him. His thoughts drifted and his tongue spat out what was on his mind. The lack of a filter usually got him in trouble. But it also allowed for him to hear things from people that others were afraid to ask. This was one of those times. Kel pointed towards the rapier.


“So, yeh’ ever use that thing by yehr’ side? Ever run someone through with it?” To some, it might have seemed like a rude question to ask, causing them to react badly to memories of their first kill. Kel had no time for squeamish people. He liked to know what kind of people he was dealing with. If they weren’t afraid to run someone through, they could be a potentially ally and dependable in combat. But that quality could also make them a threat if things turned south in their relationships. He was intrigued to see how the woman beside him would respond.

Legend

Fratava

Kel's Common

Kel's Thoughts

PC/NPC

[Chandray]

Chandray glanced at Kel. The svefra had seemed to be on the brink of attacking the akalaks, much like an aggressive animal doesn’t need much reason to attack. She thought again about the impressions she had caught when she had sensed at his aura. Wild, was the word that came to her mind. It hadn’t felt like Kel was somebody deliberately set on being evil or so.The svefra seemed simply not tame. She hadn’t thought of this before but now she started to wonder if people too could be said to be tame or wild, just like animals. A weird thing to think, but she thought it. “What I do for fun?” She smiled a bit. “Oh … I … play music. Fiddle. I like to play tunes, in particular when people dance to them.” Her own words made her recall Kel’s dancing at Alements. Overwhelmed by mirth she stopped speaking, looked at him and smiled. Dogs, she continued her thoughts, were eager to make friends, wanted to be accepted and were easy to teach things and liked to sit for rewards. Others, like that horse, Zamora … were harder to deal with, but could be taken charge over. She looked at Jenkins and wondered : what about otters ? Jenkins seemed to follow Kel, but Jenkins was a talvan. So, what about otters in general ? Chandray didn’t know anything about it, but she had never heard about a tame otter. Never. “Jenkins is very cute” she agreed. At this the otter looked at her and seemed to concur. It limped on at Kel’s side. Chandray looked at it’s adorable little face and felt sorry for it…perhaps she ought to carry it, as Kel Tempest didn’t seem to care about the faithful little animal’s health. She’d never had a talvan and would never get one, as she wasn’t svefra, which had been one of the greatest disappointments of her childhood. Now, this man had a talvan, a cute little otter too, but how did he treat it … as she envied him the talvan, she resented how callous he was to it. “If you were my little otter I would be nice to you” she said to Jenkins in the sweet voice people use on children and animals. “I would give you fish and play with you and never ask you to walk on an injured leg. You can come and live with me if it gets too bad.” At this Jenkins seemed to stray away from Kel’s side and move a bit closer to her, or so she wanted to think. She watched it thoughtfully and wondered how much it understood of what people were saying. Looking at Kel again she observed that the svefra had started to hold the trident with only one hand now. She wondered why. He seemed to be at alert and on the lookout for…hard to know what, but it actually seemed like the svefra expected to be attacked by something really dangerous. Or hoped to, maybe, the way he was walking on restlessly, holding the trident and speaking about “running people through”. “I haven’t had reason to run anybody through with my rapier” she said. “Or opportunity” she added, thinking of how efficiently the dhani Rississarajor and her dhani thugs had disarmed her and Stefan Teagan that petched night … there had been reason enough to run somebody through, that night, but no opportunity. But one day she might get both reason and opportunity, she thought. One day, if she found the dhani’s mysterious brother...or if she didn’t find him. Numerous different options came to her mind, all of them unpleasant and dangerous, but she dismissed them again, it was no use spending her energy on thinking of it. She had no idea what was going on among the dhani’s. “It’s not like I would run anybody thought just for the sake of it. But if somebody would try to kill me I would do what I needed to do in order to defend myself. Or I would maybe defend somebody else, against zith or so… I have been told there’s always a risk for zith attacks around Riverfall. Though I have never seen a zith, not in my whole life.” She paused before she continued. “I would also fight to keep what’s mine, if somebody would try to steal something from me. Not saying I would run that one through at all cost, but if it would be a fight … who can tell what would happen.” She had a feeling Kel for one wouldn’t hesitate to do it … he might even want to … the way he spoke was somewhat unnerving, and there had been his tale about enemy thumbs too. But she wasn’t going to just speculate and jump to conclusions, she asked him instead. “And you? You seem to know how to use that trident? Have you ever ...” They were on their way upwards, on stairs and steep streets and would soon reach the main bridge to the other side of Bluevein River. There, Chandray was going to stop and be worried about Jenkins leg again. She would tell Kel she still had a long way left to walk to Northwind Suites at the other side of the city, and she was feeling pity for the cute little limping otter. If Kel wanted to walk on, she would offer to carry his trident for him so he could carry Jenkins …

[Kel Tempest]

The three continued on their way through the streets of Riverfall. Jenkins continued limping through the stone buildings next to Kel who could feel his leg tightening from the excursion. The wound was almost completely healed but it still caused him some discomfort. He wasn’t worried about Jenkins. Kel never let the ailments of his own body keep him from pushing forward. Why would he care about someone else’s body if he didn’t pay any attention to his own?


Svefra could feel the woman’s eyes on him, gauging him, judging him based on his actions and words, or lack thereof. He didn’t mind. Everyone was allowed their opinion. But that didn’t mean he gave two shykes about them. There was a certain freedom given to those who didn’t care about the lives of others or what they thought. It was liberating to have no concerns or worries.


People brought emotional ties. It was unavoidable and those ties were dangerous. When people abandoned or betrayed those close to them, all that is left is pain and heartache. It was best to push people away and protect one’s self from ever being hurt.


Kel’s grit his teeth as he felt anger start to stir from its slumber in his chest. His knuckles turned white under the pressure of his grip on the trident. The memories of the death of his friend and mentor were still too strong. He took the emotions in a vice like grip and buried them as deep as he could inside of himself. They had no place in his life and were not wanted.


He looked at Chandray irritably as she cooed at the small sea creature.


“Stop patronizin’ him. He’s ain’t a pup. He knew what he be gettin’ himself into.” He looked at her coolly. She judged him a terrible person based solely upon the information she had gathered from the past bell as she had watched the two interact. She had no idea what she was talking about. “I told ‘em to stay on teh’ ship before we got injured but he followed me. If he ain’t wanna get hurt, he’d have left a long time ago.”


Kel clicked his tongue against his teeth and Jenkins chattered at Chandray before looking away from her and continued pattering along beside him. Kel had had a total of three friends and one of them had died not two seasons ago. That left two important people in his life, Tydus and Jenkins. He’d be damned if he let some random stranger try and seduce his tavan away. Though it would take more than a few cute words and empty promises to deter the sea otter from abandoning Kel after all they had gone through together.


She began talking about needing reasons for drawing her weapon and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. People had the notion that they needed certain grounds for pulling a blade on another human being. Like it was some kind of massive ordeal if two people had a disagreement and steel was drawn. Kel just shook his head and scoffed.


“People be valuin’ life too highly. If they think life t’was valuable, why they allowin’ others teh’ take it so easily? Yet most ain’t puttin’ any effort into keeping it safe.” Kel spotted the bridge just ahead.


“They assume others wouldn’t steal it from them and so they flaunted it about. Tis’ childish to think they are protected just ‘cuz they thought it was too valuable to steal. But when someone steals what be easy to take, ‘ryone seems teh’ flip out and yehr’ forced to leave town.”


Kel spun his trident around in circle and shook his head in disgust. “Tis’ ridiculous I say. People ain’t thinkin’ things through.” The Svefra sighed as he looked at the bridge that was drawing closer.


“Aye, how much longer till we arrive, eh?”

Legend

Fratava

Kel's Common

Kel's Thoughts

PC/NPC