Closed Weapons, Blades and Treachery...Oh My! [Nickolai]

[Kel Tempest]

38th of Summer in the Year 514 AV

Shiny bits of glass, worn smooth by endless waves and sand crunched underfoot as the Svefra strode across the reflective beach. Syna reached her delicate fingertips down towards the form, caressing his face with tendrils of heat, causing him to shift uncomfortably in his leather jacket.


Kel had discovered the hard way that Kenash did not allow foreigners to carry weapons, something he thought to be absolutely ridiculous. So he opted for the next best thing: he ignored it. He knew better than to bring his trident, it was too conspicuous but he’d be petched if he didn’t have a few weapons on him. Kel felt the large kukri blade pressed up against his lower back, secured by his black sash, concealed under his jacket.


Along with his curved blade, he wore his spring loaded bladed boots he had looted from a man he had killed the previous season. He still felt uncomfortable without his trident on hand but it was better than getting in trouble for carrying it and being thrown into slavery. He had been outlawed from one city already; he didn’t feel the need to make a habit out of it.


Kel picked his way across the beach until the shards of glass turned to grass and then abruptly into cobblestone. He crossed his arms and grunted, casting his gaze around the crowded street. The city was humming with activity, a large stream of bodies moving down the road, people of all ethnicities and status going about their business.


“Ready to make your mark on this petchin’ place, Jenkins?”


The Svefra looked down towards his feet. A small, furry sea otter sat quietly beside him. At the sound of his voice, the tavan tilted his head up at him quizzically.


He chittered, whiskers twitching.


“No, I don’t mean pee on all the buildings. What are you, a dog?”


Kel snorted and shook his head. He watched as the people milled about, noticing the drastic difference in certain peoples clothing. It varied from plain, bland colors to bright, vibrant materials. There was a certain air the people wearing their finery possessed about them, one that caused the Svefra to roll his eyes.


It wasn’t too hard to figure out who held the power in Kenash.


But that wasn’t why he was here. Kel grunted again and began making his way through the crowd of bodies, not bothering to attempt to dodge people that streamed towards him. He shoulder checked a few unhappy individuals, earning seething looks. A few of them called out angrily, but he didn’t give them a second glance. His only response was to make an obscene gesture in their direction and continue down the street, his confident swagger evident in his stride.


The wind changed as he strode through the streets, matching the scorn of the Dynasties with the arrogance of a Svefra, the smell of horse manure eventually reaching his nose as he made his way through the unfamiliar city. It caused him to wrinkle his nose in distaste. A stable of some kind stood just down the way, connected to a massive structureThe Travelers Complex that sat directly in front of the large plaza. Kel cocked an eyebrow up at the extravagant building before looking down at Jenkins.


“Well, what’da ya say? Wanna check it out? Might be somethin' interestin' in this god forsaken place.”


Jenkins ruffled his fur in response and the two set off towards the imposing construction, eager to see what kind of trouble awaited them.

[Nickolai Marin]

Although he had been within the City of Decadence for weeks now, there was still a long way to go before the young prowler could call himself used to the place. Day after day, he observed the city and its people from the shadows; casing establishments and homes for possible "ventures". However, the more he watched, the more the sights and sounds turned his stomach. Kenash was leagues different than all the cities that he had previously resided in...and never before had he seen such emphasis placed on differences in wealth. What's more, never before had he seen such rampant slavery. Sure, Sunberth and Ravok had their fair shares of forced servitude, but never had they been the literal lifeblood of the cities. Unfortunately, this was the case for Kenash...

And Nickolai absolutely detested it.

Of course, there was next to nothing that he could do about it...aside from stealing as often as he possibly could. This is what brought him to the Traveler's Complex at present, for it had been awhile since he had pilfered a pocket or purse. As such, he decided to visit the establishment he had stayed within upon first coming to the city. Stepping lively upon the cobbled road, Nickolai's brief voyage from the Terraces concluded with his shoving open the sidemost door to the Complex. Once within, he was greeted with the hustle and bustle of those within: primarily drunks who had come for the first tankard of the day. Being that the young prowler was far from a regular, he felt as though he would blend in with the common rabble.

After all, he made every effort to be just another face in a crowd: easily forgotten.

Striding forward with confidence, Nickolai made his way towards the main counter and seated himself upon one of the stools. He was not greeted nor waited upon instantly, which was perfectly fine with him. This afforded him the opportunity to scope out the total sum of windows and doors...in addition to the number of staff. He needed a rough estimate on these particular numbers if he was to successfully break into the Complex and walk out with pockets full of mizas. Resting his elbows upon the countertop, Nickolai allowed his eyes to sweep back and forth whilst his lips silently formed numbers. "One...Two...Three...Four doors..."
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[Kel Tempest]

The double doors slammed against the wall, announcing the Svefra’s presence into the Complex. He wasn’t expecting the vast enormity the building offered as he strode through the corridor that eventually took him into the courtyard. People milled everywhere, storefronts lined with wares. The noise bounced off the cobblestone ground and walls, assaulting the Svefra’s ears.


It seemed he traded one commotion for another.


Kel swaggered through the mass of bodies, ignoring the people, scanning the storefronts for something to catch his eye. It’d be a long time in coming since his last swig of ale. And it was about blast time he got some in his system.


Finally, after trying to spot a tavern of some kind and growing irritated with his lack of success, Kel clamped a hand down on a passing man’s shoulder, whirling him around rudely. The plainly dressed man jerked back slightly, a look of shocked outrage appearing on his face.


“Who do yo-“


Kel growled loudly, baring his teeth as he glared balefully at the man. The anger quickly drained from the man’s face as the imposing figure stood in front of him, freezing the words in his mouth. He looked around slightly nervous at the sea of people around him, probably hoping someone would notice the exchange and interject.


But the annoyed Svefra was in no mood to play games.


“Shut yehr’ trap. I just need teh’ be knowin’ where I can be gettin’ me some ale.”


The visitor trembled slightly but spoke coolly, pointing across the courtyard.


“Just in there. Should be a small bar, cheap boozes. Cheap enough for,” the man looked Kel up and down sniffing slightly, “your kind.”


Kel growled again, eyes flashing but letting it go. He released his grip and shoulder checked him hard as he passed wordlessly by. The man grunted in surprise as Kel knocked into him, causing him to reel back and muttered angrily, watching the black haired Svefra stalk across the courtyard into the lounge.


Irritation stamped clearly across his face, Kel made his way into the room, blazing a trail towards the bar and slammed his hands down onto the counter. He called out towards the man tending the back.


“Aye! Parched Svefra be needin’ a drink over 'er!”


Kel glowered, drumming his fingers on the bar loudly. He didn’t even know why he was so irritated. A new town, unknown territory, people thinking they were better than him all seemed to pile up. And the lack of blasted ale seemed to be the cherry on top.


Maybe if he got a few drinks in his system, he could calm down.


A few chimes later, the Svefra had a cold brew in his hands and contentment in his belly.


Maybe Kenash wouldn’t be so bad after all.

[Nickolai Marin]

'Twas the slam of the Complex's door that drew the wandering eyes of the young larcenist. Although there was a moderate din which characterized the establishment, the sudden and strong closure of the door was enough to grasp Nickolai's attention. Turning ever so slightly, he watched the entrance of the Svefra and followed his progress from the door to the bar. There, the stranger's voyage came to an end...but not before he slammed his palms upon the table. It was quite apparent to the young larcenist that this individual was not the "gentleman" sort; not that Nickolai especially cared one way or another. Righting himself upon the stool, Nickolai only watched as the bartender made his way to the back and inquired as to what the man would have to drink.

In truth, there was a small portion of pity that played within the larcenist's eyes; for there was no reason that the bartender should have to deal with such a customer. Alas, at least he was getting paid to do so. Shrugging to himself, Nickolai resumed his "casing" of the Complex by turning his head away from the bartender and his new customer. This time, he placed his attention upon the number of individuals who were obviously workers at this "fine" establishment. First, he looked to back in order to see who all was working there...and came up with a total of three; bartender included. Next, Nickolai discreetly turned in his stool and casually leaned his back against the counter. To any passerby, he would have seemed to simply have been relaxing whilst awaiting a drink...and not scoping out a potential target.

At this point, Nickolai swept his eyes across the whole of the Complex's crowd. While there were a number of drunken patrons whose appearance drew his initial attention, his focus was upon those standing and moving about. There were a couple patrons shuffling to and fro, but there were also waitresses bearing trays. These were either laden with tankards of fresh beverage or empty; with each denoting a member of the Complex's staff. Once more, Nickolai began to silently count to himself whilst making a mental note to include an additional five to the resulting sum. This way, by gross overestimation, he would be over-prepared as opposed to the latter. Once complete, the young larcenist decided to add a touch of believability to his presence in the Complex...and so he attempted to socialize with the nearest patron.

The Svefra.

"Greetings." he said with a nod of acknowledgement, "How do you fare today?"

OOCMany apologies for the delay in response.
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