[Dyres, Warehouse District] What's in a Sword?

[Lorden Ladis]

7th of Spring, 515 AV

Lorden fitted the last strap of his pauldron, undid it, and then fit it back through the buckle, and fastened it once more. With sleep-depraved trepidation in his eyes, Lorden looked down to the floor, where his arming sword still lay stiffly, where he had thrown it last night.

Lorden bit his lip, as his world began to swirl around him. Muffled barking, screaming, and cries of exertion, began to work their way into the shaking ears of tired and sore knight. Finally, the smell of iron began to waft its way into hi-.

Nooo!, the knight clenched his eyes shut and screamed mentally, halting the flashback, before its skeletal hands could reach out from the dark abyss of his mind, and pull him into the visions fully.

"No," he whispered more calmly to himself. The swordsman opened his eyes, and swallow in an attempt to clear his clenching throat. Taking a breath, Lorden took a step towards where steel gleamed against the floor.

I have to patrol. I have to have my sword, he confirmed to himself, with a shaky resolve. Knights didn't take sick days, save in the worst cases. And if he told his superiors, that he was having waking dreams, and hallucinating his sword talking to him? Well, he might not have to worry, about what a knight did or didn't do, after that point.

With the thoughts of expulsion from the Order, whirling viciously in his mind, and driving, if not quite steeling his resolve, Lorden stopped his tired steps. Slowly, the twenty-year old reached down, and halted his reaching hand inches from touching the hilt of his grounded blade.

Gods please, the knight sent a silent plea, to anyone, and anything that might be listening, as his eyes took in the shape of the unassuming blade, that was laying suggestively before him.

Lorden reached down further.

As the knight's hand wrapped around the sword's scarlet hilt, a surge of apprehension shot up his spine.

Yet no corrupting words crept into his ears. And after a few ticks of putting his breathing on hold, still, only silence surrounded him.

What's wrong with me..., he thought, as he unfolded his torso, and tucked the blade he now held, into the black scabbard, that hung at his left side.

There had to be someway to fix whatever was causing his 'affliction'. Some cure had to exist... Maybe it'd go away on its own?

[Lorden Ladis]

7th of Spring, 515 AV

Lorden strolled along the pathed streets of the warehouse District, as Syna burned kindly against the flesh, that surrounded his azure eyes.

The air was warm, but not overly humid, though some slightly-heated water could be felt suspended among the air molecules, that surrounded the knight. The atmosphere of the salt-laden atmosphere, produced a feeling that was somewhat akin to a warm bath, excluding the excessive wetness, of course. Overall, it was an astoundingly beautiful mid-morning day, almost to the point to warrant it being deemed ironic, when compared to Lorden's current state of exhaustion. Though, all in all, the twenty-year old would have preferred the air, to be a bit more chill and crisp. That was not to say, that he wished for the winter to come again, he was done with the damn snow.

The beauty of the city, had done much to quell Lorden's panicking and apprehensive mind. As such, the man's footfalls were now much calmer if still tired and sloppy, than they had been, when he had first departed from his apartment about three quarters of a bell ago.

Walking the winding halls of the Dyres District, and finding his way to the route, that his superiors had handed down to to him, to patrol, had allowed the swordsman considerable time, to settle into a more relaxed-state. Though, his new found calm, was no doubt entirely due to the fact, that he had yet to 'hear' so much as a 'murmur' from the blade, that was now bouncing innocently at his waist.

Lorden took a tired breath.

'Maybe it's over?,' almost immediately after the thought had sprung into his mind, the knight's visage framed something, that was a cross between a wince and a scoff.

He had gone days without hearing the sword before last night. For what little time, that they had been 'happening' to him, the knight knew, that the interruptions of the blade were erratically spaced apart, at best. It didn't make any sense, for the hallucinations, as he was now coming to accept them to be, to simply go away on their own.

As he slowly winded the paths in-between the many large storehouses and businesses, that made up the area of the city, in which he now found himself, the man's awareness began to fade, as he drifted deeper into his thoughts. It felt good, to just be able to relax; nightmares had plagued him after the incident last night, and he was dreadfully tired, not to mention sore from his recent bodybuilding.

In his current daydream-esque state, Lorden only barely managed to notice the dark-haired brunet, that was slowly approaching him.

Is he coming over here?, the knight inquired of himself plainly, as he blinked his eyes, in an attempt to rouse his floating mind.

[Lorden Ladis]

7th of Spring, 515 AV

"Wait...," Lorden trailed his voice off, as he stared questioningly, at the strong oak door, that the brunet beside him, had led him to.

"There's a what in there?," the knight said gesturing to the small warehouse's door.

He's got be on the poppers, Lorden thought, as he tried to conceal his exasperated and questioning thoughts.

"Ser please just look. I'll starve if he eats all my merchandise," the brown-haired merchant said pleadingly, gesturing for Lorden to move inside the storehouse.

The knight made lifted his hands up, and raised his palms up and down in front of himself, as if to say 'calm' down.

"Alright, alright. There's no problem here Sir, I'll take a look," said, before allowing his hands to fall back down to his side.

Shaking his head, Lorden reached out to grab the black iron-caste handle, that was affixed loosely to the warehouse's door. Lorden took a breath, and tilted his head to the side.

"You're really serious then?," he questioned of the merchant, who shot him a annoyed look.

"Yes, yes! I told you twice already. While you're out here, that savage is gnawing on my stocks!," as the brunet, all but shrieked himself into a rage, Lorden rolled his eyes.

Slowly the knight turned back to stare back, at where his hand was wrapped around the door handle.

Lorden honestly didn't know what to think, should he be apprehensive, or holding back laughter? Yet his conflicted state aside, as Lorden's arm flexed to pull back, his left hand fell apprehensively down to the small dagger scabbard, that was affixed to the the larger sword sheath, at his left side.

[Lorden Ladis]

7th of Spring, 515 AV

Lorden looked on cautiously, into the musty torch-lite warehouse. All the while, he tried not to raise an eyebrow.

Rows upon rows, of thin wooden shelving, dotted the plank floor of the spacious storeroom. Upon said shelves, sat a uncountable number of yellow roundels, some of which, could easily be seen to be molding. Lorden could honestly say, that he had never seen so much cheese in one place.

Perceived hilarity of the scene aside, the knight found his heart beginning to beat less-than-steadily, as he glanced about. The twenty-year old could see no humanoid forms.

Lorden clenched his jaw, and titled his head back slightly, to the merchant; all the while, he made sure to keep one eye, on the inside of the warehouse.

"Where did you say, that you saw him?," the knight whispered quietly, the merchant, that was now just outside the door.

"'It', was at the back of the warehouse. Probably scurried off though...," the brunet said, with a twang of disgust plain in his voice.

Alright, no help from you then..., Lorden thought as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Alright. Stay out there, and run and find another knight, if I'm not the one, who comes back through this door," the twenty-year old warned quietly and abruptly, as he inched the door, that was between him and the brunet closed.

The knight shook his head, as he turned back to face the shelves of cheese.

Couldn't he be a bit more helpful?, Lorden thought, as he reached over his torso, and drew his dagger from his left side.

The man noted the wafting smell of cured milk, that entered into his nostrils, less than-gracefully, as he lifted his left leg, to take a trepidation-filled first step.

Warehouse :

[Lorden Ladis]

7th of Spring, 515 AV

Lorden slowly halted his feet, causing the wood-plant to squeak nervously under his weight.

'For the love of Sylir,' the knight thought, as he turned his head, to face the area, from where a ruffling sound emanated.

Slowly, Lorden came to a quiet stop in between one of the many rows of foodstuff-stocked-shelves, that was butted up side to side, throughout the warehouse. The swordsman took a breath, as he leaned his face in, to gaze through the the nearest un-backed portion of a shelf.

Good gods, he wasn't lying, Lorden mused to himself, still unsure of what he was seeing, even as he looked on at it.

Shaking his head, and taking a tarried, and purposefully silent breath, the twenty-year old turned away from the shelf, that was to his left. With meaning in his step, Lorden once more began to trot quickly down the isle in front of him.

As Lorden rounded the point in which the isle ended, he quickly whirled, to step into the next shelf-lane.

The knight slowed himself, and came to a quick stop, in front of a wiry nude form.

"Put down the cheese, Sir, and just come with me. Nothing unfortunate needs to happen, to either of us," the knight declared tiredly, as he brought his dagger point out in front of himself inexpertly.

[Lorden Ladis]

7th of Spring, 515 AV

Lorden's face shifted into a tired questioning glance, as the bare-skinned man in front of him looked up slowly, and removed his teeth from a molded piece of cheese.

What the petch is Syliras coming to...?, Lorden thought, before squeezing his hand tighter around the minuscule blade, that he held outwards with his right hand.

"Well, what did I do this time?," a voice of feigned innocence, muffled by half-chewed food, reached the knight's ears, as he pondered just what in the Hai the suspect in front of him, must be thinking.

Lorden raised an eyebrow, and shuffled his feet a bit worriedly. Was he dealing with a madman?

"We both know that cheese isn't yours!," Lorden felt a creeping suspicious that he should laugh at his own words, but something just wouldn't let him. Perhaps it was the gloomy ambiance of the torchlight, that permeated the warehouse?

Lorden took a breath.

"Listen. Just put the food down, and come with me. You have nowhere to run. And it wouldn't we hard to find you if you did," the twenty-year old gestured to the man's unclothed private area, with his dagger, as he spoke.

The naked black-haired man before him, made something between a smile and a sneer, in reply.

"What, was that supposed to be a poke at me then?," the lanky male said.

'A poke at you? Hai yes, you're naked, and eating stolen cheese in public. I'll poke at ye' all I want', Lorden thought to himself.

The knight brushed his unprofessional thoughts off, and swallowed.

"You're coming with me, whether it be one way, or the other, Lorden said, as he took a step towards the man. As he spoke, the knight rotated to reach his right arm out in front of him, rather than his dagger-wielding left.

"Now let's g-," Lorden was cut off, as an unexpected and surprisingly soft force, collided with his shocked visage.

The knight stumbled back, as the cheese wheel fell from his face.

'Petch', Lorden thought, as his searching eyes, shot up to catch the sight of an unclothed bum scurrying away quickly down the isle.

Swallowing, the swordsman reasserted his footing, and planted his right foot solidly behind himself.

'Tyveth give me your speed!', the knight thought, as he kicked off, and lunged himself forward.

[Lorden Ladis]

7th of Spring, 515 AV

Lorden collided heavily with the naked form, of the black haired man, and wrapped his arms inexpertly around him, as he did. Fighting against the stunned thief, the young swordsman brought his arms up, to form a hold around the man's neck inexpertly.

The man was surprisingly nimble, the knight noted as they struggled, and nearly impossible to keep a hold on. Yet, nevertheless, Lorden just barely kept a novice-level vice-grip on him. Swallowing, the knight began to speak once more.

"Just give in, you petching idiot!," the twenty-year old all but shrieked, as he struggled to keep his hold, on his captive.

The thief shifted his chin, down under Lorden's arm, as the knight spoke.

"I'm not the damn idiot!," the man yelled back, before driving his gnarled teeth deep into his captor's bicep.

Pain flooded through the knight's arm.

"Argh!," Lorden screamed in pain, as the thin man seized upon his surprise and agony, and removed himself from the knight's grasp.

Angrily, Lorden began to swing his left hand wildly up from his side. But it was too late, the thief had already spun around, and had ticks earlier brought his own fist to collide with the knight's visage.

Still, the black-haired man was hardly done pressing his advantage. As his fist collided with Lorden's face, it quickly slipped from the knight's visage, to grasp down to his shoulder. The nude male, rotated his legs, and spun and slammed Lorden's dazed body, into a nearby cheese covered shelf.

Anger flooded up Lorden's spine, as his head collided, with the thin wood, that lined the isle. Angry, but unwilling to kill, the knight couldn't help but drop the dagger he held, as the thief began to pull away from him. Taking a steeled breath, Lorden grabbed the black-haired man's arm, as it dragged away from him through the air.

Lorden wrapped his fingers around the thief's wrist, and locked his eyes, with the surprised orbs of his attacker, as if to say 'what now'.

But it was Lorden's own eyes that dilated, as a cacophony of grey and blue lights assailed them a tick later, and he found his hand grasping nothing but formless air.

[Lorden Ladis]

7th of Spring, 515 AV

Lorden's eyes went wide, and his heart skipped multiple beats, all in one tick, at the sight of the glowing colors before him.

Almost without thinking, the knight shot his hand down to rest on the pommel, of his arming sword. Instantly, he regretted the action.

"Draw me Lorden," the weapon prodded inaudibly, in a almost-malevolent, whispering tone

With his entire wold beginning to spin, and his lungs screaming and heaving with his surprise, Lorden's eye followed the glow of spiraling colors, as they dropped down to the floor.

The last thing the knight saw, before everything went black, was the sight of a small black rat scurrying away from his feet.

...

The twenty-year old watched, as his hand drug a cloth routinely, along the long blade of his arming sword.

Lorden blinked.

Where am I?, the knight questioned himself, as he lifted his head up.

Lorden's blue eyes were met, with the sight of an eerily familiar small room; there was bodybuilding equipment in the south-west corner, and he could feel a semi-soft bed resting underneath his bum.

But... How did I get home?, the swordsman mused worriedly; but as a thought drove itself into his mind, he dropped his thoughts, and quickly threw his gaze back down, to the sword that he now held in his left hand.

Lorden's heart slowed in relief, as his blue orbs met nothing but the sight of a clean sword.

The knight took a breath.

Just my imagination..., the swordsman thought as he exhaled.

Lorden moved his hand up, to continue cleaning his arming sword. He needed something routine, to calm his nerves, and help him figure out what had happened.

As his non-dominant hand drifted up, the sight of the blood that drenched the rag that it held, caused Lorden's eyes to dilate.

What have I done...?, the knight thought to himself weakly.

What don't I remember?!

[Marrick Corvis]

Grades Cucaw tuki tuki

OOC: I’m going to give you two options here. You have two possible scenario outcomes.

Scenario 1 - This Happenned

Skills Earned

Observation	+1xp
Land Navigation	+3xp
Investigation	+1xp
Wrestling	+1xp
Unarmed combat	+1xp

Lore Learned
Combat Lore: Cheese to the face hurts
Combat Lore: Fighting a Kelvic

Shield Points - 0sp

Consequences- Your Episode with the Kelvic in the warehouse has members of the order, and the common folk questioning your capability as a Knight. Some have even suggested you be investigated. However as there is no body. There is no crime apart from damage to a warehouse that the Knights own anyway. No one knows what happened least of all you.

The Order is questioning your effectiveness and your concerned for your sanity.

Scenario two - It was a dream.
Skills Earned

Weapon Maintinence

+2

Lore Learned
Personal Lore: I'm losing it

+0 Shield Points

Notes: As this thread arrives at such an ambiguous situation. I've PMed Nightmare about it. Be prepared for potential changes.