[Li Mauta] Unwanted Tasks [Sondra]

[Markus Andres]

PermissionPermission to post in the Winter season granted by Dusk Timestamp: Mid-winter 510 AV. "Markus bring this carcass to the crematorium. Markus, stop puking in the corner. Markus get this burnt before it spreads diseases. Markus... Markus... Markus..." The young squire whispered as he carried the crate with a large dog carcass inside. His master had told him the dog had been dead for a little over a week. By the smell of it, Markus would have guessed it had been dead for over a year. Markus was a bit amazed that the rotting carcass had managed to remain hidden in a busy city like Syliras. That was quite an amazing feat. Markus and his master had been walking through the city together when a citizen had made them aware of the stench coming from a crate stoved into one of the darker corners of the city-fortress. Their discovery had been appalling. Especially to Markus who it brought back some darker memories. Which had been the cause of his vomit too. He had shortly visited a well to get his mouth washed and rinsed before continuing towards the Li Mauta. Markus had never been there before and he had always hoped to only go there once. When he himself was getting cremated. He understood the need for cremation. The logical and practical need. He just didn't like the idea of leaving nothing but ashed behind. Markus was deep in those thoughts when he made it to the warehouse storing the Li Mauta. He paused for a moment before bravely walking into the place. Quickly adjusting to the difference in lighting and heat. Looking for someone who knew what was going on and what to do with the rotting corpse. "Hey you!" Markus called out to the first person he saw moving. Walking towards the ... girl ... Konti ... Markus almost dropped the crate in surprise. What was a Konti doing at a place like that? Was the last place he would expect to find a Konti. But he quickly gathered his thoughts. Especially because the stench of the dead dog reminded him of his task. He moved to intercept the konti. "Hey, do you work here!?" Markus asked the konti. Not feeling in the mood for his usual niceness.

[Sondra]

OOCLol, Markus, Markus, Markus...! The Konti breezed past Markus, sliding her dun-colored coat over gray shoulders. Her nails were darkened by soot and the edges of her non-descript clothes were singed. She looked little like the pale swans Markus might associate with the race. “Yeah, Mister, but sorry, I’m on my way out.” Dinner wasn’t going to make itself, and she was already a bell overdue. She hated the idea of Kendall and Cathan mooning about, hungry, even if it was unlikely. Whatever was in that box was rank and heavy. Taking on a new task like that would keep her too long. She briefly considered Markus while she fumbled for gloves in her pockets. A knight sort by the looks of it, uptight and self -important. No wonder he talked to her like a scullery maid. She wished she could buy these men for what they were worth and sell them for what they thought they were worth. “Benoit is busy right now, but he’ll be up.” She doubled back to peer in the crate. Unable to help herself, the Konti smirked at the corpse. “Something tells me Poochie there isn’t in a hurry.”

[Markus Andres]

The konti's dismissal of him annoyed Markus. He would do much in the name of duty, but spending any more time with a week old dog carcass was stretching it to the breaking limit. Markus wasn't going to spend his evening waiting for some damn undead to show up and take care of the carcass either, he had to prepare for leaving for the mines. Markus grumbled and looked mighty angrily at the Konti as he stretched to his full height, towering over the Konti. "That might be, but I expect you to do your job and get this 'poochie' burnt before half the city gets infected with whatever snuffed the light out of poochie." Markus said. His voice having lost the usual friendly edge and his dark green eyes glaring holes into the konti. The whole business with Airil back in Fall didn't lighten the young squires mood regarding dealing with Kontis either. Normally, they would get more respect out of him. But it had been a long day of training and poochie wasn't making it better. "So, what do you say to taking care of this now?"

[Sondra]

Despite the height difference of about a head, the Konti didn’t budge at Markus’s impressive glowering. “Oh gee, Mister Knight, when you ask all vagik-like, I feel all warm and soft inside.” Sondra wrapped her coat tighter and headed for the exit. “I know you want to hurry home to shine your ass-plate but I’ve got people waiting on me. I’ll pray the plague doesn’t breakout in your five chimes of waiting.” One… two… three… It was the fourth step when Sondra felt a spectral shepherd’s crook around her neck. Her sixth sense began an unpleasant tune: this Knight was rooted in what miracle brought her here. The Konti turned back slowly with a look of half despair, like she was meeting an ugly betrothed for the first time. She said nothing, but dismally removed her coat and gloves, letting them fall sloppily on a table. Pulling her hair up with a cord, she approached the corpse. Her soot-clouded skin couldn’t dampen the brilliance of her gnosis marks: blue fire slithering over her clavicle to the nape of her neck and the edge of a luminous purple and black seer’s lily over her collar. “Help me move the box.” Whether Markus helped or not, Sondra began to heft the box towards the prep table near one of the furnaces. Though the hellish mouth of the furnace was shut, the heat was uncomfortable. With an eerie efficiency, Sondra slid the dog’s body onto the stained table. Reaching under the table, she pulled out one of the tools of the trade: pliers. Her nose wrinkled slightly as she opened what was left of the dog’s mouth, but hesitation stopped there. Wielding the pliers, she began to pull out the dog’s incisors and drop them in a tiny dish.

[Markus Andres]

Markus felt his body tremble in rage as the rude Konti just walked right past him. He was fighting a losing battle right there and then. Feeling the ol' feeling of blood lust wash away his righteous morals and ethics. His high ideals of a proper life, going down the well. His fists white from clenching the box so hard that he swore he could hear the wood splinter underneath his fingers. What saved the Konti there and then, was that call of hers that made her change her mind, but Markus had no idea about that, he just figured some common sense had entered the mind of the Konti and he let an arrogant self-important grin creep across his lips. The desire to kick the Konti in the face subsided and he, despite his apparent superiority to the Konti, helped her carry the box to the table. When she had pulled the dog out on the table, Markus took away the box. This was where his so-called superiority shell cracked. He saw the pliers. He saw the pliers be put to efficient use. He saw a past he had buried deeply within him and he felt his stomach turn and churn. Markus looked away, but the sound alone was enough. Coupled with the smell, it was too much. Markus felt his midsection explode in pain as it sent out a very very strong burst of vile vomit into the box he was holding. Saving the Konti from being splashed by what remained of his lunch. Markus breath became quicker and swallow. Which made it much worse as the stench of the dog provoked another violent reaction. Markus emptied bile fluids into the box. He spat once, then twice. Before quickly back tracking to the exit. Still holding the box, which seemed quite effective at keeping the fluids from going everywhere. "Get me... *gulp* when you're done!" And with that Markus left the warehouse and the infernal stench of the rotting flesh. The grisly sight. It almost made him hurl again. But the somewhat fresher air outside the Li Mauta saved him. The quick retreat had been a sound idea. But why had he told her to get him? Why didn't he just get out of there right away. He had done his job, deliver the carcass. Done and done. But something compelled the young squire to stay. He placed his back up against the wall and slumped down the side. The box by his side, ready in case his stomach decided to rebel on him again. He would wait in that position until the Konti was done with her... Business.

[Sondra]

Sondra had reached a rather high threshold when it came to upsetting images. When you saw your first murder at eight, one had to either adapt or snap. While she couldn’t say nothing shocked her, she had purged most of her physical reactions before fifteen. So it was with mingled confusion and fascination she watched the knight lose his lunch, not once but twice. Thankfully, it was in the box and not on her work-station. Part of her felt smug, he had been a bit of an ass. However, she could now understand why he had been in such a hurry to be rid of the dog. The Knight was a bit of a delicate flower when it came to corpses. Or maybe it was the other way around, he was a shade of normal and the Konti had an especial apathy. Sondra watched him flee for the door, the pliers mid pull. “Get me…” he struggled, “When you’re done.” The Konti smiled, “Sure thing, boss.” He was sticking around, but Sondra wondered if he even knew why. In his hunched abjection, Markus eventually felt a light kick from the toe of a boot. The Konti’s gloved hand was shaking a flask at him. For once, the flask was full of water. The Lady’s warning had kept her moderately sober lately. “Oy, take some. Don’t worry,” she encouraged, “It’s just water.” Sondra eyed the box with a slightly curdled expression. “Lady-Lis, didn’t expect that sort of a reaction from a sturdy Knight,” the Konti was obviously enjoying this. She shrugged, “Hopefully the insides of a person don’t bother you much. But maybe people killed by Knights just bleed honor and shyke flowers.” Extending a hand to help him up, she made some amends, “Now I’m just being cruel. Come along, let’s get you some broth or something. It seems you’ve had one of those days.”

[Markus Andres]

Markus had spat the most of the remaining chunks into the very disgusting box. First with a carcass, and now Markus' breakfast and lunch. He wondered if the rude Konti had a place for the box. Or if he would have to go search for a place to dispose of that too. That was when he felt the tip of a boot nudge him. Markus bit down hard. Fighting back the urge to backhand who ever was standing behind him. With his anger dulled, momentarily, Markus turned around and saw the Konti holding out a flash with a clear liquid inside. Markus wasn't sure if he hoped it was water or alcohol. If it had been alcohol he might drink the disturbing images away. And dull his sense of smell. But he happily accepted the flash and poured some in his mouth. Then spitting it out into the box. Washing the bad taste out of his mouth. Then he drank some of the water. Listening to her expectations of knights and what not. She was much like a direct opposite of Tolby. But he supposed for every Tolby, there was a disgruntled working woman with too much of an ego. But still he accepted her hand and pulled himself up. "If only you knew..." Markus said silently to her observation, of it being one of those days. Markus considered if he should really go with the woman. Or if he should just split with the rude woman then and there. But something compelled him to stay. Perhaps it was something divine, or perhaps it was because he was a boy and she was of the opposite gender. "Thanks for the water... hey, before we get some ... broth. Do you guys have a place I can stash this box. I'd hate to leave it for the next person coming by. And if it is alright with you, I would also prefer not carrying it around... Since... It stinks."

[Sondra]

Sondra scrunched her face at the mention of Markus’s box. “Uh, yes. We can throw it in the furnace. It’s a mighty powerful fire. Takes a lot to burn a body.” She began a professional tangent, “They even move about when the muscles start to burn. Strangest thing.” Stopping herself Sondra jerked her head towards the entrance to Li Matua. “Carry your own box, for now. I’ll open the furnace and push it in.” She wished she hadn’t put on her coat and gloves, only to be forced to remove them again. Inside the Crematorium, Sondra did as promised, leading Markus back into where the furnaces were. The area was cleaner than earlier, but some stains would never leave. When the time came to dispose of the box, Sondra pushed it into the hungry blaze. She didn’t use tools and seemed un-impressed by the heat, even reaching her bare arms into the furnace to adjust the remnants. She gave a grunt of satisfaction as the fire shriveled the wood and its contents were evaporated and forgotten. “I’ve got to go to the bazaar tonight to get some food for the folks staying with me.” She announced as she put her gloves on again. “Let’s get something there. I’m starving.” The Konti was not excessively pleasant, but Markus could tell she was trying to squash her misgivings. Sondra wanted to get a character sketch of the fellow fate had seen fit to draw her toward before announcing how he was pivotal in some personal call. Talking about a mystic destiny was a quick way to end a conversation, or start one with a crazy person. “So what’s it like being one of Syliras’s upright forces?”

[Markus Andres]

Markus really wished he hadn't listened to the Konti's words. He offered her no verbal response as he pictured the limbs thrashing around in the furnace. That would be his future. Markus forced the bile to stay in his stomach this time. Not wanting to give the Konti any more ammunition for her constant ridicule. He followed her inside and gave her no reaction to the stains or smells. Mainly because he was making sure not to look away from the Konti and ever more importantly, he had no taken a single breath since entering the crematorium again. It was a childish method, but it was the only one he could think of, and by the time they reached the furnaces, Markus' lungs were screaming for air. He handed her the box and watched as she put her hands into the furnace. Markus eyed the konti suspiciously. It seemed every time he ran into a Konti, they opened a thousand questions about their race. Were they also fireproof? No that didn't make any sense. Magician? God marked? Or simply insane? ... Her hand came out unscathed, that ruled out the insanity - sort of. With her exclamation to get something to eat, Markus finally responded. "I bet you work up an appetite working at a crematorium." Markus said with a gruffness in his voice but gave her a nod of understanding/agreement. He turned to leave the place and head for the bazaar. Hearing her question, he couldn't help wondering if she had meant to say uptight, rather than upright, but he gave her the benefit of the doubt. "I wouldn't know." Markus answered truthfully. "I haven't gone on my knighting quest yet." Markus clarified. "But the life of a squire, is glamorous, as you might have noticed." Markus said with a glint in his eyes. "Now that we are asking questions; are all Kontis fireproof? Or is it only the cheeky ones?"

[Sondra]

Sondra grinned at Markus's admission to being a squire. She almost seemed to like him more knowing he was at the bottom of the hill. "All of us fireproof? No, only the ones Ivak takes a passing fancy for," she tugged on her collar showing more of the curling blue flames that formed her gnosis. "You can see I put the gift towards glamorous purposes." Her smile lacked joy, but there was a spark of humor to it. "Your detail does seem shykey, Markus, but think of all the control and prestige you will one day have. I'm sure that is some sort of balm. Just think, in two years time, you could command urchins to lick your boots with impunity." Sondra made a point to ease off the Knights for a bit. It was her own fear showing through, the centralized, unquestioned authority made her nervous. Especially since she could recite several reasons they would take issue with her, and several occasions she was glad they weren't around. They came to Li Matua, taking all the rich leftovers for their coffers, and it was her peril should she even look at a bit of loot too long. "And yes, it's hunger inducing work, once you get over the smells. But I now feel invulnerable to common gore," specialized gore was a whole different case. "But I doubt my housemates appreciate the perfume I drag home with me. One's a Kelvic, so he's pretty stalwart, but the other, bless his heart, is a bit too pristine." Most people would call this conversation, but to Sondra, it felt like rambling. "Sate my rampant curiosity, Markus, why do you want to be a Knight apart from the obvious perks? You got some grand story that makes ladies swoon and men envious?" She was going to feel him out some more before terrifying him with news about the call.