:::The World of Ardras::: (Walk-In RP, Sandbox World)

[Isabella Galanodel]

((It's been quite a while since I have forum RP'ed, so please bear with me. ;3))


It was heavily raining, a gale of thunder would ring out every few seconds it was quite the storm that raged overhead. Despite this however, Isabella Galanodel would appear dry to anyone that saw her strolling down the street. With her lavender skin she was quite the unusual beauty. Her long black hair hung past her shoulders and curled slightly at the tips, she had bangs that covered one of her emerald eyes. She wore a beautiful white dress that sparkled as if it was covered in diamonds despite the sun not being out at the time. Bracelets that matched her dress adorned both slender wrists. To most that would glaze upon her would believe her to just be a small child that was dressing up in her mother's clothing and jewelry. Only those that took in her elongated pointed ears and her slender graceful frame would realize she was from the elven kind, a moon elf to be exact. It would only be an even more rare type of person that would know who exactly she was being so far from home.

Brushing her bangs from her eyes, she laid her other hand on the handle of a door and gave a slight twist before pushing the door open. Isabella slipped inside as silent as a mouse, not even her heeled shoes making a sound. Scanning the room that was laid out before her, she gave a slight nod to herself as if answering some silent question. Approaching the bar, she gave a smile to the robust innkeeper that was in front of her before taking a seat. When asked what she would have, she gave a small chuckle to herself more then to him before answering, "I doubt you would serve me what I would request." The innkeeper gave a shrug and turned back to wiping down the bar counter muttering under his breath about the 'odd ones' that seem to find the inn. Settling into her seat, she scanned the room once again looking for something to occupy her time until the one she was waiting for showed up.

[Isabella Galanodel]

((This is the closest thing I have to art of Bella, at least with her being dressed....

]


Feel free to reply at anytime, I'll get back to you even if it's the next day.))

[Isabella Galanodel]

Hours had passed by since the young elven maiden had came to the Inn, she was still sitting at the bar sipping on a glass of fine wine. Standing up with a huff, her tail started to swish back and forth much like an angry cat's, she pulled out a gold coin more then enough to pay for her drinks and tossed it onto the counter. Isabella was not a woman to be trifled with and standing her up was quite a no-no. Without a look back she headed for the door, once again as silent as a mouse on Christmas Eve.

It wouldn't be until sometime later that the young woman would pause and glance about her surroundings. She was no where even near a town now, on some dirt road at that. It would be likely that she had passed people on the dirt road, but she was lost in her thoughts for most of her walk. Isabella had to wonder just how long she had been walking and where she was at now. Titling her head to the side, her long ears began to twitch as they picked up the faint sounds of people talking. With a faint nod to herself, she kept walking in that direction. Not that she was looking to ask someone where she was, she would rather be lost forever then do that.

A short time later the young elf would finally come across the people that had been speaking, she would give them a curious glance and come to a pause. The young man had just entered the house as she came within sight of the woman and children. Bella couldn't say just why she was stopping, but something had grabbed her interest about them. With her obviously fine clothing, she would likely stand out against them and possibly be mistaken for royalty or some such.

[FallenArk]

Malina stood, watching the fire burn large and hot on the beach. She quietly stole away back into the cave she had been living in and came back out quickly with a severed arm. She threw it in the fire and watched intently as it popped and bubbled and became charred in the fire. It had been a few months since she had destroyed her longtime captors. She found this cave outside the town of Callas a few weeks ago and found that it was easier to gather victims. With the tales of sea-nymphs all she had to do was float out in the water and lure in her victims.

"It seems they are finally starting to catch on though," she growled to herself as looked up the beach at the group of people heading toward her cave. Without a second look she turned quickly to disappear into the dark mouth. Malina may have been insane but she still knew when she would be outmatched.

"If they follow me in though..." she couldn't help the dark grin that spread across her face as she slunk past her latest victim and into the caves dark tunnels with the crowd coming up on it's mouth.

[CosmicSpellcaster]

~MOMO~
"All sunshine makes a desert"

Momo had prepared herself a dinner of a stew, a blissful mixture of regional spices with veggies and some slices of fish. Rain patterned agianst the roof of her little house. It contained a living space down stairs and a medium sized bedroom up stairs. This home was only temporary, since Momo often traveled at this time of year. In fact, she was trying to decide where she would like to go this year. Everything except Chillrend was open as a possibility (Momo never went to Chillrend because of the cold). She sat by a burning fire place thinking of a poem, particularly a haiku.

She could sense the presence of visitors to the region in her veins. She began to wonder what they could be like and if she would ever meet one.

Theme Song

[HanoMayonaka]

Argan settled his bag and sword by the door, and slipped off his boots.
"Thanks again. Is there any way I can help around the house?" he asked.

"Oh, well actually..." the woman started, with a clever, tired mother's smirk, "we had just finished dinner, so there are some dishes to be done. And as soon as it cools, we can share some of my spiced apple pie. I made plenty."

"Of course," Argan said with a smile to match the mother's, "a little hard work never bothered me."
He grimaced a little inside, the cool water beat the hard rocks of the Dryland mines. He let the refreshing liquid moisten his palms as he set to the task.

He lowered his gaze out the window, the sun had now set, and night was crawling across the sky. Down the road, he could see the first few torches and streetlamps being lit in the town far away. He could make out a some figures walking down the cobbled path.

---------------------------------

The last bowel had been cleaned, as he stacked it with the others. As he turned, the little boy was there at his feet. He was staring up at him noiselessly, his finger in his mouth. The questions he must have had floating through his head, the sword, his dusty aroma, where he came from, the world past the looming Aryglyph mountains, he envied the boy.

"Oh I'm sorry, don't mind him," the daughter came and rested her hands on his shoulders, she seemed more mature for her age, about 11 or 12, but more mature in the mind. "He's just curious."

"Haha, no problem, I was curious when I was his age too," he lied, in fact, when he was the child's age, he had already been picking pockets and discovering the secret ways around the docks of Mandas.

"My mama's about to set the pie, did you want some?" she asked. Argan smiled, it was actually why he wanted to stay here to begin with.

"Yeah, definitely!" Argan dried the last plate and set the towel to the side.

Then there was a hard knock at the door...

[Isabella Galanodel]

Once the door to the house had shut, closing the view of the little children and two adults, Isabella had walked to a nearby tree and climbed up it despite her finery. Balanced perfectly on a tree branch, the young elf watched the family and stranger through the windows. She still couldn't say why she was so drawn to them, but something had perked up her curiosity. It couldn't have been she was hungry, she wasn't that type to take it from unwilling people. Bella most likely wouldn't even bother the kind woman and children, but would just sit and watch for sometime until she grew bored or found something else interesting.

It was sometime later that there was another figure at the door knocking rather loudly. The evening light did little to obstruct her sight, the moon was full out this evening and a smattering of stars twinkled overhead. Adjusting her long skirts around her short legs, she leaned a little further out on her branch trying to better hear what would be said once the door would open. She had heard enough of the conversation earlier to know the first man was a strange. Was this man also another stranger? Two on one night was quite the oddity.

[HanoMayonaka]

"Open up! This is the Aristolian Tax Collection agency. Your taxes are due." a man's voice stated from the other side of the door.

Argan watched as the mother rushed her little ones into their rooms. She had a worried expression of a woman who had dealt with this kind of thing before. It was true that Lithos was technically owned by its neighboring country Aristolia, but it still retained its sovereignty as a nation. Argan didnt know that the citizens were being taxed though, had just recently been through Lithos, and this was the first he had seen of it.

"Just a minute!" the mother called from the hall, as she hurriedly started putting some papers under the couch cushions, as well as a dagger and a wax seal. "I'll be right out."

She approached Argan, and whispered quietly, "Now don't fret, they're just here for the monthly tax. Hand me that pie on the sill."

Argan handed her the pie, he feared that he wouldn't be getting that pie tonight after all, he sunk a little inside.

The little old lady opened the door to a man in an official looking outfit. It was sleek and pressed, with a golden cape hanging over his right shoulder, kept in place with a golden brooch depicting a strand of wheat and wine, the official symbol of the Aristolian oligarchy.

"Evening ma'am, we're here to collect the monthly tax," the man stepped slightly to the side to reveal another similarly dressed gentleman, "I'm assured you have everything in order?"

"Oh, why yes, yes. Let me go get it, I hope you might enjoy some of my family's special apple spiced pie in the meantime?" she smiled, but behind her smile was a shadow of discontent, though she hid it quite well.

The first official looked to his compatriot and grinned, "Of course, why thank you ma'am." he said as he took the pie.

The mother left the doorway and proceeded to her own room, Argan watched as she hurriedly moved her feet across the rug. It was unfortunate to see a poor old mother of two to have to give up her hard earned gold, but Argan wasn't in the business of getting involved in other people's affairs.

The woman came back with a sack full of coins, it was as big as her entire hand, she could hardly even hold it in one, and grasped the side with her other hand. "Her you go, this is nearly all of our earnings this month." she said, a frown just barely encroaching on her lips, "you gentlemen have a good night now."

The second man took the sack of coins and counted them out. He looked closely at them, and inspected their every detail. After thoroughly inspecting every single coin, he looked to his partner and quietly shook his head. There seemed to be something wrong.

The first man nodded and addressed the little old lady, who had been standing there in the doorway with a concerned look. "I'm sorry my dear, but this doesn't seem to be everything. You're short by 200 gold coins."

"200 gold coins?! I assure you, all 600 gold is in that bag." she said, crossing her arms.

"Oh, I do apologize? You must not have heard about the tax raise. Due to some... unfortunate... circumstances, this region of Lithos needs to deliver an additional 33% this month. You see, those deliveries from Aristolia of additional wheat and livestock don't come for free you know."

"Thirty three percent? I don't have that much gold. I'm sorry, but I can't pay that tax." she said, her voice wavering.

"Now ma'am, don't be like this. We would hate to see you behind the bars of Callas's prison. The tax is not negotiable. Think about your children."

Argan listened from the next room. The situation was growing a little uncomfortable. He couldn't imagine what would happen to the two little ones, who watched all of this from a cracked bedroom door. Wards of the state? Sent to an orphanage? Or worse, turned to a life of struggling, like him? He wouldn't allow that.

"I'm sorry, speak to the local constable if you must, but I do not have the finances to foot this ridiculous new tax." she stomped her foot defiantly. The two men looked at one another, the second official silently nodded, as if giving permission.

"Ma'am, if you cannot pay with gold, then you may consider paying with personal property as well," he said, pushing her to the side, "I'm certain you may have something of value in here, some old trinket of some sort."

"No! Get out of my house," the woman screamed, as the two men walked through her door, but her old frame was not enough to stop them. "Get out! Get out!"

The men proceeded to rummage through her things, knocking over tables and cabinets, in search of items of value. The first man came through the kitchen door, only to meet a sword pointed to his nose.

Argan's face was twisted into a disgusted scowl. He was at the other end of the sword, and he was not happy.

"Get out... Now."

[Isabella Galanodel]

The lithe elven maiden had heard everything that had been said by the two men standing in the doorway. Their little 'tax' scheme was nothing new to her, she had heard it all before and had done similar things to others in her time as a business woman. However...when the men mentioned the children something came over her, a fire light up her emerald eyes and made them sparkle with a new light. It was about the time they were forcing their way into her house that she was climbing down the tree then walking towards the house. Bella wasn't even truly aware of what she was doing, just that she had to do something. Destroying the house wouldn't do, nor would causing any harm to the two gentlemen, either action would just bring more ill luck to the poor woman and her children.

As the two men began to knock over items and pilfer through her belongings, Bella entered the open doorway only to see the first man that entered holding a sword to them. "Put that away before someone gets hurt," she told the man with a sword giving him a shake of her head. "Gentlemen, maybe I can be of assistance. I couldn't help but overhear your....discussion. You're looking for an extra 200 gold pieces, correct?" She dropped her hand down to her coin purse that was attached to her side along with a few other random smaller bags, shaking out a handful of coins she carefully counted to herself then nodded as she handed them over to the first gentlemen. "I'm sure this will cover enough for you to leave this poor woman alone for a while?" It was more then enough coins to cover the 'extra' tax and for the next months as well. If one was to look at her coin purse, it wouldn't even look as if it had put a dent into it. Between her wealth and fine clothes, she was likely getting herself into more trouble then she believed.

[HanoMayonaka]

The new intruder was unusual and strange to Argan, he had never seen anyone of her likeness in his travels. He pointed his sword in her direction, just to be safe.

"Who are you? Are you with them?" he demanded. The woman, at the introduction of this new guest, trodded over to the childrens' bedroom door, blocking it off with her body. She shouted, "Go away! All of you! There are too many people in this house!"

The two men eyed the gold coins before them, and them eyed the ornate garments on the newcomer. The first did his best to slither right on over to her, and creep out his best snaky smile. "Now now, miss, its rather evident that you must be new here," he started, he put his arm against the wall beside her, as his cohort started shoveling the coins into the bag.

"Why don't we walk outside, and we can discuss the finer details, for tax purposes and documentation of course..." he grinned, his other arm suavely showing her the way to the door. "Sargei, let it be put on the record that the tax has been paid in full." he said to his cohort, who nodded as he put the last of the coins in the bag. Argan watched closely, sword in hand, more concerned for the safety of the old women and her kids.

"Agreed." the other man said with an accent that Argan placed to be from Oceos'lokai, tinged with an emphasis on the vowels in the word.