Those Who Bare The Flame

[Hokyo Cumen]

The sound of dripping water echoes as it drips from a crushed stone, fire crackles as it strikes out reaching for air to keep it alive. The night beyond the flame was eclipsed in darkness, even the shadows were eaten by the pitch of the night. Three men sat around the fire, two sipping from clay mugs, with boiled water from a nearby stream.

The sound of hustling!

Two of the men raised from sitting, reaching down and grasping at the swords on their waist. Though after a few moments silence continued, even the animals were silent in this night of darkness. Returning to their seats, they gave each glanced at the other and laughed off their caution behavior. The third man glanced up into the darkness, and closed his eyes as a rush of animals howling came from the dark, and two small needles were thrown from a nearby tree piercing through the neck of the two who had just returned to their seats, killing them both. It was two spotless kills, with no source of blood due to the size of the needles, both fell over, leaving just the third man sitting there.

Silence!

The third stood slowly, his hand reaching for his sword on his waist. Though in a blur a figure leaped from the shadows, its arm reaching out and pushing the man against the large stone which shuddered from the force.

“I found you!” Echoed the voice from the darkness, his body was hinted a bright red and his arm was large shaped into that of a claw, though slowly he changed back into a normal human form besides the hand which was holding the man from the fire. “Oh don’t you look so sad and beaten my dear father!” the man with the demon arm howled with delight, a smile spreading across his face. The ‘father’ did not look at the being before him, instead he kept his eyes down and starring at the body of one of the men who had just been killed.

“Did you feel the need to kill those two?” Asked the father in a disgusted tone. The demon man smiled thickened his teeth bearing, almost like an animal in the darkness who was toying with his prey.

“I did not just simply kill them, I have slaughtered ever loyal member of your court, and the people have lost faith in you, they love me, the loyal son, the one burdened with his father’s mistakes, the King who abandoned his people.” The ‘son’ smile remained steady with delight and wonder. The two men starred into the others eyes. “I am King and the simple minds of the people don’t question me.” The son almost singed each word.

The ‘father’ hung his head and looked down at the large demon hand which held him against the rock. “You will not win this, your plans to revive the demon king will fail.” He spoke softly and starred at the ground. His eyes already dead from defeat, but under it, there was a small light like a flame which echoed in his very soul.

The sons smile faded and his grip tightened causing the father to cough up blood from one of his ribs breaking and stabbing his lung. “Why is that dear father?” The sons said through gritted teeth, his eyes losing their joyfulness and becoming sharp daggers.

“Because there is a will of the people, they will stop you, this power that the gods gave me will revive itself in the rightful heir and the people will surround them and stop you.” The father said as blood spilled out of his lip, a cough escaping, causing him to jerk in extreme pain. “I was merely the vessel to hold the line, until the true King came forward!” He shouted through the pain.

“Don’t you understand!?” The son yelled, tightening his grip again, crushing his father more in his demon hand. “I am the true heir, the next in line!” The sons hand began to glow a bright purple, and blue flames escaped racing forward towards the King, burning him, his struggling body, fell limp as the flames burned him to dust in a matter of seconds. The King was blown away, spreading out across the land. The son stood there, his hand returning to human as he stood over the corpuses of the two other men, the blue flame raced across the ground and began to devour the two dead man, leaving nothing but the fire which they had sat around and the son entered back into the darkness of the woods.

The unknown ending of King Philip, a kind and righteous leader, who in a single night betrayed his kingdom by unleashing a demon horde from its prison. At least that is the tale that was spun by his son, Henry, who now sits atop of the throne. Viewed as a gentle man like his father and a fierce fighter, carrying on the will of the flame which belongs to the royal bloodline, his blue flames are those of frightful deeds to his enemies. Though that is not the truth in the tale of his passage to power, as he has made a deal with the Demon King, Jour, to free him from his eternal prison for the rule of the Kingdom, and get rid of his useless father.

So let’s take a break from these words, I would hate to ruin the entire story as an overseer to the book of history. Let’s move forward a few years, ten to be exact, and start the story in the royal city. I wonder who will take a place in this tale, I hope the story isn’t too boring, I do enjoy things that give me goose-bumps.

10 years later………………………

 

[Hokyo Cumen]

~Character Sheet~

Name:
Age:
Weapon:
Power: (Please stay away from fire)
Bio:

-Start Point-
Royal city, a normal busy day in a peaceful kingdom as it appears, bright and sunny.

 

[Yunari]

Name: Ana Lin Gram
Age: 24
Weapon: a 3 section Black and red bo staff. It can be dismantled into three pieces connected by a fine chain or form into a single, full length staff.
Power:
Water Based techniques: Which include free use of any water around her as a weapon and the fallowing;
Divination: The ability to see into the future or the past with it’s own limitations of course. She has to know the person and have something of theirs in order for it to work. The future is always changing and thus has multiple paths. She can only see one out of hundreds of possible futures.
Healer’s touch: Self explanatory, she can heal with certain properties of water.

Bio: Ana is the descendent from a long line of Soothsayers, Oracles and Shaman. Needless to say the healing arts travel through her blood. Her people resided in a small province south east of the place where Kind Phillip once ruled. The relationship had always been a bit tedious for people feared their strange abilities and knowledge. Ten years ago, she was only fourteen and just about the enter into the age of adulthood. Unfortunately the ceremony never happened as they were attacked by a horde of demons. It wasn’t until much later that Ana came across the information as to who set them loose. The lat King had caused the death and suffering of so many of her people. Very few of her people even survived, mostly women scattered across the world now as servants, slaves or mistresses.


Name: Ellie S. Graves
Age: appears around 22
Weapon: charcoal pencil
Power:
The Left hand of God (Creation): Anything Ellie draws comes to life to do her bidding. Larger things take more energy while smaller things take little to nothing. These can be drawn with her pencil, in the dirt, with blood. As long as the image is completed, it will come alive, or come to be if it is an inanimate object.

Bio: Ellie's true age and origins are unknown. She showed up ten years ago during the demon raids and due to her strange skills, many thought her a demon. This is a possibility considering she herself doesn't remember how she came to be for her memories start ten years ago when she was given a name and an age by a fleeing family that had taken her in. As one can imagine her skills can cause much trouble as if she were to draw an apple, the fruit would appear. If she were to draw say a pile of gold, that too would appear. She is both coveted and feared. Four years ago the family she'd been living with found out of her skills and sold her to a noble in the Royal City. Slavery seemed to be a common thing and for a creature who can make life itself, she is dangerous but also necessary. The nobles got richer and she grew weaker as they always wanted more and more. The larger the pile, the weaker she got until sickness over took her and she was sold to a new family. Royals like their toys after all. Because of her predicament she can neither read, nor write and that often gets her in trouble.


((HA! first ))  

[Ghostly_apparition]

Name: Shiang Tified
Age: 27
Weapon: Holy blades that are now rusty and a priests staff.
Power:
Exorcis The power to cast out demons and seal them away.
Holy light Rays of holy light come from his hands and burn demons if touched can even kill them.
Bio: Shiang now known to the children of the capital as Sing sang song Shiang is a failure, a bum, and a hobo. Shiang wasnt always a homeless man at one point at the age of 17 he was a promising student in a local city temple. From a young age he could use the holy light that came from his hands to hurt demons. As a child he became famous for killing demon foxes and other weak demon spirits. That all changed when the former king unleashed the demons on the world. Shiang was never brave enough to stand up to the true and powerful demons. The things he saw the contorted bodies of men and women that he couldnt help that he could only watch as demons ripped them apart. Shiang drank himself away till the temple threw him out his family disowned him and he was left to wonder the streets.  

[Hokyo Cumen]

Name: Jakio Kams
Age: 25
Weapon: Board Sword
Power: None
Bio Jakio was raised by his overbearing father, a man devoted to his calling of a royal guard, though he was one of the men who vanished with the late King. Even with this he did not take pride in his father as many young men did in the Kingdom despite his betrayal.
Jakio just recently joined the royal guard, at a late age because he refused to do so until one of his fathers friends pushed him into it. Jakio has drive in life and he doesn't care much about anything, besides taking his own sweet time. He isn't even that good of a swords man.

 

[Yunari]

A dark haired woman shifted around the several people that littered the marked district of the Royal City. She wore a long red robe embroidered with amber and burgundy leaves. She lifted her hand and retrieved an apple from the stand in front of her. As she moved the soft chime of bells echoed and the merchant looked up at her with a small smile. Ana pulled down the hood of her robe and dropped a few coins into the merchant’s hand for her apple.

It was too bright for her liking as the sun beat down in a pleasant way to most people but in an annoyingly painful way to her. She preferred a cloudy day where the rain poured down violently and lightning crackled in the sky. That would be a perfect day. She sighed softly and bit into apple as she glanced around. The city was much larger than she had expected but she wasn’t here for sight seeing. She had arrived earlier that day due to a rumor she’d heard. One of her people had been sighted in this area and she wanted to see if the rumor had been true. So few of her kind remained and though she didn’t have high hopes for it, she would like to see her tribe reunited.

A child rushed past her, pushing into her side before running off. In that second of contact Ana caught sight of something rather frightening. She stumbled into another fruit stand as a throbbing pain assaulted her brain. It was only a few seconds but in that small amount of time she saw a stall falling and the child being crushed under the weight. When her vision cleared the stall owner was staring at her with a strange expression of mix worry and anger. She lifted her hands and gave a hesitant smile before stepping away.

That kid, she had to find that kid. Ana shook her head to clear her mind though a dull pain still throbbed in her head. To her right she could see the kid running off. She had no way of telling how far into the future events she had seen but as long as that kid was running about, there was a risk. She finished her apple and tossed it into a bin as passed it. The kid stopped to look at one of the merchants selling shimmering jewelry. She took that chance to catch up and place her hand lightly on his shoulder. The kid jumped and from his pocket fell a small pouch of coins that looked familiar to Ana as it was her own.

“Thieves never get far In life.” Her voice was thick with the accent of her people. She bent down and retrieved her coin purse then pushed it into her inner pocket. The child jumped, surprised that he had been caught and turned to run off. Just as she saw it before, the kid ran into the side of the stall and it began to fall. She tightened her grip on boy’s shoulder and pulled him to her chest as the wood stall collapsed. The owner stepped back to avoid the falling debris while Ana raised her arm to defend the child. For the most part they all came out unharmed though she could feel a bruise forming on her forearm. “Go 'ome. Before yoo get 'urt. An no more thievery. “ The kid ran off, frightened out of his mind and she was left to contend with the stand owner.

“Zis ez exactly why ey ‘ate sunny days.” She muttered to herself  

[Hokyo Cumen]

A small group of royal guards strolled the street, six in total, forming a almost complete half circle. Expect one, hidden behind the helmet of the Kingdom, he strolled slightly to the left and right, his feet drugged across the cobble stone, his boots making a metal sound as he walked. The other guards held no compassion for this man, as they would not even look at him, the oldest guard in the middle sighed slightly with annoyance.

"Halt!" He shouted and broke rank, taking a shift turn to face the lazy recruit.

The guard halted slightly after the rest of his fellow comrades, who starred him down with disgust. Raising his hand to his helmet to salute the commanding officer, but with a broken stance. His eyes were light blue as the commanding officer glared at him. "Jakio! Straighten yourself up, just because you were recruited by Captain Revito doesn't mean you can slack off, I am the commanding voice of this unit and you will do as I say!" He shouted, spit coming out at the corner of his mouth and landing the the man's helmet.

Jakio as the man was called, grew a rather smug look on his face, his eyes rather unwavering as he was shouted at, he was an average looking man. Dressed in the white tunic like his fellow comrades, a light breast plate under it with the Kingdom colors dyed into the etches of the steel craftsman, a light deep red which was suppose to represent the blood of the people who had given their lives to protect the Kingdom, while the tunic was dyed with white and black suppose to represent the good and bad of every human being. He also carried a rather large board sword on his back which was a bit shorter then himself. Before he could respond to the commanding officer, a stall nearby fell down and there were shouts and some screams.

"Recruit Jakio can investigate this and give me a report when he decides to make himself into a real soldier of the Kingdom." The commanding officer spoke, turning and his men slowly followed, each giving their last disgusted look towards Jakio. Even a few feet away, the wind seemed to carry their voices to Jakio's ears.

'A son of a traitor, you can't expect much.'

'He is so useless, why is he part of this unit?'

'It will only a matter of time before he is killed.'

Jakio, sighed and reached up removing his helmet. Dark red hair fell from his helmet, hanging on the helmet on a small hook attached to his belt where a normal sword would be held, he turned towards the wreckage of the stall. As he walked, his hand reached out and grasped the arm of a small boy who was stumbling away from the stall while the stand owner was ranting towards someone in the crowd. Kneeling down, he smiled slightly, a few strained of hair falling into his face from being stuck under the helmet for a few hours.

"Let me guess, you somehow knocked over the stall?" Jakio asked in a soft voice towards the youth, while he had no desire to be a royal guard or even to do his duty, he did have a soft spot for children and the way his father had raised him made him care for each person in the Kingdom, which is likely why he hadn't just vanished into the crowd and he had stood out to Captain Revito, a good friend of his father before he vanished with the late King. The small boy nodded with tears in his eyes, Jakio picked up the small lad, and rested him on his hip. Walking towards the stall, gently pushing a few people aside to had gathered to see what was going on. "When you are in trouble we take responsibility of our actions so that way when you grow up people will up to you as if you were a good man." He said to the small boy, who had started leaning into him crying out of fear of becoming a criminal most likely. "Though if you can't do that you should just ask for help so you appear like one." He joked softly and he comforted the boy.

Reaching past the crowd he stopped, and looked towards the stand owner and the woman who was being accused of the stall falling. He stood there for a moment holding the boy. "What we have here is a misunderstanding of fault." He said with a small chuckle as the boy raised his head from Jakio's shoulder and looked towards the stand owner and the woman.  

[Yunari]

Rubbish. Most of what this owner was saying was complete and utter rubbish. Rebuilding the stand would be child’s play and take only an hour at tops. It was the fallen produce that would be at risk. However people could simply clean it off if they were so worried about dirt on their food. And yet she stood there taking the verbal beating as if she didn’t even speak the common tongue. Strands of black fell into her face as her messy bun was slowly coming undone. Though the throbbing in her head had dulled it was still present and the constant nagging was only making it worse.

From the corner of her eye she could see a guard returning with the boy. That was not good. She knew what happened to thieves. They often lost a hand and that boy was far to young to suffer such a punishment. She sighed and bowed her head. At her sides her hands clenched tightly into fists. Everything was wrong, this city, these people, the laws hell even the King himself. It all seemed so very wrong. She released a slow breath and relaxed her shoulders before giving a low bow. “Et ez my fault. Ey will pay for ze damages.” Of course she didn’t carry all that much coin but the vender didn’t know that.

Not that any of this mattered because the vender wasn’t having nay of it. He too had spotted the guard and took it that the law was on his side. He reached forward and grasped Ana’s arm. The forming bruise was hidden under the long red sleeves and his grip had agitated it so she pulled back and hissed angrily at him. Immediately he stepped back and pointed a crooked finger at her. “ I see you for what you are! You will pay for these damages like the rest of your kind! Ro’eh.” Ana felt her face fall and looked away. It had been a long time sense she’d heard the name of her people. Ro’eh, seer’s diviners…prophets… witches… bad omens. She closed her eyes for a moment and turned to leave only for the stall owner to grab her arm firmly with his own. She winced but made not a sound as he clasped down hard on her bruise. “Guard! Yes, you there. Take her away. Lock her up like the rest of her evil kind. They’re just as bad as the demons you see. That’s why they were all wiped out.”

As the last words left his lips the fountain in the center of the district began to bubble over and drip over the side. Long black strands of hair fell into her face, hiding her eyes. People began to shift away from her as the water traveled along the ground towards their predicament. “Release me yoo swine ef yoo plan toh continue breathing ze air.” This got out of hand way to fast and with the guard so close, she would have to leave the city. So much for finding her brethren here. Chances were that the rumor was false or that they were in servitude to someone here, watching, The water pooled around her feet and began to shift violently but the man did not release her. It seemed to only fuel the fire in his chest.

“See! Look how dangerous they are! You should have perished with the rest of your people ”

That did it. Grey hues began to taint with a stormy blue and she turned them upon the merchant who, for the first time during their encounter, stepped back in fear. “Perish en za ‘atred yoo sew.” The ground rumbled violently resulting in several cracks as water began to spill out of them. Those smart enough began to run and the shop owner fell back on his bottom, staring in awe at the rather angry and seemingly spiteful woman.
 

[Hokyo Cumen]

Jakio, clenched the boy tightly and smirked a bit when the stand owner and the woman had decided to take sides both of which were wrong. Reaching down slowly he picked up a apple which was nearby and took a bite of it as the woman had began to use a power, one which Jakio had been warned about when he was younger. He chewed the apple quickly and took a step forward, the boy had buried his face into Jakio's shoulder out of fear. "You misunderstand merchant, I am here as a adviser not to cast judgement on those I have yet to get to know." He spoke as he finished the apple quickly, tossing it away and taking a few steps forward.

His blue eyes glanced at the woman, she was completely in control of her powers, this was not a misguided use, this was anger which filled her. He wasn't surprised to see her kind here, as sometimes they would enter the Kingdom and seek others like themselves, but it had been a while.

Kneeling down besides the stand owner, he poked at the boy who looked towards the man. "This boy here is responsible but he came and got me due to his fear of you over reacting, and as it seems this scene proves this boys instincts right, you should really take to maybe a tea in the morning to reduce your stress level." He said and let the boy down who bowed quickly to the stand owner and fled out of fear of the woman.

Jakio laughed a bit, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess I shouldn't have let him go yet, but as for this concern of your cart and produce, I have the payment, the boy supplied some and I will take care of the rest." He reached into his pocket and laid a large purse of coin on a broken plank. The stand owner, glared at the guard.

"Will you not arrest the monster behind you?!" He shout towards Jakio, pointing his finger at the woman.

Jakio smiled calmly tilting his head, he had decided to ignore the woman in order to resolve this issue without drawing his weapon. "If you had your family killed and everyone you love killed, then you would be a bit hot tempered when someone accused you of being the monster, don't you think? I have supplied you a large bit of coin for the stand, which comes from royal court to resolve this issue without drawing my sword." He said standing and slowly turning towards the woman, the stand owner grabbed the coin purse and looked inside, his eyes growing wide and he quickly raised himself and rushed off.

Jakio laughed as the stand owner hurried away from the scene. "I guess I really need to stop letting them go before I find out all the details huh?" Scratching the back of his head he glanced at the woman his eyes becoming rather firm in his stance of her use in power inside the city. "I am rather terrible at sword fighting if you can figure so can I at least get you to give me details on what happened so I have some type of report to file?" He asked in a kind manner, taking a step forward towards the woman.  

[Yunari]

During this encounter, Ana drew the waters back to herself. She must have looked like a cat backed up against the wall for this man to take her side. His words were not something she came by well ever in her several years of life. No one bothered to side with her people but with so few of them left, well she had to stay on guard. The anger melted from her eyes as the waters stilled around her. A small orb of what was left rose at her command. As the merchant eyed his new prize, she slid up her sleeve and commanded the water down upon her arm. The cooling sensation was welcomed by a sigh of relief as the pain left her body. The bruise quickly began to change, shifting between browns yellows and blacks before returning to her natural ivory flesh. The remaining water melted into her skin and vanished.

Ana lowered her arm and the sleeve fell back down. “Za stand fell. Maybe et wasn’t built right.” She wasn’t going to tell him that the kid had pick pocketed her and that any coin the child had supplied was likely stolen as well. He had witnessed most of it and she was more than positive that the rest of the information could be formulated from that.

The blue faded from her eyes just as the water had vanished leaving only the cracks from whence it came. Once the grey had returned to her eyes she turned to face the male. She took several moments to examine him before shaking her head. He was strange though she would have to thank the gods that she hadn’t encountered one of the others. This would be a good chance and seeing as a good number of people ahd run off, her destination would reach fewer ears.

“Ey ‘eard a rumor zat a Ro’eh ez somewhere en za city. ‘ave yoo seen et?” This man had proven himself to be reasonable and showed no real signs of a threatening presence. He even went as far as to say he was a terrible fighter. Unconsciously she touched the three piece bo staff. She wasn’t normally one to use her abilities but even though ten years had passed, talk of her people was a sensitive subject. If he was s terrible fighter she could probably take him. Those thoughts reassured her as she released a sigh and glanced up at the blazing sun.

“Ey will leave once ey see ef my people ‘ave come ‘ere. Ze sun ez too much for me anyway.”  

[Hokyo Cumen]

Jakio smiled calmly as the woman had redrawn her powers, but he wasn't too thrilled that he had given up nearly ever bit of coin for the month. The Captain and the other Commanders would likely scold him for using up such amount to deal with a fight instead of just subduing the subjects, but he hadn't lied about his ability with his sword. It was too large for him and he didn't like it too much, but he figured that it was easier to avoid conflict if the weapon he carried wasn't used to attack, but instead defense.

"There are a few throughout the Kingdom, many of which are slaves to noble but there are a few who sell their talents with magic in the lower parts of the Kingdom they are free but trapped inside these walls just like the rest." He said as he picked up another apple, he might as well eat the things that he paid for, he wasn't a complainer of food, whether it was beaten or covered in dirt. His hand turned over the apple as if to inspect it. He had never really thought that his little plan of subjecting his own pay to end a fight would work, but it had and if that was the case, he might be able to pay his way out of the Kingdom.

Since he was a child he had attempted to leave, but due to the fact that he was the son of a traitor he was subjected to 'questions' and his only exit was becoming a guard. He didn't wear the guard armor because he cared too much about the Kingdom, but because it was a means to leave the place he was before.

"If you stay here too long you will draw attention and become part of the scenery like the rest of us." He said rather under his breath and took a bite out of the apple. Glancing towards the woman, and he took note of everything, where her hands were how they were still on guard. "You are rather beautiful, remember that. Men are dumb and you can getting tongues to talk if they aren't dead." He said with a smile and turned to walk away back to the barracks and report what had happened. His hand ran through his hair as he started to walk away.  

[Yunari]

“Ey ‘ave no intention of staying…Zis place ez wrong, et ez all wrong.” He was leaving. Why was he leaving? Sure it made sense, his work was done here but it too seemed wrong. She patted her side and the staff fell from her hip to her foot. She kicked up her leg and soon held the linking chain between her fingers. With a twist of the wrist the staff clicked into place, the chains vanishing into the center of her weapon as she twisted each piece tightly together. She twirled it several times in her hand before pointing one end at the man’s receding back.

“Stop.” She commanded though she had no real reason to stop him. He had caused her no harm. He had stood up for her in a strange way and he had made that conceded merchant run off. “Yoo, lead me too zes locations.” Slaves? No. Her people would not be slaves to the true monsters, not anymore. Those who chose to sell their talents were a different story though they were still trapped by that taboo that was their blood.

“Or.” She had to make some kind of ultimatum right? Something to really get his attention. “Or Ey will bring ze walls down.” That would work right? She was sure she could do it and if the others saw her they would react and come too… right? Sometimes she wondered if her mission was even justified. She hadn’t even seen a Ro’eh in close to eight years and he had died before her of an untreated sickness.

“Ef money can buy man, ey will purchase yoo. Come with meh.”  

[Hokyo Cumen]

Jakio stopped just a short away from the woman, he glanced over his shoulder. He guessed it was almost a normal for someone to believe that money could make the world go around. He sighed and turned to face the woman, his helmet swayed a bit away from his side as he stood there and considered the options for a bit. He was not a stupid man nor did he feel like he would want to be considered one.

"I doubt you will bring these walls down, not for the fact you can't do it, but because you want to find your own kind and that would mean you would be hunted if you fought against the Kingdom." He said rather calmly as he turned, he changed directions towards the lower parts of the Kingdom, a place not many royal guards often went. "Though I can't have you causing trouble because I was the one that spared you so it would be a problem." He said continue to walk, not waiting for her to catch up.

Jakio smirked though his hands behind his head as he walked. "You made one mistake, I am not for sale. I have seen the things man has done for money and I have no need for it, I can not pay the river-man when it comes with my time so it is only in this life that I can do something with it." He said rather calmly, he wasn't in a hurry back to the barracks because he would have just been yelled at anyways.  

[Yunari]

Ana lowered her weapon and frowned. She spun it twice and it broke back down into the three original parts. “Ey am already hunted. Zer ez no difference” She muttered to herself, not expecting an answer. The man had shifted direction and began to walk once more. She fallowed silently, her eyes shifting about her like a rat entering the den of a lion. None the less she latched her weapon at her side once more and crossed her arms over her chest. He was strange, out of place amongst these people. She could have bought anyone, just like they bought and paid for her people but it seemed the ways of man did not extend to this one particular person. Strange.

She picked up her pace as to not lose him and took up stride beside the man but with an arms length between them. “Yoo are not typical guard. Zay are corrupt….Ey trust not the people of zis country. Et ez wrong, et ez all wrong.” Though she held no ill will towards the King himself, something dark fell over his kingdom like a foreboding shadow. The lower parts of the city held less light and thus made her more comfortable. The sun was a harsh and unforgiving thing to her though it seemed normal to everyone else, even this man who’s hair was red like the very flames that burned her homeland.

“Strange man, wrong country” She shook her head several times. She didn’t care what he did with his time but she spoke only the truth. Never once in her life had she lied and she wasn’t about to start. Sure she would avoid speaking certain facts but that wasn’t lying, that was just controlling the information that flowed. As they walked she found herself peering over at him from time to time. He spoke of the river-man and the life after this one but as long as he kept living he wouldn’t have to worry about those kinds of things right? So why didn’t it mater to him now? She chewed on her bottom lip as more hair fell lose from the sloppy bun.

”Et ez nice to ‘ave zat option. To not be for sale. Ey apologize… one gets use to ‘ow others tink.”  

[Ghostly_apparition]

Shiang stumbled out of the alley he called home the horribly blaring light of the sun blinded his drunken eyes nearly making him sick from the stench of his body odor as he raised his hand to block out the sun. Shiang lowered his hand and stumbled up the street heading back to his usual begging spot occasionally putting out his hand to ask people for money as he passed them.
When they passed him by and raised their hands to block their noses he sneered at them and took a swig of his hidden bottle of alcohol. Shiang fell to the ground only to have no one help him up only stare and few people walk around him. Shiang tried to grab at a few peoples feet just to make them jump.
As they jumped or stepped away he simply laughed and got to his feet. A guard watched him closely and only stepped up to stop him from touching passerby's." Get along vagrant before I smash your face with my boot.
"Shiang simply looked at him and got to his feet moving away from the guard at least out of kicking distance before asking someone else for money. Shiang began to sing as he moved calling the children along the street to him who joined in his song." I am sing song Shiang I dont give a dang. I ping and I pang for I am sing song Shiang. I peddle I meddle I fiddle I dont tattle." This all out of tune and slurred in his drunken tone but he did so smiling happily with the help of the children that gathered around him.