A King's Man

[Roland]

Roland sits at the bar in the Bloody Mary drinking a mug full of cheap ale. Despite how busy the tavern was both of the seats next to him were vacant. No one wants to sit next to the Noku's Mage Hound. He mused bitterly, Roland as dressed in stout black wool pants that had obviously seen a great deal of wear. His wide brimmed black hat was still perched atop his head and pulled down to conceal his unnatural eye color, and his woolen shirt was dark gray and he was sitting on a folded up black leather jacket.

Roland couldn't really blame the people for staying away from him, after all most people did not feel comfortable around guards to begin with. It was difficult to socialize with figures of authority, and with people who were usually associated with catching and locking up criminals. In the end Roland had made peace with with this fact.

Despite all of this Roland generally preferred to do his drinking outside of the castle, the place was more depressing than Saden's ass crack and even if they did not want to associate with him he preferred it out here among the working people. Caster knows that most of the people in the castle do jack all, the King and his Dragon excluded of course. At this thought Roland fingered a pendant at his neck which was Caster's symbol.

For some reason Roland found his mind wandering to thoughts of the strange group that had gathered around when the King had caught the fainting red head, something was different about them but he could not put his finger on it. He looked around wondering if any of them had wound up in the Mary.

[Claire]

There was a cheer from the other side of the tavern- a group was huddled around a table where two people were seated, taking shots of a clear liquid in turn. One was a burly man, red in the face and clearly wobbly, and the other was Claire. She was flushed, clearly, but she clearly had a better case of two hollow legs than the gentleman sitting across from her. She swallowed down the shot of liquid, feeling it burn hot on the way down. She nearly wavered, letting out a controlled breath as she tried to focus through the brief haze the alcohol left her in.

When she recovered and turned the glass over, a cheer was let out from her side. The burly man fumbled for his drink before swallowing it down, liquid dribbling down his chin. He barely remained upright for a few seconds before he slumped over to jeers and cheers from the crowd. Money exchanged hands around her as Claire rose to her feet, laughing and nodding to the crowd.

[Roland]

Speak of the devil, or at least of the foreigner. She was the one who got close to the king when the red head collapsed. He remembered as he walks over to the table. As he does some of the more sober individuals smiles would likely turn nervous. A guard walking over to you in a bar was rarely a good thing.

He looks down at the passed out burly man and can't help but think That's one hell of an alcohol tolerance. foreigners were not necessarily uncommon in this city, but as this one had gotten so close to the king he found himself curious enough to look into this one.

He snaps his fingers to get one of the serving girls attention and motions for her to come over. "My usual," then he looks at the girl and says "and I will cover her next drink." Then he returns his attention to Claire.

"Sorry for interrupting, but do you have some time to talk? I would like to ask you a couple of things." He asks in a slightly gravelly tone.

[Claire]

Claire turned her head at the words ‘will cover her next drink’ and she tilted her head at the dark stranger, leaning back against the table. She looked at him up and down, eyebrows raised sharply. Not particularly her type, but she wasn’t one to turn down a free drink.

“What, like my name and place of residence, friend?” Claire grinned, laughing as the drinks came back around with the servant. She plucked the mug off the tray, nodding to the girl with a bright grin. “Thank you.”

She turned her gaze back to Roland, taking a long drink of the warmer liquid. There were people shrinking away from the dark stranger, and she noticed this as she lowered her mug. Huh, he must be someone scary then. She lifted her head a little, studying his attire again. “Did I do something wrong?”

[Roland]

As Claire examines him Roland unconsciously adjusted the brim of his hat down further to obscure his eyes more, though a closer inspection would still show his odd eye color. After she asks her questions the edges of his mouth curve up into a smile, though with his eyes obscured it could not be called anything like disarming.

"Relax, you are not in trouble, if you were I would not have been asking if you had the time, or paid for your drink." He points out. Well she's certainly not slow on the uptake I will give her that. He had to admit.

"Your name is a good place to start, I am Roland I am a guard at the palace and also part of the watch." He says introducing himself and then lets out a sigh. "Just to let you know I am not arresting you and you are not required to answer anything I ask..." He trails off after saying this and scratches the back of his head.

"...this really does sound like an interrogation doesn't it?" He asks a little embarrassed. Well what all you do is your job you shouldn't be surprised when it bleeds into everything else.

"At first I thought you were a fated, but that's not it is it? Where are you from?"

[Claire]

Claire snorted with laughter at the clarification. “ <That explains a lot.> “ she laughed into her mug before shaking her head, grinning back at Roland. “Roland. Rooooland. Understood, Guard Roland.” she giggled.

“The people of your country call me Claire.” she extended a hand to him, holding the mug in her other hand. “ <You don’t get out much do you-> ah, sorry.” she shook her head, trying to keep her common straight.

“F-fated? Ha! Ha, no. No no no no no.” Claire laughed and shook her head again, taking another drink. “No. I am from a country that you have never heard of, as we had never heard of you where I am from. So we are, what is the word? Square?” she made a motion like the shape of a square with her fingers. “I just have very good timing as it were.”

[Roland]

Roland lets out an exasperated sigh as she starts laughing and repeating his name, but he takes the extended hand and shakes it. "Well then Claire, its good to meet you." He replies with a slight pause as he tries to pick out the proper reply.

Well better she just thinks me as a guard than as an enforcer I suppose. He concludes as he waits for her to regain control from laughing and raises his mug to his lips, taking a sip.

He looks around and notices that total absence of anyone looking in their direction that is an obvious indicator people have been just been staring. When she tells him that makes them square he chuckles a bit, the sounds was a bit menacing though there was no venom behind it. "I doubt we're square, after all you apparently know enough to speak our language." He points out and then takes another drink from his mug.

"Although if you really are from so far away, I cannot imagine that you have much cash, what are you doing to put yourself up here? And come to think of it, why in the glades would you come here?" He asks curiously as he leans a bit on his white wood staff.

[Claire]

Claire shakes hands firmly before leaning against the table again casually. From where she was standing, she could see several eyeballs fixed firmly onto the back of Roland’s head, only to turn away when he looked. She couldn’t help but laugh at that. But when the questions turned intensely personal, the smile quickly dropped. That sounded suspiciously like a proposition.

“I hope you do not think because I am not from here that I am easy.” Claire’s expression had turned into a scowl, and she drained her mug. “Why I am here is none of your business and you are boring me.” she put her mug on the table and pushed herself away from it, starting to walk away from the man towards the bar.

[Roland]

Roland frowns as Claire begins to laugh at him, and he suspected the looks that other people were giving him, but what really got a reaction out of him was her next statement. When she accuses him of propositioning her his head snaps up causing his had to push back on his head and revealing his bright Amethyst eyes.

"Wait one second. I am not trying to come onto you..." He says then trails off. "...though now that I think about it your right it sounded like that. I'm sorry."

Well can't make the situation worse. He reasons and then follows her to the bar and looks at the bartender. "Put whatever she orders on my tab...assuming she's okay with that." He says "I didn't mean to offend I will cover your drinks and meal as an apology." He offers.

Probably just dug a deeper grave but oh well. He figures and then walks over to a table, which several occupants quickly vacate and orders himself another mug of cheap ale.

[Claire]

Claire was in the process of ordering another drink when the man followed her. The bartender shot her a sympathetic look as she scowled out of Roland’s line of vision, but nodded to Roland’s request. This man was full of indirect apologies, but she did not believe they were sincere for a second.

She leaned against the bar as the bartender slipped her a new drink. She lifted it up and drank, blinking in surprise. She looked down at it and then over at the bartender, cracking a smile.This was good. It tasted expensive. Claire laughed into the mug as Roland walked away, shaking her head. At least he was out of the way now.

[Roland]

Several of the patrons notice the exchange and there is a round of chuckles at Roland's expense. Fate 'em he thinks to himself as he takes another swig of the ale, he was a bit disappointed that he wasn't able to get any useful information, but then again his approach had been pretty lousy.

As he polishes off his mug he looks around and as he begins to walk out the first attack is made. A knife flies out from a nearby crowd, and takes Roland by surprise, cutting into his leg and sticking there.

The as the mage turns as he falls to one knee and sees several more knives are hurled at him. His eyes begin to emit a purple light as he swings his staff downwards causing all of the knives to suddenly crash to the floor. He takes a chain from his pocket and exhales on it causing the chain to come to life.

"Where the hell are you." He grunts as he scans the crowd looking for either the assailant or another attack.

[Claire]

Claire’s head shot up at the sound of a sudden scream and she turned quickly, hand going to the dagger on her belt. She braces herself against the bar, looking around for the source of the trouble. Then she could see Roland on the ground, knife protruding from his leg and several other knives on the ground.

You could hear a pin drop in the quiet of the tavern, and Claire could see that Roland’s eyes were wild with anger. She quickly looked down to the dagger in her hand and quickly sheathed it, pushing off the bar and starting to make her way towards the door through the crowd.

[Roland]

As Claire begins to move she would feel a tugging at her belt as Roland pulls the knives from their sheathes with an invisible force and the chain began to slither into the crowd like a snake.

As Roland looks at the knives from Claire's sheaths he grunts "Wrong type," and then forces the doors and windows closed he did not want to assailant escaping.

The only thing that could be heard now was nervous shuffling, and the slither of the chain. Roland as he looks around he hears a shout as the chain begins to wrap around a man's leg. The man concentrates when the man grabs the chain though is suddenly stops moving and he goes for a dagger.

[Claire]

Claire finally made it out of the tavern and into the street, breathing in the cold air. She groaned, pressing her hands to her knees and doubling over, trying to let the cold air clear her head. Her head was so fuzzy… the drink was finally getting to her. It was a miracle she could keep upright.

She looked up to the street and back to the tavern, where people were quickly beginning to leave. She could hear yelling and she began to move away, shaking her head.

Goddess above, this city. What a mess.