Rage Against The Machine: Part I
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Northreach: Medial District
Having grown in the shadow of the northern Aegis wall, the Seamel township of Northreach is somewhat of a dark horse; a dark horse in both a literal and metaphorical sense, no less. Much of the township is often set in perpetual shadow, cast by the six-hundred foot wall that looms above it, making it a somewhat cold and umbral township, though one that tends to import a lot of torches and lanterns.
However, in the literal sense, Northreach is a township that developed entirely beyond the public eye. It grew as a township that drew little attention, funded by a mysterious benefactor of House Seamel, while the Empire left the construction of the North Gate to the Imperial Watch and their engineers. Thus the two grew in tandem, and the unveiling of Northreach as a township around that awesome gate was a surprise to all.
As a location, Northreach drips Imperial architecture and style. Most of the buildings that form the moderate township are neatly arranged around main roads, with passages and alleys running between them, with no sense of crowding to be found. Townhouses of charcoal granite walls and timber support beams dominate the architectural design of the township, with larger estates providing the various services that all townships offer, as well as a few that remain unique to Northreach alone.
The Wailing Wench Tavern, a large inn and publican building, stands in the very middle of what is known as the Medial District, acting as a central hub of activity. Directly next to the Tavern rests a two-story building belonging to the Steelwood Company, while the Swiftwolf Archery Tradehouse stands near to it as an equally large merchant townhouse, while smaller trade buildings flank them on all sides, attempting to profit from the trade they draw in.
The North Gate looms in the north within the gap in the Aegis, while the southern gate that leads back onto Northreach Road is to the south. The Sinistral District, acting as the residence district, rests to the west, while the Dextral District, acting as the trade district, can be found to the east.
"Looks like a morning fog, but it'll probably burn off by midday." Sahna murmurs to the Mikin from a few feet away, lowering her gaze from the sky to offer a polite, yet bland smile to him. "Won't get much warmer, though."
"Aye." Karell says, nodding back to the Nillu and moving away from the tavern door, "It is still miserable, however, and does not even give one a reason to stay in the warm as there are no drops." he murmurs a little, looking slightly unsure as he gives a quick glance around.
"There's always a reason to stay inside when it's more pleasant." Sahna responds with a faintly amused expression. She looks Karell over, rubbing at her tattoo. "You seem familiar. Have we met before?"
A yawning redhead wanders out of the stables, body covered in a black cotton cloak that is clasped and drawn in from the inside. The hood is folded neatly and tucked beneath Kallyn's hair, a rounded, long lump in the back suggesting there is something strapped to her back. Steely grey eyes scan the area lazily and she wanders towards the Dextral District in the east, although doesn't seem to have much purpose in doing so by the way she moves.
"Um." Karell narrows one eye back to Sahna at her question before shaking his head slowly, "Perhaps briefly, though I am not sure." He pauses for a moment before kicking himself into a shallow bow, "Karell Mikin." he introduces.
"Sahna Nillu." Sahna murmurs, gazing out at the fog again with a bleak expression. "A pleasure to meet you. Good morning Mistress Lake."
Stopping abruptly at the greeting, Kallyn rubs her eyes and looks to its source. "Ah, good morning, Your Grace," she says with a low bow and a small smile, "How fare you?"
"Likewise." Karell says flatly before turning to gaze at Kallyn with a gathered look, a little cold.
"I'm adequate, thank you." Sahna murmurs, then glances back at Karell, expression wry. "My apologies, Lord Mikin. I'm poor company today, it seems."
Raising an eyebrow at Karell's look, Kallyn says, "Pardon me, my Lord, but... do I know you from somewhere..?" Steely grey eyes look the nobleman up and down for a few moments before comprehension dons on her, "Oh, you're the gentleman who felt the need to feel up his weapon in the Wench while my friend spoke of hearing thoughts. No wonder you're looking at me like that. My apologies for how I reacted, but I wasn't sure whether you were going to actually draw it or were merely touching it for comfort. Can't be too careful." She offers the Mikin a smile and then looks back to Sahna, "Adequate? Well, I suppose it's better than nothing... Your Grace and my Lord, have either of you seen a Kahar wandering around here? A woman, wears a Church symbol, really touchy? I offended her yestereve and I was hoping to apologize. I was in a dreadful rush and a bad mood, and I didn't look to see who was addressing me..."
Karell watches Kallyn whilst his expression become more and more dismayed and uncomfortable looking, his bright green eyes seem to lose their colour as she goes on before, holding back a scowl, the Mikin replies, "You have a tongue as wicked as one would expect." his eyes narrow back to her, "I doubt this woman was so touchy, as to you being snake mouthed."
The noble turns his paled expression across to Sahna, "Hardly my place to expect anything from you, my Lady." the Mikin lord says with a restrained tone, he gathers his expression into a frigid stare before bowing stiffly, "I shall leave you two to your privacy, if you can manage it."
"Um..." Kallyn blushes and seems to deflate a little bit, "Yes, that's true, My Lord... I'm not the most polite woman in the world... And then she pissed me off, which didn't help things... I /really/ need to apologize before she decides it might be a good idea to have me killed... On the bright side, I made nice with another noblewoman, so I suppose it was inevitable for me to make a new noble enemy." A nervous chuckle comes from the redhead and then she asks, "So... I suppose that means you haven't seen her?"
"No. I haven't." Karell says flatly, stepping back a little from the trio's position outside the tavern, he seems oblivious to Kallyn's upbeat mood, "And you might look to making another friend. I do not appreciate being subjected to your bias take of my actions." he pauses, "Call it inevitable."
Shivering against the chill of the morning, Meian slips out of the tavern, hanging back underneath its eaves for the time being. She looks pale and worn, reaching up with one hand to absently tuck dark hair back out of her face, and slowly turns a tired gaze over the street. When it reaches Karell, the girl dips into a stiff curtsey.
Sighing from slight annoyance, Kallyn says, "Light, you nobles are just determined to hate me sometimes. /I/ wouldn't hold something like that against someone, I don't see why you are, my Lord." She doesn't sound /rude/, per se, but obviously her choice in works is questionable, "I can't kiss asses, it's not in me. I'm sorry, but I just can't. Excuse me, please, I need to let off some steam."
Sahna, having remained fairly quiet during the exchange, reaches up to stroke at her tattooed cheek, expression grim. "A Kahar with a church symbol? I don't seem to recall seeing one, but I hope more zealots aren't flooding the place. They have all of Fastheld to wander, so you'd think they'd leave us alone.." As to the rest, she doesn't comment, simply nodding to Kallyn. "Farewell, Mistress Lake."
"Are you so /blinkered/ woman, that you cannot even see when it is... Not the /right/ time, but the /smart/ time to hold your tongue." Karell spits in a burst of anger back to Kallyn, "It is not your -place- to tell me what to consider impolite and to 'hold against you', -you- must consider what you say before you open your mouth." the nobles chest rises, "One could not say you had no chance to apologize, indeed, even if I pointed it out to you." cold calmness collects his words again, "You are a blight, you are not excused, and don't you -ever- think that you can let of steam on a noble." his anger returns, "On a /Mikin/!" and with that with a snap of his arm, a gloved hand backswings to slap her across her marked cheek.
"LIGHT!" Kallyn yells as hand contacts cheek, "That's the /same fucking cheek/ that the other woman hit. I'm gonna get a bruise!" She rubs that cheek and then spits at Karell's feet, "Go fuck yourself, I show no respect to anyone who acts like that, noble or otherwise. I have plenty of respect for individual members of your House, but they /earned/ it. Just as Her Grace here earned it, and His Grace Duke Seamel earned it. /They/ do not seem to feel themselves above acting /civil/ in the face of an argument, disagreement, or other things that you touchy, whiny, self-righteous types take offense to. Fuck you. Go on, hit me again. It just proves my point."
"-Kallyn-!" Meian shouts firmly across the street from where she's standing under the eaves, clenching her fists at her sides. "Lord Karell is a n-nobleman and his t-title deserves respect! It's not y-your place to say he has to e-earn it or d-dictate anything to him- it's your p-place to be quiet and a-apologize!"
A shadow passes across Sahna's features, and she steps forward to try and get between the two now that the slapping seems to be over, expression sour. "Lord Mikin, I do regret that your honor has been insulted, but perhaps you would be so kind as to let me speak with Mistress Lake in private. Mistress Lake, would you kindly take a walk with me?"
Without much further hesitation the bright gleam of Crystal flashes in the Baron's hand as he withdraws his unusual Dirk, infuriated. "You impudent bitch!" but before he has a chance to do anything but a procrastinated slice in the air, Sahna is between him and Kallyn and he turns the blade away with an intense look of hatred past the Duchess. It seems to calm him, however, but he does not speak further.
At the sight of the blade, the Duchess and Meian are ignored, "Did you just-" Kallyn says, steely grey eyes wide and full of rage. "You arrogant bastard, do you think I'm going to take that?" Eyes then find the Duchess, and a carefully controlled voice says, "Your Grace... With all due respect, you may wish to get out of my way..." Hand goes over her shoulder and slips into the back of her cloak, fingering something sticking out there but nothing more for the time being. She looks back to the nobleman then, "How good are you with that dirk of yours, I wonder?"
Meian's pale eyes narrow. "Kallyn," she calls across the street in a controlled voice, "you had b-better go with Her Grace, b-because I don't t-think you would like the consequences otherwise." The girl reaches down slowly and rests one hand quite obviously on the hilt of the blade at her own waist. "You d-don't want to start a f-fight here because of your l-lack of respect."
Sahna holds her position between the two, facing Kallyn, her breath misting in the cold morning air as she speaks quietly, calmly. "Mistress Lake, I am not stepping aside.. And you will find that trying to go around me is a very poor choice, as I am much more powerful than you are. Come, walk with me for a time so we may speak." This time, her voice doesn't make it sound much like a request.
Karell Mikin steels his position with a grim look, he's not going to put his Dirk away now at any rate. "I am not the arrogant one, if you are thinking to bring a blade against me. You would let your own uppity feelings cloud your judgment? Draw it and you are fool." his bright eyes now seem to edge the Freelander on, however.
Grinning to Karell, Kallyn says, "The situation feels appropriate for you to challenge me to a duel, don't you think? How's to the pain sound? I don't like the idea of killing or being killed... My shortsword against your dirk? No Shadow powers, seeing as they'd give me an edge." The gleam in her eyes is challenging and competitive, and a small smirk curls on her lips. Well, until Sahna's words register, "Your Grace... if you're going to lecture me about this, I've heard it before. It's not helping, apparently..." She does not move to go around Sahna, and then looks to Meian, "Don't get involved in this, my friend, please."
"Duel all you l-like," states Meian softly, stepping towards the group at a steady pace. "A-although you should stop d-disregarding Her Grace- you have d-disrespected enough nobles today. B-but if you aim to start a fight outside of a d-duel, I'm g-going to get involved. This is r-ridiculous behavior on y-your part, and you're a-acting like a child, and I don't w-want to see you get yourself *killed* for it."
Sahna's patience visibly begins to wear thin. She draws her lips back in a humorless baring of teeth and declares, rather firmly, "Neither of you knows when enough is enough, apparently. Lord Mikin, this would be the appropriate time for a man of good breeding to shut his trap and depart before his bad habit of smacking women around reflects badly upon the house he claims to hold so dear. Mistress Lake, a duel would draw negative attention to the 'Touched, putting all of them at increased risk at a time when the wounds from the /last/ rogue mage are fresh and dangerous in the public mind. I cannot let you damage the rest of us with your sewage-filled mouth. If you don't break this confrontation off, I will render you incapable of continuing it through other methods, ones I guarantee will be unpleasant."
"Huh." Karell barks a low, strangled laugh, "This woman seems to think she might call for a challenge." a bead of water falls from the noble's hairline, and it is not raining, "How could I trust -you- to not strike me down with your dark powers, after giving me such a show of brilliant restraint so far?" the noble asks, sneering and standing back at Sahna's words, "I should not put up with her attitude, My Lady, do not presume to act like I was unjustified. For someone attempting to calm a situation, you could be less dry." he looks to Meian and nods her towards the stables, "I should ask you something before I leave this hole." the Dirk goes away for the moment.
"Simple. The display you saw has been managed, or else it would have happened when you hit me. And I am not powerful enough to draw my powers at will. I would, more likely than not, incapacitate myself and give you an easy victory... The Shadow is a cruel mistress like that," Kallyn sighs then and lowers her hand from the hilt of her sword. "Your Grace, my apologies," she bows her head and then adds, "I sometimes forget that my actions reflect upon more than just myself."
Meian lets out a low, slightly relieved sigh- but doesn't really move away, waiting with tension visible in her little frame and eyes fixed on Kallyn still. She's wordless, but definitely attentive.
"The anger was not unjustified, but your actions were and are, Lord Mikin. You're a petty bully, seizing on the chance to slap someone around who can't hit back without being thrown into a dungeon.. A person of equal strength and station would be too terrifying to ever draw your tiny little knife on." Sahna replies to Karell, increasingly acidic as she regards him. "I find it unsurprising that Alieron nearly led your family into ruin, so keen to protect his birthright. Thank the Light that Rowena is a woman of sense and grace."
Karell is left rather belittled by the personal assault by Sahna, his expression a mixture of muted anger and well... that hurt pretty bad. It takes a moment for him to swallow back his emotions and he speaks plainly, "Then we shall all take to insults. Have your fill, but I should not be slandered so. She did not act so meek, what dungeon would hold /her/." the noble turns to Kallyn, "You have insulted and embarrassed me on this day, and you stand there so full. I have never met someone so deserving of that mark." Karell grunts and turns away, making to leave quickly.
"As much as I like seeing you put him in his place, Your Grace... I realy have to respectfully disagree," Kallyn interjects, somewhat shyly, "I'm sorry, I can't keep my mouth shut, but... Um, but he's a nobleman. And I'm a freelander... He perceived disrespect, and it was within his rights to take a swing at me for it. I wasn't mad at him for that; I was mad at his for getting offended so easily." And then she clears her throat and adds, so quietly that it is only barely audible to those around her, "And even I wouldn't take a jab at his House, that was a bit..." She blushes profusely, almost looking as if she half-expects Sahna to explode, before looking to Karell, "Thank you. I take pride in this Mark. It shows that I am no coward."
Meian quirks a brow, a faint and disbelieving smile coming onto her expression. Yet still the girl remains silent, only dipping into a curtsey for the departing Karell that's entirely polite. Her hand falls from her weapon's hilt now, resting easily at her side.
Sahna exhales slowly, reaching up to pinch at the bridge of her freckled nose, eyes closed. As Karell departs, she murmurs wryly to Kallyn and Meian, "Perhaps, Mistress Lake, but you told me not to lecture you, so I will not. At any rate, he clearly didn't like it much someone pulled rank on him, so perhaps now he'll remember what it feels like." Lowering her hand to her side, Sahna stares at the foggy skys again, bleakly. "How can anyone still see the mark as a symbol of shame, when it costs so much from those who take it? I'm weary to the bone of mage-hating nobles and preachy sunkissed."
Karell's legs are long, so he's out of earshot faster than you could say 'embarrassment.' Direct to the stables, he asks for his horse and waits impatiently before he quickly mounts and gallops off out of sight.
