The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

[Tassadar]

Spoiler

Caim Zeverleh: HP = 74, PP = 56, EP = 36, Status = Fine

"Thank you for coming~" the woman said for the third time since she had let Caim past her door, and not for the first time did he notice the alluring undercurrent in her voice. Of course, the fact that the woman was almost naked and built along the same lines as a goddess did much to notify the mercenary of his host's amorous intentions, though such was to be expected when among demons, particularly among succubi like the woman currently leading Caim into her kitchen. The demoness, as common a sight in Acheron as leaves fallen from a tree, walked with a noticeable and incredibly distracting sway in her step, the soft flesh of her bottom rippling just slightly with every step in a manner that all but begged for him to reach out and take a feel of it.

His host was clad only in a pair of bright green panties that hid just enough of her gorgeous bottom to make it all the more tempting, and the initial sight of her full, firm breasts had been his first greeting when she'd opened the door and invited him into her home. Of course, that a succubus was beautiful wasn't anything to be surprised about, that much Caim had learned as soon as he'd arrived at Acheron, and this one hardly broke from that trope. Lightly tanned and unblemished skin, curves in all of the right places, and a finely formed face with high cheekbones and slightly narrow eyes that expressed an air of mystery, the demonic woman's natural features were only amplified by her mild unnatural ones. A pair of tiny horns curved upwards from just above her temples, dark grey and tapering to sharpened points. A pair of small draconic wings sprung from her back, trimmed in red and with violet skin, and a sinuous tail of similar coloring and ending in a spaded tip completed her inhuman aspects.

"My apologies for my indecency, I just came out of a bath~" the woman murmured over her shoulder while eying Caim significantly. As she led him past a set of stairs leading up to the second floor of the halfway house he had just come to, she grabbed a buttoned shirt from one of the banisters and placed it over her shoulders, not even bothering to button it up as she led him through a thin wooden door and into a narrow hallway with another set of much more narrow stairs leading up, as well as another set leading down. The hallway and stairs were cluttered with a variety of debris and broken objects, seemingly mostly comprised of useless things, but she led him a few feet further and opened another door, revealing a kitchen that had been half cleaned. "Sorry about the mess too! We only just moved in a few days ago and we haven't been able to clean up everything yet!"

She swaggered over to a small wooden table that had been left in the center of the kitchen and sat in one of the three chairs positioned around it. The table and chairs were in the clean section, and were therefore fairly clean as well, though the table was covered in a variety of cleaning supplies. The woman delicately moved them to the counter located nearby, which her back was to where she'd sat. Her motions gave him alternating views of her bottom and her cleavage, with occasional glimpses of her nipples whenever her shirt shifted too far. When she had finished, the succubus settled back into her chair with a sigh and said, for the fourth time that day, "Thank you for coming."

Work hadn't been as easy to come by since coming to the city of vice as Caim might have liked, at least not the type of work that he might have liked. Many of the tasks offered to a sellsword in Acheron seemed to be some variety of despicable, usually breaking down to either assassination or being a thug for a lesser lord. Of course, there was always prostitution, something that he had been surprised to find as an option for a man, but many succubi seemed to prefer to feed off of willing men who didn't yet have much corruption. More than once he had been offered good coin by women even more tempting than the one sitting at the table in the halfway house for a taste of his soul, but it had been impressed upon him by almost everyone that he had met to be very careful in Acheron. Not all succubi would release the men they fed from, and there were none to come looking for him if he disappeared.

Caim Zeverleh had come to the Pine Doorway, a freshly established halfway house for those migrating to Acheron, in order to find work, as he'd been tipped off only a few hours ago that there was an opportunity for him here. "I'm surprised someone came by so quickly, I only let out the message yesterday that we needed the help of someone with... Special skills. You see...." she paused and sighed, shaking her head as lines of fatigue appeared for the first time on her pretty face. Meeting Zeverleh's eyes with her crimson ones, the demoness explained the situation; "As you know, we're trying to get this place livable so that it can be used to house people who've just come to Acheron in order to live here permanently. Lots of people are fleeing the war in the north, from the desert, and from the jungle, and many of them come here despite my race's reputation. It was going fine until Carmila, one of the girls working for me, skipped off with all of the money I'd raised in order to set up.

"I've got enough supplies to keep us going and most of my employees are willing to work with the promise that I'll pay them later, but there's only so long that can last. We need to eat too, and we're trying to set this place up to keep people from resorting to prostitution or thieving, so we can't very well resort to it ourselves! That's where you come in. I need you to find Carmila, wherever she is, and get my money back. She stole three hundred denarii from me, and if you can recover at least two hundred of that for me you can keep whatever's left. I know that's not a concrete price, but I don't have anything else to offer you. Well.... Nothing else that might be called wealth, at least." She paused and eyed him significantly, a quick glance down toward his crotch tipping him off to the meaning behind her statement if he didn't understand it via her tone.

 

[leetmonkey33]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Emerald green eyes shifted about within their sockets, looking carefully about as the clink of scale armor sounded through the halls. Caim Zeverleh, self proclaimed Steel Prince was taking everything he could in about this building that he could, not so much for any ambush spots or clever traps that could have been laid, but simply to avoid all the debris that was strewn about, his feet trying to follow his exquisitely eye pleasing host. More than once his eyes roamed over the body that seemed to have been sculpted and molded to perfection...and to think, he had already seen more beautiful specimens of femininity outside in the streets! The sway of her supple rear drew his attention quite a few times, giving certain ideas of just what he could do to her if he simply reached out and copped a feel...

However, he kept his hands to himself as he ran one of the said appendage through his inky black hair, grinning widely as she thanked him yet again. His eyes continued to roam her barely clothed form, letting his mind run away with just how plus she'd look with out those colorful panties on...truth was he took this job because it seemed like the only decent job available in the city. He had looked around for a few days in fact and quickly realized that anything the blade that stayed sheathed on his back, hanging side ways at the small of his back could be useful for was less than reputable...how was he supposed to gain a reputation worthy of legend if he started out as some common street thug shaking down shops for money!? So he was personally thanking any god he could think of that this fell into his lap!

"Oh, trust me miss, I don't mind at all..." replied to her mentioning about coming out of the bath, not bothering to hide his roving eyes as she looked back...he got the distinct impression that she wouldn't mind the appreciative glances! When she put that buttoned shirt around her shoulders to obscure his view further though, he reminded himself that there needed to be business before pleasure, no matter how tempting this woman may be. "Well that certainly explains things around here." He mentioned as he was told the reason for the mess within the hallways...it was always tough cleaning out an old building to make it usable again.

When they arrived in the kitchen, he went to the nearest seat to his hostess, watching as she squirmed around to move the cleaning supplies upon the table and inadvertently (or perhaps completely planned) gave him some great peeks at her breasts, sometimes even catching a little bit of nipple. She seemed to be getting ready to get down to business too though, but even then he couldn't contain his mirth as he raised a single hand up. "It's no problem, really. I was happy to come when I heard there might actually be a cause worth drawing my blade over." He mentioned, half to further ingratiate himself to her and half because it was true, even if his reasons for doing this were a bit selfish! He leaned back in the seat, seeming to compensate for the broadsword that would have made most people uncomfortable rather easily...then again, it was the weapon that he received the most training in by his teacher!

He kept his eyes locked upon the succubus in front of him, trying to keep his mind on the job now as she explained the situation to him...despite how quickly it was growing, Archeron was still exactly that: a growing city. It was no surprise that so many halfway houses and other temporary domiciles were opening up for the vast amount of people fleeing to the city. Once his hostess was finished explaining the situation she was in, he nodded slowly at her. "I see....that does put you through a rather large stretch of trouble, doesn't it?" He seemed to consider the situation carefully before a cocky smirk played across his lips. "Luckily for you, you've hired the Steel Prince to help you, so you've nothing to worry about! I'll have all that coin back to you before you can even say 'the Necropolis is on fire!'" He boasted before leaning forward. "In fact, I like you...I'll even bring Carmila back alive so you can deal with her yourself." After proclaiming all that he would do and even offering her the chance for some personal satisfaction, he leaned back once more and got to the more pressing questions. "Can you tell me what she looks like? Where she most likely would have gone, places she frequents? Any information at all would be very helpful miss...." He rubbed his head a little as a slightly embarrassed smirk played over his face. "By the gods...I never even got your name!" He shook his head at his own manners, an eagerness to get his career started having made him forget such things for a moment.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Spoiler

Caim Zeverleh: HP = 74, PP = 56, EP = 36, Status = Fine

"Yes, it does. "Tis why I sent for someone to help me, the city guard doesn't interfere in personal disputes, particularly over money. As for Carmilla, I honestly don't care what you do with her. I'm... Not sure what I'd do if I saw her again. She's a demon, so she could look like almost anyone that she wanted to, but when last I saw her she looked like a short girl with short red hair, generally on the thin side, red eyes with dark shadows under them. You'd be better off looking for someone wearing her clothes, which we can't change so easily. She wore dark leather, but skimpy rather than protective. Short shorts and a vest with a zipper. She also had a ring with an emerald on it, and a band made of silver shaped like a serpent swallowing its own tail. I don't know of any places that she frequents, but she had a lover named Ingvar, an orc who lives just a few houses down. If he's not there, he also works at a forge downtown, so you can try there if you don't find him at home. His address is 317 Pleasant, and the forge that he works at is called the Royal Armory, and is at 721 Main Street."

Only after she'd answered all of Caim's questions regarding Carmila did she bother to address the fact that he hadn't even asked for her name, at which she smiled sweetly and said; "Oh don't worry about it hun~ I was too... Distracted... To ask your name when you came in too! My name's Nathi, Mistress of the Flophouse at the corner of Pleasant and 3rd, and as you've supplied your title already, all I need is your name and we'll be fully acquainted~"

 

[leetmonkey33]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

He found it odd that the city guard didn't bother with this case since it was clear cut burglary. However, he didn't bother saying anything since a different race meant different rules after all! The warrior leaned in closer towards his hostess as he listened to Carmila's description and made special note to remember that she could change her form. "Hmmm....that will make things difficult..." He mumbled to himself. After all, if she got home and changed clothes as well as form, then what would he do? Though that ring sounded like something she would wear no matter what. Once she finished telling him about who he was after and other leads to pursue her, he reached out a hand to shake hers with a grin. "It's a pleasure to meet you Nathi. I'm Caim Zeverleh the...oh never mind, you already know what I am!" If she took the hand, he'd give it a firm shake before getting a little distracted looking at her himself. "Well...if that'll be all, I have a thief to catch! I'll see you soon Nathi, then we can talk more about....rewards." A smug smirk formed on his face as he mentioned her allusion to alternate rewards.

Unless there were anymore pleasantries or offers from Nathi to deal with, he would take to the streets and think about his next move. He may have arrived the next day to take care of this situation, but that was plenty of time for Carmila to go to ground and change what she looked like...on top of that, asking around to the common people could spread word to her ears that she was hunted now. He remembered Nathi mentioning a forge worker named Ingvar....but where to find the orc? He decided to head to the forge that he worked at, figuring that he'd have better chances of not being around Carmila there. After all, assuming Ingvar and Carmila were still together, if she fled to his home and took a new form, he could let slip his intentions right in front of her and might not realize it! So he moved for the address of the forge, trying to think of the best way to approach the man on this subject.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Spoiler

Caim Zeverleh: HP = 74, PP = 56, EP = 36, Status = Fine

Nathi shook Caim's hand while smiling at him, "It's nice to meet you Caim! I hope that you can help me! I look forward to hearing from you soon!" With that, Caim was released from his employers presence and allowed to start his investigation, the succubus following him in her shirt and panties until she closed the door softly behind him. "I look forward to discussing "other rewards" with you~" were her parting words, and after that Caim was left to decide how he ought to pursue Carmilla.

Choosing to go for the demon's orc lover, he headed to the forge, which he found easily enough and without incident. The forge was open air, and in it was an orc man and a satyr, both of whom were working on separate forges, while a third forge was empty on the opposite side of the enclosure from where Caim stood across the street. How he wanted to approach the situation was up to him to decide, whether he wanted to directly approach or try to sneak about.

 

[leetmonkey33]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Caim thought briefly about how he should approach the situation. Perhaps he should try and sneak by while both men were at work and see what he could find. Perhaps he could also just fall on his blade now while he was at it! Sneak around? BAH! He was the Steel Prince! sneaking like some common thief was below him! However he knew to just outright question the Orc would be foolhardy. After all, there was nothing saying that this man wasn't in league with his target. He started to cross the street...he'd have to work his way in with words rather than stealth. Most would think a man of the blade wouldn't want to mince words, but if Caim had his way, he would be interacting with many due to his fame and renown....words were going to be VERY important for the greatest warrior to ever live to negotiate the best contracts for his work!

He made his way into the open air forge, taking in the smell of sweat, fire, and steel...this was the closest thing one had to the battlefield without finding all the danger. It was a true delight to a man of war as himself. He looked around briefly for a moment before seeming to take an interest in Ingvar, walking over and tilting his head to see him work. The orc certainly had the forger's build as he went about his business. "Hmmm...not bad there friend. I can see why I was recommended to you....Ingvar, correct?" He looked briefly at the Satyr, trying to see if he by chance had that ring with the serpent swallowing its tail and the emerald upon it....Carmilla could apparently shift her shape after all and he had no idea how much she could do that. "Just by the way you swing that hammer I can see you've some skill about you." This was one of the times that he was glad that he grew up in a family of forge workers himself...while he didn't know all the particulars about the craft, he was sure he knew enough to identify a good smith...which he could also use to schmooze Ingvar with to hopefully make him more friendly.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Spoiler

Caim Zeverleh: HP = 74, PP = 56, EP = 36, Status = Fine

The burly orc continued working as Caim approached him, banging away at a large, flat piece of metal that would likely become a shield or part of a suit of armor by the time it was finished. Not looking up from his task, he grunted; "Yeah, I'm Ingvar." The glance at the satyr revealed no rings on either of his fingers, and he seemed to be ignoring Caim completely as he worked at a forge using a metal that looked more like gold than iron. "Been training as a smith since I was old enough to hold a hammer, back when you were still suckin on your momma's teats. King is the one to talk to if you want to commission something," Ingvar continued dismissively, still working diligently and with skills appropriate for one who had dedicated their life to a craft.

 

[leetmonkey33]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

His eyes roamed over both Ingvar and the satyr once more, trying to assess how much of a threat the two would be if things had to get violent. They could be a threat, simply by their work....one didn't get fat from working in a forge, that was for certain. But just because they could weaponry didn't mean the knew how to use it! Taking into account any workers he had not seen yet and how likely the guard was to believe him if he claimed self defense....well, all in all it seemed like a pretty good idea to keep blades sheathed if he could! "King may be the one I see about commissions, but he won't be the one holding the hammer, so as far as I'm concerned I speak to him last. After all...a warrior is only as good as his gear and his gear is only as good as it's smith." He circled around to feign interest in what he was making. "I'd like to see some of your finished work if it is available...I want only the best working on my steel and I wanna see if your really the best."

Whether he did show Caim any of his finished product or not wouldn't stop him from idly wandering around, taking a look at what else was going on inside of the forge. "Besides, lets face it....Acheron, for all it opportunity, is still VERY dangerous...why, I've heard on the street that there was some flophouse near by that was taken for all it's worth...a shame too, could have brought this place plenty of business with people wanting protection and the need for more common iron goods." He then turned to Ingvar with a smirk. "So I wanna make sure my armor won't fall apart due to shoddy workmanship if someone comes up to me with the idea of taking all I got."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Spoiler

Caim Zeverleh: HP = 74, PP = 56, EP = 36, Status = Fine

Both Ingvar and the satyr were as muscular as one ought to expect a career in blacksmithing to make a man, thick chords of muscle visible on their arms and rippling beneath their shirts, but that sort of muscle was meant for power rather than speed. Neither of the two as yet seemed ready to perform any violence, however, as both were still busily working at their respective tasks. "True enough," the burly orc grunted as he sheathed the metal in the flames once more, "I work best with steel, but I can make weapons and armor out of bronze, copper, dragonscale or bone, cold iron, darksteel, shiversteel, and even silver or gold. You might be better off speaking to Sartan over there if you want something made out of more exotic materials like dragonglass or crystal."

With that, he turned and pointed toward a rack of weapons and armor, most of them made of glimmering steel but a few of other materials like bronze or even wood. "Anything that you see over there that's made of steel is my work, anything that isn't is all his doing. Fairies don't take well to iron, it seems, and he refuses to work with it, but he's a damn good smith with anything else," Ingvar explained, and then returned to his work while Caim examined the rest of the forge. It was all fairly standard for a forge, the two smiths on duty working at their respective posts with little in the way of distinguishing characteristics, and nothing stood out as useful as far as Caim's mission was concerned. Every piece was well crafted, that much Caim could see plainly.

Ingvar, who had returned to his task, replied in grunts to Caim's next line of questions and statements; "I s'pose it is dangerous to soft-skin like you. And that's no surprise, I used to know someone who worked at that flophouse. She left after the owner let all of her coin get stolen by some other employee though, seemed kinda scared too. Too bad, Carmilla was the best piece of ass I've ever had!" That brought a grunt of laughter from the satyr working nearby, and Ingvar paused to crack a grin at the other smith and say; "Yeah, laugh it up! At least I got some, unlike you! A city full of succubi and you can't even work up the nerve to pay for it!"

 

[leetmonkey33]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

The line of materials that Ingvar rattled off to him was rather impressive, considering how much work it took to master the usage of so many materials, so despite the fact that Caim was here to try and get information, he thought that he might have to come back to Ingvar anyway should his equipment need it. He wandered over to the rack that the was pointed towards, looking over the various weapons that were on display...there was quite an assortment, tags on some to denote who was meant to pick the item up. "Rather ironic for a fairy to be working as a smith considering how wide spread the use of iron is in such goods....but I suppose their people need to be able to knock someone's teeth in as well."

He picked up one of the weapons, a small hand axe that was more than likely meant to be a side arm. He held it in his hand, testing the balance before slipping it into his belt. He stood there for a moment, drawing the little axe as fast as he could and taking a swing at some imagined enemy, testing it further before lightly running a finger along the blade, with drawing as soon as he felt his skin split ever so slightly. He smiled and put the hatchet back before picking up a sword and examining that as well...he made sure to keep to Ingvars work, even rapping his knuckles lightly against a couple shields to test for weak spots in them. "Your lover ran away due to the incident? Man, you deserve a drink a night for losing such a fine woman over it!" He assumed that Carmilla was as lovely, a apparently more skilled than most of the ladies within the city by the way Ingvar talked.

He stood there for a moment longer before tilting his head up in thought, putting on a small show for the orc as if he was remembering something. "Hold on a moment....Carmilla....Carmilla....wait, I know that name." He looked over to the orc now, fingers held thoughtfully on his own chin. "Yeah...some guys were asking about her while I was at the near by tavern for a drink....been spreading word that it was Carmilla who stole that coin in the first place." He watched for Ingvar's reaction as he returned another weapon to the rack....he had to play his cards right now for things not to blow like a volcano as his teacher used to say.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Spoiler

Caim Zeverleh: HP = 74, PP = 56, EP = 36, Status = Fine

"Not all blades need be made of anathema," the faerie replied in a soft but incredibly deep voice, such that he need not raise it much for Caim to hear him clearly. "Bronze and silver can make blades just as sharp as steel in the proper hands, and the more... Exotic... Materials, as my colleague put it, are often even better for it... Particularly in a truly skilled smith's hands!" Ingvar nodded along to the satyr's statement, "Ain't that the truth."

Caim's remark about losing his woman over her thievery drew a smirk from the orc, and he nodded, "Heh, two for two. You always an honest man friend, or are you just having a good day?" He grinned at Caim, but then his expression dropped into a scowl when the warrior remarked about the imaginary men that had spoken about his former lady. "False rumor! Slander! What'd they look like?" the orc said angrily, fuming. "Friggin idiots.... Just cuz that dumb bint lost her coin, she has to go and get Carmilla run out of town... And now starting rumors and shit too!" he grumbled under his breath, striking the anvil at which he was working a bit too hard and causing sparks to fly out.

 

[leetmonkey33]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Caim continued his idle inspections of the weapons that were on display, including what he suspected to be some of Sartan's fine work. The materials that weren't made of steel, and indeed some of the materials not made of any usual medal felt a little off in his hands but that was more than likely because he wasn't used to the materials the weapons were made of. This place had variety and clearly skilled forgers. Perhaps he'd have to return here to see if they had any side work that needed done.

His attention was caught by Ingvar when he asked if Caim always just spoke what was on his mind, making the human grin back. "We are men of steel Ingvar. For men like us, their really isn't much need for sugary words or holding back!" was Caim's only reply...he heard of the reputation Orcs had, but he couldn't help but like this one! However, his words had hit home as Ingvar grew agitated at the mention of Camilla being the thief rather than some innocent girl who ran in fear. Well, it certainly made it clear how Ingvar felt about his target! "Easy there friend, your supposed to temper the blade, not smash it flat as farm dirt!" he jested, trying to get the orc to settle down. "Well if she didn't take it, then maybe she ran because she saw who did and is afraid of what the culprit may do?" He tapped his chin a few times before smirking. "This sounds like it has reward all over it...and you have no reason to lie about this. If you can give me a bit of information on where she might have gone, perhaps I can clear her name and bash the skull of the one who did steal the money." His card had been played now...all he could do was hope Ingvar took the bait. Whether Carmilla was guilty or innocent had no real bearing on the fact that she was the person he needed to find right now....so he fibbed a little bit. If Carmilla was indeed innocent, he'd find a way to prove it! If she was the guilty party as Nathi said, then he'd show that to Ingvar as well...either way, it was perfect to try and get on his good side as far as he was concerned.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Spoiler

Caim Zeverleh: HP = 74, PP = 56, EP = 36, Status = Fine

The orc smith calmed slightly at Caim's words, though he still seemed very agitated, and he became even more so as the warrior tried to weasel the location of Carmilla out of him. "I don't know where she went! I told yah, she got run out of town after all that got thrown around!" he protested, "If I knew where she was, I'd be there with her. Girl had too much spirit to let go runnin off! The last place I saw her was at her work, she danced at a place called the Reserved Tradesman downtown. If you want to find her, you might try asking around there."

 

[leetmonkey33]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Caim frowned at the distinct lack of information. If he didn't get anything out of this, then the trail would be cold without some sort of outside help, which would cost coin he couldn't afford to spend right now. Just as he thought that his time here was wasted though, Ingvar came through with the name of another place, making him smirk. "The Reserved Tradesman you say?? Well...this sounds like fun." He finally put down another bit of Ingvar's work and cracked his knuckles as he spoke "Too much fun to pass up in fact. I'm gonna look into this whole mess and see if I can't bring your woman back to you...after all, if your that fond of her, how can I do nothing?" He began to walk towards the street again, a confident stride in his step. "I'll see you again soon Ingvar, count on that!" If he could bring her back, guilty or innocent, to the Orc it could only make him look good! If he could take her alive that is...but for now, he made his way towards the Reserved Tradesman to follow this new lead.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Spoiler

Caim Zeverleh: HP = 74, PP = 56, EP = 36, Status = Fine

Ingvar looked slightly skeptical, but shrugged at Caim's confident assertion and, as the mercenary was moving to leave, said; "Alright then... Tell her I'm looking for her if you do end up finding her!" The problem now was that he needed to find the place where Carmila had allegedly worked.

Reaching downtown Acheron was an easy thing, requiring only that Caim go down Main Street until he hit the street taking him towards the heart of the city, but once he got there, after passing the narrow desolation and the arena and no less than two active scuffles and four crime scenes that had been cordoned off by the city guard, found himself standing in the city's fountain square. It was a marvelous sight compared to the well-worn state of the rest of Acheron, pure white marble tiling formed in a circle around a massive water fountain. The statues in the center of the fountain, the warriors who had fought the demon queen in Hell itself and their demonic foe according to the stories told by the locals, glinted as the light reflected off of their pale marble.

Four against one, four mortal heroes against an immortal monster as in the legends of old, but representing a battle that had supposedly taken place only about four years prior. The forefront of the heroes, a woman with the tail and scales of a dragon, stood with a fierce expression in the face of the demon queen, a curved sword like those favored by the people of the Amazon clenched in both hands. Behind her stood an elven huntress from the North who stood bracing a bow to fire, an arrow knocked and aimed at the heart of her prey. Behind her stood a human and a su-ku-ta, the former in the pose traditionally associated with magic as carved decals suggested that she was manipulating the winds, while the latter stood nude with a serpent coiled around her body and hissing at their foe as it slid down her outstretched arm, a bolt of lightning held in the other. Across from them stood the demon queen, nude, unarmed, and alone against four warriors who were (mostly) both armed and armored. Though she was certainly appealing, her stance both seductive and defensive against her opponents, the queen of hell was most recognizable by how plain she appeared, lacking any features to mark her as a demon whatsoever. By all appearances she seemed to be nothing more than a human woman, possessed of average height and unkept hair that was masterfully represented in pale marble just like all the others.

From the main square, Caim could see the palace of Acheron's ruler, Queen Xeon, which was plainer and more practical than one might expect, constructed more like a municipal building than a mansion. Numerous offices with various names were situated about as well, courts and help centers for those seeking aid in the dangerous demon city, as well as the holding cells for minor offenders against the laws present in the seemingly lawless city. Seven streets branched off into the heart of Acheron, each going somewhere different, while one led back the way he had come. Much of the city was still in ruins, so if he wished Caim could try and wander about in search of his destination, but these areas were well patrolled and a guard could likely point him in the right direction much more quickly. Of course, if he so wished he could stop by the tourist center located only a short way off of the square instead.

 

[leetmonkey33]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Caim followed what directions that he was given by Ingvar to reach his destination, rubbing elbows with the populace of Acheron. He could swear that for having gone downtown that the crowds only got more packed together rather than spread apart at all! He had quickly gotten used to the run down nature of most of the city, but was still finding that the constant postings of guards trying to secure crime scenes and mini brawls in the streets between a couple people were something of interest. He learned quickly to try and listen for any such skirmishes between residents so that he could move around them rather than be held up by crowds of onlookers that would stop and watch for the moments they lasted. The guard postings signaled to him that he was sure to find work from them if he needed it after this job. For now though, he passed it all by, only giving vague attention to any words at the crime scenes...rumor gathering to point him in the direction of more battles later essentially.

But the fountain square had caught him by surprise, a complete switch from the rest of the city he had witnessed! There didn't seem to be a speck of any kind of detritus within this area, the fountain and tiling around it gleaming a soft, ivory white within the rays of the sun and capturing his vision in an instant. Where the sun didn't seem to make it radiate with the glory of the heroes it depicted, the lovely marble seemed to just shift with the ambient light of the area, the water refracting the light around it as the fountain did its work. He couldn't help but walk forward, his eyes roaming the masterful sculptures in awe before placing a hand at the base of the fountain and slowly walking around, just imagining what such a battle truly held. "Against all odds....nothing but grit, determination, and the skills they carried with them to defeat a being that many thought to be invincible." He seemed to be in his own little world, a place of legends and where every myth was alive as he circuited the fountain. When he finally completed the circle, he took out a single Denarii and looked down at it before looking back towards the statues. "You are what inspire people to venture forth...people like you and tales such as yours are what make others march forward into the unknown with their own attempts to claim such glory." He even spoke to the demon queen in the middle of the four warriors...for despite what she was and what her goals were, did she not inspire others to act in her own way? The four women about her, fighting for what they held dear against the queen was proof of that. He then flicked the single coin towards the fountain, a smirk on his face. "That coin is a promise to you and all your memories....one day I too will be heralded as a man above all others...a legend in the face of the seemingly impossible. The whole world will know of the Steel Prince...I swear it."

Taking a deep breath, he finally stepped away from the fountain, deciding it was time to stop dawdling and get back to work. One had to complete the simple tasks they were handed before changing the fate of nations or even the world! Looking around, he quickly deduced a very important fact....he had no clue where to go from here!! While there were patrols of guards about and such, they would most likely be busy....well, the ones that would probably be around the palace itself would be less so, but he doubted they would want disturbed with something so arbitrary. The signs that were about mentioning a tourist center seemed promising though! If anyone knew where the Reserved Tradesman was, it would be them or they'd at least be able to point him in the right direction. On top of that, he still knew very little of the city...they could tell him about some places that would be of interest to him, or at least some land marks he could use to help him make his way about! He moved away from the fountain that he had flicked the single Denarii into to honor the heroes and towards the center that was but a short walk away.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Spoiler

Caim Zeverleh: HP = 74, PP = 56, EP = 36, Status = Fine

Heading over to the office set up to help tourists after flinging his single coin and offering his promise, Caim found himself in an artfully set up marble building with a pair of black knights standing guard just inside. Past the silent figures was a help desk, and behind it sat a pleasant looking young woman with pale skin and ram-like horns curling forth from her temples. "Hello good sir!" the receptionist said pleasantly as she beckoned him forward. There was much more to the building, that much was obvious, but for the moment it seemed likely that he could get what he needed right here, as the woman behind the counter brightly said; "How may I help you? Are you looking for anything in particular?"

 

[leetmonkey33]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Caim moved past the two imposing guards at the front, looking over their armor for any sign of affiliation. They certainly didn't look like normal guards! This close to the palace though and with a building such as this, he wouldn't have been surprised if they were part of a separate unit meant to guard important buildings...either that or they were a privately hired group. In any event, it didn't concern him. He went to the desk that the receptionist was behind and the first thing he did was check for that ring...was he a little paranoid about it? Maybe....but he felt it was necessary when you were chasing a shape shifter!

"Hello there miss, I was mainly trying to find out what some of the major land marks were of the city. I just arrived and without anything to identify while roaming about, it can be hard to keep track of where I am!" His eyes would rove upwards after checking for any rings and a smile would slowly spread on his face. "By the way miss...cute horns." If he didn't notice Carmila's ring upon her finger, he'd listen to whatever information she offered before asking his primary question. "By the way miss, but I'm also looking for a particular place...could you point me in the direction of an establishment called the Reserved Tradesman?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

Spoiler

Caim Zeverleh: HP = 74, PP = 56, EP = 36, Status = Fine

The knights both had the seal of Acheron on their breastplates, and neither armored head turned to look back at Caim as he examined them in a rare display of discipline in the lawless city. After getting an eyeful of those two, he turned his attention to the receptionist and looked her up and down, finding no hint of the ring for which he searched. When his eyes roved back upwards he would find the woman smiling knowingly at him, her back arching slowly to put a little bit more on display. "Well, there are certainly plenty of places that can help with that, and I'm just the girl to help you!" she said lightly, "You saw the memorial plaza for the heroes who fought Queen Natalie, of course. And you can see the palace of Lady Xeon just outside, where the Queen of Acheron resides. You probably passed the arena in order to get here, where warriors fight for prize and valor, but if you didn't it lies along the main street. There are numerous recognizable shops scattered about the city, such as Elea's Rest Hospital which named for one of the heroes depicted outside, Asp's Den, Madame Rosmerta's, the Royal Library, and dozens of others. I can tell you more if you tell me what you're looking for in particular, and can loan you one of our guides for a day for a modest fee if you'd like a more in depth tour."

When Caim made his actual destination known, the receptionist giggled softly and eyed him speculatively for a moment, and then said; "Of course sir~ The Reserved Tradesman is a well respected entertainment establishment, and can be found just a ways down the alley that Natalie looks down. That's Elten Street in case it's not clear. You'll see the sign for it only a short ways down, on your right."

 

[leetmonkey33]

Re: The Steel Prince (leetmonkey33)

The woman before him seemed to smirk at his roving eyes, misinterpreting the intent behind them as she tried to offer a more pleasing view of herself. Of course, he wasn't complaining...he might have to come back for that tour after all, especially if she was giving it. As soon as his questions were asked she became a fountain of information spilling forth, Caim trying to make as many mental notes as he could and remembering passing the Arena...if work got scarce he could always try his hand in there to win some fame it seemed. But what really got his attention was the directions to the Reserved Tradesman. He smirked as she tittered a little at his question. "So I've heard....thanks for your help miss. I may come back for that tour soon if it'll help me learn this city that much quicker." He gave her a polite nod in thanks before turning to leave.

The directions that he was given were quite easy to follow really....it was pretty much a straight shot from where he was after all and just as the woman had told him, the place was barely even a walk down the way off to his right. He went inside the establishment, looking around to get his bearings and get the general atmosphere of the place. That, and it gave him time to cement his story inside his mind.