Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

[Tassadar]

Spoiler

Kamsa: HP = 57, PP = 44, EP = 54, Status = Fine

"Will you be goin any further?"

The low, rumbling voice of the steamboat pilot grunted from up ahead. The one platform vessel had carried her from Northeastern Badaria all the way here, to the Southern coast near where Badaria bordered Anudor. The river had taken her on a winding but blessedly peaceful journey across the divided nation, through regions belonging to numerous noble families all of whom taxed the small trade vessel and its occupants individually. What wealth she'd managed to gather prior to her desperate escape from the group that had taken her off of the streets was spent now, leaving her pockets empty.

"Won't be no more tolls now.... But I'm turnin' round at the coast. Yer welcome to stick around 'til then I 'spose, but after that I'll have to ask for a bit more money fer your keep," the stocky, sun darkened and wind weathered old man continued as he guided the ship towards the docks. Tahryst was not a large city despite sitting beside a fairly expansive lake, and in fact barely even qualified as such, but enough trade traffic still went through it that it saw its fair share of travelers. It was close to Anudor and Acheron by land, but was independent from the demon city and was ruled by local nobles rather than belonging to any of the larger regions that had developed since the empire's fall.

It was only a few miles from the coast of Badaria, where a few fishing villages and one last port town belonging to the city at which she now gazed across a small stretch of water. The barge was not likely to remain on the docks for long, only long enough to pay its tolls before leaving and going to the port just a few miles down the river where its good would be unloaded to be taken across the sea. Whether she wanted to go ashore at Tahryst, or remain on the small vessel a while longer was up to Kamsa, but while the captain and his equally tight lipped crewmen might not seem to mind her presence on their vessel, they didn't seem to care enough to wait around for her either.

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Kamsa stared at the water as she mulled over her situation. Her eyes had witnessed things she wished she could forget. Why couldn't she just take her eyes out her head and wash away the horrors in the river and lake before her? There was a slight twinge of guilt as she thought about what she had left those unknowing people to. A sad smile crossed her face as she wondered how much life had changed for her and how, after everything, it was looking even worse than if she was still just on the streets back 'home'. Surely, they would be after her. She knew secrets that should never be exposed, even if those secrets would never be believed, at least by anyone sane.

She doubted that would change anything.

The gruff voice snapped Kamsa out of her melancholy trance and she looked towards its source. Listening to the old man's propsal, the kistune's hand dropped to her coin purse. Empty, just like back then, but it wasn't as if she was wanting to head back up the river anyway. Her eyes then went to the town before them, as her tail swished slowly back and forth in thought. It was as good of a place as any, and there were certainly options to go travel to if she ever caught wind someone (or something) was truly after her. From here, the pickings would only get worse. Was she being too paranoid?

Kamsa stepped towards the gangway as she answered, "I think I should take my leave here, Captain. Thank you for your hospitality."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Spoiler

Kamsa: HP = 57, PP = 44, EP = 54, Status = Fine

"Safe travels then lass!" the man said, having already been paid. The flat vessel approached the docks slowly, its engine sputtering beneath the water as it drew in. A few crewmen threw lines to those waiting, and a few minutes later the cargo barge was tied in. The captain preceded Kamsa off the boat, going with his first officer towards the waiting officials while most of the other crewmen remained on board, some offering their own goodbyes to Kamsa. She had only been on the boat for a few weeks and had been able to keep to herself mostly if she preferred, but at least a few had clumsily attempted to work their charms on her over the course of their journey, and most had been friendly enough regardless.

The kitsune wouldn't be able to get off the ship without being noticed, however, and as she advanced down the pier she found herself stopped by a pretty young woman with a clipboard and parchment held in one arm and a pen clenched by manicured fingers in the other. A burly man in a blue and yellow vest with gray trousers stood beside her, a frown on his flat face and his well muscled arms folded over his chest, thankfully nowhere near the revolver sitting in a holster at his waist. "Hello!" the woman said brightly as she confronted Kamsa, peering at her over rectangular spectacles and offering a dazzling smile.

"Welcome to Tahryst! I'll just have to ask a few questions.... Are you passenger, or crew? What is your name? Will you be staying ashore or returning to the ship? How long will you stay in our fair city, and what is your purpose in doing so, if any?" she asked, noting the answer to each question on her clip board as Kamsa gave them. "Well then... This is for you!" she said, handing Kamsa a ticket, "you can request temporary lodging at the docking house if you have none of your own and don't wish to shell out for a room at an inn."

The woman leaned in suddenly, looking at Kamsa over the rim of her glasses, and spoke her next suggestion in a tone low enough that the guard beside her probably didn't hear her; "If you're looking to have some fun and maybe make a bit of money, come to Hadrian's Jest in the dock quarter.... Tonight! You won't be disappointed~" She leaned away with a smirk, "have a pleasant day, traveler!"

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

"And safe sailing to you too," Kamsa replied to the captain. She wished the same to the other crew members, whether they approached her or if they were just passing by. While it had been flattering that some of them had attempted to woo the kitsune, to sweep her off her feet, she had not exactly been in the mood for such things. All she had wanted to do was to lay low. Perhaps, in hind sight, she should have played along at least for a little as stewing in her rotten memories was not the best.

With a wistful sigh, she headed off the ship. Then, whatever lingering wonderings were blasted away by the seeming flurry of energy from the strange woman that stood before her. Kamsa felt just a little confused as she was barraged with questions.

"Uh, passenger."

"Kamsa."

"Staying, I think."

"Uhm... how long? I don't know?"

"Just visiting?"

Kamsa accepted the ticket and was then about to spout off a bewildered thank you when the woman leaned in. The kitsune blinked in confusion and stood awkwardly as everything processed in her brain. "Ah, alright. Thank you? You too, Miss. Sir." Gingerly, she sidestepped around the pair of strangers and went on her way. The runaway looked down at the ticket, doing a quick scan of it, before looking over her shoulder at the couple who had approached her, still wondering what just happened.

Regardless, the offer of a free room seemed like the best option for someone just a teeny bit short on coin. So, Kamsa was off to the dock house.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Spoiler

Kamsa: HP = 57, PP = 44, EP = 54, Status = Fine

The ticket was a simple form of identification, having her name, purpose, and the signature of the woman who had taken her information. 'Sarita Matthews' it said, and she gave Kamsa a wink before letting the kitsune go on her way. With few other options to explore, Kamsa made her way to the docking house, a large flat building sitting among the taller warehouses. Inside was a bustling area, with sailors moving about busily as some checked into the barracks and others moved out back to their ships. It would take Kamsa several minutes to get the attention of one of the half dozen harried clerks working to make order of the chaos, and when shew did she found herself speaking to a pretty young blond woman in a crisp dress, not unlike the one who had spoken to her on the dock.

"Hello!" she greeted Kamsa with a cheerful air, "you need a place to stay while your ship moors? Do you have identification?"

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Inside the large building, the down-on-her-luck kitsune found herself hugging her tail close to her body to avoid getting in peoples' way. She should have guessed it would have been this packed, being a fairly sizable port, but she still was not prepared for the sheer number of people and the energy with with people went about their business. Kamsa found herself being nearly bowled over on a few occasions while she seemingly futilely tried to get the attention of one of the clerks. Why couldn't people just form a nice, orderly queue?

Given her current situation, there was an inkling in the back of her mind. She didn't exactly have much, or any, coin. It wouldn't be hard to a few wandering fingers to change ownership of a few coins. The kitsune shook her head free of such thoughts. She was different. Yes, she was running away, but that didn't mean that she had to throw away a chance at a fresh start away from cults or life scraping by as a petty thief. Of course it would be hard, but life always is.

Kamsa was relieved, for multiple reasons, when she finally was able to get the attention of someone.

"Hi, yes, I do need a place to stay, though not really because my ship is moored, exactly. Still, uhm... where did it go?" She fumbled around a bit before handing over the signed ticket. "Here's the thing they gave me at the docks. For identification."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Spoiler

Kamsa: HP = 57, PP = 44, EP = 54, Status = Fine

"Ahhh, thank you!" the receptionist said as she took the identification card, brushing a stand of hair away from her face before moving to a ledger. "Well, you're entitled to stay for three days at no charge," she explained, "but only in one of the general rooms. This isn't a hotel or an inn, so I'm afraid we can't offer anything with privacy, but it's free, and if you can manage two coin a night you can stay here as long as you need to."

She opened a drawer and handed Kamsa a small brass key with a paper tag tied to it be a piece of string. "It has your bunk number on it, the key is just for a footlocker that you can keep your things in."

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Kamsa graciously accepted the key, clutching it tightly as if it was some important treasure. It wasn't as if she would have much to store anyway. "Three days... two coins...." she muttered to herself. "Okay, thank you, miss."

Her tail swished nervously as she thought about what she would say next. "Mmm, uhm, actually, would you happen to know of anywhere that might be looking for, er, help?" she asked sheepishly. Her hands idly fiddled with the key and tag, her eyes glancing down at the tag, unable to maintain eye contact after asking such a pathetic question.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Spoiler

Kamsa: HP = 57, PP = 44, EP = 54, Status = Fine

"Oh! Errrrr.... Well, they're always looking for workers on the docks. Offloading cargo and whatnot. It doesn't pay the best, and you... Well, you aren't exactly built for it, but it's better than whoring and won't get you into trouble with the city watch," she said awkwardly while maintaining her smile, "you could look around the shops or something and see if they need an assistant, but I'm afraid I don't know any off the top of my head. If you want to talk to someone about working on the docks, you can go just down the street to the laborer's office."

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Kamsa nodded along as the receptionist did her best to answer the kitsune's question. "Right.... Well, thank you," she responded with a weak smile. "I'll let you get back to it." One hand raised up as a parting gesture as she backed away from the counter and headed back outside, her other hand clutching the key tightly for a moment before she stowed it away on her person.

As she left the bunk house, her thoughts went back to what the woman on the docks had said earlier. While money was promised, it certainly sounded shady. Kamsa scratched her head in frustration. 'I'll go if nothing else works out...' she told herself, 'If I don't like it, I can just leave, right?' A sigh escaped her lips before she went off to look for some place that may be hiring that may be looking for someone with what skills she had.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Spoiler

Kamsa: HP = 57, PP = 44, EP = 54, Status = Fine

"Have a pleasant stay!" the receptionist replied with a wide smile and a nod of her head, leaving Kamsa to go on her way. From there, she headed out to go and look for a job for her admittedly somewhat limited skillset, or at least limited in the sense that she had little in the way of formal education to aid her. She saw many opportunities to pick a pocket here and there, folk distracted by conversation or their own thoughts that she passed as she meandered through the streets, but nowhere did there seem to be anyone in immediate need of work.

As she walked down a minor side street lined with small shops, however, a short man with features hidden in a simple brown cloak stepped up beside her and matched her pace. "You lookin for work?" he asked casually, his features mostly hidden save for a bristly mustache. "Somethin... Maybe off the books?" he continued quickly as he walked beside Kamsa, not even looking at her and thus not revealing his face, "you look the sort."

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

With each store she approached, Kamsa approached politely, gave a nice inquiry as to whether they were looking or accepting any help, then gave gracious thanks for their time. She had hoped she'd be lucky for once, just wishing for something as simple as a job. It wasn't as if they'd be entirely hiring a useless bum on the streets anymore. She had at least some skills during that blissful time before everything turned dark. But, nothing wanted to go her way. Each time that she was forced to walk away, depresson and frustration set in. Couldn't things go well once? It was then, as her nails dug into her palms, that the man approached.

Kamsa kept walking quietly as she mulled it over. She wondered what kind of person she looked like that she gave off that people felt necessary to make these suspicious offers? She tries to be a normal person and get a normal job, but then weirdness just keeps happening around her. She hadn't even been looking for a day, thus far, but still! What if she was just destined to be kicked around by life? What if this really was her only choice? With a frown, she slowed her pace and crossed her arms. She glanced at the hooded man then looked away before speaking.

"What are you thinking of?" she responded, a bit more gruff and curt than she had intended.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Spoiler

Kamsa: HP = 57, PP = 44, EP = 54, Status = Fine

Kamsa's gruff response didn't seem to dissuade the man, but he didn't dawdle at her side either. "Go two blocks down and into the Windsor, ask at the counter for Garrus," he said, and then simply stepped away from her and down an alleyway, leaving the kitsune on her own again, and with the choice as to whether to take him up on his offer or continue trying to find legitimate work.

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

"Garrus... at the Windsor..." Kamsa quietly repeated to herself with a sigh, "Fine, what's the wors- No, it's probably going to go bad, with my luck anyway."

Another sigh escaped her lips before Kamsa continued on her way, her tail swishing about with a notable annoyed flair. "Two blocks...." She kept her eyes peeled for the Windsor, whatever kind of shady establishment that might be, as well as for any more suspicious people.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Spoiler

Kamsa: HP = 57, PP = 44, EP = 54, Status = Fine

Kamsa's path took her just a short ways down the street before she spotted a sign for the Windsor, a squat unassuming building of two stores and built entirely of wood. Entering it, Kamsa found herself standing in a small cafe where there sat a small handful of people, all of whom were alone and minding their own business. Only two even took notice of her, the woman behind the counter and the man nearest the door.

The former was wrinkled and gray haired, but only seemed to look at her to see if she was going to buy something. The other man, in contrast, looked just as old but was badly scarred, the right half of his face so roughly marked that it was nearly mutilated, his eye stuck shut and the line of his mouth warped into flesh that had been knitted back together not quite correctly. He looked at her expectantly, as if waiting for her, and was the only one not clad in street clothes in the place, the only one wearing armor that looked like a mix of older style mail and more modern bulletproof armor.

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Kamsa's ears twitched nervously. Wearing armor in such a place? Then again, she was armed, so perhaps armor wasn't such a bad decision. Still, the man unsettled her, the scars not helping his image. As subtle as possible, she shifted herself to make sure her equipment was actually still on her person, before continuing on towards the counter. After all, the woman seemed much more approachable.

Leaning against the counter, the kitsune scratched the back of her head as she reaffirmed her decision. As soon as the next few words left her mouth, she felt pretty sure there would be no going back. "Hello, uh... I'm looking for a... Garrus?" she inquired, feigning a smile.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Spoiler

Kamsa: HP = 57, PP = 44, EP = 54, Status = Fine

"He's over there, by the door," the older woman said without returning Kamsa's feigned smile, pointing to the scarred man who gazed at Kamsa expectantly and folded his hands in front of his face while leaning forward against the small table at which he sat.

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Kamsa bowed her head slightly, "Thank you,." With that, she slipped away from the woman.

Of course it'd be the scary, armor-clad man. Of course. Something in the back of her mind had told her that he would be the man she was looking for. She had hoped for a nice well dressed man. Or, some unassuming fellow? But no, it had to be the scarred, probably well armed, man that clearly does not know how to dress for a cafe. Kamsa prepared herself as she stopped in front of Garrus. "I... was told to look for you? Garrus?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

Spoiler

Kamsa: HP = 57, PP = 44, EP = 54, Status = Fine

"Ahhh, so they finally sent someone my way.... Hello there!" the scarred man said in an entirely cheerful voice, his tone melodious and pleasant despite his fearsome visage. "Come on, take a seat... Mary will get you a coffee," he said, gesturing for the kitsune to take a seat. Assuming she accepted his invitation, he would make minor small talk, asking after her well being and how long ago she'd arrived in the city while the shop owner mixed her a coffee, which she could make requests on if she so wished.

Once she had her beverage, however, the ugly man across from her would drop his voice, the volume well below what the others in the room were communicating at, and said; "So... You've heard of Hadrian's Jest?"

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Fate of Traitors (Tsuki)

With a nod, Kamsa took the offered seat, albeit timidly. She was definitely on guard as she conversed with Garrus, answering truthfully. After all, she didn't have that much to hide. As for the coffee, the kitsune didn't say much on it, having not had much experience with the dark drink.

When the coffee arrived, Kamsa looked at it quizzically. It certainly smelled nice. However, she didn't get a chance to sample the liquid as Garrus flipped the switch on the conversation and the girl's ears flattened. "I can't say that I have." she replied as she held the warm cup between her hands just in front of her lips. Just as the words left her lips, her mind flashed back to earlier in the day.

"Oh, actually, maybe I have?" she quickly added on as she lowered the cup. "A woman on the docks said something about Hadrian's Jest, I think? Something happening tonight?"