Eveningtide at the Tavern (27 Chyril ET, OPEN)

[Haikan]

At the head of the Avenue of Trade in King's Court overlooking a small plaza of cobbled stone sat the Laughing King's Tavern. It was a large inn, as large as any rural coaching inn, and would feature a small, enclosed coach way along with three full stories with a regally steeped rooftop, at least when it was complete. While construction of the Laughing King's Tavern had left two floors complete and largely functional, the top level with it's steep rafters and sturdy walls remained a skeletal frame awaiting completion.

Due to this incomplete appearance, it was with some relief that the weary traveller found the taproom of the inn complete and still the regulars were found beyond the large, thick door through which they would gain entry. The room was low and hazy with the smoke of burning wood and pipe smoke, air that both obscured one's sight yet left behind a pleasant scent to mix with the rich, earthy smells of the dusted floor. To the right was a grand staircase of carved wood leading up to the floors above, and beyond this was the long, broad bar of newly-polished wood. To the left stretched the commons itself, with several small, round tables filling the expanse and several private snugs lining two of the walls, each spilling out more of the soft, golden light that filled the cavernous interior from countless lanterns and sconces. It had been a rough time of rebuilding, but regular patrons of the inn were set upon making sure their second home stayed. Mostly wayward warriors, rugged veterans, and the occasional regular merchant from the Avenue of Trade could be found here. The tavern was ran with exceptional care by the proprietor and with many loyal regulars and seasoned veterans it was no place to look for trouble.

It has been indeed a long day... I have a fierce need for a drink. Tired enough that he had briefly fallen asleep outside. The bright-eyed adventurer recognizes the Laughing King Tavern that stands in front of him, perched atop the Avenue of Trade. He walks through the front door, and he is struck by a thousand memories as he breaks through the wall of warm, smoky air. The turbid atmosphere hits him and is reminiscent of days long gone. He stops and plants his feet after entering and looks around at the folks in the Tavern. He looks weary with his arms hung at his sides and he looks the part of one who's traveled far. After a flicker or two he heads toward an empty seat near the tap, hailing a barkeep.

"I'll have a tall glass of juice please." He voices in a smooth amiable tone and gives the resident bartender a grin. Greatly looking forward to long-awaited refreshment, he reclines back in his chair and stretches his arms behind his head releasing a mighty yawn. Leaning forward he runs his right hand back through his red hair and begins to twiddle his thumbs while he waits for his beverage.

[Matiel Escariot]

Eveningtide of the 27th.

Matiel was done with his day, yet home was not a place he wanted to be in yet. It's been almost a year since he last shared a room with more than one family member. Using classes and apprenticeship at Notwen's as an excuse, he evaded having to spend time with them. He didn't like going through his mother's fussiness over his constantly fatigued appearance. He didn't like his father's encouraging smiles at his work as both scholar and engineer. He didn't like, having his sisters, fawning over him, expecting news of happening beyond Trade Avenue or a discussion regarding his lessons at the college.

Matiel knew, that this distance, was starting to worry his family for he wasn't always as detached as this. Once, when he was younger, he enjoyed the company of his family. He basked in their attention. But, things change. Matiel changed. His family family could do nothing but try to understand that change, despite the growing worry settling into their hearts.

Matiel was thankful his older brothers no longer lived at home. His mother would surely have them fetch him whenever he was out too late in the night. Especially now, where Matiel made sure he only went home when the servants were the only ones left awake.

At the head of the Avenue of Trade in King's Court overlooking a small plaza of cobbled stone sat the Laughing King's Tavern. It was a large inn, as large as any rural coaching inn, and would feature a small, enclosed coach way along with three full stories with a regally steeped rooftop, at least when it was complete. While construction of the Laughing King's Tavern had left two floors complete and largely functional, the top level with it's steep rafters and sturdy walls remained a skeletal frame awaiting completion.

Matiel smiled when the familiar facade of a tavern greeted him. The Laughing King's was one of the few places in King's Court of which he was thankful for. Here was where he spent his nights waiting for his family to sleep before he went home. Here was where his dinner would be waiting, and maybe a casual conversation with a few of the regular patrons here.

Here, was where an incredible amount of weight was lifted off his shoulder every time he passed the door. And indeed it did. Matiel took a few seconds to let his person absorb the environment. The dimness, the soft and warm spots of golden light pulsing from the lanterns, and the eased yet hardy disposition of its patrons spoke its own poetry. A soft whisper to the ears that needed no melody nor beauty to prove the reality of its own image. Here, Matiel wished he could partake of tobacco, but alas. The last thing he needed was for his home to catch but a whiff of such vices off his person.

Matiel nodded towards a few men he recognized in greeting. He would go to them later if he happened to feel the need of company. For now, a meal and tea was all he wanted.

He calmly stepped towards the tavern's counter and smoothed his hand over the polished surface. He slid over a stool and placed his satchel on his lap. He'd been a regular here for over a year now, yet he still did not know whether a thief found it easy to disrespect this Tavern's sanctity or not. His satchel was dear to him. Losing it was not an option.

"Barkeep," Matiel gestured the proprietor over with a smile, "Good eveningtide to you sir. I'll have my usual with milked tea as always."

Matiel was eager now. The prospect of hot bread and butter with mutton and sidings of carrots and broccoli made the emptiness in his belly even starker. Yet, his deepest interest for a meal and drink did not stop him from noticing a new face. He turned to his right to catch a better look at this stranger, and there he found an elf.

Matiel didn't like elves, white or black. He would've ignored the new face, had he not noticed the lute. Yes, the swords danging from his person were nice, but it was the lute that carried his curiosity.

Matiel fought back his disdain by a mile, and attempted to engage the stranger in speech, "Greetings, stranger. Have you just arrived? I hope you find this city to your taste. King's Court may have endured some troubling times, but don't let that little bump on the road unsettle you. I assure you. The more days you spend here, the more you'll be able to pierce through the mask of war's gloom."

[Haikan]

The environment was pleasant. There are typically many stodgy and peculiar characters in this Tavern- most of whom are regular diners, but the young elf has never had any bad experiences here. It's like a home away from home. Especially since the death of his parents, his house has felt even less like home than one could imagine, the walls just empty shells with nothing but tear-stained memories holding the typically happy adventurer to this town. The Tavern was one of the few places in King's Court where he felt he could relax and enjoy himself.

Haikan looked out of the corner of his eye at a particularly strange individual who approached him in conversation. At the first peripheral glance it appeared to be a rather feminine face, but his ears told him otherwise from the voice he projected. Stranger? I grew up here... Odd I've never seen this...this... He turns his head over to face the individual and grins, giving a subtle wave. It is a man, a man whom I've never met, but he ordered 'the usual' so he must be from around here. Haikan had a rather uneasy feeling about this man, but that wouldn't stop him from giving him the benefit of the doubt and engaging in table-talk, possibly making a new friend. The youthful adhiel truly enjoyed making new friends, the emptiness from his family now gone was filled by sociality and fellowship with those around him. He speaks in a friendly and melodious manner with a half smile slightly raised on the left side of his mouth.

"Good eveningtide to you. You need not call me stranger, my name is Haikan." He offers a hand to shake. "I've indeed just arrived from a venture in the eastern lands, but I am a resident of King's Court. My abode is outside the poor quarter, however I've not been there since my return and I fear for the condition of my home."

The young adhiel couldn't help but notice the strange man glancing toward his lute. He didn't mind, although this was not the place to give a demonstration of his musical prowess with a classic guitar- without permission from the proprietor especially. He did itch to play it though, as always, for he enjoys himself the most when he is making music.

[Matiel Escariot]

"I ask your pardon, sir," Matiel bowed, impressed with the elf's manner and attitude, "For I have called upon you without first introducing myself. I am Matiel Escariot. Like you, I am also a resident of King's Court, albeit without the extended leave of absence. My family and I live but a few blocks from this very Tavern and I have spent all my life here. To be honest, I envy you, sir.

Now, would you mind telling some of your past exploits outside of King's Court? I have never been outside this city you see, and I am always eager of fresh news from beyond the Vigilant Gates."

Matiel caught himself before he could any more prodding questions. Here was an elf, he didn't like elves, but the elf was courteous and foreshadowed good company. Even his own personal tastes couldn't rob him of enjoying good company.

"Wait, where are my manners. Forgive me, I did not wish to seem impersonal to your own matters. You come from the Poor Quarter you say? Forgive me if I could afford you no news concerning your past home. Denizens of Trade Avenue tend to live in their own little bubble that have no space for others. I myself am trying to escape that fault of apathy, yet my work has kept me tied these days. Yet, I may be able to help you in moving about your old space. I may be swamped in work each day, but even through work I am able to pick bits and pieces of the happenings here in King's Court."

[Haikan]

Is this guy for real? He didn't seem too social at first... Although first impressions aren't always verbatim to ones character. Maybe I misjudged him.

"Matiel Escariot, that is a very distinctive name... Pleased to meet you." Haikan nods his head in greeting of his new friend, pulling his hand back upon shaking and returning his arms to his lap. He turns his head back and gazes ahead, as if into nothing and speaks again.

"As far as my ventures go... Envy is not what I had imagined someone would feel. After all I only journey outside because... since the death of my human foster parents I've felt very unattached to this place as a home. I've been searching for a place where I could feel I belonged more than here, but I know very little of Adhiel culture, so I have yet to see T'aquar. I was raised to be a human, not an Adhiel, the only difference between you and I, I suppose would be my pointed ears." The weary elf scratches the back of his neck and pauses. A few flickers later he turns his head back to Matiel and starts again.

"As far as my home is concerned, I believe I was not descriptive enough, my home is just outside the poor quarter, not inside. It is a standing house of itself that belongs to just me. Well it was, I have no idea whether or not it is still standing. I'm actually trying to postpone my return there out of fear it might have been destroyed, as it is near the Avenue of Trade, which as I've seen thus far, has taken a beating... I suppose since I've been trying to find another place to live it would be just as well." The young adhiel sighs, and feigns a smile.

"I'll head there after I have finished lounging about here." Why am I telling him all this? I'm sure he didn't expect me to start blathering on endlessly about my problems.. My burdens are just that, mine. I shouldn't dump them on others and add to their stress. Stop being so selfish. His left eyebrow raises as he turns the conversation back toward Matiel.

"You say you are envious of my ventures, so tell me sir. Why do you not embark on a journey yourself? It is a big world, but it'd be a shame not to see it all at least once." He chuckles and rests an elbow on the table. "I'll be here awhile, but eventually I intend to travel out again."

[Matiel Escariot]

"Ah, Escariot, then I believe it is safe to assume that my Brothers' reputation precedes me to a point."

Matiel shifted his look away from Haikan, the moment the elf praised his name. Immediately, old feelings started to surface. He had thought that, with his brothers away from home, he wouldn't have to deal with their shadow anymore. Well, at least until they got back from their voyages.

It was then that Matiel caught himself. He thought he himself was over it, but appears he was wrong. He was still irritated, by the large shadow his brothers had draped over him. The shadow protected him somewhat, yes, but had always left a bitter taste to Matiel's psyche every time someone reminded him of his brothers.

The young man sighed, and for long while he ignored the adhiel. He suddenly wished he could partake of liquid vice, but alas a better part of him always advised against it. Such things only cause more trouble than it appeared to heal.

Matiel faced Haikan again, and regarded him. His eyes lingered for a flicker, empty and distant, until he remembered himself again. He was stronger than this. He made a promise to himself to rid his person of weakness. A trait and pleasure he hated so much.

Matiel straightened his back, and once more a bit of fire and steel returned to his eyes, "Forgive me, please. I seem to have been distracted a while. My work often leaves me thinking too much at times where I should be acting."

"Now, you say you live near here, upon the edge of the Poor Quarter? Hmm. I wouldn't want to discourage you, but I don't like to lie. I duly believe that those parts may have nothing left but rubble. But, it would still be to your benefit if you visited your past. I assure you, no man can reach his destiny without first taking the time to look back. Debris or not, you need to go home."

Matiel then tried to rub off gravity in his words with a smile. He chuckled at himself for a bit to lighten the air that suddenly thickened aorund them, "But alas, who am I to talk of journeys, traveler? I had hoped that you'd be the one with lectures and news, but I guess I have gotten too much ahead of myself again."

Matiel sighed and the weight on his voice returned, "I do not wish to appear unfeeling to your past experiences, sir. It's just that, it's been a long day for me and so much has taken apart my disposition. Now, you have asked a few questions of my that I do find interesting. Pardon my fussiness, but I find it ill conducive to a conversation once it is held on at the bar. Would it be too much to ask that we move to a proper table? Maybe even one of more comfortable corners here, provided that they are empty of course."

Matiel motioned with his hand in proposal, while his eyes surveyed the tavern's space for a more suitable venue.

[Haikan]

What is this? His moods shift so swiftly, I can hardly follow him..

"I am sorry, but I know not of your brother, I simply find that name distinctive for quite the opposite reason, it is because I'd never heard a name such as Escariot. If I show disrespect for my ignorance I deeply apologize." He bows his head to atone for his trespass on the man.

"You say my home is likely in rubble?" His casual smile disappears and he looks down toward the ground. "I guess I should hope against hope that it was somehow spared. I can't imagine it's too unlikely that it's still there." A faraway look appears in his eyes as he looks toward the door.

"I entirely agree that one should hold their past sacred... Mine is rather unfortunate though. I suppose it's shameful that I've been running away from it, but I find I'm trying to make a future that my parents would be proud of, were they here today, and to do that I'd like to explore and find where I could do the most good." Uh oh, I'm blathering on again- Determined to shift the conversation off of himself, he looks up and his face brightens slightly.

"And by the way, don't be stressed about spacing out, I am not offended by your being distracted, I have my fair share of weariness from a long day. I would not mind relocating this conversation. Also I would not mind informing you of what I know regarding the outside, although you could probably find more than I know by researching in books. Nonetheless I'm more than happy to share the knowledge I've gained."

The adhiel adventurer darts his eyes around the tavern until he spots an empty, secluded table. "Excuse me, Barkeep? My friend and I will receive our orders at that table in the corner there." He points toward a table toward the back corner that looks comfortable and detached from the rest of the Tavern, and he nods toward Matiel.

"You don't mind that I presumed to choose the table, do you?"

[Matiel Escariot]

"Oh, not at all, sir, not at all," he thanked the elf and rose with him. He slung his satchel over his shoulder once more and from it he procured a bit of coin. He placed the coin, enough to pay for his meals, upon the counter before he left.

As they moved towards the table he continued their talk, "Worry yourself no more of my name. It is a good, name, to be honest I quite enjoy saying it to myself."

Matiel spared himself a smile, "Ah yes, Matiel, Matiel, Matiel. Escariot. Forgive me, for I must boast. My mother has not only intuition but also poetry in her veins. My naming was hugely hers to decide, being that my Father already had his share with my older brothers. I do so love the sound of my own voice, especially when it weaves out my name."

"Ah, here we are," Matiel found himself a place and went on where he left off earlier, "Now, we touched upon several things earlier. The first I'd like to mention would be a matter of culture. You said, sir, that there is not much of a difference between us? I disagree. There is a great deal of things that divides us. These are matter much, much, more than just long ears and longevity. I will be honest with you sir, the moment I saw I already didn't like you primarily because you were an elf. I don't like elves, sir. I find them arrogant, elitist, intolerant, and unforgiving."

"What changed my mind of course, what kept me from ignoring you and concerning myself with my own peace, was your lute. Tell me, sir, are you a poet? I am quite interested with the subject of literature myself, being that my scholarly ways are directed towards that area. The other thing that changed my mind, is your demeanor. You're demeanor surprised me."

"You were courteous, sir. Not the high and mighty pompousness that plagues all men of stature and birth, but the simple sincerity of a man who enjoys good company and will not forsake it out of pride and prejudice."

"Basically, I like you, even if you are an elf, chiefly because you don't act like an elf. This praise, sir, is not a show of sudden friendship. No. I will be honest. I do not trust you, I may never will, but I do have something else for you. I believe, that you, sir, are a man I could interest with this: a trade expedition all over the lands of Tazlure. From here within the eye of Dominicus, towards the seas of pagan lands."

"I hope you do not take my words as insult. I may not trust you, but I do find you worthy of respect. Because of this, I find it only wise to offer this association with you."

[Haikan]

Haikan lays down a coin on the counter as he stands up and heads over to the table in the corner. He chuckles at the strange and arrogant display of boasting ones own name and voice by Matiel. He wasn't able to tell if that was Matiel just nervously changing the subject, or if he was joking, but either way he was amused. He takes a seat on the far side of the corner table, facing the door.

After hearing the man's confession of dislike for elves, followed by the inquiry regarding his poetry, the man- who happens to be an elf himself- blinks a few times almost in disbelief of Escariot's abruptness in saying this. He, just plain doesn't like elves? And what's more he waits until now to confess it... Why would he confess this at all? He clears his throat and regaining his composure, he attempts to move past Escariots bigotry and he enters back with some pleasure in discussing his poetry.

"I do happen to be a poet. Well I have a passion for expressing myself lyrically and by creating music of song and by playing my lute." He pulls his lute off of his back and holds it in his lap, looking down at it with a smile. "Actually, I am only a musician because my mother here in Kings Court desired me to be so, since I was a child she taught me. And when I find myself truly filled with sorrow- or joy for that matter, I cannot help but to express it with song."

Upon the conversation drifting to elvish culture, he is reminded of the dream still fresh in his head. Elves... I know so much less than I should about them, for a traveler too, T'aquar is just to the North and yet I've never even tried to journey there once... Refusing to dwell on it, he continues to speak.

"...And the truth is, regarding my demeanor: I was raised primarily by a human named Joshua Gray, from whom I inherited my home outside of the poor quarter. He raised me with what he had, which wasn't that much. But he had enough to teach me that I had to do what I believed was right always, even if I had to fight for it. And truth betold, seperation of people by grace of birth, talent, strength or social status isn't something I find to be right, at least in myself. I am not judging those who honour it, but I am merely projecting that I myself could never bring myself to discern people by such things, let alone look down on them. Courteousness is something that everyone deserves."

How could I be prideful? There is plenty wrong with me that I should not judge others, especially until I have become strong, and at the very least have a purpose... And even then, I suspect my attitude towards men, human or elf, will be no different.

"I do not act like an elf because I do not know how an elf would act. I was raised by two humans, who if I may say, were possibly the two greatest influences possible, and this world is a darker place without them." He looks down with sorrow, and stops. This is because he realizes that for a third time he has gotten carried away.

"I apologize sir, but I've let myself ramble on again... Let me digress, if adventure and companionship is what you seek, I will help you. If you wish for me to lead you through the lands to the east, I will. It is a shame that you do not trust me, but in my honesty and loyal fellowship, I suppose you will, in time trust me as a close friend- should we adventure together." His eyes widen and his eyebrows lower in a very confident manner, as he raises his expression to one of a young travelers passion for adventure, and he swings his lute around to his back, and with great resolve he continues.

"Also know that if you journey with me, know first and foremost, that all of you have my friendship, and my comradeship, you as well as everyone who journeys with us, regardless of trust. Should I embark on such an expedition, I greatly look forward to it, as adventure is always something to await with joy."

A friendly smile grows on his face. and his eyes are wide and sparkling, his face is so bright, it is entirely obvious that speaking of adventuring outside has completely replaced all of the sorrow in his mind.

I wonder how many others are on this expedition! He is filled with excitement and optimism, looking forward to meeting the other travelers.
"I presume that there are others you are traveling with, or have you just begun to establish this?"

[Matiel Escariot]

Matiel let slide smirk from his face and crossed his arms. He peered to right at first, and then to his left, to assure himself that no one cared what he was about to say. He nudged his closer towards Haikan and spoke through a tone only the two of them could here.

"Do you truly expect me to believe that you are that easy?" Matiel's tone soon left it's friendlier graces and bent down to its more natural and insidious sharpness, "I'll be honest with you, sir. Such an attitude, the disposition of a poet who still believes in ideals, is a step closer to death than it is to life. Hah, you speak of understanding? Of unconcern for trivialities such as culture, manner, and race? Of friendship and comradeship so freely given to a stranger you have just met?"

"I had thought such men were dead, but alas before me stands a fool who will soon join their ranks as another dead idealist. And yet, and yet you come from outside the Vigilant Gates. How you were even able to remain alive for so long, with that kind of thinking pushing you through, is a wonder to me. And yet again, I believe you."

"I tell you now, Haikan, the man before you is a man you will not like either. When I speak of us in association, I speak of respect, the ability to stick to agreements. I speak, sir, of business ethics. I do not ask for friendship. I merely ask that no one stabs my back, for I will gouge out their eyes before they even get the chance."

"And of you sir, I ask that you drop the matter of friendship or other such terms. What I need from you, if ever we do go on with this venture, is something worth much, much more than friendship. I ask of confidence. I ask of ability. I ask of a mind that has no space for false absolutes."

"Do you have that, Haikan? Adventure finds glory, yes, but I have no use for glory. I have no use for honor. I have no use for the spoils that the nobility aspire to reach. All I have are my bare hands to achieve something worth a God's eternity. For this Haikan, I ask of you, and the others that will soon join us, that you leave no space for dreams when you are awake."

"Till then, I advise that you leave all your predilections here at King's Court the moment our venture leaves the gates. I ask that you finish what you came here for, as too will I."

Matiel laid back his form, yet his eyes lay on Haikan's own, "If you are insulted, I will not ask for forgiveness. I admire your countenance, your valor, yet I have no use for such traits for I cannot afford to lose so much for I have bent all that I am into this venture."

[Haikan]

“You are worthy of respect, I'll grant you that," he says, maintaining an amiable charm in his voice. It was made clear that the uneasy feeling this man had given earlier him was accurate. "...and I appreciate the advice, however you should try not to judge too quickly.” Haikan raises an eyebrow and leans back in his chair, purposefully unphased by the blatant insult of his person that Matiel has thrust into his chest. “You think that all who have ideals or dreams to chase should be dead?” His grin grows and an even more confident look of resolute sureness appears on his face. “Tell me sir, is a world with no dreamers not dead in and of itself? A goal cannot be accomplished if there are no goals in sight. Do you understand my angle?”

Is he serious? Race and birth have so little to do with somebody’s trustworthiness, the disposition of the character is much more in the hands of themselves. He’s difficult to analyze, I can’t tell if I can trust him or not, but obviously until I get to know him better I’d better not take any chances

“I see that you disagree with my ideals, that's fine- I will drop the use of terms such as friendship for the time being. I understand your caution, but do try not to attack my personal way. I ask that you consider that my optimism does not necessarily make me a fool. For survival outside one must be vigilant, and cautious I’m aware, and the second I've been at any sort of risk -believe me- I have been keen and wary, and often even distrusting. But I can still find a way to see the good in people. I don’t care if you disagree with it, that’s just how I am.”

"And... Just because I give you my friendship, and allegiance as a trustworthy companion..." He leans forward again in a polite, but still confident manner. "Does not mean that I trust you myself. My trustworthiness is the only one I can guarantee, after all."

“And as far as your personality, I did not say I would like you, though it would not surprise me if in time you came to understand my principles. I simply said I would give you my fellowship and comradery, these things are absolutely necessary in a campaign outside, trust someone who’s been there. “ His voice is still rather quiet, but it rises almost to meet Matiel’s challenge. “I will stick to business ethics, that is fine. I will join you on this journey and respect your needs, but if you are looking for someone to simply use for only your own gain, forget it, I’m my own person and I’ve got my reasons for what I do.“

“I might add that me offering a trustworthy companion means more than one might think. You don’t think you could survive while trusting your fellow travelers? That makes no sense to me. If people are to travel together, to sleep under the same caravan roof, those that travel with you must be trustworthy, otherwise, i worry that you will likely find that knife in your back. You can have your business, and I can help you, but I don’t try to push my beliefs on you, so I would be pleased if you would kindly do the same.”
He acts as though those he travels with are equal to the monsters of the wild, is anybody really this callous?

“The choice is yours, I offer a powerful sword, a seasoned mind, and a loyal traveling comrade, but know that there would be a degree of mutuality to this expedition, it would be our expedition. I’m not signing any contract that would obligate me to do anything I didn't know about before we leave in the case that I would normally refuse. I won’t judge you for your actions, or betray you, I will promise you that. But if I find something to be unacceptable, I will not take part in it. That is the least one can ask for in a fellow traveler, and if I've offended you, I am deeply sorry.”

[Mikail]

A young Achadhiel with a red leather fadora on his head (matching his wavy auburn hair) and a tattered black jacket walks in, with a matching red scarf around his neck hiding his mouth. His black gloves have the index finger worn out on his right hand and the middle finger on his left hand. His black pants and red shirt look slightly too big, and his pants are held up by his belt.

This place is a lot more homey than that Dragon's Den, even if it is under construction. The smoke in here is actually pretty comforting. Everyone here looks pretty content.

He looks around the bar and then glances upon a human and an Adhiel at a table on the far end of the tavern. There's no way! His eyes are a brighter green than the forest at home! Could that be him?

He walks up to the counter and hails the bartender. "A glass of water, please." He leans against the counter and starts picking at the hole in his left glove on the middle finger. Could I have found him this fast? It's too good to be true. I should probably be cautious in this new city, even if I do think its my brother. Never let your guard down in a strange place.

Mikail struggles not to peer over too much, focusing intently on his glove to avoid staring, or even looking at the two patrons in the corner. They don't even have their drinks yet, the bartender must be busy. If this takes too long I'll have to pick a seat between the crowd and these two. They managed to pick a very distant area so it'd be conspicuous for me to sit on the adjacent table.

[Matiel Escariot]

"I have a very soft ego. I am easily hurt by words. I am proud and so full of myself that I can never accept anyone to be better than me."

Matiel truly did feel the sting of Haikan's retort. He showed it with his face, having lost all pretensions, reduced to stiffened seriousness. He did not enjoy having his points reduced to insubstantial dust. He did not enjoy being caught unprepared in argument. Least of all, he did not enjoy being made a fool of by a mere adventurer unschooled by formal masters. Haikan's race added salt to the wound, with a dash of lime. Matiel didn't like elves. Haikan just strengthened that disdain.

Yet, Matiel saw something else too. Never before had anyone ever been able to break down his thoughts. HE half expected the entire universe to bow down to him, and yet his arrogance had just been stumped. Matiel breathed out a smile, yet his eyes remained heavy and steeled.

"Yet, you have nothing to be sorry for, Haikan. I was hasty with my words, so eager to push on with my venture that I forgot my own dreams. I forgot my own manners."

"However, I had every reason to be offensive. I did it out of honesty. I did it so that you would have no illusions over who I am as a person. So that, before you finalize your decision of joining me, you'd at least get to see who I really am and get the chance to refuse my offer. It's not a matter of our personalities complementing each other, but more along the lines of: can you put up with me? Can you tolerate my baseness? Can you tolerate who I am the moment we leave those gates? I tell you now, Haikan, the Matiel within and the Matiel without are two polar opposties of thought wherein one serves to protect the other. Can you tolerate a long journey with someone like that?"

Matiel allowed his tongue to rest. He peered over the patrons of Laughing King's and noticed another stranger. He grunted in realizing that it was another elf, same as Haikan. He could almost see a resemblance between the two, making the easiest assumption that these two might be related. But no, Matiel pushed such a silly notion aside. All elves looked the same to him. He had no whim for coincidence today.

Matiel returned his attention to Haikan and began again, "However, I wish to clear certain understandings."

"When I said that idealistic men die, I did not mean that I want them dead. As a student of history, I have found idealism to be the chief killer of men. Glory, valor, heroism, all these are nohing to what really carves out the world into what it is. Yes, the good are remembered, but the damned continue to move the world. Because of this, I distrust the notion of trust. I see no point in the idea of friendship. I have no use for what you would call dreams."

"This is for I have something much better to rely on. In place of friendship, what I want throughout this venture is merely an association. I will not force you to accept that, for I would be a hypocrite if I did, yet I also warn you now that such attempts will bear you no fruit."

"In place of trust, I want professional confidence. Trust is too trusting and naive. It relies too much on human understanding that it should on the strength of an agreement, whether those agreements be one paper or by voice. In other words, I know you will not step beyond our agreement because I am confident that you are a professional, and that dishonesty is bad for good business. This is not because I trust you."

"And in place of dreams, I want iron ambitions. I have for too long seen people left to rot in the mud because of hopes and dreams. These concepts are too broad, too poetic. Throughout this venture, I want dreams to be left for sleep. When we are awake, I want our feet on the ground. I want our heads cool and collected, not flying away in some far off haven of clouds. Throughout this venture, there will be goals, yet I want there to be no confusion between dreams and goals. So for this, we shall have a set of agreed upon objectives."

Matiel gathered from his bag, a bundle of parchment and his scribing kit. He started to rub his ink into its liquid utility and then tested the sharpness of his quill with his tongue. He smoothed out the paper between him and Haikan. He set his eyes on the elf once more and continued, "Which is why we shall have our contract."

"We have reached a discussion earlier that you offer me your swor. To me that sounds as if you want me to employ you. However, you also said that this will be our expedition, and that you will not be my lackey. Well, sir, you must realize. This is a business. If you want this to be our venture, we must share all the risks. These risks aren't just risks of life and limb, oh no. This is a trade expedition. For it to bear fruit it needs capital, funding. Let me ask you, do you have the resources required to support this venture? If all you have to offer is your sword, then no sir, this is not your venture. Profit and ownership goes only to those that place the same price. If your sword is your only payment, then all you'll have is gold and lodging during the journey. The venture, however, shall belong to the patrons. If this venture does attain profit, what you will receive shall only be the agreed upon price of your services as sword hand."

"So, what have you of this? Will you be patron or mercenary? Yet, that is merely the matter of ownership. The price of services however, is still up to you if you choose to opt to be a hired sword, which is why we have these sheets of parchment here. On this parchment we will set down the services, and it's specifics, you are willing to render. Anything outside of the agreement, will no longer be your obligation. PAtron or not, I believe this would be helpful in keeping us honest."

"Now, I ask you again, what have you of this?"

[Haikan]

"I appreciate your honesty, I do sir." I'm glad this is cooling down, I didn't have a very good feeling about the direction of our conversation until now. This guy though... He talks big, but he is definitely more sensitive than he lets on. I suppose he's a scholar, which by nature aren't the toughest of men. I'm sure that in time he'll lighten up.

"Please pardon my poetic tongue, how I do love words such as trust, friendship, dreams and such. I understand why you are so put-off by these terms. You think there is a possibility that I am constantly driven by emotions, which by nature dull the blade when logic and reason are required." The youthful adhiel puts his right hand up to his forehead and sighs. "Well I sure do give the wrong impressions, I need to watch what I say."

"Were I to be in your shoes I suppose I would be brash with the business cards myself. For this reason and for your sake I will use plain, cold businesslike terms such as goals, partnership, and business ethics, in place of their more poetic counterparts." He seems disappointed, almost, for with Haikan things are much more entertaining when he can swell them up with hyperbole and colorful language. Not a moment later though his adventurer's fire is rekindled in his manner and he continues on.

"I'm not going to judge you, I don't care if you are the lowliest cud of a conversationalist, or if you have the most standoffish of tendencies. A frien-... business associate is a business associate after all." He stops himself realizing he is speaking like a friendly person, which will not do for Matiel. Man, how does he talk like this?

"As for the dying dreamers, the lesser-known dreamer does not always look for glory. I am the type that wishes for the thrill of adventure, and the privilege of defending the weak. These are the things that I enjoy. So far, I suppose, it's what I would call my purpose. But I do swear that by the day I will be fully prepared for our trials as adventurers." The same confidence that burned within him earlier rises up again, as well as a halfsmile that clearly displays his enjoyment in the conversation.

"And you need not worry about paying me. When I tell you I offer you a sword, I merely mean that if someone should attempt to hurt or kill you or myself- or anyone on this expedition- They would swiftly find the tip of my schlaeger pressing against their throat."

"I also don't need to be payed, I half expected that payment would be necessary from me, ventures with their rations and supplies do cost money after all. I wouldn't mind contributing my equal share as a business associate, this is also the least one can expect from a fellow traveler."

He notices that Matiel began to write on a shred of parchment. Is this just paper with our whims of travel on it, or is it a contract? I have a really bad feeling about this. Haikan dislikes the idea of contracts. They are by nature wicked and unsightly in their purpose. The only use for a contract is to get someone to do something that he -who wields the contract- knows the individual before him would normally refuse to do. Why else have them sign a contract of moral obligation?
I'll go along with this, but he'll be hard pressed to get me to sign it.

"I presume I would be needed for slightly more than a sword at hand, it would be lazy of me to only agree to waste my potential on the bare minimum. Every journey has inherent risks, and I am one who knows his way around the wilderness and the lore of the areas- urban legends, as well as places and beasts to stay clear of. I imagine I would be needed to navigate this expedition, and alert the team of impending danger. In the case that we are unprepared for said danger, I will not hesitate to deal with it by negotiation or the less preferred violence- depending on the conditions of the situation."

Despite his confidence his eyes grow slightly narrow, and they cannot help but dart back and forth from the parchment, to Matiel's face and back- Occasionally glancing at the new half-elf patron with the outlandishly eccentric garb. This contract is making me nervous, I'm not going to sign it if I don't have to. If he doesn't have to sign it, neither do I. It cannot be helped that all trust Haikan might have been considering for this man was seriously hindered when he started writing a contract. Maybe he won't have to sign it. Maybe it's just a friendly reminder of the things Haikan is willing to do. He wants to trust Matiel, after all: There could be potential for a loyal friend, or a driving rival, in Matiel. On the other hand it could just be an arrogant goon with whom Haikan will never agree. Only time will tell.

Upon Escariot's mentioning of their 'contract,' his surmising a written contract is thereby reinforced, and he decides to make his stance on the journey clear.

"Alright, here's what I'm agreeing to on this trip, should we embark together," his voice is growing loud and confident at this point. "...and the parchment will read as follows" He puts his hand on the table with his thumb up, pointing back at him and his sure grin returns to his face.

"I, Haikan Gray, agree to guide and protect. Anyone who embarks with us will be behind my shield. I'll happily lead one and all of the adventurers through the harshness of the unprotected outside, and I'll give my knowledge of experience freely to anyone who asks." Haikan straightens his back, sitting tall, and he puts his hand in the air with only his forefinger standing in a matter-of-fact sort of manner. "But I will be granted an equal say in what we're doing as a team, and those we travel with will be equally at my discretion, as it will be yours. I will be permitted to freely ask questions regarding our situation and our plans and will have the liberty to decide my actions for myself in any situation that may arise, be it not traitorious to anyone in the group. I will be strictly professional in my demeanor during the time of business, but in any and all time of leisure, I reserve full right to behave how I wish... If money is required, I have plenty to spare for journey's such as this- with a maximum of a crown and three circlets. Anything of importance not mentioned in this contract may be discussed at a later date. Lastly and most importantly," He relaxes his back, resting his shoulders on the table, "... I will not in any form, be bound by any sort of fine print."

[Mikail]

Mikail suddenly rips the thread clear off of his glove, still staring at his hand, eyes dilated. It really is him, but why would he shout his name out like that? Is it possible that my long lost brother is a half-wit? Hollering that he's wealthy in a crowded bar? Does he want that badly to be mugged?

Mikail puts his hands at his sides and looks at the floor. Then again, just because that's a lot of money to a bumpkin like me... I suppose it doesn't matter.

He rises from his stool and approaches the two unfed patrons. "Service is pretty bad here, isn't it, Haikan Verida?" He lifts his hat and exposes his own bright green eyes, slightly paler and lighter color than Haikan's, fixing them on the elf.

From the sounds of what he was hollering, he must be leaving town soon... I have no choice but to act now.

He pulls out a quill and an inkwell from his interior jacket pocket, and places them on the table, then pulling a piece of paper out of his bag.

"I hope I'm not imposing, but if you're going on an expedition," He picks up the quill simulates a stroke across the the blank parchment. "I'd like to throw my hat in the ring."

This is not a very well thought-out plan, but I don't have any other choice, before I sign anything I'll have to gauge the character of my half-brother... Just because we're related doesn't mean I can trust him...

[Matiel Escariot]

"Are you daft?" Matiel blurted out in shock the moment Haikan mentioned fine print, "Do you actually believe that people still use fine print, or contracts for that matter, to swindle? I mean seriously, about only a sixth of the entire Western Kingdom even knows how to read or write, let alone understand the complexity of a contract. I mean, my quill isn't even sharp enough to write vague and nigh invisible lettering."

Then, all of a sudden, the other elf Matiel noticed earlier approached them. He, once more, assumed a relationship between Haikan and this newcomer. Now that he was closer to the eyes, the similarities grew so uncanny. He was going to let the two play out some ritual of recognition he could understand, but all the other elf did was greet Haikan. However, Matiel's unsettling didn't stop there.

This newcomer abruptly drew forth fro his bag, a piece of parchment and ink. Matiel's eyes widened, and then took on an almost apologetic look as he turned to Haikan, "I stand corrected."

Matiel raised a hand and gestured Mikail an invitation to join them, "Please, do sit down. It seems the good lord has blessed me with a rain of able hands and minds. I suggest you try to order a cup of tea or coffee as we go along. I have a feeling this'll be a long night."

With two men needing a few more explanations in front of him, Matiel decided that did not have enough time for misconception, misunderstandings, and ill chosen words. He crossed himself for having to use such an ambiguous word as contract.

"I apologize, Haikan. Much of this is my fault, "Matiel sighed, "I should have been more specific than such a word as contract. Now, you must understand, before men even attributed the contract as an evil piece of paper, it was once just a formal word for agreement. I will not soften it's reputation now, but I will tell you that I do by business to the letter with little space for deviations. I am not saying that this piece of paper is not a written form for our agreement, which is a contract as you would know it. What I am saying, is that this paper is supposed to hold the guidelines, and if possible, rules that all participants will adhere to. Which means, I won't require anyone to sign it, but I will require it's creation to formalize our deal."

"Before anything else, I shall be clear to you, and you, sir," Matiel nodded towards Mikail, "Although from you I'll expect more words. I've already measured Haikan. You I have yet to recognize. But, before that, a few clarifications."

"Haikan, if you were merely employed, you will not be used to a bare minimum. Pay is equal to what you are willing to offer. Here, on this paper, I was hoping to list down the specific details of the services you are willing to render. From this, I will assess how much of the gain should go to you. The same shall be asked of you too, sir," Matiel raised his quill towards Mikail.

"Now, as for your share, you must understand. As much as this may be what you would call an adventure, it is more accurately a trading venture. This means that we will be delivering valuable goods and services from this point to the next. And, this won't be just a party of four or five. It will be a fairly large expedition with at least thirty paid swords and bows, eight carriages and pushcarts, equipment and transportation, and a large amount of upkeep needed to support the journey from one point to the next. What I hope to gain from this, would be large amounts of profit not only for myself, but also for my associates and patrons."

"Now, tell me, is your money enough to be an associate or patron? Or, will you just be a hired hand throughout this trip?"

"And as for this," Matiel thumped a finger on the parchment, "Yes, it will soon be a contract. I have changed my mind now, seeing that both of you are literate enough to understand what this stands for. But, it will not be like the stereotypes you're probably used to hearing of. As much as I would like to make a profit, swindling is just bad for business in the long term. This is here for us to stick to our promises, or else. And besides, a lot of the promises you've already said are quite vague. Try to be specific."

Matiel scribed down Haikan's words nonetheless. He tried to be as exact as possible, yet some words were just hard to remember after only one set of hearing. It didn't really matter to him anyway. He wasn't satisfied with just this. Matiel looked up from his writing and asked of the two elves, "May I make a suggestion?"

[Haikan]

Not on purpose, the adhiel ignored almost the entire first half of what Escariot was saying, it was all he could help to do to stare wide-eyed at the half-elf before him, blinking to make sure he didn't disappear. It looked like, him. The fact that Haikan had a dream about this so recently was almost freaking him out, and at first he thought the achadhiel was a hallucination to be attributed to his exhaustion. This indeed, will be a long night. he does not draw his eyes off the newcomer for an instant. He leans toward him and quietly, in his deepest voice, which is about lower middle-range for a normal man, he whispers:

"After we are through with this speaking of business, you and I have a lot to discuss." He then brightens up again, offering an inviting grin, and extending his hand to shake. "I apologize for we are being frightfully rude, I will get to you in just a moment, I am currently ironing out aspects of my plans with Matiel here."

After voicing this, he leans back and shifts his unbelieving eyes back to Matiel, and as the man is reflared in his idea for a contract, Haikan is swift to attempt to put this away.

"Matiel, I must say that I prefer the former guideline poster idea rather than a contract, most people in our expedition won't be able to understand a contract. But if it must be said contract, sir..." He maintains the most polite and reassuring manner in his voice as he carefully states his opinion. "...You must sign it too. As business associates we should develop this plan together. You for your scheming abilities and business knowledge, and me for my knowledge of terrain, the outside world, the dangers, the locals we will encounter, and what we are to do upon leaving the gates. Most people who live here never step outside, and I assure you that having been almost everywhere to the east, my partnership will be invaluable to this journey. After all: Be it trading, moving house, or slaying daemons, a venture to the east is always a dangerous game." He controls his voice this time, making sure to keep it as smooth and charismatic as can be done.

"For this reason I will not have a specific set of 'chores' or 'tasks' or 'obligations.' I would have, as will you, the maximum obligation of a full-time expedition leader, offering absolutely everything that can be contributed by me in any situation. I expect to have the equal ability to instruct the hired swords and bows, as they will need a knowledgeable word with quick reaction time to any incident in which they could be needed. Should you find error in my command, you will have the power to instantly veto it by word. I would be much like an assistant-manager, specialized in the guiding and protection of the group. As mentioned earlier, I want a say in who we bring with us. I can also take care of public relations, should you need someone to speak to locals of any area, I know people in several cities, so it'd be foolish not to offer this. I will pep-talk our mercenaries, keep them enthusiastic and loyal. A mercenary does not always do well just because he-she is payed, you see."

"I hope that wasn't too fast for you to jot down. These can be the guidelines that I personally follow, I imagine that the others would have a different role than I." He glances toward the bar, wondering when his tall glass of juice would arrive, he certainly needed food as well, he had not realized how hungry he was being so sleepy, but this conversation was revving his engine and he was wide awake at this point.

[Mikail]

Glancing at the Adhiel, Mikail smiles, and even through the scarf masking his face it's obvious that he's pleased. Could it be that he's making the connection? Regardless of whether or not he realizes our relation, it's obvious that he'll listen to me.

"There is no reason to apologize. I am the one who interrupted you. Please continue." Mikail pulls a bow out from a strap on his back and leans it against the table, with the quiver beside it.

He dips his quill into his ink and looks over at the human. I don't trust this man, it's obvious that there are a lot of simple men in this city, all of whom could be taken advantage of by the cunning. I fear it may not be wise to ally myself with my half-brother if he's so willing to throw himself in the hands of strangers. He requests equal leadership, but these men can almost be guaranteed to have prior allegiance to the human. As long as Haikan doesn't sign anything I imagine he's in no danger and can leave if things get fishy. I'm sure that I'm over thinking this, and yet his words are too thought out, and I don't trust that.

Mikail begins making strokes on his parchment, copying down the words that the human is writing out. I'm still learning this written language, I'll have to have him read it aloud so I can understand any words that I'm unfamiliar with. I suppose I could just sound out the syllables. He looks around him, resting his eyes on the human mastermind. "You don't mind do you? I would like to have my own copy." I'm really too young to be doing this... I'd better not run my mouth too much, after all I have no idea the way things work here. Even if it's quieter than the Dragon's Den, I'm still suffocating here. I'm even too uncomfortable to tell jokes., and where is the bartender!?

Mikail waits with his quill rested in his inkwell, awaiting the permission of the human to copy down the notes collected.

[Matiel Escariot]

"Oh, don't worry. I am fully aware that I need to sign it too," Matiel replied over scribbling a few more lines into the parchment. He then turned to Mikail and then asked, "You want a copy of this? Allow me to suggest another possibility."

For a while, Matiel laid his quill to rest on his own ink well. He looked at the words he had already placed on paper and then turned to Mikail once more, "This is but a rough set of points the parties that wish to participate are willing to agree to. Right now, I'm curious, why would you want a copy? Do you mean to say that you want in on it? Well then, sir, here's another way you could ultimately help."

"In King's Court there is a guild of scribes. They record most of the documents within this city and are most efficient at what they do. I suggest that you be placed in charge of going there and commissioning them to create official copies of the papers we will finalize here. That way, each copy is insured of quality."

He then let his attention spread from Mikail to include Haikan.

"It is not that I don't trust your work, because in truth I don't. You seem to worry much about the words you write, and I doubt of the clarity of your lettering. Also, I doubt my own writing. I may have gotten snippets of adequacy from my scribing classes at the college, but it had done nothing to fix my letters that look like the feet of chickens."

"I say this now, because a better idea came to me when I realized how much Haikan here wants to not only be an employee, but an associate. I thought that, instead of being nothing more than just an expedition, why don't I suggest the creation of a firm?"

Matiel smiled and breathed in to allow his lungs some preparation for the long words he would soon introduce. A vision was forming in his eyes, and the steel in them was slowly softened until a dreamier glaze took over.

"Now, the services rendered by this firm is as follows:"

"First, safe delivery of packages ranging from large crates of goods to parcels and missive, King's Court towards a set location.
Second, we will ensure the safety of civilians that commission our services to travel by land instead of portals.
Third, we will not only ensure our clients safety, but also a offer steady supply of consumables and equipment required for upkeep throughout the journey in between points.
Fourth, our delivery shall be merely a fraction slower than portal travel, and will include packages that can not fit into regular portals."

"There however, are merely preliminary services I could think of. If any of you have ideas, I welcome them. The more we could offer, the more the profit. However, keep in mind that whatever it is we offer it takes much from our strength and efficiency, so before you suggest something think it clearly through on how we could possibly afford to make such a promise to our clients."

"That is not the end of it though. You should keep in mind that a firm is a binding organization. It takes as much responsibility as it would in gain. Because of this, we need to formalize it's structure. First off, let us determine the owners."

"Now, Haikan has already expressed strong feeling over how much he wants to be and equal partner in this. My question now is, what of you Mikail? But, before you answer let me lay down some rough guidelines on how you should receive a part of this venture and it's price. Feel free to suggest and clarify certain so that we may fine tune it into something streamlined and easily understandable."

"First off, there will be three kinds of owners. There shall be the senior partners, junior partners, and finally the commissioners. The senior partners shall be in charge of overseeing the entirety of this venture. They must not only manage the organization as a whole, but also find clients from which they will gain the bulk of our resources. Being that we will still only be a small business if we do start, let me give you an idea of what you will need to do if you want to be a senior partner. First off, you need to find the capital needed to push this thing through. Because of this, not only do the seniors hold most of the profits, but they also incur the heavier responsibilities and risks. If this venture goes down hill all the way, the seniors feel the sharpest end of it."

"Now Haikan, I plan on being both senior partner and founder of this firm. If you wish to hold the same rank as me, we need to share the responsibility between us. For now, our foremost need is money to start this off. I suggest that before this venture starts, we must try to find large clients who will give us the much needed capital for starting this business. These clients won't be just simple customers anymore, for the most part, they will also attain ownership of our venture. They will be called patrons, and the bulk of our profits go to them once we do make a profit."

"Now, these patrons should not be the lesser folk. These patrons must be men and women of high financial power, enough to allow us to start this business. Are you prepared for such a responsibility as finding the money and making sure we return it with steady interest until we can afford to buy back our interest? If so, then yes you will be both co-founder and senior partner of this firm."

"Now, for the junior partners. Junior partners are charged with lesser and more specific responsibilities. They will still gain the duty of finding capital, but it will only be second in priority to they foremost obligation. These obligations are as follows, Inventory Management and Recording, Accounts Management and Recording, a Human Resource Management and Recording, and so and so. So far these are the major responsibilities I could think of, if any of you can suggest another, I stress once more that I welcome it."

"Now, the obligations of a junior partner will not be needed until our firm has grown in size, so until then these obligations shall fall upon the Senior Partners. However, if one of us here fails to produce a patron for our capital, he or she shall be placed as a junior partner merely as a formality until he or she produces a patron in the future. I hope this condition is fair to you both. You must try to understand, we need money for this to pull through. If you can't produce it, I won't lessen your part in this, but I will hold it my obligation to protect myself for the risks I took in promising patrons a steady amount of profit."

"Now, in the matter of commissioners. I have a rough idea in my head for the role these people will play, but for now I do not think that we need it being that the matter of commissioners will only be needed once this firm has grown in size and coverage."

Matiel licked his drying lips and hoped the two elves understood every word he said. He wanted to stress how important this was, and the amount of risks he was going to take for it. He hoped these two were willing to take the same risks as him if they really were going to ask for equal ownership.

"Questions? There are still more matters at hand. There are contracts to be formulated, locations to be researched and scouted, equipment and supplies to be determined, numbers of men that would be needed, and so forth."

[Haikan]

Damn he makes this sound a lot harder than it has to be, what is with this man? I'm getting frazzled by his disorganized manner. And firm is such a boring thing to call an awesome adventure expedition.

"So basically we have to find people who want to come with us, but in having our shelter, food and safe passage they will give us money. Easy. Unless we are gathering thirty patrons, we'll obviously have to ask for much more money than we pay our mercenaries. Also we'll have to include in the 'tickets' the cost of our food and supplies. Basically at least if we want to cut even we have to take everything we've spent on the job, and divide it amongst our patrons. Then if we 'succeed' on this enormously vague mission you've told us nothing about, money magically happens and seniors, juniors, patrons, and mercenaries make money in that order of magnitude." He adds a hint of sarcasm, to hide the enormous frustration, ever so considerate to others' feelings. Alright, but what are these risks he speaks of? A well handled caravan wouldn't be that dangerous. Ok I've got to ease up on the burning questions and keep this professional.

"Tell me, sir. What exactly is it that this firm is selling? Is it weapons? Is it magic items? Throw us a bone here." He looks at Mikail in a 'can you believe this guy?' kind of way. "Are we selling just any old thing that needs to get from point A to point B? And I'd also like to ask are we going to the Seven Isles and the Eastern Empire as well? He puts his hands together and rests them on the table, clearly wanting more. "I just want to know where we're headed. I can make calls for where we go, but I still don't know what we sell. And what are these risks you continually speak of? I've never traveled with a group a fraction the size of this we're planning, and I don't mourn any of my friends. I'm sure with this massive of a caravan the danger will be quite small. Is there something you are leaving out? Or is it just that you are overly concerned for the safety of our team? I'd hope we wouldn't be crossing the Howling Mountains and trading to the half-giants- nothing against them but their desert terrain is unlivable. Also the Ice Mountains would provide all that risk you speak of so much."

"And one more thing, you can trust me to get patrons, I seem to have a way with people." He continues in his friendliest, most persuasive salesman voice, as if showing it off. "If you want to make an expedial firm, you've got to make all the proper plans first." Haikan leans back in his chair, putting his hand on his chin, and he thinks for a few flickers. "Maybe I myself am making it sound harder than it is..."

"...I'll sum up what I understand of it real quick. It's a trading company, that not only moves things from place to place, but people. The people pay us, should they desire the same destination as us, and we take them where they need to go. We buy or create items here, and then sell them where they would be exotic for massive profit, and repeat. Is that just about right?"

[Matiel Escariot]

"Wow," Matiel's eyes widened in surprise. The man before him just condensed everything he said into one paragraph. He closed his hands together and sat there in silence for flicker. He spoke again with those same dumbed eyes, "You just took out all the formalities, but yes that is what we're going to do."

"I apologize, my pedantry takes me all the time to the point that I get to do nothing," Matiel sighed, "I hope you wouldn't think that I'm merely stalling for time."

"Well, first off I'm glad you asked those questions. There were just so many things I wouldn't agree with about that I wasn't able to move on to them. Now, for where we're going, I'm hoping to establish a route between Pax Balthasar and here. From what I've heard the new town is just starting out and is perfect for starting trade in. The thing is, I'm not too sure yet which kinds of trades can generate the mos tprofit it, which is why I thought of this. We won't be a trading company though, no, we'll be a Delivery Firm at first, then we'll go into trade."

"What I meant by patrons, was that they won't be coming with us. We'll be taking money from them, in large amounts, with the express promise of steady income until we buy back their ownership. Think of it as a loan but we pay them back on a schedule until we buy our dues back."

"Next, those that do come with us won't be patrons, they'll be our primary customers. From them we'll guarantee safe passage of both goods and persons. Here, we'll charge in tickets, as you have said. But, in order for this to happen, we'll need to inform the top merchants here of our intent. We'll go out, find them, offer them this opportunity to bring goods in large amount, amounts a portal couldn't handle, and then charge them for it. I don't have a fair charging scheme for rates yet, if you have ideas, tell me now."

"As for these risks, you do know that recently King's Court has been attacked by large armies of orcs. On our way to Pax, with a caravan as large and valuable as I am thinking, we will be a prime target for raids by both lawless beings and hungry orcish clans. These are but a fraction of the risks I speak. Which is why portals are so in demand right now, instant and safe passage. But here, we'll offer something cheaper, safer hopefully, and by hopefully not too slower than these contraptions."

"The other risk, is that if we want to compete with he speed of portals, we have to find the most direct route from here to Pax. These routes are usually dangerous and easy to get lost in being that they are harder to traverse than routes that follow landmarks and wind around according to the terrain."

"As for things for sale, I refuse to sell anything until I find out which items fetch the highest prices in Pax."

"Now, aside from this, I duly understand that it won't be as profitable if we just stick to one city, which is why I talked of seniors, juniors and etc. I was planning on expanding the firm to also include routes between Pax, King's Court, and World's Mouth. It will at first be a round about trip, which is where the need for the Hierarchy for, to keep everything streamlined and organized."

"This venture will be a binding organization. If you want to leave, all you're rights will revert to those left in the organization after you have been paid your dues. Which is why we will need contracts for those higher up in the group, to keep things strict accounted for. I won't allow chaos a single step on this. I have no use for it."

"Now, all clear? Anymore questions? I have a few more points to explain, ask away so I could clarify things."

[Mikail]

As the two of them are talking, Mikail feels the crowd eating away at him. This is too much, I've got to clear my head.l Mikail closes his eyes, and everything disappears for a moment, and all the stress in the room evaporates; the gravity returns to normal around him. He'd been able to do this since he was young, within an instant sending a pulse through his body, releasing his grasp on his environment for a moment to avoid being crushed by pressure. It doesn't work in particularly cacophonous situations, and physical pain makes it difficult, but he can tune minor things out. Good thing I'm not in the Dragon's Den, I could never think there. After a few moments, he opens his eyes again, placing them on the human again. "Forgive me for not answering you, I'm still adjusting to this place. Allow me to catch up."

"Why do I want to make a copy? It's simple really. I don't really need a copy, I'm just a little bit of a calligraphy enthusiast, and I need practice memorizing the written language of humans." He lifts up the paper he was scribbling on and reveals carefully drawn characters that are laced together by a kiss of ink between each letter. "Writing calms my nerves, hence I carry plenty of parchment wherever I go. If you truly want high quality contracts, please allow me to make them myself, I could use the practice, and I'll keep reconstructing them until they're perfect." Mikail didn't really realize that his writing was pretty shabby, but he was really working hard. If he wrote really slowly he could make decent characters.

Mikail pulls the scarf off of his mouth, upon calming his nerves he decides to trust these two, considering his other options are certainly less pleasing. "I'm going to be completely honest with you. Prestige and power in a firm have no meaning for me. However it is the capital I'm most interested in. I came to King's Court because my... no... our father can no longer support me, my human mother, or even himself anymore. I don't want money. I have to return the lion's share of anything I make to my family at home." Mikail looks at Haikan, clearly directing that in his direction.

"If it is investors you need, I can offer my help there too. Since I was young I've had a way of getting people to see my way. I try not to do it much, because it seems manipulative, but suggestions and coaxing, even so much of coercion seem to be strong points of mine." His expression grows a little more serious. "However, I don't even know where to begin, or who to talk to. Anything I can do must be at someone else's direction, therefore any position I take, being an outsider, must begin as a subordinate one. There is no questioning that. However, I would like to get as much of the capital in my end as I can, for obvious reasons."

"Also to be honest, I can't necessarily stay in this firm forever, I'll be in for a long shot, but possibly not forever. I have a thriving interest in the field of... I believe it's called... mindcraft? The man who taught me how to perform alchemy told me I might have a promising future in it, but I know nothing of this, but I'm sure it is a time-consuming and expensive endeavor to learn such a trade" Mikail clears his throat, preparing to express as much now as he can, to save words later. "Also, I need to know where a library is. Depending on the amount of time we have before our first voyage, I would like to learn a few things as well. I want to learn how to cook, I think my understanding of alchemy might make it easy to adopt that ability. If I can get good enough, I'd like to commission myself as responsible for preparing food on the journey. Also, of course, I need to study several things such as local herblore, considering my knowledge of plants and herbs in T'aquar is virtually useless here, not to mention I need to further study the written language. I'm still occasionally sounding out words, and I cannot afford formal training. If necessary, I have the ability to study for even a whole day without rest, so directions to the library and some preparation time before our first expedition would work vastly in my favor. If things on this journey get truly ugly..." Mikail waves a hand past his bow. "I can always defend us as well."

He looks back at Haikan and pauses for a moment. "Haikan Gray, eh?" He chuckles for a moment, a weak smile sliding across his face. "So wide eyed... I'm just as much human as I am elven, and even I think you barely resemble an elf... So much for nature over nurture, I guess you throw an elf in with a pile of dwarves and he'll assimilate. Still... with that expression always on your face you don't even look like an elf." He looks back at his parchment and begins drawing an charicature of his brother. "Just makes you think... how little race really has to do with anything. Then again, I guess that's just a natural thing for a half-breed to think." He begins rubbing the eyes on his drawing to make them look blurry, and somewhat more human. "Always blurring the lines."

I can't help but digress even in business talk; I find so much in this world to amaze me...

[Haikan]

"I'm glad that we're clearing this up." Haikan smiles upon the fog of uncertain business agreements clearing into an established plan. Time to exercise my knowledge as an adventurer. He clears his throat and prepares for a preliminary voyage outline to his peers.

"I think it's about time we discuss the destinations and the nature of getting from here to there. As far as direct routes to destinations, we are not at a loss with Pax Balthasar. I can tell you first-hand that heading to that particular location, we can follow the river and gain a rather direct path." The spirited young adhiel uses his hands to map out the locations and routes that he is speaking of on the table. "...This is not a well-trodden path, as there are technically no well-made trade routes to the city. That means we would be likely to be the first ones to establish this trade route. Luckily for us, toward the river the terrain is smooth and rather easy to deal with. I must tell you, since you speak of the Orcish clans, that the Orcs have not made themselves known to me upon my travels; maybe I was just lucky. I can't imagine that passing the Brie Estate would be one hundred percent free of risk related to Orcs. At that point I would suggest instead of hugging the river, making a checkpoint in Brie to speak with the locals regarding the threat level of Orcs between there and Pax. Also the residents there -though minute in size- are friendly."

"Don't get me wrong, we shouldn't wave the fact that we are from King's Court in their faces, I should tell you having been around the block, some people aren't very friendly in talk of King's Court, so a Trade Caravan should probably be universal in style, with indefinite origin, for the sake of getting maximum profit from our neighbors. Having said that, the locals there would more than likely be willing to accommodate us, and if necessary restock our supplies. We may even find more patrons or customers there, Lord knows the halflings are adventurous ones. Being that I happened to just arrive from that direction, the only knowledge of the war I have is from that area, and I believe that since the blow they took during said war, they are likely looking for imports such as weapons, tools, and food. I'm quite unsure as far as what they can offer us though. I think that it is a good idea to add them to our list of Trade and Delivery."

"I say that we should seek them in advice about the Orcs, because from what they've told me, there is some history between them and the Orcs, specifically the Battle of Brie.This being said, their help and advice would be most useful. I myself have never fought an Orc, but from what I've heard of them, they are boarish and stupid, and with a large caravan we could probably if not avoid or appease them, deal with them by the obvious force, with clever measures to avoid tragedies." He puts his two index fingers together and his eyes drift upward, as if calculating in his head the threat of the journey added by the possibility of encountering Orcs.

"Now I'm even more certain that the swords and bows will need to be organized. As a senior associate I would be able to give them guiding words and deal with situations in such a fashion that nobody would get hurt. The optimal goal of course would be a snagless stride to Pax, with a layover in Brie,and little to no interference, but mercenaries need said guiding word in the case of danger, otherwise if they are to work in a such a large group, they could likely bump into each other and get confused." Speaking of this journey finally without the social hurdles of word-games revolving around distrust and correct terminology was pleasing the adhiel greatly.

This is an excellent opportunity to sharpen my mind as an adventurer and socialite. I wouldn't want to waste my potential by just blindly ambling around the world with nothing pushing me to be my best. At the head of a team, I could really get motivated to better myself and do great things!
"It is wise of you to research what is of value in Pax. I imagine that this would ultimately extend, as you say to the other settlements in the Western Kingdom, but keeping it small at first is key to not getting overwhelmed. Unfortunately, unlike Brie, I have no idea what is in demand in Pax Balthasar. It is still a pretty new city, and their economy is likely still blossoming."

Upon Mikail's mention of 'our' father, Haikan immediately looks at the half-elf, abruptly pausing his speech. At first he thought 'our father' was a reference to the Book of Dominicus, but then he spoke of destitution and need of money and he was clearly speaking of his, or their family. Is this kid really my brother? There's so much I have to ask him, but it simply has to wait until we are through discussing the business. The apparently humanesque adhiel was very intrigued by the words that came from Mikail's mouth, and was glad that someone agreed with him that race is meaningless. He almost wanted to jump up and leave with his 'brother' and discuss all the thousands of questions that were suddenly whirling through his mind, like a hurricane of doubt and curiosity.

As he returned to his senses, hoping he didn't get carried away with his strategizing and mapping out a rough copy of their embargo, he attempts to reform the encounter from an adventuring lecture back into an all-inclusive conversation. For now, the plan is to talk business, family matters would have to wait.

He smiles and turns to Mikail. "I don't know about Matiel, but I think having a Scribe in training wouldn't be so bad, I imagine your lack of credentials would redeem by a lesser charge, and as it stands, we could use all the money-saving we can get. You could yourself make up for this lack of capital gain by also cooking for the team and offering the possibility of your arrows in our defense. Mikail, I would like for you to know that if you are to be the head cook you would also be in charge of collecting all the ingredients and rations required for the voyage, you would not be expected to pay for the supplies if you are in such a dire need of capital, I'll handle that."

Speaking in a formal business manner is apparently infectious. Even if Haikan manages to maintain a friendly demeanor while doing so, it's not his intention to make this a meeting of a Parliament. It took him a flicker to realize he was doing it, he was determined to keep the encounter semi-casual. He intentionally places his elbow on the table and continues: "...Also I'll help you pick them out, mostly because I want to have good food on this journey. Let's see... we'll call you... Chief of Kitchen and Records... I like the ring to that." Not just Haikan, everybody knows that a job is much more enjoyable when it has a colorful and respectable title. "What do you think of that, Matiel?"

"Oh, and Matiel, don't worry about chaos or unprofessional behavior." The young traveler states in such a fashion, he is clearly ecstatic by his status as such: "...I take travel and outward ventures very seriously."

[Anistis]

This morningtide, Anistis had been just another acolyte of Dominicus, a novice who, while harboring a few big dreams, really only sought to help others and serve the One from day to day in whatever way was required of him.

At eventide, he arrived with an uncharacteristically heavy load on his mind at the Laughing King's Tavern. In the space of a day, the young man had become embroiled in something that seemed far over his head. Today had been one of the longest days of Anistis' life, and he wasn't even sure if it was over yet.

As he stood in the entrance to the tavern, his eyes reflecting the warm glow from within like twin jadestones, Anistis breathed a deep sigh and let his muscles relax.

He'd been here before, a few times; some found such places unseemly for men of the cloth (although this establishment was a comparitively wholesome choice, by most standards), but Anistis didn't understand most of the reasoning for it. He had made a personal commitment to abstain from alcohol and other intoxicants long before taking vows; he came here to be around people.

The Laughing King's Tavern was a place where all manner of interesting people gathered. Sure, they drank, and some of them got drunk and occasionally made the aspiring priest uncomfortable. Off-color jokes were often made that would go straight over Anistis' head. Nevertheless, the acolyte enjoyed the warmth of the presence and comraderie of the people in the tavern. Each of these people had been created by Domincus. Anistis knew that the One loved every one of them, and so did he.

He entered, found a table in the corner by himself, smoothed his vestments, and had a seat, waiting patiently to be served.

[Matiel Escariot]

"Wonderful."

Matiel immediately began to write again. He started to place rough diagrams composed of arrows and notes beneath them, his own approximation of Haikan's knowledge. He was careful to lay down the list of goods the elf enumerated, and proceeded to assign symbols to each. He then started a little to do list on the corner of the parchment and then accounted for the two leaves in it. Here he listed what the two were capable of. Matiel was right about Haikan, and now he was starting to appreciate Mikail too.

"I'm placing Mikail as a junior partner, being that his priorities in responsibilty are skills alone. For Haikan and me, we'll be Senior Partners. We'll oversee the overall activities with Mikail concerning himself more with the supplies. Well, other than this, why don't you allow him to look for patrons too, Haikan? He especially seems not only able but also quite willing."

"Now Mikail, I understand you won't want to be with us long, but you can always come back. If you wish to pursue your family with your earnings, be my guest, but remember. Once you leave, all your rights as an owner are forfeit until you buy yourself in again."

"Also, instead of just limiting you to cooking, why don't I suggest a few more things. You are a learning scribe, yes? If so, it would be best if you took classes not only in scribing but also bookkeeping. I have a mind to have you prepare a list of needed supplies, keeping them in inventory and in check, guarding the supplies, cooking the said meals, managing the waste, measuring the appropriation of rations per person, and if possible oversee their proper distribution."

"For this, I can help you on your way to getting these classes. Being that we are still in the planning stages, I believe you have enough time to learn enough to be efficient. Now, there is the Bardic College wherein you may learn the proper techniques for writing. Just go there, talk to Morganior the gnome, tell him I sent you, and ask for the papers required for enrollment. I'm giving us all a time line of three to four months, give or take a week to accomplish the preliminaries, so expect you to be studious in these endeavors."

"For bookkeeping, there is a Scribe's Guild here in King's Court that hires itself out. Try to find some information there where you might be able to find someone to mentor you in bookkeeping, possible patrons we could offer our services and scribing jobs for yourself to keep you in practice and earn you a bit of income."

"Tomorrow, I am going the the Palace Library to do some research. I have just gotten a pass from my History teacher, and if you wish to join me, please do. I believe with two heads instead of just one, we may be able to find the information we need for this venture. At the top of that list is finding maps, treatises on Pax Culture and history, the relationship between King's Court and Pax throughout the years, their trading histories, local goods produced, most sought after goods by both places, and so much more."

"Haikan, you are also welcome to join me if you so wish, but for now I have a much more pressing need of you, to scout out for the most financially powerful people here in King's Court. I may know a number, but I'll be neck deep in research that I might not have time to find them. I am hoping you'll take this job, because not only will it give us some background on the economy here and it's players, it will also allow you leeway to explore the city as much as you like."

"Also, Mikail, if you wish to help in finding patrons: I know of a man named Barton. He is the son of a minor noble here and I suggest you talk to him, befriend him, and try to meet his parents. Once you have placed yourself in contact with the minor nobles, this will be your gateway to more powerful people here in King's Court."

"Also, I suggest a weekly meeting for us here in King's Court, to share information, cross out tasks that have already been done, and think of more ideas to fine tune the organization's structure and operations. When we share this information, please also share any failures so that others may jump on it and try to do it."

"Also, for now, don't try to garner investors yet. I want us to merely seek out information first, study our situation, and then make the offers. This means befriend these powerful people, get them to trust you, to believe in your talent for making profit. Once we have that, once we have fine tuned everything, determined what we need, then we go out to get them. As much as I would love to merely give these people promises, offers with basis are easier to accept than basic conjectures."

"And, Haikan, you wish to oversee the men? Good, I'm confident you can handle the job. So, instead of just handling the men, why don't you also recruit them?"

"I have this for a plan concerning employees."

"Each one of us, must have at a number of men beneath us to assist with our responsibilities. Their number will be measured according to the number of clients we will have with us, the size of this expedition, and the resources we can afford to sustain them. We will have contracts for them that last in durations of per trip, not time. I suggest Mikail and I will have assistants and just a small number of guards at our sides at all times to protect not only us but the duties we need to perform. For Haikan, I'm placing the bulk of our armed strength. You'll be in charge of protecting the whole, managing your officers, and making sure they do not impede with the duties of the others."

"So far that makes three branches, Mikail with Supply and Inventory, me with Cargo and Finance, and Haikan for martial efficiency."

"Now...Hmm...it seems we lack one more point. Men,"Matiel rubbed his chin and stopped scribbling, "I think we need someone for medical services."