Miletus Roleplay

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Darast rode his horse northward across the Great Plain. The area was barren; just dirt and rocks as far as the eye could see. There was a story that a battle among dragons was the reason why the plain looked as it did, but no one knew for sure anymore. However, it was still told that the plain was bad luck, and that people should stay away. He had Bahamut to protect him, though, so he wasn’t afraid of some bad luck.

Thus, Darast was, for all intents and purposes, completely alone. He almost wished Carlon was with him; at least he’d have someone to talk to instead of being stuck with his own thoughts. Heading to Malar brought back so many memories, and he wasn’t even sure if he was mentally ready to come back. But it was Bahamut’s will, so he had to go.

All he knew about the Malar-Arachen War was that it had ended in a draw. He didn’t know how any of his friends and comrades had made out. Were any of them still alive? Would he see them as he got closer to Malar? He kind of hoped he wouldn’t; they were a part of his old life, and that belonged in the past.

As he rode, he thought he saw movement up ahead. He slowed his horse and got closer, until he could tell that there were two figures. One seemed to be a young boy, and the other was a goblin. The boy had a stick that he was using to protect himself, but it was no match for the goblin’s morningstar. The stick was easily snapped, and the weapon made contact with the boy’s arm, knocking him down.

Darast dismounted and drew his sword and shield; the goblin heard him and turned around. Darast took the first move, running at the goblin and swinging at it, but the goblin hopped out of the way. Darast was now positioned in front of the boy and saw his arm was bleeding.

“I’ll take care of this pest and then I’ll fix you up, okay?” he said. The boy nodded and stayed where he was.

The goblin then lunged at Darast and swung its morningstar, but he easily blocked it with his shield. He quickly struck at it as it tried to get back in position and his sword ripped through what little armour it was wearing, giving it a good gash across its midsection. The creature howled in fury and struck back, hitting Darast on the thigh with a great swing of its weapon. Darast stumbled backward, clenching his teeth at the pain.

He recollected himself and went after the goblin, but it blocked his sword with its morningstar. The battle went back and forth with each able to block and dodge the other’s attack. Darast took another hit, but used that moment to impale the goblin while it was open.

He pulled his sword out of the goblin’s throat and the creature collapsed. He wiped its blood from his weapon with the hem of his shirt and sheathed it. He then turned to the boy, who had stayed put through the whole thing. Darast figured he couldn’t be more than ten years old.

“Th-that was awesome!” the boy exclaimed.

Darast bent down next to the boy and said, “Only doin’ my duty.” He checked out the arm; it didn’t look too bad. “So why’re you out here by yourself?”

“I was travellin’ with my mom, and she wouldn’t let me see the Great Plain, so I ran away,” the boy replied, sounding almost triumphant.

“Ya shouldn’t be doing stuff like that. Ya could’ve been hurt way worse.” Darast stood. “Tell you what. I’ll take ya back to your mom if ya promise not to do somethin’ like this again.”

The boy stood as well and rubbed his arm. “Okay…”

Darast led the boy back to his horse, which was still standing where he’d left it. Although this wasn’t his Paladin mount, he wasn’t strong enough to get one of those yet, this horse listened to him pretty well. He helped the boy up and climbed on behind him, then started the horse forward and tended to the boy’s arm.

"Why? Because from what I've seen, you're stupid enough to try something so foolish," Chazz responded harshly. He also knew it wouldn't take long for this kid to start getting desperate. "Keep your whining to yourself."

Chazz didn't have too much experience with captives, but he had dealt with a few whiny ones before. He preferred jobs that left him with no prisoners.

"I'm not stupid," Casimir grumbled indignantly. "How am I stupid? If I was stupid I would have asked that old man to help me." He was definitely too scared to try to get away, if nothing else. He stared straight ahead, his expression somewhere between misery and terror. "Can we at least take a break to eat something? I'm starving. I have carrots and stuff in the bag?"

Chazz could tell that this kid was going to be just delightful.

"We're not stopping. We've barely gotten anywhere," he said. "You can eat and walk."

He moved his hand to Casimir's shoulder so he could use both arms. Maybe if the kid ate something he'd whine less.

Casimir had been half expecting Chazz to take the bag from him and throw it into the bushes. That would have matched the man's temperament in Casimir's perception. He blinked in surprise when he agreed to let the boy eat something. "Okay... thank you." He didn't think a kidnapper really deserved his manners, but he thought it might earn him some points. He removed a carrot from the bag and bit into it. After swallowing the first bite, he opened his mouth to ask Chazz if he would like anything, but then he realized his generosity would probably go unappreciated, as Chazz struck him as the type who would just take some food if he really wanted it.

Regardless, Chazz had been nice enough to let Casimir eat. That had to be a good sign.

Chazz realized that letting the kid eat was a good decision; he was much more quiet after that. He hoped it would last until they got to the base. Nobody would be willing to pay much for a tantrum-throwing kid.

Unfortunately, after about an hour of walking, Casimir was whining again. Some scolding and a few threats was enough to make him shut up as they reached the Malar base. Chazz found the secret entrance and knocked on it with a certain rhythm. Inside, the doorman looked out the peephole, recognized Chazz, and opened the door a crack.

"Oh, if it isn't you," the doorman grinned.

"What are you doing? Let me in," Chazz said a bit impatiently.

The doorman let out a laugh. "I ain't about to do that, not after what I've heard. Sounds like you're gonna be in some trouble. What a shame."

Chazz was well known for being a favourite of the boss, and he knew that some people would like to see that change. "And just what did you hear?"

"Well, a little birdie told me that you leaked some very specific directions to this exact location," the man looked hard at Casimir. "And this kid fits the description! He heard you, didn't he? Just wait until this gets to the boss. If he hears that it was intentional..."

"That little..." Chazz's grip on Casimir's arm tightened with his frustration. He calmed himself down. "It doesn't matter what rumours the boss hears. He'll be hearing from the source."

Chazz pushed the door shut in the doorman's face. He then turned and began pulling Casimir in the direction they had just come from.

Casimir was so tired of walking. He'd been walking and occasionally running for hours now. His feet were killing him. He couldn't wait to get home or at least take a rest. Of course, when he suggested that to Chazz, it was met with the man's typical ill temper. Casimir sighed in frustration and went silent--and quite sullen--until they reached what was apparently the destination.

After Chazz knocked on the door, things began to get confusing. Casimir couldn't follow what the men were talking about. This location couldn't be all that secret, since Chazz had directed someone else there and had just brought Casimir there on top of that. The boy really didn't understand the fuss. He understood that Chazz was angry at the doorman though, because his arm felt it. He gave Chazz a severely unimpressed look, but it seemed to go unnoticed because the next thing he knew, Chazz was pulling on his arm. It didn't take Casimir long to realize they were going back exactly the same way they came.

"What was the point of taking me all the way out here just to turn around and go back?" he asked incredulously. He really didn't want to walk anymore. "Couldn't we have at least taken a rest? What was that guy's issue? So what if I know the directions to his house, you brought me there anyway... and it's not like I'm gonna bring people all the way out here. It's too far out of the way."

He emphasized that it was too far to give Chazz a hint that they needed to stop and rest before going any further.

The city of Orios finally came into Darast's view. It was a huge city, probably the biggest on the continent, and he was always blown away by it every time he went there. It was protected by a large wall, and everyone had to pass through one of several gates to get inside.

Darast approached the main gate, though he had to wait in a line before he could get in. He dismounted and led his horse by its reins. It wouldn't be much longer now before both of them could rest. When he made it to the gate, the guard there stopped him, looked him over for a moment, then allowed him through.

The inside of the city was exactly how he remembered it. Thus, it was easy for him to find the small inn he'd always stayed at before. He reserved a room there and took his horse to the stable, then went back out into the city.

There was a reason why Bahamut had sent him here, he just had to find it.

Chazz had been trying to cool off, but then the kid started. He knew it would happen and he was in no mood to deal with it. Chazz looked straight at Casimir and backhanded him in the face.

"Just shut up. I swear, I will kill you if you don't shut your mouth. We're not stopping until we get to Orios," Chazz looked forward again and kept walking at a brisk pace. Unfortunately, now his death threats were empty; he would need to keep the kid alive as an offering to the boss.

Casimir was so stunned by the sudden impact of Chazz's hand against his face that he didn't know what to say. He was angry, shocked and a bit scared of the death threat that followed. His eyes teared up and he turned his head away from Chazz, refusing to meet his gaze. They were able to proceed to Orios in relative silence. Casimir was relieved to finally be back in the city. Maybe this was a good sign. He looked at Chazz with a look of desperation on his face. "Are you going to take me home now...?"

It was getting dark and Casimir was completely exhausted. He just wanted to go home and forget about all of this. There was no way Chazz could try to take him any further tonight; where would they go? By the time they got anywhere, everyone would be asleep.

By the time they had reached Orios, Chazz was fairly calm again. They entered through the same unguarded area that they had used to leave the city earlier.

"No," Chazz answered Casimir's question bluntly. "You're going to get some supplies."

He led the kid through the city until they reached a shop that sold general supplies. Chazz decided that the easiest thing to do would be to just buy the stuff. Before going inside, he stopped and told Cas what they would need along with a warning to appear not so miserable.

Casimir listened to Chazz's list and just shrugged when he was told to not look so miserable. He picked up the needed items, avoiding the shopkeeper's gaze as he quickly mumbled a thank you and trudged back to Chazz, looking even more unhappy than before. "I'm so tired. Can we just sit here for five minutes?" he asked, handing the bag of supplies to Chazz and pointing at some nearby benches. Surprisingly, Chazz agreed.

Once they were seated, Casimir glanced at his captor and then at his own feet before saying, "So what was that place? Why wouldn't that man let you in? He obviously knew you. Why did you even take me there to begin with?"

It seemed that the kid would never stop whining about being tired, so Chazz agreed to take a break for just a few minutes. Unfortunately, it gave Casimir an opportunity to ask questions that Chazz didn't want to deal with.

"Look, you don't need to know and I'm not talking about it. Just drop it," Chazz said with an irritated tone. This kid was ridiculously naive. He then realized just how suspicious this scene probably looked and scolded himself inwardly. His frustration was making him careless. Chazz forced himself to calm down and looked at Casimir. "All right, we should really be going. Come on."

He stood up and took a step away from the bench, waiting for Casimir to follow.

It soon grew dark as Darast wandered through Orios. The city was so huge, he hadn't made it all through it before night came. There were few people around now, though it wasn't completely empty; the city streets were never completely empty. He found himself in a small square which had a few benches and he decided to take a seat on one.

As he sat there, he became aware of a pair of men who were sitting on a bench near him. One of them was asking the other one some questions, but Darast didn't pay them much mind. However, he heard the other man become irritated and wanted to leave.

Darast stayed where he was, but looked over at them. If something happened, he was prepared to intervene.

Casimir watched as Chazz stood up, but he couldn't make himself follow. He was so sore and fatigued he wouldn't have even been able to run home given the chance. "It hasn't even been five minutes," Casimir protested. "You've been dragging me all over all day now... I'm completely exhausted."

Chazz let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, I don't care. We're moving. Now."

It didn't sound like the kid would move on his own, so Chazz grabbed him by the arm roughly again and started pulling. "I'm not putting up with this anymore. We're not done walking yet so you'd better get used to it."

Casimir glared at Chazz. They were in the middle of the city and the patrol guards would be out after dark, so there was no way the guy could get away with harming him here. He tried to pull his arm back. "No, I'm not going anywhere with you!" he exclaimed. "This is pointless! All we did was walk in a circle for hours! I want to go home and go to sleep, now let. Me. Go!" With a particularly hard yank, he managed to get his arm free from Chazz's grip. He leapt to his feet but it wasn't long before he realized he didn't know how to get to his house from here.

"..."

With his momentum deflated, he casually sat back down on the bench.

The irritated man became more insistent and tried to get the other one to go with him, but an outburst put a stop to that. Darast became very concerned with what was being said and decided he couldn't sit by any longer.

He stood and approached the pair. "Just what is going on here?"

Chazz froze when he heard someone ask what was going on. He couldn't believe how careless he had been. He forced a friendly look on his face, and smiled at the young man who was speaking to them.

"Oh, we're sorry for disturbing you," Chazz said. "I just finished taking my cousin on a tour of the city. You see, he has a mental illness and easily becomes confused. He is also very stubborn and doesn't listen unless you're assertive."

He turned to Casimir. "Come on, you have to get to bed! You can't stay on that bench all night!"

Darast listened to the explanation, then looked from one to the other. It sounded reasonable to him.

"Oh, I should be the one apologizin'. I didn't realize," he said. He turned to the guy on the bench. "You should listen to your cousin. It gets cold out here at night."

As Casimir listened to Chazz explain the 'situation', he couldn't help but give a sigh of relief. There was no way anyone would believe such a convoluted story.

Except, apparently, this man. Casimir's jaw dropped slightly as the man sided with the guy who'd been nothing but cruel to him. "What... how can you BELIEVE such a stupid story? He's NOT my cousin, I just met him today! I've been trying to go home, but he wouldn't let me!" He tugged at his own hair in frustration, giving the man a pleading look. "All I want is to go home... I don't know this guy and I don't know why he keeps taking me with him and why he wants to kill me... please... help me..." Casimir didn't move from the bench and just hid his face in his hands. His mother had been right; most people were horrible, cruel and stupid.

Darast became concerned once again as the guy had an insane outburst. He claimed he'd just met his cousin today and that he wasn't even his cousin; he claimed his life was in danger. Darast looked at the man who was standing, alarmed.

"Are ya sure he's all right?" he asked.

"Well, his illness has become worse lately," Chazz explained, appearing concerned. "We fear we may lose what's left of him soon..."

He looked at Casimir with a smile, placing his hand on his shoulder. "You can't say things like that. Remember that talk your mother had with you?"

Casimir was just glaring between the two men, unable to believe the scene that was unfolding in front of him. He wanted to break the hand Chazz placed on his shoulder.

When Chazz mentioned his mother, Casimir froze. Her suicide was still a fairly fresh wound. His expression became pained. "If you knew anything about me at all, you'd know that my mother is not alive," he said darkly. "You can ask anyone if you don't believe me, it was a pretty notable event around here."

With that, he stood and ran behind the shop, not wanting to look at these people anymore and especially not wanting to hear anything they had to say about his mother.

Darast raised an eyebrow at the man's latest explanation; he felt things were starting to get a little strange. The other guy had a very strong reaction about his mother and Darast knew he couldn't just be imagining that. The look on his face before he ran off said it all.

Darast watched him go, then looked sternly at the con artist. "All right, I'll ask ya again. What's goin' on here?"

Chazz was a bit surprised by Casimir's reaction; he hadn't seen it coming. The kid ran off and Chazz wanted to go after him, but it seemed that the guy he had been talking to wasn't buying the story at all anymore. He was far too interested for his own good.

Chazz couldn't remember the last time he had screwed up this badly. Just killing the kid would have made things go so much more simply, but now he was too valuable. However, letting the kid escape alive was even worse than killing him at this point. If he got away, Chazz was doomed.

"I really must be going," Chazz said to the guy and then took off running. He knew this looked incredibly suspicious, but talking wouldn't help at this point and he couldn't kill him in a place like this. With any luck, this guy would follow and Chazz could kill him outside the city. He went toward the shop where he had seen Casimir go, and was relieved to find him behind it. Chazz reached for his arm.

"We're getting out of here," he whispered. He didn't care if the kid didn't want to run; he would drag him or even carry him if he had to.