A Startling Discovery

[Thief]

Jack had been wondering the streets for quite some time. The city was a huge maze surrounded by high walls. It looked not unlike a fortress from a distance, which almost convinced Jack to just pass it by. However, he had heard from travelers that Reajh was, in fact, the capital city of Connlaoth. There's no way the girl he sought would be able to resist visiting a capital city of anything.

Fortunately, there did not seem to be many places around here that she might be. There were a lot of churches around, which she would definitely avoid. More likely, she was looking for a place to rest, most likely a tavern. Otherwise, she might be getting herself into mischief. Jack pulled the hood of his cloak over his face, and continued down the road. All he could do was wonder the city, and wait to see what might unfold.

A growl from his stomach determined his next stop. He made his way to the nearest market. In favor of saving time, he swiped an apple from one of the vendors, something he could eat while walking. He continued on his way, the apple slowly vanishing bit by bit as he walked.

[Rhindeer]

"Um, what do you think you're doin'?" a voice suddenly barked from behind Jack, loud enough to carry through the crowded marketplace. "I do hope you're planning on paying for that."

Of all the thieves she'd stumbled upon, Siobhan didn't think she'd ever seen one steal so casually before. Hands on her hips, Siobhan glared at the man's back and waited for him to either turn to face her--or flee. Hopefully the former because fleeing would not end well for him. She was willing to give him the chance to right this situation, but if he didn't...

Well, he'd be sorry!

[Thief]

Damn There was Jack's own special brand of luck again. He had spent what little he had back in Serendipity. No matter what he chose, he doubted he would be free to continue searching the city. Of course, whoever it was had not seen his face yet.

As far as he knew, he had no reason to worry. His face was covered by his hood, so all he would have to do is escape. But, the fact that it was a woman's voice got his attention. "As with most thieves, I don't have any money. If I did, I would gladly pay." He turned, making sure to keep his head down. "Hunger is a terrible thing when you have no means of buying food." He was hoping to talk his way out of this, playing the sympathy card. It was in his best interest to try and maintain anonymity. If Scarlet knew he was here, she'd be gone in an instant.

[Rhindeer]

"Uh huh," Siobhan said, cocking a hip and tilting her head. "But I'm sure it's not as terrible as, y'know, hangin', so ya wanna march right back over and pay so we can like avoid that whole messy business? 'Cause that's really a day ruiner."

And she really hoped he didn't attempt to run.

[Thief]

Keeping his head down, Jack flashed a smile. "Well, I'm not kidding. I don't have a coin to my name." Jack held out the apple, now nothing more than a core. "It's also a little late to return it. So, do what you must, I don't plan on running."  Jack stood and waited for her answer. Surely a man's life was worth more than an apple. But, if she attempted to arrest him, he would not resist.

[Rhindeer]

Siobhan gave a long-suffering sigh and smacked her forehead. Well, now he'd gone and done it! No money and he'd already eaten what he'd stolen. Great. Why did people always have to put her in such an unpleasant position?

"Ya shouldn't be smilin' about that! Now I gotta arrest you and argh. I don't like arresting people, you know!" With another sigh, she marched over to him. "And ya shouldn't smile about it! It's not funny or fun!"

[Thief]

Though he took no pleasure in getting into trouble, he had always gotten a small thrill from brushes with the law. Usually it was the thrill of escape, knowing he had gotten away safely. Somehow, Jack did not think that today was going to be one of those days.

"My apologies, you're right. I should take this more seriously." Jack allowed his face to go blank, hiding the smirk that was so eager to show itself. He held out his hands in surrender, waiting for the rope or irons or whatever they would use to bind him. His surrender would cause far less of a scene than any ill-conceived escape.

[Rhindeer]

Sighing, Siobhan fumbled at her belt and pulled out the irons she carried, then promptly clapped them around the man's wrists. "Yeah, ya should!" she said with a frown. "'Cause now you've gone and ruined my day. Why don'tcha have any money on ya, anyhow? That's really dumb!"

[Thief]

"I'm sorry about your day," Jack said, ignoring the comment about him being broke. "Of course, I could just get out of your hair, and we could forget this whole thing." Jack put on his best smile. He was genuinely sorry to have upset her, but he had a feeling her day was about to get worse.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and tried to picture another part of the city he had seen earlier, attempting to simply teleport away. He opened his eyes to find himself standing there, still handcuffed and in a bit more trouble than he thought. Something was keeping him from teleporting, and he really did not have time for this.

[Rhindeer]

"Yeah, but then I'd get in trouble for not doing my job, see, and even if no one else saw, Ansgar knows, so--what're ya doin'?"

Siobhan stared at him as he closed his eyes, and stared at him even after he'd opened them. She tilted her head, confused about what that had been about. "Um. Okay. Anyway, come along now. I gotta turn you in and all."

[Thief]

Jack gave the woman no trouble, though he continued trying to teleport. It was not working, so he would need a different approach. "Mind if I ask your name?" Jack asked as he walked. Hopefully conversation would be a bit of a distraction. He might also still be able to talk his way out of this.

Jack flexed his hands as if they were uncomfortable, trying to make a lock-pick appear, but it was no use. He did not keep one on him physically, instead he was trying to reach out for one. Whatever was blocking his ability, he had not noticed it until this woman had placed him in irons. They did not seem special, but looks were deceiving. He made a mental note to start keeping a lock-pick on his person.

[Rhindeer]

"Name's Siobhan," she answered, and frowned back at him. She did feel bad about this, especially since as far as thieves went he was terribly polite and hadn't given her an ounce of trouble, but laws were laws and it was her job to uphold justice and whatnot. Besides, he could be faking it! Though why would he? What would he gain from it? He could have run and gotten much farther! Faking it had landed him in shackles!

She had to steel herself! That was all there was to it. Fall for one trick and it was all downhill from there!

"What about ya? Uh. Well. This is awkward. Um. Sorry I gotta do this by the way but, y'know, ya kinda pushed me to it."

[Thief]

Jack shifted his hands as if uncomfortable, his wrists testing the shackles. He knew how to dislocate his left thumb and slide his hand free if he had to, but the left shackle was tight. Just his luck though, the right shackle was just a bit loose. He closed his fingers around his thumb, preparing himself. This was going to hurt, and it might create a loud popping sound. He hesitated before applying a little pressure, though not enough to do it just yet. He would wait for the perfect time, then he would slip free.

"It's not your fault." Jack forced a smile, though he was sure he looked a bit nervous. "It's mine, for letting hunger overpower my better judgement." Even planning an escape, he was still hoping to talk his way out of this. "The name's Seth by the way." Jack pulled the name from his first visit to Arca, faster than thinking of one on his own.

He was also trying to get information from her. He wanted to know what kind of soldier was given magic shackles. He was warned that the people here were afraid of magic. Another important question he needed to answered was where he was being taken. "Besides, you're some kind of knight aren't you? I'd expect nothing less of you than your duty."

[Rhindeer]

That question made Siobhan puff out her chest with pride, a grin tugging at her lips. Despite the grim situation and icky things her job sometimes made her do, this was her calling. She had been chosen and she wore the lily symbol with honor. Knowing this was a gift, a holy mission, made all the unpleasant things worth it because it was all for the sake of the greater good.

"Yup! I'm a Knight, all right. A Knight of the White Lily," she said as she turned them onto a road less crowded than the one before, leading them out of the market. "So yeah, it's kinda my job and all. I mean, this isn't really my job--y'know, arrestin' criminals. But if I see anythin' like that, it'd be silly not to do somethin'. Plus there's no mages 'round right now."

Blinking in sudden realization, Siobhan turned to look at Seth in wide-eyed astonishment. "Waitaminute. Ya tellin' me ya never heard of us Knights? We're kind of a big deal..."

[Thief]

That comment seemed to distract the knight enough. Jack winced as he applied pressure to his thumb. There was a faint pop, and now Jack was ready the slide his hand free of the shackle.

"I'm afraid I haven't. I've never been one to keep up with such things." Jack hoped she would remain distracted. "The White Lily? Sounds very prestigious."

She mentioned something that sounded interesting. Maybe he could discover a clue to how the shackles worked. He needed to be careful though, mages were a sensitive subject here in Connlaoth. "Your job has something to do with mages? That sounds dangerous."

[Rhindeer]

"Oh, very! We're very--" Siobhan blinked and tilted her head, frowning. "That word ya used. Prest...well, we're that, yeah. But really, you're tellin' me ya really don't know nothin' about us?"

Siobhan glanced at him and arched an eyebrow. That was odd, but oh well! Just an opportunity to brag some more.

"It's very dangerous. Only we and the Mordecai have the power to make mages' magic stop workin'. Well, we are Mordecai, too, I mean, just a different kind, right? Only girls can be our kind. Only the purest girls, too. But we're no pushovers, lemme tell ya. We can stop all magic, no matter what. It's the gift ol' Adhara gave us--she was the first. So anyhow, we go around and help with problems of the magical sort."

[Thief]

Jack did not like the sound of that. Knights who could block the use of magic did not pose much threat, but these knights were different. It was not the shackles stopping him from using his ability, it was her. Worse still, there were more knight's like her out there.

It would seem his escape plan needed a bit more thought. He left his thumb hanging limp, but did not remove the shackle. He would wait until she was sufficiently distracted before removing it. Then, he would just need the opportunity to get far enough away to escape.

"Given the choice, I'd say a Knight of the White Lily would be better to have around than any other Mordecai. That way you can be sure any mage's magic would be blocked." Hopefully the knight would feel like bragging a little more. If he could get her to stick her nose high enough in the air, she wouldn't notice him slip away. "Honestly, I never knew such a knight existed. I'd love to hear more about it, if you don't mind."

[Rhindeer]

"Really?" Siobhan looked at the man curiously, head slightly tilted. Well, he was pretty much a doomed man, after all. She just hoped he knew that while she appreciated the flattery, it wasn't going to make her break the law, either, and not turn him in!

It was a real pity, though. He seemed like he could be a good, nice person. Well...maybe she could put in a good word or two for him, make sure he got out on a lesser charge...

She smiled, a little sadly. "Oh, well, definitely! Our power's stronger than the Mordecai, the regular ones. But I guess if ya never came here ya wouldn't know, though we're legendary here! Nothin' stands a chance, really. Why, I know I don't look much, but I've even gone up against some real nasty things. Strange monsters with horrible powers. Fortunately for a lot of 'em, they're all power and not much else, right? Take that away and what's left?"

[Thief]

Jack gave his best smile. He was enjoying the conversation, and really did not want things to end badly. Unfortunately, he could not afford to end up behind bars. He would not mind just playing along, but there was a real risk that another one of these special Mordecai might be a guard there. He needed to think of another way out of this mess he got himself into.

"Some things in this world are dangerous without magic." Jack was going to continue trying to talk his way out of this, at least until he saw a jail come into view. "I'm glad you haven't run into any misfortune. When bad things happen, fate seems to think they should happen to good people."

[Rhindeer]

"Oh, true!" Siobhan said with a grin. "Like people. People're scarier than monsters sometimes! But like, say...okay, so say there's somethin' that like, just uses a lot of magic. Or someone uses a sword and nothin' much else. Take it away and they don't know what to do! Magic's a sword to some of those folks, if ya get my meanin'."

Turning a corner, Siobhan came to an abrupt stop. Her brow furrowed and she scratched at her temple, eyes narrowing. "Huh. Weird. Coulda swore it was this way..."