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Running with Madmen

Started by WallyD, April 26, 2017, 09:42:57 PM

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WallyD

Julien woke up in his bed with a large head ache. He groaned and sat up. Rubbing his face. He needed to get going, he was pretty surethat girl was here. Julien quickly got dressed and headed straight for the farm the bartender had said. The man was there, though he didn't want to hear out just yet, Julien had to pay the old man quite a lot of gold but he took Julien right to Whiteriver.


The first thing Julien noticed was a small crowd around the announcement board. In the years Julien had been here he never once saw this many people. Whiteriver was full of nobles who thought themselves better than others, the only time they would even gather together is if money was involved. Kinda like Julien.

Julien walked up, people moving out of his way. He reached up and ripped the paper down. He read it and scoffed. It was like a warrant, though there was no money involved. Julien shrugged and put it in his pouch, not really caring.

Julien continued to walk down the street. It hadn't changed since he had last been there. The streets were cobblestone, clean and bright. The buildings were tall, pale blues and pinks with white rims. Soon Julien reached the open market.

There were alot of items, jewelry, pots, books, glassware, almost everything. Julien looked at a few but he knew the one he wanted. Julien stopped by a flower stall, all still freshly picked.

"The usual?" The lady asked, pulling a bundle from be hind the counter. Julien smiled, any arrogance that was once on his face was replaced with a calming smile.

"Thank you, Deb." Julien said taking the flowers and paying her the gold.

"Anything for you, child." She said nodded. Julien nodded back and continued to walk. He head to the richer part of town. A large mansion, was at the top, a small path ran off to the side. Suddenly something stopped Julien.

"Julien!" A little girl squealed ran forward. Julien grined and bet down, his arms wide.

Wrathwyrm

It is a matter of fact that Rena - who hadn't gotten drunk, sleepy, and later hungover - was able to shadow the man, figure out his destination as he began to embark, and then got there ahead of him by use of a faster horse.  By the time he'd arrived in Whiteriver, she was having some tea on a balcony overlooking the circle where people had been gathered.

What she was not aware of was that Julien had been followed by somebody else...

The fact of the matter is that Rena had thought of a way to deal with this matter without having to fight him.  The main issue was that this man was uncaringly using his Mordecai power to interfere with people, and that people would largely be unaware that he was the one causing it.  The problem inevitably fixes itself when people are aware that there is a Mordecai about and know what the hell he looks like.  It forces him to take honest work only, and that anyone who doesn't want him around would tell him to go away or they'll send for the guard.

Basically, she was 'doing something' about it, but in a different way.  Rena lost track of him after he noticed the hub-bub, but she could catch him later, assuming he didn't seek her out for interfering with his 'business'.  Definitely a solution worthy of her father.  Of course, if her message to the King had any impact, they might have Connlaoth apologizing for not noticing him sooner.  They might not do much about him for a while, but they also couldn't afford any outside pressures at this stage, what with the civil war and all.

But nevermind that, for now.  We must also address...the other thing, the one who had followed subtly and quietly in from Yahbrook, the one who was deadly and dangerous and possibly out of his mind.  That is, following along was he, the destroyer of humankind, the devastator of populous, the dreaded black magus-

"Mrooow!"

...Garlock The Destroyer?  Well...actually...yes, but...not in the form you would expect him to be in.  He came upon the scene with Julien and whoever he was with...in his natural form: A cat.  Specifically, he was a black smooth-haired feline with red eyes, yowling for attention.

WallyD

"How's my Junebug?" Julien asked, picking the girl up.

"Amazing!" the girl said. She looked down and saw the cat. She squealed, and pointed. "Look it."

Julien did and wrinkled his nose. "Cats are evil. Did you know that?"

The girl giggled and shook her head. "No their not."

'Yes they are." Julien said, tickling her. She squealed and squirmed, her laughter filling the air. Julien didn't mind the notice. He knew that some people would be weary of him, but now alot more people who do need, special help now know who to look for. Julien can feel a boom in business in the future.

Wrathwyrm

Hey!  You say that to an Adelan and see what you get!  Still, there may have been some comprehension there at the mention of cats being evil, because Garlock went up and rubbed against the girl's leg with a purr.  Yes...  Now that he was closer, he could smell what he tabby smelt.  This man was definitely a traveler, and since only those who were foreign to Serendipity tended to be Mordecai...

Oh yes, he's definitely it.  Now, should I lead him along for a while?  Or strike now?  Decisions, decisions...

All this thought while he was being manifestly adorable.

WallyD

Julien frowned, still holding the girl. She was still laughing so she didn't notice when Julien slightly nudged the cat away. He really didn't like cats, he was more of a dog person. The girl finally noticed the flowers in Juliens hand.

"Are those for her?" She asked playing with the flowers.

"Yeah. Do you think she'll like them?"

She nodded. "Did you know she likes yellow?"

"Really, did she tell you that."

"No, silly. I felt it."  Julien smiled sadly, watching the girl mess with the flowers.

"Do you want to come with me?" Julien asked, nudging the cat away again. The girl nodded and Julien set her down. She bent down and patted the cats head.

"Good kitty." She said and stood back up, slipping her hand into Julien's.

Wrathwyrm

Nudge, nudge.

Heh heh, Nope!  Not moving!

Nudge, nudge, nudge.

Still not moving.

This is what it's like for a Mordecai to be around a magic-user, really.  There's this jerk interfering with your stuff and he won't go away.  He had batted at his shoe a couple times, in return, and had given his heels a pounce, as soon as he walked off, following for now.  The cat was...curious...about what he was up to.  For the moment, he wasn't going to do anything overt.  The girl sort of...reminded him of something.

WallyD

Julien and the girl walked up the path, past the large mansion. On the other side was a graveyard, a black fence surround the area. The two of them walked inside and stopped by a gravestone.

It was of a white stone, a small baby statue was set next to it. Julien let go of the girls hand and bent down. He pulled out a single white rose out of the bundle, placing it next to the statue and placed the rest of the flowers next to the stone. He Daughter and stood back up. The girl looked up at Julien.

"Do you miss her?" She asked. Julien smiled sadly at her.

"Everyday."

"Do you miss them both?"

"Always."

Wrathwyrm

Of course, as they got closer to it, Garlock realized where they were going.  The somber mood, growing state of woe, and the distant-yet-close feeling of the dearly departed...  They were going into a cemetary.  He followed still, but...the distance between them increased.  He knew what those two reminded him of.  An adult man...and a kind and gentle girl.  Yeah, it was reminded him of his owner, his master, his friend...

Zan...

Even a being such as he has terrible regrets.  He regretted losing the man who gave him his voice, the one he was not using right now, because he was pretending to be an ordinary cat.  Zan Goldswith was his master, and he was one of the two people he liked the most in this world.  The other was his niece, who was just a young girl, at the time...  Garlock's head hung low as he stood near a different headstone.  Then, as he heard new approaching footsteps from the other side of it, there was a voice...

"So, here's where you went."

The cat's eyes widened in shock and recognition...and then he vanished!  Rena Goldswith - Zan's niece - came into the area.  Her sword was on her back, not in her hands, and she was in a mood that suggested no intent upon violence.  Not here, not now, and certainly not with a child around.  She was going to talk, and that was all.

WallyD

Julien turned and tusked at Rene. He looked down at the girl.

"She hurt me, did you know that? Julien rolled up his sleeve to show her the bandages. "Tried to stop me from seeing you."

The girl gasped and scowled at Rene. "Don't hurt Julien, you bad lady!"

Julien chuckled and ruffled her hair. There was a slamming of a door and a voice yelled out.

"Mista!" It was a nurse maid that came out of the large mansion. The girl, Mista, and Julien both looked the maid then each other.

"You should go Junebug. I still have business to take care of." Julien said, ruffling her hair again. She hugged him one last time and ran back to her house, sticking out her tounge at Rene along the way. As soon as she went into the house, Julien's face turned serious, watching Rene warily.

"What do you want?" He said, his tone flat.

Wrathwyrm

She couldn't blame the girl.  She'd be defending any member of her family, just as loudly.  Probably would've liked to do something about the Silver Horde, back then, but...what can you really do when you're just a child?  Julien became serious as soon as Mista was safely away.

"What I'm not about to do is start a fight in a cemetary with a man in mourning."

She spoke plainly and honestly, maybe a bit somberly, unaware that out of both their lines of sight, there was a cat watching them carefully.

Why was she hunting him? Why was she hunting ANYONE?

"It's weird for a Mordecai to be in here, but then you said you came this way every year.  I asked about it, just seeing if it was true.  Some people know you more than others, Julien.  That's how I knew to look here."

She lowered her head for a moment, sighing, then looked at him again earnestly.

"You can't take advantage of people.  I'm not gonna send you out of the country, but it has to be honest work, from now on.  Maybe somebody actually needs a Mordecai, maybe just a pair of strong hands, but you do it up-front, because they know now."

Is this what you are now?  A hunter, a fighter, a negotiator...?  Why?

She had mad no moves to attack of any sort, no stance or preparedness at all.  As far as she was concerned, this was over, in her own fashion.  She'd done something about it, and she'd been more than fair about it, especially now that she had seen this.

WallyD

Julien looked down at the grave than back at Rene. He felt weak, it made him mad. Someone telling him what to do, made it worse, but he knew better than to start an argument. He shrugged, walking up to Rene. Stopping next to her.

"Not going to promise anything, but I'll consider it. If it's there, then it's there. If not, then I move on. That's how I work, princess." Julien said, looking Rene in the eye.

Wrathwyrm

"Which is pretty much why I evened the playing field."

She looked off to the side, then blinked as she thought she saw something...but then didn't see it there, once she looked more carefully.  Strange...  Rena turned back to him, after that.

"My dad always got requests like this alot when he was in charge, stuff that ended in 'Please, you have to do something'.  It wasn't right to leave it alone, yet it sometimes got complicated, like now.  That's why he liked to look for another angle, something that didn't really screw everyone over."

She had been ignoring his pet-naming this whole time, but now - at least - with him switching back to it, it sounded like his mood was switching back to normal.  That was something.  Things would've ended right here, but there was something else on Rena's mind.  It was actually both a personal matter AND a business matter...

"Listen uhh...  There's something I could actually use a Mordecai for, if you'll hear it out."

Oh hell, if it's what I think it is...

WallyD

Julien grined, even though he didn't like Rene 100%, a job was a job.

"You know there's money involved with hiring me, gorgeous. AND I like to know what the job is before we discuss price. Wouldn't want to find out that I could have received more money in the end." He said, tilting his head.

Wrathwyrm

She smiled at this, glad that they could at least talk business.

"It's a sensible approach.  I do the same, myself.  I'm a little picky about the jobs that I do.

She shifted her balance and stepped close enough to speak lower, in case of listeners.  She didn't expect listeners, but she didn't want to alarm anyone - like a little girl, say - about it.  It's just that she was unaware that she could be heard anyway...

"An innkeeper in the last town said that he might have been leasing a room to Garlock The Destroyer.  It was really weird, a dark-looking magus just sitting around.  Anyway, I've been looking for this guy a long time.  It'd really help if he couldn't access his powers when I find him.  He's probably in the area.  I will tell you that he's obviously dangerous, but you being around will remove the mortal magic he's been throwing around.  I don't know if he has worse than that.  Never actually seen 'im in action.  He's been active since I was six."

There was something in the way she said that, like it wasn't just a job, but important to her.

WallyD

Julien thought about it. He normally tried sticking to stuff that were killable, though Julien doubted that this magus is a god.

"So... No killing then? I mean, I'm just double checking, sugar. Don't want to pull out the heavy stuff only to find out you needed it alive or something." Julien said, scratching the back of his head. "Also this job is a bit abnormal, so I say around 1800-2000."

Wrathwyrm

She doubted that Julien would have any easier a time actually killing this guy than she would, but it was good of him to double-check on the situation, at least.  He was right about one thing, though.

"The job is abnormal, and I'll have to send for the money, 'cause I don't carry heavy amounts on the job, myself."

He could understand that, of course.  Who wants to go into battle jingling up a storm, weighed down by your profits?  An oversized pouch can be a real annoyance, plus you could always lose it, and that wouldn't do anyone any good, 'cept the thief.  Now...she would have to explain what she was after.  Personal matter, remember?

"There's something I need to confirm from him before I decide what to do, exactly.  Garlock The Destroyer first appeared when I was a child.  He destroyed a town that my uncle lived in.  I didn't think about it at the time, but later on I had to wonder why he started there.  ...and before you ask, he's not my uncle in disguise.  They buried Zan next to my parents.  But...there's something about this that may be important to me, somehow.  So yeah, no killing.  Not until we have no choice."

Farther off and still listening in, the cat lowered his head in thought.

No, of course she doesn't remember...
She was just a girl at the time,
and it's been over a decade since then.
I have to handle this...somehow.
She's the last person I would wish to harm...

WallyD

"Of course your highness. But uh, before we continue going anywhere else, I have one last shop to make. Your welcome to follow, beautiful." Julien said walking back down the path.

Julien looked up at the mansion, a man was watching him through the window. Julien raised a hand and waved, but the man closed the curtians and was gone. Julien shrugged and continued, he was used to Sir. Kulmen coldness.

A little past town was a small brown house, a metal fence surrounded stretched out, a garden and path was inside. The path led to a small gazebo rested next to a pond, a willow tree stood behind it. Julien smiled and started for the door.

Wrathwyrm

Eventually, he was going to run out of things to call her instead of using her name.  Julien had one more particular errand to make before anything else.  He didn't seem to mind her tagging along, so she just sort of shrugged and did.  No idea who it was that he'd been waving to in that window, of course, but no matter.  If this is the way he wanted to play things, then fine.  She had, honestly, felt just a tad bit guilty attacking him after hearing the kind of baggage that he had, so a little humoring seemed to be in order.  As they went along, she had no comments right now, but...Rena felt as though they were being watched.  And with his Mordecai field doing its thing, it's not as though she had any special sense telling her so.  Either she was right, or she was just a bit jumpy, knowing that Garlock The Destroyer could be around.

Which, of course, he was.  Just out of sight.  Watching...

WallyD

Julien noticed that Rene seemed to be weary. He wasn't sure if it was because of him or something else. Julien pulled out a key and unlocked the house. The inside was small and cozy, there was a small table with four chairs, a green dress laid across one. Behind it was a kitchen, a set of pots hung from the ceiling alongside dried herbs.

To the other side was a China cabinet, full of odd items like a broken sword and a porcelain doll. Next to that was an end table, a picture of Julien and a long blonde haired stood side by side, flowers bloomed behind them.

"Be sure to lock the door behind you, princess." Julien said, walking over to the other side of the room, where a curtain hung from a bar connected to the two sides of the room. A large bed full of pillows rested in the back, and a start of what looks like to be a crib sat against the opposite wall, a stuffed rabbit was resting against it. Julien looked back at Rene.

"Go ahead and make yourself at home, love. There's tea in the cupboard, next to the herbs. Stronger stuff is above the China cabinet." He said waving his hands and closing the curtians behind him.

Wrathwyrm

Since he had the key to it, Rena assumed that it was his, or perhaps that it was hers.  The latter seemed more likely, if Julien came here yearly.  Or perhaps, considering the mansion, the answer was that it was their home.  Such possibilities made her throat tighten up.  She didn't want to ask he probably didn't want to walk down that road.  That he invited her in at all was surprising, since it was all immensely personal.

The house was a place of losses.  She knew the feeling herself.  For years, Rena couldn't walk about her own home without feeling the same way about it.  You couldn't help but hear the phantoms, past memories of happier times when your loved ones were still alive.  Her grandparents had to feel worse, since they never left.  Caretakers to the estate, tradition demanded that they stay there and they were traditionalists.

Well, that was until she had actually spoken to her parents.  Long story.

Julien reminded her to lock the door and he would hear it get latched without a word.  He would, additionally, hear the sounds of the tea-related items being gathered and prepared.  A good cup of tea would do wonders for the body, mind, and soul, sometimes.  It couldn't hurt.  Whatever he came here to do - which, in Rena's opinion, was to reminisce and feel bad until you couldn't stand it anymore - it may as well be done with some comfort.

When Julien had reached the curtains, there'd been a black cat watching him from outside, on the grounds.  When he closed the curtains.  It was gone.  Just...vanished.

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