• Graded • Out The Gait

[Darius Baer]

Arc 698, 23rd of Vhalar

Darius ignored the fruitless pleas of his mother as he rushed out of the house.

Little legs carried him as fast as they could. His small leather boots clattered noisily over the cobblestones as he rushed down the small hill that led towards the docks of Scalvoris Town. He panted heavily, but the boundless energy of youth kept him going, and his body refused to tire. His grey eyes were wide with excitement as he ran, and he could barely contain his squeals of delight as he felt the sea breeze against his face.

His poor mother called after him, but knew better than to attempt a pursuit. The young lad was beyond her reach, but he would be sure to return when his stomach demanded food.

Some of the other locals also cried out as Darius rushed past them. Young children running amok in the streets at dawn was nothing new, but it still seemed to warrant a reaction when they got too close for comfort or risked a collision.

But the young boy was long past them before any complaints reached his ears. He wouldn't have stopped, anyway. After swerving around a nearby cart and into a nearby alleyway, from which he could clamber atop a small wall that was as tall as the child's frame, he caught sight of what he'd been so eager to see.

Upon the waters of Tried's Mouth, a small fishing boat was being rowed out to sea. As the sun gently began its ascent over the horizon, it basked the town in an orange glow, including the small blond boy who was trying to catch his breath. And for a few brief moments, the oars stopped rowing, and the single occupant of the tiny vessel waved. Darius waved back at his father, jumping in his excitement and bracing himself as one of the loose bricks in the wall threatened to give way.

His enthusiasm was still brimming over as he climbed down from the wall and ran off to another part of town. The trial had barely begun, and it was filled with promise.

[Darius Baer]

Darius had always loved the Scalvoris Town marketplace. It always seemed to be filled with all manner of stalls and smells. The port town was filled with a mixture of races, and each one brought its culture and delicacies to anyone willing to pay enough nels for the privilege. He stood there, having run there straight from the docks. His father had gone for the trial, but he would still only have so many breaks before he had to return home for a meal.

The eateries were the easiest to identify, with a mixture of mouth-watering scents drifting upwards from sizzling cookers and hanging temptingly just above the heads of potential consumers. Competing with the crowd's attention were a plethora of stalls offering jewelry, clothing items, tools, trinkets, and probably half a dozen other things that the young boy couldn't see from the edge of the market. The space was filled with the sounds of merchants hawking their wares and the water of the fountain that marked the centre of the town square.

Young, grey eyes watched the bustle of customers as they pushed their way past others who bartered over prices. The boy watched on, eventually looking across up to a dark haired lad who sat upon a branch of the tree which gave them both shade.

"I see one," Nael said excitedly, pointing towards somewhere in the market from his elevated position. "Near the fountain."

Darius tried to follow the the direction of Nael's finger, but it was no good. He attempted to climb up the tree to join the boy, but he couldn't reach, and had to ask to be pulled up. The boy agreed, reaching down and giving his blond friend a hand to hold onto, which was just enough for Darius to use as leverage to reach a nearby knot in the tree and clamber up alongside his friend.

And then he saw it: an overturned barrel with apples scattered across the ground. A merchant was on his hands and knees, scrambling to regather them. If they were going to capitalise on this opportunity, they would need to move quickly.

[Darius Baer]

Darius and Nael studied the scene before them. Despite the sense of urgency, the height that was gifted to them by the tree gave them an advantage. At ground level, the market looked like a crush of bodies; adults who were much taller than both boys went about their business and almost blocked out the sun. But from their arboreal perch, they could see gaps in the crowd and identify paths that could be used to get in and out of the market.

"Let's go in by the butcher there," Nael pointed out a potential route, "then go to the fountain and out of the town square from there."

Darius nodded, keen eyes scanning the heads of those in the market.

"Elementals," his young voice observed, and he pointed out the soldiers that he'd seen scattered about the place.

The merchant was still collecting what remained of his apples. He had pulled his barrel upright but the pieces of fruit were still rolling across the cobblestones. Passersby didn't bother to help the man, but a couple did stumble over his produce and were none too pleased about it.

Crouching down, Darius shifted awkwardly on the branch until his small hands were able to find other handholds, and he slowly made his way back down the tree. Nael, a slightly taller and more sturdy lad, braved the jump and was off and running in an instant. Darius followed, weaving between bodies as they moved across the town square.

Their brief reconnaissance soon proved useful. Much to the young blond's surprise, once they got past the alluring smells of the butcher's meats, the path that had initially seemed so hard to find at ground level revealed itself as they rushed past - and occasionally into - other townspeople.

There were, of course, grumblings. Even with the Elementals present, it was not unknown for pickpockets to seek easy marks, and a child who stood at waist height to a citizen with a money pouch looked like he might fit the bill. But Darius was not after nels. His interest was solely in the few juicy apples that continued to elude the merchant's grasping hands.

[Darius Baer]

Darius chased after Nael, but the dark haired boy was taller and had a longer stride, and more than once disappeared from sight, only to be revealed when some unwitting citizen moved out of the way.

He could feel adrenaline surging through his small frame as he made his dash, his lungs beginning to burn with the anticipation of what was to follow. The sense of adventure was as thrilling as it was draining, however, and he pushed on, brushing past townsfolk as he used glimpses of his dark haired friend to help navigate himself through the crowd. His movements were swift as his small shoes thumped over the cobblestones, preferring speed over stealth, but it was the sound of the fountain that guided him more than anything else. The splashing water served as a form of compass; he knew the structure stood in the centre of the town square, and despite the sellers loudly hawking their wares and the haggling conversations that he passed by, Darius was able to use the noise to guide him towards the fresh produce that would be the boys' prize.

And then he was there. The portion of the crowd where he was spontaneously opened up, and he saw the merchant picking up his apples. There were only a few left on the ground as Nael came back into sight, stooping down to grab the very piece of fruit that its rightful owner was about to collect. With a whoop of delight, the dark haired lad rushed on through, apple in hand.

"Stop!" the merchant cried out as the boy ran onwards and disappeared into the crowd beyond. "Thief!"

Darius appeared shortly after, rushing through a pair of townspeople and running at full speed towards a particular red and yellow apple that seemed to catch the morning sunlight. He opted for speed over stealth as he approached from behind the merchant, knowing that making a quick escape would be key. His attention was so intently focused on the piece of fruit, his hand reaching out before he'd even got close, that he failed to realise that the stamping of his feet across the cobblestones had reached the merchant's ears. The man spun around and saw the blond child, his face reddened from a combination of the recent physical exertion he wasn't used to experiencing and the audacity of children to steal the spoils of his hard labour.

Darius was convinced that he was running fast. He was certainly going as fast as he could manage, but as small and elusive as he might have been, a young boy could still be caught.

"Got you!"

And caught he was. His outstretched arm proved the perfect thing for the merchant to grab and he was quickly apprehended. All the excitement he had felt disappeared as he felt his stomach tighten with guilt. He looked about for Nael, but the boy was nowhere to be seen, and he suddenly wished he could run all the way back home.

[Doran]

Darius:

Knowledge:
1) Acrobatics: Judging the speed of moving objects helps with timing.
2) Climbing: Sometimes a helping hand can get you places.
3) Climbing: You don't have to climb down the same way you climbed up.
4) Running: Plan your route.
5) Running: You don't always have to be the fastest; just don't be the slowest.
6) Navigation: You don't always have to rely on your eyes to navigate.

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: 5, for trying to steal an apple and getting caught.
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 10

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Comments: I quite enjoyed this solo!

It was easy to read and amusing on top of it. The part where Darius rushed out of the house made me laugh!

Darius’ excitement was almost tangible!

I wonder what happened after he was caught. Will there be a sequel?

Great job, and enjoy your rewards!

P.S.: I would likely have added Endurance to the list of skills used as Darius was running and panting heavily, for example.