Fantasy RPG Forum - Standing Trials

Darius knew exactly where to go. He had been in the market only a short time earlier, and he'd heard the merchant's shout. He'd responded in the way any law abiding citizen should - by pursuing the thief in question and retrieving the stolen goods.

And now he was about to lie to that same merchant.

The bearded blond rested a hand on the outside of his leggings, as if out of fear that the dagger might attempt an escape akin to that of its kidnapper, but the weapon was still there. As he made his way between a pair of stalls at the edge of the marketplace, he looked back over his shoulder towards the alleyway, and he could see that Nael was still there, attempting to hide in the shadow of a neighbouring building. He was relieved that the thief had not absconded, even though he doubted how useful the man might be.

But desperate times called for desperate measures...

Darius recognised the merchant as he neared the stall, and he was heartened by the sight of the man selling a decorative scabbard to a customer. He didn't know how much the stolen dagger might be worth, but there was a sense of relief that he was able to still go about his trade, despite the loss. He waited patiently for the transaction to be completed, before he attempted to catch the salesman's eye.

"I have something of yours," he said, reaching into his pocket and presenting the merchant with the dagger.

The portly man's eyes widened with relief.

"Oh, thank Chamadarst," he beamed as he took the item and, after looking it over and appearing satisfied that its condition was as it should be, placed it carefully in an empty spot in his display.

So far, so good. But Darius hadn't had to lie yet.

"I assume you caught the thief, then?" the merchant asked, levelling a gaze at the seafarer, before looking around. "Where is the cur?"

"He is...still at large," the blond offered unconvincingly, trying .

Darius shifted awkwardly. Surely the man could see through his lie, but would he care. He had his dagger back, did he not?

The merchant looked him over, clearly not persuaded by the guilty expression on Darius' face, but after a silent pause that probably onoy lasted a few trills but felt like an arc, the salesman eventually relented.

"Very well," the merchant sighed. "So he got away. But you've returned what he stole, and for that you have my gratitude."

Darius nodded, relieved at having reached the end of their transaction, before turning away and heading back towards the alleyway where he hoped Nael still lurked.

Darius couldn't deny the fact that despite his cowardice in stealing a dagger and attempting to flee the scene, Nael Devlin was waiting for him when he returned to the alleyway. Perhaps it was the knowledge that he had been identified that made the thief stay behind and await his fate, or perhaps he genuinely felt he owed his former friend a debt - though Darius was sceptical that that was the case, despite the way he was greeted.

"Thanks, buddy," Nael sighed audibly, attempting a smile. "I owe you one."

"Two," Darius growled. "You owe me two."

"What are you talking abou--"

"The apple, Nael," Darius replied. "You remember that, don't you?"

The bearded blond's tone was accusatory, and for that he would not apologise. The pair had agreed to steal apples from a fruit merchant in the very marketplace that he had just left, but Nael had abandoned him then, disappearing into the crowd with an apple in hand and leaving the six-arc-old Darius to get caught by an Element. The young Baer boy had not seen his 'friend' again until this very trial.

"Look, I'm sorry about that..."

"Ma tore me a new one for that," Darius admitted, slowly beginning to soften his tone.

It was true. Jean Baer had been less than impressed with her son's actions and had sent him to bed without any dinner. It was one of the few times Darius could remember witnessing his mother's anger, but it had been persuasive. He hadn't sought out Nael again, and would have been quite glad to have never seen him again, were it not for the missing children.

"Tell me about the kidnappings," the sailor changed the topic of conversation, his tone controlled but demanding.

"The kidnappings?" repeated Nael, his voice revealing his nervousness, confusion knitting his brows.

"Don't play games, Nael," Darius growled, and a look of anger flashed across his features as he lunged forward and grabbed fistfuls of the man's tunic, spitting each word from behind gritted teeth. "You know what I'm talking about. The kids who were taken."

The seafarer knew he didn't need to explain the situation. The missing children of Scalvoris Town had been on the minds of most citizens since the night they'd vanished. He must have been intimidating enough, because Nael began to stammer, a single bead of sweat running down the dark-haired man's forehead.

"H-hey man," the petty thief protested, pressing his back against the side of the alleyway as though doing so might provide him with a means of escape. "I ain't no k-kidnapper. I j-just do s-small time j-jobs. I don't know who t-took those kids!"

Darius could feel his fists tightening further in anger, and he was tempted to punch the man in the hopes that he might be more informative, but common sense prevailed. Nael Devlin was a petty thief. Kidnapping children was well beyond him. Perhaps he knew something; perhaps he didn't. But he was scared, and that meant he could be persuaded to help.

The bearded seafarer slowly released his grip on the man's clothing, then stood back. Nael was visibly relieved as he adjusted his tunic and tried to straighten out the creases. There were a few trills of silence between them until Darius spoke again. His voice had calmed significantly by then, though Nael seemed to be no less intimidated.

"Ask around," he said eventually. "If you hear anything, let me know. I'll pay for your information if it's good enough."

Nael nodded quickly, wide eyes barely able to believe that he had not met his old friend's knuckles.

"Th-thanks," he breathed cautiously. "I'll see what I can find out."

"Remember," Darius said firmly. "You owe me."

Another hurried nod followed, before Nael slowly skulked back into the shadows and disappeared into the maze of alleyways beyond.

Darius watched him go, but it wasn't until the thief had left his sight that he doubled over, gasping for breath. He had been just as nervous as Nael, but he had somehow resisted showing it. He took a few trills to catch his breath, before taking a swig from his waterskin, and stepping back out into the marketplace.