From the Perch...

[MysticTrunks01]

At top the militia house in West Freeport Xannis sat, his arms perched on either side of him for support, his legs dangling over the space of some 150 feet of nothing between that top and the ground, like a young boy at the pier of a lake.  He liked being up here.  It was ironic to him.  Being on top of a place that not long ago hunted him so.The view was excellent.  People rarely looked up and if he stayed still even when they did, none saw him.   There he stayed looking out over the city below in the courtyard, like some gargoyle perched on the roof.  As lively as it was during the day, night was was the time he liked the most.  That's when the secrets came out. The day held children and chasing cats.  Guards picking noses as they patrolled and wiping the residue on beggers like dirty rags.  Even acts of kindness, an old lady drops her back and a young handsome man helps her pick it up.  So what if he takes an orange for payment, it's still as close to an act of kindness as this city likely ever see's.As said though, night was the time to watch.  One couple in particular had taken his interest.  He had never met them, they were young and from the look of them merchants or desk clerks of some kind.  Not heroes or some great aristicrats children over flowing with wealth.  Several nights he had seen them in their attempts at being sly and sneaking about.  The boy, well, not so much a boy Xannis thought, but a young man now of likely nearly the age of manhood or just after it.  Tan skin and bleached hair, he obviously worked outside, likely the docks.  He was not unhansome.  His face was wide with a thick jaw that made him look like he'd be better suited to thug work than what he likely did.  It also made him luck not completely intelligent, but looks and intelligence rarely went hand in hand in that fashion.The girl, was also pretty, not gorgeous but pretty.  He hair was a bit stringy and she lacked the curves of a woman at the hips.  Her breasts were high however and she made sure of this fact with ever outfit, as Vakarina called them, Xannis had seen her in.  Her hair was a bit thin, but her face was pretty and kind.  She looked to be the same age as the boy.  Both being human.Their story was a silent one, their love, as Xannis saw it from his perch, was deep.  The stolen moments they had were intense from the look of their faces.  Like they were the first to discover the caress of another or a stolen kiss.   It warmed Xannis heart to see it, even if he felt a bit guilty for watching, they thought themselves clever and alone.  Again, people rarely looked up.They had been safe so far these nights... Tonight, however, the militia guard was having a bad night.  Worse over, his eye was sharp and looking for trouble to alleviate  and bust some heads to do it.

[MysticTrunks01]

It was one of those days.  Those days that nothing goes right.  The day when you should have stayed in bed, except that you already made the mistake of leaving it when you realized you were late for work.  In this case, work was military service for the City of Freeport, not something to be late for.  Jolting out of bed, stubbing a toe.  Dressing in a hurry with and forgetting both the deoderant and the box lunch.Being chewed out by the Captain of the Guard, not only for being late, but because you didn't file the DS10 report when you seized the holdings of a person on suspicion of smuggling.  Not to mention that the the busty guard had filed a complaint of learing at her chest and made up the accusation of smacking her [Removed for Content] as she passed.  Not that you hadn't thought about it of course.  How could you not?  Her armor had to be two sizes to small as it was, bits of sex flesh sticking out in chinks and such.   Stupid [Removed for Content].On top of all this.  Night patrol.  Was there any other worse watch?  As far as watchman Yihgrin was conserned, no.  Not even being on the forefront patroling near Qeynos could be this bad.  Drunks, vagrants, vagabonds, and druggies.  All in one nicely wrapped package of dark cold nights.Watchman Yihgrin, was in a foul mood to say the least.  He stomped through the West looking for someone to take this pent up anger out on, when he saw it out of the corner of his eye.  Movement.  Two of them.  Suspicious even... yes, very suspicious.  Nearly one in the morning and they were hidden in shadows of a building and the dividing wall.  Yes, this would work well.

[MysticTrunks01]

Porgis and Delisia.  A tale of love as old as the stars that lit the sky.  Star crossed lovers, as most writers put it based on the tales of the greatold writers.  A couple, a boy and girl, from waring families.  The fact that these families were simple folk made no difference from the wars of great houses in Neriak or that of Kings and Queens of kingdoms.  Family fueds were in many ways worse, lasted longer. So what that the death toll was often but a few ever few decades, the lasting hatred burned it's hole into the hearts of the family.  That is until, quite by accident, two of each family see's the other for what they are.  People.  Not enemies.  Not ancient demons that stole an acre of land a hundred years ago or claimed rights to cattle that was not theirs to claim.Porgis had set up this meeting.  His heart burned to see his beloved again.  The man above them, watching from the Militia House in shadows might not have thought much of his beloved, but to Porgis Del'Mon, she was the sun of solar system.  The reason people wrote poetry and sang songs to beauty.  Her soft skin like that of silk under his callus fingers, the sweet scent of her breath when they kissed.   The caress of her lips against his.And she, Delisia  Miralli.  Thought the same of her beloved man.  His tanned sun dried skin.  The rough callus hand of a dock worked, but that could be so gentle with her.  His strong jaw, while some might find it un-attractive and brutish, she found it the stable of masculinity, and she loved to kiss every inch and urned to so so now.They held one another in their arms whispering the sweet assurances of love only the young and foolish can make.  The assurances that come easy before time, age, and worst of all, that pressing weight of reality, settles down upon them.So engrossed in one another, "We'll run away soon, I promise"  he would say, "As soon as I have enough, we'll flee this city and our families.  Go to Qeynos, or Kelethin, or Thundermist... anywhere you want, anywhere but here.""Yes my love... yes."  So busy were they with these promises, neither saw the guard until it was to late."OY!  You there!"  Torch light fell upon their faces freezing them like a deer in a bright light.  Her plain feature slack, his face looking stupid.  "What's goin' on o'er here, speak up or there'll be trouble!"  The watchman guard unsheathed his sword.

[MysticTrunks01]

Xannis stood tall atop the Militia House as the guard flared a torch at the couple.  "No, no, no, no... Crap."  He didn't know any of these people, didn't need to.  It was clear enough this was going to end badly for the lovers and for no better reason likely than being in the right place at the wrong time. Xannis dropped the 150 or so feet to the stone floor wrapping himself in the shadows of the monk.  It was not like the shadows others used, Vakarina or Shard, instead more a bending of perception.  A outstretching of will not to be seen aided by the expenditure of chakra.  With cat like grace he tucked, rolled and was on his feet sprinting for the trouble.  "we..we.we..w...e.. not... nothing.." where all the young man could stutter, his brain had frozen as surely as his legs had.  A stupid ugly and toothy filled grin spread across the watchman's face.  "Not nothing you say?  Tha's as good as a confession really." "NO!" The girl shouted, "We weren't doing an'thin'!  We's just come to meet, nothin' more Sir, hear me please!  Nothin' more!"  She was becoming increasingly hysteric, her voice going shrill and her accent becoming thick. "Don' you talk back to me wench!"  With that, it started.  The guard balled his fist around the hilt of his sword and before either could react, he clocked her in the side of the head, sending her sprawling to the ground in a whimper.  A spray of red momentarily was caught in the torch light before it disappeared into the darkness.  She began to sob this sudden realization that she'd been struck did nothing to help the hysteria mounting inside her. "YOU [Removed for Content]!"  The boy lunged, hooking his fingers like talons, but he got not farther than the point of the sword at his throat.  Nearly impaled himself on it even. "Whoa there boyo... Resistin' arrest is punishable by death in the city o' Freeport ya know." "Yes, well, so is stupidity," came a voice from behind, slightly Tier'Dal accented and one of utter annoyance.  Some solid and sharp pushed against the guard spine at the base of his head, slipped up and under his helm. "Drop your sword sir, if you please."  To make the "point" he poked slightly at the guards spine.  The guard complied, the sword ringing loudly now in the silence.  "You there boy, get your girl to her feet.  You two have plans to flee i'm sure?"  The boy nodded, as he now crouched over his beloved.  "Lucky you, you go on your adventure in life together this night.  Go far, go fast, change your names if it pleases you I don't care." "This is stupid!  You'll go to jail for them?"  The watchman while having found his voice, still made no move to alleviate the pressure of the point on his spine. "Shut up your mouth watchman,"  with his free hand Xannis removed a small money pouch and threw it to the boy.  He tried to catch it with numb fingers and missed.  It danced about in his hand at it tried to catch the bag ending it's dance atop the girls stomach. "Oof!  Tha' hurt!"  she was calming slighty and her hand wrapped around the offending parcel.  Until she hurt the jingle of coin and her eyes light up then grew confused.  "Ye given us funds?  But.. why?" "Do not ask question stupid girl.  There a bit over a platinum in gold their... plenty to get you on your way.  Now GET!  Before I change my mind and let tall, dark, and grumpy here have at you." Scrambling to their feet they nodded.  "You'll die... you'll never make it.. the guard will hunt ya down like rats, diseased rats even, for that what ya are!  Run pups.  Run all ya like, but you'll wake up one day boy, with me standin' over you and your girlie girls head in my hand and the taste of her blood on my sword!" Porgis, picturing this and being to young and foolish to realize a buffoon's rantings and foolish pride, punched out at the guard.  "NO BOY!"  Xannis shouted, but it was to late.  The guard did what people do on instinct when a punch is thrown, he jumped back.  The kunai's razor sharp edge pierce his spin before even the monks reflexes could remove it from under the helm.  The man grumpled like a rag doll.  Dark red blood pooled tinted with orange from the now fallen torch light.  His last thought, "I should have stayed in bed...." Of course, as fade would have it, shouts of guards came from the militia house.  Xannis looked quickly from the body, to the dark were the shouts came from and the couple, "Go.  Now.  Don't look back.. get out of here and never come back, you hear me!  Never!  Now go!" For one horrified moment Xannis thought they both were going to argue the point but they nodded in unison and said together, "Thank you..."  Turned, and ran, holding each others hand.  The girl clutching the purse to her chest and a streak of wet blood in her hair. Xannis looked to the watchman and sighed. His vow not to take life in a way had been broken even accidentally and this upset him much.  He could of course mental justify it but that still did not bring the man back, hateful as he was.  The guards were there, now only a second after the couple had disappeared into the dark.  He held his hands up in surrender.  While perhaps on his good days he could take a dozen guards.... today was not one of them.  He'd worn himself out helping a friend and should have been sleeping as he promised his mate he would be, but the sleep had never come.  He'd gone to his perch. The manacles were clasped on him, he took several blows to the face and body as he "resisted arrest", though he did no such thing.  As they pushed him towards the Militia House he thought, "My mate is going to kill me....  How troublesome."  He sighed and thought of Vakarina first worried, then likely upset.  Hopefully, they'd contact her in the morning. "Good luck kids.... may the fates smile upon you..."  he muttered, and received a brutal blow to the back of the head for it.(This was a set up into RP from here on.  I just thought i'd share the story.  If there's interest i'll write what happens after if not, i hope you enjoyed it thus far.  *bows*  Thanks for reading this far <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[niko_teen]

<p>/grumbles about having another great story that he's going to have to keep up with</p><p>you know if you'd all just write crappy then i wouldn't hve to worry about keeping up to date with reading</p>