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Post by Iracundus on Jun 12, 2010 21:20:19 GMT -5
CLOSED
Time: months following Iracundus' Ascension. Location: Armstrong Hammer and Tong, Commercial Quarter
Nelle Armstrong felt a slow fade into the waking world, an odd melding with reality as the dream world fell apart around her, memories that would soon leave her head if she hadn't the care to remember. This time, she didn't. Yesterday was exhausting on the young girl. Today would be no different. Dad made sure of that. In the window above a mote of sunlight shot through to the floor by her bed. Dust clung to the air, floating lazily in the light. Nelle wished she could watch them until she dozed off again, but knew she couldn't. Angrily ousting herself from bed, she kicked her feet over her sheets, into the air and onto the floor in a swiveling motion. Wiggling her toes awake and yawning, she stood, stretching.
It wasn't really Dad's fault for her lack of extra sleep. It was the family business. Being a blacksmith was a job of incredible demand in today's age, and Nelle was talented enough to be demanded, as was her father. Dad particularly. In fact, his demand was so that General Iracundus, Monarch of Wrath had privately contracted him produce weapons for his elite staff. It was a source of personal pride that Iracundus deemed her craft quality enough to be placed alongside her father's. Dad was doubly proud of his little girl. Embarrassing at times, but charming.
She moved out of her room, noting some of her artwork was dusty and needed cleaning, and headed downstairs. Each quiet pat of her bare feet caused tiny creaks in the wood of their home, until it became patter alone on the stone tiling on the bottom floor. She continued until she found her shoes, put them on and sighed. She wasn't hungry like she thought she would be. It was the heat. It had always killed her appetite, and being at the fire would dull it only further. Still, she needed energy. She went to the cupboard, grabbed a slice of bread and headed into the forge. Dad had started hours ago.
"Good to see you're up, dear," he said whilst hammering a blade. "We have two guests coming. Iracundus, and a servant."
Oh. Great. Servants were usually uppity little aristocrats' children looking for an extra buck or favor in the castle. She hoped Iracundus would keep the freak in line. She grabbed her gear and donned it. Muttering to herself, she began her own personal rant.
"I don't mind Iracundus, he's nice but an aristocratic slave? I don't like that it seems dumb, he'll probably be some meathead that knows nothing and will stare at my butt like that one boy that couldn't tell turquoise from teal which means you're really dense..."
It would continue on in a similar manner as she hammered and hammered and hammered.
***
Iracundus looked to the boy as they prepared to enter the blacksmith's home. His walk was proud and thunderous, raising the praise of nearby citizens. Iracundus' ascension had not yet severed his ties with the Commercial Quarter, a far less fanatical section of the city. Seeing the General only meant that their hero was doing his business in keeping them safe. The blacksmith was well known for his deal with Iracundus, which had been sealed before the ascension.
"Erasmus. Stand with more pride, boy," he said, keeping his gaze at the door. "It took me great effort to pry you from your mistresses, as you know. I'll not have you stand slackened like a ghoul, especially not with personal friends such as these."
Mark had indeed been a friend since he was a mere solider. The two had gone back to the days when the blacksmith first found himself in Nillea, starved and afraid. It was Iracundus who provided him food and nursed him back to fighting shape. When Mark showed aptitude for the flame, Iracundus fostered it. They split apart a year later. Upon learning the reputation for quality Mark Armstrong had, he decided to return to his old friend to see the weapons for himself. They were impeccably designed. Thus, the deal was made. Iracundus made sure that the Armstrong family would never be homeless, or without money. He considered it proper payment for such high caliber weaponry. He knocked on the door. Mark answered moments later.
"Ah, General. It is good to see you, old friend," he said with a smile and a pat on the shoulder. Iracundus returned it. "And who might this be?"
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Post by Avaritia on Jun 12, 2010 23:51:50 GMT -5
"Yes, sir," the servant said, posture stiffening to the way he normally stood. When he went about chores on his own, he stood rather straight, even if there weren't others around. When he cleaned, he stood straight. When he stood idle, he stood straight. However, this was almost quite strictly when doing things for his mistresses. This...Iracundus was something strange to him. How men could hold power still baffled him, but then again, he was in a different world now. The women still held majority in the power system, it seemed, so everything was not as horribly foreign as it could have been. On that much he could rest his mind.
His posture was quick to straighten completely as his current master, a word he struggled to wrap his head around, approached a doorway. He bowed courteously when a man opened the door. "I am Erasmus, servant to the Monarchs. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, sir."
Although, it wasn't so much the Monarchs as a whole, and more so the women save for Avarice, as well as the young Sloth. Iracundus had his own servants, and plenty of men who would answer to his every beck and call. How it seemed, he served just directly under Avaritia, who had many servants and protectors of her own. The others did not have a small army at their disposal. And why not? He could never understand that. His mistresses were just as lovely, if not more so, than Avarice. Perhaps they weren't war generals, nor the first of the Monarchs, but they were indeed just as lovely.
Much of him wished to remain in the castle. It was his home now, after all, and he felt the most comfortable when serving his mistresses. He didn't mind doing things for Lord Iracundus, it was more that he was simply unused to serving a man in any way, just short of a tavern. Either way, it wasn't where his thoughts lied in his idle time, what little of it he had, and it wasn't he had the most pride in doing.
It was no excuse to be rude to him, though. Or to his friends. So, he pushed a small, polite smile on his face for but a moment. It was only a show of kindness.
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Post by Iracundus on Jun 13, 2010 6:15:35 GMT -5
POST 100
Mark was not a small man. Standing above the boy, but below the General, he easily gave the impression of a powerful man, a comrade to the armored giant. His arms were well-tanned and muscled, telling of a life of work and conflict. Erasmus was a relatively frail looking being in comparison to the old compatriot, but that didn't stop the cordial attitude of the blacksmith. He placed a large hand on his shoulder and squeezed, then took his hand and shook. The boy seemed to lack the spine of a modern man. A prim aristocrat. At least he was polite. Nelle was going to hate this.
"Erasmus, huh? Well, you're about to see the work of one of the best-kept-secrets in the capital, my friend!"
A hearty laugh echoed throughout the entrance and down the various halls leading out of the living room. He turned and lead them both on the left path, taking them to the sweltering forge. The pang of Nelle's hammer became louder as they encroached.
"Nelle's gotten taller since you last saw her, General," he said, wiping quickly-beading sweat off his forehead. "She's really starting to look like her dear old mother..."
Mark trailed off, thinking of his wife. He snapped back into the moment, a short frown replaced by his happy grin. The banging then stopped. She was done.
"Nelle, Iracundus is here!"
Nelle jumped to her feet and wiped the dirt off her shirt after removing her gloves. Smears of dirt spread across her face, allowing her bright eyes to stand out even more than usual. She ran to the door and jumped again, this time into the General's arms.
"Uncle Iracundus!"
"Aye, Mark. She has gotten rather tall. What have you been feeding her?" he asked with a grin and a short laugh. "She's also getting really pretty, I must say - even if she is a bit dirty."
Nelle blushed as she was set down, but quickly adjusted her sense of flattery back to her original state of happiness. Then she caught glimpse of the aristocratic assistant, who stared quizzically at the events that had transpired. He wasn't the stuck up thirty something with the off-nose that she had imagined. He was rather...handsome. Her blush deepened.
"I uh, was just working on the swords and I banged 'em well- I mean uh!"
She turned to look at the forge and bit her tongue. She always confused her words when flustered. Iracundus pat her head and motioned in the direction of the boy. She stared the floor, pushing her glasses up with her finger.
"This is Erasmus. He's on loan from the other Monarchs. I needed a man of dedication for this job. A quiet one. I think he's a bit too quiet, honestly. He needs to get out and see the the city, its people. Its life. The arrangement I have suggested is simple. He'll come out the city several times a week, as a sort of break, and also request specialized weapons. I've never needed such a rapid production cycle, but if you keep the flow steady rather than working monthly as you have previously, you'll be just fine. I ran this over with your father. We are in agreement on the matter. How about you, Red?"
Red. Uncle Iracundus' pet name for her. It was hard to say no when he used it. She had always been proud of her hair. She also had always been doted on exceptionally by the General.
"He'll be coming...more than once a week?"
Iracundus smirked the unintended double-entendre away and pet her again. It was easy to notice her attraction to the boy. It was rather cute.
"Yes, at least twice in the week."
Nelle bit her lip and breathed harder, then bolted out of the forge, muttering to herself.
"I'll be in the living room if anyone wants me-needs me I mean, you know...uh, you probably have important matters and stuff to talk about but yeah. Living room."
She let out a tiny squeak as she brushed against the boy and kept moving.
"Indeed, we do have matters to discuss. Erasmus, go check on Nelle. She needs the company."
Iracundus then laughed, which was followed by Mark's own booming chuckle. That was the last thing Erasmus would hear from them at the moment, as the door closed before him.
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Post by Avaritia on Jun 13, 2010 12:03:48 GMT -5
The door slammed in his face- a feeling most familiar. He stared at the door for a moment, almost as helpless a feeling as it had been no more than two years ago. His mistress had run out of need for him, and rather than selling him off again as he expected her to, she simply set him free. It was like setting a tamed animal out into the wild, he had come to realize in the months afterward. A small frown creased his stoic face, and he sighed briefly before turning about to do as his temporary master had commanded.
Calmly, he stepped into what he assumed to be the living room of the home. "Pardon me, milady, but I have been asked by the Lord Iracundus to check on you, and to..." he paused, uncertain, "'keep you company.'" He glanced at her, before his eyes turned to the rest of the room, taking it in. His posture straightened with respect to the young girl, and he gave her a small smile.
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Post by Iracundus on Jun 13, 2010 12:16:44 GMT -5
"Oh, well, I um..."
Nelle stalled again, words staggering over themselves as she adjusted her body to straighten like his. She had never been one for overt politeness, preferring her life of simple camaraderie to the aristocratic air of incessant prides and nuance. She scoffed a bit at herself and came to realize just whom she had been getting so funny over.
"Yeah, just uh...whatever..." she said, eyeing him up and down. "It's not like I need a babysitter, really. They just play that card for laughs. But you...you're not like the other snobs around the Rich District, are you?"
She tilted her head slightly at him, awaiting an explanation.
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Post by Avaritia on Jun 13, 2010 19:33:31 GMT -5
"I didn't expect that you would, milady. However, I will follow my master's orders as a dedicated servant should." He stood, watching her curiously, wondering what she was doing. His head tilted at the "Rich District" comment. "Erm, beg pardon? Rich District? I'm afraid I'm still a tad unfamiliar with the layout of the city." An apologetic expression came about him.
It had been several months now, if not a year, since his coming to Nillea, and still he wasn't acquainted well with the layout of Nil'Caernwolred. He hadn't been through it much, however, and simply did not have the idle time to look out of a window or examine a map. He, of course, knew the area surrounding the main street and the Market District, but these are areas that he had worked a few jobs, areas that he really had to know, lest he be without work.
How fortunate he was to be found by his mistresses. He had memorized almost every nook and cranny of the castle, which indeed made his job easier. Now, though, it seemed that he had to begin paying more attention to the city. After all, it appeared that he would be venturing into it several times a week. It wasn't an idea he was fond of, but he would obey.
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Post by Iracundus on Jun 13, 2010 19:42:38 GMT -5
"Oh...I apologize."
Nelle had not expected the young man to be so foreign. His accent was almost perfect, yet he did seem alien, in a way. Not at all one of the gluttons of the Aristocratic Quarter.
"Rich District is a term for the Aristocratic Quarter. It's not exactly meant to be flattering. Most of the uh...assistants of the Monarchs are either near bankrupt aristocrats or their kids trying to make a dent in politics. Uppity types. I'm sure you know about them...uh...Erasmus, is it?"
His eyes sort of confirmed her and she continued.
"From elsewhere, right? Almost everyone is," she said with a light smirk. "I'm glad I got you before you became one of the snobs- I mean, um, my Dad got you for weapon couriering services and you know, I get to keep you from becoming a snob and stuff like that and why I am still talking?"
She bit her lip, stifling a giggle. Sometimes she felt positively silly.
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Post by Avaritia on Jun 13, 2010 20:59:06 GMT -5
"Ah, yes, the aristocrats. I have seen their...erm, ilk, isn't it?, about the castle some number of times. So few of them have any genuine care for those they serve. It's very apparent that they are only working for the money, or similar reasons." His brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing at the thought of it. Despicable.
Even when his family had been quickly running out of money, he served happily alongside his father. When he realized it all lead back to his mother, still he served her. He never expected nor got any pay. What was there to do with money, anyway? She would have just eaten it. Most of his mistresses never paid him, either. Iracundus had introduced pay to him, but still, there was nothing to do with it. At first he refused, but Iracundus insisted. This land, its rule, was so different. It was just short of alien. Women genuinely worked, such as this Nelle, rather than having their number of servants or slaves do the work for them. The world itself was drastically different to his own, lacking the mountainous and sometimes barren conditions of his land.
"Indeed, I am from another world. To be honest, I can't remember the name of it anymore, but in our language, it was known as the land where 'massive beasts walked a secluded earth.' If I remember correctly, it was called this due to the dragons whom had been banished to the northern country of our cont..." what was it called? Contin... "continent. Actually, my family lived just outside of the boundary of the dragon's lands." He sighed in remembrance. "We were nobility, but we had honour, unlike those that I've seen at the castle."
He paused now, frowning at himself. "I apologize, milady. I babble. As you were saying?"
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Post by Iracundus on Jun 14, 2010 22:43:35 GMT -5
"Dragons? You hear about dragons here and there in Nillea, but there really aren't many left here, either. Driven off to the valleys, I think."
Nelle eyed Erasmus shyly, drinking him in a bit. Something was rather innocent about him. Charming. She nixed the thought and moved her eyes over to the forge. The typical clanging had been replaced with booming laughter of old friendships. She had known Uncle Iracundus had saved her father from certain death, but the extent of their friendship never ceased to surprise her. Iracundus was always professional when performing speeches or rallying the city. Such casual behavior -despite having grown up with it- still seemed odd at times. He had always doted on her, too. A rather fine man among the jerks of the social elite.
"Iracundus will keep you from falling in too deep. The fat cats like to suck you in, then make you one of them. That, or crush you between their jaws. I'd really hate to have your job..." she said with an extended sigh, eyeing the direction of the castle. "I suppose I'll have to...keep you around when you're out on your errands. Wouldn't it be nice to get used to the city? Have a friend who wasn't perched near the top of the ladder?"
She kept her visage off in the distance, hiding her true expressions in a vacant stare.
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Post by Avaritia on Jun 15, 2010 18:24:35 GMT -5
A grim nod. "Yes. It's a shame the creatures seem to be banished to some corner of the world. However, I know nothing of the dragons here- perhaps there is some particular reason for it in this land." Maybe the dragons were feral to the very definition of the word? Maybe they were just very dangerous, or were very aggressive to other species (particularly humans)? In his world, the dragons were very large and said to be quite majestic. Hunting seemed to corner them to their land, and when they tried to strike back against the hunters, the nobility of the land unanimously agreed that they were too dangerous to be allowed to leave. Ever since then, the dragons were banished, and any that left had a bounty placed on their heads.
They understood the risks, but still some had left. They were a proud race, and the peaceful ones would not allow the worst of their kind to have them all punished.
Some hundreds of years ago, this was where Erasmus descended from. Over the years, the disguised dragon lineage in him was muddled with humans, until you had such a creature as himself; barely able to harness any of his forebear's power. It suited him fine, though. He was content to be almost nothing more than human. Content to serve; so long as he had that, he wouldn't need much more.
"Ah, but I rather enjoy what I do," he said simply, a small smile crossing over his face. A look of bittersweet nostalgia accompanied it. "Perhaps it's not for some, but I've been doing it since I was young; I don't really know how to do much else, to be honest." He seemed to shift uncomfortably at mention of the city. It was big, crowded. He didn't entirely hate it, per se, but he didn't enjoy it, either. "I suppose so."
There was a mild pause as he looked about, thinking back on the hammering noise from earlier. His eyes wandered to her, examining the dirt on her. Perhaps she did too much work? Even in contrast to the other women he had seen in the street, she was...distressing. She was young, and doing so much work, it appeared. "Erm...if you don't mind my asking, what do you do here, exactly?"
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Post by Iracundus on Jun 15, 2010 18:36:22 GMT -5
"I work in the forge with Dad. I do other stuff, to. A bit of a seamstress. I like designing clothes, but Dad's job is more important at the moment. The amount of ordnance we have to produce monthly is getting to be too much for just Dad and I part time. I'm starting to go full-time. It's alright though, I'm well compensated!"
She stuck her tongue out at no one in particular and let a small laugh fly. It was tough to keep up with everything. She had to wake up earlier and earlier to meet production demands. Even with mass-produced weaponry not on their list of orders, it felt that their work had become more like that. Both Nelle and her father had adhered to their standards of quality, however. Iracundus' men were the best. They deserved the best. It had occurred to her that she might have looked distracted or tired, and quickly perked up to hide her exhaustion.
"Oh, it's tough, but I get a bit of free time when I ask. I could set up more regular breaks times if you wanted me to show you the city..."
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