Stepping Stones (Ajax/Closed)

[Ribitta]

Dust rose in small clouds with each footstep the boy put in front of the next, his eyes closed to the heat of the sun on his face. Hands in his pockets, he ignored the heat of the mid-afternoon sun the best he could, silently irritated with himself for not buying a hat in the last town. He could already feel the sun lightly singing the skin of his nose and cheeks, and he had the feeling that for the next few days it would look as if he were always blushing fiercely. Silently he shrugged this thought off, though; it wasn't like he would have anyone around to be embarrassed about it to, and even if he had some lovely lady hooked around his arm, he doubted some light teasing would bother him all too much.

He sighed at this thought, and, as he opened his eyes, he realized how alone he had become in this world. His parents were gone, and his sister was likely some devilish prostitute in Rogueport by now, and now he had next to nothing. Choosing to leave the Taron could prove dangerous in the long run as he had already seen with some who he had long thought to be friends; it was a dangerous world to be on your own in, and as he looked across the empty, dusty dirt road before him, across the green plains on either side of him, he felt pretty small.

It wasn't all bad, though, he thought. People were, more often than not, tiresome and irritating. It all took too much effort, he figured, but still that feeling of loneliness reminded him that perhaps the effort may be more worth it than he had figured before. He sighed again, resigned to the fact that there wasn't much he could do about it. This was the life he had let himself live, and for better or worse he would pay the tolls as he went through each yearly check-mark. Without letting it bother him anymore, he closed his eyes again, shut the world out and felt the heat of the sun more fiercely than before, and kept walking in the same direction: due west.

[Steinerman]

"Ahoy on deck! You scurvy scalliwags! This here doctor lady wants to come aboard, if it please the captain. Yar."

Robert Valentine looked up from where he had been peacefully reclining in the captain's chair of the mercenary sloop "Outcast's Fire". one of several modern light warships he owned. He cracked a smile in recognition of the voice that just moments before had uttered such strange words.

He stood and stretched, feeling the heat of the mid-day sun upon his skin. He glanced down from the upper deck of the sloop, taking in the radiant face of the good doctor of the Outcasts, who generally went by the nickname, Doc.

Her red hair was shining brightly in the sun, and the ever-present warm smile was there as well. He laughed heartily at her words, "Attempting to sound like a pirate, eh?"

All he got in response was another "Yar" and then the shorter woman easily clambered up the netting on the side of the sloop. He slipped over the railing of the raised command deck and gently landed a few feet away from the woman. In an instant she had taken him in a bear hug (assuming that term could be used when such a diminutive woman hugs a much larger man).

"It." She declared, "Is good to see you, sir." She glanced curiously around the sloop, upon which a few members of the Outcasts lounged upon the deck, taking in the sun. "Why haven't we cast off yet, sir? Thought you wanted to head up the coast tonight."

Robert shook his head in a contemplative fashion, "No, something has come up. I've received information that a possible recruit is in the area. I was wondering if you wanted to join me in a little hunt, of sorts."

Doc stared quizzically up at her commander, "Bringing another lost lamb to the fold, are we?" She asked lightly, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Robert chuckled, "Something like that, yes. He's a teenage boy, a mage trained by the Taron Magi. I have a few friends in that organization, and they informed me of some of the details surrounding this lad. After reading about him, I've decided that I would very much like to meet him, give him the sales pitch, as it were."

Doc nodded her head in agreement, "Well, you're the boss, boss. He's coming here, is he?"

Robert nodded once. "Correct".

Doc grinned, "Well then, let's be off. I assume he's coming to the port for a boat?"

Again, Robert nodded. "Yes, I've set scouts out around the town to watch the entrances, but I'm quite interested in this young man, and was thinking about heading out along the roads he was last seen traveling. Sound like a plan?"

Doc's grin intensified. "Oh indeedy, boss. Let's go on a recruiting trip."


A few minutes later, after having packed some necessities and changing from their casual gear to the Outcast combat gear stored aboard the ship, the two of them stepped back down onto the dock and made their way out of the city, in search of a new recruit.

[Ribitta]

Scept finally came to a gradual halt, squinting over the horizon against the sun that was blaring in his face by now. Licking his lips, he gave into the notion at last that taking a break under the heat wouldn't be such a bad idea. He hadn't seen shade in hours along the road, but a bit of a breeze had picked up. As he moved to a stone to take a seat, the wind picked up even quicker than before, sending dust from far down the path into his direction. Coughing against the debris of the path, he covered his eyes with his hand and made an effort to see further down the road. Blinded by the dust, though, he found himself unable to make out anything that might have stirred it up on the path even a few meters away.

Moving away from the path, he left his traveler's pack by the side of the road and moved over the crest of a hill to the side of the path, lying behind the edge of it so as to observe the road while staying mostly hidden from site. His clothing should stop the travelers, if there were any, long enough for him to distinguish friend from foe in their company. Even though the notion of running across a truly malicious being in the Commonwealth was next to absurd, he was still uneasy with the shifts in power the world had been feeling within the last few months even. Furthermore, he didn't trust the Taron Magi to not to send someone to track him down for abandoning their Order in such a hurry.

Easing himself into a moderately comfortable situation, he let his body press against the dirt in a prone position, his eyes peering through the grass at the dust filled road.

[Steinerman]

Robert's pace was quick and steady, seeming to eat up the road ahead in his quest. A few feet behind him, somewhat struggling to keep up with her commander, the red-haired doctor followed.

"Aight, Boss. What's so important about this boy that you're in such a hurry to find?" She questioned, curiosity and concern plain in her voice.

Robert seemed deep in thought, and it took him several moments to realize that she had asked a question of him. He shook his head and slowed down, his face apologetic about rushing forward. "Sorry, I didn't realize I was almost running."

The shorter woman shrugged, "Not a big deal, boss. Just curious about this kid, what's so important about him? And why are we in such a hurry to find him?"

Robert thought about the question for a brief second, and then replied. "His leaving the Taron Magi...while not exactly hostile...well, I wouldn't consider it exactly friendly in nature, either. There's a slight chance others might be looking for him as well, my contact couldn't tell me. Suffice it to say that I'd much rather it be us that find him, rather than someone else."

The woman nodded, "understandable."

The wind began blowing harder than before, picking up from the slight breeze that had been with them since they'd left the confines of the town. Dust from along the road swirled and gusted to and fro, reducing visibility greatly.

They continued like that for several more minutes, the doctor shielding her eyes and following Robert, who seemed relatively unaffected by the dust, Though he did check and make sure that the pistol attached to his vest was covered from the dust.

Finally, he gave a cry and started forward at a speedy pace, having seen something in the dust with his keen eyes. The doctor followed cautiously, peering through the dust to see what he had found.

"Interesting." He stated quietly, his voice barely carrying over the wind. "A traveler's pack."

The doctor stared around, "Well, where's the traveler that belongs to that pack?" She questioned, warily scanning the area as best she could through the blowing dust.

Robert stood there, holding the pack in front of him, scanning it intently. "An excellent question." He remarked.

[Ribitta]

Scept gripped the hillside grass anxiously, watching the pair stop at his pack. Coincidence, or were they looking for someone? It seemed like the natural reaction of someone who did not truly care to simply walk past such a thing, but now they lingered on it. The man made him nervous at best; his appearance was far too handsome to be a man of simple standing or even human for that matter. Someone of his type did not simply walk the dusty roads of the Commonwealth unless looking he were looking for someone, or he was not what he appeared to be. Neither option sounded particularly appealing to Scept, but, as the seconds ticked by, he realized he would have to act now or not at all. His intrigue taking the best of him, the late teen stood up casually, walking forward as he did.

The dust was settling now, the wind having died down gradually, and Scept could see the figures of those on the path much more clearly. Their visages did little to console his anxiety though, and he remained on his guard as he approached the two. Nearing the man holding his pack, he spoke with a quiet resolve, "That's mine."

His entire body was tense now as he extended an open hand toward him, waiting for the return of his possession. His eyes locked onto the other man's, doing his best to not let his emotion filter through his actions. While Scept doubted he could take both of them in a fight, he remained confident in his ability to run if necessary. Suddenly a thought struck him, though, and he recalled what exactly he had foolishly left in his pack and not on his person. Running ceased to be an option, not without his bag anyway. His hand itched for the return of his belongings, and his feet ached to run the moment they could.

[Steinerman]

Robert turned his golden eyes to the young man standing a few feet away. Pale skin, white hair, yes...this was the candidate he was hoping to recruit. Currently the boy looked skittish, nervous and extremely wary.

Robert glanced down for a moment, Ah, he thought. Something inside the pack draws his attention.

To mention that he knew who the boy was would most likely cause him to bolt in fear before Robert had a chance to offer a sales pitch, and that wouldn't do. His eyes narrowed slightly, as though sizing up the young man before him.

"I hate to be rude, young man. But can you prove this pack belongs to you? I'd hate to give it to you and find out later that someone else was actually the owner of this particular luggage. I'd be most distraught at knowing I accidentally let someone steal something of importance."

Her paused, eyes still wary. And then smiled warmly, "Perhaps you could name off an item or two inside, if the items are there, then the pack is obviously yours."

He slipped his hand as if to reach inside the pack and inspect the contents. Though he glanced down, all of his senses were trained on the boy and whatever his reaction would be.

[Ribitta]

The boy smoothed his face over at this request, his mind thinking quickly while he gave a distracting, exasperated sigh, "I know better than to leave anything of value in a pack like that. My leaving it along the side of the road should be indicative of its value, don't you think? All that's in there is just some food, some spare clothes, and perhaps a few scraps of paper. Nothing I couldn't live without, but it is my possession, and I would appreciate having it back." His last words were clearly bitter, but he hoped that it would simply come across as exasperation from being denied his belongings.

He shifted his weight from one foot to another, his attention only on the man and the pack in his hands now. It was the truth that there was very little to distinguish in his pack, and even what he desired most would not be very remarkable to someone who did not understand what they were looking at. If he was lucky he could get away with the normality of his pack decreasing the reason for theft of it. If he was unlucky, though, he would have to explain the papers most likely before the man would give it back to him.

A new thought struck him though, and his heart sank. The man asked specifically for what was in the pack, and now Scept began to wonder if either this golden eyed man knew his desire for the pack, or if he had known in advance at that was why he was out looking for him. It couldn't be that though, could it? Scept was almost certain this man was no Taron Magi, but he could not be absolutely sure.

[Steinerman]

Robert gently undid the clasp and gave the contents of the pack a cursory glance. Clothing, a little food, and a few pieces of paper. His eyes narrowed once more, the papers seemed...he wasn't quite sure. Not so much odd or out of place, but he was positive that there was something of value inside the pack, something the boy wasn't willing to leave without. As he doubted it was the clothing or food, it was most likely the papers, but how to approach the subject, that was the question.

However, something told Robert that to press the issue would only cause greater tension, and that could make things dangerous, quickly. According to his source, the boy was a fairly skilled battle-mage, and she'd made references to darker things, possibly the boy was far more dangerous than he looked.

He smiled and relaxed, fastening the clasp of the pack and tossing it lightly to the boy, "Some possessions are worth fighting to keep," He replied kindly. A moment later he extended his hand, "Sorry, I was too busy being a busy-body to introduce myself. The name's Robert, Robert Valentine."

Doc stepped forward slowly, glancing up at the much taller boy. Though she was at least a decade older than he, she stood almost four inches shorter. Her red hair made a sharp contrast to the boy's white, but her eyes were almost a match to his in color.

She nodded to the boy, "And I'm Vesper, Vesper Sheridan. Though most people call me Doc. I'm a little surprised to see a boy of your age out here by himself. Seems rather dangerous to me, though..." She grinned and shrugged, "though I'm not familiar with this land. You probably know far more about it than I."

[Ribitta]

Scept snatched the pack out of the air before it fully reached him, swinging it over his shoulder. As the man extended a hand toward the boy, he felt a strong twinge of discomfort. Trying to keep his composure the best he could, he responded carefully without touching the man's hand, "Gestures of friendship are a great way to rob people out here in the Commonwealth." He turned his head to the woman as she spoke now, doubting that he would find her any more trustworthy. He nodded as she introduced herself as well and decided he could not really make the situation much worse by engaging the two in conversation.

"The name's Scept, and the Commonwealth isn't really too dangerous if you're careful about what you're doing. It's farmland and pastures really, but thieves travel these roads often enough to warrant some caution with strangers. It's relatively safe, though, being under the protection of the Empire as it is." His nerves relaxed slightly as he eased some of the tenseness out of his body through speaking.

Still, though, he could not shake off the feeling that they were doing more than simply passing by. Well, there was really only one way to find out, "Well, thanks for this. I'll be leaving now. Would rather not get caught out here before the sun goes down, you know. Enjoy your trip in the opposite direction." He gave a slight smirk and turned his back on them, moving down the road in the same direction he had been going and hoping that they would not follow.

[Steinerman]

Robert laughed at the boy's comment about robbery. "If I had wished to rob you, I could have simply walked off with your pack." he replied with amusement.

And then the boy was walking, back on his path. His body language suggested that he didn't wish for Robert or his companion to follow. Robert shrugged, and then started following the boy, catching up, but staying at a relatively safe distance a few feet behind and to the side. Without looking, he knew that the doctor was trailing a few feet further behind, most likely curious as to his interest in Scept.

Robert spoke up, his voice quieter now. He didn't want to spook the boy. "Actually, my path is the same as yours. Until we reach the next town, at least."

He continued, his rich voice calm and collected. "You see, I came out here for a specific purpose. To offer a job to a young man named Sceptus Contra."

He stopped in his tracks and stood stock still for a few moments, a half smile upon his face. "Interested yet?"

[Ribitta]

The boy became visibly rigid the moment he realized the man was indeed following him, his discomfort rapidly increasing until the man spoke again. Scept took a moment to process the comment and question, answering tartly, "Never heard of him, though judging by his name he's probably a prick who couldn't care less about whatever you're trying to manipulate him into doing." He continued to walk stiffly, picking up his pace slightly but noticeably, though not doubting for a second that the man would continue to follow him. After a few moments passed, though, he sighed and added, "Though, if you told me this offer now, if I see him then I can you tell you for him."

Scept groaned internally; while he very much wished to simply be rid of this man, he doubted that it would be that simple. Granted, he could simply abuse his Chronomancy abilities once more, but he was not sure that he had the stamina left to do it long enough to truly escape. Not to mention that every step took him closer to the bulk of population, and some certain Taron Magi would not be thrilled to find out about this, or rather, they would be and Scept would not. Nevertheless, while he had this man stuck to him, he might as well see if there was even an inkling of benefit in it.

[Steinerman]

Robert's easy smile stayed in place. His voice pleasant and calm as always.

"Lad, you misunderstand me. I don't wish to manipulate you." He replied, emphasizing the last word.

"Merely extend to you a job offer, no strings attached. If you say no, then I'll be on my way without causing you any trouble."

He caught up to the young man and locked step, glancing over at the prospective recruit's face.

"As I said, my name is Robert Valentine. I head a mercenary unit called The Outcasts. I happen to have several contacts through the world on the lookout for potential recruits for our band, one of those contacts mentioned a young man named Sceptus Contra. He's supposed to be a reasonably skilled battlemage."

He shrugged expansively.

"The Outcasts specialize in protection work. Safeguarding high-ranking personages from assassins and the like, and we're sorely in need of battlemages."

He took a few steps forward and then spun around on his heels and began walking backwards, keeping pace easily with Scept and enabling him to look the younger man directly in the eyes.

"Additionally," He continued, his voice growing curious. "You seem to have irked the Taron Magi, which I find intriguing. Especially since they seem quite intent on keeping tabs on you, maybe even doing something more than that, my contact was quite evasive on that subject. And...I'm a curious fellow." He ended with a smile.

From behind Scept, Doc Sheridan mumbled. "Blast it boss, you don't know how to recruit. Your pitch to me was better than that, and I think even Thomas agreed that your recruitment pitch to me sucked horribly."

Robert laughed lightly. "You joined, didn't you?" He replied with a wide grin.

Vesper shrugged and nodded her head. "Well yeah..." she admitted with a half-smile.

Realizing she interrupted, she quickly spoke up again, this time directing her words at Scept. "We get great benefits, I kid you not. We get dental. So...what'cha say? Wanna join?"

[Ribitta]

Scept rolled his eyes slightly as his name was repeated in full once more, and he kept his pace quick. As the man continued to talk, the boy said nothing, keeping his eyes locked onto the road in front of him. As the offer was completed the boy was left with little more than an arrogant smirk as the offer pricked his own motives slightly. The boy had very little desire to join a 'Merry Band of Thieves', or in this case, mercenaries, but there would always be benefits to such organizations. Still though, he was far from being genuinely convinced that this man could offer him anything he could not already get himself.

"The Taron keep tabs on everyone who upsets their tummy; it's not hard to do. Besides, even if I did have some masterful feud with them, I doubt joining an organization such as yours would keep me inconspicuous for long. If it comes to it, you cannot protect me from them," the boy said sourly, but he added with a slight change of tone, "not here anyway. The Taron's reach is strongest here, with the obvious exception of Minervum itself."

He sighed, letting his pace slow just slightly. By now the boy usually would have just vanished, disappearing into a bubble of time and taking off over the horizon, but somehow this man had encountered him at his pinnacle of loss. Everything over the last few months had been despair. One dead end after another. The only thing left was to journey across the world, and that was not the easiest thing to do. Between Stamarian checkpoints at every turn, their monopoly over Allondell ships, and the over-arcing issue of the Taron themselves, he could do very little on his own. Not safely, anyway.

"I would hope you would desire people to join at slightly more than the drop of a hat. There's a port town several miles down the road - I'm sure you know where it is." The boy glanced up at the sun, noting that it was already a good distance past its zenith, "There's a tavern on the water, only one of its kind in the town. If you want to continue this talk, I will meet you there as the sun sets."

As he finished his sentence, the words began to slur slightly, as if he were speaking them exaggeratedly slowly. A semi-translucent sphere of energy enveloped the mage and shot forward, stretching itself along the path. Within the bubble time would speed up, and to an outside viewer, the boy would be gone in little more than the blink of an eye, his time field following him to avoid being pursued in it.

A quarter of an hour later the boy would be in the town, completely exhausted from the exertion of stamina and magic, but it would still be several hours yet before he would enter the tavern, curious to see who had showed up first.

[Steinerman]

Vesper glared as Scept suddenly disappeared from sight.

"Well," She stated with a look of mild distaste.

"That could have gone better."

Robert, however, did not share her annoyance. In fact, his smile had broadened, lighting up his face as though he were a child who'd just been given a gift of extreme importance.

"Bah," He replied with a laugh. "The boy is at least somewhat interested. And against the Taron Magi, we can at the very least offer them pause if he joins us."

Vesper gave her commander a quizzical look, unsure of his meaning. "How might we do that?" She asked curiously. "I admit, we could offer the threat of violence against them, and while we're not the best at taking on mages, we could cause them serious damage if we really wanted too. But...do we really want to effectively declare war on the Magi and their allies...all for one boy?"

Robert chuckled again, turning to face her as he did so.

"Nay, Vesper. Though if he did in truth join us, I would willing to kill to defend him. But we can do much more than simply threaten to hurt them ourselves."

He waited a moment for those words to sink in, and then his smile turned grim. "We protect several of their key personages, all we have to do to scare them is to cancel our contracts with them."

He shrugged, "We offer protection, and excellent protection I might add. To some of the most powerful individuals in the world. The Taron Magi who employ us are quite satisfied with our services, and would vocally object to anything their order might do to jeopardize that."

He turned once again, and picked up his pace.

"But come, we must reach the town before sundown, we shall have to push ourselves to make it in time." And with that he was off, leaving a stunned Vesper staring incredulously for a moment at her rapidly distancing commander.

She shook her head and then began a steady jog after him.

________


They reached the town a little over two hours later, noticing as they entered the walls that the sun was on it's last legs. Most likely it would be setting within the hour.

Checking the time, Robert decided it would best to be early, rather than late. So with a smile, he invited Vesper to dine with him at the tavern.

At that, Vesper grinned widely and curtsied, "Such a gentleman, commander. What's a girl to do?"

"Hopefully say yes." Robert replied with his usual warm smile.

Vesper nodded, "Well then, yes. Let's go eat, and see if the kid shows up. And if he does..." She trailed off.

"if he does, you really have to give him a better sales pitch than before if you want him to join up. But then...I suppose you do everything in your own style, and it seems to work most of the time. Hopefully this counts as most of the time."

He inclined his head in agreement, and then led the way to the tavern. It was surprisingly quiet, this night. With only a scattering of patrons inside, and they were able to find a moderately well-lit booth near the back of the dining area. There were other tables that might have better suited their needs, but this table had the wondrous advantage of being clean, and not smelling of vomit.

With a smile, Robert left Vesper at the table to go and order up some food.

[Ribitta]

As the boy neared the tavern himself, he shrunk back a bit, noticing the other two entering before him. After arriving at the town, Scept had quickly come to the conclusion that he would indeed be arriving later than they. As with anyone, he felt uncomfortable with their requests, and he wished to keep at least a slight upper-hand in the exchange. This coupled with his exhaustion from the run inclined him to sleep for the remainder of the time, resting himself adequately just in case.

After lurking outside for a short period, he finally decided the time had come to make his own entrance. Pressing his shoulder against the door, Scept casually strode into the tavern, doing his best to remain casual in his actions despite the nervousness that the situation imposed upon him. He didn't like knowing that another group of people beyond the Taron knew enough about him to make a difference. The Taron Magi were bad enough to have in your business, but now he had complete strangers snooping around too.

His boots padded softly over the partial film of dirt mixed with spilled drinks, and he quickly found the woman who had been on the road as well, though he noticed the man did not sit with her. Scanning a little further, he soon caught the man as well, apparently trying to order something edible in a place like this. Scept did not think it would be implausible to eat here, but he doubted people of this class would not particularly care for it. Nevertheless, Scept took his chance and slid into the seat opposite the woman.

He would only have a very brief period before the man returned, and he had already planned a question for her. The man was scripted, well versed in changing things of his own to make them sound better, he was sure. While he may not have had the best delivery, he doubted he could get a truly honest answer from the man in charge, so he looked to the subordinate now, and he posed the simple question, "Why should I trust you?"