A strange land (open)

[Deleted]

A land of festivities and people, a land filled with joy and laughter as the people of this land ran around, it was loud and something that Zest could not truly blend into. It was not that the appearance of the warrior was too outlandish, but the pace of these people would move was just something that Zest had trouble adjusting to. Jesters and performers were jumping around trying to attract attention and many merchants were yelling about, trying to get a customer to buy their products.

Through the crowd, Zest could only walk on taking in the sight and trying his best to understand the customs of this land as well as stick to his original goal. Cornelia was at peace and light shone bright in that land. The Warriors of Light were no longer needed in that land and the warriors chose to depart their land. They all had their reasons, but the warrior who devoted himself to protecting the light could only focus on dispelling the darkness just like he did alongside his allies. There were still threats all over planning to blanket the world into darkness and he could not sit idly by as that occurred. His resolve was set and though his mind was set on his duty, his mind still thought back to his precious companions. He couldn’t help but wonder if they were well and if anything undesirable had befell them.

The clanking noise of his armor moving stopped and the warrior stared up at the clear blue sky calmly thinking back of his friends. Without them he surely would have been nothing but a mere doll, having no emotions or desires. He had nothing, but he was grateful that he had his friends. His thoughts were cut short as a man bumped into to him in a rush and ran past him. “Such a strange world…” Zest said to himself calmly watching the people run about before he begun to walk forward once more.

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves Thread Song Far be it for the young rogue to turn down a party! Dancing along with the gypsies and wearing his trademark black cloak. It helped hide his tail and kept any curious hands from his pockets, and guard's eyes from noticing his dagger's scabbards. He held his precious violin to his neck, hand drawing the bow expertly over the body, which pulled a bright, tender song that carried the heart on air. The maple body of the instrument allowed a light melody to draw over the crowds, hushing groups and causing others to join in the playing. The way the boy danced and moved with the instrument showed a great deal of affection and passion when it came to playing. Hands clapped along as the song became faster and faster. Drink flowed and food was passed around, but for some it was only a ruse. Rousing the crowds and getting them excited caused the passing commoners and nobles to give pause and toss coin to the performers working hard to make a living, but among them were expert pickpockets that took more than what was lamely offered. Light feet and a slick pair of fingers would make sure there was always plenty to eat. Zidane was approached by a fine, dark-skinned Gypsy in a long colorful skirt. They stared at each other and slowly marched forward along the beat of the song which had slowed down, but when it suddenly sped up again the woman threw her beautiful skirt about, dancing along the air. The boy played, speeding up and slowing down creating a chaotic melody that was lively and indicative of the open worlds and long roads traveled that would carry travelers to their long sought destinations. As the first song came to an end hands clapped, offering bravo to the musical geniuses. But, peace did not always mean it was good. Peace was just the cover crooks needed to get their way. Zidane was one of those who did what was necessary to survive, but sometimes it was just for the thrill of it. With the song ended, the boy would give a deep bow and allow the squirrely tail of his to loose a nearby purse string. With his cloak concealing the extra limb and his hands on his instrument, who would suspect the lowly musician? With his goods the thief would attempt to snake out of there!

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: A pickpocket during festivities? Who'd thunk!

►SKILLS USED: Steal

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

[Deleted]

The music and noise was that of happiness and joy. This world did not seem to face the threat of darkness and from the looks of it everyone was truly getting along and having as much fun as they could. For the stoic knight a situation like this was far too foreign for him. It wasn’t that he had never been to any form of festivities, but it was just that he had never been to one all alone. He always had his friends along with him, telling him what was what and how the customs of the land would work. In a situation like this he was like a lost puppy, confused and alone in a loud crowd.

Crowds gathered forth towards once scene and Zest’s curiosity grew as he stared over at the mob of people forming. Music seemed to be coming from where the crowd gathered and cheers erupted from the crowd as well. Following the curiosity that begun to build, Zest walked up towards the crowd and joined them just to see what had caught their interest and if perhaps maybe it would capture his interest as well.

It was a strange incident the moment Zest walked up towards the crowd. With the amount of people that gathered it was quite difficult for Zest to see the scene and he had no motivation to get in closer. What was odd was that once the people begun to notice the armored knight was watching, some of the people begun to move to the side, letting him enter the crowd and get closer towards the scene. Zest did not truly question the people why they did such a thing and merely went closer in order to see, unaware of the authority the knights in this land held.

A band of people were dancing and playing music in what seemed to be outlandish outfits different from the one that most of the people wore. He could not see what drove the interests of the people in this land, but he knew that his companions would have probably enjoyed such a scene. A soft but small smile formed on the warrior’s face as the thought came up and he silently watched on. It was strange, to see the blond haired boy, a boy that for some reason seemed familiar to him. It was like the feeling he felt upon meeting Garland, but to a far more minor degree.

The form of entertainment was over and the dancing had ceased. The cheers of the people had grown and roared, but Zest watched on calmly with a careful eye. Something had caught his attention, it was quick, but it was something Zest was sure of. With a swift movement his right hand reached for the side of his waist and unsheathed the sword resting there, pointing the blade straight at the blond haired boy. “I suggest you return that which does not belong to you” Zest said calmly.

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves Now there were many things noticeable about Zidane. Compared to the other gypsies, his pale skin, blond hair and blue eyes certainly did not match up to their standards. Among them he was a foreigner, yet he was so easily welcome to sing and dance with them. There were many traits the young thief shared with the traveling peoples: cast away from society. Many looked to them as thieves, or fools that entertained on the side of the road for money. If one was to survive such a harsh world though, they had to be able to do more than sing and dance. A handful of coins was not enough to feed your family and friends. Like them he searched for a place to belong in these strange worlds. A passing jester who teased ladies and made merriment, but the young thief was a rogue that also caused a great deal of trouble for those around him. Sticky fingers and an even sticker tail made him ever the rapscallion. When a large knight entered the scene it put many at unease, especially the humble gypsy folk. Knights were synonymous with the law, even for Zidane having a Knight around meant he had to be a bit more clever, by the sudden gasps and parting of the crowds caught his attention. He had seen the guy reach for his blade. This behemoth of a soldier looked, oddly familiar, but knowing him he has probably sleighed the law enforcer in the past. The boy causes trouble for a lot of people so he never really bothers to remember who or why, but there was something about this guy that was weird. When the knight drew his blade the thief could only hold his violin gently as the others seemed to panic. Zidane? No he was a cool customer, usually rolling on the side of the con artist. “Whoa big guy, you're gunna poke someone's eye out.” Now when made note of returning that was not his, a devious plan twinkled in his eye, a smirk that only rapscallions knew. Perhaps it was one the knight knew as well. “Whoa, are you saying I stole my own violin? I came here with it and was playing for these nice travelers!” He so claimed, throwing ignorance toward the knight. After all his tail was not a normal appendage among these folk, so who would believe the man so claiming that it was there to take when the so-called bard had his hands full with an instrument? Zidane was cunning, conniving, and really did not get along with these Lawful Good sorts. To him they wee more like lawful stupid. Too strung up in their ways to really see passed their duty and honor codes. Now that is not saying what he did was utterly wrong and probably unnecessary, but it fully amused him none-the-less. The boy seemed unafraid of the weapon drawn toward him, why a slight, and purposely discreet, flutter of his cap showed he was armed himself. Those glittering blue eyes had very cat-like slits and focused on the man. This boy seemed no older than fourteen, his face smooth and almost feminine if not for the harsh smears of dirt and rugged clothing, and for the particular bits only makes carried in their – pockets. And what lined his were stolen belongings of passing fools that were not the ones that played on the side of the road. He would egg the crowd against the knight, outnumbered by the persecuted gypsies. “Leave him be, why must you always accuse us of petty thievery?!” One claimed among the crowd, rousing agreement. Zidane could not help his mental muse. An impoverished group, will resort to stealing if it mean feeding their children or themselves. Zidane shook his head, tsking as he strummed his violin with a sad, woeful melody. “Bad old Knight is really causing a fuss.” He teased before moving to bow his head. The thief smirked. His muscles tightened and his hand shifted to swirl the cloak as a distraction. The boy, though small, would kick back from the reach of the blade with great strength: enough so that he took several feet into the air without breaking a sweat. When he landed a few feet back he would motion his gloved hand in a mocking wave. His belt weighed down on one side with the stolen goods. “I suppose you knights get it right sometimes~!” The boy turned to take off running toward the city. Was that a tail?!

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: Perhaps a run through the city will give the knight some exercise?

►SKILLS USED: Steal

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

[Deleted]

Just what exactly was this thief thinking of?

With his blade drawn out and pointed at the one he accused thievery of, it drew unrest with the crowd. Zest could say that he fell a bit disappointed that he was the one to have interrupted such festivities and he would take the blame for it without resistance, but he could not ignore that thievery. Such selfishness could not be ignored and he wished to help the woman that had her purse stolen. The boy was swift an agile when he performed the deed and it was far too hard to tell this boy was a thief. In that regard it only showed how skilled of a pickpocket this boy truly was, able to fool the minds of others and utilize the deception for their own benefit.

Though his blade was pointed, the boy showed no real fear or panic, merely retaining the joyful mood he had ever since he first set eyes on him. He had no desire to really intimidate the boy with his blade, but merely warn the boy that he should return the belongings before a battle would start. If anything he would rather avoid a needless conflict and move on with things, but that would depend on what the boy planned on doing next.

There was a strange look and a smirk on the boy’s face, causing Zest to grow suspicious and narrow his eyes trying to figure out just what the boy was planning on doing next. What the boy did next was play ignorance, but that wasn’t all that he had done. Indirectly he had done more and the warrior was also to blame for this as well. The crowd grew even more restless, more aggravated, not enough to attack, but one that disagreed with his methods. He had only meant to help the civilian, but his help had grown into something that was unwanted by the masses. He did not understand why they would be so upset with him when he desired to help, but it seemed that they were taken in by the deception of innocence that the boy held over them.

The boy only fueled the deception even greater with the instrument he held in his hand. Just how long did the boy truly wish to keep this deception up? Zest begun to believe that the boy was going to keep it up for as long as he could, but what caught him off was the sudden bow and movement of the cloak. Taking a step forward in order to take action, the boy had already leapt backwards in escape. Why the boy chose to release the deception was a mystery, but that did not matter to Zest.

Immediately as the boy begun to flee, Zest leapt forward and begun his chase with sword in one hand and a shield in the other. It was true that his armor and weaponry slowed him down a bit, but he had trained to move efficiently and agile in the armor he had awoken in. His armor, weapons, and crystal were the only thing that he could say that was truly his and the only tie he had to his past. He had faced many thieves before and if the boy truly thought he was just some mere soldier held down by his armor than he was sorely mistaken. Civilians were in the way, but Zest swiftly avoided them.

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves After pulling off his cloak and jumping back When the thief took off running it seemed that it would be an easy escape. He did not allow himself to lose sight of the warrior before he was cleared to run straight through without risking that blade. The boy was clearly used to this. This life was something he lived since he was first born, at least it was his first real memory. He was an orphan, abandoned by one world that did not want him and taken in by another. His ability to surf through crowds came with the necessity of life itself. But why did he run in the first place? He could have easily swarmed that crowd into a riot because he knew well that a group like that would never betray one of their own and give up a man hiding from the hands of the corrupt law of this country. That was why he had to run. Those people had a fierce, loyal nature and a great fear and distrust of armored men. Men with swords, men with shields and men knighted were the cause of their suffering so the boy took the blame. He took their fears and worries with him. He was no gypsy. He was a blue-eyed, blond haired Genome He was not going to get a nice bunch of people like that into trouble, so he took it with him. He darted through the crowds, weaving and laughing. He was quick enough that eyes only took note of a boy running from a strangely armored knight. The assumption was a pickpocket or theft, which was not uncommon so bodies cleared as the knight pushed through. Zidane glanced back, sprinting with ease. He grinned back at the knight and waved his gloved hand. His belts danced and the sheath and satchel that hung from them kept his smaller body balanced. There was something weirdly familiar about this guy. He grinned, sharp teeth showing off as his lips cleanly pulled back. He laughed out, turning a moment to make sure his surroundings were clear. The boy always kept a sharp eye out with his environment and this one was not any different. When the knight seemed more than able to keep up, even in that heavy armor, the boy found himself pretty impressed. “Man I'm surprised you can keep up old man!” The boy shouted. By his own world he has been an adult for quite some time, but his height really detracted from that believable fact. He had quite a spring to his step and pushed his way through the dense crowds. The market was always a great place to lose people. It was bright out here and full of loud, noisy distractions with the venders trying to sell their wares. The boy would move to attempt to duck down an alley, looking around for something to climb. All these alleys seemed to meet in dead ends and it was absolutely atrocious how it was just perfect for his kind! The boy reached up, looking for a place to grab. Maybe the knight would give up?

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: Pretty spy for an old man!

►SKILLS USED: Flee

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

[Deleted]

The clattering of armor echoed through the city as the warrior gave chase towards the thief that had attempted to escape from his grasp. There was the option of using one of his attacks in order to subdue the boy and using his shield he could have probably managed to attack the boy from a distance, but there were far too many people roaming around and even though he was chasing him, it was the stolen goods he was after, not the boy. The disappointment that the woman must have felt after such a joyful moment was something Zest would have preferred she not feel.

The boy was cheerful and happy as he tried to avoid the pursuit of Zest. As if this was all just a mere game, the boy laughed and weaved around the crowd, trying to take advantage that the crowd held. Though the people did give him room in order to make the chase easier, it was still difficult for him to of captured the boy. The sheer number of people was just too much and it only made things much too confusing and troublesome.

There was no response to the complement he received from the thief. One thing Zest had to admit was that the boy before him was not only skilled in thievery, but his movements in general were to be praised. Just seeing those moves seemed familiar to the warrior and the warrior was sure that he had never met the boy before. Zest made his way towards the crowd, but this crowd wasn’t as willing as the others. This crowd merely stayed in spot and merely went on with what they were doing without a care in the world. Zest could say that some of these people were probably willingly getting in his way, but Zest could not prove that in the slightest.

As he made his way through the crowd something immediately caught his attention. Something was heading straight towards his head, something thrown. Immediately Zest turned and sliced the incoming object with his sword and raised an eyebrow as he stared down at the object. “A tomato?” Zest said silently staring down at the sliced fruit before staring towards the culprits. There stood a woman and two other men. The two men held a sense of fear, but the woman did not. Though the men held fear, at the same time all three of them showed a sense of hatred, something more prevalent in the woman. The trio’s clothing looked worn and tattered and Zest could see that their lives were different from the others of this land.

Zest could not understand what wrong he had done, why he was given such dirty looks. He turned to see where the thief had gone, but it was too late, the boy was gone. He stood there in the crowd before a group had approached him, one led by the woman that had her purse taken away.

“Did you catch him? Did you catch the thief and lock him away?”

Eyes closed Zest merely shook his head “I’m sorry…” Zest said placing away his shield and sword

“Your sorry?! What good are you knights anyways?! Useless! Do you know how much munny was in there?!”

Her yells of anger were justified, and though it was not his responsibility he felt a burden to this as he had failed in his task. Eyes closed he accepted her yelling at him.

“My apologies…” Zest said before reaching into the pouch beside his waist “This is not much, but I ask you take this and forget what has happened…” Zest said offering to her the pouch of munny.

“You think your petty knight’s wage would equal to the amount I had in that purse?!”

With almost as if I disgust the woman swiped the pouch from Zest and merely walked away without a single word of thanks. Silently Zest watched the woman walk on and then proceeded to continue on his path. The stoic knight walked on through the crowd and with that he paused for a moment and stared at the alley for a long while before turning and continuing on with his path.

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves Zidane gave a hop and a jump before he reached his fingers to dig into a suitable edge. He pulled himself up from the ground and began the task of climbing the sides of the strange and decorative buildings. The boy pulled himself with a great deal of ease. HIs heeled boots found space to dig the narrow toes into the hollow edges that ran along the carved walls. Gloved fingers dug into the rough surface as his arms tightened and carried the small boy’s weight. It was like watching a monkey climb up a tree, but instead the boy scaled a sheer, vertical surface as easily as one climbed into the bed. When he reached the roof he hoisted his body onto the ledge and stood. He could hear shouting in the distance, and not of an angry and annoyed knight, but instead a very pissed woman. He could not help but to laugh a bit before resting his hands on his hip. People like that were ungrateful of what they had and simply did not deserve it. The thought would almost sour the boy’s bright mood. Silence soon followed he angered chattering, sounding much more like a yapping down than a woman from this distance. It was really unladylike. A woman should always carry herself with poise and grace… but that was boring. The boy froze when he noticed the Knight step to the edge of the alley. His tail, mid sway: stilled stiff, slightly bristled. The knight’s features looked a bit solemn. Was he upset he had lost? The boy crouched down, his arms resting over his thighs as his hands hand between his legs. His tail had fallen against the stony surface, flopping a bit at his mild-mannered thoughts. When the knight finally turned out the boy stood and rushed along the lip of the roof, hopping over Gargoyles and decorative pediments. He soon held himself at a healthy pace beside the Knight, though clear off the ground and from his reach. He could not get over the feeling he knew this guy, but perhaps it was because Knights like him always were the same: fighting so hard for an ideal that was wholly dependent on the honor of an individual. There were very few people in this world left with that kind of honor, or trusted to have it. Zidane smiled and folded his arms behind his head. “Gave up already?” He teased as he marched along, allowing his arms to fall to his side. “You know you didn’t have to give her your stuff.” He felt a little guilty about that, but the Knight was way too generous for his own good. “Have we met before, old man?” Mannerless scoundrel, clearly a child raised in the streets among the foulest of company.

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: A Knight in a sea of Thieves

►SKILLS USED: Steal, Flee on cooldown.

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

[Deleted]

The event was finally at an end and both parties were on their way. The festivities seemed to continue on, but Zest still felt that was still a faint lingering of hatred toward him still being sent. In such a land that did not hold a place for him or his help then there was no need for him to stay further. He himself did not know what his goal was to be nor did he know where he would head towards next. Perhaps his next destination would shed some light towards him and allow him a better feeling of individual sense.

Armored footsteps began once more as Zest once again began to walk forward towards his next destination, but it seemed the event that he believed was put to an end was not yet at its finale. A familiar taunting voice called out to him and Zest did not need to turn his head to know just who the voice belonged to or where the voice had come from. Without halt he merely listened to his words and prepared for action if need be. The boy was a fool if he truly believed that he was out of the warrior’s grasp and his shield would easily close the space if need be. For now he had no need to attack the boy, but it did not mean he wouldn’t be doing so soon.

“I did it merely to cease such a squabble from escalating any further” Zest said as he walked on without looking at the boy. “Should both parties be adequately satisfied then there is no further need to continue the pursuit…” Zest said glancing over at a few gypsies sitting by the streets “and besides...I’ve also learned something about the culture of this land…and their reasons” Zest said.

After what he said his footsteps began to slow down until finally he came to a halt and stood in place and stared forward. With what the boy said he couldn’t help but stand there and heed his words. It was a little thing that probably held near insignificant meaning, but when it came to memories, it was something important to him. “No, I’ve never met you before. This is our first encounter” Zest said closing his eyes “but even then…though faint…it feels as if I’ve met you before…” Zest said. Even with all that had happened he had never felt any hatred towards the boy. It was a strange feeling, but it felt as if he was a long forgotten friend.

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves The knight was so much like him it was funny, but the differences were also satisfying. Not having slurs tossed at him or being called names was pretty different. This guy had a level head on his shoulders, even if he was utterly uptight. The knight seemed pretty dejected, the thief could tell. It showed, even more so now: that he was an off worlder. As if the guys fancy plate did not already make him stand out, but his ignorance. That or he was just a really nice guy. The not let his arms fold behind his head in thought when the Knight assured that they were strangers, only to not be too sure. That was no help... Zidane shrugged nonchalantly. "You know, around here knights usually flaunt their positions and titles." It was something that obviously bothered the boy. Back home, sure knights picked on him and harassed him, but he deserved it. He was a thief, scam artist and pick pocket. But the people that were poor or struggling did not deserve to b beaten by the men sworn to protect. He offhandedly mumbled that the place would be better off run by chicks. He scratched at his chin in thought. Perhaps this was a situation he could use to his advantage. He smirked to himself and, without any fear of injury: he just led from the roof's ledge down to the Light Warrior's level. The boy motioned his hand in a mock salute. "Listen, knight, I don't much like your sort either, but I didn't take the purse for me." The boy turned his back to the warrior and marched down a particular alley. "But you are like a hero of justice right?" To him he seemed a lot like his friend, in the way he acted. He did not out of a sense of power, but the belief he did the right thing. Something about that question seemed off. Was the kid out to drag him into an ambush? He did not seem much to care his back was to the knight so the kid was either confident in his ability to escape or had no reason to. Zidane led the knight to a dark corner where a mother and her kids slept. Gypsies as well. The kid motioned his hands to calm the mother who fearfully pulled her kids toward her. A knight was easily heard walking about in his armor, no matter how close or far they were. "It's okay," he assured before giving her the purse of coins. The woman thanked him profusely before standing with her children and hurrying away. Zidane remained couched for a bit. He seemed quiet before standing. Whether the knight decided to follow or even listen from afar, or completely disregard the boy hr felt it was important. "That woman had bought that purse from her husband. They make goods by hand to sell to nobles and tourists. The woman thought the had robbed her while she tried to make her purchase.... A knight killed her husband who claimed his innocence. She found her money and took the purse for compensation of her troubles." He rubbed the side of his face at the recounting of the story. He shrugged and stood. "It isn't really uncommon a thing here... That guy, I wanna pay him back. You know?" He looked the the Warrior of Light. Maybe he cared, maybe he did not. Even though this was not their world he did not feel it was good to leave things this way. What kind of guy would that make him?

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: I can't be a hero like you. I only know how to lie, cheat and steal.

►SKILLS USED: Steal, Flee

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

[Deleted]

Zest had hoped that the conversation about identities would lead further on and indulge him with more information about the feeling he felt, but the lack of further speaking of the topic made him feel that the topic was probably that of something insignificant. To be honest the warrior was quite surprised to hear the boy speak in a not so mocking tone with him. As things progressed he had assumed that the boy would continue on to amuse himself. More and more he was beginning to see the way this world’s culture worked and he could not say he was pleased to hear that the knights of this world were so brash and conceited.

The boy suddenly descended down from his higher leveled area and landed next to the warrior. Though the move was sudden and quick, Zest did not reach for his weapons and merely watched the boy preform the maneuver. What the boy said immediately caused the warrior to raise an eyebrow at his words, but he said nothing as he watched the boy walk on. With no other option, the warrior decided to follow this strange tailed boy and see for himself what the boy meant by his words. The boy was confident to trust the warrior, but Zest had no ill will to the boy so there was no danger the thief faced, at least for now. Should he be set in some form of ambush then he was more than ready to deal with such an incident.
As he walked on with the thief he noticed a family of gypsies up ahead fearing his mere presence alone. He stood back a bit and watched on as the boy comforted the mother and handed her the purse that he had stolen. Zest felt sympathetic for the woman and her children, to watch them live in such poverty and see such joy from mere coins. It was a quick exchange, and once the family began to run off, Zest calmly walked up to the boy and stood beside him, starring off at the family as they left.

“Then why don’t we do so?” Zest said calmly before closing his eyes “I was…mistaken. To bar such an endeavour with such a noble cause, I apologies…” Zest said opening his eyes and stared downwards at the boy with his calm face. His words were true, but he had difficulty expressing himself. “If you desire, I shall gladly aid you with your endeavour” Zest said

[Deleted]

Jovial Prince of Thieves Zidane had an uncultured manner to him. Though he wore rather nice looking clothing, more so than compared to peasants or urchins, the way he held himself was clearly that of a rogue or brigand. He stood sloppily with a slight hunch. His hands often found purchase to be anywhere but at his sides. Whether his hands were dug into his pockets or folded behind his head he would not do well to sit still. His clothing had stitches and patches of where the old clothing was worn and torn. The uniform likely used to be a brighter shade of blue, but now dulled with the time and nature of the hand-me-down vestments. He seemed moderately well off, but the majority of what he wore on his back was likely stolen or otherwise ‘misplaced’ but unsuspecting individuals. His boots were scuffed and his hair a bit ruffled and uncombed, but even still he exuded a strong, magnanimous nature. He was loud and adventurous and never seemed like the sort to become down over anything! But at the very retelling of the woman’s sad tale, he seemed to hold a moment of serious contemplation. It was as if the very idea of another’s suffering brought him to a crossroads between his criminality and heroic nature. He could not just stand there and watch someone get beat up for nothing, it went against his nature, or so he claimed. He was pretty sure the knight would take him up on it. he was not trying to trick the guy, but something about him made Zidane trust him. Perhaps they had met once, on the road, only to meet again when it really mattered? The boy never believed in things like fate or destiny, but coincidences were a natural device to take advantage of. The boy smiled widely at the Knight’s agreement to help. The boy turned heel, his form full of energy as he bounced around on his heels, his tail swaying behind him. “The jerk’s name is Clotaire, he’s some loudmouth that boasts all the time about how many men he’s arrested or killed.” The boy shrugged. “Came across him at the tavern at first.” he would admit, though he barely looked tall enough to drink, let alone dazzle widows. “Travels with a bit of an entourage.” Zidane was strong, but no way was he willing to take on a marching of guards on his own. The boy held out his hand, offering it to the knight. There was a bit of a pause in the way the young man acted before he gave a cheeky grin. “Now mind ya, I don’t normally work with your sort, but I think it’s for a good cause. Knights like you I’d rather tussle with than some goon that picks on a family.” The kid seemed sincere in his wish to see justice done for the murdered father and husband. But that meant the pair would likely be taking a trip to the tavern frequented by the guards.

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: A loudmouth Knight with dirty laundry.

►SKILLS USED: Steal, Flee

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

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Zest did not belong to one land or even a lord. He could say he had no home as he woke up alone in the fields of Cornelia and though he could probably say that Cornelia could be his home and possibly his birth land, he could not say he truly felt like it was so. Though they treated him greatly with respect and admiration, once Chaos was destroyed in the past he was nothing to them. He was always told he was destined to save the world, but now he did not follow destiny. He followed his so called destiny at first without qualm, but once he learned that his destiny was to fall in the cycle weaved by Chaos he could not do so. He chose to fight and break his destiny for the sake of his friends and the world.

Zest never truly understood the praise he received from the people, but if he had to guess it was because of their desperation with the state of their world. The people desired a hero and when four beings with crystals in hand arrived it did not matter about the fact that they had done nothing, that they were all unseasoned warriors, for them they found their saviors and that was good enough for them. In this land surely the people had such a feeling of hope for their saviors, but what were to be the saviors was nothing but despicable crooks and the crooks were truly the heroes running about. The boy was obviously not from this land but even so it was apparent from his clothing that the boy was not that different from these people regardless.

Staring down at the boy as he offered his hand out, Zest reached forward and grasped the hand of the boy and shook it. The two were in contrast as they both were opposites in a sense, but even so he felt as if he could trust the boy. Having shook the boy’s hand he released it and stared back at the opening of the alley that lead back towards the open town. “Our best course of action will be to check the tavern then…” Zest said. Without another word he began to walk on without checking to see if the boy was following or not. He was confident that the boy was speedy enough to follow his pace and even so it was no surprise if the boy moved ahead of him.

Though Zest had not been in this land for long, he did know where the tavern was and walked calmly towards it. Bringing forth justice to such a man was his main goal and Zest would do whatever it took to bring that and help the innocent. Men who abused the weak and flaunted their power were worthless and Zest loathed such people. His trek stopped upon reaching the tavern, and the stoic knight stood by the door before raising his leg and kicking open the door. There was silence as Zest walked in calmly and stared around the room. There were drunkards filled in the room, but most importantly there were an assembly of knights with drinks in their hands “I seek the one named Clotaire…Bring him forth and let him respond to my blade…” Zest said coldly. Should he fight all these knights that called the man a companion then he was more than ready to do so.

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Jovial Prince of Thieves Zidane was not a coward, in the least, but he was not about to go confront a bunch of armed guards and probably get the Gypsies in more trouble. If another knight confronted a knight it was usually something about honor, right? At least that was how he processed it. He thought this glamorous guy was going to be just another bully but he turned out to have a strong heart that reminded him a great deal of his friend. His friend was always driven to do good, to the point where he often failed to see that sometimes you had to also accept the bad along with it. Zidane was partial to heroics, for the simple thrill of attention, but beneath that he was driven by the intent to never let someone find themselves alone and crying. What was the point of having power, if all you did was waste it on petty selfishness? He was not a noble knight or a charming hero, but he knew the difference between right and wrong. The Knight accepted his outstretched hand, a bit less hesitant than he expected. He was half expecting the guy to cut it off, but he genuinely wanted to help. Zidane was glad. It was a sad story, but what was sadder was that he was unable to help. To the truth the boy had watched the scene. He had pushed in to try and help, but it only aggravated the guards. Because his face was dirty and his clothes were patched up and worn, it was easy to tell he was part of the rabble. He was just another pickpocket waiting to cause trouble. But he had only just arrived in the world, dazed and confused by the sudden trip. He had thought this had come to an end, but it was as if Darkness was stalking his every attempt to fix his mistakes. And that man’s head was just another mistake on his conscious. Zidane easily kept up with the Knight. His steps were light and seemed to have a joyful bounce to them. The kid seemed to have boundless energy and no where to put it, but maybe a brawl at the tavern would do it. Zidane had followed the big guy all the way into the tavern and it was filled with familiar sights and scents. It was not hard to spy the smug, drunken knight that sat at the counter, boasting. Zidane could not forget that face. That smug grin that slew an innocent man… because he was interfering. ‘Tiny little fly trying to swat back the horse?’ He was used to being called small. ‘Crooks work together.’ He was used to being called a criminal. ‘Say good-bye to your friend than!’ But it was the first time someone had died as a direct result of his meddling. When the Knight pushed into the tavern the thief was pretty surprised at his direct and abrupt manner of challenging the brutes to a straight out duel! At the bar was a blonde-haired Knight decked out in shining silver armor that clearly has never seen the face of combat. Finery decorated his shield which hung on his back and his scabbard looked more like treasure than an actual weapon. When his name was called: Clotaire stood, along with three other men. The wooden stools were audibly pushed back and the soft murmurs of tavern goers had fallen to hushed whispers. “That’s General Clotaire to you lad.” He smirked at the Warrior of Light, only to notice Zidane cowering behind him. “Looks like you found our little rat that got away. Have you come to turn him in? Seeing as pulling a weapon at an officer is punishable by his dead.” The men laughed and reached for their swords. Zidane placed his hand on his dagger’s scabbard. It seemed these guys would fight it out in the tavern, the poor barkeep ducking down at the very horrifying thought of his place of business coming into the center of a knight’s fray.

►TAGS: Next~!

►NOTES: Dangerous men seek easy kills.

►SKILLS USED: N/A

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO

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"I could care less about you title..." Zest responded stepping forward as he took grasp of the shield and sword by his side. More and more his disgust for this man continued to grow forth and even now the man spoke about death of the innocent. "You won't be killing anybody anymore...I shall put an end to that..." Zest said pulling out his sword from it's sheathed position and moved towards starting his battle with these crooked men. It was unfortunate that they had to do battle indoors and that damage would be inevitable in such a place, but Zest was prepared to make it up to the owner of this building. For now he prepared himself, making sure the boy and the people will not be harmed by these fools.

With his movement towards their general, a few of the knights took that as a sign to finally begin to attack. In their eyes the knight was nothing more than an idiotic fool that didn't know his place. They loved showing their superiority and knocking down a few people only showed how powerful they were. With snickers a pair of knights began to walk up towards Zest and began to snicker and point at Zest as they walked towards him.

"Little knight thinks he is so great that he'd speak towards his superiors? Guess I've gotta teach the boy a lesson"

With the pitiful knight having finished with his brash statement, the knight rushed towards Zest with his sword drawn and the other knights watching as if this was a show meant for entertainment. Closer and closer the knight drew towards Zest, but even so Zest did not raise his blade. In a single movement he swung forward his shield and tossed it straight towards the gut of the knight. Hit by the shield, the knight was sent crashing into a wall. "You aren't even worth using my sword against..." Zest said as the shield returned to his hand once more.

The second knight watched on in disbelief, but that disbelief immediately turned to anger as he rushed toward Zest in order to slash the knight. Even so, Zest chose not to use his sword or shield this time and merely sidestepped from the downwards slash of his opponent and sent a kick towards the chest of the knight, knocking him away.

Lowering his leg, Zest calmly stared towards the other knights and then towards Clotaire and pointed his sword at him. "Draw your blade coward" Zest said.