___________________________________
Timestamp: 45th of Fall, 513 AV
___________________________________
Location: Blade Plaza
___________________________________
The first day of the Harvest Festival was under way and the spirit of Kenash's
citizens was elevated for a number of reasons. To start with, most of the slaves
would be allowed these two days away from the harsh labor of the fields. It
was a time to celebrate the plantations' yeilds, and for Dynasties to show off
their best crops. The Harvest Festival was also a marker, reminding everyone
that they were in the middle of the Fall season. That meant Winter was not too
far away and the people of the swampland would get a cool break from the
smothering heat. There were a wide variety of contests going on as numerous
vendors served foods from the recent harvest. The town was alive and each
of Kenash's plazas were filled with activity.
<===================={===> <===}====================>
The sky was clear overhead, a soft azure plane painted above like an unreachable
blue ceiling. The sun's churning heat rolled in a stationary sphere, casting an
abundance of warmth over southern city. It was a good day to be out and celebrate,
unless you were one of the unfortunate people who still had to work to survive. As
with many Freeborns, Sypha Kai did not have the luxury or the coin to fully
participate in the festivities. He was currently on duty, performing a simple task for
the Radacke Family that required only minimal skill. He had been trailing one of its
young women for some time now as she moved about the vendors, her languid
footfalls taking her along the edge of the Blade Plaza. The Mercenary had kept
a minimum of thirty paces behind her so as not to attract her attention, but now
was a good time for him to venture closer. He did not want to lose her in the
crowded plaza.
<===================={===> <===}====================>
Great care was given to his choice of positions, purposely seeking out large
bodies of shadow so that his darkly attired form wasn't as noticable. When
trailing someone in an enviroment as loud as a festival, the sound of your steps
didn't really matter. In this case, position is what kept you from being noticed.
Though the majority of his clothing was a common shade of black, Sypha Kai
had to incorporate flashy hues of red to satisfy his Eypharian nature. The dark
material of his enfolding cloak easily hid most of the vibrant tones of scarlet, but
the crimson shroud wrapped around his head was not so easily hidden. This was
another reason why the creeping swordsman picked suitably dark areas to slip
into. It took much effort, and a little bit of luck, to remain unseen at a closer
distance. Thirty paces slowly became twenty as the youthful lady moved deeper
into the busy plaza.
<===================={===> <===}====================>
Bursts of laughter and sporadic yelling was common while the celebrations were
in full swing, the loud sounds assisting the stalker in his attempt to close in from
behind. With each passing vendor he would advance another step closer, ducking
behind signs and structures when needing to avoid detection. There were a few
times througout the stalking that he thought she had discovered him, but each time
her attention was quickly drawn back to the many spectacles around her. Magic
tricks, fortune telling, stick duels, and dice rolling were but just a few examples of
the activities happening in their current location. There was much to see, hear, and
smell this deep into the plaza. It was an effervescent atmosphere that could effectively
drown a person's senses.
<===================={===> <===}====================>
Sypha waited patiently until woman moved beyond a specific point in the plaza to
completely close the distance between them. His actions remained steady, so as not
to attract any attention from any of the nearby citizens. The right side of his drifting
cloak was carefully drawn upward until the hem reached his awaiting fingers. What
was so different about his unique cloak compared to others was the multitude of
metal triangles sown sturdily within the hem, which were sharpened as often as his
precious short swords. A couple of those wicked pieces had been drawn into a single
gloved hand as the lady he was trailing began to walk beside an alley opening. This was
where he would make his move.
<===================={===> <===}====================>
The deliberate foot falls from before now transitioned into swift steps, bringing himself
close enough to firmly bump the Dynasty female. The quick collision of their bodies
would successfully redirect the woman's path, pushing her into the shaded side alley
between two buildings. There was an incisive piece of steel settled against the small
portion of her back, the pressure that was applied was only enough to let her know that
the apex was indeed sharp. Sypha Kai's words were deeper than normal as he tried
to mask the true sound of his voice, fearing she might reconize his uncommon accent,
"Scream and I'll make you wish you hadn't... Now tell me why you are alone? I know
who you are... where is your bodyguard?"
<===================={===> <===}====================>
Timestamp: 45th of Fall, 513 AV
___________________________________
Location: Blade Plaza
___________________________________
The first day of the Harvest Festival was under way and the spirit of Kenash's
citizens was elevated for a number of reasons. To start with, most of the slaves
would be allowed these two days away from the harsh labor of the fields. It
was a time to celebrate the plantations' yeilds, and for Dynasties to show off
their best crops. The Harvest Festival was also a marker, reminding everyone
that they were in the middle of the Fall season. That meant Winter was not too
far away and the people of the swampland would get a cool break from the
smothering heat. There were a wide variety of contests going on as numerous
vendors served foods from the recent harvest. The town was alive and each
of Kenash's plazas were filled with activity.
<===================={===> <===}====================>
The sky was clear overhead, a soft azure plane painted above like an unreachable
blue ceiling. The sun's churning heat rolled in a stationary sphere, casting an
abundance of warmth over southern city. It was a good day to be out and celebrate,
unless you were one of the unfortunate people who still had to work to survive. As
with many Freeborns, Sypha Kai did not have the luxury or the coin to fully
participate in the festivities. He was currently on duty, performing a simple task for
the Radacke Family that required only minimal skill. He had been trailing one of its
young women for some time now as she moved about the vendors, her languid
footfalls taking her along the edge of the Blade Plaza. The Mercenary had kept
a minimum of thirty paces behind her so as not to attract her attention, but now
was a good time for him to venture closer. He did not want to lose her in the
crowded plaza.
<===================={===> <===}====================>
Great care was given to his choice of positions, purposely seeking out large
bodies of shadow so that his darkly attired form wasn't as noticable. When
trailing someone in an enviroment as loud as a festival, the sound of your steps
didn't really matter. In this case, position is what kept you from being noticed.
Though the majority of his clothing was a common shade of black, Sypha Kai
had to incorporate flashy hues of red to satisfy his Eypharian nature. The dark
material of his enfolding cloak easily hid most of the vibrant tones of scarlet, but
the crimson shroud wrapped around his head was not so easily hidden. This was
another reason why the creeping swordsman picked suitably dark areas to slip
into. It took much effort, and a little bit of luck, to remain unseen at a closer
distance. Thirty paces slowly became twenty as the youthful lady moved deeper
into the busy plaza.
<===================={===> <===}====================>
Bursts of laughter and sporadic yelling was common while the celebrations were
in full swing, the loud sounds assisting the stalker in his attempt to close in from
behind. With each passing vendor he would advance another step closer, ducking
behind signs and structures when needing to avoid detection. There were a few
times througout the stalking that he thought she had discovered him, but each time
her attention was quickly drawn back to the many spectacles around her. Magic
tricks, fortune telling, stick duels, and dice rolling were but just a few examples of
the activities happening in their current location. There was much to see, hear, and
smell this deep into the plaza. It was an effervescent atmosphere that could effectively
drown a person's senses.
<===================={===> <===}====================>
Sypha waited patiently until woman moved beyond a specific point in the plaza to
completely close the distance between them. His actions remained steady, so as not
to attract any attention from any of the nearby citizens. The right side of his drifting
cloak was carefully drawn upward until the hem reached his awaiting fingers. What
was so different about his unique cloak compared to others was the multitude of
metal triangles sown sturdily within the hem, which were sharpened as often as his
precious short swords. A couple of those wicked pieces had been drawn into a single
gloved hand as the lady he was trailing began to walk beside an alley opening. This was
where he would make his move.
<===================={===> <===}====================>
The deliberate foot falls from before now transitioned into swift steps, bringing himself
close enough to firmly bump the Dynasty female. The quick collision of their bodies
would successfully redirect the woman's path, pushing her into the shaded side alley
between two buildings. There was an incisive piece of steel settled against the small
portion of her back, the pressure that was applied was only enough to let her know that
the apex was indeed sharp. Sypha Kai's words were deeper than normal as he tried
to mask the true sound of his voice, fearing she might reconize his uncommon accent,
"Scream and I'll make you wish you hadn't... Now tell me why you are alone? I know
who you are... where is your bodyguard?"
<===================={===> <===}====================>