The foreboding silence seemed to descend upon them again like a blanket, and a creeping nervousity got to Dervish, untill the soldier nodded. He felt a calming surge set over him, at least for a moment, as the man turned around and walked over to his post, taking up a stoic stance in the cold.
Little to no wind blew inbetween the tower, although it was still bitterly cold. Dervish ignored it as best he could, it wasn't comparable to the cold of the soldiers' behaviour, or the heat of his dormant anger. He'd have to keep that in check, he thought to himself, but focused his mind as the soldier started talking. He truly couldn't afford to be unattentive.
Questions. Private questions. Questions he had already answered, told him. This random asked him things he never told anyone, and thought he'd simply spill it all? Dervish looked at him, the rage from earlier seemed to emerge from below, moving towards the surface, but he shook his head faintly, then nodded as the man finished his speech. For all his anger, he'd known this was what people though, and this was the way to change it. Besides... The soldiers' demeanour seemed to have changed, he was asking him serious questions, his seemed less sharp, and he was treating him with a very small, cold, but none the less slight respect. Dervish reasserted his poise, looking like an ragged imitation of the soldiers' poise he began answering his questions in a controlled and polite manner, his voice calm but hard and clear.
I want this. Why do I want this? To be someone, something, in this place. My name is Dervish... He paused, took a breath and looked at the soldier with a mean and angry look. He didn't want to tell him this - But he wouldn't lie, either. They would get to know almost everything. Almost.
"My name was given to me by my best friend, Lorcan. I live in his house, I've paid for my stay with mizas." Dervish shook his head, then seemed to backtrack and start over from the beginning, he was hardly the great orator and remembered half the man's questions, namely "everything", he'd get what he wanted...; "I am an orphan, I believe a Zith-Human halfbreed. I was raised by whores, untill I ended up at that.. Orphanage." The pause was barely audible, and he continued;"Before that I had done some petty larceny, street fights, whatever... I still did it. Rarely." Dervish fingered the handle of his knife inside his cape as he spoke, and looked at the man with a flat stare, going through the events of his life as he recounted them;"I made a friend, he left. A short time after I came out. I started doing a few oddjobs, illegal ones, legal ones, whatever came at hand. I set out to find Lorcan after a short time, and when I did, I rented myself into his house." Dervish looked around at the gates, then continued dully;"I was never anything. I never had a future, the streets were my real home, and I scraped a living off the greed and hatred of people. I fought, and I stole. I always thought I could do more."
Dervish looked up at the soldier, he'd already decided this, there was no turning back;"Despite what I was, and am, I am proud. I am angry. I am happy, and I am chaotic. I am most certainly no Syliran, whoever they be I know little of them, their hollow and empty goals mean nothing to me." Dervish stated bluntly. he'd convince this man, he'd prove himself in the end, even if it meant changing completely. If he really wanted to know who Dervish was.. Then he'd tell the truth that he knew;"Why I live, and who I am? I live for myself, I am a warrior at heart, I have only one friend. I have no loyalties except for Rhysol, and my devotion is superficial. I am violent, and my temper is like a raging storm contained behind a door which won't keep closed, the handle is broken. I'm known as a ruthless man,and I take what I want in the ways that I know." He smiled faintly at the man, his white, and very slightly pointy teeth reflecting the blue light in the sky and the falling snow.
Dervish felt impatient, but knew this was important, whether or not this man was actually important was indifferent; he was currently his only connection. He focused on the man again;"That's all I know.. I want this, I want to be this." He ended flatly, after a small pause. Was this a good idea? He thought so, and although he had doubts, he wouldn't show it to this man. No fear, no hesitation. This was a day of promise, a day of the future. |