Seeking a Stranger (BBK?)

[Rhysean B'veckss]

Late Cryxatum in the Summer of Era XI in the Age of the Darkening

Having made his way through the gates of Riparia, Rhysean looked around briefly at what the city was all about. The most apparent thing was undoubtedly that where he currently found himself was some kind of merchant's street. Shops of all kinds dotted both sides of the road, which itself was crowded with traders and customers alike. It seemed surprisingly similar to some parts of Primus Gaudeo.

Shops were not what the youth was looking for, Rhysean taking the first left turn that he came across. What he needed first was a somewhat more seclude area of town, which would allow him to quietly decide how to proceed. The dream had been a perturbing thing, and vague as it had been had somehow seemed to hold some kind of significance. What it would result to in the end though, Rhysean could only guess.

Things were still going as planned fortunately, his trip to Riparia -the town at the foot of a volcano- a prosperous one. It was now time to seek out the mysterious figure that had appeared in his dream; a seemingly impossible task considering the size of the city. Still, Rhysean would not leave this place before finding out more. Either matters that proved his dream was nonsense after all, or to find that indeed it had been something important.

Thoughts arranging neatly inside his mind during the walk through what seemed a residental district, Rhysean eventually decided on his next move. Finding people in an unfamiliar area was not an easy task, and local people would no doubt be of some help. Stepping up to the first individual he encountered, the youth would inquire. "Excuse me? Could you give me some directions?"

[BlueberryKitty]

The first person Rhysean came upon in the city of Riparia, and quite likely rather commonly afterwards, was one of the Riparian Guard. Stationed throughout the city, the Guard's singular task was protection in and around Riparia. They took pride in doing a job well. The human man he approached wore dark blue trousers, with a dark blue jacket tucked into it's waistband. A black leather belt circled his waist, supporting the weight of his sheathed sword, and a smaller blade. Black boots shone brightly upon his feet, and a dark blue hat lay flat against the man's short dark brown hair. Upon the collars of the blue jackets, epaulets glinted in the crest of the Riparian Guard itself. Upon the right shoulder lay an insignia marking this man as a Corporal.

At the sight of young Rhysean, he tilted his head down, and offered a polite half-smile. "Serale Citizen. I can offer directions, if you tell me where it is you wish to be."

[Rhysean B'veckss]

With the guard standing in front of him, Rhysean muttered a soft curse for somehow picking someone who's task it was to uphold the law when he wished direction in order to reach someone who did the exact opposite. The youth couldn't prevent a small stutter as he replied, originating from the fact that his intended question was not really an option at this point. "I ehmm... I was looking for ehmm...," he paused for a while here, clearly struggling, before finally something useful popped into his mind. "... for a tavern, I am looking for a tavern."

For what Rhysean had so swiftly decided was that taverns were ideal places to find out things of the kind he needed to know. Wherever the stranger from his dreams was, there would be no way for Rhysean to find him without a proper lead. Hence, information was needed, which was likely available in something like a tavern.

[BlueberryKitty]

"A tavern, or course. There are two of note nearby. Any business or shop you'd care to visit in Riparia is located on Merchant's Road. The road runs from the North edge of Riparia to the South, with the Governmental offices in the very centre. To either side are located houses, so if you see residences you'll know to turn back. The taverns are located just south of the Aedile, I think you'll find them easy to spot once you've found the right road. Which happens to be this one. Good brightening, Citizen." With that, the scary guard went back to his duty, which was standing still and staring out at nothing.

The streets of Riparia were busy with people walking, horses pulling carts and wagons down their rough roads, and children playing noisily with each other. Hawkers stood on street corners, plying their wares to anyone who might stop for a moment to look; meat pies, smallwares, flowers and fruits were just some among the many types of merchandise offered. Painted signs hung over the tops of each doorway with pictures and words describing the kind of establishment that it was.

As with every city, Riparia had it's share of people who trafficked in that which was illegal. Street urchins picked pockets here and there, a seedy looking man lay stretched out against the base of a doorway. Yet no one was stupid or clumsy enough to be caught. Finding what Rhysean was looking for wasn't going to be easy.

[Rhysean B'veckss]

Even as Rhysean listened to the guard handing him the required attention, the youth could hardly help his thoughts drifting somewhat. He made sure he understood where the taverns were located, but in the mean time had again started wondering about the task that was at hand. For despite the fact that he had made it to Riparia in one piece, and he was now perhaps close to that which he sought, the odds of actually finding anything in a city like this one seemed indeed very slim.

Giving the guard a polite nod as the man resumed his daily duties, Rhysean stood contemplating for some time as to how he was to proceed. For it now hit him that even in a tavern the odds of receiving some useful information were very much against him. Finding one man out of several thousands without knowing where to look was worse than the proverbial needle in a haystack. Perhaps coming to Riparia had not been such a good idea after all...

The negative feelings starting to weigh heavier on Rhysean, the youth decided not to head for any taverns just now. He now knew where to find them, and could always go there at a later time. What he wanted foremost at this point was a moment of solitude, some time away from the noises of city life to properly think over what he was to do next. Hence, he headed away from Riparia's main street, somewhat further into the Residental area he was currently in.

As was the case with most relevant decisions Rhysean made since he had left the Vortex orphanage, it had been Che'kal who had persuaded him to undertake the endeavor, his Vysstichi friend the one convincing Rhysean that heading for Riparia was a good idea. The dream had been a very vague one, leaving little clues as to what it meant. The city beneath the volcano had been one of the little things that seemed easy to interpret, but the rest was indeed very vague. The only thing Rhysean could make of it, Che'kal supporting him in this notion, was that there was someone in the city that could help him "grow." It had seemed enough to go on at the time, but as Rhysean now found himself strolling absent-mindedly through Riparia he could not repress the idea of having made the wrong decision by coming here.

[BlueberryKitty]

Rhysean strolled absently through the streets of Riparia, his mind a thousand miles away. Apparently he was back in Vortex in his thoughts, and not paying that much attention to that which was around him. That sort of inattention to the present made a person an easy mark for someone wanting a few easy crowns, and more than one eye fell upon the young lad.

The eyes that fell upon him, and who's hands decided to take action though, belonged to a young female. In about fifty patterns, this one was going to be a real beauty, but at the moment her very odd mixed heritage wasn't so kind. Even with the weather warming a bit, she kept her head covered with a cloak, her hands hidden beneath the folds as much as possible. There really wasn't even much to pin down the fact that she was a girl, but for a grace of motion that seemed out of place on any but an elf.

The cloaked figure detached itself from the general flow of traffic past Rhysean, and began to follow him surreptitiously. Should he try to turn around and look at her, the figure darted into alleys, and only the telltale swish of her cloak might be seen. Oddly, no one else really thought that this was strange behaviour on the streets of the section of Riparia that he found himself in. Most people just seemed to ignore it, and there were fewer of the Riparian Guard uniforms to be seen.

When Rhysean least expected it, he felt a very gentle brush against his side where he kept his pouch or pocket. The weight was sudden, light, and gone instantly. Behind him, the grey cloak could be seen streaming behind the running figure as she took off down the street. If he bothered to check, his pouch and visa were gone.

[Rhysean B'veckss]

Even though the brush was a light one, the sudden movement besides him instantly brought Rhysean's absent mind back to reality. Thoughts of conversations with Che'kal faded, as the youth cursed himself for letting his thoughts drift in an unfamiliar area. He could feel the familiar weight on his belt had dimished, and as he turned around to see who had passed, reflexively placing a hand on where his pouch had been, realised fully well what had just happened. He had just been robbed.

Anger filling him, directed both at his own lack of prudency and at the stranger that was currently scurrying off with most of Rhysean's fortune, as he turned around as quickly as he could and started his pursuit. He was not going to let the thief get away with larceny without putting up a fight after all. No one stole from Rhysean and walked, the youth obsessed with power and hence furious with having been portayed as a weakling.

Running as fast as his legs could carry him, Rhysean headed for what he thought was where the malevolent stranger was heading. He was desperate not to lose sight of the grey cloak, in the mean while trying to think of something that would help him in his current situation. Only then did the obvious pop into his mind and raising his voice he cried out. "Thief! Thief! I've been robbed, damnit!" He considered mentioning that the grey-cloaked figure was the one who had stolen his pouch, yet figured that it would likely be of little help. Moreover, the fact that the bandit was running in front of him would make it more or less intuitive.

[BlueberryKitty]

It was good that Rhysean was a youth, that was the only chance he had in keeping up with the cloaked being who ran ahead of him. Though he called out as he ran, his words were sometimes unintelligible to the guards that he passed, and the few that caught on and tried to keep up were far outdistanced. Those yet ahead of them simply seemed to part with surprised looks, trying hard not to be run over by the rampaging youths.

One helpful bystander did his best to trip the running thief ahead of Rhysean, but the nimble figure simply leaped over the outstretched leg, and darted around the extended hands trying to grab at her.

The chase seemed to go on forever, down the street that was Merchant's road. In reality they traversed perhaps five blocks total, dodging those that stood in the way and failing to gather any assitance from those about. Suddenly, without any warning at all, the cloaked person darted into an alleyway and simply disappeared from Rhysean's sight. One moment she was there, the next, she was gone. While there were several options as to how she might have disappeared, up to and including arcana, the simplest was that the thief was still hanging out nearby; Rhysean simply had to find out where it was she had gone to.

His choices were few- the alley had two buildings on either side of it, with no visible access to the roof. The walls were mottled, partly of wood and partly of stone. If the youth looked closely enough, he might notice that one of the wider boards was slightly canted to one side, and slid very easily when pushed.

[Rhysean B'veckss]

His heart beating fiercely in his chest, Rhysean continued his pursuit through the streets of Riparia hoping to catch whoever it was that had just relieved him of his pouch. Seeing the guards and even some citizens react to his calls, he repeated the procedure, still hoping some bystander would be able to turn the tables in his favor by slowing down the thief. Watching the cloaked fellow effortlessly dodging a trip attempt, however, and evading grasping hands, this hope soon left him. It someone was to catch the culprit, it was to be Rhysean himself it seemed.

The pursuit continued, the Merchant's road remaining the setting of the chase. Luckily Rhysean did manage to keep track of where the cloaked stranger went, hence immediately noticing the figure leaving the road and careering into an alleyway. Reaching the same path and expecting to find the thief nearby, Rhysean was unpleasantly surprised to find the character had managed to disappear. An invisibility spell instantly came to mind upon finding the alley empty, yet was casted aside when the youth considered the time it had taken the thief to vanish. Hiding appeared a more likely course of action.

Inspecting the alleyway, holding swiftness over throroughness, Rhysean did not take too long to find a possible escape route as he noticed part of a wooden wall was slightly bent -thus allowing someone to pass through. Hesitating not, Rhysean forced himself through the opening, taking on of the knives from his back in the process. If there was trouble beyond this treshold, he would be ready.

[BlueberryKitty]

The board slid as easily for Rhysean as it had for the thief. Moving aside, it revealed a dark hole leading into the side of the building. The squeeze was tight, but easily managable for a boy like Rhysean. Inside, the darkness seemed all the more darker, but for the bright stream of light that flowed in through the opening. The board slid shut, blocking off some of that liquid light.

What little remained showed a narrow passageway leading between the inner wall and the outerwall of the building. The space between was there for insulation. The space was dirty and dusty, and a haze of floating particles littered the air. They seemed to be a little thicker toward his left, more sparse toward the right. The awful things also made Rhysean's eyes and nose itch with the desire to sneeze. There wasn't any movement to be heard, wherever the young thief had disappeared to she'd gotten there and was staying still. That, or he had the wrong place to begin with but that didn't seem likely. There hadn't been anywhere else where she could have gone.

The choices before him were left, right, or up. It was time to choose, and choose wisely.

[Rhysean B'veckss]

Dashing through the opening, Rhysean quickly looked to left and right as he hoped to find a trace of the thief. To his disappointment though, he found the passageway empty, save for dust lying around and dust fluttering through the air. Letting out a small curse, deeming it close to impossible to continue the pursuit without knowing which way the culprit had gone, Rhysean was fortunately struck by an idea. An idea which might prove crucial.

Sinking to one knee, Rhysean started to inspect the floor of the passageway. If he were lucky, he assumed, the stranger would have disturbed the carpet of dust that covered the floor, or perhaps footsteps would even be visible. Seeing the determination with which the figure had darted through the opening, it seemed not unlikely that this was a regularly used escape way. If fortune would be on his side, perhaps Rhysean could make a validated decision, rather than a wild guess.

In the end, whether finding clear signs or not, Rhysean would continue into the direction where the dust was disturbed the most. It was all he could go by at this point, after all.

[BlueberryKitty]

No footprints marred the dust settled on the 'floor' of the space between the walls. The only indication floated in the air, which might just lead Rhysean to the conclusion that the thief had climbed upwards instead of choosing left or right. However, the time it took for him to bend down and inspect the floor cost precious moments where the thief could be getting away.

Not that she was. For her, this had turned into almost a game as much as a means of making money. Very few had chased her this far, and none had bothered to tail her into her private sanctuary. This place was nearly unknown to all but a very few; and those few that knew it Blue trusted explicitly. Needless to say, she didn't trust the human boy following her one bit, but she was intrigued. She could hear him below, trying to decipher which way she'd gone. It took a moment or two, but at long last she decided to brush a few small pebbles from the top of the second floor, and let them bounce their way down the slats to the ground. If that didn't get him moving, then nothing would.

[Rhysean B'veckss]

Still inspecting the floor, hoping to find a trace of whom his was following, Rhysean suddenly heard something from above. And although puzzled at first, the youth instantly understood what had caused the noise as a small pebble landed on his head. So the thief had gone neither left nor right, and had instead ventured upwards into the building.

Rising, Rhysean looked up. The thought of the culprit having headed up had not seemed the most probable, yet the proof was sound. All he needed at this point was to figure out how exactly he was to ascend along the wall. Certainly there was some way to climb up or something, seeing the thief had managed to reach the second floor of the mysterious building in no time.

[BlueberryKitty]

The space between the two walls was a latticework of wooden slats that would have provided an easy way to ascend. They also had a tendency to obscure whatever might be overhead, and so Rhysean had no clue what it was he might be getting into if he chose to climb. Neither could the thief currently holding his pouch really see him either, but she could most assuredly hear his progress.

Waiting patiently, she didn't yet hear sounds of his climbing. Therefore, she backed away from the landing on the attic level where she was currently perched, finding a more suitable place to conceal herself until this one arrived. The attic too was a lacework of slats, most triangular in shape as they supported the slate roof overhead. They presented an interesting maze to those who were unfamiliar with such places.

[Rhysean B'veckss]

Bracing himself, Rhysean started to slowly ascend across the wall. Not an easy task for an unexperienced climber, but he was determined to reach the attic that was overhead. That, after all, was where he would find whoever had stolen his pouch and visa. Only halfway did he realise the vulnerable position he was in, anyone from above able to drop whatever they pleased right on his head. Rhysean pushed on nevertheless though, hoping that the thief would not decide on stopping him at this point. Sofar, the character had primarily been occupied with fleeing, and would have had earlier opportunities to harm him.

Reaching the attic after a tedious climb, the youth crouched as he looked around. A frown formed on his face as he inspected the maze of woodwork that he was now facing. Not only would it be difficult to move through, but the attic proved ample opportunities for someone to hide from view. It seemed his search would continue for just a bit longer.

Bringing out the knife again, which he had replaced during the climb, Rhysean tried to decide which way to start looking. The idea of the disarranged dust once more seemed a good starting point, and before rising somewhat he inspected the floor of the attic closely. If there would be traces of earlier activity, he would follow them. If not, he would start his search at the left of the attic and gradually make his way along the back and to the right. Effectively he would be making a small circle.