Aeternita: Nita walks towards the capital city of Anthem, her steps filled with purpose. Empire patrols grow more regular, but she's not swayed, the fire in her heart has been raging within her since the massacre and it was the end of her running in fear. She won't stand by, she won't be enslaved, no one will be again if she could help it. She had no plan, no knowledge of how she'd be able to accomplish her goal...she just knew where it will begin, and that's with the monster who ordered the slaughter of the innocent. Her fists ball up as she thinks on that scene, it's long been burnt into her mind and it swells the determination in her. The city limits approach, he face always obscured by the hood of her cloak as she steps closer with an almost dangerous level of blind confidence.
Esylana: The city rises in the distance. It is a beautiful sight, a gleaming city of white stone, and gold accents that simply glimmers in the spring sunlight by the sea - and the sea stretches to the north in a shimmering array of deep blues. It's such a beautiful sight, surrounded by its deep evergreen forests, one could almost forget the travesties that were left behind in the small ravaged village of Darshire. The road winds down into the rolling hills of a valley, a blue river wending its way through the countryside. Mountains in the distance towards the northwest still hold all the snow from winter, however, and their grey peaks give an air of majestic mystery. Anthem city, heart of Valanice and home of the Grand Library...and home of House Castellan.
Aeternita: She enters into the city, thoughts of how to proceed, fears of consequences, everything that could go right, all that could go wrong...it all just spins in her head as she, very much in her own head, walks. In her march she finds herself just outside the home of the Castellans. She raises her gaze to it from her spot on the city street, if only she had magic...she'd bring down the walls from around them and see to it they never felt safe again, the way she and all magical beings feel everyday. But, she can't...she looks at her hands, her fingers curling in frustration that she's here, but unable to get the revenge those poor souls deserve.
Esylana: The city is simply alive. With sights, colors, sounds, smells. It's actually quite beautiful, and if Nita would take a moment to look around, what she would see would seem to be the opposite of everything she'd seen so far in the Empire. The people look free. And happy. And even those who are non-human seem to walk without too much fear, going about their daily lives. It's almost as if the city of Anthem were a completely different world. It doesn't add up, really. How could one small village suffer so, when the city itself seems to be a just, and wonderful place. Near Nita, there stands a guard clad in Crimson and gold-plated armor, his helmet on his head and visor down, hiding his face. He doesn't seem to pay her mind, simply watching the street for any signs of trouble.
Aeternita: Her tunnel vision on the way in blocked all the activity around her, it's only now that she's reached her destination that her senses start to seek back into normalcy...the chatter of passers by, children running through the streets. She turns back away from the affluent home and to the people...the happy, busy people. Their carefree attitudes almost makes her sick...with all the suffering in the world, everything she's seen and experienced...this, in the city where death is dealt out absent mindedly to those with lives so much harder...Was it the fault of these citizens? Of course not...but their contentment, their lack of rage while it goes on out of their sight, to simply allow it to happen, is unforgivable. Maybe fear kept them silent. Her thought is quickly ended as an elvish man walks by just chatting to his human companion. Nita's hands clutch her heart...his people suffer through the world and he's smiling. What is this place of nonchalance and blissful ignorance??
Esylana: "Can I help you, miss?" a somewhat cheerful voice greeted her, and she would suddenly see a woman, clad in Imperial armor, coming towards her. As she gets closer, Nita would suddenly see...it's the same woman who had helped her months ago, Pandred. She has a smile on her face, and looks friendly as ever, though still stern. She has a sword at her side, as before, sheathed and her cloak blows behind her in the light breeze. The Crimson guard beside Nita doesn't seem to respond to her presence, however, as if he didn't fall under her command in the slightest.
Aeternita: She turned towards the familiar voice, her body tensing slightly and her head low to obscure her face. "N-no Ma'am...I'm okay thank you." She then turned on her heels and tried to walk away from the encounter, hoping the woman wouldn't pursure her questioning any further. She didn't know she was a fae from their first meeting and she wanted it to stay that way. Praying that she can move on in peace and that it wouldn't turn into a drawn out conversation.
Esylana: It would seem that Pandred was about to let the fae go on her way, when she suddenly paused. "A moment, miss...you sound familiar...have we met before, perhaps?" The armored woman started to follow Nita, tilting her head in curiosity as she reached out to rest a steady hand on her shoulder. Meanwhile, a pair of rag-a-muffins were playing tag, one of them an elf, the other clearly a human. It was at this moment that the human tripped and fell as the elf accidently barrelled into them, sending the human sprawling into the mud. Pandred was briefly distracted by the commotion.
Aeternita: She stops dead in her tracks, cringing at the sound of the woman calling out to her. She shews lightly on her lower lip, debating if she should lie or just run. Turning to the sounds of the children's scuffling, she stumbles back as she's pushed by the small elven boy. As she tries to steady herself her hood falls back, her hair flowing out from the cloak as she turns wide eyed to the large female Soldier. Her fearful amythst eyes lock on her, before she turns on her heels and sprints down the road.
Esylana: "Wh-...hey...hey, wait a second!" Pandred calls out, before she cries, "Stop! I know you. Come back!" Her voice is quickly lost, as the crowd grows thick around Nita, the city's natural flow engulfing her and carrying her away from the woman who could've cause more trouble for Nita, than have helped. She'd soon find herself down a thriving market street that was simply -filled- with all sorts of exotic and rich goods. Mouthwatering smells from foodstalls, colorful trinkets and baubles, a variety of useful, every day items. Somehow, this city was thriving beyond what would normally be expected.
Aeternita: She ignores the womans calls and pushes through the crowd, her hood still down as she fights against the congestion of shoppers. It's not until she finds an ally that she turns off the busy thuroughfare, pressing he rback to the building wall panting. Her body courses with adrenaline and she's not sure if the woman took chase or not. She pulls her hood back up and peers out around the corner, squinting as she tries to mak eout faces through the dense crowd.
Esylana: There are too many people, it's too dense. But people are still chattering and shopping, and happy. It's true. This city is a small paradise in a world that is, at times, far too harsh to even consider. Nita might even feel safer here, if it weren't for the repeated memories of Darshire and its grim fate wafting incessently across her mind, relentless. As if some outside force would not let the poor fae forget.
Aeternita: The happy smiles were like an insult to her, the horrible way those people were killed and yet there's not mourning, no talk of the travesty their Lord brought about. She breifly wondered if they were even aware. if they weren't it's just another reason to hate the way things are run, the royals acting their own agendas without so much as considering their public. All of it made her furious but still she was no closer to finding a way to enact her plan. She then has a thought, there must be travelers coming to the city and if she made it to an inn or tavern she might find people who have the same anger she does. Again she peers out of the alley before merging with the crowd, hoping the locals are as forgiving to magical folk as they appear.
Esylana: No one seems to notice her, or care. They're going about their daily lives, as "enchanted" as they might seem. Oh, sure, there's the occasional nagging wife, or the scolding mother to an errant child, but overall, these sorts of troubles are to be expected. She even briefly might catch sight of a pair of the crimson-clad guard arresting a vagabond for doing something underhanded. Nothing she sees is outside the norms of a thriving and healthy city. She would eventually come to a lively tavern, the merry sound of drinking and song wafting into the street from within - the sun is setting in the distance and night shall soon be upon the beautiful city.
Aeternita: She walked in, the warmth against her skin was relaxing and the tension of being exposed in the streets is lifted as soon as she entered. It's also at this time she realizes she's going to need a place to spend the night, but alas...she still has no coin to her name. She approached the bar and took a seat, flapping her long cloak behind her so it wouldn't get caught. She lifted her head, her eyes cast in shadow from the hood over her head as she tried to summon the bartender.
Esylana: The bartender would make his way over, a sour-looking man, rather thin and sallow looking, and he would reek heavily of the grog he sold in his establishment, his eyes wandering the lovely lady before him, before he asks, "What'll it, doll?" She might notice behind him the wanted billboard, images of Esylana and various others plastered over it...along with a fairly accurate drawing of herself. Apparently, the Empress has not given up her search for Nita.
Esylana: "Oh yeah, ya noticed that, huh?" the bartender chuckles, grabbing a nearby glass and rubbing it with his towel. The glass looks like it's been there...expressly for this purpose, actually. To be cleaned while the bar tender runs his mouth. And run it he does. "So that Lorian Castellan fellow, yeah? He lives all high and mighty like them noble do, but he gots a system, too. Don't care if you're human or not, if you can work and pull your weight, then you get what you earn. Slaves becomin' masters, and the likes. It's crazy, ain't seen nothin' like it. But I tell's ya, the morale - what a boost." He pauses, tossing a welcoming nod to a pair of soldiers who come in, taking their helmets off and finally looking like they're relaxing after a long day of patrolling. "Folks hope he might find a way to bring the Empire 'round. Make it a better place for everyone. But I don't care - I gots my business, and I gots my money, and as long as his system keeps my purse filled, then that's good enough for me," he chuckles, twinkle in his eye.
Aeternita: She just gives a gentle nod, she wonders if the Empress knows he runs his city this way. Turning and looking over her shoulder at the soldiers and then at the poster hanging on the wall, she decides this isn't the place for her to be. "Thank you so much Sir, i just remembered i have a prior engagement...I'll be sure to come by again for a proper meal." She slides off her stool carefully and trying her best to just seem inconspicuous she heads for the door. Her heart pounding so loud she's afraid everyone can hear it over the noise of the tavern, she just knew that was her face hanging on the wall not 15 feet away from Empire Soldiers..
Esylana: The soldiers are laughing and merry-making, they don't even seem to notice the fae as she slips by them, even if a slight turn of their head would easily reveal to them that her face is a perfect match for the wanted poster on the wall. But they're busy getting drunk, their shift is done, so why worry? The night air is chilly, but people are still out enjoying it, a pair of lovers here and there on each others arm.
Aeternita: She lets out a soft calming breath as she walks out without incident, pulling her cloak around her to brace herself from the bite in the air. She begins walking down the empty street, wondering what she's even doing here...she's no closer to avenging those who died needlessly, or bringing justice for other nonhumans. She lifted her eyes upward, the top of the home of the Castellans popping up over the roof the nearby roofs. She'd find a way...if it took her weeks or months or years, she'd find a way. She turned down a seemingly isolated alley and leaned against a wall. She then slowly lowered herself to her rear, pulling her knees to her chest. What could she do with no money and no one to support her...she missed Esy.
Esylana: And in her moment of despair, facing down such a daunting task, she would hear it. The sound that, probably -should- have been there all along, but wasn't. And it wasn't necessarily a pleasant thing for it to finally rear its ugly head. It did not matter how much Lorian Castellan held to his system and enforced his own values and morals upon the city - there would always be racism and corruption. There was a panicked sound down the alleyway as a young cloaked woman hurried, bundle in her arm. She froze, seeing Nita's crouched form, before turning and dashing down another side street - the soft sound of a baby suddenly coming from her retreating form. Behind her, not paying Nita any mind, was a pair of soldiers - clearly drunk from the way they were loud and laughing, and -very- clearly up to no good.
Aeternita: Her eyes darted to the woman, her brow furrowing before her head snapped to the sound of clanking armor in pursuit. She didn't think, she just acted and as the two passed she jumped up, pushing off the wall and throwing her shoulder into the nearest soldier, she hits them with a grunt. The air blows her hood back as she advances, practically bouncing off of them as she makes impact. She stands there face exposed, gripping her shoulder just hoping she bought the woman a safe escape.
Esylana: The soldier is caught completely off guard as he stumbles into the wall, hits it, and then trips drunkenly over himself and onto the ground. "What the-?" his companion, briefly forgetting the pursuit, turns to stare at the woman, before his brow furrows in rage. "How dare you interfere in Imperial matters," he starts, reaching out to grab at Nita - he's reaching for her throat, and if she doesn't move fast, he might get hold of her.
Aeternita: She tries to side step the Soldiers grip, hoping his drunken state will slow his reaction time and if she's able to get away she'll take off in the direction they came from, away from the woman who was fleeing in the first place.
Esylana: She's successful, and soon they're chasing her as best as they can in their drunken stupor down the street and out into the open. Now there are eyes turning to catch the commotion, and people are giving her a wide berth. The guards quickly try to pull themselves under some sort of control, one saying loudly, "Halt, you are under arrest in the name of the Empire, and of his Lordship, Lorian Castellan."