The Unknown Character

"Do it, I dare you, come after me and get your throat turn out. Or even better, run away, and Vix gets to 'accidently' tear yo-" He grunted in pain. "You *not nice thing to call someone*." Davian mumbled senselessly. The captain panicked, charging the girl. Finally, Davian's partner got closer, and started analyzing the scene.

Davian sucked in a breath, stumbling back. A not quite animal bark sounded, and a bloodhound jumped onto Myrto's back, attempting to pin him down. Another man that Davian, who's vision was starting to grow stars, charged forward with a short spear in hand. He pointed it at the attacking girl, saying, "If you want any chance in the Broken Hells of living, you'll let go of him, put your hand behind you head and get on your knees. Davian's partner came running over, obviously slower than the other man.

"Hey, it's okay, I don't want to hurt you." That was what you were supposed to say, right? And then they let you take them in and the smart people deal with them. For some reason, Davian doubted it would be that easy.

Davian looked up. Had he heard something up ahead? He paused listening but didn't hear anything else. He dismissed it and searched the closer bushes, but it was more cursory with each one, hurrying to where he imagined the sound as coming from. Finally, he arrived, but looking around it he saw nothing. Disappointed, he began to move on, but he saw movement in the corner of his eye. It was slight, but not the natural stirring of the bushes. He turned back to look more closer, and saw a pair fighting in a clump he had barely looked at in his hurry to reach his perceived target. Unfortunately, his lack of training caught up to him, and he let out a victorious shout, alerting the two.

Davian turned around the corner, scrambling to not lose him, but he was gone. "Break it all!" What was he going to tell Darund? That he hadn't been able to catch some random gambler who was probably drunk? That wouldn't do, Davian stepped forward to investigate. He would have been able to see the man if he had gone straight, and there weren't any turns up ahead, so slowly but thoroughly he checked the bushes.

When the sunlight glinted off of the red spear tip, the majority of Davian's mind quieted. Some stupid parts tried to come up theories, but he pushed them aside, sprinting to catch up. Suddenly, he wished for a Metalbound's enhanced legs. He constantly wished for the powers of the various Bound, but could never choose just one. But he was making ground, slowly but surely.

Davian stumbled back, nearly bowled over by the running man. Why is he in such a hurry? Just as he thought, a man came out of a tavern shouting. Seeing the guards, he yelled, pointing at the fleeing man, "Hey, he just stabbed me. Go catch him!" Davian looked to his partner. Well, his partner who made sure he didn't mess up for the next month while he got started. "What are you waiting for? Go catch him." The graying man leaned against the wall, a bemused smile dancing underneath his well trimmed beard. So, Davian started running. Of course, those thoughts that always plagued his mind, racing without a care in the world. How did they even know this man was telling the truth? What if the other man was running for some unrelated reason, and this guy just thought it was funny to make the Guard chase after him. So Davian yelled after the fleeing man, "Stop in the name of the Cou-!" He cut off. Who was it in the name of these days? There was no way Captain Jarmin would let that fly. "In the name of the City Guard." That worked, right?

"Hmm, yes. And who are your people? Judging from the accent, not one of the Civilized Nations?" There was no way that this man, Valence, was from one of the Nations, but it was best to get a truth and a lie to have something to base future interactions on.

Atadin pondered at the accent. Was this man from outside the Civilized Nations? Travelers were common enough in Coulforrin, back before Vithankre had taken power, though those from outside the Nations were always rare anywhere. People had been nervous for a while, and were just starting to trickle back in. "I like to meet the new recruits when I have the time, but unfortunately my schedule doesn't allow for it. Today I was already interviewing a recruit for the Investigative Squad, so I figured I could interview you as well." He lied with the ease and efficiency of a man that got his money from a government that kept its purse strings tight. "Now tell me," Atadin gestured to his own eyes, "how are you Bound?"

Atadin looked at the eyes. Always look at the eyes. Blue, so soul... he mentally trailed off. The man's eyes were different colors. Already on the wrong foot, he hesitated for a moment. "Um, hello." He hadn't looked at the information the man had given the Guard, but Atadin had heard that something odd was going on with him.