Serving Notice

[Deleted]

Marcus swore under his breath. Somehow, when the soldiers came out, one of them had gotten him by surprise, the sound of men running and fighting masking his approach. And sheer surprise had allowed them to get Marcus in shackles, and pinned up against the wall.

Now, the soldiers turned their attention elsewhere, and Marcus tugged at the shackles. He growled when they didn't give way. Both hands were bolted to the wall, so he couldn't attempt to try and pick the lock, not that he had any lock picks with him. He wasn't a theif.

Sighing in frustration, he looked around, scanning the crowd. He didn't particularly want to cause panic, by simply tugging the shackles loose, and there were too many people around, watching him. Particularly him, as he had been one of the initial brawlers in the fight.

As he glanced around, he caught sight of a ... strange woman, leaning against a wall. She was smiling, amused, which was what had caught his eye initially. Then, her eyes. They were red, which wasn't something one normally saw...

He stared at her, intently, hardly gicing thought to the shackles, or the commotion being cuased by a young boy and some soldiers a little way down the street.

[Ashard]

When the general made jokes at Ashard's expence and laughed at them as well, the keeper simply smiled. His eyes sparkled with joy as he saw the general so happy, this was weird for him, but he knew very well that the general was not used to openly joking and laughing so in Ash's mind this was a good thing.

"I still need to get used to this. Surely this is the first time you've ever had a momentary change of heart isn't it?" When Cassius asked the question the ghost frowned a slight as he lowerd his chin into the palm of his hand as he thought for a moment. He had to figure out a way to explain himself in a way that the man before him could easily grasp.

"Let's put it this way." Ash started as his hand moved slowly away from his chin and he rubbed his cheeks. "It's not really a change of heart as I've never had anything against the living. Just those that go to the graveyard always make a mess and are most always pains in the rear. So I like to have some fun with them. Adrenalin is good for humans in certain amounts anyway." He grinned slyly, he knew what he said was true, he was not makin' it up and these certain facts about the living made him giddy. "So a fright now and then is actually postive for them if you look at it that way. And I never hurt them, just scare them, so no real harm done."

Scratching his head he continued onto another angle of the question, "As for if this is the first time that I have helped the living. The answer to that is no. I have helped different people young and old on several occasions though most of the time they had no clue I was even there. Depends on the circumstance really. But I supose one would have to actually talk with me or observe me over time in order to know these things. And most can't do that so they assume I'm a pain all the time. My friends can attest to this by the way."

He looked about a bit, thinking he had nothing more to add then realised he did so he quickly inserted, "Depends largely on the circumstances really."

[fyrhtu]

Fyrhtu snickered, then quickly covered it with a cough as a soldier looked her way. All of the fighting men had been captured, and some of them were foolishly trying to escape.

Combined with the large general talking to the smaller ghost man and the temporarily floating small boy, it was in fact very funny to the outsider. She glanced around at all of the men who'd been shackled, and saw that the original boy who'd bumped into the red-faced man was staring intendly at her. Specifically, her eyes, which would have made a normal human girl blush and cause her to tint a bit.

Then, of course, she realized he was staring at her eyes because they were red, not because they were beautiful or she was beautiful or any of the other increibly naive reasons that had been running through her mind.

He wants to escape, and he realizes I'm not normal, Fyrhtu thought. Smart boy.

[Deleted]

Marcus noticed when the woman looked back at him, and, now looking directly into her eyes, gave her a measuring look.

After a second, he winked, and flicked his head in a 'come over here gesture'. He could get out on his own, using brute force to drag the shackles out of the all, but that would take too long, and cause too much of a disturbance.

But if he could get her to help.. if she would.... Marucs hoped she would. She wasn't human - she was different, like he was. She could get him out with less of a stir, and then maybe he could get to know her a bit more afterwards.

It would be nice to get to know someone else who wasn't exactly human.

[fyrhtu]

Fyrhtu watched as the boy flicked his head slightly and grinned. He did want her help.

She had suddenly, apparently, transformed into a girl. Her heart was racing and her cheeks were flushed. her breathing was quick and adrenaline was pumping through her veins. She removed her foot from its position on the wall and took a step toward the boy.

Wait, a voice said, What am I doing? Risking getting thrown in jail over a boy? Like that would ever happen! Commense sense regaining control, she placed her foot back onto the wall and tossed her hair playfully.

If he wants my help, he'll have to get it the hard way.

[Deleted]

Marcus watched hopefully as the unusual - and attractive - girl lifted one foot from the wall, and seemed as if she were about to come over.

Then watched as she replaced her foot against the wall, leaning back and tossing her hair.

She wants me to do it the hard way, way doesn't she? Hethought wryly.

Well, for a girl such as she, he could make some sacrifices.

He made puppy eyes, and his lower lip trembled in a pathetic way,giving him a look of innocence, and need.

Please? His eyes said, silently begging for help.

[fyrhtu]

Please? Fyrhtu heard in a begging voice.

Oh, great, now I can read minds, she thought grumpily. Discovering new powers was not fun.

The boy's lower lip shook and his eyes were bugged slightly in an attempt to look pure and innocent.

Nice try. She grinned coyly. But a little harder.

Fyrhtu placed her hands behinf her head and leaned casually against the wall, relaxing. I wonder how far he'll go for help.

[Cassius Ado Virtus]

"Depends upon the circumstances does it?" Cassius raised an eyebrow at the ghost, "And what circumstances would you call these exactly?" He asked the spectral apparition that floated only a few feet in front of him, shimmering in the light.
Cassius glanced to his right, looking over the row of shackled and chained prisoners, many of which had looks of abject despair on their faces as they pondered their impending punishments. Some however, wore looks that dripped with malice, or almost burned with desperation as they attempted in vain to free themselves. One man though, wore a pleading expression as he gazed down the street at a young woman who leant casually against a wall, her arms behind her head and a smirk on her face. Cassius looked the two over, before deciding to have a word with the unfortunate fellow whose wrists and ankles were encased in iron.
"I think I'll want to find out exactly now what all this was about." Cassius said absently, half to himself, half to Ashard. With long, heavy paces the heavily armoured General made his way down the street, approaching the black clad brawler from the opposite direction to the way he was facing, as he gazed pleadingly at the young woman down the street. Cassius stepped in front of him, the General's rather large shadow falling on his unwilling guest, so that he looked like a dark, faceless silhouette.
"You there, your attention, if you would be so kind." Cassius said, in a voice that seemed flat and irritated, but not overly hostile.

[Ashard]

“This is when all seriousness is required. I like to have fun, not cause trouble or crimes.” The keeper paused to look at the general for a moment as though half realising who he was talking to. “And by trouble I don't mean things that are simply bothersome but things that are bad you know?”

While Ash had been replying to Cassius's question, the general had been taking a look about as all good soldiers do and then said quietly, "I think I'll want to find out exactly now what all this was about." The grave keeper followed not far behind knowing full well what the general was refering too as the ghost had three people in his view that he was watching carefully; the general, the male that was the start of the comotion and the female that had laughed at him earlier during his stupidity. He knew very well that an escape was being planned but nothing was actually being put into action so he'd not said anything to Cassius.

Ashard figured the best game plan for the moment was to allow the general of the armies to finish the conversation that he just started. If his help would be needed, the ghost would step in.

[Deleted]

She really wants me to do this the hard way doesn't she?

Marcus emitted a small whine, accentuating the action so that if she couldn't hear, she could still see his movements, and tell what he was doing.

A moment later, a shadow fell across his face.

"You there, your attention, if you would be so kind."

Marucs turned, and looked, trying to make out the figures' features - it was hard, as the sun was positioned right behind the man, so there was hardly any light to make out his face.

"Why certainly." Marcus said, with a near-impertinent tone. "You have my attention. But did you wish my undevided attetnion, or may I kindly only offer you half of my attention?"

He knew that statement was more than likely going toget him in trouble - but he said it anyways. Marucs had an unfortunate habit of contradicting authority.

And this man was certainly authority. It was the way he carried himself, and the way he spoke. There was no question - this man was more than a mere soldier. Certainly an officer of some sort, and certainly high in ranks.

Maybe even a general...

A small voice in Marcus' mind pondered. But there was only one general - the great Cassius 'Iron-Fist'. But why on earth would he ever involve himself in something as un-important as a street brawl, when there were rumours of war going around?

[fyrhtu]

Fyrhtu watched as the general marched up, the same she had seen convresing in the Entrance Hall. He had a permanently-iron look about him, as though he were a sculture brought to life.

She tried to warn the boy, but he was too busy vieing for freedom to notice a thing. We whimpered, she could hear, and smiled. Perhaps she would help him after all.

"You there, your attention, if you would be so kind," the General boomed. The boy looked around behind him, and Fyrhtu could tell from his face he'd said something smart-alecky.

Well, if he manages to get out of this, he's worthy of my attention, I suppose, Fyrhtu thought sardonically.

She took a few steps toward the general and the boy, enough so that she could help the latter, but just short of the amount as to alert the former of her motives.

[Ashard]

Without a warning, Ashard was gone from sight. Though no one could see him lurking about he was indeed still there.

He did not know exactly what the girl's intentions were but judging by the way she looked at the chained man, he was not about to let anything get by.

Comming up behind her, still in his invisible form, he started to whisper in her right ear with an eerie tone, "Do you know what you're about to do?" Moving quickly and instantly to her left ear he continued with the same low and creepy voice, "Do you know what's good for you?"

[fyrhtu]

"Do you know what you're about to do?"

The voice whispered suddenly and creepily into her ear. She gasped as it said, "Do you know what's good for you?" in her other ear. She twisted around to see who had shocked her, and she saw no one nearby.

Then it came to her. The ghost. The one who had been talking to the General earlier on. despite her flushed cheeks, she grinned. I must look like a lunatic to everyone around me, spinning around crazily and such, she thought, and her smile widened. I won't let him get to me.

"Well, these are two different matters. What is good for me is not always what I must do, you see," Fyrhtu said philosophically. The prisoners around her looked at her strangely, but she shrugged them off.

[Ashard]

The keeper thought it to be rather amusing that she spun around like a crazy to then reply to his questions.

An eerie laugh slowly got louder and louder though not so much as to be heard by all around them. The laughter was directed at the female that stood not two feet from the ghost and it stopped sudenly right before he replied to her statement in a very low tone, not audible to any but her. "If what you must do is something that would cause trouble. You can be assured it won't be easy. Not only do you have the fully trained soldiers of Karador as well as the general of the armies to go through, but you have me as well." He stoped talking for a bit as the eerie laughter started up again to then finish his mini speach, "Do what you have to do. I will do do what I have to." His face apeared before her for a very brief moment as he spoke his last words, and he winked at her in that moment with a wicked grin in his eyes.

[fyrhtu]

Fyrhtu gaped as the ghost spoke, telling her of duties. She was about to reply when his face appeared in front of her, scaring her silly. She gasped yet again, but quieter this time, so that he could not hear.

Now, though, she had a reasonable motive to save the boy.

"I will help him, sir, and you shan't stop me," she said confidently, ignoring the looks everyone was now directing at her.