Name: Tobi
Age: about 100 (elves age slowly)
Race: Half-elf
Appearance:
History: Tobi was born in a small village outside any of the major countries. His father raised him, and since his father didn't ever get along well with anyone else, they lived alone. His mother had vanished shortly after he was born. Though he and his father are fairly close, Tobi has decided to go travel and see the world, and what it has to offer.
Other: He knows some magic, he has been trained in defensive (and sometimes offensive) combat using whatever weapons around, along with many forms of martial arts and other self-defense methods.

Name: Zander (Z)
Age: About 3000 give or take a few decades
Race: Demon
Appearance:
History: Zander was raised as a normal demon, until it was discovered that she specialized in making potions and such things for other people. So she spent much of her time working on making things for others, at least until she got away from that life. Temporarily.
Other: Zander doesn't play well with others, generally, but when she likes someone she gets along with them famously.

Name: Sinclair Morgan
Age: Unknown, but is estimated to be young.
Race: Elf
Appearance:

History: Not much is known about Sinclair’s history. He has amnesia, and the last thing he can remember is being dropped off in the middle of a bustling street in Lilamayi, the Elven Kingdom, alone. The only things from his past he vividly remembers are faint memories of two friends that were once very dear to him. He is mute and communicates through his body language and motions. He’s a timid man with many fears and few friends.
Other: Sinclair is a master of water and ice magic and manipulation, though he hasn’t had much control over these powers since he lost his memories. Things often end up blowing up in his face. He has fairy-like, papery wings, highly coveted in the elven world.


Name: Cinnabar Rosalind
Age: Unknown, but is definitely very old, judging by his attitude and intellect.
Race: Half-Elf, Half-Demon
Appearance:

History: Cinnabar has manually erased his own history from the world. No one seems to know where he’s been, or who he’s been. He is a very enigmatic, unemotional man with a bad attitude and loads of pride. He often chases people away to avoid getting too close to them. Cinnabar lives alone in Polydeuce and is a simple merchant…or is he?
Other: Cinnabar was once a great warrior of some sort—that he cannot erase from his past. He carries weaponry on him at all times—his favorite being a very large broadsword and sometimes takes on mercenary-like missions for extra money on the side. Cinnabar is one of the dear friends Sinclair is seeking.

Tobi looked around the town as he arrived, putting his hands in his pockets and keeping his word at his side. He'd never been here before, didn't know anyone, didn't know where anything was. But he knew enough to keep himself alive.

For instance, he knew to avoid the small clusters of people, avoid bumping anyone, avoid getting his purse stolen by a little thief boy. But he didn't try to kill the thief either. That would attract attention, and attention was not always a good thing.

Instead, he made his way to the nearest pub. That was the most likely place to find information, the kind of information he was looking for. A good, somewhat safe place to sleep, a place to buy a good horse, and hopefully even get a good drink to go with it all.

The only thing he hadn't been expecting, however, was the sheer number of people and other beings. He hadn't counted on that. He would have to be more careful in this place.

Zander lounged outside in the sunlight, the pink highlight in her hair bright under the sun, her tattoos attracting lots of attention. Unlike Tobi, she didn't care if people saw her or not. She didn't care if someone tried to start a fight with her, because she knew she could finish it. And finish them.

Stretching lazily, she watched people go by idly, placing names with the faces of those who lived here, memorizing the faces of the travelers. One in particular caught her interest; an elf who seemed to be doing his level best to avoid attracting attention. She paid special attention to his face and clothing; perhaps she'd pay him a visit later.

But, for the moment, she was warm and content to just let the world go by, like a warm, happy snake after a meal. She yawned, briefly showing sharp teeth, before she settled farther back into her seat. She'd go do things later, once it got a little cooler out and she needed the movement to keep warmer. Not that she actually needed the warmth, naturally, but she liked being warm.

((I'm really sorry for the long delay. I had a summer project to do, and I just returned from vacation with my family. :( ))

Inside the pub--the only one in town--the most attention, to the female employees' dismay, was being given to a young man draped in a light blue cloak. He'd made the mistake of pulling his hood down, revealing big, sweet baby blue eyes and an innocent face.

He was of elven blood. It was obvious, just by looking at him.

He was keeping to himself, timidly, in one of the back corners of the pub. At least...he was trying to. He was getting many lusty stares from some of the older, regular patrons. He was trying to ignore them. He'd asked for a glass of water, and he would be on his way soon.

He was sitting alone.

One of the regular patrons was the mysterious merchant, who lived down the street. 'Mysterious' because he rarely spoke to the townspeople, and had no friends or family to speak of.

It was rumored that this one was a powerful warrior of some sort, who had once served and deserted the Agnimitran army. He certainly had the cool demeanor of a hired blade--an assassin, of sorts.

He had come in and sat down, not even bothering to order. The bartender had simply gone to fetch his usual drink.

((it's fine. I figured you just got busy was all. I know how that goes ^^))

Tobi entered the pub and pushed the hood of his cloak back, glancing around swiftly. When he saw no immediate threats, he moved farther back, ordering a mug of mead to drink. He sipped at the mead, a little surprised at the taste of it, before he shrugged and sipped again. He'd never had mead before.

A glance out of the corner of his eye showed him that there was another of the elven kind among the group, and he blinked. He hadn't been expecting an elf way out here. His father had never mentioned other elves coming out this way. Then again, maybe he just hadn't known.

Whatever the reason, there was an elf there now, and Tobi was rather curious. He'd had very little interaction with others of his kind. He glanced at the elf with the bright blue eyes before giving him a quirk of the lips that passed for a half-smile and a tip of his mug.

Zander stretched before she got up to go follow the half-elf into the pub, mostly to see if there was anything interesting going on. She was getting bored fairly quickly, and that was never a good sign for anyone involved.

Stepping into the pub, she went up to the owner and ordered her drink before sauntering over to find a place to sit. There were only a few empty places; one next to the half-elf she'd followed, one in the back next to a timid-looking elf, and one next to a stranger she'd never seen before. A brief furrow of her brows was her only indication of confusion at the latter two; neither of them registered with her. And timid men bored her, made her want to scare them even more, so she went over to the mystery man, standing behind a seat across from him.

"Mind if I take this seat?"

The young man noticed him, and shifted in his seat, curious and a bit uncomfortable. He had grown up among elves...but most of the time, when they ventured out here, it was to escape imprisonment or join a group of bandits. Or to receive training as an assassin.

He turned his big blue eyes on Tobi for a moment. There were many emotions in them--fear, mistrust, and a hint of curiosity--before he averted his gaze once more. He smiled slightly when he received his water and sipped at it, slowly. He didn't like taking drinks from strangers, so he always checked them out, first.

"No."

The stranger didn't glance at her, not even to see if she was a possible threat to him. Quite a lot of confidence, this one showed. The bartender noticed that this man's bright red eyes--wild and violent, but somehow emotionless--were fixed on him, and he hurried to fix his drink up.

There was a large broadsword across this half-breed's back...but he was wearing no armor to back up this unspoken threat he was carrying with him. Just the sword.

Tobi drank his mead slowly, glancing around. He made a few casual inquiries with people passing by him, to see where he could find a good place to stay the night, and got a few varied answers. But most people seemed to think one place in particular was good.

Deciding to check out that place a little later, Tobi leaned back a bit, his eyes half-closed. The halfling didn't need to keep an eye on everyone; his father had trained him well to be ready to face any threat. He wasn't concerned, not really. Which, he thought wryly, would probably be his undoing one day. Pride goeth, and all that.

Zander grinned and took the seat, stretching her legs out off to the side. "I don't think I've seen you before," she commented idly, her eyes memorizing his face almost automatically. "You have a name you'd care to share, or shall I just call you princess?"

She couldn't help but grin. It was so much fun, to poke sleeping bears like this one. She figured he had the potential for violence, he seemed to have the will for it, but she didn't know if he'd act on it. Only a fool would start a fight over something small like that, but she wanted to know more about this man. She needed to know if he was a fool or not, so she could categorize him properly.

The young man in the back was just starting to pay up for the water he'd ordered. Once he did so, he stood up, gathering up his things, so he could leave. When he turned around...

...he came face-to-face with a tall, menacing-looking man. The man was swaying back and forth slightly, drunk out of his mind. He grabbed the boy's arm, tightly, "Where're you goin'? Stay a while..." A few of his buddies nearby were slowly rising from their seats, wolfish grins on their faces. They were laughing and whispering amongst themselves.

The boy made a strangled sort of squeaking sound, very soft, and tried to pull his arm away, immediately sensing danger. The man seemed to be too strong for him.

"You may have, and you may have not." The man's crimson eyes flickered to her, alertly. His eyes were piercing, like they could almost see through the people they were fixed on. They seemed brighter, since his skin was so deathly pale.

"Cinnabar. I'm not a woman," he added, the corners of his mouth twitching downward, slightly. He didn't look offended. In fact, he looked like he was tired of being mistaken for a woman.

"He was coming with me," Tobi said, stepping in when he saw the row brewing. "Sorry, boys, but he's with me. You'll have to find someone else to party with." He slung an arm around the elf's shoulders to keep up appearances.

Normally he wouldn't go saving people like this, but he was curious and he was feeling charitable. Besides, he hated seeing people picked on by jerks and bullies like these guys. They usually needed to be knocked down a few pegs, and he'd be glad to do the knocking.

Zarek laughed a little. "I didn't mistake you as a girl," she said with a smile. "I was trying to see if you'd rise to the bait."

Sitting up straight, she crossed her arms under her chest, looking him straight in the eyes, her own dark gray ones flashing. "So, Cinnabar. I'm Zarek. Nice to meet you."

Seeing that he was a half-breed--and a particularly cocky-looking one--the men were cautious. The boy looked up at Tobi, eyes bigger than they had been before. He looked...frightened...of him. Then again, he'd seemed frightened of everyone in the pub.

"What if I buy him off of you?" The man slurred, eyes narrowed. He wanted that boy. He'd pay up everything in his coin purse to have him.

"Hm." Cinnabar didn't seem to share her pleasure. He wasn't a very social person. He turned away and quietly accepted his drink when the bartender handed it to him. There was no legal drinking age in Polydeuce. He was happy for that, since he was only nineteen.

He sipped at his drink, absently. "You are not from this area?" he asked, idly.

"Sorry, not going to happen," Tobi said with a wolfish grin. "He's mine, boys, and I don't share." He gently pulled the elf away from the men, positioning himself between the two parties in case things got nasty. It looked like they would. He almost hoped they did. At least then he'd have some entertainment.

"Now, gentlemen, if you'll excuse us..." Tobi tried to pull the elf away again.

Zarek grinned briefly. "Originally? No, I'm not from around here. But I've been here for a while." She shrugged briefly.

Seeing that he wasn't particularly chatty, she settled back into her chair to just sit and relax for a bit, soak up the ambience.

The man looked like he wasn't going to give up easily. He was a full demon, and wasn't happy about losing such a beautiful elven prize. However, his friends succeeded in talking him down. They were afraid of half-breeds.

The boy calmed down a little once he saw that the men were going to leave him alone, but he lowered his eyes to the ground, unsurely. This stranger was probably just as bad...

He didn't like strangers.

Cinnabar finished up his drink, sighing softly. "I apologize if I seem rude," he commented, flatly. "I am not a talker." He held his glass out, wordlessly asking for another drink. The bartender hurried off to fetch it for him.

Cinnabar was not a force to be reckoned with. He often got into fights in here, over his good looks and 'interested customers.' Not many of those customers live to tell the tale.

Tobi led him over to the door before he dropped his arm. "Look, I don't think you should stay here," he said softly. "You're attracting a lot of attention. If I were you I'd go find somewhere to stay where you won't be bothered."

He looked the elf in the eyes for a few moments before he looked away. "Not everyone will be as helpful, and I don't think you'd like what they were trying."

"This is what happens when I press my company on someone," Zarek said with a shrug. "I don't mind so much."

Leaning her head back a bit, she looked over at the group of demons in the corner, the ones who had been harrassing the elf and the halfling. She eyed them for a few moments before shrugging them off as mostly harmless.

The elf said nothing. In fact...he hadn't said anything, for the entire time he'd been in here. The only noise he'd made had been that small squeak.

He was mute. Since no one here knew him, he couldn't exactly say he was mute. He lowered his eyes to the floor again. He looked...upset. Lonely. He didn't seem to have anyone with him--no one was waiting for him outside, or inside. He was traveling alone, and he was so young...

"Mm." Cinnabar eyed the situation as well. "Pigs," he muttered, under his breath. "Someone should run them through with a sword. The big one has a wedding ring on."

Tobi sighed softly. "Come on. I was going to get a room anyway, we'll get you one as well." He didn't try to touch the elf again, but he did motion for the elf to follow him.

Now he had a charge as well. Great. Oh well. Hopefully it wouldn't be that bad. I mean, how much trouble could one person cause?

"Mmm." Zarek shook her head. "I wish. But there will always be horrible people, unfortunately."

She drank the rest of her mead, getting a refill before she looked at Cinnabar again. "So what're you doing here?"

The boy looked up, quickly. He looked quite guilty, like he didn't want to force Tobi to pay for him. Reluctantly, he followed him along, playing with his fingers nervously.

He wasn't used to relying on other people, it seemed. He'd been alone for so long...and...he had money. But not enough for a room. He'd used his money to buy food and water for himself, and that was it. But he'd started to run out.

"I am a merchant. I own a shop a few blocks down," Cinnabar hummed, taking his new drink with stride. "I also offer...other business. I am a hired blade."

Tobi led the boy to the hotel that had been recommended to him, getting two rooms, right next to each other. He handed one key to the elf, leading the way up to the two rooms.

"Well, there's your room. I paid for a few nights, so you should be good for a little while. Don't worry about paying me back, just stay out of trouble."

Zarek nodded. "Hmm. Always fun." She grinned briefly. "So what kind of store do you run? What do you sell besides your... services?"

The boy once again fixed him with those big blue eyes...curious, guilty. He fished around in his pocket and held his hands out hesitantly, opening them. In the middle of one of his palms, laying there flatly, was a medium-sized, uncut sapphire. He had found many on the way here from Lilamayi. He didn't need them...and he didn't know anything about jewelry, or precious stones.

To him, it was just a gift, to repay the stranger for helping him. He couldn't have possibly known that a stone like this was worth nearly a year's rent in one of these rooms.

"Simple things. Clothing. Armor. Weapons. Food, and medicine. Maps, for travelers. I also double as a pawn shop." It seemed Cinnabar had his fair share of action throughout the day. Robbers were never reported. They also were never heard from again.

Tobi's eyes widened and he quickly closed the boy's hand over the gem. "Don't let that be seen," he hissed, looking at the boy. "Do you even know how valuable those are?" he asked, his voice quiet and his eyes wide. "If people see you with those, you could get killed!"

The kid really had no idea what he was doing. Really. Tobi was tempted to help him, just to keep him from getting himself killed. There weren't enough decent people in the world.

Zarek nodded. "Interesting." She leaned forward, watching him. "So how did you end up here? Are you from around here, or did you move here?"

The boy flinched back slightly, like he'd done something wrong, and blinked. Valuable? He'd had no idea these stones were valuable. They were pretty...so he'd picked up about ten or twenty of them to take along with him as little souvenirs.

He held his hand out more, insistently. It appeared that he was trying to give this to Tobi as thanks for helping him.

"I live here, now. The past doesn't matter." Cinnabar's voice had lowered itself a few tones. He wasn't comfortable talking about his past. When she leaned towards him, he didn't lean away, nor did he lean forward. He was perfectly still.

Tobi sighed and took the gem, opening the door to his room and heading inside. "Come on. You might as well come in. I think you need to learn a few things."

Zarek nodded, looking at him quietly for several moments before she took another sip of her mead. "Well. Past is the past, I suppose. So do you have any plans, or do you just come here for kicks and giggles?"

The boy kept his head down as he shuffled after Tobi, following him in. When he lifted his head...

He was smiling. Not a teeth-showing smile, but a smile all the same. He was happy that Tobi had taken the sapphire. He didn't feel so guilty anymore.

"I am a simple merchant. I plan to make my store the best place for travelers to buy and sell wares." Cinnabar closed his eyes. "I have no more ambition than that. I wish to lead a quiet life. I have had enough action."

Tobi shut the door behind them and sat down in one of the two chairs in the room. "Well, one thing you need to know is not to go waving these around, okay? People could hurt you for them, and I can't defend you all the time."

Zarek smiled, but it was slightly sad. "How often we don't get to live as we choose," she murmured, her eyes sorrowful before she took a sip of mead.

The elf quietly sat in the other chair, pulling his clothing a bit tighter around himself. He nodded, slowly, and then made some sort of motion with his hands. He was looking for something to write with and on. He could communicate that way.

"I lived as I wanted to for a very long time," Cinnabar replied, offhandedly. "I have had enough of being used. So, I make my life living here, humbly. It is not what I want, but it will have to do."

Tobi blinked for a few moments before he got the message, pulling over a pen and paper. He slid them over to the elf, watching him curiously.

Zarek shrugged. "I guess so." She leaned back again, crossing her ankles under the table. "Everyone's gotta do something."