New Visitor (open)

Phillip couldn't help but laugh softly to himself as the people tossed worried and curious looks at him. He tended to draw attention to himself, a gift supposedly coming from his father. Another reason he had grown up hating his father besides being a basturd, but for all his hate of what he was he had always had the forest. It was his one safe place and he had a special connetion with nature itself, his mother had once said it had been one of his father's gifts as well. Phil just smiled as he pushed the thoughts from his mind and dismounted his horse, looking at a few of the stalls that littered the center of the small town.

He walked up to one stall as he looked at the goods being sold. The young maid that was selling the wares remind him of his sister, he felt a pang of homesickness as he thought of his brother and sister he had left back home. It had been many month's since he had last visited his family in Essex and he found himself missing his sibling's and his dearest forest. He gave a small smile as he left the stall, deciding not to buy any of the girl's wares.

Rolo Abernanthy was not a man to be tempted nor was he a man known for his kindness. Called "Fury" by the men and women of Luminiege, he served King Bennett without question at often seemed a little too eager to carry out some of the darker requests. His childhood had been one of complete and total servitude under the name of William Bennett. The boy idolized the family for standing up to King Irvine in a way that no one else seemed to be willing to do.

Today he was out in the market, a day off from the servitude to the king. He kept his eyes on the women, licking his lips. He would make sure to visit a brothel later in the day so that he may rid himself of pent up frustrations.

That's when he saw the commoner who was not so common.

Rolo had been all over the world, from the snowy grounds of Luminiege to the sweltering heat of the Commonlands. Yet he had never been to Essex. That's there the young man must have been from, his tattoos marking him as a warrior even if his size didn't. "Halt, commoner. Who are ye and what are ye doing?"

Phil smiled as he finished paying for some dried meat and placed it in his bag, he nodded to the old man at the stall and started to move away. He stopped when he heard a loud voice telling him to halt, he turned around and faced the man the voice had come from. "I am here buying supplies... Why do you wish to know? I am sure it is very legal to buy wares..." Phil studied the man curiously, "Not that I have to tell you, but I am Phil Brooks of Essex..." He was irked at being called commoner.

Rolo sneered at him, "Don't get smart with me commoner." He pointed to the badge of honor he wore; the badge of the Bennett family and all of those who served him, "I am a member of King Bennett's royal guard and you have no rights to talk to me as if I am filth."

He looked over the bag, a smirk forming on his face, "Wares, eh? Let me see what you have bought."

Phil frowned at being called a commoner once again, seems the man thought very highly of himself. He looked at the badge the man pointed, seems like being a guard meant the man could do as he wished. Phil cursed every bit of Nephilim in his veins, he would not get in as much of the trouble he did if it wasn't for his cursed blood from his father. He would most likely still get in trouble it was part of his nature, but it would not be as bad. He looked coolly at the man as he opened his bag, luckily he had only just had the meat he had bought.

Rolo smirked and shuffled through the bag, looking for any bit of gold he could. Gold was a rare commodity amongst the guards, getting only paid in silver by the dear king. When he found none he rolled his eyes and returned the bag to the man. There was something different about him but Rolo couldn't quite place it. "You're from Essex, commoner? Tell me, what is the business of a man from such a dilapidated country in a beautiful place such as Luminiege? Surely our king would like to know if you are spy or not."

Phil guessed the man had been looking for any gold he could get his hands on, luckily he mostly carried silver and that was hidden. He took his bag back and threw the strap on his shoulder, he scowled inwardly at being one again called a commoner. "I am just traveling though the kingdoms, I have just come from Essex and am traveling to Ulfur and other places."

"Ulfur, eh? That's where our king is now," smirked Rolo as he stood with his heavily gloved arms crossed over his chest. "What is your travelling for? Men like you rarely travel all by yourselves."

"I have no true reason or meaning for my traveling, I am a wander. It is best that I travel by myself..." Phil answered, it didn't seem like the man had figured out about him so he allow himself relax only slightly. "I have wandered for a fair few years now."

"A wanderer," smirked Rolo as he circled the man to inspect him. Coming to a halt in front of him, he leaned in close and almost menacingly. "Mayhaps you would enjoy the presence of a fellow adventerous spirit. Come, join me in the tavern. After that I will show you the best whores that Luminiege has to offer, none like this lady who is speaking to you."

Phil didn't like the vibes the man gave off, everything about him said that he would lead to problems and to get away. But then he would probably have just as much problems for doing that as well, he wasn't sure what to do at all. "Mayhaps... A drink, but I will pass on the visit to the lady's of the night..." He said, it wasn't that he disliked the company of women. Indeed he enjoyed the company of both men and women, but he wasn't one to just go visit a whore house as a regulre thing.

Rolo smirked and elbowed him, "Anxiety, eh? The brothels are good things you know, put on this Earth so that bad men don't just take what they think belongs to them. In all actuality, we're doing the whores a favor by giving them our service. But a drink will be nice."

"How are we doing them a favor? Most of the ladies that work in a whore house in Essex have no choice and hate their lifes. Is it different here for the ladies sir?" He asked with real curiousity, he was not trying to offend the man at all.

Rolo laughed, "Essex must be a different place by far! Micheal gives his men and women a choice. Most of the men and women here need food, a place to stay. Though this is the most beautiful kingdom and King Bennett is one of the most generous leaders of any kingdom; the common dregs of society often gamble and drink their way into the poor houses. By employing these women in a brothel, they've been given a chance to work for something. Mizanin even allows his women to leave if they earn enough for him."

Phil nodded slowly as he listened, noting that the man truely thought highly of the nobel class. He know little of this land though so he could not know how much of the truth was being told to him. So he just nodded when the man finished, hopeing to soon go get a drink so he could leave this cold town.

Rolo patted Phil on the back, "I will take you to see the king when you are done. He will give a man from Essex the night of a warm bed that does not smell like the previous men or woman who has slept in it. He's always looking for someone to tell stories to the court. A man of adventure he is!"

Phil blinked in shock, this man wanted to take him to see the king. He didn't know what to think, half of him wasn't trusting the man next to him at all. He had been the target of people before and he never trusted anyone. "I am sure none of my storied would interest the king... I am not an interesting man..." He said softly, starting to curse his blood again.

"You are from Essex, my dear boy," laughed Rolo as the two of them walked, "Surely you have stories of the cursed kingdom. Besides, my king has heard tales of elves and halflings coming from that area. Are you saying you can do no better than a dirty elf?"

"I.. I suppose I have a few stories of my... Home land, but maybe of my stoies are from different lands I have traveled to...' Phil answered as they walked, still tense. He wasn't sure how the people would react if they found out about what his father had been.

Rolo smirked, "See! Everyone is better than those dirty elves and halflings. I don't know why the king wastes time with their kind. They are nothing but lesser creatures who dirty our towns."

"Elves and Halflings are held in high regard in my land... There are creatures that are much lower... And their offspring can be just as low." Phil murmured softly, he himself was consittered one of the lower creatures thanks to his father.

Rolo laughed, "I don't know what you are trying to say, new friend, but elves and halflings are terrible. Why would you consider them in the highest regards?"

"I've known many elves and halflings in my life that a great and good people." Phil answered, "They are valued friends and allies." He had been friends with many over his travels, they did not judge or hate without reason.

Rolo frowned, "My apologies. I think that humans are the only true species. The others are just liars who claim to be something else."

Phil looked at him before asking, trying to look as if he was just curious. "And what of half human's that have other blood in them?" He pushed his hair out of his eyes, "You do not have to apologies for beliefs, as long as you respect that others have different ones."