One Silver Piece - [Action / Voice]

[arturius]

[Arthur jolted awake, shivering. His first thought was his sword, immediately reaching for it, only to find snow waiting for him. He soon realized he was half naked in the snow. Not good. It must have been an enchantment. His sister's doing, no doubt. All he had to his name was simple pants and a strange book. After yelling for Merlin for a bit, he gritted his teeth, tightened his jaw, and picked a direction. Fortunately a small abandoned outpost wasn't too far away. Inside he found some spare clothing, some food, and a map.

His first stop was the smithy. He had intended to request a weapon, hoping to find some loyalty to Camelot. But after discovering the recently claimed sword in the stone and no staff present, he simply took the weapon back. Far be it for him to deal with thieves. The shirt of chainmail was most likely his as well. He took that back in short order as well, pulling it back on. This was no doubt a town of thieves and sorcerers. They must have abandoned him in the snow, figuring he would freeze to death. Well, they thought wrong. He would be getting to the bottom of this.

And what better place to find bandits than a tavern? He had no gold on him, but he figured he would rectify that problem once he had found his attackers. So sitting down at the bar, he slapped the bar, and ordered a cold tankard of mead, while carefully surveying the occupants in the bar.]

[Voice] (after his time at the bar)

I am Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot. If there are any other citizens of Camelot still loyal to me, speak up. There are important matters to discuss.

((ooc: so for the record, if you want to action it up, he can be found at Good Spirits or later, in the plaza during his voice message))

Comments

[arturius]

[Can't return home? He'll have to ask about that. But first of all:]

No. I've risked plenty taking back what I have. Finding my other belongings won't be as easy. [It's not like he can walk into a store and find his belongings hanging on a rack. They're a bit smaller than a fancy sword.]

[herotypical]

You know, you might have to just deal with the fact that they might not show up at all. I've been here for...almost three years, and I've only ever seen two of my own things turn up here.

[arturius]

[This is really getting him nowhere. Talking about her time in this mysterious village is not high on his priorities. So he's standing now, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. Not drawing it, but making it clear he wants answers and it's a very bad idea not to give them to him.]

Let me make this as clear as possible. I want you to tell me where this thief is. If you're trying to protect him, then know that I will bring no harm to him, save only to defend myself.

[herotypical]

And please allow me to make my point as clearly as possible, too. If you lost those things while you were out cold? Jack's not behind it. I'm not saying that he probably doesn't steal from the slumbering but...sure, you're pretty and all -- but definitely not his type.

If you're looking to blame anyone? It should be the Malnosso. Maybe. I'm still a little hazy on the hows of it all.

[arturius]

[So she was protecting him. And knows his name. But he will, for the moment, take her word on these other culprits. While standing.]

And who are these Malnosso?

[herotypical]

Some would call them our evil jailers. I'd think of them more like our extremely disgruntled landlords who are probably breaking about a million tenant laws. They're keeping us in this little bubble of a town and they probably didn't want you to have your swag on you when you were shunted into here. I'm guessing these were important things, right? Duh. Why else would you want them back?

[arturius]

[All of these metaphors are a bit annoying, but he's got the basic idea here. And he doesn't really like it.]

What do you mean by a 'bubble' of a town?

[herotypical]

Us. The village. The whole...environs. We're bubbled in here under one great big very suspicious barrier. My money's on magic, though other people have thrown around the suggestion that it's more tech-based. Hell, maybe it's both.

[arturius]

[Oh. Hello, you hit the magic word.]

So it is sorcery. Why am I not surprised?

[herotypical]

Because it's always sorcery? Number one cause of shenanigans, heartache, and bad breath. True facts, right here.

[ oh you'll just love her fast and loose definition of what actually counts as magical, arthur.

hint: not her. ]

[arturius]

[You know what, finally they can agree. He sits down, clasping his cup again.]

Magic has caused no end of troubles for Camelot. And now I'm here. With wings, no less.

[herotypical]

C-Camelot.

[ oh. now she remembers. ]

You're from Camelot.

[arturius]

[Nod.] Do you know how to return there? Once I have made it past this bubble, anyway.

[herotypical]

[ oh sure you just take a left by neverneverland and then THEN, dorothy, you just gotta follow the yellow brick road.

:| ]

I don't. Never been. Once...met a guy from there. But he didn't really pass on a map or anything. S-sorry.

[arturius]

[How tremendously unhelpful!]

What of the other Five Kingdoms? Surely you must know a general direction to work with.

[herotypical]

[ maybe this is why she hates breaking the news to newbies. they always think you're the idiot. ]

Look. You haven't really been catching my drift, mister. You're trapped. We're trapped. Everyone's trapped. There is no general direction to work with. We're prisoners in this barrier and the only times we're allowed outside of it? Is so we can kick the enemy of our enemy's butts. Which doesn't make a whole lot of tactical sense but neither does their desire to perma-kill us all.

[arturius]

[Because she IS an idiot! He's King Arthur! What's a barrier but a small obstacle in the way?]

Yes, yes. I've gathered all that. But let us assume, just for a moment, that somehow, wonderfully, I escape the barrier. If I do that, what direction do I go? North? South? I need something to work with.

[herotypical]

I'll bet you anything -- anything you could ever want to name -- that you will not escape that barrier. Not on your onesome.

[ don't make sweeping wagers with other hero types, summers. ]

[arturius]

How many times have I heard that? But usually the barmaids in Camelot aren't so cheeky.

[herotypical]

Yeah? Well? The comparing me to any other barmaid you've ever met buck stops right there, buddy. Just as a heads up.

[arturius]

Well you don't need to worry about that. Occupation aside, you've got nothing in common with any barmaid I've met before. You're a lot cleaner, for one.

[herotypical]

Thanks. [ flatly. ] I think.

[arturius]

In fact, I would think you were of noble blood, if it weren't for your work here.

[herotypical]

[ her posture stiffens. her chin lifts. jack always insists, after all, that she's type to be of the quality -- though she denies it readily and often. ]

It's just a day-job. It's what I do and not who I am and certainly not what I did before I came here. You'll...figure that out on your own, soon enough.

[arturius]

[Well don't take it personal, Buffy. He'd say that of just about any modern person who took the time to groom themselves.]

Perhaps. But I don't intend to be here that long. [He's about to take a drink from his mead but stops upon an important realization.] If the Malnosso are outside of our reach, I won't be able to pay you for this.