Shield and Beer (Open)

The streets of a town with a port beside what seemed like an endless sight of the sea just to the far side across the view, the salt bathed air with darkness dancing with the sights of this shady aura of thievery and alcohol. Along these tilled streets of British design a man of great height and attractive mass strolled claiming from the kiss of the water’s embracing spray, following the lights of the fading lanterns that lit the way for the wondering souls that burned away the mid-night oil. His garments far differencing greatly from the rest of the public here as it was more of an modern day apery, a short red jacket over top his emphasized torso with his arms freely cut and his brown hair over top his bandana covering his bangs from blinded his bangs away from his eyes. With his white cargo freely moving in the breeze as he moved slowly towards down the hill of the street his travels took him.

He looked off into only the forward direction as the guy cared not for his surrounds, only to press forward with his goals without interruption of the people’s troubles. Off near in-between two buildings there was a robbery of an older male by two younger homeless children, killing him before running off into the night with his valuables. They simply looked into Thelnex before running off into a different direction hope he wouldn't chase. However the good night charge straight at them with an impressive speed easily reaching the fellow then knocking him out with a sturdy punch to the back of the head that sent the thief rolling forward eating dirt. He laid limp and twitching before the giant knight as he dropped the wallet, Thelen walked up and quickly reached out for the money.

Port Royal. It wasn't the finest world the Chinese woman had set herself on by a long shot, the dirtiness of the city and the overall griminess of the locale made her shudder and feel like she needed to take a long bath each step she took inside of the world. But, rumor of the combative skill of some of the criminal's here had intrigued her, that and the fact that she told herself, no matter how foolish she thought that promise to herself was, that she was to explore all of the worlds, no matter how much they seemed to disgust her. And whats worse was that none of the inhabitants had taken their leers and questionable gazes off of her and rather outlandish attire- a modified scarlet changpao for ease of travel and freedom of movement, tied by a sapphire colored sash - she guessed silently that she might have looked rather high class in this otherwise corrupted city.

Of course, she made it a point to carry around her spear out in the open, too. Just for safety.

Picking the money sack up Thelen couldn’t help but notice a strange smell to it even as he stood up and the wind brought it in much stronger attention to his senses, it was a foul mix of alcohols that he was made unaware had existence, the knight was a man free loving booze but this stuff was just murder. What was it pure ethanol or something? That poor man’s liver. Quickly holding it away from his face the nobody walked up to the owner whom seemed a little intimidate by the giant’s size but simple froze in place with his hands outreached.

“Here” Thelen spoke before dropping the sack down and turning away, he had done his good deed and didn’t need the attention any longer.

He walked alone for a tad longer after passing the man he had sent kissing the dirt and ignoring a snarling verbal que before noticing a strangely dressed figure holding a spear in the near distance. He wasn’t really looking less foreign mind you so that had that in common. “Yo” he would address before they would cross paths.

Ku continued to wander the streets, looking around for ideas on where to look next, but not wanting to really mingle with the inhabitants, finding their stares and leers oddly disquieting. She seemed to be saved from that disquieted nature, however, when the eyes suddenly shifted to something else, a tower of a man, built something similar as well. After nodding at his greeting, she blinked and began to step a bit closer to him, curious as to if he could help her. He didn't look like he came from the world either, but he looked built more like a warrior than most of the other people here. Attempting to catch his attention by raising her arm, she would as him, "Excuse me! ...You don't look like you are from this place...but could you point to me where some strong fighters might gather on this world?".

Her voice would be heavily accented compared to theirs, making some of them snicker and giggle in the back, but she would instead stay staring at the tower-man, waiting patiently for an answer to her question.

The stranger stopped and peered directly at the good knight as soon as he drew attention back to him after what seemed like a moment she needed to exam him which wasn’t a new feeling for, he was after all he was huge specimen of a person in life, was he like that as a human or something? Be worth be something to investigate one day. Taking a closer look now at the figure in question she was off quite a different calibre from the armor and her style was very distinct and only strengthen the idea she was an offworlder. Ku’s exclaiming to her request was a little startling, taking thelenn by surprise it took him a moment blinking just process just wanted happened.

He took a look around the common folk, noticing note that glares they got but rather how plain or drunk they all seemed to enjoy being in the night’s embrace he wasn’t sure himself how to answer and was curious as to why she wanted to know.

“Why would you like to know that kind of information miss?”

"Because I wish to learn more about combat, to help me find the reason why I fight. I have heard...rumors...about how this place breeds fighters of different skill than the rest, so I have come to see it for myself...and possibly learn a bit of it, too." She explained to him, "And possibly ask these people why they fight as well...but I may not like the answer." she would also say, although this was much more under her breath than directed at the man. She didn't like this place much, yet as much as she hated to admit it, the hedonistic nature of the world was becoming rather normal to her.

“ Ahh I see, a traveling warrior I can respect that”

Again he looked around above her heads and in their surrounding area as he understood her purpose in this place. However his second glance did not reveal anything more then what he knew already figured about this world just from a few steps in its open street. There was little here to find in terms of honor or expertise in the art of combat, in terms of what the lady of the eastern lands had him mind. Thelen didn’t give up hope though, worlds were vast and held many secrets that lay hidden from sight until one looked for them, there had to be something here to quench her thirst for the blade. If not anytime soon maybe his blade might take an interesting to her talent, he hadn’t fought a straight duel in a while. Course he wouldn’t think about it more unless request, he couldn’t think about being rude to her.

“I can assist you milady if you’d like. I hold no plans for today and have no objections to lending a helping hand”  

Ku gave a nod towards the towering man, glad to find somebody who was also a fighter who had a sense of honor. A light blush came to her face as he called her a lady; she was not nor did nothing to warrant that title in her opinion, but he had caught her interest when he said he would assist her. She gave a curt nod. “Thank you, nameless warrior, for your assistance.” She told him, blushing ever so slightly after a few seconds. “But you needn’t call me a lady. I am hardly one of royalty, nor have I done anything to warrant such a thing.” She quietly asked him.

She was glad he was so polite though, it was rare to come by a knightly character such as this…especially in a place like this. Letting a few seconds of silence pass on, she would continue with what she was originally going to ask him. “I…am looking for a style of fighting that can commonly be found on this world…these…’swashbucklers’, I believe they are called. Do you know anywhere where they could be found?” she asked him, a polite and formal air around her. She would have asked him if HE knew the swashbuckling style, but as she looked at him further she thought against it.

He was a tower of a man, and Ku could hardly see how a man that big could match the grace of the combative style that she had followed the rumors for.

Thelennx bowed his head after the lady’s request to be named with a little more of a light hearted manner which he understood and respected to the best of his ability. His interactions with the nobility were often the best examples of him having to deal with people in such a direct manner and likely the best way for him to really know how to properly act without messing up any kind of relations.  Ku also brought up a point of him forgetting to address himself before speaking to the female warrior, a grand sin in edquite when it came to the rich.

“Oh pardon my rudeness, I am Thelennx, Kn-… never mind, I hail from radiant garden, Tis a pleasure to meet you Miss” Thele replied while bowing his head down and up.

Her quest here was also one of knowledge though of a different kind, a warrior seeking to the arts of different worlds, a naturally wonderer it seemed. He was taken back a little by the grandiose task she had set up for herself as it was no simple matter doing it in person. Books from larger scaled and more well-traveled worlds might have been easier though his gut told him that she may have more interesting in practicing them then just study.  

“I fear I cannot recall seeing anything up to the calibre trained fighter during my short track in this world of thieves yet Miss. I do have an idea however, taxing work for a fighter is often found in places called bars or taverns for the lower classed, at least from the experiences I have from similar worlds else in the stars. Perhaps there we can start our searcher there for a practitioner of this swashbuckler style."

A world of thieves... she thought to herself, thinking that it fit rather well for something as dark and dirty as this place. She looked up at the man, nodding slightly, although she found the large male's name quite strange, for anyone in this universe for that matter. Of course, it made no difference to her, it could have been a name he chose for himself; something of which she wouldn't press to much on, especially since the man gave her information and offered to go with her.

She would nod respectfully at that, giving a slight bow as her world and custom's were bound to, before straightening up once more. "Very well, Thelennx of Radiant Garden; I thank you, for showing me somewhere to start." she told him, "although, if you don't mind me saying this- I do find your name...rather strange." she remarked quietly, a bit of a rosy color crossing her face. She straightened a bit once more, not completely sure if she had told him of her own name. "Ah! I may have forgotten my own manners as well; I am Ku Meixiu of Land of Dragons, and I am pleased to meet you."

“Thank you Miss Meixu, the pleasure is mine. Come let us set off to find something in this town”

Thelennx lead the way as he started to work back down the city streets through the unknown structure and layout of this town. He wasn’t exactly sure just what kind of symbol he was looking for in a sign or even where a populated number of people would go but looking around it shouldn’t be too hard, tourist from other towns in this world had to do the same type of exploration right. While walking Thelen had to think about his name for a second, he never really questioned it for the most part or even wondered how it really came to be. He family adopted him at an earlier age though the name was just always there…he guessed.

“Is my name strange? I never really thought too much on it, how so might I ask?”