Civilization and the Wanderer

[ogrun]

The air had it's cool chill, the clouds had brought light drifts of snow upon the town, and even then, nothing seemed to hamper the animated daily routine of the trade center. The merchants wore thick scarves of various cloths of mere peasants. Children even scurried about to catch a few brief snowflakes, having their fun as mothers watched them like territorial hawks, careful while they turned, swiftly and briefly, to pay for the next bit of fruit, or bread. Carts of produce, here and there, the tolling of the hourly bell.. Modern life, as peaceful as it could be.

In short, the town was as busy as usual, the aftermath of celebrating the passing renewal of the year. A festival dedicated to the moon, though the religious value seemed to fade over the passing generations, and the idea of starting over on a fresh slate. For some, it was a chance to start over. The cloaked man passing through didn't have intentions of starting over, but the intention of travel. In the cold, he wore thick leather and fur under his billowing, brown cloak. The cape nearly touched the ground, as he made his way through, around, and past the many women and men in the marketplace. The tapping of metal against the cobblestone was his staff, hidden underneath the thick, non-transparent veil that was his cloak. His beard was braided, the length of the facial hair going down to the upper part of his bosom. Brown leather and a mix of tan and gray fur peeking from out of the thick cloak that was wrapped around him, Ogrun soon found himself stopping at a fruit stand.

"Good day, sir!" The merchant was a bit large, in height, rubbing his rough hands together. A deep tan hue upon the man's skin, the stand itself being clearly set-up temporarily, the merchant looked to be of exotic origin.

Ogrun nodded briefly, his hood pulled back so that he wouldn't draw any suspicion, he never had been here in a long time, he had moved about as if unfamiliar with the place, the noises, and the smells. A small, somewhat forced smile appeared on his face, "Good day. You have apples, yes? I hear they are good for long journeys."

The merchant nodded, "Yes, I do! I have been keeping my fruit nice and warm, sir! You have the look of a man who has traveled to many places," the fruit vendor lied, as he opened a crate of apples, unwrapping the crimson fruit from individual, thick cloth wrappings. "See?" He looked up at Ogrun, "It is warm! Even in this cold weather!"

Ogrun nodded, leaning forward a bit closer to see, "Ah, yes.. Very impressive." He reached to his waist, unhooking a fine-sized bag from the belt of his long-sleeved tunic, handing over a few shining coins, "This will be enough, I assume?" His smile widened a bit, not forced, as the merchant nodded, and handed over a few more apples. The cloak-wrapped man placed these apples in a large pack that he hung over his back.

Adjusting the strap a bit, having already put the bag of coin back in it's place, he waved a brief farewell the the foreign, nomadic merchant, the man continued on through the marketplace. Through this unfamiliar setting, a stranger in a seemingly unnatural world.. For now, the world that concerned Ogrun was the supplies that could be bought within the town's boundries.

[Leaf]

Tochigi, the small town of Akaika. It had been awhile since he had visited the place. The light sheets of snow that settled over the bustling little civilization was heartwarming, but the everlasting chill that crusted the edge of his dead heart would not die. This was a society where he would never be accepted fully, nor could he be part of it whether he wanted to or not. The noble vampire smiled grimly at the thought. Konrad Zeigler had snuck out of the parade home to Daika after he made sure that his brother was on the carriage safely. They had been here for the ball, but that was in the past now. Before it was too late, Konrad wanted to grasp onto the last strings of his civilized ego that strained at the pulses of his vampiric savagery.

A child wandered by, reminded him of his little brother during his younger years. However, the kid was definitely not of high birth. Rather, he was more like a child of a peasant, which in itself made him extremely different from Konrad. As he observed the boy, he found a deep pulse within himself, like an untamed beast struggling against chains. Becoming a vampire was overall a transformation that left Konrad both impressed and disgusted. The strength and speed was incredible, but the thirst was repulsive. He always managed by feeding from dozing guards at the palace or women that he managed to seduce. After all, it wasn't a painful process when he could control the intake. But, bit by bit, Konrad could feel the thirst tear at his consciousness. It wouldn't be hard to just become a beast in the wild, but both pride and his consciousness would never allow such a thing. 

A solemn look graced his fair, thin face before it returned to a bright grin. Pulling out a few pieces of silver, he handed them to the child with a grin. The youngster looked at him, bewildered at first, but then returned a bright smile. "Thank you, sir!" He chirped happily as he skipped off.

Konrad huffed deeply, facinated by the cloud of vapor that drifted from his mouth and faded into the air. The market was definitely more lively than the shady towns back in Daika. The sounds of bargainers, howling of livestock and squawks of poultry could be heard as well as cheerful laughs of children. Civilization, it was such a wonderful thing. The Akaikan palace loomed in the distance. The vampire squinted at it with a sorrow look on his face. That was a symbol of leadership for mankind. Had there been no direction, no leaders for the savage beasts that civil man evolved from, then perhaps they would have kept on being savage, kept on wallowing in the swamp of ignorance. 

A bell chimed it's hourly ring from a clock tower. Konrad rubbed his hands together and sighed. It was about time to start heading back to Daika, otherwise everyone would worry about his sudden disappearance if the parade arrived before himself. All he needed to do now was stock up on food and supplies. It was going to be another journey. Strolling along the marketplace, Konrad spotted a man, older that Konrad, who had a large pack on his back. Perhaps he would know which stalls had the better supplies.

"Excuse me, sir." Konrad said as he gave a curt nod to the man. "I'm a traveler and I wonder whether you know where I could get some supplies for a long trip to Daika." He gave a grin and hoped that his excuse for being a traveler would pass. After all, nobles don't travel all too often on foot.

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[ogrun]

"Excuse me, sir. I'm a traveler and I wonder whether you know where I could get some supplies for a long trip to Daika."
Ogrun halted in his steps, turning towards the man who greeted him. The tapping of the metal in his staff, which was concealed by his cloak, could be heard against the stone as he turned. "Yes.. There is a fruit vendor, some way back. And if you look for the clock tower, you can find a general supply of items, including feed for a horse." He gestured a bit to the right, ahead into the busy, lightly snow-covered district. "There," He said, pausing briefly, "Is the clock tower."
The cloaked man stayed still for a moment, as if distracted by something. His gaze focusing on some spot in the crowd. A familiar figure? A memory? Nothing more, in Ogrun's eyes. "The stables, if you need a horse, is outside the gate, I believe.. I have my own beast of burden, I did not get a good look at the stables." Ogrun lifted a hand, scratching his braided chin for a moment, as a thought came to mind.

"Is there anything else you need?"

[Leaf]

Konrad listened intently as the older man pointed out the several locations. Silently, he observed the seemingly wizened man. He seemed rough, scalded away and toughened by nature. His beard was braided in such an amusing way, Konrad could not help but smile. Personally, Konrad could not stand growing his own facial hair out. It was a bother to tend to and it just wouldn't look good. He nodded at the information about the stable. It would be a worthy place to visit after he had gathered his supplies. Horses ran faster than he did and also served as emergency food rations when the situation was demanding.

"That would be all, thank you." Konrad smiled after the wanderer finished. "You seem quite familiar with these things. I was wondering whether you were a frequent traveler. You must have gone to several places before, haven't you?" Travelers were always fascinating. They usually held several intriguing stories and have usually seen more than the average person. Their courage was also applaudable because they were usually the ones to explore the unknown. The freedom they had was also enviable and that was what Konrad missed from his short experience as a freeman, not bound by any obligations or vows to anyone.

[/size]

[ogrun]

Ogrun paused a moment, as he adjusted his weight on his feet and staff. He shook his head, briefly, "No.. I have not been here in a long time. It is just coincidence that this town has not grown much since I was last here." He paused briefly, for a moment, brushing back a lock of his hair, taking a moment to think, "As for how often I've traveled.. I am not a frequent traveler, these kind of towns are my least preferred places to be."

Tapping his staff against the cobblestone once, as he further adjusted himself. The pack on his back slid into a more preferred place upon his back, a brief view of what was inside the thick, brown shroud of his cloak revealed a large set of pouches along the belt of his tunic. He looked up, briefly, at the sun, his eyes squinting as the sun flashed in his sight. "I should get going. Farewell." Without much word, perhaps seeking to dismiss himself of the younger company, he continued on in the direction he was going. The cloak nearly trailing along the ground behind him, a deep, dark brown with blue markings along the bottom edge, the markings, runes, probably for decoration at first examination.