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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Anti-Sean" data-source="post: 2669467" data-attributes="member: 11797">Lharvion 10, 998 YKBrelandTerminus, Sharn    The district of Terminus in Lower Tavick's Landing teemed perpetually with throngs of passengers arriving in and departing from Sharn via the lightning rail. This morning was no exception. The enormous lightning rail station dominated the district, a cavernous, opulent testimony to the wealth and power of House Orien. The local administrators of the house had allowed all manner of businesses to open up shop within and around the station, and a thriving marketplace had grown in its shadow. House Orien couriers waited to be dispatched to locations all across Khorvaire carrying parcels for those too busy or too poor to afford the trip themselves, while House Sivis had found an ideal location for a large message station, servicing the communication needs of lightning rail passengers. Autumn, Niv, Kiva and Aldren made their way through the marketplace in order to begin their journey, passing by a large park across from the station.        A small group of demonstrators had gathered in the park seeking to draw the attention of the latest batch of travelers arriving and departing. They held signs and chanted songs full of hateful invective against the warforged race, decrying their very existence. Niv cursed under her breath as Autumn took notice of the group and subtly changed direction in order to walk directly in front of them. He lowered the hood of his cloak, allowing the meager sunlight penetrating the morning mist to glint off of his mostly steel head. Some of the demostrators grew more boisterous and vociferous at his presence. He slowed his pace almost to a crawl, slowly and deliberately meeting the gaze of each demonstrator in turn without a word, Kiva padding alongside him slowly, her low growls speaking for him. Niv wrapped a hand around one of the warforged's thick, trunk-like arms. "Come on, Autumn, let's go. They're not worth it." Autumn responded with a grunt and one last stony glare at the crowd, and turned to follow his companions toward the station.      Niv thought she heard Autumn whisper a few words under his breath, but couldn't be sure. A chorus of screams erupted behind them a few moments later, confirming her suspicions. She turned around to see the group of demonstrators panicking as long, ropy vines burst forth from the ground below them, tangling themselves around the demonstrators and holding them in place. Several nearby members of the Sharn Guard had rushed forth to aid them, only to be held fast by the vines as well. Autumn was peering around at anything other than the crowd in a determinedly disinterested manner, humming a soft tune.      The inspection by Orien conductors passed by without incident. Niv was wearing the face of a young half-elf noblewoman to match the identity papers provided to her by Meksoor. The conductor was appropriately deferential to her, and paid little notice to the 'retainers' traveling with her. Aldren played the part of her bodyguard with sufficient aplomb, but Autumn bristled slightly at being referred to as a servant, and even moreso at Kiva being described as a 'pet' and a 'curiosity' to be gifted to a relative in Aundair.      The porter greeted the group with a wide grin, bowing and scraping obsequiously before the Lady ir'Tain, as he repeatedly referred to Niv. "Not to worry, milady, you can keep the clank in the cart here with the rest of the baggage. There's no need to waste a valuable seat that a passenger can use!" He chuckled at his own joke and reached up to pat Autumn on the shoulder. "No offense taken there now, all in good fun!"      Autumn gave a slight, stiff bow. "None taken." His fist shot out and smashed into the porter's nose. The warforged caught the unconscious body before it reached the ground, and stuffed him unceremoniously into the baggage cart, tossing a few nearby pieces of luggage on top of the porter for good measure. He turned to his companions, with a hard, angry edge to his voice. "Now that that's taken care of, shall we find our seats? Suddenly, I find myself anxious to leave this city." He stomped off towards the passenger carts with Kiva close behind, Niv and Aldren following along wordlessly.      Niv rounded on Autumn the moment the group arrived in their private room in the luxury cart, her voice tight between clenched teeth, trying to keep her voice low. "Have you lost your mind, Autumn? Are you trying to end this journey before it begins? Sure, the porter was a buffoon, but was that really the best way to respond to him?"      Autumn's reply was spat out, wet and oily with sarcasm. "I'm terribly sorry to have upset your plans, Niv. Far be it from me to take offense when it seems that every single human I've dealt with today would be happier if I didn't exist! The fact that some of my companions have been in a foul mood since yesterday certainly didn't help to improve my reactions either!"      Niv exploded. "Oh, get over yourself, Autumn! You're not the only one here whose people aren't wanted! I'd be in the same situation as you if I wore my own face around here, so don't you dare take that imperious tone with me!"      Aldren backed towards the door. "I can see you two have much to discuss, so I'll just see what's available in the dining cart." Turning around as he opened the door, he accidentally elbowed the porter they had dealt with earlier in the nose, eliciting a howl of pain from him, and nearly knocking over the conductor accompanying him.      The conductor cleared his throat and addressed the group in a quiet, brusque manner, eager to avoid drawing the attention of any other passengers. "Excuse me, milady and sirs, but my porter here claims that he was assaulted by one of your number. Would you care to enlighten me as to what he is going on about?"      Niv stopped herself in mid argument, and paused for a moment, composing herself before responding in a polite, yet subtly haughty manner. "Your porter appears to be mistaken." She leaned in closer to the conductor, one hand gently touching his arm as she spoke in a more confidential tone. "I didn't want to mention anything before, but I noticed his behavior was quite erratic, and I smelled strong drink upon his breath. He must have fallen down in a stupor and injured himself, and sought a scapegoat to cover up for his malfeasance. I suggest you give him a stern reprimand and keep this matter to yourself."      The conductors eyes had glazed over unnaturally, and he hung on Niv's every word. "Yes, yes, milady, quite right you are. I'm terribly sorry for the interruption." He grabbed the porter roughly by the arm and lead him further along the lightning rail. "Come along, you shiftless layabout, there's work to be done! You'll be sorry you ever thought to lay the blame for your own shortcomings on our fine guests!"      Aldren scratched his bearded chin to cover his smile. "That was well done, but a little risky, enchanting him like that. What happens when your spell wears off?"      Niv shrugged her shoulders. "Who cares? We'll be long gone by that time."      "Very well then. About that food cart..." Aldren quickly exited the room without colliding with anyone.      Niv turned on Autumn once more. "Since you seem to be unaware as to why some of your companions have been in a foul mood, allow me to spell it out for you. In three months of friendship, Autumn, three months, I have heard nothing about your past during the war. Nothing! Occasionally I'll hear you absentmindedly humming a marching song, but that's about all. You haven't told me one word about it. And you know what? I'm alright with that. If you want to leave your past behind you, I can understand that; you're not the only one. But that doesn't seem to be the case here. The very first time you speak with Aldren, you tell him more about your past than you've ever bothered to tell me. And you wonder how I could be slightly bothered by that?"      Autumn stood stock still, his jaw working up and down silently as he struggled to find a response.      Niv's voice softened, and the anger in her eyes faded away. "You don't need to have an answer for me, Autumn, but you might want to find one for yourself. In any event, I think Aldren had the right idea. I'm not very hungry at the moment, but I'm going to see about some food." She turned on her heel and exited the room. Kiva gave the warforged a long look and a plaintive whimper, and padded along behind her.      Autumn sighed deeply as he sat down, sinking into the luxurious cushions their room was furnished with. He leaned his head against the window and watched Terminus and the rest of Sharn fade into the distance as the lightning rail began its journey. "This is going to be a very long trip..."</blockquote>

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