Lost To The Sands Of The Mind

    The sun beats down on the holy city, home of the Salamanders, and other races alike. In the city, one adventure can be found training alone to the side of the arena.

The dark scaled Salamander swings his blade against the air, practicing his form. Moving his feet across the sandy, stone ground. This man was Xander Scaleharth, member of the Scale, and now operating as a guard in this very city in hopes to keep the Palace landers from invading here.

A second appears in the area reserved for the audience. He walks down a short flight of stairs, and wanders through the frontmost of the lines. Best seats! They're cheap, when the place is not putting up a show, and pretty much anyone is allowed in.

Or, at least, anyone with the Legerdemain skill.

He moves to sit at a comfortable place, crosses his arms, and leans back, observing the warrior's training moves with silent interest.

     Xander continues to train in silence, not even aware of the silent observer. When he does end, he flourishes his blade, before holding it up in front of him. His stance becomes highly military looking, before he at last relaxes it. There was a lowering of his head, before his attention is drawn to at last the individual in the stands.

Xander slowly raises a brow before he calls up to him, "You know, there isn't really any tournaments today right? Just training and such." He tilts his head, "Unless you just like watching people get all sweaty and shit." There was a smirk that followed those words.

"I must admit that there is a certain je-ne-sais-quoi in being an aloof bourgeoise who can afford to remain unfazed while the working class is slaving away under the yoke of manual labor," He smirks right back. He claps both his hands. "Chop-chop, back to your work, plebeian!"

He outright laughs at that point, and shakes his head as he pushes himself to stand up. "No, I am just kidding of course. I am grateful to the people who fight for all of us, and I am trying to learn a trick or two." He leaps over the fence that separates the audience's seat to the fighting grounds, and walks toward Xander. "I have been forced away from active practice for too long, and I am doing my best to, just like you, improve my skills. Like by studying skilled warriors." He stops at a short distance, and offers a slight bow as he tips his top hat. "Shenmi Jingren, of the Scale Emblem Alliance. Conjurer."

     "Conjurer huh? Scale myself, Holy Knight." Xander replies resting the blunt of the blade against his armored shoulder. "Though if you are looking for training, this is a good place for it. While they may be landers, they are fierce fighters. Even their spirits are about as fierce as our own." The salamander admits. "What kind of training are you looking for, Shenmi?"

"Divine Dragons," Shenmi drops, with studied carelessness. "And there is no need to explain how formidable an opponent a Lander can be. I have witnessed the fights in the Arena of Kallamore, where you will find the fiercest warriors of the whole Palace Lands, and-" A pause. "Well, I think 'Palace Lands' covers the rest? Oh, wait, just in case-", he adds, as if suddenly remembers something. He hurries to bow and remove his top hat again. "No Crown. There's a reason why I did this earlier."

As soon as it is safe to chat again, he will add, "Any kind of training will do. Only Crowned Adventurers were allowed training back home, so there is a lot I have to catch up with."

     There was a strange switch in Xander's behavior soon as Shenmi admitted where they came from. The stance grew more defensive and the eyes lost any good humor in them. Those draconic eyes stared at the other in long silence, even as they showed no crown. His draconic tail twitched as a low rumble found its way in his throat, though he did try to hold it back.

"You'd be wise to withhold some information around others." Xander says with a low tone. "Sometimes knowing less... is better for survival." He shifts his head a little before he steps away. His foot movement is cautious as he walks around, studying Shenmi closely now. "So... You were never allow to train in combat? Why is that?"

Shenmi smirks. "Oh, believe me, there has been a -lot- of withholding. But I have been active on the Alliance's Chimlinks, and there should have been Alliance reports about not all the Palace Landers being your enemy, and a number of us offering cooperation to overturn our oppressors?"

He scratches his goatee, and continues, "...before I can answer your question, I have to ask a different one at this point. How much do you know about the Crowns?"

     "Enough to know they can't be trusted and enough to know some are held against their own will." Xander says as he comes to a stop in front of Shenmi. "I also know enough about conflict that those who are of freewill, may be willing to do things for those who are not. Barging chip and all that."

Xander then points his blade at the man, "So, while others may act all welcome with arms... Not everyone will... and my word of advice is to tread carefully. Because those that act as a friend, could also be your worst enemy."

"Fair objection. While other Kingdoms hunted down Uncrowned Adventurers or tried to force crowns on them, it is true that Kallamore had a more laissez-fare approach. You are probably aware that, in Kallamore, there was a strict glass ceiling. Landers could own property, Adventurers couldn't, et cetera." He leaves a little time for the words to settle, then breathes in. Hands held up, yet limp, in a gesture that could be either interpreted as 'I'm inoffensive' or 'I surrender', he continues, "A lot of Adventurers considered inoffensive enough, most of them because of their addiction to gambling and dumping money into the hedonistic businesses of the place, were left wandering around without a crown. But-" He quirks an eyebrow. "-if there was a glass ceiling for Adventurers, they introduced a glass floor to separate the Crowned from the Uncrowned. And we were shoved into the basement." Some more silence. "Okay, not as much -glass- as concrete. A lot of us had to go into hiding. We had a secret resistance and all. Point is, there were a -lot- of things we were not allowed to do. And one of them was fighting in the Arena, where the best of the best are." He glances sideways. "...and with the Churches firmly under Crowned control and the risk of being Crowned on respawn, we certainly did not want to die."

During all his speech, he will try to quietly back away from Xander, unless he reacts in some way that discourages it.

    Shenmi steps back and Xander follows the step. The knight's draconic, fiery golden eyes never leaving the other. "I can understand all that, but that still leaves the factor that why wouldn't some uncrowned work with the crowned in order in some blind hope to free one from their position... or more importantly kept uncrowned in order to act as a spy." Xander growls lowly as he turns his blade slightly. "So, maybe now you will understand my warning."

The salamander then slowly lowers his blade. "Because here is your first lesson in combat from an army man..." Xander goes to turn away, before he comes back and swings his blade. The tip coming a hair's inch from the other's throat. "Don't ever put your guard down and don't ever not be prepared to fight."

Shenmi stiffens, the hair raising at the back of his neck. "Of course, of course-", the Uncrowned says. Still non-threatening. Still holding his hands up. "But, as an army man, you will also understand that resistance movements are a thing. And as someone who has had to hide for the last two years, and had to be -very- careful about whom to trust until now-"

There is a quick movement of his hand, and a large black blanket, apparently coming out of nowhere (he certainly wasn't wearing a mantle before!) is swept all around him, wrapping his whole figure. Any attempt at slashing into or through it will find just thin air; the piece of cloth will fall to the floor, empty, and Shenmi will be nowhere to be seen.

     When Shenmi used their magical mantle to vanish, Xander raised an eyebrow, before snorting out a gentle, "Cute."

Xander then moved his sword in a defensive posture, before he narrowed his eyes slightly, then with his blade lighting up with blue-green runes, he spins the blade around him in a circle sending out an air gust to kick up the sand yo see if they can locate Shenmi.

Shenmi? It's over there, behind the short wall that separates the audience area from the arena proper. What happens next will depend on what Xander does, really. If he just walks over, Shenmi will probably hear the steps approaching and pop up, clapping his hands slow enough to seem relaxed and kindly approving, but not slow enough to be mocking. "Excellent work, bravo," he would say, adding something like, "As you can see, I am not running away."

If not, well, he'll just stay hidden and quiet.

    Oh, Xander does walk over with very calm steps, but he doesn't get to close. He just tilts his head and rumbles softly. "... You are far to chipper..." Then he turns his side to the man, "Which is why I don't trust you."

Xander then goes to step away. "And I am only tolerating you because you are in the Scale.. and we are in the city. If not for that..." He looks back to Shenmi. "This may be a very different story."

Shenmi, at this point gives a little shrug, without losing his smile. "It's showbiz, my friend. Do you think I have this getup only for fun? I actually perform for a living. As they say around my parts, 'if you cannot smile, don't open a shop.'"

"The message has been received, Xander Scaleheart," the man says, with a bow. Knowing an Adventurers' name is not that hard -- he must have been inspecting. "I think I will be on my way at this point. I understand when it is time for the curtain to fall," and that said, a circle of fire materializes at his feet, which flares up to hide him from view, leaving smoke all around. Of course, once the whole thing subsides, he's gone.

And this time he's gone for the exit.