Post by Brad the Inhaler on Sept 12, 2008 2:08:23 GMT
Cid's boots skipped across the dusty cobbled streets towards the Watch House, he'd not been able to resist the anarchy he was about to create and so had anxiously spent the last few hours of the night stalking the docks. Shortly before dawn he had collapsed onto a mound of sailcloth stashed behind some crates which were to be shipped on first boat. As the general noise level of the city rose to it's wakening point he had been woken up, and he made his way from the docks down the main southern road through Raphoe, reaching the Watch House shortly after the majority of the Day Shift arrived for their Watch.
Taking the wide stone steps two at a time, the bounty hunter practically leapt in through the open doors past the general hubbub of Officers and Civilians as they argued and berated. Cid was no stranger to this Watch House, as a child he was often dragged here unfortunately to answer for some petty crime of burglary or pick pocketing, and in his adult years he was often seen within it's walls discussing the crimes against others whether that be defending one of the many orphans that he felt responsible for or playing jury and executioner with the charges he was paid to return, this was a city with many dangerous criminals, and they were the only way a man like Cid could survive.
He raised the brim of his hat and let his face and hands be seen clearly before presenting himself to the desk clerk, who looked up with a dual-gaze of recognition and disdain.
"I'm afraid we've no time to discuss politics today your majesty you'll have to come back another day..."
The clerk's words were a mixture of sarcasm and contempt, fresh in his mind was the last time he'd had to argue with this face over the same desk.
"Although perhaps if you're not too busy chasing ghosts and training pick pockets you can actually help us for a change and carry out a little contract?"
Cid waved the man's words away, he had no time to squabble.
"I shall deal with that in due time, but first I was wondering if you could check the Wanted roster for a mark I apprehended last night?"
"Might I suggest, Manhunter, that you ensure your target Is a criminal before you go shooting them?"
The question was rhetorical, and the clerk lifted up some papers he was working on to reveal the 'Wanted' book, which he then placed on the top and flicked open.
"Does this 'mark' have a name? Or did you not stop to ask before sinking a bolt into it's neck?"
The clerk virtually spat the last few words out, to which Cid gave a slight, unseen smirk. Without even raising his head, the clerk waited for his reply.
"The most traditionally used name is err...'Skaven'..I believe"
"S. Cavann..."
"No, skaven...it's one word!"
Clerk met Cowboy as the seated man's eyes flew upwards with a slight look of dread, he quickly composed himself however and flicked to the 'S' section.
"I'm sorry I didn't catch that, could you spell it? Oh wait, no, nevermind...Skaegun was it? Is he norse?"
Cid's skin began to prickle hot, from embarrassment and rage, he drew the dismembered skaven head out from inside his cloak and slammed it onto the table, spraying the clerk with blood and spittle as he roared.
"SKAVEN!!...Ratlings, the Queeks, Gutter Runners, the Cursed Vermin, THE CHILDREN OF THE HORNED RAT!!"
The assembled few in the watch house all turned as one to face the exploding man, several of the officers slipped their heavy truncheons into their hands and took a few steps towards the table, others staggered back, aghast, at the sight in front of them.
The clerk fired Cid another furious stare and pushed his chair back, away from the bloody, furry mess.
"Kindly remove this dead animal from my desk or you'll spend a night in a cell, we've seen enough death today in these walls than to hear your insane ramblings!"
Cid grabbed the head and hoisted it up, jabbing it into his face.
"You see those teeth? The eyes!?...They're the very same teeth that chew through the granite stone wall in your cellar! The very same eyes that watch your children, waiting for the one moment when you're not watching them!"
Cid turned to face the center of the room, letting the bloody head hang from his hand for all to see. He bellowed out across the entire Watch House.
"Where's the captain of this circus!?"
A few of the watchman mumbled to ones close to them, those with truncheons out circled Cid in-case he attempted to attack anybody. Shortly, a youth dashed out through the door into the rest of the watch house, just as the captain was striding into the main room. His armour was fully checked, his helmet was strapped tight to his head, in his off-hand he carried his truncheon with it's head resting on his left shoulder. In his right hand he carried a large crossbow, loaded with an equally large quarrel. The captain stepped over the threshold and surveyed the scene.
"What bastard ruined my kip!?"
Setting his eyes upon the familiar face of Cid, and the bloody mess in his hand, he assembled an idea.
"Right, I see...Will that be all Cid? Or did you have anything less to say?"
The captain shrugged the crossbow up into a comfortable and safe position (unsafe for the ceiling) and waggled his truncheon at Cid in a shoo'ing manner. The bounty hunter took a step forwards, causing the officers around him to take two. Seeing he was surrounded he shrugged and launched the Skaven head towards the Watch Captain.
"Take this...and either do something about it, or as usual, pay me to do it for you!"
Before waiting for the head to land he turned to face the exit and shoved his way through the gap in between the circle of bacon. Carrying on through the door and down the steps. The captain looked down at the gory head sat at his face and snarled, sticking the loaded crossbow into the now squishy sack of skin, he raised it to eye level and then above his head for all of his men to see.
"This...doesn't exist...order of the Prince, gottit!?"
The officers nodded in unison, regardless of opinion, the Captain could however see confusion in the eyes of his men.
"The only thing crazier than the law is the scum that break it, and you guys just saw the craziest one of them all. You boys worry about policing the people, that crazy fucker will police the monsters for free!"
With that, the Captain turned and walked into the watch house. Heading for the boiler room with the 'evidence'...
Taking the wide stone steps two at a time, the bounty hunter practically leapt in through the open doors past the general hubbub of Officers and Civilians as they argued and berated. Cid was no stranger to this Watch House, as a child he was often dragged here unfortunately to answer for some petty crime of burglary or pick pocketing, and in his adult years he was often seen within it's walls discussing the crimes against others whether that be defending one of the many orphans that he felt responsible for or playing jury and executioner with the charges he was paid to return, this was a city with many dangerous criminals, and they were the only way a man like Cid could survive.
He raised the brim of his hat and let his face and hands be seen clearly before presenting himself to the desk clerk, who looked up with a dual-gaze of recognition and disdain.
"I'm afraid we've no time to discuss politics today your majesty you'll have to come back another day..."
The clerk's words were a mixture of sarcasm and contempt, fresh in his mind was the last time he'd had to argue with this face over the same desk.
"Although perhaps if you're not too busy chasing ghosts and training pick pockets you can actually help us for a change and carry out a little contract?"
Cid waved the man's words away, he had no time to squabble.
"I shall deal with that in due time, but first I was wondering if you could check the Wanted roster for a mark I apprehended last night?"
"Might I suggest, Manhunter, that you ensure your target Is a criminal before you go shooting them?"
The question was rhetorical, and the clerk lifted up some papers he was working on to reveal the 'Wanted' book, which he then placed on the top and flicked open.
"Does this 'mark' have a name? Or did you not stop to ask before sinking a bolt into it's neck?"
The clerk virtually spat the last few words out, to which Cid gave a slight, unseen smirk. Without even raising his head, the clerk waited for his reply.
"The most traditionally used name is err...'Skaven'..I believe"
"S. Cavann..."
"No, skaven...it's one word!"
Clerk met Cowboy as the seated man's eyes flew upwards with a slight look of dread, he quickly composed himself however and flicked to the 'S' section.
"I'm sorry I didn't catch that, could you spell it? Oh wait, no, nevermind...Skaegun was it? Is he norse?"
Cid's skin began to prickle hot, from embarrassment and rage, he drew the dismembered skaven head out from inside his cloak and slammed it onto the table, spraying the clerk with blood and spittle as he roared.
"SKAVEN!!...Ratlings, the Queeks, Gutter Runners, the Cursed Vermin, THE CHILDREN OF THE HORNED RAT!!"
The assembled few in the watch house all turned as one to face the exploding man, several of the officers slipped their heavy truncheons into their hands and took a few steps towards the table, others staggered back, aghast, at the sight in front of them.
The clerk fired Cid another furious stare and pushed his chair back, away from the bloody, furry mess.
"Kindly remove this dead animal from my desk or you'll spend a night in a cell, we've seen enough death today in these walls than to hear your insane ramblings!"
Cid grabbed the head and hoisted it up, jabbing it into his face.
"You see those teeth? The eyes!?...They're the very same teeth that chew through the granite stone wall in your cellar! The very same eyes that watch your children, waiting for the one moment when you're not watching them!"
Cid turned to face the center of the room, letting the bloody head hang from his hand for all to see. He bellowed out across the entire Watch House.
"Where's the captain of this circus!?"
A few of the watchman mumbled to ones close to them, those with truncheons out circled Cid in-case he attempted to attack anybody. Shortly, a youth dashed out through the door into the rest of the watch house, just as the captain was striding into the main room. His armour was fully checked, his helmet was strapped tight to his head, in his off-hand he carried his truncheon with it's head resting on his left shoulder. In his right hand he carried a large crossbow, loaded with an equally large quarrel. The captain stepped over the threshold and surveyed the scene.
"What bastard ruined my kip!?"
Setting his eyes upon the familiar face of Cid, and the bloody mess in his hand, he assembled an idea.
"Right, I see...Will that be all Cid? Or did you have anything less to say?"
The captain shrugged the crossbow up into a comfortable and safe position (unsafe for the ceiling) and waggled his truncheon at Cid in a shoo'ing manner. The bounty hunter took a step forwards, causing the officers around him to take two. Seeing he was surrounded he shrugged and launched the Skaven head towards the Watch Captain.
"Take this...and either do something about it, or as usual, pay me to do it for you!"
Before waiting for the head to land he turned to face the exit and shoved his way through the gap in between the circle of bacon. Carrying on through the door and down the steps. The captain looked down at the gory head sat at his face and snarled, sticking the loaded crossbow into the now squishy sack of skin, he raised it to eye level and then above his head for all of his men to see.
"This...doesn't exist...order of the Prince, gottit!?"
The officers nodded in unison, regardless of opinion, the Captain could however see confusion in the eyes of his men.
"The only thing crazier than the law is the scum that break it, and you guys just saw the craziest one of them all. You boys worry about policing the people, that crazy fucker will police the monsters for free!"
With that, the Captain turned and walked into the watch house. Heading for the boiler room with the 'evidence'...