Snippet #1565478

= Gamaliel Fureidis =

The night progressed noisily as most tavern occupants fled the scene at first chance. Moments before the cozy establishment had brimmed with life. This reversed relatively quickly as the mere presence of Rivian Legionaries frightened many Vantians to their wits. Those unfortunate enough to have remained farthest from the front bolted desperately through the kitchens as the opportunity presented itself. When the dust settled, an awe struck silence ensued, leaving few others besides the Legionaries and Gamaliel’s Guard. The only other occupants appeared in the form of a mass of dwarves, whom completely ignored the encounter as interest waned. They had no business meddling through a purely human affair, having acquired many centuries’ worth of hard earned wisdom as well as a stubbornness the human children continually seemed to lacked. Who blamed them? Human butchered each other for centuries, learning little despite committing continual grievances upon their own. More amusingly, though, as the officer strode forwards, his path altered worryingly at the behest of Artanis’ dog. Gamaliel painfully managed not to smirk, leaning over instead to send the champion a nod of appreciation. Upon finally confronting the chief centurion face to face, the retainer dipped his head respectfully.

“Good evening, Centurion,” he exclaimed, “Is there any matter from which I can assist you?”

“Who are you to oppose the King and the way he handles affairs?” the officer asked authoritatively.

“I’m uncertain what it is you speak of, but I can assure you, I committed no treason if this is what you inquire.”

"E-e-excuse me ma'am," uttered the young unkempt man, "I think the king is great! Can I leave then? If it isn't too much of a problem of course...""

The sudden and rapid appearance of another entity spelled the familiar arrival of Maximinius. His suspicious glare only provoked glares of equal vigor as the legionaries stood ready to fight.

“Leave the boy,” the royal officer asserted positioning beside his superior, “he stands alone in this matter and his associations lie elsewhere.”

As he spoke, the Feenikim Agrianikoi prepared for assembly until Gamaliel once again stood them down. The commander removed his helmet, revealing long flowing red hair and exposing the officer as … a woman. Gamaliel raised his brow quizzically, eyeing Artanis in slight perplexity at the newfound revelation. As he did, the stalwart officer shot a piercing regard in his direction, resulting in the return of an equally piercing stare of his own. He’d not recently encountered an officer of such imposing caliber, save perhaps one and as the thought presented itself, Gamaliel smiled calmly, sighing as attention fell upon his locket. His heart ached and for a moment, visions of blissful longing filled his head. Before his emotions frolicked any further, the retainer crossed his arms and exhaled, shaking his head in wonder.

The centurion’s unexpected arrivals surfaced many questions, instinctually provoking precautionary measures in the event of conflict. Something about this officer intrigued him, surfacing a familiarity he’d believed to have vanished long ago. Her demeanor, preparedness, curt authority, and youth also prompted a surge of interest from the leader and within the hour, they’d both agreed upon initiating a round of affairs.

Discussions seemed to prolong as Gamaliel pressed for details in an attempt to discern what exactly motivated Praetor Kimber. At first, he feared her presence might have originated through a crown sting operation, yet as talks progress he found the possibility of her involvement as a Rivian crown loyalist to seem increasingly daft. From what he could discern, she held no love towards the current Delryn regime and certainly did not inspect his character as suspiciously as a true crown agent would. By the end of their discussions, the matter had settled quite conclusively, integrating the Praetor and her men amongst Gamaliel’s. Quite frankly, the bearded leader still sought answers as to how determined Praetor Kimber really was and to what standards her men retained, but as he reflected further, he had ultimately concluded her importance could only reveal itself in time. The two had covered much over the course of an hour and though an uneasy tension still remained, a display of mutual collectivity prevailed before both parties. This established further through an agreeable hand shake between the two, substantially bolstering their pact.

“I shall cherish your company, Praetor Kimber, however uncertain it maybe. Pressing times lay ahead and you must prepare yourself for the unknown. We’ll speak again at first light, but for now, let us retire; our men require rest as I'm sure you would also. Should you feel informatively inclined, you know where to find me.”