[quote][h2][i][color=fff200]Kane Bounevialle[/color][/i][/h2]
[h3][@Fat Boy Kyle] [@The_written_John][/h3][/quote]


The winter day was bitter and harsh, but not even a snowflake would fall over the city – not that it would be called as such. With the steel workers slaving away in the factories, and the smoke of coal fires billowing up into the sky, any and all snow would either melt in its heat and rain down as acid water, or take in its impurities and fall gently down black as the smoke itself, as though it were simply ash. It was curious in its symbolism. Talbor had a beautiful countryside. Its fields and mountains were wonders to behold, yet here, in the city, it was filth inside and out. Centered around industry. There was a time that Kane could see the beauty in the town, but the ignorance that had once blinded him to the truth has since faded, enacted by the catalysts that were all around him. The poor in the streets. The sick in their beds. The rioting at the steps, and the sinful in hiding; he had saw most but not all before three months ago, but finding the final jigsaw piece allowed him to put the whole picture together.

Maceron really was filth.

If by anything other than its government, there was hope for restoring the country to the way it used to be. Full of pride and innovation, making its riches off the plentiful resources that had surrounded them. The Ferdinand monarchy, however, was the blockade that halted Talbor's recovery. For as long as they remained in control – as long as they allowed their people to suffer – there would be no healing Talbor.

Kane sighed heavily as his post near the statue of Draco Ferdinand in central Maceron. Such introspective monologuing and depression was exhausting. And distracting. He looked up at the statue next to which he posted himself. What a shame that the artists couldn't capture the serpentine eyes that he brandished, or his forked tongue. A pair of footsteps and clatter of armor approached him from the side, and Kane turned to face a friendly face at the sound of a man clearing his voice. It was Oscar.

“How're you doing, cap'?” He said with a smile. Rosy cheeks almost as red as his curly hair was quite a peculiar sight to behold of a man decked in some of the heaviest armor in the guard. Most guards had to share a uniform, but as G-2, they did at least have the perks in wearing and using what they excelled in.

Kane just met him with a gentle smile. “I am doing fine. Thank you.”

Oscar appeared to pick up on his solemn mood, and went to take his mind off Draco Ferdinand. “So, you know how you had me posted by the front gate, right?”

“Yes?” Kane replied as he narrowed his brows.

“Right, right – before you get upset about that, I got Alexander covering for me. So like I was saying. Just before the front gate, there was this noble-looking fellow, right? Obviously not from around here, probably from Nepharie or something. He was an [i]absolute goon.[/i] He was talking to a cat and everything. But no, listen, not just [i]talking[/i] to the cat, but he was [i]angry[/i]. A full blown argument.”

Kane raised a suspicious eyebrow in response. “That sounds... fictitious.” 

“Look, I know that, [i]I know.[/i] But it happened. He's probably not right in the head or something... but that's not all! This cat, you see – perfect timing, I kid you not – projectile vomited all over his face. A whole big spiel, a big rant – just dismissed in the most perfect way possible. By a cat. I don't know if I'll ever be able to beat that.”

“I don't think I can believe all that.” Kane said, sounding slightly unamused.

“Okay, well, just trust me. I let him in and he should be walking around town. I don't think you'll be able to miss him.”

“Oh. So, assuming this isn't another joke of yours, we now have a crazy person roaming Maceron?”

Oscar only shrugged. “No crazier than the lot we already have. Really, he might be a few ingots short of a beam, but I believe he's harmless. Not like... the kind of people already here, you know?”

Oscar managed to crack a smile out of Kane, but it was one more solemn. A smile of pity for the city's sake. “You're right about that. I'll give you that one.”

The two of them walked away from the city square, turning their backs to the statue of king Draco Ferdinand. As the two walked down the brick-layed streets – an unfamiliar viewpoint, as they had always rode on their horses inside of town back when they were knights – they acknowledged the expressions of the people they walked past. Once they were full of awe and respect, and admiration. They still wore those faces even now, but they were impure expressions. They now also bore pity in their faces, and sympathy. Once great Knights of the Ram reduced to guardsmen. The common idea of thinking that being a guard even remotely amounted to anything resembling a knight was borderline heresy. Disrespectful. And to reduce a knight to “simple” guardsmen, the common folk felt, was to add insult to injury. And perhaps to some knights, that'd be the case. Not for G-2.

True knights served the common folk, were honorable, and abide by the code of chivalry. Nobility had nothing to do with that, and even as guardsmen, they were greater knights than even Sir Rudolph Fallon. At least G-2 served the people for the people's sake. All five of them shared this sentiment. They had become brothers since they shared a bottle of Bounevialle wine one night, and since then, that bond had not even wavered. Kane looked up at the sky to see another black cloud. Not one from inside the city, but further off. Red Legion. To keep Kane's regiment within the walls was an insult to their skills. Ferdinand probably wants an eye to be kept on the regiment, to be sure they didn't run off and perhaps return with an army. He could still take advantage of this though. Garnering the support of the local citizens. That's what was most crucial. The rest could wait.

The peculiar sounds of squealing and mooing echoed out further down the road. Kane and Oscar looked at each other, puzzled, and hurried their pace. Moving around the corner, they saw the cause for commotion. A large, burly centaur – likely the one that they saw marching through the gates earlier today.

“Oh come on! You can have her back afterwards...” His heavy voice droned.

A small elven farmer was nearby and mortified. “No! Leave Daisy alone! He's trying to have it off with my cow! Someone help!”

"This is so wrong..." Oscar muttered.

Another young man in armor came marching in to his rescue. It was John, from Kane's own regiment. “Hey!” He shouted at the centaur. Of course it was him. Nobody outside of G-2 would have bothered to help.

“John!” Kane called out to him. He and Oscar approached the scene as well. With the centaur trying get frisky with a cow, a distressed elf, and three-fifths of the esteemed G-2 regiment present, the alleyway was starting to gather quite a bit of attention. Kane was perceptive of this and the forming crowd. If he could get through this without instigating a fight, that'd be ideal. John looked over to see his captain, and gave him a nervous smile. Kane simply nodded to him in praise and looked up at the tall centaur to handle this matter himself. Oscar stood next to him with his arms crossed.

“What seems to be the problem here?” Kane interjected, his forceful voice projecting over the background noise and carrying through the air. He damn well knew what the problem was; it was a tagged cow belonging to the farmer, and the centaur couldn't get a hold of his fetishes. This was protocol, however.

“He's having his way with my Daisy!” The old elf cried. “Get him to stop! T-this... this isn't right!”

Kane nodded and looked up at the centaur. He was mostly unfazed, but he was worried about the possibility of such a large creature getting angry and having a fight break out in this busy street.

“Sir?” Kane said in his address to the centaur. “If this is indeed the case, then I cannot permit you to continue this behavior. If you back away from... Daisy, now, there won't be any issues. I'm sure you'll find plenty of undomesticated cows out in the countryside.”