Kaiden draws in a deep, filling breath, and silently imagines a little mutt puppy doing backflips, making a mental note of how many times it turned in the air. He tries to keep himself cool-headed and prevent his bubbling irritation from rising; his two “coworkers” behind him, fresh blood that he unfortunately was commanded to babysit, have never stopped, from the time they left main camp to now, comparing their “bulging, hulking muscles” and their “insurmountable skills in battle”. [i]Pleased to meet you too, Lenard and Tran[/i], he thought sarcastically as he slowly exhaled the collected air in his lungs and continued to tolerate their brazen, obnoxious argument while he carried a sack of stolen goods over his shoulder. He whistles a tune of a frequency unreachable by normal adult ears, just to make sure that nature doesn’t get the jump on them with a forest leopard. “I fuckin’ told you time and time again mate, I can bash yer skull in with one swing of me trusty babe, Gertrude. Why, if we was in a duel, you’d be mincemeat in seconds and sold to a local butcher! I heard human meat is forbidden but much… enjoyed by many of nobility somewhere, out there.” The voice of the first companion reverberates throughout his entire body, painting a large, beefy tank of a man with broad arms and shoulders, but minimal armor and clothing: all he dons are large, iron pauldrons strapped on tight that clink with every step he takes, simple pants and boots of softer material, and of course, his equally massive two-headed battle axe. The deepness of his voice, the boldness of his tone, the grotesque scenario of his words suggests a personality comfortable with violence, at a great dislike for speech craft and intellect, but easily manipulated with the simplest of sweet talk. Kaiden wants to laugh heartily at the idea of a titanic, brutal man who intimately bestows a name onto an inanimate, disposable object, as indicated by his slight pause and momentary snicker, but he clears his throat of any mocking humor and continues on with his tune; he didn’t want to make early enemies of people he should trust to have his back in dire situations. [i]Just go with the flow, don’t lose the tempo~[/i], he sings merrily in his head, adding a little bounce in his steps to take his mind off of the two lugnuts he was dragging behind him. 

“HAH. I bet you can’t slice your way out of a deer skin bag with your poor excuse for a brain and your boulder body!” [Aah, another “special case”[/i], the young says to himself, smirking with much amusement; despite the fact that they are noisy, they do provide some entertainment, which helped to lighten his mood. Now he understands why Irene, the head mistress of the Leviathan bandit clan, stuck the boy with these particularly dogmatic recruits: his significantly longer patience compared to most of his equals and seniors, and ability to find a little bit of humor in almost any situation, make him the best qualified to deal with their antics. “The thing about your two-faced, rusty whore is that she doesn’t know which way she wants to swing! You want a lance, which flies straight and true, and you always know that it’ll come back to you!” This voice drew a different kind of picture: a man of petite, limber stature, with a camisole and pants that seem to cut off past his knees, weathered sandals, and a simple, pointed lance. There isn’t much to his overall look, it seems, but then again since when did outlaws care about how they appeared to everyone else? What Kaiden found extremely interesting, however, was the color of his tone: a scrawny vocal box lacking in proper enunciation and without a concern for clarity, yet the way he blitzes past with his words suggest an untapped wit, wasted on an often irrational, barely educated mind. The boy found the discord of human traits of humorous irony, and chuckled as a result of his revelation.

As they neared the city of Othea, Kaiden could feel the intense vibrations of city life slowly come into his audio picture. There was much banter, but also much bickering, regarding wares, wives, husbands, children, “sizes”, and the latest gossip that currently circulated throughout the Othean folk. It was a wonderful yet slightly overwhelming thing to behold, as his acute hearing senses would take a bit of time to get adjusted due to the almost abrupt presentation of audio input. He motioned for Lenard, who was on his right, to give him his trusty, “poor man’s” cane. “Do you see any guards about?” The young man whispered to his compatriot as he pulled his cloak closer towards his front torso area in an attempt to hide his double short swords and his twelve throwing blades. He could feel Lenard nod his head curtly, yet cautiously; as a man rocking the look of a lumbering, intimidating outlaw, he wasn’t exactly comfortable being in a place that reeked of proper civilization and rules. Tran probably didn’t want to mention it, but Kaiden’s pings picked up on his clammy, jittery hands and his nervous gulps. He smiled confidently, knowing that he had the psychological advantage, and said in reassurance, “Don’t worry. Stick by me, don’t say a word, and I’ll take care of the rest.” His team mates both nodded in unison, finally calm after being faced with a fairly new and very unnerving situation. The boy snickered lightly and knowingly, and gripping the cane firmly for support, moved forward while feeling around for any obstacles, and warning people of his presence.

The three reached the grand gates of the city, and as expected because of Lenard and Tran’s suspicious looks, were promptly stopped. In order to add to the “blind, helpless man” act, before he spoke, he continued facing towards the door, when he very well knew a guard was stomping his way towards them from his left. Kaiden could basically feel the guard’s tightness of lip and heightened wariness, but he simply laughed and greeted, “Hello, good sir. We have come for this joyous occasion. May we enter and enjoy whatever grand food and entertainment your city has to offer?” There was a slight awkward pause, and then a small blurb of a giggle from the guard on the right, and Kaiden knew he had slain the suspicions of one out of two. The other gates man, however, was more difficult to convince, and he grabbed the boy’s shoulder and made him towards his direction. “I don’t suppose your friends would have a reason for bringing their cleavers and witch pokers?” Slightly taken aback by this strange wording, he attempted to recover himself by brushing aside his absurd use of terms and replied with a pleading tone. “Um, you see sir, we come from the Cities of Harra, very far away. Ever since I heard of Othea and her wondrous festivities, I’ve always wanted to go, but since I’m blind, my father never lets me out of the house; he thinks I’m fragile and not fit for travel, and that I should be taken care of like a sickly child.” Kaiden sighed for added emphasis, and his pings show that the guard’s expressions were slowly taking a turn for the softer, more empathetic side. “But as a man, I shall not let my disability drag me down and keep me from experiencing worldly pleasures. So I begged him to let me go, even if it was just this once. He may be overprotective, as typical for a father, but he is loving, and for this time only, he has decided to let me go.” He motioned his towards Lenard and Tran, and continued on with his “sob” story, as he could sense, by the relaxing of the guard’s posture and the small exhale, that his words were having the desired effect. “So he hired two mercenaries to protect me, and rented a caravan to escort us there. Unfortunately, some bandits attacked us halfway. Fortunately, they were run-of-the-mill, so these strong men made quick work of them, but we ended up walking all the way to Othea, through the wilderness and the beasts that reside in it.” Kaiden hung his head low, well presenting humility and a sort of irresistible vulnerability that usually tug the heart strings of people in his favor.

“Woah, you reached Othea all the way here on foot?? Damn that is amazing!” The guard to the right exclaimed, not minding his post and his position in society. “Angus, this guy’s got guts. You HAVE to let him in!” 

The gate man on Kaiden’s left sighed and weakly protested, “But Darren..”

“But Darren nothing! You’re going to reject these people after hearing all about what they went through to get here? I knew you were a scrouge but hell, this is an all new low for you, denying access to our great city to a BLIND man and his companions! Why, if Captain Lockwood were to hear about your cold-heartedness, she-“

“ALL RIGHT ALL RIGHT.” Kaiden noted much frustration in his voice, but could there also be a hint of flustered embarrassment? He didn’t exactly know, nor did he particularly care, since they got what they wanted. He smiled as the guard yelled exasperatingly, “I don’t care anymore. Just go through and do whatever the hell you want! It’s none of my business anyway!” The boy laughed and thanked both of the gates men profusely, then proceeded onwards inside the city. “How did you do that?” Tran asked with newfound respect and great awe. Kaiden simply shrugged, curled his lips upward into a sly smile, and said, “Lots and lots and lots of experience, my friend. Don’t worry, you’ll learn… If you live long enough to survive, that is.”