[center][h3]Gaius Stronurr[/h3]
[sub]The Marketing District[/sub][/center]

	Not again. Not a god-damn chance. Nope. No way! "Get up. Eh, get up!" Gaius alarmed, stopping several yards before reaching the strewn path that lined the edge of Lee Silvertongue's stall, "We're not doing this again, Forrest. I [i]seriously[/i] don't have time for this! I'm due for an audience with the king!" Despite his protests, Forrest did not budge and inch from his rag-doll. The stubborn thief had made his capture a chore. How [i]annoying![/i] Gaius had no intention of wasting anymore time on Forrest than he absolutely needed to, though. With his visor angled up towards a neighboring island, he let free an exasperated sigh and loosened his grip to allow Forrest his freedom. "I'm not dragging your sorry ass all the way through Heron [i]today.[/i] Not that it would do you much good if I did, anyways. Keep away from Tiffany's stall, lest another one of my men end up running into you," Gaius parroted with his back turned to Forrest, like he had many times in the past. Although it was slightly different every time he hadn't the patience to put up with Forrest's tomfoolery, it always boiled down to the same message. 'you're wasting my valuable time. Don't get caught again. My guards aren't nearly as friendly as I am.' And it was true, to some extent. Although the royal guard wasn't overflowing with miscreants or ruthless savages, there were quite a few men who'd no sooner throw Forrest in prison for a few days despite his crimes being well-known throughout the candy shops, and considered [i]mostly-[/i]harmless. Gaius traced the small outlines of a cloud in disarray and turned to face Forrest for a split second, assuming he hadn't already [i]bolted[/i] upon release. With a small flick of his wrist, he was off, headed for the king's castle.
	
	Or at least he would've been, if he'd nearly been knocked over by a rogue glider, flying [i]far[/i] too close to the ground. Gaius fell to his hands in a desperate panic, barely having any time to duck out of the glider's way. Hell, if it hadn't been for the pilot's swift change in momentum, he might have just [i]lost his top.[/i] Or his helmet, at least. "Eh! Watch your altitude, kid!" Gaius bellowed at Eli, cupping the edges of his visor with both hands. Troublemakers everywhere. Why hadn't there been any guards watching for illegal fliers? Bah! He'd have to give his men in the nearby districts a stern talking to about the laws regarding [i]safe gliding in populated areas[/i] again. It's not like they ever listened to him. Hell, most of what Gaius tried to relay to his guards and the citizens was brushed off as nothing more than [i]nagging[/i] half the time. But regardless of how much impact it left, [i]It was[/i] his responsibility to keep pressing into his peers. Obligations were not to be trifled with! That's what Gaius always said. Nobody listened to that either though.

	"At least you're not threatening to take somebody's [i]head[/i] off, Forrest," Gaius quipped, clashing his metal gauntlets together to wipe off the dust on his hands, "if that day comes, I won't hesitate to throw you in jail [i]myself![/i] Ahaha!" He turned away from Forrest once again with a curt nod and a raise of the hand, heading to see the king, like he'd intended to all morning. He found himself following a few paces behind another man, visibly armed with a sword of foreign quality. It made his own weapon look like an artifact by comparison. Then again, Gaius' Claymore wasn't exactly the [i]newest model[/i], so to speak. Although it was large, larger than most weapons fit for melee combat, his sword was roughly ten years old. He couldn't stand to part with it, despite the many objections that the castle blacksmith howled into his iron carapace. It was a memento! How could he give up the sword that marked his entry into the royal guard all those years ago? He wouldn't give it up, not even for Blank's beautifully crafted weapon from beyond the borders of Heron! Gaius let out a heavy breath, smiling under his helmet as he passed Lee's shop. He turned and offered her a short wave with another flick of his wrist as he passed. "Mornin' Lee" He said softly, keeping on his way through the market at a steady pace.