[CENTER][img]https://i.imgur.com/7Xu8JY7.jpg[/img][/CENTER] Today would turn out to be a very important day for other reasons..... Today marked the day that a young, enterprising orphan by the name of Kian Le stole into an armed contingent, stealing away a golden lockbox that carried something very, very important inside of it. [CENTER]***[/CENTER] [b]“Stop! Thief!"[/b] Over the years, the merchants of the Kuo-Te'Lung bazaar had been greeted with many unusual sights. However, on this particular day, they were greeted by one perhaps stranger than the rest. A young man wore a blue brocade belted over a white, silken shirt. His black hair was tied back into a ponytail that flowed freely from the slight breeze that blew through the marketplace on this particular day. In his hands, the Kian Le clutched tightly to his chest a golden lockbox. The lockbox was clasped shut with a lock that was fashioned with the insignia of a serpent. He did not know what was inside it, but so convinced was he that this lockbox contained within it the key to riches and fortune that, quite frankly, he did not care. All that he was bothered about right now was escaping the contingent of armed guardsmen that, as of this moment right now, were running through the open-air market behind him. Eyes the colour of sapphire glanced back as the youngster continued to run straight forwards. Behind him, the guardsmen, about six strong, ran as fast as they could after him. He could hear the jangle of metal on metal as their scimitars, belted to their waist, clattered on the armour that they wore. Whereas Kian was small and agile enough to evade the merchants and buyers both, the guardsmen were not so subtle. They simply barrelled straight through anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way, sending passersby flying to one side in the path of their impotent rage. Kian was not foolish. He knew that if he got caught a swift hanging was the best fate that he could possibly hope for. Turning his head back to the path at hand, the youngster continued to run -- determined as he was that this was not a fate that he would suffer. Around him the marketplace was in full swing. The sun was shining in the sky and it was roughly midday in the town of Kuo-Te'Lung. Merchants were hawking their wares, and more than one of them were in heated negotiations with buyers, looking to purchase their goods at the cheapest price possible. Carts were propped up, some of them holding fruit, others holding meats and still others with jars of exotic spices within them. In addition to that, merchants were looking to sell furs and animal skins, and others had expensive looking jewellery. It was one of those stalls that Kian reached out and quickly swiped what seemed to be a necklace adorned with a beautiful emerald. [b]"Hey! You!"[/b] The merchant, a portly, balding man with a red face, came running around to try and tackle Kian, but the orphan agilely ducked underneath the man's outstretched arms, rolling and coming up on the other side. As the man shook his fist in Kian's direction, he turned and shrugged, bowing slightly by way of apology. Putting the necklace in one of his pockets, he drew out a couple of shining silver coins, throwing them towards the merchant by way of recompense for the stolen goods. As the man bent down to pick them up though, the first of the guards ran straight into him. There was a sickening crunch from the head-on collision between the two, and Kian inwardly winced as he continued running. Five guards remained on his tail as the sixth tried to pick himself up from the floor where he had knocked himself half-unconscious. Running past a fruit stall, Kian reached out, unhooking the clasp on the cart on his way past. And as melons, apples, oranges and coconuts (of all things), poured into the path of the onrushing guards he turned around and once more tossed a couple of silvers towards the angry merchant. This was proving to be a very expensive day.... Behind him there was a yell as the other five guardsmen charged straight into the fallen fruit. They crashed into each other and then fell in a heap onto the floor. Chuckling, Kian waved at them as he put the lockbox inside his pocket, turning to run. Kian had one goal in mind. He had to get to a merchant caravan that he knew was leaving the city this very day. His plan was to steal aboard, and then possibly return once things quietened down a little. [CENTER]***[/CENTER] [b]"You will escort me to the Bitter Well Oasis, as per the arrangement. There, the choice is yours as to whether or not you decide to continue onwards across the Dragonwall. This is acceptable, no?"[/b] Merchant Haldemar was a bored-looking man. Around the age of fifty with a weather-beaten face and greying hair he had seen many, many things in his years providing mercantile goods to people who needed them, and those that didn't (he tended not to discriminate between the two when looking for a potential sale). Opening the brown cover that separated the exterior of the caravan from the interior, Haldemar revealed a number of different wares. Mostly animal skins and furs, though there were some foodstuffs there too. The cheese was particularly aromatic. [b]"Stay on the outside at all times."[/b] Haldemar walked over to the two horses pulling the wagon, climbing onto the carriage next to them and taking the reins. [b]"And before you even think about it, I've taken a complete inventory. I will know if something is missing so keep your eyes off them. I will pay you half your allotted sum when we get halfway, and the other half on completion. We will leave in a couple of minutes so I would advise you make yourselves comfortable."[/b] He moved over to the front of the wagon and mounted one of the horses. From the rear, out of the marketplace, a young man wearing a blue brocade and white silken shirt came charging forwards, running as if his life depended on it. Every so often he glanced back, black ponytail fluttering in the breeze. Running up to the wagon, he dived straight into it. Within seconds, the wagon began to move.... [hider=OOC][@Meleck] To bring you into the game Atyna is the guard that Haldemar is currently talking to. He's been looking for armed guards to take him across the dangerous and arid region known as the Quoya Desert. His destination is the Dragonwall to begin with which separates the mysterious and enigmatic eastern lands from the west. From there his intention is to cross the Dragonwall and seek to establish a trade route within the little known realm of Kara-Tur. Your reasons for signing onto the caravan are completely up to you, feel free to post whenever you like to jump in the game - Atyna has just seen the caravan begin to move and a young man jump into the back of it. How you want to react to this is also entirely up to you.[/hider]