Yiamas!

[Odelina Meltzer]

In the early hours of morning, Lina returned to Fort Omenbryn. Farius had disappeared, Sisara had disappeared, and her stomach hurt like no tomorrow. The face of the clerk told her that Tasza had already been there.

"Yes… Masello and Morig… assault on a fellow guardsman, both provoked. Morig threatened Vintas with a knife, Masello punched him… Masello, Tasza and Meathandler, insubordination. In the case of the latter two, leading to the abscondment of Masello… Vintas provoked two fellow guardsmen, attempted to do the same to a third." She ran her hand across her sweating face. "I suppose that's not strictly against the rules, but it's bloody bad taste."

"Anything else?" The clerk's eyebrow had been sarcastically raised the whole time.
"I don't know," she snapped, irritated and tired. "Changers, put down Meltzer for failure to address situation with appropriate resolution."
"I'm not sure that can be used as an official charge either."
"Whatever. Good night." Before the man had a chance to say anything else, she turned and walked away, wanting nothing more than to curl up somewhere out of sight.

When the summon came the next day, just before the beginning of her shift, her only emotion was stunned. She was already in full gear, so she had no reason to linger. Still faint and nauseated, she dragged herself down to the cellars of the Headquarters.

It would have been easy to make an active field sergeant see the detrimental effect of Vintas' and Tasza's behaviour. With the High Inquisitor and her people, it was a whole different deal. What did they know about what was needed for the guard to truly function in a tight place? What did they know about the need for a seamless chain of command, and the feeling of comradeship among the guards? All they knew was their books and regulations.

At the bottom of the stairs, she straightened herself and stepped inside the waiting room, making sure to make a brief eye contact with anyone inside before taking a seat. No matter how she felt, she would not come across as being on the defensive.

[Darrik]

Darrik knew Odelina's type. Too much ego entangled in their rank and more interest in having authority than responsibility. Certainly, such people did not have enough respect for the rules and their purposes, twisting them to suit themselves. Personally, the dwarf guard wished there were more humans like Tasza, people who took their jobs seriously. The greatest risk to the reputation of the guards were guards who didn't give a damn about doing things properly, and abused their authority in the name of self interest. It was because Darrik knew Odelina's type that he made sure he filed his own report promptly and properly. It likely wouldn't help, but it made sure his views were properly recorded.

It was a grim dwarf who filed his report to his watch Sergeant. Darrik described in detail Drayel's loss of temper with Farius, drawing of a weapon, and the minor property damage caused as a result. Darrik added his recommendation that, while Vic had not wished to press charges over a single mug and a loss of temper, and that Ferric had not been inclined to press charges over the threat that a drawn weapon constituted, someone in authority should speak with Drayel about appropriate and inappropriate behaviour outside of duty hours. Darrik covered the situation with Farius who, seemingly with little-to-no provocation, punched a fellow guard, and advised that Darrik may be called upon to be witness to any charges brought up. Darrik added that Constable Odelina, while present, had failed to act until after Tasza declared his intent to press charges, entering into a verbal argument with the other guard while Farius exited. Darrik added that he entered the conversation in support of Tasza to stand as witness, and had thus, technically, disagreed with a superior: though also, technically, from a different watch - thus not his own superior. Finally, Darrik requested that Guardsman Tasza be commended for acting promptly and efficiently in restraining Farius from escalating the engagement beyond a single punch.

Darrik's sergeant took down the details, and said "Seems like a typical Novrus to me, Darrik. A bit of a brawl to keep the hounds excited and ready for the main event, eh? Boys will be boys. Still, I've noted down the reports and process them. You've been seconded to Auxiliary, by the way. They need more assistance with sewer patrol." Darrik didn't bat an eyelid. Of course he had been seconded for sewer duty. It had been getting to the point, Darrik felt, that he saw more of bloody Jack Iron than his own sergeant. He didn't know which was worse: an old bruiser who liked to bet on dog fights, or a smug bastard with delusions of humour. "Right you are Sarge." With a start to the week like that, the summons to the High Inquisitor didn't surprise the dwarf. His one concession was to ensure his armour was polished to specification and his uniform as smart as he could make it appear. This was going to ruin his month, Darrik just knew it.

The dwarf guard tromped into the waiting room and gave the others present a curt salute. Darrik sat down, back straight, with perfect posture as his drill sergeant had taught. Behind the outer demeanour, Darrik was thinking on matters other than the summons. Truth be told, the dwarf was beginning to enjoy the frequent secondments to Auxiliary. Most of the work was solitary, which meant he didn't have to be disappointed by the frequent failings he witnessed in the younger human guards he accompanied. Darrik may have only been a guard himself for five years, but he'd been around for eighty years, and most of the guards' behaviours he witnessed had begun to feel like that of children: petty and selfish, doing a job because they were told to, not because they wanted to. Lost in his own thoughts, Darrik would wait in silence unless spoken to. Otherwise, he'd save his words for the Inquisitor.

[Ravenna Vonstadt]

Her morning had only just begun, but she could already tell she had an unpleasant day ahead of her.

Ravenna stared ahead disdainfully, her lips curved into the frown she had given so many guards over the years. She had an important case this morning, but that was routine. Based on the reports she had received, she had a good idea of what to expect. There had been a rumble at a local pub, and although the owner had refused to press charges, the Guard’s image had been tarnished. She would listen to all sides and punish the offenders appropriately, as she had done time and again. Even if the affair turned out worse than she imagined, it was nothing worth losing her temper over.

But this was inexcusable.

Every day for the past ten years, she sat on a specific bench and waited for her favorite janitor to walk by – a kind old man who had been her friend since she joined the guard. They would exchange pleasantries before departing for work. But now a group of trainees were gathered around it, chuckling amongst themselves. She made note of a few slouchers near the back. How unbecoming. Perhaps it was time to include proper stature in the standard training regimen. She would file a report on it after the hearing.

“You could always just sit on another bench, you know,” Sebastian said from beside her, grinning.

Ravenna glanced at him, her frown deepening. “A fair point. Of course, I now feel obliged to point out that you could always spend the weekend on latrine duty. I’ve heard quite an unfortunate rumor that Guardsman Yorrick’s bowel control is beginning to fail. Such a shame, is it not?”

“Likewise a fair point, dear sister, but I’m afraid that my talent for cleaning up people’s messes pales before yours.” Sebastian leaned against the wall. “And speaking of messes, best of luck with the pub fiasco case. I hear a few people have their knickers in a twist over that.”

“Knickers in a twist? I thought you were above such coarse language,” Ravenna said as she walked with him past her occupied bench. One of these days she really needed to reserve it. “While the sentiment is appreciated, luck is inconsequential to a judge. We look at the facts and mete out justice accordingly.” Once she reached the waiting room’s entrance, she paused and looked to her brother. “Have a pleasant day, Sebastian. Remember that you’re expected at dinner this evening. I look forward to meeting your new girlfriend.”

Sebastian laughed. “She’s been freaking out about meeting you for the past week.”

Ravenna smiled slightly. “I think I’m going to like this one.” Giving him a curt nod, she opened the door to the waiting room and stepped inside. As she skimmed over the occupants, dressed in her dark judge robe, she looked like Death himself examining his latest batch of souls. After staring at them for what seemed like an eternity, she walked to the door to the central hearing room and stopped as she placed her hand on the knob. “I will see you all at the same time. Follow me inside, take a seat at the table, and say nothing unless spoken to.”

The High Inquisitor stepped into her playing field. The games were about to begin.

[Sisara]

Sitting before Judge Ravenna Vonstadt wasn’t really an experience Sisara wanted to live on a regular basis. It was scary, to be perfectly honest, though she wasn’t going to admit that to anyone.
Maybe to Farius.
Maybe.

Of course, it wasn’t the first time for Sisara to sit before a superior of some sort and awaiting the inevitable lecture, but this felt far more significant than any of the other times before this one. Being called before a lieutenant or sergeant was one thing; being lectured to by angry merchants and silly guardsmen that stealing wasn’t the way to go was another thing. But being called before the High Inquisitor herself, well that was an entirely different league altogether.

It was all she could do to stop herself from counting the seconds before they were able to get out of the judge’s room again. The chairs were not very comfortable, and the room gave off an air of unwelcome, completing the image Sisara had in head of Judge Vonstadt exploding into a huge flock of black ravens intent on wanting to peck all of their eyes out.
The only good thing about the situation was that mostly everyone else was just as uncomfortable or insecure. Of course those who had filed their reports felt more secure, thinking their butts were safe – poor Odelina though, she had had to file a report as well because circumstances demanded it off her, but she was probably not that much less on edge than Sisara was.

It almost made her wish she had filed her own report but she had not been a victim in this scenario, nor had she wanted to support the ridiculous claims for compensation or righteousness or whatever of Tasza and whoever else it had been. It was ridiculous that they all had to sit here because of a personal disagreement. In the end, that was all it had been.

She had been running late and entered the waiting room just moments before Judge Vonstadt had appeared, thus she had barely had time to take in all the waiting faces, but now she let her gaze roam over her fellow guardsmen, people she supposedly should be able to trust with her life in line of duty. She’d rather not think of what might happen should they ever get into such a situation.

For the time being, Sisara kept her composure, tried to sit as was required and was working on keeping her tongue in check so she didn’t get Farius and herself in trouble by interfering at the wrong time because she was sure that most of these reports were going to speak against Farius. It was just the way this particular watch seemed to work. Personal issues taken before court. This could only end badly.

[Sinuvarakoon Tasza]

Ravenna's entrance into the waiting room was to be expected, of course. Even so, it brought to mind an earlier meeting that morning, as Tasza had entered the Headquarters in anticipation of the inquiry. He had expected to check in with his Sergeant and head down to the court early. Timeliness was more than important in such matters -- it was wholly essential. Arriving early was not only a wise decision, it was the only manner of arrival. Lateness was akin to contemptuous behavior towards the High Inquisitor, and Tasza had no intention of showing such gross behavior to such an esteemed person within the Guard, all genders aside. It was the position Tasza respected in any case, not the person herself.

Qe had blindsided him before he could bypass the main floor offices. A like ball of anger and disappointment Tasza had rarely seen; his father, he supposed, was the most likely comparison. It didn't help his mood. He was sore, and mercilessly free of itchiness thus far, though he was sure it would make itself known sometime later. As it was, his undershirt was sticking to several spots along his upper back and upper arms: places where he'd sloughed skin off in his attempt to stop the blasted itching. Qe neither knew nor cared about any of that. Her first interaction with him was to take him by the upper lip of his breastplate and yank him down to her level.

"What. Were. You. Thinking?" She said in that perfectly pitched voice of hers. Neither shout nor whisper, it nonetheless contained the most defining aspect of each.

After so many years, it still had the ability to make him shrink in his boots. He'd learned to hide the reaction, of course. "Constable," he said. Coolly.

"You know I've tossed two promotions because of you?"

He stared at her forehead, and managed a small smile.

She pushed him away. She stared at him. There were some words exchanged. She got the last ones in before storming off, of course: "You've landed in your own shit this time, Guardsman. I'll not stick my neck out again for you. You're on your own."

He had straightened himself out, tugging at his uniform until it matched his standards, and had marched towards the waiting room. The itching hadn't started, but the sweat had. It trickled into his lacerated skin, stinging something fierce. That way, at least, he could keep his mind off both Qe and Ravenna. For a little while. Now, she was standing before them all like a slender sword named Justice. Stupid thought.

He stood immediately, stared straight ahead, and snapped to attention.

[Ferric Vintas]

Ferric grimaced at the sight of the high inquisitor. He had been hoping the rumors about her were exaggerated, but his intuition for people had just hit a wall of solid steel. Try as he might to look inside, he could only assume that some mournful event had occurred in her history. It was not nearly enough for him to work with. In a way she reminded Ferric of Drayel, but with less tells. Covering his grimace as quickly as he could, Ferric revealed his confusion a second time with a blink and tightening of his lips. He chided himself for his line of thought. Even he should know better than to goad one of her considerable authority.

The loyalist chose to turn his thoughts to more practical matters. Finally straightening his face into its proper, practiced mask, he considered what his scan meant in terms of the impending trial. Ferric had been hoping to spare Farius the fate of Miklos, but even a cursory understanding of Vonstadt was enough to tell one that she despised unprofessionalism. While it was a sure mark of hypocrisy on her part, it was nevertheless not a view that would favor Farius. Ferric was far from optimistic about the man’s chances. The fact that he had not yet appeared was going to be an even further disadvantage. It was a fact that struck Ferric as slightly odd. Ferric had expected Kasbian to drag the lout here herself. Ferric jokingly wondered if perhaps he had hidden in the back of some unscrupulous pub where she had been unwilling to travel.

The high inquisitor was ordering people around, and Ferric was not about to disobey. Shuffling through the door like he had a stick up his ass at least half a big as Tasza’s, he moved to the seats around the table and planted himself down, resisting the urge to adopt his usual smug posture and raise an dismissive eyebrow. Instead, he maintained his rigid stance and folded his hands together on the table.

Speaking of the stick up Tasza’s ass, Ferric swiveled his head to examine the younger guard. He wondered if, in his haste to reveal Farius’s folly to the world, he had in some way damaged their friendship. Tasza had been right next to Ferric as he mocked Farius, and though it was clear that Tasza was more concerned with rules at present, when the situation was resolved the loyalist doubted they would simply pick up where they left off. It was almost enough to make him lose his resolve to ameliorate to consequences of Farius’s rash actions. Ferric’s lip curled downwards in one corner; how had this not occurred to him until this moment? He was normally better at juggling these things. Ferric’s mind raced for a solution that would allow him to maintain both goals, but came up with a blank. He even briefly entertained the notion of telling the complete, unbiased truth. He breathed heavily, the poor man’s sigh, and reflected that this was what he got for being so dismissive of the whole ordeal.

[Ravenna Vonstadt]

Ravenna stepped through the double doors leading to the hearing chamber, pausing for a moment to take in the dreary courtroom that she called home. Its cold stone walls and dim light made it seem like a prison cell, an effect her predecessor told her was intentional. He told her those who end up here do not deserve comfort, and she agreed. If anything, the uninviting scenery should remind them of the penalty for insubordination. But despite the intended purpose, she had always found the room comforting. It was her personal sanctuary, eternally separate from the chaos that filled the outside world. Come what may, here she would always have the power to bring order and deal out justice.

As she approached the bench, the lower inquisitors came out from the side entrances, each accompanied by two guards. She watched the all too familiar scene as the inquisitors took their seats and the guards fell to attention near the doorway. In all her years here she had never needed their assistance, but rules were rules. Her eyes fell on the faces before her. All were at least somewhat familiar, though she had never spoken a word to any of them. She had no interest in them personally, but it was her business to know faces. None of them were previous offenders, a good note to start out on. They would be a fairly unremarkable group, aside from one little thing she noticed when they lined up at the table.

One of them was missing.

She had heard of new recruits ignoring their superiors' orders. She had heard of guards sneaking away to avoid their rounds. But not showing up to a formal hearing of the Guard's internal court was another matter entirely. There was no precedent, so she couldn't say whether it was grounds for immediate expulsion. What seemed like another usual hearing was now becoming interesting.

Frowning, she fixed her eyes on the guards sitting before her. “As much as I disdain unorthodox procedure, I've decided that it would be wise to conduct this hearing slightly differently than usual. You are all allegedly mature adults, so I expect that you will handle this properly. Your behavior will tell me far more about your character than whatever speeches you've rehearsed for me.”

Silence. Her lips struggled into a small smile.

“But before I elaborate, it seems that Guardsman Masello is missing. I have to commend his innovation – an unexcused absence from a formal hearing is a first for this court. Do any of you have any idea where he might be? I wouldn't dream of inconveniencing him, but I must insist on his presence.”

[Odelina Meltzer]

Lina closed her eyes. It was the closest thing to a facepalm she dared to do.

That's it for Masello, then. Why did I ever bother to try with him? If this is how much he cares, Changers themselves couldn't help him. I'm sorry, Sisara. And you and I are that much more in trouble for being associated with him.

She opened her eyes and stared directly ahead, just past the High Inquisitor's face. I don't think I've ever been this disappointed in this many people. And I'm one of those people.

"He has an apartment near the barracks, ma'am," she said, her face and tone impassive. "Unfortunately I cannot promise he is there, but that is the most likely location."

I thought he would at least care enough about Sisara to show up!

[Sisara]

He was... what?
Sisara resisted the urge to look around the room, looking for that far too familiar face but she already knew it was true. Farius had not presented himself at the hearing, though he was most likely going to be one of the main subjects on this day.

She could kick herself. Had she not been running late, she would have passed by his place to check if he was around, though he probably wouldn’t have been. He would have known better than to disappear to a place everyone would go look for him. Odelina seemed to follow the same line of thought though she didn’t state it exactly like that. Her suggestion was well-meant and would hopefully strengthen her own position a little but Vonstadt’s henchmen would not find him there.

And she hadn’t even noticed he wasn’t there until the Judge now stated it, she had not even noticed where had her head been? If she had realised this in the waiting room already, she would have never entered, she would have stayed outside and gone to look for him. Coming in late was better than not showing up at all. Even Farius had to know that.

Repressing a deep sigh, Sisara avoided looking at Odelina, who would most likely be feeling not that much better than her. After all, they had been the ones with Farius last night and they had both been present and practically done nothing when the awkward event had occurred.

What a mess...

Without wanting to, her eyes briefly landed on Ferric, who seemed to be in an oddly similar distress than her, though she couldn’t quite fathom why. Then again, she didn’t care either. Dropping her gaze again, she hoped that sinking in on herself would keep her unnoticed. If anyone knew where to find Farius, it would most likely be her, but she didn’t want to rat him out. She didn’t want to help them find him.
Then again... he needed to come in. Soon! Before this got any worse than it already was.

[Drayel]

Sitting silently in his chair, Drayel watched the drama unfold with an sour glower. He woke up in the cells, told he was to get up and head off to the courts due to some kind of behavior he'd done last night. He knew he'd thrown a dagger at that idiot's mug but past that he can't remember much. Had he attacked somebody? Gone on a ramble on the streets after the bar cleared out? He hoped he hadn't attacked Darrik, the older dwarf seemed like a nice fellow.

"Damned alcohol, I need to learn not to drink." Drayel muttered under his breath as he continued to eye the late arrival. He'd already gotten his ass chewed out as well, he can just imagine what she was feeling like. He sighed. This was going to be a long day...

He glanced over at Ferric, eyes shifting slightly as he eyed the rigid man. No doubt he wished to wiggle his way out of his shit pile with that snaked tongue. Drayel growled in disgust as he turned his eyes to stare up at Sisara, arms crossed and body hunched as he tried to pay attention past the hang over.

[Darrik]

Darrik sat calmly in his chair as the Inquisitor explained she'd be taking an unorthodox approach. Given that Farius was not present, something told him he was likely to be sitting there for as long as it took for Vonstadt to get her full complement of attendees. So the dwarf guard mentally prepared himself for the long haul and focused on maintaining good posture.

It did not surprise Darrik that Farius had skipped out on his responsibilities this morning. The man had shown the previous night that he had little self-restraint or respect for his own duties as a guard. Why the human even stayed in the guard was beyond the dwarf, but Darrik had never claimed to properly understand how humans thought. Some of them seemed so frantic in their restless and reckless approach to living that it beggared belief. And the other guard whose lack of self-restraint had helped bring all this about, Drayel, looked about as seedy as you could expect from someone who'd drank themselves first into a rage and then into a stupor.

No, all signs pointed to this being a long and drawn out morning. And knowing his luck, that incompetent constable would try and shift the blame from her own inactions onto the two guards who'd stood up for procedure rather than turn a blind eye to bad behaviour. Darrik was used to being kept on the bottle of the status pile, but he had the impression Tasza was hoping for a steady chain of promotions, which meant the hearing might make the poor man's life a little complicated. For now, though, Darrik waited with patient silence until Inquisitor Vonstadt indicated she wanted him to speak.

[Ferric Vintas]

Ferric was turning his head from Tasza when his vision crossed Sisara. He noticed her line of sight fell squarely upon his person, and realized with sudden horror that she of all people had seen through his calm outer façade. This would not do. Feeling a sudden heat run through his viens, he made the snap decision that he had to distract her from his state as quickly as possible so that she might forget what she had witnessed; his image was, after all, completely dependent on appearing in control of a given situation.

His overreaction now fully controlling his thoughts, he cleared his throat. He made absolutely certain his face was as smooth as marble. Not a one would detect his discomfort a second time. Well aware that this was likely to end poorly, he spoke up, breaking the long, uncomfortable silence as the other guards contemplated their options and opinions.

“Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Inquisitor,” he nodded as respectfully as he could, acknowledging the wrongdoing, “but in the interests of seeing this progress efficiently, I submit that Sisara would know Farius’s location.” He folded his hands together upon the table, bringing his Loyalist gloves together, and met Vonstadt’s eyes. Ferric became the spitting image of professionalism. “I am given to understand that they are somewhat close.”

Watching Sisara’s face change from the corner of his eye, Ferric felt relieved that his circuitous allegation had likely thrown her from his trail. A slight smirk turned his lip upwards on the side of his head opposite to that which the inquisitor could see.

[Ravenna Vonstadt]

Ravenna looked Ferric directly in the eyes as he began speaking, her faint smile fading. Once he finished she sat in silent and folded her hands on her lap, her gaze drifting to the double doors they came through moments before. The familiar sound of greaves clanking against the floor grew ever closer. Soon the doors swung open and several guards stepped in, dragging Farius by the arms. She recognized Sebastian leading the group, whom she had only noted due to him sharing a name with her brother. After the trial she would have to thank him for sparing them a lengthy search.

“Though your suggestion is appreciated, Guardsman Vintas, it seems the matter has been resolved. We will discuss how to properly commemorate Guardsman Farius' truancy later.” She motioned to an empty seat at the table. “But for now, I suggest that he take a seat so that we may begin the proceedings.”

She nodded at Sebastian and the other guards, who released Farius and left through the same double doors. Tempted as she was to mock him in front of his peers, she knew it would be best to wrap this up so she could get a head start on the evening's paperwork. Once everyone was seated, she stared out at them quietly, a thoughtful expression on her face. This type of examination hadn't been done before, but given the circumstances around the incident it seemed appropriate. Hopefully it would give her insight to whether the tavern brawl was an insolated incident or a symptom of a more serious illness. Besides, now that Farius set the record for being the first truant defendant she was in the mood for some innovation herself.

After a long pause she finally continued. “As I had mentioned, we will be conducting this hearing in a far different fashion. Normally we would interrogate you separately and only bring you together in certain instances, but I feel this case calls for an alternative approach. The court will call upon no outside witnesses, nor will it designate who has the floor. Today it shall play an observational role.”

Leaning back in her chair, she looked at them expectantly. “Present your case to me within the next thirty minutes. I expect a satisfactory explanation of what happened, and especially what led up to it. Most importantly, I want to see agreement on the details. You may all speak freely, and the floor is open to whoever will take it. I will not interrupt beyond an occassional question. My suggestion is that you treat this exercise like your job is on the line, because for some of you that is indeed the case.”

[Sebastian Morylin]

((This post was written in partnership between Sebastian and Farius))

Had the decision been left up to Sebastian, he would have much rather spent Novruz enjoying a quiet dinner with his children, reading a chapter of his latest book and heading to bed well before midnight. However, the decision wasn't up to him. It was well known that many guardsmen liked to spend the holiday in all manner of drunken merriment; many of them would let their defenses down and show their true selves while partaking in the festivities at Vic's. So of course it was strongly encouraged that Sebastian join his fellow guardmen in the night's activities.

But unfortunately for him, he had pulled the wrong shift.

Sebastian had not arrived at Vic's tavern until after midnight. He had wrongly assumed that nothing worth reporting back to Three would happen until the wee hours of the morning. He had no idea that some of the younger guards would drown themselves in ale so early in the night and turn to violence against each other. He was disappointed in himself for having missed the incident and he knew that the his absence would not be taken lightly. By the time he had arrived, Masello had already taken off and Morig was being escorted back to the the fort.

He wanted to say that he was surprised when he reported in for his early morning shift that some of the other guards were gossiping about Farius' behavior and how none of them had seen him that morning, but truthfully, from what little Sebastian knew of the man, he didn't doubt what the others had to say.

Nor had it come as much of a surprise that while out making his rounds that Sebastian happened to pass by an alley outside one of the rougher taverns in town that he found a very hungover, or quite possibly still-drunk Farius passed out. Had it not been for the fact that the man was still wearing his uniform, as disheveled as it was, Sebastian may have dismissed him as yet another member of the homeless population that frequented the streets of Marn. Whereas Sebastian felt some level of pity for the many people forced into a life of poverty and misfortune; he had no such feelings for this man. Seeing him lying there in a pile of his own filth was nothing short of pathetic.

He tapped the sole of Farius' boot with the toe of his own.

"Masello I believe?" He kept his voice calm. "I don't know if you have been informed, but word around the fort is that you are to go before the High Inquisitor today."

He looked up the alley at the partner he was currently assigned. The man looked bored standing watch. Sebastian signaled that he planned to be just a moment more.

"You need to get up, brush yourself off and head back to the fort." He offered a hand for support, then realized in this state that Sebastian was going to have to damn-near carry the man back to Fort Omenbryn. It wasn't a thought Sebastian took any delight in.

He was greeted with a series of grunts, groans, moans and what he could only assume to be an invitation to go pleasure himself. Lovely. Just lovely.

"Guardsman Masello, I take no pleasure in the thought of standing here all day and arguing with you why you should attend to your summons. Ultimately it is up to you to make that decision. However, as a fellow guardsman, it is my duty to bring you back to the fort knowing that you have been summoned. If it were up me, I'd leave you here but I'm sorry, I can not put my job on the line by doing so. I can however offer you the choice of maintaining some shred of dignity and accompanying me of your own accord, or I can take you in cuffs, but I'd rather not do that."

Luckily for him, Farius had enough sense to go without a struggle. He still had to be supported, for he couldn't walk on his own two feet, but between the three of them they managed. They made it all of a couple of feet before the man slumped over and promptly vomited down the side of Sebastian's pants. As if the day wasn't off to a great start already. Without further ado, the trio made their way back to the fort where Farius was brought before the High Inquisitor.

Then, he went in search of some clean pants.

[Farius Masello]

Farius wasn't sorry for what he'd done. He was completely justified, and he was sticking to it no matter what this prickly old hag had to say about it. Okay, he was sorry about throwing up on Morylin. Really. But still, he wouldn't have been so smashed had he not been trying to forget about the hearing. Well, maybe he would have been. But he was sticking to that story, too.

What was it Ms. Inquisitor was saying? He found it hard to focus. Where's Sis? That worried him. Not too much, though. MAN, he was confused. She said something about making a case. He could do that. Just let him. Right before Farius stood to make his points, though, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun around, equilibrium not completely returned, to find Sisara staring at him with the most disapproving look in her eyes Farius had ever seen. Had Farius been completely in his right mind, he might have been embarrassed that everyone was sitting but he and Sisara, but he wasn't. His mind couldn't think of that many things at once; all he could concentrate on was that Sisara was mad at him. Oh, no.

"Sisara," he said, not quite slurring, "don't even start. I'll be okay, just don't even get involved." Then he sat down haughtily and tried his best to ignore her, which wasn't very well.

Idiot Farius. Idiot.