The Duel of Words (Maeve)

[yin]

The sun had barely risen from the sky and Camelot already seemed wide-awake. Traders and merchants from distant lands came to sell foreign their goods. From furs to spices, the market seemed like every booming today. However, none from a land as distant as Li and absolutely none came with the goods Li brought. In fact, he even had trouble getting his goods into the city because the guards were too suspicious of Li’s goods. Apparently the fireworks Li had brought was a “foreign” concept to them. Then again Li couldn’t complain. Life style in Camelot was indeed “strange”. Once Li found a suitable spot, or the spot where the guards had placed him to keep an eye on him, he began to unpack his cart full of explosives. He made sure to keep the bigger ones locked deep within the cart so no child can steal it and had the nerve to set it off indoors. This of course was from past experience. Which was 3 days ago.

-Flash Back-
(In a small town not to far away from the castle. 3 days ago.)

It took him about 30 minutes to unpack everything and already people were gathering to his makeshift store. Murmurs of “What is it?” and “It looks dangerous” could be heard in the gathering crowd in front of him. Li then cleared his through and spoke in a almost shouting tone “Ladies and gentlemen, I reveal to you an object made in lands far far from here. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if half of you haven’t heard of it. I come from the lands from the East beyond the deserts of Arabia. These are known as fireworks. If used they can fill the sky with multiple colors and flashes. Use these for you special occasions. I assure you will not regret it! All it takes is for you to light the end of this rockets right here.” He pointed at the small string at the end of one of his bigger firework creations.

Within minutes of finishing his speech half of the crowd left. The half that left showed signs of disbelief. “It’s probably a scam,” said one of the maids walking away. “W-wait! These fireworks can also be used to ward of evil spirits.” He said trying to get them to come back. It made them come back alright.

Ward for spirits? It’s an enchantment! He must be a witch! No dear, a witch is a girl. Were the last things he heard before one of the guards ran up and tried to arrest him. While Li was resisting their reset and small boy with, oddly enough, the uncanny ability to light things on fire, light one of his biggest fireworks in the cart. Which in turn led to a major explosion. No really damage was done and luckily no one was hurt. They did however get a large dose of bright colors and loud noises shooting all over the place. Li was able to escape in the confusion.

-Flash Back Ends-

Li gave a small shiver thinking back to that day. He had lost a lot of fireworks that day. Luckily for him he didn’t have his other stuff in the cart at the time. Today he was only planning on selling firecrackers. Work from bottom to top is the best way at this point. A small boy came up to him “Would you happen to be the Merchant of Fire?” Li was a bit puzzled by this name. He shook his head. “Oh, I hear where ever he goes a big explosion follows. Like BOOOSHHHH!!” said the kid making the hand gestures like an explosion.

Quickly, what looked like the boy’s mom came and snatched him away. “Didn’t I tell you not to talk to strangers!” she scolded. The boy pleaded but the mom ignored it and they both continued on their way.

“Would anyone like to buy some fire crackers?” cried Li. He made sue everything else was covered by a blanket to avoid unwanted attention. “They are very simple tools you just light one end and they snap loudly. Very good for celebrations back in my land. It can also be used to scare of animals at night.” Li didn’t want to say the “S” word. Because saying Spirits in anything would definitely turn heads especially if you are a foreigner.

In any event, Li just hoped that today would be more successful then his later attempts.

OOC: Sorry, if there are spelling/grammer errors. normally I proof read before posting but it's getting late and I have to get some shut eye.

[Maeve]

Maeve was not a true merchant, but appearance was all that mattered. She was in Camelot, one of the most dangerous cities to be in especially if one possessed magic within them, or practiced it in any way. It was for this reason that she kept her hood securely over her head, concealing her pointed ears and thus hiding the one distinguishing feature that would arouse suspicion. It was the one thing that physically differentiated her from being human. While she was not ashamed of it, she was cautious for it was not only her life at stake, but the lives of her people.

And that was the reason she was exposed in this world. She did not like leaving her home but such things had to be done. She had been back and forth since the Great Purge and then number of her race drastically declined. She had traveled all distances of the world, just to find someone who could help her. So far, she was not successful and yet, that would still not discourage her. She was hopeful and had faith that somewhere in this world, there was someone who would be willing to help her.

She carried a bag with her that contained all of her jewelry and ornaments that she planned on selling. They had a foreign appearance to them though she would never disclose the fact that they were from her realm of Mabon. No. She had to keep this truth to herself, and thus far, there were only very few who knew. As she walked down the streets, different voices could be heard of the people. Some conversing in conversation, some arguing, some merchants calling for customers. There was one voice in particular that caught her attention. Not because he was selling something of interest to her, but because there was an odd familiarity about him.

She stopped and looked at the man selling fireworks. That was when she realized, she had met him before. He had been but a child, but her memory was strong as she had met with his emperor, seeking aid on behalf of her kind. She took a few steps towards him, so that no others would hear what she was about to say. She knew this was risky, but he had magic within him and she felt that that bond alone was enough to prevent him from putting her in danger with the authorities. Of course, this kind of mindset made Maeve far too trusting, but she still was not ready to just walk by and let this go.

A son of Da Shi so far from the East. Her voice was soft and the tone was not in the least bit threatening or accusatory. She merely wanted it to be known that she knew who he was, that she knew his father, and the emperor. Though it had been many many years ago, her journey to the far East was not so easily forgotten.

( I didn't see any spelling errors at all! It was a great post ) [/blockquote][/blockquote]

[yin]

Business was steadily increasing although he had yet to sell anything. He was so caught up in answering all of the children’s questions that he failed to notice royalty standing in front of him. The question had caught Li’s attention immediately. He looked up to who had made the statement of his past. Li couldn’t place his finger on it, but he felt that he had met this lady before. After a few still minutes of just staring at the lady, trying to figure out where they had met, Li’s attention was brought back to the children when one of them tugged on his arm. Li then gave a small smile “Tell you what, I’ll let you have this pack for free under one condition. That is to behave and not to use these to annoy your elders.” Li had given the kids a small pack of poppers. Basically there are just small peas sized balls that pop when you throw them to the floor, totally harmless.

The kids quickly ran off with the small pack of poppers as quickly as they came. “I believe you must be mistake my lady. I am just a middle class trader in hopes of finding some profit in these foreign lands.” Li hoped that it would be enough to change the lady’s mind. Li quickly got up from his small wooden stool and walked to the back. “Do you wish to buy any fireworks? It sounds as if you know someone from my homeland. If so, I’m sure you know all about the fireworks we produce. Mines may not be as big as the ones back at home, but they are decent sized,” he said in an attempt to change the subject.

If the lady resisted his efforts in convincing her that he was not the person she thought him to be, then he would have to find out who she really was. But situations like these require patients and the right choice of words, a duel not through combat but through words. “Forgive me for asking, but what is your name?”

[Maeve]

Maeve softly smiled as the children ran off rather excited by their unique gift. When they were gone, she re focused her attention on to the merchant. Though he said she was mistaken, she knew she was not. She of course did not want to accuse him of lying, as that would be very rude and she knew full well the amount of mistrust among people when those with magic were being hunted. She continued to politely smile at him, deciding to hold off on continuing on about how she knew him. If he was trying to protect himself, she would respect that. And so entertained the subject of fireworks. I have not seen fireworks in many years, She said in a soft voice, briefly glancing down at the items he was selling. It was very kind of you to give those children some. They were rather excited by your generosity. Not only did they look it, but she felt that excitement. Oh how she loved children; they were so innocent, so filled with joviality.

No forgiveness is required. I am Maeve, She said, lowering herself into a bit of a curtsy. She was used to greeting people in this way. It did not matter if she was Queen of her realm, she firmly believed in equality and since she had no intention of publicly making her identity known, she would continue to appear as just a merchant...much like what he was doing. And your name? She knew it, but asked out of courtesy and politeness, though not yet admitting she was mistaken for she knew she was not. However, would grant him with the ideal that she was, just to avoid suspicion of any kind. Perhaps when they were in a more private location, they could talk more openly.

( I am so sorry it took this long for me to reply! I had completely forgotten to bookmark this thread! Sorry about the delay...it won't happen again ! )

[yin]

“Children should be allowed to have their time of play every now any then,” Li replied softly. It made him think back to his childhood. However, the more the thought back, the more he noticed how his childhood had no real relaxation period. It was always train, study, and missions. But now wasn’t the time to reminisces about the past. Li needed to learn more about this Maeve. “I go by many names. For now I am Yi,” he lied. Maeve knew of his true name. This didn’t stir well with Li. Hopefully this issue would be resolved as quickly as possible and without any of those so-called “Knights of Justice” finding out. He has only be in Camelot for a week and he dare not have his cover blown so soon.

Li looked around the area for a few moments, scanning the area for anyone who could be eaves dropping. The coast seemed clear for now. “Well Maeve, I think it is time for me to have some lunch. Would you care to join me? It’s not often I talked to people who have visited my homeland before. I would very much like to discuss about what you found interesting there.” Li got up from his seat slowly and began to pack up his cart. Luckily he didn’t set that many things out so it only took him roughly five to eight minutes to finish packing. He made sure the closed the top of the cart with wooden board and covered the whole cart in a large sheet.

“Shall we get going?” Li asked. He decided it wouldn’t be too much trouble to leave the cart here. He would be back before anyone would notice and besides with the knights patrolling there shouldn’t be any issues.

[Maeve]

Yi. His presumption was correct in that she knew he was lying about his name. She understood why; she all too well comprehended the necessity to lie about ones identity for the mere reason of protecting oneself. But why was he here, as a merchant? He must have a purpose much like she did, and whatever it was, was a great one. Otherwise, it would not necessarily be worth this great risk he was taking but being in a place as dangerous as Camelot. It is a pleasure to meet you once again, Yi. Even if she knew that was not his name, she would once again respect the discretion he was trying to give.

She watched him pack his belongings as he offered his company for lunch. Maeve could not help but smile at the offer. It would be nice to be with someone she had met before, even if it was many, many years ago. The familiarity was comforting and something not very common, especially in Camelot. Before her kind could graze the land, free to expose their true nature and not worry over who they were talking to and live in that fear of persecution. Oh how things have changed, far too much. Thank you kindly for your offer, She began to tell him, very sincere in her words as she truly was grateful.

I would love to have lunch with you. I am rather certain we will have a great deal to discuss, She said, still giving a soft smile. I will follow your lead Yi, for I am content with whichever location you would prefer having lunch at. She did not know the places to eat here very well. She did not reside in the city, even though she wandered through it during the days rather frequently. She would trust his decision for she was not a picky woman.

[yin]

Maeve… The name felt somewhat familiar to him. She did admit that she had visited his homeland before. A past visitor perhaps? The empire had always received many visitors, both normal and “magical”. Perhaps Maeve was one of those many visitors. What worried him would be if Maeve were under the category or “Magical Visitors”. If Maeve had an origin with magic, what would she be doing in Camelot? A place were even the slightest sign of magic could lead a straight trip to the chopper.

“Well, there is a place where I hear the food is quite delicious,” Li said as he began walking towards the direction of the area. Li figured that during this walk to their location, he could find out more about Maeve. He turned his head over to see is Maeve was following. “So, it seems like we have crossed path in the past. Would you care to share where?” he inquired.

Something about Maeve was bugging him though. She seemed to passive and calm for a common being. Her manners as well seemed refined probably a noble or someone of royalty. This made Li more curious as to whom Maeve was. As he walked on there seemed to be less and less people around. Or course they were after all heading toward the outskirts of the market district. Soon the small inn was in sight. Besides bedrooms, it had a small area that sold food as well. It wasn’t that crowded either which made Li’s job so much more easier. The less people around the fewer amounts of ears to watch out for. He went over to an empty table and pulled a seat open for Maeve to sit down. “Lunch will be on me,” he said politely.

[Maeve]

Maeve followed his lead, looking forward to being able to speak more openly with him instead of having to hide behind vague comments and lies. She did not want to be rude by ignoring his question, though they were in fact going to a more secluded area for a reason. She would wait before giving the details, so left it, once again, very open and vague. "In your home land, She told him, unsure of how much information he felt comfortable with publicly disclosing. When they arrived at their destination, Maeve lowered the hood from her cloak and adjusted her hair so that it was covering the one thing that physically separated her from looking human: her ears.

She watched him pull out the seat for her, offering to pay for the meal they were about to have. Oh, that is most kind of you My Lord, She told him, lowering her head in a bit of a bow... a sign of respect and gratefulness. She would have to thank him properly, perhaps make something for him as a token of her great appreciation. Thank you, she said to both the fact that he would pay, and for being such a gentleman as to hold the seat out for her. This kind of behavior seemed to be more and more rare...at least in this side of the world. You have such great courtesy and respect for others. A quality that is reflective of your father and family.

[/size][/blockquote]

[yin]

“Respect is something that was drilled into me as a child as many others in my homeland. Although it seems that this land doesn’t hold as much courtesy then I had originally hoped. No matter, So what brings you here in Camelot?” Li said with a slight smile. He pulled out a small golden coin and placed it one the table gently. The coin Li was using was the currency he had at home. At first he worried if it was even expectable here. But he soon learned that gold has value nearly everywhere in the kingdom. “It seems that you have met my family. If so then you indeed must know our position in the Empire. A person who knows of our position in the Empire must have some knowledge of the “arts” as we would call it,” he concluded. First off, Li wanted to avoid the term magic at all cost. There may be few people were they were eating, but there is certainly double of the amount of ears listening. Li hoped Maeve would understand his chosen term. Of course this was all a bluff. Li didn’t know if Maeve was a magic user or not.

Soon enough a waiter came by and dropped off the only serving they had for the day. It was loaves of bread each and some form of beef stew. Despite it’s looks, this was actually a middle class type of food considering the cost and how good it was. Li couldn’t go to anything upper class because it would draw to much suspicion to him. The waiter all placed two mugs of water on the table. Li then gave the waiter the golden coin and, as soon as she came, she vanished. She most likely was in the back checking if it was really gold.

“If I may ask, what do you think of Uther? I have yet to meet the man so I have no real say.” He couldn’t help it. It was his job to find out everything there is to know about Uther Pendragon. Maybe Maeve might be his key to getting into the castle. She didn’t really seem like a middle or lower classmen. It was then that Li noticed something odd about Maeve. This whole time her hood was up. Normally Li would think she had it on for hidden purposes. But, now they were in a semiprivate area. There was no need for a hood. Unless. Li didn’t want to make any more assumptions just yet.

[Maeve]

It was true; this land was indeed less curteous. But she had the tendency to compare it to her own home, a different realm. She knew that this kind of comparison could not be that fair for they were completely different and yet, it still saddened Maeve to see the state of the world. Of course she did not want to sound cynical, though she did agree with him. Times seem to be changing a great deal, including the tolerance of others and their attitudes towards some. That could fall under the idea of courtesy and respect...she wanted to agree yet sound hopeful at the same time for she was seldom discouraged from anything.

I travel here as a merchant. She did not enjoy lying but had to protect herself in some way, and until she was able to see how comfortable he was with the subject of magic, she would continue to make the idea of selling her jewelry as the primary reason she was in Camelot. She peeked at the coin he placed on the table seeing if it had any distinguishing marks, but when she spoke again, she averted her gaze back to him. She understood what he meant through the coded language. I met them many years ago, She revealed...leaving out the small detail of the fact that she had not physically aged since then. For now anyway, she would leave the details a bit vague.

Your arts are very unique, and also a dangerous admittance in a place such as this. Her voice was soft and lowered, only audible to him and no one else. She spoke this in a tone that expressed more concern for him, rather than in a threatening way, insinuating that she was planning to do something with this piece of information. She wanted to do nothing more, than to get to know what used to be a young boy and who now through the grace of time, has physically and mentally matured into a young man.

And then the subject of Uther was raised. Maeve did not despise the man. She did not feel angry bitterness towards him, though he had been responsible for the death of many of her kind. Instead, she felt sad for him. Sad that he was so consumed with the inability to accept others, and instead, lashed out against them generalizing them all to be evil beings who wanted nothing more than to kill others. Maeve paused before answering, wondering if his question was out of genuine curiosity or if he had ulterior motives for asking and was implying something. I hear he is a good strong king, though carries no tolerance for magic in his kingdom. Are you planning to have an audience with him? She wondered as said he had not met him, and addressed the king of Camelot so casually, as if they were on a first name basis which for all Maeve knew, they could have been.

( hehe she took down the hood in my last post but no worries! )

[yin]

So it was true, she did know exactly who he was and his history. It wasn’t until Maeve pulled her hood down did Li finally recognize where he had seen her before. What puzzled Li was the fact that she didn’t seem to have age. Who ever Maeve is, she indeed had an origin of magic. “A merchant you say? So what goods do you sell?” though observation Li had an idea that she was selling but wasn’t completely sure just yet. By the bag Maeve carried, she must be selling jewelry or some other form of trinkets. But, Li has learned never to assume anything.

“Indeed fireworks are dangerous. Especially since they are foreign to this land. Many have even mistaken them with magic. However, the issues have always been resolved one way or another,” said Li thinking back to when he had ran away from a confused mob. Yi then began to eat is food slowly and steadily. He was all that into chugging food down like some of the locals.

“An audience? Oh no. That isn’t needed. Let’s just say the Empire I serve sent me here as an safety net incase “he” gets any other ideas.” Li, personally, didn’t have anything against the King. Whoever, if the King did plan on crusading his talk of magic being evil to the other countries then Li will have to take action. “So you know of me and I know of you. What is next?” Li asked curiously.

(OOC: Oh, my bad XD)