Marachius stood next to the bar and worked on his cup of coffee. There was a good crowd and everyone seemed to be in fine spirits. He recognized a few of the people there, but not more than to nod as they passed on the street.
“Sorry you have to wait.”
Marachius looked back to the bar and the young lady now standing behind it. She was removing mugs from her tray and putting them in a wash basin behind.
“That’s okay, Tabitha,” he replied. “Gives me a chance to people watch.”
“Well, they’ve got someone coming in to help out. As soon as she gets here, I can leave.”
“That’s fine. That’ll give me time to finish my coffee.”
“Just holler out if you need a refresh,” Tabitha said. She put some fresh mugs of ale on her tray and carefully picked it up. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll be here.”
Marc watched as Tabitha moved back into the room and carried the drinks over to a table. The three men sitting at the table were having a good time as they loudly talked and laughed together. As the waitress started putting the drinks on the table, the men talked to her. Marc couldn’t hear what they were saying because of all the noise. Tabitha kept smiling as she responded to them.
As she turned to walk away, one of the men reached out and grabbed Tabitha’s arm and pulled her back. Tabitha lost her balance and suddenly found herself sitting on the man’s lap. Her smile faltered briefly as she tried to pull away from the customer. Marachius put his coffee cup back on the bar and immediately walked over to the table.
“Everything okay?” Marc asked, looking directly at Tabitha. But she never had a chance to answer.
“She’s fine,” the man that had pulled on Tabitha’s arm responded.
“Mind you own business,” one of the other men added.
“I wasn’t asking you,” Marachius replied to the men. Then he looked back at Tabitha.
“I’m fine,” Tabitha said, trying to sound fine. She tried to stand up, but the man pulled her down again.
“You’re not ready to leave yet, are you?”
“Sir, I have other customers.”
“Let them find their own waitress. I’ve got mine.”
“Not anymore,” Marachius said. Reaching forward, the paladin reached for the hand that was holding onto Tabitha’s arm. He wrapped his fingers around the man’s thumb and yanked back hard. The man yelped in pain and let go of Tabitha’s arm. Marc offered his other hand to Tabitha and she took it, pulling herself back to her feet. Marc then let go of the man’s thumb and stepped in front of the waitress.
“You peasant! Do you know who I am?” the man roared.
Marachius smirked momentarily. Before he could respond the bartender, a big man in a leather apron, came barreling into the room carrying a small wooden club.
“What’s going on?” the big man asked rather loudly.
“This man assaulted my friend,” one of the men at the table said, gesturing to his friend who was now cradling his hand.
“That so?” the bartender asked, turning to look at Marachius.
“No,” Tabitha interjected. “These men have had enough to drink.”
“Oh? Good enough for me,” the big man said. Then he turned to the table. “Bill is due now. Pay up and be on your way.”
“You’re kicking us out? Over her?” the man who was cradling his hand asked in surprise.
“Sure am.”
“But we’re the customers!” one of the others protested.
“You were. Now you’re not. Thanks for coming by. Pay up and leave,” the bartender added, flexing one of his hands while he looked at them.
“Fine. This place was going to the dogs anyways.” The three men stood up and dropped some coins on the table before the stomped off, muttering.
“You going to be okay?” The bartender asked, looking at Tabitha.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Good. Go ahead and straighten up and then start counting out for the night. And you,” he added, turning to look at Marachius. “Next time let us take care of things.”
“Yes, sir,” Marachius answered with a nod. “I apologize.”
“No harm done. You walking Tabi home?”
“If she wants me to.”
“Good. She should be ready in a little bit. Go finish your drink.”
Marachius nodded again and started walking back to the bar. The bartender slapped Marc on the shoulder as he passed the paladin to go back to the bar. Marc finished his cup of coffee and then another cup while he waited. Eventually, Tabitha came back to the bar.
“Are you ready?”
“Sure,” Marachius answered. He reaching into his pocket and pulled out a few coins. He placed them on the bar next to his empty coffee cup and waved at the bartended, who nodded in return.
“Where are we off to?” the paladin asked.
“Have you been to the gardens?”
“Can’t say that I have.”
“Well then you’re in for a treat.”
“Lead the way,” Marachius said with a smile. The young lady took Marachius’ hand and they started walking towards the keep. They talked quietly as they walked along the path. They were so absorbed in their conversation that neither noticed the sounds of footsteps quickly coming up from behind them. Suddenly, stars appeared in front of Marachius’ eyes and he felt a searing pain in his head.
The paladin fell to his knees and brought his hands up to the back of his head. Next to him, he could see Tabitha being held back by a man. But before he could focus on that, he was struck again in the shoulder and knocked to the ground.
“This is what you get for not knowing your place,” a voice called through the haze of Marachius’ pain.
Marachius tried to cover his head as two men started kicking the paladin. He could tell that somebody was talking, but he couldn’t make out what was being said. Then another pain shot through him, this time starting in his arm. He heard a loud whistling sound and yelling and then, finally, he passed out.
———
Marachius started to open his eyes and let out a groan. His head was pounding and the bright lights did nothing to improve that.
“You okay, soldier?”
Marachius followed the voice. His eyes adjusted to the light and he was able to focus a little better.
“Nara?”
“Yeah. How’re you feeling?”
“Like I got run over by an elek.”
“Sounds about right. What do you remember?”
“I’d left the bar with Tabitha.” Then he stopped and quickly glanced around the room, immediately regretting it. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. Upset, but not hurt. What else do you remember?”
“I think I was knocked down and then was getting kicked or something?”
“Yeah, that about sums it up.”
Marachius started to lift his hands to his head and noticed that his left arm felt a lot heavier than normal. And as soon as he moved that arm, a new pain stabbed into him. “What happened?”
“Three guys jumped you near the keep. Knocked you down and kicked you some. Looks like a broken arm and a concussion.”
“They didn’t hurt Tabitha, did they?”
“No. She’s worked up, but no physical harm. Seems that some guards happened to be nearby and heard her scream. They came running, found you on the ground with them stomping on you, and immediately arrested the bunch. Then they brought you here to get patched up.”
“How long have I been out?”
“A few hours,” Nara answered, patting Marc on the leg. “Leiana and Lorn walked your friend back home. I got the first shift to stay here with you. Lucky us, you weren’t out that long.”
“What about the guys who jumped me?”
“They’re locked up for now. Your friend said she recognized them. Can you explain what happened?”
“I don’t know. There were a couple of guys got worked up in the bar earlier,” Marc started. He raised his right hand to his face and rubbed his forehead a little bit.
“You do something?”
“Made one guy let go of Tabitha, but nothing serious.”
“Fair enough. Well, the doctors want you to rest a little bit longer before they’ll let you go anywhere. Kiernan should be by in just a little bit. You need anything?”
“No,” Marachius replied. “Once my head stops pounding, maybe I can do something about my arm.”
“No rush, soldier. We’re not going anywhere right this moment. Rest up for now.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Marc said, a slight smirk sliding over his face before he closed his eyes and relaxed on the bed.
Marachius let out a quiet groan and pulled his pillow over his head. He and his roommates were just starting to wake up when the door had flown wide open with a bang and Nara and Leiana loudly entered.
“Rise and shine, buckos,” Nara called out as she plopped down on Kiernan’s cot.
“Up-n-at ‘em, boys,” Leiana added as she landed on the foot of Marc’s cot.
“Shut up,” Lorn called out as he rolled over and pulled the blankets over his head.
“Oh ho,” Nara said with a grin. “You gents aren’t hung over, are ya’?”
“Maybe,” Marc answered sheepishly, looking out from under his pillow. “Why aren’t you two?”
“Because unlike you boys, we know how to hold our liquor,” Leiana said as she slapped at Marc’s leg under the blanket.
“Bollocks,” Brock called out as he sat up on his cot.
“Maybe,” Leiana smirked. “But that doesn’t matter. We’ve got less than a day of R&R, and we’re not going to let a little thing like a hangover get in the way.”
“We’re not?” Marc asked.
“No, we’re not. Now get up boys. Breakfast is waiting and then we’re going to figure out what to do with the rest of the day.”
The two women got up and started walking towards the door before Nara stopped and went back over to Marachius.
“Oh yeah, I almost forgot to give you this.” Nara pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Marachius. Marc cautiously took the paper and opened it.
“What’s this?”
“That waitress last night fancies you, soldier. That there’s her name and the hours that she works for the rest of the week.”
“Her.. wait. What?”
“Looks like you’ve got a new friend, soldier,” Nara said, slapping Marc on the shoulder before turning and heading out the door with Leiana.
Marachius heard the tavern well before he saw it. His squadmates walked on either side of him, leading him around the corner until they finally saw the establishment ahead of them. Marc saw sailors and guards going in and coming out of the establishment, singing loudly and obviously enjoying themselves, and he rolled his eyes. Finally giving in, Marc accepted that they were not going to let him out of having an evening on the town.
“Okay everyone,” Kiernan said as the group stopped outside of the tavern. “We’ve got forty-eight hours of R&R. So one night to cut loose and one day to recuperate.”
“Recuperate?” Marc asked cautiously.
“That’s what the man said,” Nara responded with a grin.
“Been a while since we have,” Lorn added.
“No chance of just getting some sleep, is there?” Marc asked.
“Not at all,” Kiernan answered with a good natured grin. He slapped Marachius on the shoulder before turning and heading into the tavern with the other five paladins following. The group found an empty table to the side of the main room, near a doorway that led to a patio overlooking the harbor. As they moved around the table, a waitress walked out from behind the bar and came over to them.
“What can I get everyone tonight?”
“A pint for everyone. First round is on me,” Kiernan added with a nod to the waitress.
“Coming right up.” A few minutes later, she reappeared with a tray holding six mugs. After passing the mugs around the table, she then tucked the tray under her arm. “Anything else I can get you?”
“I’m sure we’ll want some more in a little bit,” Kiernan answered with a smile.
“Just call out then,” the waitress said with a smile before heading back into the room. Marachius watched as she walked away, not seeing the grins that Nara and Leiana gave each other when they noticed.
“Here’s how it started,” Lorn said before taking a long drink from his mug.
“Only the start of it,” Kiernan replied with a drink of his own. Wiping his chin with his sleeve, he then looked to the rest of the table. “Alright then. What’s going to be our first topic of the evening?”
Nara and Leiana grinned and glanced at each other again before they both took a long drink.
Marachius sat at his desk and stared at the papers in his hand even though it was obvious that he wasn’t really seeing them. There were people moving around in the room. Other paladins spoke quietly as they moved in and out. But Marachius never seemed to notice.
“What’s up, Marc?”
The young paladin jerked his head up and looked at the hand that had just slapped him on the shoulder. Standing next to him was his squad leader, looking with a slight grin.
“Nothing, Kiernan. Just looking over the orders for the week.”
“You’ve been looking over them for the last few minutes. How much do you remember?”
“Oh.. uhh.. Yeah, sorry about that. Guess I’m a bit distracted.”
“Kind of what I figured.”
“Sorry, boss.”
“It’s okay, Marc.” Kiernan took his hand off Marachius’ shoulder and leaned to the side. Grabbing a chair from the neighboring desk, he pulled it over and sat down. “You going to be okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Still worried about your friend?”
“Reggy. Not really. I mean, I know she’s okay.”
“Still haven’t heard from her?”
“Her friends let me know. They said she needed time to herself. And I can accept that.”
“But you’re still worried.”
“Maybe a little bit.”
“Tell you what, Marc. I know what we need to do. Once we get off duty, we’ll head over to this bar I found.”
“I don’t know..”
“This is exactly what we need. A night to blow off some steam. I’ll grab the others and we’ll all go tonight.|
“But,” Marachius started to say but then stopped as he watched the other paladin turn and walk out of the room. Sighing, Marachius shook his head and slumped in his chair slightly. “What just happened?”
Tolerant – Protagonists are true team players, and they recognize that that means listening to other peoples’ opinions, even when they contradict their own. They admit they don’t have all the answers, and are often receptive to dissent, so long as it remains constructive.
Reliable – The one thing that galls Protagonists the most is the idea of letting down a person or cause they believe in. If it’s possible, Protagonists can always be counted on to see it through.
Charismatic – Charm and popularity are qualities Protagonists have in spades. They instinctively know how to capture an audience, and pick up on mood and motivation in ways that allow them to communicate with reason, emotion, passion, restraint – whatever the situation calls for. Talented imitators, Protagonists are able to shift their tone and manner to reflect the needs of the audience, while still maintaining their own voice.
Altruistic – Uniting these qualities is Protagonists’ unyielding desire to do good in and for their communities, be it in their own home or the global stage. Warm and selfless, Protagonists genuinely believe that if they can just bring people together, they can do a world of good.
Natural Leaders – More than seeking authority themselves, Protagonists often end up in leadership roles at the request of others, cheered on by the many admirers of their strong personality and positive vision.
Protagonist Weaknesses
Overly Idealistic – People with the Protagonist personality type can be caught off guard as they find that, through circumstance or nature, or simple misunderstanding, people fight against them and defy the principles they’ve adopted, however well-intentioned they may be. They are more likely to feel pity for this opposition than anger, and can earn a reputation of naïveté.
Too Selfless – Protagonists can bury themselves in their hopeful promises, feeling others’ problems as their own and striving hard to meet their word. If they aren’t careful, they can spread themselves too thin, and be left unable to help anyone.
Too Sensitive – While receptive to criticism, seeing it as a tool for leading a better team, it’s easy for Protagonists to take it a little too much to heart. Their sensitivity to others means that Protagonists sometimes feel problems that aren’t their own and try to fix things they can’t fix, worrying if they are doing enough.
Fluctuating Self-Esteem – Protagonists define their self-esteem by whether they are able to live up to their ideals, and sometimes ask for criticism more out of insecurity than out of confidence, always wondering what they could do better. If they fail to meet a goal or to help someone they said they’d help, their self-confidence will undoubtedly plummet.
Struggle to Make Tough Decisions – If caught between a rock and a hard place, Protagonists can be stricken with paralysis, imagining all the consequences of their actions, especially if those consequences are humanitarian.
Marachius rushed into the building, his mace tapping against his legplates as he walked briskly through the hallway. Finally he he came to a closed door and knocked three times in quick succession. He was barely able to wait for the call to enter before he had the door opened to the office.
“Ainsley,” the commanding officer said as he looked up from his desk. “Something you need?”
“Yes, sir,” Marachius came to an abrupt stop just inside the room. “I need to go to Stormwind.”
“Stormwind? Why?” the older paladin asked as he rested his hands on the desk.
“Reggy. My friend, Regynn. She’s missing. She’s not at her apartment.”
“Maybe she’s with friends? A vacation with someone special?”
“I thought so at first. But she’s been gone for a couple of days now. And her landlord said she left quickly.”
“Why Stormwind?”
“That’s where we’re from, sir. I think she’d go back home.”
“She in trouble?”
“I don’t know, sir. Maybe. There was… there was an incident recently.”
“Incident? Something bad happen?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Is she running because the law’s after her?”
“No sir!”
“Settle yourself, paladin.” The commanding officer leaned back in his chair and stared at Marachius. “Request denied.”
“Sir?”
“There are some new actions being planned. We need everyone to stay put for now.”
“But sir…”
“I said ‘no’, paladin! Are you hard of hearing?” the officer asked, an edge creeping into his voice as his volume grew.
“No, sir,” Marachius said as he stood up a little straighter.
“Report back to your billet, paladin. Your squad has a patrol coming up soon if I remember orders correctly.”
“Yes, sir,” Marachius answered dejectedly.
“Dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.” Marachius turned and moved back into the hallway, shutting the door behind him. He took a deep breath and looked from one side to the other without really seeing. Then he let the air out quickly and began stomping towards the door.
Marachius felt his mace slapping against his thigh as he walked along the streets of Boralus with his squad. They’d been ordered to head over to Proudmore Keep. The five paladins stayed together as they moved through the crowd. Marachius tried to follow the lead of his teammates, keeping his hand near his weapon and scanning the crowd for anything unusual.
“Don’t expect much excitement,” Nara said as she glanced over at Marachius. “But better to keep your eyes open just the same.”
“Let’s stay focused,” Kiernan called back as he continued to lead the group through the people on the street.
“Yes, sir,” Marachius answered. As he followed along, he continued to scan that crowd. And that’s when he saw him.
Jonah was walking straight towards them. Dressed in a fine jacket, he grinned at people as he passed. Most moved out of his way as he walked among them. And now he was directly ahead of Marachius and his squad. And he was moving directly towards them.
Marc started scanning the crowds to either side of him. There were a fair amount of people out on the streets and he took great care to study every face. Because of this attention to detail, he didn’t notice when the rest of his squad had shifted to the side a little. Suddenly, Marc came to a stop as he walked into someone.
“Watch where you’re going,” a voice yelled at Marachius.
“What?” Marc turned and knocked his elbow into the owner of the voice. There was Jonah standing next to him.
“Are you an idiot?” Jonah growled.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Marachius replied, taking a step back from Jonah.
“Sorry? You walked right into me!”
“I wasn’t paying attention,” Marachius tried to explain.
“Is something wrong?” Kiernan asked as he moved beside the younger paladin.
“This moron ran into me,” Jonah explained with a frown. “I expect that he’ll be reprimanded for his incompetence.”
“Of course, sir,” the lead paladin responded. “Were you injured?”
“Lucky for you all, I wasn’t. Otherwise I’d have him arrested.”
“Of course sir,” Kiernan said with a nod. “We will deal with this accordingly.”
“See that you do,” Jonah said with a huff before walking away.
“What was that all about?” Nara asked.
“That was Jonah,” Marc offered quietly, glancing to see that the gentleman had moved far enough away.
“Reggy’s Jonah?”
“Well, not any more, I think.”
“Something happened?” Nara asked.
“Yeah.”
“Let’s get on to the keep,” Kiernan said. “Try not to run anyone else over, Ainsley.”
Maybe not annoy, but can be frustrating that I have to constantly remind myself that this is a completely different character. They may have some motivations in common, but this is a boy scout with a lot less world experience than the other boy scout.
Evening had fallen over city of Boralus. Many of the shops had long since closed for the day and the street lamps had been on for some time now. Guards walked the streets, passing under the street lamps and castling long shadows beneath them. Every now and then, the sounds of people would tumble out of one of the local taverns. For most, the day was done and they had retired to their homes. One had not, however.
Marachius stood in a narrow alley between two shops. The lights did not reach him there. He stood quietly, dressed in dark brown leather pants and coat with a long hood pulled over his head and hiding his features in shadow. Blending in with the darkness around him, he watched a home across the way.
As he stared at the building, his mind raced and argued with itself. He felt almost naked without his armor, but he reminded himself that he could not have worn it tonight for several reasons. His grip tightened over the wooden club that he had brought with him.
It was so easy to find him, Marachius thought. A couple of coins and that was it. The paladin frowned as those thoughts fleeting by. Then the door to the home opened and light spilled out onto the walkway leading to the street. Marachius leaned closer to the building on his left and peeked around the corner. A man dressed in a fine jacket stepped outside, silhouetted by the light from inside the house. Marachius gripped the club tighter and started to lean forward, as if to move out of the shadows and into the street. But then he stopped.
“What am I doing here?” the paladin asked himself quietly. He hesitated, twisting the club in his hands. Taking a deep breath, Marachius started to move again.
Then there was a noise from inside the house. Someone called to the man on the front step, causing him to turn and look back inside. Marachius couldn’t make out the discussion, but it was brief and whatever was said cause the man to step back inside and close the door.
Marachius let out a deep breath that he hadn’t realized he was holding. He waited a few more minutes, but the door never reopened. “Okay,” Marachius said quietly. Tucking the club behind his arm, he checked that his hood was pulled low enough and stepped out onto the street. Without looking at the home again, the paladin quietly walked away.
✍ Favorite thing about writing the muse?
👀Favorite thing about the muse’s appearance?
🧥Favorite outfit for the muse?
🌌Favorite alternate version of the muse?
💕Favorite ship for the muse?
💔Least favorite ship for the muse?
💢Something about the muse that annoys you?
😈Worst thing you’ve ever done to your muse?
😂Funniest thing that’s ever happened to your muse?
💡 What inspires you to write the muse?
📷 Favorite picture/screencap of your muse?
📑 Favorite part of your muse’s backstory?
📝 Favorite headcanon for your muse?
😒 Is there anything canon about your muse that you ignore?
🔮 What do you see in your muse’s future?
🔥 Unpopular opinion about your muse?
💭 Favorite memory of the muse?
😩 Hardest thing about writing the muse?
⌨ What’s a situation you’ve always wanted to RP with the muse?
🎭 How similar are you and the muse?
Play as a druid who's constantly in his cat Wild Form. For added realism, hand you dice and character sheet to your cat and go take a nap while Mr Fluffybottom's takes over.
