Scarlet Cove

The bustling port city of Scarlet Cove, a popular spot for trade and travel for the jade empire.

As one of the largest sea trading cities on the continent, Scarlet Cove is home to the merchant’s guild and many fighters and mages guilds. It is also a hot spot for information and underground trading, anything from slaves to contraband not normally found in the empire.

Was the city built up from the sea with? at her lowest tier, gradually rising several tiers to markets, residential, industrial and noble districts. The markets being to the east, the residential sector to the north, on a lower tier than the nobles, the nobles to the south at the highest tier their mansions built up along the cliff side of the city overlooking the southern sea.

To the west, a distance of about Five hundred meters was the industrial sector on an in between tier and distanced from the city because of the crate work down in this sector and the size it looked like a small metal fortress mingled into the edge of this large jewel city.

Fisherman, commoners, and travelers usually kept to the bottom two tiers of the city; there were plenty of inns, guilds, brothels and merchants on these tiers that kept the people content and allowed them to enjoy their freedoms to the limits of the law.

The higher ups and nobility were rarely seen in the lower tiers the goods on the higher tiers were a world above the common food and items, they wouldn’t dare to lower themselves.

The only place in the city that was frequently visited by all people regardless of the class was the industrial sector weapons, armor, artifacts, cursed and blessed items along with fine artistry were all handled within the guarded walls of the industrial sector. The Empire had provided guards and the resources to construct the sector so they oversaw all trade that passed through and collected a small tax on top of the average price.

It was mid spring and high top sailing ships and galleons were coming and going from the port smoothly skating across the crystal blue clear water. A youth standing alone on one the higher tiers of the large port City looking down below at the people moving about their business. He looked on with a saddened look on his face his noble features slightly twisted into a frown, as tears began to well up in his emerald green eyes he turned away and walked toward the nearby ramp leading from the noble district to the lower common markets.

The young noble dawned a cloak to hide his identity and concealed his family crest and long sword.

Around this point of the Jade Empires, history swords and armor were commonplace as the empire has been at war with the neighboring kingdoms for centuries.

As the youth descended into the common markets people passed by conversing in many languages while carrying wears and goods to and from shops. He thought to himself as he past crowds bartering; 'the Empire sure is prospering these days only three years ago this port was nearly destroyed.'

After a few quick stops to ask for directions he found himself on the lower end of the markets at a guild hall with a sign reading “White Dragon mercenary band” this guild currently held the top rank for mercenary/fighters’ guilds at this end of the Empire. They were nothing but country rabble compared to other guilds from the capital or from the front lines; they happened to be looking for recruits. The work this guild primarily takes care of is clearing bandits and rogues out of the surrounding countryside; because this port is on the far edge of the empire the garrison within the fort must remain within the city at all times.

Inside the hall, one large hall stretched out before the young noble; cobblestone walls towering almost ten meters meeting vaulted gothic domed ceilings. This hall was considered to be an architectural achievement within the city; not many extravagant halls were built of stone in this manner as the practice was time consuming. This hall was constructed by masons and other artisans that were non-users. A normal halls construction would take a few days were this building took years to complete.

Within the hall around one hundred or so people drinking while birds were practicing ballads on stage preparing for a performance. The young noble was no more than sixteen and had never set foot in a guild hall this size his father had always told him they were dank filth holes that should be raised along with the scum within them; to him, the place seemed somewhat tidy and lively. The odd rat could be spotted in a corner; other than the patrons this hall was well kept.

He approached a fine looking young lady at a counter off to the right of the entrance the sign above her read "Recruitment"

"Hello? I'm here looking for work; I was hoping the guild would take me on as an apprentice?" The noble was a bit shy of this beauty he'd just walked up too. She had a fair complexion coupled with long brown hair tied back and a curvature to her form that caught his gaze.

"Sure thing we always need new blood for the guild, just need you to answer a couple questions. Also, remove your hood indoors it's bad luck to cover your head indoors; not to mention rude." she had only looked up for a minute while addressing him then rolled her eyes and opened a box next to her.

"Let's get started with a simple interview. My name is Nancy; I am a Scholar with the guild and will be conducting this short recruitment interview. so, bear with me here; these questions are standard and boring. Do you understand?" She drew a card from the box next to her, it was a queue card with poorly written English on it.

"Okay I'm ready, but I'm sorry I cannot remove my hood no matter how rude." This was the nobles first time being talked down to by a common girl even if she's a mage she's still should show some respect to others. If he wasn’t trying to hide his identity he would have put this girl in her place.

"Question 1… or 11? I don't know who wrote this card but it's a mess; as I said bear with me. What's your name" she squinted the moment she started to read.

Seeing a Scholar struggle to discern a language was shocking. they dealt in deciphering ancient texts and foreign languages as a profession. These cards really were poorly written.

"My names… umm… Shawn, I recently came into town no surname as I don't have a trade or family." That was a blatant lie but he couldn't let his name come out so for now, he'd be Shawn.

Thinking to himself right after speaking, 'Shawn is such a stupid name why'd I go with that name, damn!'

"Shawn huh? Nice name if you ask me." Nancy looked up at the card as she spoke with a smile. The noble thought to himself ‘really? Now she’s nice and smiles? Imagine if she knew who I really was she’d no doubt die of embarrassment.’

"Okay second question; what previous training or work experience do you have?" Nancy spoke, while struggling to read this card.

It must really be the handwriting of a beast to cause this scholar to struggle with just merely reading a simple card.

most scholar in a capacity like Nancy's would work for a guild as a receptionist or a translator. higher class scholars would get employed by lords of cities or massive guilds as researchers and in some case negotiators.

"No work experience but I do have some training in martial essence and guardian knight techniques." He'd only finished saying the word "knight" before being glared at.

"Guardian Knight, you say? We currently have way too many useless guardians so I'm sorry but if that's all you know then I don't think we can take you. Let's test your essence attribute maybe if your essence is strong enough the guild will allow you to join. Perhaps you can be retrained." Nancy had an annoyed look on her face that resembled someone who'd recently been asked by five people to do that same task. She uncovered a small opaque crystal next to the question box. "Here place your hand on this essence stone it'll tell me your attribute and potential for the future."

The noble had done countless tests like this and dreaded them. Once it began he placed his hand a couple people who were nearby looked over to see if this kid was any good.

A faint yellow glow emitted with a very dull light the energy of his essence was released at first it was heartwarming to him but then intense pain filled his chest. The five essence realms that circulated his inner energy burned as if they would explode at any moment. He pulled his hand back as his chest heaved up and down.

"I'm sorry Shaun but your earth essence is so poor I'm surprised anyone trained you at all! You’re better off becoming a laborer or a deck hand. The test shows you’re in the first level of the trainee stage. A six-year-old could probably beat you in a duel." Nancy said this with sincerity but had a mocking smile on her face; a scholar was stronger than this boy in front of her. All members of a strong guild that held a position of some level would require an essence of at least apprentice stage in order to qualify, therefore this Nancy the scholar was stronger than this young noble.

She pointed toward the door, " I'd head down to the docks if you want work. You couldn’t even qualify to clean the hall."

The few people around mockingly laughed at the sight of this boys’ essence it had hardly developed and he was already a teen almost a man. He'd be worthless in combat for the rest of his life. Some of these men even mocked him openly as he turned about and headed for the door, his head lowered in embarrassment.

“What trash! And he wanted to join our guild what a joke!”

“I don’t know if the dock rats would even want someone like him! He would be better suited as a slave at least then he would be worth something.”

“Brother your wrong, even slaves don’t want trash like him.”

As he left the guild hall he thought about returning home but the thought of home was so painful for him tears welled up and fall streaking his face. He walked on awhile sulking and thinking of what he could do next. This city was a hostile place to him; only his lord status could sustain him here, and that was the one thing he refused to rely on.

“What the hell do I do now? Uncle hates me, the guilds won’t take me in. Should I just join a crew and sail to another country, perhaps try again there?" he asked himself as he walked slowly down the sparsely populated streets of the lower tier.

While walking deeper into the poor part of town he spotted a boy in rags stumbling along the side of the street. As the noble approached the boy from behind the boy darted off into an in a side alley; he hadn't made it far down the alley before collapsing, the boy was injured and dazed as he dropped to on knee blood leaked from wounds on his head and arm.

Carefully the young noble walked into the alley "Are you okay?"

No reply came from the boy; he had managed to sit down on some crates and was breathing heavy, between coughing and spitting large mouthfuls of blood to the cobblestones.

Rushing to his side the noble was shocked to see someone in this bad of shape; 'no one had helped him? Who attacked him? And why?' Questions raced through his mind as he sat the boy upright and started to assess his situation.

In an instant, a burst of energy shot out of the boy and a white essence enveloped his body treating his wounds and absorbing the blood. ‘Shit! This is an ice attribute essence! This kids dangerous’ the noble was panicked the moment he felt the power; it felt as though he had frozen in place. The pressure from his small boy was enough to completely oppress the noble completely.

"Who the hell are you, joker? You don't want to help me! Even if you did it's too late you've come to close carelessly now you’re going to die!" This boy was using his frosty essence to form ice in the nobles blood cells, such a feat wold require an astonishing amount of control to use accurately. This technique of moisture manipulation would freeze a living being solid to be smashed like glass.

"Wait! My name is Seshwan! I'm a noble from this city I can give you whatever you want! Please! Please! Don't kill me!" Tears Welled up and froze on his cheeks, dropping to the stone alley and shattering into tiny fragments of shimmering crystal like drops.

The boy retracted his tyrannical essence and stared at the noble before him. "No way if you’re a noble you'd have received essence manipulation training and could have at least tried to escape that. You're what? Sixteen? Brat you should be mid-level apprentice rank! Bullshit, you're clearly a good for nothing!"

Seshwan looked down ashamed of his lack of skill and essence strength.

The boy reached out touching Seshwan's face and closed his eyes; after a brief moment, he opened them again and said; "Shit! kid your weak!" Laughing and smiling as he said it Seshwan wanted to crawl into a hole and die from being tormented this way.

"You’re only a beginner level trainee! it's pathetic, though if your not aware it's not your fault." The boy said as he sat back down, wiped his eye and glanced over to Seshwan.

"What! What did you just say!" Seshwan was thrown into a frenzy at the mere mention of such an idea, of course, it's his fault he was trash and worthless anyone who thought otherwise was insane!

"No boy listen; your essence flows throughout your body much like blood does but your vessels that transport the energy are blocked for some reason. Gummed up by some kind of scarring in your essence realms which is preventing you from circulating energy. From what can tell it was done on purpose." The boy was dead serious. "Someone or something is setting you back and making you weak."

Seshwan thought, ‘it's not possible nothing been done to him he's nobility no one would dare inflict harm to him. Especially not to his ability to cultivate. His father would have killed anyone who tried to harm him.’

"More good news for you I can temporarily fix the block. Though I will warn you this isn't for free and I guarantee it will be painful." The boy smiled wide at Seshwan with a grin the sent chills down Seshwan's back.

"How can I trust you? And, why should I? I don't even know you! you could try to kidnap me and ransom me to my family! Not to mention you just tried to kill me!" Seshwan still didn't believe this kid.

"Believe me or not your choice and I have no need for money. I just hate to see someone as weak as you have to suffer for no reason." The kid extended a hand toward Seshwan. "...And you could prove useful someday."

Seshwan felt the icy chill completely leave him as he stood up.

"Okay regardless at least tell me your name so I'm not referring to you as boy for the rest of our brief encounter." Seshwan said as he reached forward thinking; ’should I really trust this kid? He looks to only be twelve! Maybe I had finally become this desperate?’

The boy snatched his hand and gave It a shake. "Seshwan, I'm Walter and I'm going to fix you. But in return you will swear loyalty to me. Sound good? simple enough right?" Walter gave a sinister grin as he gripped Seshwan’s hand and branded a small symbol onto the palm of his hand.

Seshwan shirked as his flesh was burned from freezing cold; a symbol of two daggers crossed and a skull just above had been burned onto his skin.

“That is my mark now that you have it no one in this town will touch you.” Walter released Seshwan’s hand.

Seshwan sat down on some boxes next to Walter bewildered; ‘Shit he just marked my hand, what the hell will I tell uncle now!’

Small edits were done 04/06/17.