conversations: human
conversations:  Fort Centennial, Mesa City, The Republic; 1:00 P.M. May 31, 1878
  Chapter 1. Aether Shanties   
  
  Death, war, both horrible; there is no glory in war, any man how says any different is the most blatant of liars. Nobody knew this better than Brigadier Humboldt. He had seen so much war and death in his time, and to the Brigadier nothing was as horrible as to throw a young life away; if only his fellow officers could see that.
  
  The men that sit on the council are all younger than Humboldt and eager to show their potential, eager to rise in rank, becoming generals or politicians; and Humboldt understood. He was once like that himself. Nothing would stand in their way. Not even the young woman being court marshaled this very moment. She stands defiantly before them in the large, humid, oak paneled room.
  
  To the Brigadier she seems much too young and pretty to be here. The report he read before the proceedings told him that she was a wizardess, and therefore drafted into the grand army of the Republic. A fluke, the only women allowed to severe where clerks, nurses and the arcane. Wizards and wizardess’s where always drafted; their use on the field was invaluable. Humboldt closed his eyes as a chill ran down his spine, human weapons, disgusting. That’s all that they were and to these men this girl was just an attack dog that got loose. Nothing more.
  
  A young man at the end of the table rises; paper in hand.  “Captain, Cardinal, Ruby, Josephine,”  His voice is high and shaky. The Brigadier thought that he heard fear in the clerk’s voice. Those gifted with magic where often feared. Little was known about magic and these men’s fear would lead them to do something to persecute the girl far beyond what she dissevered.
  
   “Sorry, I’m Janet, you’ve got the wrong girl,”  Ruby’s voice is a bit raspy but strong and strangely beautiful. There is a lot about her that’s beautiful. Her 5’6” figure is slender and she has a dancers legs. She has a soft pretty face with delicate features and benevolent jade green eyes. Her auburn hair is short, a few inches longer and it would be shoulder length. The casual uniform that she wears isn’t exactly standard issue though.  Somewhere along the line Ruby had shortened her khaki canvas skirt to thigh length, and she wears her olive blouse with the top three buttons undone and the sleeves short. Her thigh boots are the only unaltered part of her issue attire.
  
  Uniform, work as one, that’s what boot camp was all about; brain washing. This beautiful sorceress had nearly killed seven drill sergeants; her impulsive streak was as fearsome as it was indestructible. She was unbreakable, but the government wouldn’t give up so easily on magical super-soldiers. Miss Cardinal was given the rank of captain, in hopes that would placate her, but to no avail. The last straw was the alteration of her uniforms; she was driving the men crazy! But that’s what happens when you draft art students.
  
    “Ah, God bless free sprits, young woman I admire your sass. But you may have put yourself in jeopardy”  
  
  Captain Cardinal’s sarcastic “Janet” comment isn’t met well by the council. The young officers grumble amongst themselves. The clerk proceeds.
  
   “Captain,”  He ignores her comment and continues, ” you are here by charged by this court and the great Republic with draft dodging, insubordination, instigation of no less than five opium dens, impersonating a member of the clergy, insulting foreign dignitaries, no less than one hundred and seven counts of assaulting a superior officer, vandalism, and,”  He takes a deep breath and continues, ”promiscuous and other suggestive behavior. These collective crimes against the god fearing people of the republic, may God save us all, are punishable by incarceration or even death. How do you plead?” 
   “Guilty! Positively guilty! “ , She practically shouts,  “Take me away bailiff, I’ve been a very bad girl.” Her enthusiastic reply is met by the courts’ confused silence. Humboldt had been around enough people in his time to know a lie when he heard on; and this pretty girl was totally honest. The Brigadier had a hunch.
  
   “Captain Cardinal,”  He says thoughtfully ,” War is an atrocity, I agree, but a career in the military is a respectful endeavor.”  At this ruby crosses her arms across her underdeveloped chest and gives a loud snort. Not the sort of noise you would expect from someone with such a cute upturned nose, ” And given your status as a Wizardess. You have nothing to fear, so why this misbehavior?” 
  
  He already knew what the young woman’s answer might be; he just had to reaffirm his suspicions.
  
  Ruby gives a great sigh and begins. Calm at first but as she continues she becomes agitated and animated.  “What? Isn’t it obvious? I DON’T want to be here! I don’t want to take your stupid orders; I don’t want to die just because some stupid fat cats don’t get along. I don’t want to fight in your wars or stand around wasting my precious life just because you idiots say that I have to! You had no right to pluck me out of college just to serve in your ridiculous army “just because it suits you” I was this close”  She makes a small gesture with her right hand  ,” to my masters, and you imbeciles SCREWED IT ALL UP!!!!” Captain Cardinal screems the end her soliloquy, her eyes start to tear up out of frustration.
  
   “I know it isn’t right but that’s the way it is,” 
   “Humboldt, she’s dangerous, the court has already made its decision.” One of the officers says, having found the courage to speak.
  Humboldt looks into Ruby’s pretty young face. Her fresh tears causing her eye shadow to run.
  
   “Captain Cardinal is correct, we had no right to take her, and she, however unorthodox, has been trying to show us the error of our ways. And I agree with her. Women and college students are never drafted for a reason, and the arcane lupole is rediculous. However assault is no laughing matter and disciplinary action must be taken. And given your fear of her you may act rashly, therefore I’m pulling rank.” There is a smattering of outbursts at Humboldt’s words but he ignores them.
  
   “Captain, are you ready to receive your sentence?” 
     17, Darkchaple Ave. Maredo, 3:30 A.M. June 1st, 1879   
    “Orcs, never see many orcs in Maredo, maybe that is why I like it here. Now, if only that doctor would let me smoke in the house.”   
  Amelio San Juan stands under a gas lamp rolling a cigarette. He is quite enjoying the quiet foggy Maredan night; the only sound is the far off caterwauling of some drunken sailor.   "Ah, if only the good doctor’s boarder would take me to bed, yes that would be nice."   Amelio had his eye on the pretty red head ever since he started working for the doctor. But she just wouldn’t succumb to him, and he had no idea why. Amelio was the handsomest orc who had ever graced the face of the face of Earth. His tall lean frame bristled with subtle athletic muscles, his tusks where barley notable, his dark Latino complexion flawless and he dressed in the latest fashions. He could easily pass for an elf.
  
  But somehow that wasn’t enough to impress the western beauty; ah she was so beautiful, so achingly gorgeous.  “Alas ” He says under his breath his voice deep, smooth and richly accented.
  
   “Hey, buddy, ya got a light er summit?” 
  
  Amelio tosses the drunken sailor a lighter, he had heard the seafarer’s voice at least ten minutes ago, and had smelled the blood sooner than that. As the bloodied sailor catches the lighter Amelio strikes with lightening fast reflexes, he draws an old and heavy flintlock out of the inside of his black pea coat and gabbing the lamp post in his other hand swings feet first in to the sailor’s chest. The sailor is unconscious before he hits the ground.
  
  The sight that meets Amelio’s eyes is grotesque indeed, the sailor’s skin has been shredded, his face -what’s left of it- bloated and purple.
  
   “Santa Maria”  Amelio, utters and crosses himself  ."What fresh hell have I stumbled into?"   He grabs the unconscious man's wrist with a deft touch  ,"Well he still has a pulse, just barely."   Then cursing softly he drags –so as not to bloody his clothes- the man into the nearby townhouse, 17 Darkchaple Avenue.
  
  The waiting room at 17 Darkchapel Ave. is neat and orderly. There are several chairs positioned by its ornate bay window. A beautiful Persian rug covers the floor and elaborate white doilies cover the coffee table, and other surfaces. But the first thing anyone sees as they enter the neat little town house is the receptionist’s counter. This counter is usually occupied by the last sort of person one would expect to find in such a tidy place. Her upper body is resting on the counter, the drool from her mouth wetting her elaborate black curls.
  
  Amelio pauses in his rescue mission, to catch his breath-this sailor is heavier than he looks- and to stare interestedly down the woman’s low neckline from across the room.   “Well, she IS rather “gifted” isn’t she, hmm but a sloth as well. Ah! What would Sister Nina say?”   The pretty orc amuses himself with the thoughts of his mentor’s reactions to his sinful urges as he hoists the limp sailor onto the nearby stretcher.
  
    “Amelio? What’s going on?” 
  
  The orc turns calmly to the hallway near the receptionist’s counter. Ruby, the doctor’s boarder stands there in nothing but a short, lacy nightgown. Her auburn hair messy from her pillow, her disheveled curls fall to her shoulders. Amelio has to fight to stay focused.
  
   “This man approached me outside, he is now unconscious, and I fear for the worst.”  At this there comes a slight commotion from the counter as the snoring nurse awakens in torrent of cruses; which she utters under her breath.
  
  Natalie is the nurse at the clinic of 17 Darkchaple Ave. and as nurses go she is the surliest nurse who ever lived. Not a bad nurse mind, just grouchy. She awakens to the sound of a body hitting a stretcher, and is immediately annoyed. Even more so when she gets a glimpse of Ruby –she was getting a glass of water when Amelio came in- in her skimpy night gown; ever since that art student moved here she had made things more irritating. Always bringing her university friends over for tea and entertainment, it had been great for business; which annoyed Natalie further because then she had more work to do. Ruby’s bubbly demeanor did nothing to help Natalie’s hangover ether.
  
   “Don’t leave him on the stretcher; I’ll have to clean it!” 
   “Santa Maria! Natalie! You are the most useless human being I’ve ever met!” 
   “You don’t suppose he’s  . . . dead do you?” 
  
  Amelio slips his black coat over Ruby’s bare shoulders; so as to protect her modesty,  “There there, do not worry seniorita, the good doctor will tend to him shortly, I shall go wake him.” Amelio leaves the tidy waiting room and heads upstairs to the doctor’s bedroom and raps his knuckles on the heavy ebony door.
  
   “Doctor, Senior? There is a hurt sailor downstairs, he needs your help.” 
   
   Spoiler 
   Natalie’s report shows that the Sailor is 32 years of age, and Caucasian, he has suffered lacerations all over his body. He also suffered several concussions and there is bruising in his face and his skull has been crushed. There are also two large bruises on his chest from where he has been kicked. He is near death, several minutes after Amelio placed him on the stretcher he begins to show signs of internal bleeding. His belongings include a small jade fertility statue, a wallet with nothing in it, some lint, a bag of condoms, unopened, and a street address; Aerodrome 13, sea-reach street, ask for Captain Bly.
   
conversations: The Walox:
conversations: human
conversations:  Captain Doctor George Charles Blackbaire Graham, Count Bombithia, MD, PhD, FOA, GCM- Lesser, KEB, HSG, felt oppressed by his many names. Perhaps this is why he slept poorly. Perhaps he sleep poorly because he had annoyed the fairy of Nightsand. Perhaps it was because he had poor nerves. Perhaps the Moon Fairy conspired with the Fairy of Perrywinkle Night and the Fairy of Long Sighs to prevent the Fairy of Long Glances from finding him a wife. In any case, when the Orc's pounding woke George C. Graham from his sleep he came awake with all the force of a spring loaded knife, eyes wide.
  
  He took a deep breath to calm himself. Medical Emergency. Quickly his mind was in motion. He got out of bed not with the leap of a panicked man, but the jerky grace of a professional long accustomed to sudden action, turning the lamp on and placing his feet on the floor in one smooth motion. He methodically but rapidly removed his nightclothes and drew a fresh suit from the wardrobe, laying it on the bed. The next step was washing in the cold basin in the water closet, which was accomplished with clinical effecency. Graham noted with distaste that a cold water washing was not ideal for blood circulation, but he had no time to draw warm water. Graham took the time before putting on his clothes to turn to a small niche hidden behind a teak screen in his room and twist a brass nob below a bright copper kettle. The gas was released and caught fire with a blue flame, warming the coffee inside the kettle.
  
  Like all Maredians who sought to appease the fairies, appearance was key. This morning's suit was grey, with dark grey pants, a white shirt, black vest and light grey coat. The shoes were a soft and highly polished black, and the Cravat tie was a dark burgundgy red. He had the whole ensemble on in less than two minutes, including the tough to reach collar stud and cravat pin. Traditionally, this was the woman's job, and the fairies would not be pleased with the flaunting of convention, but it had to be done for the sake of time, and Graham had no woman to button his tie. Tragic.
  
  Thus dressed, Graham returned to the teak screen and kettle, pleased to find the gas flame burning alchemical fuel had heated the coffee to the right temperature so quickly. The fairies would not be pleased with cold coffee. Graham poured some coffee into a tiny and overtly feminine porcelain cup, before taking it in his long delicate hands and raising it up toward the highly polished bronze mirror. He did this three times, to appease the fairy of Wakefulness and invoke her blessing. He also lit two long sticks of sandelwood incense with a pink lighter and threw a pinch of sage into the burner. This would appease the faires of Health and Wisdom respectively, and hopefully counter-act the small slight of his not having a button woman. As a final gesture, Doctor Graham removed a small glass vial from the sugar baited fairy trap and hung it around his neck.
  
  Then he headed downstairs to see this dying sailor.
conversations: Galvain7: