<div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/gm36ZY3.jpg)</div>Malkin City, the capital of the whole of the faded lands, was sometimes referred to as the 'always up' city.  No matter what time of day it was in Malkin City, someone was always about, running errands, opening a shop, closing a bar, or even sweeping the streets.  Laelith was a much smaller city, a frontier town, but the last decade had seen it build into quite a bustling metropolis in it's own right as people from all walks of life came here from the faded lands to explore the ancient continent of Mara that had been closed off for a millenium.  While there wasn't quite a bustle in the pre dawn light, Lirdylene was far from the only person walking the streets at this time of the morning.<br/><br/>She wasn't even the most naked person walking the streets, as she passed several domestic slaves wearing nothing but collars or sometimes a loin cloth as they went about their business in the cool pre-dawn air.  One or two people even noticed her and called a greeting as she passed.  But it was obvious that the sexy drow vixen was on a mission and none stopped her other than a friendly wave.  She wasn't the most well known resident of Laelith, but to some circles most notably the prostitutes, servants, and members of the monk's temple, she was a recognizable figure.  Even if it weren't for her propensity for nudity, or her unusual blue eyes, her unmistakable air of sexual energy seemed to be as recognizable as any physical characteristic.<br/><br/>Throughout the city windows were open as were the ventilation ducts that allowed buildings to soak up the night's cool air and save it for as long as they could before the sun rose to begin baking the city again.  It was one of the reasons why this time of morning was so popular for chores.  Crime was actually quite uncommon in most parts of the city, save the docks and warehouse areas.  The city guard patrolled too often and the streets were just too busy for most crime one would associate with a city this size.  Certainly a drunk that passed out in public would find himself shy a purse or any belongings once he awoke, but most parts of the city were quite safe for an unarmed woman to walk mostly nude at any part of the day without fearing a rape or assault.<br/><br/>Of course, Lirdylene didn't need any weapons, her fists, knees, feet, her whole body was a weapon.  It's why she'd been training under Lyen for a few years now.  Finding a vendor selling breakfast was easy, as the bakers were most active this time of day, and the hardest part was deciding what type of bread to eat as she walked, and bobbling it back and forth between her hands as the fresh out of the oven bread cooled.  As for the ale, she got Dwalin, the dirty old dwarf who ran the 'split pig' to give her a mug of what he called 'breakfast brew' for nothing more than a pinch of her backside and a few moments of his pop eyed leer.  He was a good man who played up his lecherousness, but had never taken things further with her than a grope or a pinch.  In fact he'd turned her down several times, saying that he wouldn't want to sully such beauty with his old body.  But he certainly did appreciate a look, and his incessant grumbles about what he'd do if he were a few centuries younger always made Ylene laugh.<br/><br/>It wasn't long before she arrived back in the mage district where she lived not too long ago.  Already their home had been sold and a new wizard was living in the space.  It had seemed somehow both tragic and at the same time comforting... the city was moving on, despite Kristen's still unsolved murder.  She went to the city guard, a group of individuals working under the guild name 'the Laelith Defenders'.   Their chapter house in this district sat right across from the Mage's guild's 'university' across a plaza containing a large public fountain.<br/><br/>The morning guardsman sat up when she came into the front of the chapter house and his eyes roamed her body.  He obviously liked what he saw as he straightened his tunic.  He was a youngish human man, maybe in his mid twenties, with wavy brown hair and a broad chin with a deep dimple in the middle.  He'd be quite attractive if his nose were a touch smaller and his ears didn't stick out quite so much.  But he seemed keen eyed and fair of face, with no visible scars.<br/><br/>"Hello miss," he said leaning forwards against his desk, "Is there a problem I can help you with?"  He was obviously confused, her look said that there might be a problem, especially her excited air.  The dried cum on her chin and breasts, as well as between her thighs, combined with her dress suggested a possible rape.  But her demeanor wasn't matching that, she was excited and alert, not scared or angry.  He obviously didn't know how to handle the beautiful drow, other than to let his eyes roam her body from top to bottom and back again several times.