There was a collective hissing from the gathered crowd as weapons of all sorts slid free of their scabbards, the three-dozen or so people turned to face the caster.  Meanwhile the stage itself had faired the fireball only modestly as a majority of it was blackened and partially charred though still usable if one was cautious about which planks they stepped upon.  The people upon it did not weather it as well; the auctioneer, one slave, and her escorting staffer were charred husks next to what remained of the podium.  Two other slaves and four staffers sustained considerable burns, but were alive if not necessarily all conscious.<br/><br/>The crowd spread further apart, surrounding your carriage in a semi-circle but still not moving to assault at this point.  They all had the seasoned pirate look about them, no stranger to a fray and all but eager to dive into one.  Your armed escort looked towards one another before turning and running away feeling no particular loyalty to you nor had a particular desire to fight an angry mob.  The driver even scooted as far away from you on his seat as he could; doing his best to convey that he was not associated with you.<br/><br/><strong>”What the bloody hell is going on out here?!”</strong>Boomed a voice resonating with absolute confidence and authority that caused the mob to flinch in a way that your fireball had not been able to.  A man (http://img-cache.cdn.gaiaonline.com/c3c23d6f67adbf6d8dbe2257895b6241/http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h280/IndigoDragon_/pirate-7.jpg) stepped out of a nearby tavern and made his way with purposeful strides towards your carriage, the crowd parting around him as he passed through it.  He looked at you with a level, unimpressed look and stood in a sort of relaxed posture in the space between you and the rest of the mob that only furthered to convey his contempt for you.<br/><br/>A long moment of tense silence passed as the man took a measure of you.<strong>”It had been some time since somebody had made such a spectacle of themselves in this town.  Last time it was a large group of abolitionist zealots.”</strong>He said with a casual nod of his head directing attention to the few dozen skeletons hanging by nooses adjacent to the auction stage.<strong>”Though I don’t think I’ve ever seen somebody as foolish as to launch an attack single-handedly.  You’ve got balls for such a pretty little thing; I can’t help but wonder what inspires you to so readily throw your life away this day.”</strong>