Taking Stock

[Manehatten Guard]

23rd July of year 4

Light streamed in through the windows of the infirmary and onto Kroll's bed, the day outside looking clear and fine. The row of cots was mercifully empty tonight save for Kroll himself, and the room was near silent.

A bookish looking tercel sat at the foot of the bed, writing on a clipboard.

[Kroll]

Kroll groaned quietly as he slowly woke up, his head still aching from the blow that Feliks delivered with the briefcase. Slowly opening his eyes, the tercel looked around the room, his gaze resting on the griffon that was at the foot of the bed. "Hey..." the vagrant grumbled as his he blinked a few times. "Hey, bookworm...where am I?"

[Manehatten Guard]

The tercel looked up at Kroll and set aside his clipboard.

"You are in the infirmary of the Guard Headquarters sir. You took a nasty blow to the head last night, but the council assured me that you would be ready to be "shown the ropes" of your new position. Your duties, your room, the inherited property of the station, that sort of thing"

[Kroll]

Kroll sat up slowly, thinking over what the tercel said to him. "Alright, sounds good, I guess..." The vagrant made his way out of the cot he had been placed in, wincing slightly at the popping sounds his joints made as he stretched out. With a relaxed sigh, he faced the tercel in front of him. "Alright then, let's get moving."

[Manehatten Guard]

The tercel nodded and smiled at Kroll.

"First things first, your uniform has been left in your quarters for you. Best kill two birds with one stone and get yourself presentable and acquainted with your lodgings. Right this way" He said in a cheerful tone before trotting off in the direction of the officers quarters.

[Kroll]

Kroll followed the tercel apprehensively to the Officer's Quarters, somewhat confused as to why they were heading there. "Er, I know it's best to hold all questions until the end of a tour, but why are we going to these Quarters, exactly?"

[Manehatten Guard]

The tercel stopped and turned to Kroll, frowning.

"Oh dear, you must have been hit on the head a bit harder than the medics thought... You performed a service to the council last night that lead to the arrest of a traitorous officer. Do you remember that? The council have seen fit to reward you by giving you the officers rank and position"

[Kroll]

Kroll stopped in his tracks. "I'm being given the rank of Captain?!" The tercel shook his head in disbelief. "The council thought that I should be given the rank of Captain? The same council who had me fired because of an incident a few years ago?" The vagrant laughed . "I admit that I've pulled my share of pranks on my fellow soldiers during the war, but this is pretty fucked up."

[Manehatten Guard]

The tercel raised an eyebrow.

"I assure you sir, the council has reinstated you. Look here"

He turned a few pages and showed the clipboard to Kroll. Sure enough, there was an officers commission with Kroll's name and details on it, with five signatures and seals adorning the bottom.

[Kroll]

Kroll took the clipboard from the tercel and read it, his eyes darting from line to line like a typewriter. Sure enough, those signatures and seals were the real deal. The vagrant coughed a little as he handed the clipboard back to the griffon before him. "Well then," he said sheepishly. "I guess I rescind my previous statement...but the council really thinks I have the qualifications for the job, eh?" He shrugged, chuckling again. "Well, who am I to question their judgement! Lead on!"

[Manehatten Guard]

"Right this way sir" The tercel said cheerfully.

He lead Kroll through the corridors to where the former vagrant had tangled with Feliks the previous evening. The pair of them climbed the stairs to the former captains quarters. The bookish tercel produced a key from somewhere on his uniform and unlocked the door, swinging it open for Kroll.

The room was comfortable and tastefully decorated as befitted an officer, with a four poster bed, an overstuffed armchair and a bookshelf filled with assorted texts of interest.

Upon the bed lay a Urban grey work uniform and a white dress uniform complete with gold fragging.

[Kroll]

Kroll let out a low whistle as he walked around the room, now able to fully appreciate the words Feliks said to him the other night. The vagrant ran a talon along the bookshelf, before fixing his gaze on the uniform that sat on the bed. "Mh, I take it I should get suited up now before we carry on?"

[Manehatten Guard]

The tercel nodded.

"That might be best sir, first impressions and all that. I'll wait outside"

[Kroll]

Kroll nodded in appreciation at the bookish tercel as he closed the door behind it. Heading into the en-suite shower, the former vagrant turned the water on, letting out a relaxed sigh as he felt the hot water pour over him, slowly rinsing off the few year's worth of filth that coated his body. This was something he could get used to. After cleaning and drying himself off, Kroll put on the urban uniform that was latex out on the bed and himself in the mirror. For a tercel that had spent the better of three years out on the streets of Manehattan, he didn't look half bad.

Taking a deep breath, Kroll opened the door to his quarters, nodding at the griffon that had been waiting outside for him. "Sorry for the delay there, just thought I'd take a shower while I was at it. To tell you the truth, I think the last time I had a shower that good was during that storm we had last September!" He said with a laugh.

[Manehatten Guard]

The tercel smiled at Kroll.

"Much better sir, if I might say"

He glanced down at his clipboard and turned a page before looking back up at Kroll.

"Next on the agenda is the properties belonging to the position of Captain here. They are being kept in the newly renovated jail if you wouldn't mind following me again sir"

Without waiting for a reply, the tercel turned and moved off in the direction of the staircase,

[Kroll]

Kroll. raised an eyebrow at the tercel as he followed him down the stairs. "What possessions did Feliks own that it would need to be kept in the jail? I 'd imagine a storage closet or something would suffice....oh, but  while we're on the subject of acquisition, I have some things that were confiscated from me recently, as well as  some gear that I left here before I was dismissed. Any chance I could retrieve those?"

[Manehatten Guard]

The clipboard bearing griffon nodded.

"yes, I believe that can be arranged. As for the jail storage, it is the most secure area in the Headquarters and given the valuable or sensitive nature of some of this property, it is the best choice. There is also some... living property involved sir"

[Kroll]

Kroll raised an eyebrow at the bookish tercel's statement as he followed him through the jail. "Oh? The former captain didn't strike me as one who would be keen on keeping any pets..."

[Manehatten Guard]

the griffon shrugged as he walked.

"I suppose the term would be "slave". She is well behaved from what I have heard, born into it and all that. Also very expensive, paid for by the Guard treasury"

[Kroll]

Kroll's brow furrowed.  "A slave, hm? Interesting. I'll be sure to get acquainted with her when it's appropriate to do so."

[Manehatten Guard]

The tercel chuckled.

"I am sure you will sir"

They walked on for a minute or two before descending the staircase into the prison where Kroll had been held recently. They walked a few cells along and stopped. Inside the barred room they stood before there were several heavilly locked boxes and a large white griffoness. She was heavilly muscled and sat stock still, staring up at the barred window. Around her neck was a heavy leather collar.

[Kroll]

Kroll's eyebrows raised as he saw the hen, studying her posture and physical build. She looked absolutely astounding, and looked like she would be capable of inflicting serious harm on an opponent if she was allowed to do so...which would explain the heavy leather collar around her neck. "So, er," the captain said, leaning over to the bookish tercel as he spoke in a hushed tone. "What's with the collar?"

[Manehatten Guard]

The griffon reached into his uniform and withdrew a whalebone talisman that fit comfortably into his hand.

"The collar is enchanted to keep her under control. She is a thoroughbred gladiator to the 12th generation on her mothers side, so you need something serious to keep her compliant. If she attempts to harm the bearer of the control talisman, or if the bearer squeezes the talisman the enchanted pain spell activates"

He winced.

"Had to feel it myself before I was permitted to use it. There are few words to really describe how bad it hurts... entirely harmless on a physical level though, so it wont damage her to use it"

[Kroll]

The captain nodded solemnly as he gently took the whalebone talisman from the tercel, pocketing it with care. "I hope that it won't need to come to that, my friend. Hypothetically, what would I need to do if I wanted to remove the collar?"

[Manehatten Guard]

The tercel looked worried and adjusted his collar.

"Theoretically you would need to purchase her as a personal property from the council, get the dispell phrase and the master talisman"

He winced.

"I would not recommend removing it sir. She has been trained for a long time to kill and nothing else and letting her have free rein... it just seems like a horrible idea that would leave a whole lot of corpses"

[Kroll]

Kroll nodded slowly, "Is that so? Well, I'll be sure to keep that in mind..." quick to change the subject, the captain shifted a little. "So, what else should I know, sir?"

[Manehatten Guard]

The tercel handed Kroll his clipboard.

"On this is a list of all your duties and responsibilities, as well as an inventory of the things in this cell and a timetable for the next fortnight to get you settled. I think that is all I have for you today sir, so I shall leave you to it"

The Griffon saluted turned and trotted up the stairs, leaving Kroll in the jail.

[Kroll]

Kroll nodded in thanks as he took the clipboard from the tercel, returning his salute until he left. Turning back to the jail cell, the captain eyed the hen. Realizing he was never given the key to the cell, the tercel left momentarily to seek out the jailer, retrieving the proper key before returning to his original spot. Kroll had never directly addressed a slave before, and didn't really know any way to go about it. With a deep breath, he put the key in the cell's lock and turned it, pausing for a moment as the sound of the tumblers moving resonated throughout the jail.

[Aella]

Aella sat looking the clouds through the barred window of her cell. She liked watching them, seeing griffons and ponies flit between them as they went about their business. It was certainly more interesting than the confines of her cell. She had ignored the sounds of talking from the other side of the bars, best to not listen in unless directly addressed.

The sound of a key being turned in a lock caught her attention. She turned and faced the door, and the grey tercel behind it. She could see the shape of the talisman in his breast pocket.

The griffoness bowed her head as she had been taught to do. Servile.

"Master"

[Kroll]

Kroll's face tightened slightly at the sound of the hen calling him her master. Saying nothing, the captain stepped inside the cell, sliding the door shut behind him. Standing before the Aella, Kroll looked the slave over, admiring her physique with a stony expression. He was still having a hard time trying to figure out how to address the hen, but figured he would start with what he knew best. 

"Attenshun!" The captain said sternly

[Aella]

Aella did as she had seen some of the soldiers do. She stood straight and tall, with her talons at shoulder width upon the ground and her hindlegs together. She stared straight ahead, unwilling to do anything that might upset her master.

[Kroll]

Kroll smiled internally, glad to see that the hen had idea what he was expecting from her. "Alllright then," the captain said with bravado, beginning to tightly circle around Aella as if inspecting her. "First things first, what is your name, hen?" he inquired.

[Aella]

"I am known as Aella Eversor, Master"

She was careful to avoid saying it as a definite fact. Slaves were not permitted to own anything, not even their names.

[Kroll]

Kroll nodded as he stopped in front of Aella. "Well then, Aella, allow me to bring you up to speed on the current state of things. My name is Kroll, and I am going to be your handler from here on out. Your former owner, Captain Feliks, has been relieved of his duties, and I am to serve as his replacement." The captain made a sweeping gesture that encompassed the locked boxes in the room, as well as the hen. "As such, I now am responsible for his duties and possessions, and I have a fortnight to have everything on this list prepared." he said as he tapped the clipboard.

[Aella]

Aella nodded.

She had not liked Feliks. She had not liked many of her handlers and masters. She doubted that this one would prove much different to the others. But hope was still there.

[Kroll]

Kroll sighed as he flipped through the list, running a claw through his crest as he shook his head. "Okay, I guess first things first is getting all of the crap where it belongs. After we get all this moved up to my new office on the third floor, we can start talking about what you can expect duty-wise from here on out, understood?"

[Aella]

Aella bowed her head.

"Yes master"

She moved over to one of the crates and stood on her hindlegs before easilly picking it up.

[Kroll]

Kroll followed suit and picked up a few boxes, stacking them on top of each other before leaning against the wall to open the cell door with his foot. Leading the hen out of the jail and towards his new office, the captain attempted to make some small talk with his new asset. "So! Aella...tell me about yourself."

[Aella]

Aella tried to think of things that her master might deem appropriate to his cryptic request. She decided upon her personal skills in this case.

"I am trained in personal combat by way of the Aquillan arena and have had seven victories in public appearances. As a thoroughbred intended as the property or mistress of a noble I am also proficient in several disciplines of dance, song and music"

She paused for a moment.

"I have also been applied in service as an... "entertainer" for officers as seen fit by my previous master. A task at which I was... highly commended"

A shudder slipped through her disciplined mask, a movement that she hoped was not noticed.

[Kroll]

Kroll nodded slowly as he continued to make his way towards his new office, appreciating how forthcoming the hen was with her responses. "Ah yes, the tercel that brought me down to see you mentioned your gladitorial disciplines a little bit when we talked. Very lovely skill set to have in a place like this...and I suppose the ability to entertain via song and dance would be a pleasant means to reward other officers that have been performing well in their duties, though I'm not sure I would hold the same standards as your previous owner in that regard."

The captain stopped outside of the door to his office, setting the boxes down before turning to face Aella. "You can go on ahead and set down that box down here for now, Aella. Let's start heading back down to get some more, enh?" he said, patting the hen on the shoulder before starting to go back the way he came, motioning with a talon for his asset to hurry up as he walked.

[Aella]

Aella placed the crate easilly upon the floor, out of the way. She turned back and walked through the door, waiting for her master before continuing down the stairs.

[Kroll]

Kroll made his way back down to the cell in the jail and picked up a few more boxes, waiting for Aella before heading back out, resuming their conversation. "So, Ms. Eversor. Before I start giving you commands and whatnot, I would like to know about what Captain Feliks had you do for him aside from play music and such for those in his favor."

[Aella]

Aella picked up a pair of crates and followed Kroll again.

"He would occasionally have me escort him as a bodyguard, but I have not fought since my arrival in this city master" she said

[Kroll]

Kroll nodded as he listened to the hen, making his way up the stairs and out of the jail. "I see. And what kind of work do you think would complement your skills the best? Even though I make the final decision in what kind of work you'll be doing with and for me, I would like to get an idea of how to complement your talents the best. That way neither of our time or effort is wasted in the coming weeks."

[Aella]

Aella was silent for a moment.

"I... believe that I am more proficient in combat than entertainment master"

[Kroll]

Kroll grunted as he set his boxes down near his office's door. "I figured that might be the case, considering your experience in the arenas..." wiping his claws off before he turned to face the hen. "So. Here's what I'd like to do: Once I get all this junk squared away and start to get settled in to my new job, I'd like to start working with you on a few things: first, I'd like to assess your combat skills, and see if there's anything we can improve upon. Second, depending on how the first objective goes, I want to teach you about what it means to be a soldier; while I'm sure your time in the arenas has sharpened you on a physical level, there are other concepts like honor, commitment, and teamwork that are required in any soldier's regimen for them to be considered an effective and contributing member to the forces." The captain looked at the hen earnestly. "Does that all make sense?"

[Aella]

Aella nodded.

"Yes master"

She was looking forwards to seeing action outside the bedroom again. She hoped that she would not disappoint.

[Kroll]

Kroll shuddered a little, as if he tasted something foul. "Deaugh...that reminds me about one more thing: don't...don't call me master, okay? It creeps me out. Referring to me as 'Captain' or 'sir' will suffice just fine, understood?"

[Aella]

"Yes ma-... captain"

This new master was a strange one. Addressing her like an equal. None before had asked that of her.

[Kroll]

Kroll smiled slightly at Aella's reply. "Very good. You may retire back to your cell for now Aella, I'll take care of the rest of these boxes later." The captain paused as he looked at the assortment of containers that sat outside his office. "Come to think of it, we probably got most of the larger ones up here, so you should have more space to move about down there. As for your assessment, we will be doing that sometime tomorrow, so I implore you to go get some rest so you'll be ready to go when it's time."

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