OOC: Tags to
@Arocraes !
Blood ran down to the hilt of her sword, tickling over sweaty palms and dribbling off the tattered leather bindings about her wrists. In her other hand was a fistful of hair, attached to Delmonious's severed head. She was breathing heavily, body heavily scarred with old and new wounds alike. But this victory had been paramount.
She took a step forward, her breath still labored from the fight, and looked right up towards the seat where the Shah now sat. She could have spat in her direction. A child on the throne! A child to rule them all.
But she as but a mere slave in a massive empire of losers who could rise up to rule. The crowd was roaring, their words deaf on her ears as she took another step towards the masses and held up Demonious's head for all to see.
The fight had been over quicker than most, but no less brutal. The man had been a lord, one who was great in combat, a war veteran infact. He was calling out 'false' claims against Red Sun's master.
And due to necessity over the secret of her master's 'death', Red Sun knew she had but one option-
And that was to kill Demonious the Red, and cut off the tongue of any others who might dare get too near the truth.
She supposed it wasn't a fair fight. Hell, no one but Cassius, the damned slaver who slipped away after he himself was involved with her own master's death-
She was now left behind to deal with the corpse, alone. Pretending her master was alive was going easier than expected, but these little bumps in the road reminded her...
Although her master was free.....
She was far from it.
Ares chucked his tankard to the ground in a fit of anger. He was assured a tripling of his profit, but was left with pockets that were 100 sovereigns lighter. The only solace he could find was in watching his failed investment be brutally torn apart. He had only wished he'd done it himself. Ares stood up from his seat and walked over to the balcony. He placed his hands over the railings and analyzed the victor of the match. "They call her The Red Sun, huh?" he softly whispered to himself, as he brought a light smirk to his face.
Ares turned around and grabbed his satchel in one swift motion, heading directly to the area where the fighters are held to pay The Red Sun a visit. With each brisk step his smirk gradually receded into a snarl as he pushed aside anyone or anything in his path. He didn't know the personalities of any fighters in the Colosseum, but assumed they were savages incapable of civil dialogue. It wasn't that he wanted to avoid violence--it was the opposite really--however he was certain these trained fighters could kill him in a heartbeat in close one on one combat.
As he drew closer to the room, Ares reached for the vial in his satchel should The Red Sun be hostile outside of a match. He had no set plan in motion other than to somehow win back his gold and, better yet, make a profit. Perhaps this slave's master would entertain the idea of a sponsor, or even a partner. Ares could provide magical weapons, trinkets, and armor to his slave and he could split the earnings from victories. Ares could not see anyone taking down The Red Sun in the foreseeable future, so why not reap the benefits over her battles?
As he pushed the heavy, slow moving door, his eyes immediately caught sight of The Red Sun. He watched her for a bit before approaching her. She was not ladylike--or at least unlike most women Ares had encountered. He could easily charm a woman into purchasing his goods and getting what he wanted. The woman before him, however, seemed like she would be invulnerable to such tricks. Ares decided to give charming her a shot, after all she might surprise him.
He walked up to a wall beside The Red Sun and leaned against it. "That was a nice fight back there" he said to her as he tilted his head and grinned.
She was cleaning up after the fight. The slaves had their own designated chambers, so when the stranger approached with a playful tone, she didn't even bother to look his way. In fact, she didn't even reply at all. She was without her master present, and was trying to do her best not to draw attention to this fact. It wasn't entirely rare for her to travel without her master, however, it usually wasn't on days like this.
Rumors had been spreading of his illness, and by now, some where wondering if the illness would take his life. It gave her more reason to ignore this man and just keep to her work. So she finished wiping down her blade and resheathed it, and began to toss cool waters onto her face.
Ares held his smile despite boiling up inside. He rarely had been given the cold shoulder, and considering the woman before him caused him to lose a great deal of money he could barely keep his temper. "Not the talking type, I see" Ares said as he chuckled, albeit disingenuously. "If you don't mind, however, I'd love to speak to your master" he continued, "I have quite the business deal for him."
Ares inched closer, moving his hand towards the woman to gently touch her shoulder before pulling away right before contact was made. She had already not responded to his initial attempts at being friendly, and given her brutal display earlier it would be wise not to make her angry.
The second his hand withdrew from the 'almost touch', Red Sun turned her head to look at him, eyes flaring.
"If you wish to speak with my master, make an appointment. He is a busy man."
And she wouldn't add his faked illness into that equation.
"And you can send that request two days after tomorrow."
A bold lie, but if the man were that interested, he'd wait and attempt to make his appointment then.
And it would give Red Sun ample time to stave off his request with a quick lie.
Ares lightly sighed as his smile grew softer. "I see" he said as he shifted his eyes to his surroundings. There were multiple other combatants cleaning their gear and chatting with one another. He briefly wondered if The Red Sun was always so cold and unfriendly. He gazed at her hands, seeing only a brief glimpse of the lifetime of harsh labor she must've endured. Would I have been happier if my life turned out like hers Ares thought.
"I suppose I'll have to wait then" Ares continued, "What business does he have that would prevent him from seeing his little pet?" Ares did not care for his diction, whether it was offensive or not. Although The Red Sun surely could cut off his head in a single swing, she was still a slave and he was not. Ares did not feel fear around any of the fighters, but rather cautious as a snake charmer would be with their cobras. He was, in effect, playing with her to see how much information he could get.
Ares stepped up from the wall and crossed his arms awaiting an answer while his eyes danced around the figure of the woman before him. He then returned his vision to her face with a smile that grew more smug and condescending.
How irritating was this man, and he asked too many questions... and let his eyes linger too much on her body. Men. They were always interested in the same thing: Sex, and power (money, of course, but that was an item of power itself).
At his comment about waiting, she continued dealing with her own items at her leisure, repeating coldly "I guess you will." Once her things were packed (as she traveled with little to begin with), she tossed the sack over her shoulder and didn't bother to say a word to the man, brushing past him with a cold shoulder.
"And I do not run my tongue over the affairs of my master. If you care to learn his where abouts, question him in person after you've made means to see him."
As the woman brushed against him, Ares rolled his eyes and lightly sighed again, returning to the soft smile he had adorned previously. He turned to the woman, again analyzing her figure as she walked with her back turned towards Ares. "Surely he has a stable place to do business; a base of operations. Where can I find it?" Arocraes said, this time more deliberate and straight to the point. "I don't think he'd like it if his pet ruined his chance at a great business deal" Ares continued, trying to bait her into revealing just a small bit more of information. If this man was so busy and important like The Red Sun was making him out to be, he likely possesses information and items that Ares would want as well. I could stage an "accident"; or just murder him myself he thought, only half joking. Whatever the case, he grew more intrigued by this mysterious man the more The Red Sun dodged his questions about him.
She wanted to ignore him, knowing further talk would just give him more reasons to pry.
"I told you how to find him," she told him curtly. She began to wonder if the man had been listening at all, or was too busy checking out her ass.
Ares rolled his eyes and sighed again, growing more impatient with her. "Women are all the same" he whispered to himself. "Well, I guess that's that then" Ares said to her, "have a good day." He smiled in her direction once more, knowing she would not see it.
He was not about ready to give up, however. Ares walked towards one of the other slaves. He did not ask for his name, nor did he care, but rather presented him with a coin pouch. "Follow The Red Sun and come back to me with details of where she's going and who she meets." He then scribbled directions to the inn he was staying in on the back of a map of the city and handed it to the slave, dropping the pouch of coins in his hands moments later.
The slave looked confused and somewhat angry, but Ares knew he would comply with his demands. Money talks--loud. Ares turned away and began heading to the inn he was residing in for the time being. "If you're too scared of getting caught and having your neck sliced open, then keep the money anyway. You'll need it for the proper gear to cut your balls off" Ares said to the slave as he continued walking out, knowing that taunting him would be an effective method of convincing the slave to do as Ares wishes.
The Red Sun was no fool, and she had a lot at stake to hide. So when the strange slave was noted to be following her, she decided to take a short cut along the Niafi. Knowing it wasn't wise for any to traipse here, she wanted to see how close this slave would follow. One she noted he was hesitant, but lingering in her wake near the reeds that lined the river bank, she knew she was being followed, and promptly turned on her heels and approached the man with haste.
The slave, not knowing what he ought to do, tried to make a run for it, but Red Sun made chase, and was quick to place a blade to his throat, demanding, "Why are you following me? Speak quickly or it'll cost you your tongue."
"A man sent me, his name I do not know" the slave said, frightened for his life. He had left the coin pouch in the slave quarters back at the Arena, but kept the map given to him with him. "He gave me this" the slave said as he handed the note. "Please, let me live" the slave said, knowing the amount of gold given to him was a great boost in helping him eventually gain his freedom.
Back at the inn Ares sat on a stool examining the beverage he was currently drinking. It tasted like piss, but was getting him a little bit tipsy so he didn't mind. He continued to sit there, patiently waiting. In his mind three options were possible; the slave would return successful, The Red Sun would've caught him and forced him to reveal Ares' whereabouts, or The Red Sun would just simply kill the slave. Regardless of what would happen, Ares was curious. He sensed the fighter being involved in something deeper, but to what extent he had no idea. Ares ordered another round of drinks, having some ready for whoever his guest may be.
Irritated, but knowing the slave, by no means, was the real target here, she with drew her blade and demanded, "Take me to the one who paid you."
She'd deal with them personally.
The slave complied, knowing he should be careful with the woman. The man who paid him, he was not so sure about. He did not want to betray his benefactor, but technically he was still doing as instructed. He led the Red Woman to the inn where Ares was staying.
As the duo entered the inn, the slave walked immediately toward Ares, recognizing his long blonde hair and satchel. Ares could hear the murmurs of other guests at the inn as the duo walked passed by him, expecting just the slave to have arrived. When he turned around, he was surprised by the appearance of The Red Sun, but did not show it. "Ah, it's you" Ares said as he reached for a couple drinks to give to both the slave and the woman, "how can I help you?"
She got right to the point, standing as close to this 'freeman' as she dared.
"You gave coin to this slave to follow me."
She waited for him to explain why.
Ares smirked as he looked away and into the slave's eyes. "It's hard to find trustworthy people in this city" Ares said as he shifted his eyes back to the woman. "Oh well, sit down and have a drink with me, love" he cheekily said to her.
She didn't budge.
"You are not my master." Her eyes hardened. "What reasons do you have to pay a slave to follow me?"
He took a sip of his drink, taking his time to answer the woman. "Curiousity" Ares replied "Why so jumpy, do you have something to hide?" Ares motioned the slave to leave, allowing him to keep the gold even though he did not do the job correctly. I'll just kill him later Ares thought to himself, knowing that he would be back at the Arena at some point.
Obviously, this man didn't know of her reputation. Her eyes narrowed.
"Hide? No, slave don't own thoughts or possessions to hide," she told him curtly.
Was he such a bored nobleman to look for trouble here? Or maybe he was just that stupid..
She wasn't truly sure which he was, but she presumed, perhaps, the latter.
"Then I see no problem" Ares teased as he took another sip of his drink. Normally he'd be irritated by dialogue that would get him nowhere, but for some reason he was enjoying himself. However, he was still curious about her master and did not want to give up his pursuit of him.
The bartender continued to go about his business, occasionally bringing a drink to Ares. He did keep eyeing the woman however, as if he had something he wanted to say.
"There will be a problem if my master views it as a problem," she threatened.
Ares could see the bartender's expression light up in the corner of his eye. Perhaps he knew of the master, or heard something interesting about him.
"Why should he see a problem?" Ares replied, continuing to be difficult. "After all you said he's quite the busy man, why should he have time to deal with such petty events?"
"Her master uses The Red Sun as his sword, patron," the bar tender went on to explain, which got him a cold glare from the woman. "But like all of us, coin speaks volumes."
She wished she could use her sword on that man, or even the both of them. But she kept herself level headed and looked to Ares.
"As I said, a request would be needed, and on the letter, or on the lips of a servant you'd send, be sure to include what you wish and all of it's details so my master can make an appropriate reply."
Yes, it was true, her master was a greedy bastard; she just hoped this man wouldn't actually try this approach, as it would be difficult for her to pose a refusal where any sort of money was concerned.
"I am sure you are aware of his illness, so he makes his visits meaningful and limited while he takes respite. You will understand if there is a refusal, or delay."
"No man in his position merely strives for gold" Ares replied. He twirled the drink in his hand, watching the way the liquid sloshes through the glass. "Magic, power--" Ares stopped momentarily to look at The Red Sun's backside and smirk "and women, they want everything. Trust me." Of course Ares could only speak of men in a general sense. He was a simpler man; wealth, magic, and death were all he cared for.
"Now tell me, what does he truly want" Ares continued, "I can give it to him." He was growing tired of dancing in circles, trying to meet with the man immediately. Though he was typically patient, the apprehensiveness of the slave intrigued him, however he knew he'd need to be more blunt and direct sooner or later.
"Slaves have no authority over their masters; even as a sword you are just his tool." Ares' smile receded from his face. "Now do not involve yourself in matters you cannot understand and do not deny your master's freedoms. Take me to him at once."
"And if you knew my master you'd know well enough he might just order me to skin you alive for being so ignorant." Her gaze held his, still cold. "I told you how you are to reach him." And she turned away and headed out the door.
The guests at the inn grew silent after witnessing the scene. Ares took one final sip as he smiled as he watched the woman leave. She won't budge. How impressive. he thought. Ares turned his attention to the bartender. "So, what do you know about this mysterious master?" he asked as he began to interrogate a new victim.
"Just that he's been sick," was all the bartender would answer. After all, he wasn't a man to give out any explicit information for free.
Ares chuckled softly, waiting for the bartender to place his hand on the bar before him. When he did, Ares stuck a knife through his hand with several guests as witnesses. "I'll ask again. Do you know anything?" Ares said with a smug grin.
At the knife, the man howled wildly, his free arm smashing drinks away as he wildly tried to grab at Ares's coat.
"What are you insane?" the man choked out, shaking from the pain as hot blood seeped from his hand and pain continued to shoot up to the whole of his arm.
Ares laughed. "That's not an answer I want" he said as he began to pour a nearby drink over the man's hand. "Now tell the truth before I cut it off" he continued, referring to the hand.
The bartender panicked.
"I only know that he hasn't been seen in the city since he took ill! Even some of his servants claim they have yet to see him! It is rumored.. ahhh! Rumored that he, he might be on his d-death bed!"
Ares' face lit up. "Where does he usually stay" Ares replied as he twisted the knife. In the background he could hear people alerting town guards, so Ares decided this would be his final question. He couldn't kill the man with so many witnesses, so he planned to let him free. "Now be a good boy, we're almost done here" Ares continued as he brought out a heavy pouch filled with gold, well more than the cost of his tab, and perhaps several weeks rent of a room.
Shaking and sweating, the bar tender gargled back,
"Hamnuhp'shet! That is the place he calls his home! To the West of here! A great manor of ivory colored stone! It can't be missed! His gates possess two mighty sculptures of dragons, and a small orchard visible from the road!"
Ares chuckled in amusement. "Good boy" he said as he licked some of the blood off the man's hand. He got up and winked at the man, and headed to the back of the inn, hoping for an exit to be there. Once outside, he hid among crates in a nearby alley waiting for the surrounding area to be clear of guards. I shouldn't head to the manor just yet he thought, knowing it should be well protected--especially if she was there.
Ares retired home once the area was clear of potential guards and conflict. Staring up at the cloudy night sky above as he walked home, he thought out his plan to infiltrate the house. "If the rumors are true, the master himself should pose no threat" he said to himself. "I should go once that...woman is off elsewhere in the city." He bit his tongue when wanting to refer to the woman with harsher names. He did not know why, as his words would fade into the wind regardless, but for some reason he somewhat rather respected her. Well, at least he did not care for her enough to hate her--yet.
And he would find it quite difficult for the Red Sun to leave her master's home. With no battle's schedule she had no reason to and if one were to inquire, they'd be sure to let those know that the Red Sun is watching over their ailing master.
Her dead master....
REd Sun stared down at the corpse with a frown. Cassius had left in the night, leaving her with no other scape goat and a quick way to losing her head. She could never figure Cassius out, and hoped that night of union weeks back would not lead to more unfavorable regrets.
But Karime was still as dead as ever, and she- quickly running out of time and excuses. She needed another rouse...
Or if she wanted to live through all of this...
A way out.
At dawn of the next morning, Ares searched for the The Red Sun's master's manor, following the directions forced out of the bartender. In his satchel he carried extra combative and evasive items should he be caught--which wasn't unlikely since he would be infiltrating the mansion as the sun rose.
Upon seeing the ivory colored house with dragon sculptures, Ares headed straight for a stray bush in the master's orchard. I'll have to scout the area first he thought. The light from the sun beaming down on the earth was gradually increasing in its intensity, providing Ares with better vision but also a harder time being stealthy. "I need to see if she's here" Ares whispered to himself.
As if on cue, the red haired woman stepped out into the garden. She was dressed as she always was, garb scantily dressing her, and always a weapon hooked at her hip. But something about the way she moved through the gardens seemed unnatural. It was as if the strong woman from the arena was looking over her shoulder...
An action that seemed to propose she was moving around carefully guarded....
And worry someone might be watching.
Ares smirked upon seeing the woman, not noticing her cautious gait. He reached into his satchel, his hand rummaging through various items and trinkets. Upon finding what he was looking for his face lit up.
Ares pulled out a small tube and a dart. The dart was laced with a poison that causes its victim to fall asleep. Once it is mixed with the bloodstream, the effects take a while to kick in. If he wanted an immediate reaction, he would need to aim somewhere with a lot of blood flow; like her neck.
This was his one chance. If he failed it might mean his life. He took aim for the woman's neck as she walked nearer, and shot the dart aiming for her jugular.
She heard the dart, and moved enough so that it missed her neck, but ended up striking her shoulder. Realizing what had been done, she ripped the dart off and growled,
"Show yourself!" And she yanked out her blade while her eyes cleaved through the area.
Ares grunted in disappointment, which turned into a soft chuckle in amusement. There was no point in hiding anymore. If he ran he would be caught, if he hid he would be caught. The only thing that could make a difference in whether he would be able to keep his head was his tongue.
"Show myself? Why, we hardly know each other" Ares joked as he stood up from the bush with his hands in the air. "At least you could buy me a drink first, love."
Her eyes narrowed.
"YOU." She pointed her blade at him, eyes blazing. But she soon began to feel a rush. Was that poison?
"What the hell are you doing here? My master had not called for you."
"And what if we arranged a private meeting?" he questioned with a devious smirk. Ares began to slowly walk towards her, trying to appear nonthreatening. "How would you know he had not called for me then?"
Ares' satchel was still attached to him, with his vial and dagger inside. He stopped a few meters away from the woman. Should he need to quickly grab his weapons, a small amount of space between them could be fatal.
"You attacked me with a poison dart. The only secrecy is your treachery!" And she wasted no time in charging forward and swinging her blade across at him.
Ares' eyes widened as he tried to quickly grab his vial to block the incoming swing. However, he knew he would not be quick enough so he lept backwards, falling on his rear.
"Restrain yourself woman. I am more important than you think."
But her blade was already at his throat.
"As is my master. And you are trespassing and will be tried for attempted murder."
Ares burst out laughing. "You really don't know how this world works do you. I've gotten away with much worse." Ares arched his back up slightly, forcing the blade to press against his neck breaking a little bit of skin that would cause some blood to be shed, but not enough to be fatal.
"Now I'm curious. What will you do?"
Red Sun scowled. Then drew her blade back to swiftly move it to strike, using the blunt end of the hilt and hoping to knock the man out.
Ares' eyes bulged out of his head as he got hit by the hilt, which caused his head to recoil and impact with the ground underneath him. He was knocked out cold.
Relieved, Red Sun moved quickly. Killing the man would stop him, however,a wave of the poison made her stumble on her feet. By the time she was able to gain any focus, another slave showed up and was scared to see Red Sun with her blade and a man on the ground.
"Be calm and help me carry him inside." There were too many witnesses now.
The slave obeyed and asked Red Sun,
"Where do we take this man?"
Red Sun wrinkled her nose.
"To Karimes guest suite, and quickly." She wasn't sure how much longer she could fight off the poison. If it killed her, so be it. But if not....
There was hell to pay. And once she got him alone in the room, she chained him to the bed to keep him from escaping . And that was all it took as she passed out unwittingly beside him.
Ares began to crack his eyes open slowly. His head throbbed with pain, as if he was stampeded upon while being hungover. He grunted as he tried to rub his head, only to be restrained by chains. Disappointed he plopped his head back onto the comfortable bed. This wasn't the plan.
He tilted his head as he sighed, smirking at the sight of the woman who lay knocked out beside him. "Gotcha" he whispered. Ares struggled a bit, trying to see if the chains would loosen up but to no avail. His satchel wasn't anywhere near him, as if the woman would be so careless to leave it by his side, and he was still in quite a bit of pain. He let out a heavy, overly dramatic sigh as he waited for the woman to wake up. She has a strong resolve, the poison might not last long he thought.
She awoke not long after he had. And she had a rife head ache. Groaning, she touched her forehead before noticing she was in some strange bed, and she was quick to turn to see If Ares was still there.
"Morning, love." He winked at her with a mischievous smile. He looked at the chains that restrained him and softly chuckled. "I didn't know you liked me this much."
Her eyes narrowed with venom and a strong hand caught his throat.
"I have a thousand good reasons to choke the life out of you."
Ares coughed as she clenched his throat. "Really?" he said in a muffled and struggled voice, "I could think of a thousand bad ones."
"You have a lot to explain." It was a command, not a question as she kept her fiery eyes locked on his.
"Quite hard to do that with your hand around my neck" he blurted out.
"You can talk well enough," she snapped.
Ares coughed as he was starting to feel weaker. "I was...curious. About him. Your master. Bring me. To him."
That's when she let him go, then socked him.
Ares' breathed heavily as his head was knocked back. His body was in confusion in between trying to grasp for air and to register the pain that was just inflicted on him. He didn't have anything witty to say to her at this point. She was strong, and he only just realized.
"You tried to poison me... or you could have tried to poison my master." Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut you down here and string you up for all of Essyrn to see?"
"I heard he was sick" he replied still gasping trying to find air. As his body calmed down and lungs returned to normal, he continued, "Why would I poison a man who could very well die on his own? Plus that would ruin my business ventures." He rested his head against the bed once more. "It was not lethal, no need to get so worked up."
"You should have made sure it was poison," she told him coldly. "You still haven't explained yourself enough not to warrant extreme punishment. Punishment which my master would gladly give me approval of." Her eyes narrowed. "He's not a fan of liars and thieves."
"Ah I get it now. Forbidden love. Tell me, do you chain him to beds too? I'm not sure he'd like it if I received his special treatment." It was probably best he didn't provoke her, but he was getting mad.
"I said I was curious. I don't need to steal, plus it's boring. However perhaps there's no convincing such a brute, vile woman such as yourself."
Her look remained hard.
"I only chain and threaten unwanted guests. But you can stay here. I'll go see what my master would like to be done with you."
"Hurry back, I'll miss you." Ares rolled his head to its side as he began to shut his eyes. At least I can rest for the time being.
She left, albeit reluctantly. She didn't show that, however, but now what was she going to do? She had a man chained to a bed and her master was still rotting away inside his room. If it weren't for the fact he liked incense (and that she used the smell of the disease as a reason to have them lit at all hours) it would have gotten even harder to hide the truth.
She had been the only one to see him, and for fear of infection, the only one to tend to him. He was an important man, she knew that- with a lot of money....
She should have listened to Cassius. She should have ran away as he had. That bastard.
Now she had another bastard to deal with. Disappearing into Karime's room, she paced the room for what she hoped was an acceptable amount of time. But she was using this time to think very hard about what to have done with Ares.
She couldn't kill him, though she wanted to. Too many witnesses and no real good alibi. But if she let him go, she had a feeling he'd never let this go, and would continue to try to break into her master's home.
Maybe Karime could go away. But she knew she couldn't pull it off....
And just as she was thinking it all over...
She just realized...
She didn't have the key to the cuffs....
She must have left them on the bed!
Ares was just about to fall into deep slumber when a crow outside suddenly squawked. He groaned and reluctantly opened his eyes, which felt heavy and yearning for more sleep. He yawned as he looked down his body and onto the design of the bed. His eyes shifted to an object inconsistent with the tapestry's color scheme. The key./
Ares shifted his body to the side and moved frantically up and down, trying to force the key to gradually slide up to his face without making too much noise. He grew increasingly tired, but was too focused on his freedom to notice his own fatigue. Once the key was nestled near his face, Ares grabbed one end of it with his teeth. He looked to the palm of his hand with one eye closed, planning the trajectory of the key and making sure not to fail a second time.
Ares spit the key from his mouth into the palm of his hand, which had enough mobility to be able to catch it. He struggled intensely as he freed his hand, where the other links were easily unlocked afterwards. Ares caught sight of his satchel at the corner of the room, with his vial rolled out of the bag. He ran to it equipping both and reaching for the small sword in his bag.
And that's when she opened the door. Her eyes flashed, as did her hand to her blade. She pointed it at him quick.
"Drop the bag, NOW."
Ares smiled. He was in the perfect position right now. With his back against the corner it would make no sense for him attack, especially when so outmatched. However, with his vial he can block any attack, and doing so would buy him enough time to run, or even cut her in the leg to hinder her movement. He had no set plan since she was an unpredictable and very capable person. He'd have to improvise.
"But I quite like my bag."
"Drop it if you like your head."
"Well why don't you make me"
It was too dangerous. He had to die. With a yell, she threw all of her might into the swing of her sword, aiming to chop off his head.
Ares raised his arm up with the vial in hand gently. He winced even though he knew he would be okay. The magic infused with his vial was powerful, but he did not quite understand it--nor did he necessarily care. With someone of her strength, the impact would surely knock both backwards.
And knock them back it did. She hadn't expected that, and found herself thrown against the wall, completely breathless and her grip on her blade slacking.
The force also affected Ares, more so than he was used to. His back pressed against the wall behind him, absorbing much of the impact. The woman was still in his way, even though she was momentarily debilitated from the attack. Ares grabbed a nearby clay jar and threw it at her as he ran, trying to escape the woman.
The pot hit her hard, but was enough to break her from being stunned. With a roar, she took up her blade and swung for his damn head again.
Ares tried to duck, however he was not swift enough. Luckily he tripped over a shard of the pot he had just broken, forcing him to fall and dodge the attack, albeit unintentionally.
Which had him falling into Red Sun rather than away, which caught her off guard as she fell upon him.
"Get off of me! You fucking slave you're not worthy enough to touch me!" Ares was angrier at the fact that his plan failed rather than actually having contact with her, but regardless he was furious.
It was probably not the best choice of words on his part, because Red Sun was livid. She took full advantage being over his form and slammed a fist into his throat and held him up by it as she straddled over him.
"I've cut down men ten times better than you. You want to play this game? Then I'll take you to the executioner myself."
He grasped the woman's wrist as he grit his teeth. I'll kill her were the only thoughts he could muster. Ares' eyes caught sight of the sword he was wielding, and while it was not in reach he attempted to grab it anyway as rage consumed him.
Seeing and knowing full well what he was after, Red Sun gave a roar and bashed her head against his before kicking his blade away. She then moved to throw him onto his belly as she worked quickly with what she had to bind him, and when one of Karime's other slaves came by to see just what was happening, Red Sun growled out, "This man is a trespasser! Alert the guards there could be others! I'm taking this one to the jail!"
Lose blonde strands of hair covered Ares' bloodied face, which grimaced in pain and emitted waves of fury. He breathed heavily as he waited his fate, remaining subdued by the powerful woman.
"Take me to jail and I'll just get out" he said in a breathy, rough voice. "And then I'll send men to slaughter you and your master like the pigs you are." He spit out in front of him, which came out as a mixture of saliva and blood.
She was anything but gentle as she tied the man up, and at his threats... they were ignored. But the second she was on her feet and pulling him up to his, she glared at him threateningly.
"And I'll cut you down just as I have today." She gave him a shove. "Get moving."
Ares laughed as he obliged. Now how am I going to get out of this one. He couldn't fight back any longer, it would be of no use. He also didn't have enough of a pull on the city as he tried to make it seem, as the woman saw right through his bluffs.
"The Red Woman huh" he began as he shuffled his feet in pain, in a much friendlier tone this time. "Do you have a real name?"
"Red Sun is what my master calls me, you should see well that you do the same," came her boarish demand. She was in no hurry to take this man to slaughter. She herself knew the danger behind this action- but she knew one way or another, she had to have him silenced.
Cutting his tongue would do no good, he was noble. He could right. But she was certain cutting off his hands would make things even worse to explain- and at that point,s he might as well have chopped off his head.
She continued to push him along.
"I hope your ambitions were worth losing your life."
Because as far as she was concerned, as she lead him through the winding halls of his master's home, he was one of the biggest fool's she'd met.
Ares chuckled softly. "Come now, no need to be so hostile" Ares began, "if you believe I'm a dying man than what's the harm in telling me your name?" Ares was beginning to feel more tired and more fatigued. He hadn't yet figured out how to get out of his current situation, but expected to find a way soon enough.
"Red Sun is my name."S he continued to push him forward, eyes ever wary of those moving through her master's home. "You'd do well to remember it as just that while you're getting fitted for the noose."
But as the pair were walking, a sudden scream froze Red Sun in place.
At the sound of running shoes, Red Sun turned around just in time to hear-
"Our Master! Our Master's dead!"
Ares' eyes widened. "What luck" he said as he burst into laughter. "You'd imprison me for trespassing a dead man's property? How rich."
Surely she has no basis to her claims since her master is dead, she thought. A mere servant trying to convict a wealthy man is ridiculous.
At that, she threw a fist into his face.
"YOU ARE OUR PRIMARY SUSPECT!" she spat at him, voice barking louder than a hound's. "YOU WOULD DO WELL NOT TO SMILE IN THE FACE OF YOUR FATE!" But even as she was scrambling at the words, she felt a sinking feeling fill her belly, and an illness tickle up through her veins.
Though he was in pain, Ares laughed hard. He couldn't resist how amused he was. When he calmed down he looked into the Red Sun's eyes with pure joy. "Now my love, how could I have killed your precious master when I was with you this whole time?"
Thinking about the situation, however, the master surely should have been alive before they encountered one another, and the woman did leave the room momentarily while Ares was bonded. His expression grew into a wide grin. "You did it, didn't you?"
"You will keep your tongue or I will take it," she threatened, feeling her hands growing warm with sweat. "You are still a suspect, as you attempted at my life as well as his. Either way, I will see you hang."
But she had to wonder if, in the end, they'd undoubtably share the noose...
A set of guards met the pair at the end of the hall and Karime's head wife stepped forward.
"Please, Red Sun, let us detain this man here while Glunvok and Arriman seek the authorities. We shall let the judges decide on a fitting punishment." The wife turned to sneer at Ares. "How many men did you have with you? Talk swiftly or I'll make the words for you."
Ares smirked as his eyes roamed up and down the guards. Even though he was innocent, there was solid implication that he could be the killer. He was trapped, and had to play the next few events slyly.
"Only one, Madame" he said in a sweet tone. "A woman in fact." He said this as he looked at the Red Sun. If he was going to go down, may as well try to take her down with him. "Everyone has a price" he said as he looked into the woman's eyes.
Red Sun was a clever girl, but it took her two seconds too late to realize what he accused her of, but it seemed Karime's wife had already taken it all in.
"I knew you were a monster born of two snakes!" She stepped closer to her two guards and pointed at the pair of them. "Take them, dead or alive, I don't care, but capture them both!"
"Well my sweet little murderer, it looks like we should start running." Ares turned his back to the guards as he looked at the Red Sun. "We have a mutual interest now. Take me to where you left my belongings and I promise you I will get you out of here alive" he said in a sincere tone.
Of course, the strong fighter almost undoubtedly could cut down every guard, but it would not help her establish a case for her innocence. She needed a fall man, or at least someone who could snake their way out of the situation.
She dropped her hold on the man and gripped a hand at her blade. Her entire body was poised, ready to fight. She had a clue how she'd get out of this mess, but then she grabbed Ares by the hair and threw him away from the men who raced their way.
Pride had always been her down fall. Perhaps now it was time to play with snakes.
"Keep moving or I'll feed you to those guards myself!" she growled lowly and into his ear so that only he could hear her. But as they were moving down the hall towards the room, another set of guards came into view and seeing Red Sun was armed and had the criminal, and hearing the shouts from the other guards down the opposing hall....
It left Red Sun with little options but to grab Ares by the scruff of his neck and dragged him clean into the room at her shoulder's...
And soon the pair were stumbling through the hot water filled baths of Karime's bathing house-
and the shrieks of his other wife's who had been enjoying themselves there soon filled the room.
"Sorry ladies" Ares said in amusement. "You can put me down now, we have a couple of minutes before the guards catch up." The binding that tied Ares' hands together managed to fall out after all the action that ensued. If they could get to his satchel, they could escape the manor without causing more problems.
"I had prepared a means of escaping" he told the woman. "I found a cloak in the Moraki desert years ago that enables its wearer to turn camouflage. I can create a distraction while you leave the manor without making an even bigger mess." He paused for a second, surprised at himself for trying to help. Normally in a situation like this he would betray his companion, but this was different.
"I'll figure out a way to leave this place too, but meet me at the inn I was staying at. I'll find a way to clear your name." He looked around the bathing house as the women dispersed. "Everyone truly does have a price."
And what might surprise Ares even more (or perhaps not so much) was Red Sun's fist grabbing him by his hair.
"You think I can trust you? We stay together," she hissed.
Ares moved his hand to hers. "Okay I understand, just lead on." The cloak was big enough for the both of them to hide under, but they would have to remain close and Ares wasn't sure the woman would appreciate that. "Regardless we need my satchel."
She didn't stop as she continued storming her way towards the exit.
"We haven't the time."
Ares resisted. "We need it" he said with finality.
Furious, Red Sun turned and got clean in his face.
"We need it as much as we need your teeth." But just as the two were paused at the end of the baths, the door exploded open, and a series of guards swarmed in. Swearing, she readied her blade and crouched low, nothing short of a tiger waiting for it's prey.
"Don't kill them, it'll only prove your guilt" Ares pleaded to her. Although he would enjoy a free show of the Red Sun in action, there was a time and a place for killing in his opinion. He viewed it as more of an art, where being tactful and clever was more important than brute strength. There would be no point in slaying guards if it cemented her own fate, he thought.
As a couple of the guards charged forward, Ares grabbed a nearby bucket and threw it at their feet, causing them to fall one by one. "Run" he told the woman.
Red Sun's lips curled. Her grip on her blade tigthened.
'No."
She was tired of listening to men, of being owned by them, and being their slave. Her world was already falling apart. It didn't matter what happened here. Red Sun would hang and so would Ares. But if they were to go down, she was going to take down some of his damned men along with her. And before Ares could stop her, she was moving her way towards the guards who were scrambling to get back on their feet, and the first one there was ready to meet her with his own blade, which made a loud echoing cry of metal kissing metal as the woman shrieked and rushed out of the bath house in their towels.
"Idiot" he shouted as he ran for the exit, aiming to find the room where she tied him up. If she wants to die that bad than so be it he paced forward in an aggressive fast walk, as servants looked at his bloodied face and hostile gait in confusion.
While Ares rushed off to make his escape, Red Sun was enjoying the deadly dance of the kill. All four men that had come at her became nothing more than bloodied corpses staining the bath house red. But she knew there were more than four skilled guards that would be after her, and she didn't have time to retreat as the next round barked out the orders, "Seize the Red Sun and hunt down the other intruder!" She squeezed her hands on the hilt of her blade. Let them come. She had a taste for blood now.
Ares shifted around, opening every door he came across in different corridors of the manor. He finally found the room he was trapped in, with his satchel, vial, and sword laying on the ground. He gathered items that fell out of his bag and returned them to their proper location.
As he stood up and turned to find the Red Sun, a guard appeared before him, who snarled in anger when seeing Ares. The guard charged forward, where Ares perfectly timed his block, bringing the vial to his chest where the guard aimed to strike. The guard, in response, fell backward and dropped his sword, where Ares took advantage of the situation and plunged his dagger into the throat of the guard.
Ares sighed happily, feeling relieved and excited. He ran forward retracing his steps back towards the woman, who he had hoped wasn't caught yet.
This new set of men had not suffered the folly of the first, and so Red Sun was easily surrounded, and found herself dancing between the bloodied corpse stained waters in order to dodge attacks while dishing out a few of her own. It seemed her fight was getting no where, but when a man cut her across her shoulder, she let out a roar of surprise and turned around, using her momentum to cleave the man clean in half- bathing both her, and the other guard who was coming up behind her to strike- splashed in a fresh away of his warm blood.
Ares found himself in the bath house again, walking calmly while witnessing the bloodfest that the Red Sun conducted. A couple of guards noticed Ares' presence, and ran up to him who, like the guard from before, foolishly attacked allowing Ares to block their momentum and cut into their throats as the fell disoriented.
"Hurry up" he told the Red Sun. He wanted to leave as soon as possible, and after all the blood that had been shed it would not matter if they slaughtered 1000 men as they escaped.
Red Sun brought her sword across the last man's throat, leaving it's half off and bleeding as she kicked him to his knees. Her eyes, like ice, glared over at Ares as she continued to hold her blade with white knuckled hands, breathing hard and heavy.
"Impressive" Ares remarked as he chuckled softly. He reached into his satchel for a poultice he had procured before embarking on his little quest. "Apply it to your shoulder" he said with a smirk as he tossed it to the woman.
She caught it but glared at him.
"So you can poison me?" she threw the damned potion to the ground. Then she moved towards the door. "I'm leaving this place. You can join me or not. But this by no means makes us true allies. The moment we're able to go our separate paths, you can eat the dust." And she moved to stalk down the halls, her steps leaving a trail of bloodied prints in her wake.
Ares chuckled softly. "Suits yourself" he said as he followed her, "You're going to need me." Ares prepared himself for any incoming guards--perhaps even a change of heart from the Red Sun who was still somewhat hostile towards Ares. "How far until the exit?" he asked daringly.
Need him? She loathed the tone that came with that, but she said nothing, didn't even answer his question as they rounded the hall and were met with another pair of guards who commanded, "Halt!" but Red Sun didn't waste one second as she rushed upon them and cut each of them down. Kicking their dying bodies out of hte way, she moved aside and continued to stalk down the hall, blade at the ready and dripping with ripe, red blood.
Ares enjoyed the show. He felt quite safe with the brutish woman as his temporary ally. "What will you do after this?" he was curious as to what the woman will do, now that she is a criminal.
It grated on her nerves this man was following her to begin with, but now he was prying into places he oughtn't. THey made it down the long hall and only then did she pause to look at him, where she grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, as she did so many times before, and glared directly in his face.
"My fate is never, and will never be your concern." Then she shoved him back. "Just keep your mouth shut and maybe we can get out of this to survive the night."
They were at the back end of Karime's gand palace, and once they were outside in the back gardens, her eyes went immediately to the plateaus casting shadows on them from over head.
"Our best bet would be to find a way up there," she went on with a point of her sword. "I hope you don't mind climbing."
She wasn't going to help him or wait for him if he did not.
Ares sighed, but knew that if he were to survive his best bet would be to follow the woman. "Lead on" he said as he gripped his satchel after sheathing his blade behind his back.
Around the back, through the gates and beneath a cluster of palms, Red Sun sheathed her blade and said nothing as her fingers gripped into the rough recesses of the red rock face. She didn't bother to look back to see if he'd follow. She supposed he'd follow if he could. If not, he could get caught by the guards for all she cared.
Ares climbed the rock carefully, as he held his satchel close to him. His foot slipped occasionally as he was unfamiliar with this, but he did his best to follow the Red Sun's lead. He unsheathed his sword and began to use it as a pick to increase his grip over the rock.
Easily having a lead on him, she was up on the rock cliff in no time at all. And as she turned around and saw how slowly the man moved, she knew those pursuing them would hunt after them far too easily if they knew they climbed the plateaus. Begrudgingly, she got on her knees and offered down her hand.
"Come on! Before Karime's men see you!"
Ares scrunched his face and grunted in response to the woman's request, where he begrudgingly took her hand. Deep down, however, he knew he was thankful to have her as his companion in this situation, albeit through coercion.
With a hard pull, Red Sun easily took him from the ground and once he was beside her, she moved low and swift, following an unclear trail through the craggy rocks until the path opened towards a shallow slope with a path lined with tufted tall grass.
A howl could be heard, no doubt Karime's angered men. But the sounds soon faded as she rushed through a narrow cut of rock and crawled lion like through a pair of plateaus.