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Swords and arrows

Started by Anadwen, December 31, 2013, 03:58:16 AM

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Anadwen

Smoke circled around candles, dripping with pale wax, appearing above the countless flames of candles through the inn. The room was still dim, because although chandeliers hung from the ceilings in great numbers, their light couldn't pierce the veil of smoke and  dust, lingering in the stale air. There was the odor of sweat, ale, beer, food, all mixed together in a combination much resembling the mixture of shouts, talking, singing, clinking of dishes and thudding on tables, that echoed from one wall to another.

Athran, sitting by a small table in the corner all alone, grabbed his goblet of red wine and drank it all at once. He was just passing through the town, and there were no pleasant memories of this place inside his head... He shook his head and let his long hair cover most of his face, hiding in the shadows. No need to be seen, no need to be heard, and no need to be recognized. A dark shape moved towards him, and his right hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword, hanging by his side, but it was just a drunk man's shade, stumbling towards the counter. He sighed. Years spent in wilderness made him wary, but in the city, he felt paranoid and overly worried about his surroundings.

Inns were never very safe, especially when one attracts trouble like sugar attracts wasps and flies, but grabbing the sword with every sound and every sign of movement was not necessary. There was no wild beast to jump out of the dark, and drunkards and thieves were no match neither for him, nor for the chainmail he wore underneath his coat... He sighed. More wine will solve it, and tomorrow he'll travel again.

A loud voice rang through the air in a song, not melodic for his ears, but amusing enough for the people in the inn. Many of them begun dancing. Athran just rolled his eyes over... Dancing and merriment. Not something for me.

He saw the jug of wine he asked for a long while ago being brought to him by a woman in a green dress. Curls of her dark hair were jumping around her face like springs when she walked to his table and put the wine down. "Dance, won't you?"
"No. Leave the wine here and dance yourself, if you want." Athran growled, grabbing the jug and showing her to leave him alone, rather rudely.

He needed no attention, and he wanted none. She looked too much like Yhrana... Every adelan woman looked too much like Yhrana.
Another knife under his ribs was the last thing he wanted.
Leave the wine on the table, and get lost, that was it.

Lion

Dram never did much like brothels.  In fact, if he could help it, he steered clear of them most of the time if he could.  They seemed to be little more than a haven for horny bastards and their drunkard friends.  The Randy Peach was friendlier than most of them, admittedly, and didn't question why you were hanging around as long as you were a paying customer.  Of course, Dram wasn't a paying customer, and nor did he intend to be.

Drunks and people worn from the upstairs exercise were excellent targets for pickpocketing and maybe even muggings.  But Dram didn't like unnecessary roughness, not when it was just easier to cut a coinpurse or pilfer a necklace.  And it left people much less likely to remember what you looked like.  Not that it was difficult to forget a face like Dram's.  The scar along his cheek was prominent and the red Mohawk on his head certainly stood out above most patrons of the building.

In fact, it surprised him to find hardly any eyes focused on him when he walked into the building.  Once the dancing had begun, the dark elf wasn't so much to look at with everyone focused on having a good time.  Great, just the perfect setting he needed; he couldn't have asked for anything better.  There were plenty of drunk people around, plenty of women leading on their clients upstairs (and men too).  Dram recalled the last time he'd been here had been on exceptionally less pleasant terms, being chased by angry guards in fact.

But that was ages ago, and Dram never liked to distract himself with such unpleasant memories.  So, instead, his eyes narrowed as he took a seat at an empty table, opposing the other in the corner, and when asked what he wanted to drink, he simply asked for water, but of course, cleverly concealed in a wine jug.  Nobody else had to know he wasn't really drinking.

Dram kept to himself amidst the festivities, carefully sipping his water and peering at the man drinking alone in the corner opposite him.  He looked like he wanted to be just as he was: alone.  And Dram spied the heavy jug on the table and the wine within the goblet.  He also eyed the sword at his belt.  It looked all right.  Stealing weapons was an even more risky endeavor than stealing gold, but anything could be worth a pretty penny to the right customer.

Dram decided the best course of action would be to wait.  The drunker he was the better. 




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"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

Athran stared into his jug. It was rather big - bigger than it would be pleasant on a night when he'd like to stay at least half sober, and not spend all the money he had left (what was very little). He didn't pay attention to the dancing group in the middle of the inn, instead slowly eyeing the corners and sides. There was nothing more unusual than on other days - everything looked exactly like when he first entered, young and unaware of what he'll find inside.

He pulled the black hood into his face and put his feet onto the table, although dirt and dust was falling off his worn boots. His hand clenched around the jug. Ripples formed on the surface of the wine as he picked it up to his mouth, and begun drinking.

Turn it all into himself, then get lost and spend the night somewhere, just like always... If not for a strange feeling. It wasn't unusual for him to be nervous and paranoid in inns, and although he learned to hide it, he never surpassed this unnatural wariness. The jug clinked on the table a little as he put it down, without intending to pick it up again.

Not being even in the mood to drink was indeed poor. All he hungered for was blood, a good fight to clean the rust off the blade by his side. To let everything burn. That was what he needed.

Sudden drift of air as the door of the inn opened, and blew out the candle at his table. His fingers, only part of his body beside his face that wasn't hidden under armor, snapped, and begun burning with a bright white fire. His lips twisted into a grin as he lit the candle again, and the flame disappeared.

Lion

Dram watched the little trick with the candle when it was snuffed out and reignited once more with little more than what seemed to be a snap of his fingers.  Good gods, a mage.  Dram inwardly rolled his eyes and gave a huff over his goblet of water, coughing a little.  The dancing was a decent distraction, but it wasn't enough.  Dram's fingers itched for a pocket to pick, something anything that might make a decent haul and then be out of here like the wind!

And just when he was about to give up and step out, a glass shattered at the head of the room and the sound reverberated through everyone, of growls and grunts of a man hitting the floor with a thud.  The other man that struck him stood over him and there was a sudden growl from another man beside him and his arm went around the first assailant, knocking him to the ground.  "HEY!  That's my friend!" he howled.

From one friend to another and another and another, the brawl began to grow fervent and spread like wildfire among the drunk patrons.  One chair went sailing through the air and was aimed directly for the elf's head in the corner.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

In but a short moment, Athran bent down and avoided the chair, which flew over his back and shattered as it hit the wall behind him. His feet sled off the table and he stood up, as tall as he was, reaching after two long knives on his back. Something like this wasn't worth getting his hands dirty, but blades are sharp to be adorned by blood... He slipped through the crowd, holding his elegant, but deadly weapons close to himself, searching for the fool that threw a chair at him.

His bright eyes flashed underneath his hood as he jumped onto one of the tables, getting a better view at the fight, when all of a sudden, someone crashed into the wooden board and knocked the table over right after Athran rolled off its surface. No more tables.

Almost everyone was avoiding him, as if something kept the drunkards away, till one of them, daring enough, smacked his back with a jug. Athran immediately turned around and slashed his knives against him, hitting the jug, which broke into countless shards. He breathed in. This wasn't enough. He will kill someone before he even realizes it happened... It's time to get out.

Lion

The chaos that quickly ensued had Dram backing away in a corner and quickly looking for the fastest exit from the violent heart of it.  Yes, the Randy Peach was the friendlier of the brothels, people from far away came to have a good time.  But this, this was getting out of hand even for the dark elf. 

Dram ducked from a man wielding a beer glass and his fist quickly came up, smashing into the man's gut, making him double over.  Then his eyes set on the patron with the rather smashing looking sword.  Dram inwardly grinned.  It was indeed a find.  And while it seemed the patron was busy making his own exit, Dram took a running leap forward, jumping on one of the tables still standing, then leaping across the crowd to the other.

As he zigzagged across tables that still stood, his leg bumped into Athran's shoulder, hopefully hitting him hard enough to make him flinch, all the while his hand had swept low enough to snatch the hilt of a weapon from his belt, and Dram quickly made a beeline for the stairs.  Hopefully before the poor sod even noticed!




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

Something flashed nearby, a dark silhouette that appeared next to him for a short moment. Athran stepped aside as a part of it knocked against his shoulder, but he didn't leave the hand, swiftly moving by his side, unnoticed. And suddenly, his sword was gone - all he saw was a figure, racing towards the stairs.

Bright flames appeared on the tips of his knives. He wasn't angry. He was enraged, furious beyond comprehension, and if he was a flame, then this would be a forest fire. With a few long leaps he got to the staircase, kicking and throwing aside the fighting drunkards. He'd get his sword back, even if he'd have to behead half of the brothel. It was a great weapon, very precious to him, and the thief just got into a problem.

When I find him, I will burn him alive and rip his head off! Stealing weapons from students was one thing, and trying to rob him was another. The second one was something for a thief to regret.

By the time he got to the stairs, his blades were completely covered in blazing white flames. The hood sled off his head, only strings of his long hair partly covered his face, and his eyes reflected the hungry flames, further twisting them with his bloodthirsty thoughts.

"If you give it back willingly, I will let you go!" he shouted.

Lion

Dram barely cast a glance over his shoulder before the words escaped his lips.  "Damn the gods!" he breathed.  But one flaming fool wasn't going to stop him from making his escape and his feet were agile enough to scale the steps in little more than two bounds and he vanished up toward the second floor.  If he could make it toward the window, he would be outside and deep into the forest before the man could even step on his shadow.

He wasn't in any position to allow himself to become distracted with conversation with the man he just robbed.  Who just so happened to become a flaming maniac with a temper as hot as his flaming eyes.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

Athran's long legs took the steps by three as he rushed upstairs, chasing after the thief. The wood beneath his feet was catching fire, which was now blazing in small flames on his hands just as around the blades he held in them. When he catches him, he'll make him regret being born. He'll make breathing itself a painful experience for him.

Very painful.

If there was something in this world he prized, it was his sword and Maigrod, and everything else was trash, junk and worthless existences he didn't care about. He will have his weapon back, it didn't matter how, but he will get it back.

The figure of the thief appeared in front of him. He reached out, slashing his blades towards his back, and kept running after him.

"Accursed filth!" he screamed. "Give it back! I will tear your head off your shoulders!"

Lion

"Gods!" Dram howled, feeling the hairs on the nape of his neck already becoming singed from the intensity of the heat, never mind the proximity.  Dram had seen powerful magics in his time, and those that relied on them could turn into some nasty business when the time came down to it.  And the fact that this man could encase his entire body in flame, only made Dram want to get away all the more.

"It's just a sword, man!" Dram cried back as he made for the window at the end of the hall.  When he was within six feet of it, he launched himself forward and he slammed through the glass, smashing it to pieces as he dove down into the darkness below.  Dram had done enough acrobatics in his time to land in a graceful roll and continue bolting down toward the edge of town.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

"It's my sword! I forged the blade with my very own hands!" Athran shouted. The blade never rusts, it's razor-sharp, and harder than any common piece of weaponry one could find around here.

There was only a hole in the glass left behind the thief. He didn't hesitate - he didn't even think about it - and jumped straight through it, ripping nothing but edges of his cape on the sharp shards. He plunged into the darkness underneath and landed on his bent legs, ready to spring to his feet and continue chasing the robber.

He leaped off the ground and sprinted after him with all the speed he had, fast enough to keep up with a horse, driven by the fire of his anger. His blades were leaving traces of fire in the air, and every moment just made them burn brighter. Athran let the fire spread all over his body, cover him like an exquisite garb. It seemed like it fed on nothing but his will and emotion, burning the air itself.

Everything will burn, if he doesn't get his sword back.

Lion

"Then I'm sure you could make another one!" Dram called back once more.

Damn the gods!  With the firey terror hot on his ass - quite literally - Dram bolted and weaved between buildings and stood in the middle of an alleyway.  A series of crates stood in his way, and he saw the only avenue was up and over them, but there was little time for that as he leapt onto one of them and up over another until he vaulted himself over the roof of the nearest building.

Rooftops always proved to have a greater range of mobility without having corners or walls to close you in, and the greater vantage point with which to view his escape.  Dram's muscles worked tirelessly to reach the edge of town, which seemed just within view as the Draconi forest creep closer and closer toward him.  Though his heart beat wildly, he was in no position to stop.

He leapt off the edge of one building, landing on another and another in an effort to put as much distance between him and his pursuer.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

"I'm sure you could steal another one! I'm damn sure you'd be better off robbing rich ladies!" Athran screamed after him. He followed him through the labyrinth of buildings, burning like a torch, until he found himself before a bunch of crates. A dark shape flashed on the rooftops.

Athran threw himself into the air and jumped off the crates onto the closest roof. It may have been an advantage for the thief, but it was also an advantage for him - with his feet, barely touching the ground, he crossed from one roof onto another in long leaps, and there were hardly any obstacles to avoid. He could see the robber with his sword afar, aiming towards the forest.

He felt his muscles burning, as tense as a bowstring, but he wouldn't stop even if it was a hundred times as strong. He was on fire, the wild flames were consuming the air around, and he thanked whatever gods there may be for that gift. He cursed it as a child, but it was a blessing, a wonderful force... A perfect weapon.

The thief was getting closer, he could even recognize his sword in his hands. The knives in his hands once again slashed after his legs, only narrowly missing. Darn it! I'll get you, and I'll get you soon...

"Damn you! Give it back, or I'll show you what it means to burn! And you'll be burning your sorry ass till you'll plead for mercy!" Cursing, not cursing, he didn't care about the words that came out of his mouth. All he cared about was to get his sword back.

Lion

Dram, too, could run like the wind and wouldn't tire.  Certainly not so soon.  Though which each word coming out of his mouth as a distraction, he knew he was slowing down increment by increment.  And each increment could be one step closer to being thrown through death's door.  When he could feel the heat of the knight's blades slashing toward his legs, Dram knew it was now or never.

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed and turned abruptly but kept his distance, as he was but a few steps over the ledge of his current building.  "All that anger?  For a sword...  Gods, I hate to see when someone robs your house," Dram scowled.

He wasn't one to give up so easily, but he was too smart and lived to long to fight unnecessary battles, so he tossed the sword back at the flaming man.  "Take it.  Worthy little more than a paltry sum on a good day, I guess.  Sometimes might be worth dying for, but certainly not that.  I've wielded better blades."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

Athran caught the blade and let most of the flames on his body cool down, except for those on his hands.

"It took you a long while to realize that it's not a good idea. You think you've wielded better blades, but I doubt it. You don't know how I made it. It's worth more than your money bag could bear, I guarantee that." He caressed the weapon in his hands, giving it a glance more fit for a lover, than a blade.

"It's not possible to rob my house. I don't have a house. The sword and other weapons is all I have. You'd be off your mind if someone would try to take something like that from you, too, especially if it spent two centuries with you." his voice was hard, but there was a little bit of sorrow between his words, barely possible to hear.

"I'd sell the king's palace for this sword. It slices iron, if I try." He shook his head, once again looking at the blade with passion and emotions.

"But I'm sorry for you if you have to rob others for living. You know, assassins and warriors for hire still earn more."

Lion

Dram almost scoffed at the man, but was still wary of his predicament to do so.  The fact that this man cherished his blade so much, amused and befuddled him, but he supposed it wasn't too far from the truth.  Warriors often grew attached to their blades and weapons for lack of better company.  Dram himself was quite fond of the kopis that lay tied across his back.  His hand was tempted to reach for it, but kept his hands along his sides.

"Sounds useful," he replied dully.  "Then perhaps you should keep it better tied to your person.  You might drop it by accident one day."  His voice was gruff and he steadied his breathing, keeping an eye on the flames.

"But keep your pity for yourself.  You seem to need it anyway.  We all make our own way in the world.  Assassins and warriors would never dare to dream of the treasures I've discovered."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

Athran winged off. "Garbage in backstreets and ill-earned coins you call treasure? You deserve the pity more. I have my own treasure. I don't need to find my way, I make it, create it." He crossed his arms on his chest.

"You should be careful not to rob someone who will 'accidentally' prove more dangerous than you expected. I don't care about thieves as long as I get my stuff back, but there are others of different opinions. Be careful."

He felt no compassion towards the thief, but the anger left him, and left but a cold wasteland inside him, a burned plain of what could once have been mercy. A part of him wanted to help him, and the other part simply wanted to get drunk and black out in the nearest inn.

"I'd recommend you to go rob merchants, they're too fat to see their feet and pouches, hanging off their belts. Go to the market. They don't deserve the darned money anyway. You'd do everybody a favor if you robbed them. I have nothing you can take." He snarled.

Lion

Dram laughed inwardly at the man.  For this kind of humor hadn't come to him in a great long time.  He almost smiled at the man, that had since allowed his fire to cease, but just gave him an amused quirk of his brow.  He brushed the top of his standing mohawk and he shook his head.

"You are so quick to judge, but your lack of any true wisdom betrays you," he replied and gave a tired sigh.  "But I'm always prepared for anything and everything.  In the least, your blade is not worth dying over, if its any consolation."

Dram back toward the ledge and stared down toward the darkness below.  "I've got my eyes on the prize.  Well, you got your blade back.  Go on then, be satisfied."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

Athran laughed and shook his head. "I never said it's worth dying for, if only by dying you don't mean the death of others. Which is certainly worth it. It was a mere amusement for me... I wasn't even close to risking anything."

"My wisdom cannot betray me. I have none. I lost all in madness... The world is wide and one is quick to lose his sanity on its crooked, dark paths. Don't lose yours." he said, his eyes glinting with the last remnants of fire, burning on his hands, as he returned his sword to his belt. He turned his back to the thief.

"Farewell. Good luck with robbing merchants. I hate those idiots, but they pay well for a killer."

With those words he begun walking away, humming a song to himself.

Lion

"I promise I won't lose any sleep over it," Dram shrugged and vaulted himself off the ledge of the building and with a soft flutter, he landed on Bane's back and flew off toward the trees.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

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