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The Next Stage of the Game. (Blink, Elekta Kount, and If Thou Invited)

Started by Wrathwyrm, May 12, 2017, 03:06:59 PM

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Elector Count of WAAAGH!

"Maybe you are." The voice said simply. "Maybe you're wrong...doesn't matter anymore."

There were more muffled shouting from below the floorboards, followed by a muffled sound of something breaking and more shouting.

Wrathwyrm

Well, it didn't seem like he wanted to talk, so this was mostly about the refuge.  From what Rena could gather, something probably DID happen, but that he just didn't want to go into it.  Despite the fact that he was hiding from her in the room that she was occupying, he seemed like perhaps a decent enough person.  Her own skills notwithstanding, he wasn't making any attempt to attack, so maybe he could be trusted with at least that much.  Taking a seat now on the bed, Rena had a look-around before speaking.

"I'm curious, voice.  If I were to say that I'm leaving soon on a mission into Connlaoth, would you say that that might be better than hanging around here?"

Judging by the noise, one might say so.

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Speaking of the noise, Sano was irritated now.  Those louts were too loud.  He wouldn't be able to finish the task at hand without a severe drain on his energies, and frankly he'd rather go find out what it was they were doing so he could tell them to piss off with alot of swords.  Plus, the Innkeeper might appreciate it.  So, after pocketing the actual money he'd literally made, he scooped up the metal disks that were not gold and kept them in his hand as he headed on downstairs.  Once down, he opened up with...

"What the hell is going on down here?"

He was dressed in his everyday clothes and the only odd points seemed to be his red eyes, but that didn't mean anything yet.  After all, plenty of Serenians looked this way or stranger.  It's just that he himself was from Connlaoth.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

A few seconds past before the voice gave it's answer.

"It matters not where I go..." the voice said. "...they're always be people who want my head, if for nothing more than gold."

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The first thing he would see when Sano came down was Volkhard smashing what looked like to mercenaries heads together, before both feel to the ground clutching their heads. Surrounding him was more mercenaries who had now pulled out their weapons, a flipped table with an unconscious looking mercenary under it, and the other patrons who were trying to stay out of it.

Volkhard himself was not armed, both his shield and mace were near the flipped table.

Volkhard looked up, smiled and gave a wave. "Oh, your up lad! Time for us t-hup!" The big man didn't finished his sentence as he caught a hand swinging a axe to his face, before bringing back his free hand in a fist and ramming it into the bounty hunter's face.

"Give me a hand here will ya?" he yelled as another armed man try to hit him. "These lads don't know when to leave a lady along!"

As the man swung his sword, he was grabbed by Volkhard by the chainmail he was wearing, before Volkhard picked him up face-to-face and slammed his head into the head of the sword-wielding bounty hunter, making a really loud *thud* in the process.

Wrathwyrm

Hmmm, that meant he was known well enough here in Serendipity AND there in Connlaoth.  Worse yet, you couldn't exactly do something clever like fake his death or something.  He was recognizable.  Must've been fairly well-known, like that one thief, Gary Blight.  This was not an easy task, to be sure.  We have here a wanted man who probably wants to be left alone, probably very skilled.  Rena offered the idea of traveling with the group in order to get him out of harm's way, but it looks as though he could be hunted from all over.  That was no good.

"Well, if you can't shake your enemies and you're not killing them, which is damn decent of you, you'll have to make 'em believe you're unstoppable, not worth the risk.  Like, if you were to help take down an extremely dangerous vampire.  That'd keep the idiots out of your hair, at least."

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He came down and...apparently Volkhard was here, a bit early, beating up some rowdy mercenaries.  The veteran fighter doing this for...some reason, but after the racket that wrecked his concentration, he couldn't give half a damn what the mercs were after.  The old guy said he wanted a hand?  Sure, he'll give 'em a hand.  Sano just sight "Right." in a manner that was similar to someone going "'Kay.".  So, he dropped the little disks that were not coins from his hand and...they changed into gauntlets, armored boots, torso armor, and a helmet with...sort of a Bat motif...and began to step into the fray to fight hand-to-hand.  What?  He had the means to keep himself from being cut, so why not?

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

"They fear me already." said the voice. "You only need to ask those who hang from the trees of what I do, but there are still brave fools in this world who'd do anything for gold...what is this about a vampire?"
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Volkhard had picked up another mercenary, who himself seemed to weigh a ton in his own armor, and then threw said mcenery onto the ground.

The assaulting group began to split their attention between the big man and the boy.

"Now this is a good change of pace." boomed Volkhard's voice. He turned around to see Sano, whose looks then prompted a booming laughter that could be heard by nearly all in the inn. "What are you wearing, lad? This is a fight! Not a play!

Wrathwyrm

Yeah, some people were idiots.  However, the last part made her smile.

"Well...brave fools come in all forms.  Some of them are heroes, or at least people who have their heart in the right place.  The job that I've signed up to is a vampire slaying.  Not an ordinary one either.  The Ferromancer next door posted all over Seren for some help because he knew it to be exceptionally powerful, and in Connlaoth, so that it can prey on people even in Mordecai territory.  So far, we have a veteran fighter who...I think is downstairs, the guy himself, a shadowmancer, and myself.  Given that we're all very capable in our fields, we're throwing around a fair bit of strength, but I think he wouldn't say no to more.  This guy, he's really hellbent on killing the thing."

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Even as he said that, Sano headbutted someone and...well...metal against skull equals ouch.

"You fight your way, I'll fight mine.  I'm doing everything I can to keep from just killing 'em all, so let me have my fun."

His fun, which consisted of beating hese men with metal gauntlets and boots, the likes of which had to hurt, especially if nobody here was outfitted with a strong codpiece.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

A minute passed before a response was uttered.

"So I have heard..." A knife flew past Rena and stuck into the wall in front of her, the knife was pinning a flyer to the wall. 
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"Control yaself lad!" Volkhard said, holding another mercenary's face at arms length while uppercutting another incoming mercenary. "Can't humiliate them if they're dead!"

Wrathwyrm

She almost reacted to the knife, but noticed it was the wrong trajectory for an attack.  The flyer didn't give exactly details, but the voice had clearly inferred that Rena was a party to that quest.

"Yes, that's the one.  It's a real bane to the country, though apparently he's doing it because the vampire hurt a friend of his.  Both of these reasons is what drew me attention."

She got up and pulled out the knife and the flyer, lightly tossing the knife back in the direction it came so that it could easily be plucked out of the air and to disappear into darkness.

"So, I take it this holds some interest for you?"

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"I'm working on it!"

It just would've beenn so easy to slit throat after throat, stab a fool in the armpit as the arm passes overhead, and so much more.  He didn't do it, though.  He just clanged and thudded at anyone coming his way.

"Just how many of these jokers are there?  We've got work to do, you know!"

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

"It is not as if I have anything better to do with the rest of my life." the voice said. "It is either this...or..." He murmured the last part, it was practically inaudible, but it sounded like he said "hanging the damned."

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Volkhard threw the man he was holding onto the ground by the face then gave him a strong kick for good measure.

"You getting tired already lad?" the big man laughed, when suddenly a group of five soldiers enclosed onto him from all directions.

Wrathwyrm

"I think you have too much sense to be worth a hanging.  A real waste if someone did.  When the guys downstairs get cleared out, I'll introduce you."

Yeah, she heard the ruckus well enough.  Had the ears for it, after all.

"Of course, it'll be hard to do that to a disembodied voice with no name..."

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Two of the men closing in on Volkhard were grabbed by their collar and pulled back so they'd fall back onto the ground.

"Nope!"

He jumped onto one of them with a heavy stomp before basically falling at the other one so that his elbow would smash into his face.

"Impatient!"

To him, this was a distraction.  It was one he wouldn't ignore, but he didn't have to like that it was there.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

"No one's stopping from looking..." the voice said.

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Volkhard threw off the rest of the men who had surrounded him with a massive exclamation, causing all of them to fall onto the ground.

"Who wants some more! Eh!?" Volkhard yelled, as some of the mecenaries on the ground got up, dazed, even some began running for the door.

Blink

They would be sensed before they were seen, the shadows twisting and contorting in the corners of the inn as everything began to take shape. She had felt it from blocks away, the more violent than normal disturbances taking the stage in the place she liked to call home. They were ripples in the endless pool of dark water constantly present in her mind and right now... Nashya was not a fan of ripples.

From the shadows, her creatures emerged with outstretched hands as they began grasping at the figures on the floor. Whether conscious or not it need not matter, soon enough they would be pulled into the world so full of nightmares that they would all wet themselves by nights end if they didn't get out. She wasn't going to maim or murder any of them, even if deep down she wanted to. No, all Nashya wanted was for all of them to leave.

With the way her afternoon had gone with Demagogue and now this Nashya was in a foul mood, and by the time she was pushing through the door it was evident on her face. How dare these people come into the inn she chose specifically for its solace and tranquility and mess it up like this. It was disrespectful, borderline unforgivable and she was having no part in it.

All at once her shadow creatures began chanting to those they were touching, speaking into their minds the same phrase over and over again.

"Get out... get out.... get out...."

If any of the assailants decided to ignore the warning well... she hoped they weren't that stupid.

"Please let them ignore it" her darker self chimed in causing the always present eye flick from Nashya insinuating that something was going on within her mind.

But then the loud voice of Volhard broke the silence, even causing her eye to twitch a bit as he beckoned for more. The once soft-spoken girl then spoke up, taking another step inside the inn towards him. "No one! No one wants anymore or I swear to the gods I will remove each and every single one of you myself!"

By now a larger manifestation began to take form behind her, familiar to some and new to others. With its long dark fingers and soulless eyes, it crept towards her, reaching out before snapping its attention to the room. It was just itching at the chance to be released and Nashya was fighting her own conscious on whether or not she should.

This girl, standing before all of them now was Nasya Belvedere, Shadowfeeder of Golden Gear. The very stance and presence she embodied the reason she was who she was within her organization. Her demeanor reflecting someone who did not have a care in the world for what happened to any of this people... well except for one.

"Sano"

Wrathwyrm

"Fair enough."

Just then, there was a series of...sounds...that neither Rena nor the unnamed interloper would immeiately know.  However, the voice that followed sounded like that other woman, the one who'd said she was a shadowmance.  She looked in the direction of the voice.

"Believe it or not, that's our cue.  That is...if you're interested.  I leave it up to you."

She picked up her sword and exited the room.

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The room had suddenly changed, to the point where Sano knew things were about to go poorly for those in here.  At least, all except for himself and Volkhard...he hoped.  He pulled off his helmet as the very familiar shadow appeared and a very direct threatening statement was made.

"As you can see, we were going easy on you.  I'm pissed and he was looking for a fight.  Her, though?  This is her favorite inn.  You want to go now.  You want to go and save your lives."

Because it was obvious that this group of mercs was no match at all.  Oh, and there's a young lady with a bigass sword coming down now.  Some people might remember her.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

There stood a man in a overcoat and a scar covering the lower half of his face. He had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, right next to the door.

When the women left, he silently followed. When she reached the downstairs, he stood at the stair well.

"Interesting company." said Otto. "Didn't know you had a bunch of bodies and a shadow monster with you."

Meanwhile, Volkhard was close enough to Sano to give him a light slap to the head. "Get ya story right laddy, before you start accusing; these bloks were bothering everyone in here, including the bar lass over there."

Those in the bar brave enough managed to nod in agreement, some even verbally agreed.

"But the lads right." Volkhard said to the mercenaries as he cracked his knuckles. "Ya betta leave before you get more then your bones broken."


Blink

Crimson eyes flicked upwards towards the stairwell that led from the rooms above. Even if Nashya wasn't up there she heard what Otto referred to her as. "I am not a monster" she thought although she could feel her darker self nodding in agreement.

Attention then shifted towards Volkhard when he cracked his knuckles. The action causing Nashya to not only sigh but slightly roll her eyes. Yes, of course, she could continue letting him beat the daylights out of these invaders, but it would only cause more mess in the long run. Again her eyes shifted but this time towards Sano for the briefest of moments before finally, they came to rest on the old innkeeper standing in the corner.

Of course, the elderly woman would be looking at her with such hatred as if she were the cause of all of this. With her eyes still locked on the woman, Nashya spoke up again.

"I will not ask again" and at that command, the large shadow creature behind her made a clicking noise as it began flexing its fingers, clearly still itching for the chance to be let go and unleash its horror on these people.

"Make an example out of one of them. Let it go and show them what we can do" Nashya's eyes flicked as her darker self fed her the idea.

"Not yet" she whispered, hoping that it would not come to that.

Wrathwyrm

Thump!  Ow.  Sano looked back at Volkhard with an expression that would be universally recognized as 'Seriously?'.  The helmet in his hands became a sword, just in case anybody decided to act out at the wrong moment which - at this time - was any moment.

"I didn't know the whole story."

Anyway, back to the matter at hand.  Rena didn't bother to make a reply to the now-visible man's comment, but apparently Nashya - the Shadowmancer - did...by talking through the shadows right near them!

"I think he meant the big guy!"

Yeah, that large looming shadow-creature definitely qualified as a monster.

"Well, it's either the big one or the bearded one, but it doesn't matter."

He glared at the still-processing-this-shit mercenaries.

"I asked these people to help me with a really big fight, and you ain't it.  Get lost."

Now, we wait to see if some of them wanna get diced, because on top of Volkhard being hard as a rock, Sano ready to swing steel, and Nashya waiting to devour any one of them with shadow beings, the sizzle of the zweihander known as Spark could be heard.  Any one of them could be a potential match for these men.  All of them was just overkill.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

The mercenaries were quaking at the sights, and those who were still conscious quickly made they're way out of the inn, exiting through the windows as to avoid the women and her thing.

"Well, that's that I suppose." Volkhard said, with a little chuckle in his tone. He stepped over to the flipped over table, the man underneath had woken up and taken off as well. With one hand, he flipped the table on his side, before going onto the other side and lowering it onto it's legs. Volkhard then went over to the chairs and picked them up, setting them up straight, before his eyes rested upon a spilled drink.

"Aye, casualties of war..." Volkhard said with sad look as he picked up the mug to examine it, before he started chuckling to himself and placed it onto the table and took a seat.

Otto meanwhile had taken to leaning against the wall again, he said nothing at the moment but just watched.

Blink

Still making an eerie crackle noise behind her Nashya could not help but watch her manifestation from the corner of her eye. This particular creature probably the most creepy out of the lot, but also one of the strongest. In fact, it was ranked second in her book compared to one other. But with power came the struggle of control and so she could barely even keep this one contained.

Still she was happy to see the mercenaries leaving at her command even if her darker self was less than pleased.

"I never get to have any fun" Nashya's eyes flicked to the right as they always did when this part of her spoke within her mind.

"As it should be" she responded, her conversation seemingly one-sided to everyone but herself and of course Sano who knew of her affliction.

Along with the crackle coming from her creature Nashya could hear something else coming from the direction of the woman she had met earlier in the day. Seems already they were all starting to work together towards a common goal.

Alongside Volkhard Nashya began picking up glasses and setting them on tables for the innkeepers to collect. It was the least she could do for the trouble she had brought on the inn yet again. Her manifestation followed her, matching each footstep with one of its own. Long fingers still eagerly reached out for her but never touched although the urge could clearly be seen.

"Speaking of trouble..." A quick eye flick before her gaze met the man leaning against the wall.

"You gonna keep staring or are you going to help? I mean you are the cause for all of this are you not?" Clearly Nashya was still very irritated with this entire situation. She stepped out for only a few hours and look at what had come of things. Thank the gods that she decided to travel with them to Connloath or else this group would probably leave a path of unneccasary destruction in its wake.

Flipping over a chair to another table Nashya could not help but let the anger for the man against the wall grow. At first other than her statement asking for him to help she did her best to keep her unkind opinoins to herself, but this could only last for so long. And with the day she had not so long meant only a few moments.

"You know you have some nerve! Don't think I wasn't watching this entire time. You let those men make such a mess and terrorize these poor people while you hid upstairs like a coward!" Angrily Nashya slammed an empty cup onto a table, the manifestation behind her growing louder and more ancy as her anger grew.

"Selfish! is what you are!" Nashya pointed an accusing finger to the man and ironically the manifestation mirrored her movement. As her anger grew the control she held over the creature also multiplied and now it was copying her ever action like a puppet moved by invisible strings. And even though Nashya seemed quite angry, as she had every right to be, the entire scene would almost appear comical as she was unknowingly and unintentionally mocked by her own creature.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

The man only glanced at the shadow being before his focus went onto the women. He spoke, in his rapy and low voice. " I have no reason to fight them, I have no quarrel with these men...therefore I have no reason to waste my time with them."

Out from one of his sleeve the man seemed to produced a knife, to which he began to inspect it, sliding his free hand over the blade. "They would of left had they found that my presence was not here. They are a lot of bark, in their fancy armor. But at hearts, cowards. At best, they would have inconvinced everyone."

The man in the overcoat looked up, looking at the big man in armored. "Least they would of, if somebody did not provoke them."

"Those lads needed a good whooping to take them down a peg." grunted the old man. "Thought they could just flash their blades at me...well, they wouldn't be doing that any time soon, would they." The man ended that last bit with a chuckle.

Wrathwyrm

With the men who at least were conscious leaving in a hurry, the tension died down a little.  Not all the way...since he standoffish scarred man had annoyed Nashya.  Her shadow perception allowed her to know just what transpired here.  That included her being aware that they were there for said scarface and that he'd just hid...which she did not like.  There was, at this point, the early onset of an argument in the works.  Rena gave the man a look after his comment.

"Hey, you led them here to innocent people.  Help clean up."

She came down the stairs the rest of the way.

"I wouldn't want people like that hanging around.  They remind me of the Silver Horde."

"The what?"

"Long story.  The short answer is 'Bastards, the lot of them'."

"Fair enough.  The point is, fella, that they looked persistant and dumb, and that we like this place.  So, fights are gonna happen.  Just give us a hand and don't grumble about it."

Mostly, Sano was weighing in because if Nashya was right about this guy, then she was probably going to be angry with him until he levied a olive branch.  He didn't know who this guy was, of course, but it seemed Rena did...sort of.  They were gonna have to clean up before having their meeting.  Otherwise, the innkeeper might kick them out...

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