Behind Closed Doors

[Anonymous]

<Continued from But No One Answered, in Nomads>

Arrmand waited impatiently outside the battered looking hotel. It's grimy walls and slowly decaying balconies had been his home for the last few months and the Inn keepers who owned it had known him well enough not to ask questions about the girl slung over his back. They simply nodded and handed him his room key. Now, with Vissir safely locked away beind the closed doors and uncaring eyes of the Inn,  Arrmand was anxious to be gone, he had important dealings to attend to.

A few early morning people were walking groggily past, off to whatever jobs, legal or otherwise, they had waiting. The sun was beating away the colors of the dawn and soon the sky would be a brilliant blue. Yet he could not just leave Vissir, she may raise the alarm and have every guard in Serendipity knocking at his door within an hour.

If the guard I hired doesn’t show up soon, Arrmand sighed, than I'll just kill her. I can't be late. He had told the guard the name of the building, Reservation Inn, and to recognize him by the large scarlet pouch he now tossed carelessly hand to hand, which contained a large amount of sparkling gold coins whith which to pay whatever price was needed to win cooroperation.

His fingers moved over his blood stained black sleeve, as he gazed past into the growing crowds, wondering…

[Anonymous]

Matai walked down the street, her raven black curls falling well past her shoulders bounced with the rythm of her pace.  Her bright green eyes scanned the streets in front of her, watching with caution though she held the air of the confident in her stride.

She had never liked this part of town, always avoided it when possible, but not today.  She had a bit of business to attend to today.  Well, actually if her half-witted brother hadn't forgotten to make the order on Tuesday she wouldn't have to be walking to the nearby grocery store to pick up a few supply's for their pub.

She shook her head and a half smile spread across her mouth.  Her eyes shifted to the left and she noted a man standing in front of a run down hotel with a bag in his hand.  She noted the dried blood on his sleeve and wondered if he was in any trouble.  She shook her head and kept walking, looking in front of her once more.  Then a pang of guilt ran through her stomach as she remembered when she received her healing powers, and the promise she had made to herself on that day.  She promised that she would help any and every being that was in need of medical attention no matter what the situation.

She then stopped in her tracks, sighed to herself and turned in his direction.  She was muttering to herself as she crossed the street toward the man.  "You and your damn promises.  And not to mention your soft shell you nitty.  Well, here goes nothin."  She didn't walk directly up to him, instead she stood at the sidewalks  edge on the street, just to be on the safe side.  She lifted a hand up to her hair and brushed a stray curl from her face.

"Hey are you hurt?  I noticed the blood and thought I could help."

She called up to him before wrapping her arms around herself a bit uncomfortably

[Anonymous]

"You should probably leave." A voice resonated from behind the young woman, though no steps or sounds had harrolded it's arriving. The voice was low and calm, and quite obviously male.
Kanto Strike stood silently now, the source of the quiet warning. He was a living shadow with a splash of white.
From his feet, in their heavy boots, to his head, he was all black. Baggy pants, tight shirt, and leather jacket all held the ebony hue of night. And even his skin was black. Not a brown-black, but a true black, like his dark clothing.
His eyes were a sharp, light purple, his long hair a starking white. It was held in a loose ponytail that trailed down his spine. Slightly pointed ears were adorned with a silver hoop each.
Across his back was a huge, wide sword of silver metal. It was much taller than his own well-muscled frame, and so was at an angle to avoid scraping along the ground as he walked.

"I suppose you're the one he spoke of." This time, he was speaking to Arrmand. He recognized the red bag from the unfortunate man's discription.
Of course, the original man hired was dead.
"I'm here for the guard job."

[Anonymous]

Arrmand looked at the two arrivals, than up at the rising sun and the filling street.
"Bout time too." He grunted tossing the bag carelessly into the air, he hoped with his horrid aim it would land somewhere near its intended destination.

He flicked the black of his cape over his bloodied sleeve, "I'm fine," he called to the woman, than, as a rapid series of thoughts clicked through his mind, he said, "But, if you would see to a...uh...friend, of mine. She has had a rather bad fall," Not very ingenious, Arrmand admitted, since one who fell usually didn't cut their head open, but, it was the best he could think of at the moment.  Damn, if he was late! But if the girl died while he was away, than what good would all his trouble to keep her imprisoned do?

He didn't wait for the woman's reply, instead he turned to the man, "Room 1030, second floor. I will be back at sunset. Pay or dispose of this, "Arrmand gestured to the black haired woman, "Kind lady after she has tended my...friend, as you see fit. There is more gold where that came from if all is well on my return."

I have too much of the damned stuff.

Than, he spun on his heel, his black cape swirling around him, and disappeared into the crowds.

[Anonymous]

Room 1030 of the Reservation Inn was disheartening at best. Vissir scratched at the crumbling walls, and kicked a bare foot at the woe begotten rug. Her head hurt terribly.

Slowly she got up, smoothing her long light brown hair, touching the green feather that pierced one ear and glittered the same intense hue as her eyes. Her sleeveless, knee length, green dress was only slightly tattered, the pants she wore beneath only slightly muddy.

She took a step towards the door, watched curiously as the world spun around her, thought better of it, and sat back on the bed. She was rallying herself for another try, when the doorknob began to turn.

[Anonymous]

Matai listened to the mans response when she asked him if he was in any need of help.  And she immediately regretted her offer of any help. Her and her damn promises.  She sighed and walked up to the inn door, opened it then walked inside.  

The place was definately in need of some major repair...  Or at least a good cleaning.  She avoided the looks of the inkeepers as she tossed her black curls behind her back, trying to seem as though she had been there a thousand other times.  

As she ascended the stairs the words of that man came back to her.  "Pay or dispose of this kind woman..."  Dispose?  She thought to herself bitterly,   What the hell did he mean by that?  Damn rude bastard.  You should have just walked away when you had the chance Matai.

She sighed as she reached room 1030, stopped in front of it and paused before opening the door slowly.  There was a pretty girl sitting on the bed looking pale and a bit confsed.  Matai closed the door behind her and put on her best smile she could bear and walked to the bed, sitting next to the girl.

"Well well now.  Looks like ye've gotten yerself a nice and big one, now haven't ye?"

She said in a very thick irish accent as she gently pulled the girls hair away from the large gash on her head.

"And lost a good amount of  blood already."

She said looking at the bed and seeing the large blood stain.

"Well don't ye worry, I'll get ye fixed up before ye know it."

She said with a smile, not showing the worry she had.  She didn't see how this girl could have aqcuired  this nasty gash from just a mere fall.  And if she didn't get it healed she could very well die from loss of blood.  So she moved quickly, reaching her hand up and placing it upon the wound and closing her eyes.  Warmth radiated from her hand and onto the girls head as the process continued for about a minute before the skin slowly began to magically mend itself together.  After about 3 minutes the process was complete and she lowered her hand slowly and then reached into her bag pulling out a vile of some powder and a mug.  She looked up at the girl and smiled as she rose from the bed toward the sink.

"I always keep an extra with me. Just in case."

She filled the cup with hot water from the sink and poured the contents of the vile into the mug before walking back to the girl.

"Drink this, it will help get yer blood circulating properly.  Trust me ye'll thank me after."

[Anonymous]

In the blink of an eye Kanto had caught the bag haphazardly thrown by Arrmand. It dissapeared into a dark pocket immediately. Sharp eyes watched the man leave them, and then surveyed the young lady as she went into the Inn. He didn't particularly mind being ignored.

Kanto followed, and found himself in a shambled Inn in desperate need of repair. He snorted softly, muttering "Rul'selozan..." as he passed through the tattered reception area. He ignored any and all looks recieved from the keepers of this dirty place.
Heavy boots made no noise as he moved up the stairs after the healer, though they most certainly should have. Many things about this man were quite obviously not human.

The door shut in his face as the healer entered the room, taking no heed in the fact there was somebody behind her. Brushing back some of his long white hair, Kanto turned his back on the door and stood guard, as he was supposed to. Nothing that went on in the room behind him escaped his sensitive hearing, and he followed the movements of both bodies with ease.
Arms crossed, a stern gaze in place, Kanto took up his new job smoothly. Hopefully nothing would go wrong. Complications always did ruin his mood...

[Anonymous]

Matai watched the girl for a moment as she handed her the mug and then remembered suddenly that there was another man that was probably outside the room door by now.  She stood up, leaving her bag on the bed with the girl and walked to the door.  She peeked out and saw the man standing with his back to the door, then she opened it the rest of the way, clearing her throat.

"I'm sorry, I forgot that you were behind me.  Me mind has been a bit...  Pre-occupied, I guess you could say.  I'm normally not the rude typ."

She knew he wasn't human, and well neither was she exactly, but his appearance did shock her just a tad when she first saw him.  She put on the best smile that she could manage and leaned against the door jam.

"It would be more comfortable for ye to come inside if you like.  Or if ye would rather stand outside that is just fine too."

She added, seeing that he seemed to be on guard of the room.  She didn't ask any questions about the situation, not wanting to get herself into any trouble, but she wanted to hang around long enough to see the girl was going to be alright.

[Anonymous]

Vissir sat, looking at the mug in shock. She hadn't been able to utter a single word the whole time. Vissir had expected to be killed, instead...Instead, she thought, touching her head.

As the girl who had healed her opened the door, Vissir jumped up, ready to shove her way through. But as the door opened wider, and she saw the man behind it, she gave up such a silly notion. Behind her back, one hand flicked the air, and her nails became as long and strong as dragon talons.

Her mind filtering through an endless supply of useless escape plans, she walked calmly up to the healer...and the open door. Her breath was a bit off, and for some reason the world tilted at an odd angle every now and then, but she knew, or at least she could guess, what Arrmand would do with her when he got back. For all she knew, she had minutes, seconds before he returned. For all she knew, the person who had healed her may have piosened her. For all she knew... okay, she had to admit it, she really knew very little.

Hand still behind her back, Vissir smiled awkwardly, and asked, "Where is he?"

Her blazing green eyes strayed to the man behind the door. Waiting for a chance, only a chance...

[Anonymous]

Matai jumped a bit as the girl approached her from behind and spoke.  She had thought that maybe she was mute, or at least in too much shock to speak since she hadn't said a word since Matai had entered the room to perform the healing.  She turned around, noting that some of the girls color had returned and she smiled a bit awkwardly herself.

"Ye know, I'm not sure me'self."  She said, her voice a bit strained at this point.  Her brother may be worried about her by now.  "I know less about this whole thing than you do.  But this kind man may know a bit."

She added, wishing that she had never stepped foot inside the inn, thinking that she more than likely got in the middle of something very sticky.

[Anonymous]

(Suggestion. Ok, alot of people who have been Rping on SotE for a long time, like myself, have sorta come up with a way to make sure nobody gets skipped in threads with more than one player. We basically take turns, so that each person has a chance to reply to the posts (two in our case, since there are three players) above them and doesn't get swamped with tons of posts done while they weren't online. Just a suggestion though. ^_^)

Kanto only tilted his head slightly as the healer appeared from the room, casting her a very slight glance. His purple eyes were just as cold and emotionless as before, but sharp with the knowledge of killing and death.
"I am fine where I am."
Was his curt reply, before his attention apparently shifted back to the hallway, his gaze off her yet again.
His tall form had not moved the entire time, his huge sword covering almost his entire back in its slanted rest. Who knew how he managed to weild such a massive weapon. It had to weigh at least twice as much as he.

As soon as the injured girl appeared behind the healer, Kanto had turned to face the door head-on, not missing a beat. When standing behind him, the intimidation was lost, but now that he faced the two women, his dominating presence was apparent.
His face was still an expressionless mask, but he was staring directly at the one he was to guard. The injured young lady. His gaze flickered over to the healer as the words 'kind man' were uttered, a small flickering of uncharacteristic humor blinking into his eyes, and then dissapearing just as fast. His attention was again on the captive.
"He is away."
He hadn't been given any specific orders on what he could or could not say. And the question was simple enough, and therefore his answer was simple as well.

Kanto, with his huge sword slanted at a diagonal across his back, took up the entire doorway. Vissir would need to think hard on any possible escapes, for she might find herself unconcious again in an instant.

[Anonymous]

OOC: I like that, turns are fun!

Vissir clicked her talons behind her back nervously. So he isn't here, than where? She thought a second, than decided it wasn't important. She had a tendency to concentrate on the extremely unimportant, and she couldn't allow herself to do that now.

Her mind ran through a few more useless escape plans, she needed more information, actually, she didn't. She needed a way out.

"Oh?" She said lamely. Her eyes strayed around the room, a bed, now stained with blood, a table, falling apart, a window, caked with grime, threadbare rug, falling plaster...

Her mind flashed, Idea!! Vissir thanked her dragon eyes, their perception had helped her over and over. Now how would she manage it? If the door wasn't open, but it was and that man would be a big problem.

"You know," she said glancing at the sword on the man's back, "I'm glad Arrmand hit me with a tree branch and not that, I doubt I would be awake right now if he had." She grinned at him, her teeth a little sharper than most, but barely.

Vissir opened her mouth as if to say something else, but instead she turned on her heel, and in the process stumbled, falling against the healer, her talons still hidden from view. She muttered under her breath, "Sorry, if you could help me, I...I think I need to sit down."

In her mind, Vissir finished, A little closer to that window. Dragon blood will come in very handy, if only I can get through that window.  

She made an attempt to stand on her own, smiled weakly at the healer as she wobbled unsteadily, and said, "Could you, could you help me over to that table? I don't think I want..." Vissir gestured towards the bloodstained bed.

[Anonymous]

OOC:  Oh, sorry about that :)  I'm new to all of this.  I won't skip anyone again.

IC:
As the man turned around to face them, despite her best efforts Matai jumped a bit again.  The power that he held showed through in his appearance and ran cold through his eyes.  She smiled weakly, raised her hand to her hair, brushing the curls away from her face absently as she turned to watch the girl observe the room.  She noted that the girls color had completely returned by now and she seemed to be feeling strong enough.  Then she heard the girl say something about the man that Matai had seen in front of the inn hitting her over the head with a tree branch, and then her color left her face.

I promised to heal anyone who is in need,  She thought nervously to herself,  I never said anything about savin their ass from lunatics.

Just as she turned to try and leave, the girl fell - more like threw herself she noted - in Matai's arms.  Matai braced herself and caught the girl, looking down into her face...  The color was still there.  Damn it kid, don't try anything stupid  She thought before the girl asked her to help her to the table.  Matai sighed a bit and nodded, draping one of the girls arms around her shoulder and slowly walking her to the table.

"Of course me girl, the sight of yer own blood can have that effect on ye."

She said as she helped the girl lean on the falling apart table by the window.

[Anonymous]

(Tis ok, we're all new to something at some point or other. ^_^ And yes, turns are good. They make me happy. Lol)

One white brow arched at the healer's reaction to his turning around. He wasn't entirely sure which side of him found it amusing, and it bothered him slightly. However, nothing substantial appeared on his face or in his eyes. His thoughts were wholly his own. Well, mostly his own anyway. Their behavior did strike him as odd.
"Folt b'vecko jalilen..." He muttered to himself softly, fairly certain the two women could not understand him.

The injured girl's comment again sparked his buried sense of humor, and a ghost of a grin appeared. A small splatter of blue appeared in his stern purple gaze as well, but was gone relatively fast, as was the grin.
"You would probably be dead." He answered coldly, the humor again being hidden away somewhere until it managed to break out once more. And he wasn't sure if he wanted to keep it hidden, or fight to free it, either...

Kanto watched them both stumble towards the window warily, stepping into the room to follow them, his boots again silent. He practically glided across the floor, but it wasn't a concious effort on his part. It just happened.
His intelligent eyes were again watching the injured girl very closely, knowing full well she would try to escape at some point if she had half a mind. And he figured she did, so he had to be aware. Fortunately, he was good at that.

[Anonymous]

Vissir smiled at the healer, "Thank you, what did you say your name was?  I love your hair, my sister has the same color, except she keeps it very short."

Vissir watched her guard wairly as he stepped a further into the room. She had hoped he would stay by the door. If she was her sister, than she could have won his help with some well placed words, but, she was just little 'ol Vissir. And, she thought, I have no idea what I'm going to do.

She fingered the green feather that pierced her ear, the last trace of her dragon-mother.  She always did that when she was nervous.

What the hell.

Suddenly her hand that she had kept hidden shot out, her talons glinting like five green jewels in the filthy light. She turned the table over, flinging it towards the guard, in some corner of her mind, she hoped she didn't hurt him. Damn, for someone who was supposed to have some of the darkest blood imaginable running through her veins, she sure had inconvenient thoughts.

Her talons streaked through the air, easily smashing the window. There was a balcony on one side, belonging to the adjacent room. She grabbed the healer's hand, not sure why, possibly just so that there would be yet another thing between the man and herself, than swung them both out, her feet gripping the wall's imperfections, and grabbed the balcony railing.

In her mind, Vissir admitted, that that was a really stupid move. But, at least things were going to get interesting...

She sincerely hoped that the woman wasn't afraid of heights.

[Anonymous]

Matai turned at looked at the man who was guarding the door as he walked into the room a bit further, noting that he did not take his eyes off the girl that had her arm still draped around her shoulder.  She pursed her lips and turned back to the girl, helping her steady on her feet.

She smiled sincerely at the girls compliment of her hair and she absently reached up to brush a stray strand that had fallen into her eyes.

"The name's Matai, me girl."

She stated before noting that the girl had tensed up.  She knew that she was about to do something stupid.  In a flash the table was in shreads at her feet and the window broken out.  She shrieked from her gut and ducked down, hiding her face.  But before she had the time to run, the girl had taken her hand and the next thing she knew she was hanging high above the ground, her heart in her throat.

She let out another scream before she turned and grabbed the balcony railing, holding on for dear life and praying that she wasn't about to die...  But it just seemed so hopeless at this point hanging 3 storie's above the ground in the middle of some battle between a dragon girl and a man that looked as though he had killed a countless amount of people in his life-time.

Despite her best efforts she began to shake and before she knew it, tears had started streaming down her cheeks as she held on to the cold railing of the balcony.

[Anonymous]

Kanto watched the girl with a cold stare that was nearly preditory in its precision. She would try something, he knew she would. He was not stupid, and neither was the girl.
A flicker came across his flace just moments before the action started...
There....

The table flew at him, and the sword whistled off his back, cutting the table in two with no effort at all. Either side of the table flew around him harmlessly. He held the massive sword like it weighed no more than a normal blade might.
"Xsa !" He shouted angrily, and in a flash leapt through the window after them. However, he had a bit more tact in his plan, and landed smoothly on the balcony railing like it was as wide and flat as the floor he had just leapt from.

Crouching within a split second of landing, one hand shout out and grabbed the healer's hand, which was clinging desperately to the balcony railing. Without a word, he pulled her up with unnatural strength, while at the same time keeping his balance and reaching for Vissir's hand, which had a hold of Matai's free hand. He didn't want either of them to fall, and for a moment wasn't even thinking about retrieving the girl so much as saving her from possible injury or even death.
"Waele ligr..." He muttered softly in his dark language, hoping Vissir wouldn't jump and make this all the more difficult and dangerous. All the while, he still balanced, and held Matai close to him so as not to drop her accidently.

This day was going to be a bad one, he could tell...

[Anonymous]

Vissir wasn't stupid enough to try jumping from so high up. Even dragon blood wouldn't stop her from breaking every bone in her body. She sighed and taking the hand offered her, she spun herself up without putting any but the slightest pressure on it, and landed gracefully beside him and Matai.

She sighed, quickly repressing the flash of hopelessness that flew over her face.

Smiling, she leaned against the rusty railing and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it was worth a try, no?  Don't worry, I won't try again for awhile, one must plan one's foolhardy escapes, mustn't one?"

She winked at the guard.

And it was true, she wasn't about to try the "Jump and Pray" thing again.  But oh, she thought miserably, If I can't get away, if I can't find Nadia soon...

[Anonymous]

As Arrmand rushes headlong into yet another crowd of people, late for yet another one of his dealings, he does not think to stop when he passes the Reservation Inn. He was sure that he had given Vissir a bad enough injury to keep her off her feet. And the guard must have things well under control.

He would be back later, and he was positive that Vissir would be there waiting for him.

It was a lucky thing, that Arrmand didn't look up and see the events taking place on the balcony. Very, very, lucky.

He dissapeared into the crowds.

[Anonymous]

Matai could hear Kanto rush out of the window with a loud whoosh of wind that set her curls to flying over her face.  Then in a split second she could feel the warmth of another hand cover hers and jerk her upward.  So relieved to be in the hands of someone more stable than she, she turned her body and held on dearly to her rescuer, before she realized that it was in fact Kanto who had snatched her from the long fall that was bound to occur.  The action was so fast she could barely believe that this man had so much speed and agility.

She looked over at Vissir, a small scowl on her face which was still white as snow and her body still shaking, her hands clamped tight to Kanto's clothing.

"Why ye wee little wench!"  She exclaimed with as much vingeance that she could muster with her voice still on edge and shaking.  "What in Saint Peter's blessed name were ye thinking?"

She then turned her head to look down at the ground, another chill running down her spine before looking at Kanto, his wild white hair blowing in the wind and his purple eyes watching Vissir intently.

"I thank ye kindly m'lord, but could we find a place that's a bit more stable and less far from the ground?"

She asked, still holding to him tightly, her fear of heights now reinforced to the fullest.