"What's the-" Lowen began to speak, but was interrupted by the smacking noise and the sound of a crash. He shot up from his chair, resting his hand on the dagger adjacent to his waist. Shooting Kirila a quick glance, he placed his finger on his lips as a motion to stay silent and moved toward the tent's exit to investigate.
Just then, two men barged into the tent and knocked the young traveler off of his feet. With blades drawn, one of the men stood hovering over Lowen as the other fixated his sinister gaze on the woman.
"Give us all the coin ya have if you value yer lives," the obvious ringleader - standing across from Kirila - snorted with a devious grin.
---
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Lowen's head was pounding. Not again. He couldn't focus on the thug looming over him not how the fortune teller was handling the situation with his accomplice. All he could focus on was the thud, thud, thud of his head as his vision began to blur.
"The hell's wrong with you?!" the man above him snapped, though Lowen couldn't acknowledge it. "Ya heard the man, empty yer pockets!"
The man kicked the young traveler in the stomach, only to get no real response.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Darius! This bastard's gone limp," the thug said to his accomplice. "I say we just kill'em now and be done with it!"
He began to kick Lowen again, but was met with a dagger through the heel. "Lowen" peered up at the man with hate-filled eyes and a look of utter disgust. He had reacted just in time to drive his weapon through the man, and used that as leverage to bring him crashing down the the floor aside him.
"S-Shit!" the thug cried out in agony. "Y-youll-"
"Lowen" quickly grabbed the man by his neck and pressed the tip of his blade against his throat. "Easy now," he said coldly. He shot a look to the other man who's attention was now on the traveler and his accomplice. "Well, lookie lookie, what the hell do we have here? Don't you two know it's rude to interrupt a man and a woman when they're alone together? I ought to teach you boys some manners."
"Let go of him or I will kill the girl!" the other thug demanded.
"Do you think I care about that witch?" the new, colder version of Lowen snapped with a twisted grin. "Kill her. See if I care. But you boys gotta learn who you're dealing with here."
Without any more hesitation, he slid his dagger across his hostage's throat, holding his scalp still as blood began slipping out. "Still want to come at me with that tough guy shit now?"