A Skull of a Good Time (open)

[Bones]

"Alright party", shouted a bearded man as he raised a mug. His salute was quickly responded by others and the drinking of mead. All around inside of a tavern mead and wind flowed as words of celebration slipped from tong. The Skull Bandits, or a small portion of them, had come to town and were drinking away their ill gotten coin on cheep mead and over cooked meat. In the mist of this merry bunch was a pink haired woman who sat alone at a table in the far back of the tavern. He cup was half full of mead and her face was covered with a sour expression. She stared deeply into the drink almost in her own world as her mind began to wonder to other things.

"Bones", spoke a man grabbing the attention of the dismal brigand. The maiden looked up to see a young journeyman barely older than the age of 15. He had a blue bandana and a chip on his shoulder, and fabulous golden hair.

"What do you want Kimble", spoke Bones as she looked up at the young man.

"Well I was just wondering why you are not joining in with the others", he asked as he starred at the brigand. The maiden looked at him in the eyes and noticed he was looking at her cleavage. Boys, she thought to herself as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Well first off keep your eyes on my face and not my bust", she spoke causing the lad to blush. Bones made it a mark to remember to wear her breast plate the next time she went out to drink. The lunk of iron would keep the wondering eyes away. "Second", she spoke as she took another drink of her mead. "Blagh", she spoke in disgust as she remembered why she was not drinking her mead. "This taste like cat urine. Anyway, I am not celebrating because there is nothing for me to celebrate", spoke Bones.

"Excuse me", spoke Kimble as he looked at her with a bit of confusion. "Did we not just rack in a big score", he spoke.

Bones slammed her cup down onto the table causing the mead to swash around in the mug. "I am stepping out for a bit", she spoke leaving the journeyman by himself. The maiden walked out into the cool night and leaned against the outside wall of the tavern. "God this is boring", she spoke staring into the night. She wondered why she even came out with them to celebrate.

[Bones]

It was true today was the day of celebration, but for Bones it was just one frustration. What the fools considered to be a joyous event was only was Bones downfall as a leader. Joining with the Skull bandits was a sign of weakness. Sure they joined together and hit a caravan and gained a great amount of gold, but they would not have to join up with the skull bandits if she was a better leader. It was her incompetence that lead to the splitting of Zod's Raiders and the fight that ripped them apart. She should have handled William better, she should have held her temper. Instead she went off her emotions and killed him out right.

"Pshaw, looks like I was the death of the gang", she spoke as she taught back onto her argument with her father. She had told him that Hargus would be their end and that joining up with him would only destroy the unity of the raiders and get them all killed. That was the base of their argument, and the reason she did not move to join the wear. Now look, she took over and their unity was destroyed and most of the members dead. Same result, but it was a different hand. Maybe her father was right, maybe she should not have killed him to take over? "Dagh", she screamed as she slammed her fist against the side of the building. Too many emotions, too many thoughts, Bones was not one to dwell on her feelings.

As she stared out into the dark night she noticed a flicker of light. "What the", she spoke as she stared into the darkness. There were men moving in the dark. She could not tell if they were armed, or how many of them. The darkness was far too deep for her to make anything out. The only reason she even noticed their presence was because they walked in front of a lamp in the distance. Either way this was suspicious and Bones did not like the sight of it. Why in the world would anybody walk out at night with no lamps and toward the direction of the tavern. Bones was not the smartest of individuals, but she was not stupid. Whatever their business here was it was not going to be good. "Crap", spoke spoke as she walked back into the door of the tavern to alert the rest of the men.

"Hey you louts", she shouted as she walked in. Her voice was drowned out by the fool's merry making. The very notion really got under her skin. When she spoke they should listen. She should not have to speak twice. "IMBECILES", she shouted. Her voice was far higher than their cries of celebration and the emotion behind it could cut to the bone. Evey man or woman in the building turned and faced her. With a single word she grabbed the attention of all in the tavern.

"That is better", she spoke. "Arm yourselves", she shouted as she kicked one of the men out of his chair. "We have company", she spoke and with that word she walked back toward the door and went back outside. For a moment the bandits stared in awe.

"Company", one of them spoke trying to figure out what was truly going on. The fool was well buzzed from cheap mead and his ability to comprehend was clearly affected.

"Hey you heard the boss", shouted Kimble as he grabbed his axe. "We got trouble", he spoke as he rushed to the door eagerly.

"Crap", spoke one of the bandits as he grabbed his axe and stepped forward. His legs wobbled with weakness as the mead was starting to get to him. After a few moments the group of drunken bandits managed to pull themselves together and move out the door. By the time they walked outside the men dressed in black were already upon them. There they saw Bones holding her ground with her axe leaned on her shoulder. Kimble standing on her right side and a group of masked men dressed in black clothing standing in front of them. The black clothed men only numbered ten in total.

[Yorick]

A seedy tavern? Perfect place for Yorick. The woman was in her armor, her feet up on a corner table, and a glass of white wine in hand, as she watched the group of what appeared to be thugs of some sort celebrate. Her weapons were all close at hand in case of trouble, but for now she was enjoying the sights and looking for anyone tough to spar with.

But it looked like that wouldn't be happening. Trouble? For the gang, maybe, but not for her. Yet... She'd gone a week without fighting. What kind of lame was that? After all...

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."

With that, the woman harnessed her weapons, grabbed her axe and throwing axe, and walked outside the tavern. Time to do some fightin', pirate style.

"Right. Let's get to it, then, hey?"

[Bones]

"Who in the world are you people", spoke Bones as she stared at the group. She was pleased to see the drunken louts made it out the tavern, but it seemed like there was somebody extra with them. The war maiden would have stopped to ask, but she did not want to take her eyes off the eerie dressed men in front of her.

"Are you Bones", asked one of the masked men as he stared at the maiden.

"Who wants to know", asked the maiden? Without another word one of the masked men drew a knife and threw it at her. Quick on her feet Bones twisted her body to the right dodging the knife. Instead of hitting their target the knife hit the man standing behind her. The blow marked the beginning of the confrontation.

With the speed of lighting the masked men began to assault the bandits. The drunken lot were slow to react and as a result many of them were dead before they could swing their axes. Bones however was unaffected by the assault thanks. She was plenty sober and was angry about the whole thing.

"Bad move", she spoke as she slammed her axe down onto a man's shoulder. The axe blade cut deep into his shoulder splitting open an artery.

[Yorick]

Laughing, Yorick spun her weapons and stepped forward, clashing them together with a roar.

"Come and face me!"

As one of the masked and black-robed attackers started towards her, his sword gleaming in the dull light, the halberdier whipped her right arm forward, sending her throwing axe rocketing towards the fellow and following behind the hurtling weapon with her other axe, leaping towards the man. The throwing axe sliced into the man's stomach, and as he doubled over, Yorick's iron axe smashed down, cleaving his neck and ending the man's existence. Raising her empty right hand, the woman grabbed the axe flying back towards her, and turned to her next victim, a wide grin on her face. This was too easy.

Suddenly, pain, as a sword sliced across her forearm, luckily missing any major blood vessels or muscles.

"This was the most unkind cut of all..."

With a grimace and a shout, she advanced on the swordsman and began clashing weapons with him. The fight was quick, but brutal. Ducking under a horizontal slash, Yorick brought her iron axe up, hooking the other weapon, and then smashed the man repeatedly in the face with her throwing axe until he crumpled to the ground in a mess of blood and cerebral fluid.

[Bones]

It was a massacre. In the first assault many of the bandits went down with little to know fight. Of the twenty bandits that went into the tavern to party ten of them were dead. Bones had managed to kill one of the black clad figures and Yorick had claimed two more. The score was ten to seven. The bandits still had the advantage in number, but that mattered not with the enemy hacking away at them so.

"Curse those drunken idiots", spoke Bones as she kicked one of the masked men back. The maiden swung her axe Horizontally trying to leave less room for the swordsmen to counter. The man took a quick step backwards and waited for the axe to pass and then rushed back in again. He swung his sword hoping to get a clean cut in, but Bone was able to block the blow with a metal risk guard she wore just in case.

"Dang", he spoke, but Bones was not going to give him another change. Quickly following up his attack Bones smashed the pommel of her axe into the man's nose. The blow caused him to back up for a moment as the pain radiated through his body. That was all Bones needed. The maiden then swung her axe in a arc and brought the axe head down on the man's neck.

"Finally", she spoke as she took the man's life.

"Bones help", shouted a voice from her side. There she noticed Kimble struggling with a swordsman himself. Somehow he had allowed himself to become unarmed and was defending himself with the steel risk guards that Bones had told him to wear. The swordsmen had him pinned back onto the wall with his blade pressing down against the guard. It was clear to Bones that the man was toying with the boy and clearly could have gutted him if he desired.

"Back off", shouted Bones as she took a swing at the man. The swordsmen moved backwards and dodged the horizontal slash. As he did so he threw a knife from his belt. Already in a swing Bones was unable to dodge the blow. The knife flew and stuck her in her arm. It was not a deadly blow, but it detrimental enough to weaken her attack. "Curses", spoke Bones as she pulled out the knife. Her eyes fixed on the man.

[Yorick]

Ah! A young thug was being attacked by an older swordsman, and the leader had been injured. Time for her to make a flashy entrance.

Running towards the wall, Yorick went up it in an arc before pushing off with her legs and swiping at the attacker as she flew through the air. The man barely dodged, but Yorick's momentum took her past the foe, leaving him in a predicament. With his back turned towards the halberdier, he couldn't see her, and Yorick took that as her cue to chop him in the spine, sending him down, and then the neck with her other axe, finishing him off.

"There. Hey, kid! Get up, there's a battle on. And you, with the pink hair, are you all right? Let's go, there's still...Six of them left."

Looking out at the black-clothed men still attacking them, Yorick chose a target who was busy dueling a clumsy thug. Focusing and aiming, she threw her hand axe with all her might, watching as it smashed into the man's arm and came whirling back to her. The injury opened up a window for the thug to give him a good clobbering, sending the shadowy man down. Five of them left.

This was brutal. They'd taken down a large number of the inebriated thugs. This wasn't a battle, this was a massacre. She needed to get rid of the rest, fast, before they could keep slaughtering the thugs.

[Bones]

"I am fine", spoke Bones as she pulled the knife out and threw it to the ground. Her arm started to bleed, but she ignored it for the moment. She had far more important matters to attend to. Her me were being slaughtered. She wanted to ask who the maiden helping them was, but she just did not have any time to spare. Bones rushed forward with her axe and took the opportunity to cleave in the spine of one of the masked men attacking her drunken rabble.

"Thanks alot Bones", spoke the man with a slur as he charged off toward another masked man. Teaming up with his friend the drunkered was able to keep the swordsman at bay with the assault from the both of them.

"Who in the world are these people", spoke Bones as she pulled her axe from the dead man's spine. She could not help but wonder how they knew they were drinking here tonight. Only five of the enemy remained and the drunken bandtis were starting to sober up a bit with the fight. The numbered were still in the bandits favor. Eight to five and they were starting to push the enemy back. The new girl was really helpful with her assaults and released some pressure off Bones.

Bones let out a roar as she charged in to fight another masked man.

[Yorick]

"Good! Then let's get these punks."

Changing her style, Yorick put away her axes, hooking one on each side in their holsters, and grabbed out her iron sword. Crafted by a man out on the Isles for one of her brothers, this was a broader and heavier sword than most were used to, but years of practice had accustomed Yorick to its heft.

Moving in, she found a black-garbed man and began dueling with him, bringing her sword up to parry an initial slash. Countering with her own, she surprised the man with the strength of her swing, and then followed up with a kick to the chest, sending him reeling into another man, disrupting his flow as well. Nodding to the thug she'd saved, Yorick moved in and stabbed her adversary through the gut, watching as the thug finished the other one, guillotine style.

Suddenly, from her peripherals, she saw something come flashing towards her, and managed to barely raise her blade in time to stop another sword from cleaving her head in two. The man gave her a shoulder to the chest, sending her flying backwards into the wall and knocking her javelin off her back. Say...

Grabbing the weapon, the halberdier threw it neatly through the man's leg, and, with him distracted, sliced his neck open with her sword before pulling her javelin out of his leg. Ouch. The wall was actually surprisingly good as a tool to hurt people, despite it being, well, a wall.

Two left...

[Bones]

With the furry of a den mother Bones hacked into into the back of one the masked men. Unfortunately she was unable to save her comrade as the swordsmen had already ran him through. The only thing she could do was avenge him. As Bones struggled to get her ace out of the man's back a swordsmen moved to stab her from behind. Before she could react to him Kimble charged forward and rammed into him with his shoulder. The boy knocked the man to the ground and the other drunken lot jumped onto him.

"Good work boys", spoke Bones as she finally freed her axe. "Thanks for the save Kimble", she spoke as she looked at her comrade. Kimble gave a nod of approval and Bones rose her axe and finished the job. At the end of the slaughter there were only four of the twenty bandits left. Kimble, Lot, Al, and Bones herself. The others meet their end to the masked swordsmen.

"Quickly cheek them for any identification", spoke Bones as she directed her men to find the source of their attackers. Bones then turned her attention to their aid. "Thanks for the help back there", she spoke as she looked the woman up and down. "You don't mind me asking who you are", she asked.

[Yorick]

"Bah."

Cleaning the blood off of her weapons quickly, and stowing them back where they belonged, the halberdier moved forward and gave a quick nod to the pink-haired girl in charge.

"Care? Pff. I'm Yorick. Glad to lend a hand. My weapons were getting rusty from disuse."

Kicking one of the fallen attackers, the woman gave a short bark of laughter.

"Well, they sure did a number on your boys, huh? What'd you do to get a group of hired silencers on your tail, kill some noble? Rob a bank?"

Smirking, Yorick pulled out a flask and opened it, taking a quick gulp as the smell of Scotch floated through the air. Putting the drink away, the woman appraised the three other surviving thugs. One was barely old enough to hold an axe, and the other two looked pretty average.

"You know, your group's sure in a bad way now. Seems like you could use some help, huh? Another set of eyes, and two good weapon arms?"

[Bones]

"Both", spoke Bones as Yorick joked about them killing a noble and robbing a bank. Her and her gang had done both in the past. It really was not that surpising that somebody sent assassins after them ,but for her is was surprising that they attacked at that moment. The Zod Bandits had just joined ups with the Skull Bandits. There was no way their enemies could have followed them. The mountains of Bern were thick and the trek hard. Still the appearance of the masked men and the sacean blade they bore told the story.

"I would love to have the eyes", spoke Bones toward Yorick questioning. "However", she spoke a bit hardhearted. "I am not the leader of the gang so I can't make that decision. The louts here", she spoke as she looked at their dead bodies. "They were not the full force of the gang. We have a base up in the mountains. These guys were just the ones foolish enough to go out and party tonight." Bones paused for a moment in respect for the fallen and then began to speak again. "The name is Bones and if you want to join up with the Skull Bandits then you would have to talk to the Boss. A word from me and you are good as in, but I have to let you know the food chain around here before you join up."

[Yorick]

"Skull Bandits, huh? Sounds like quite the racket. Must be a disorganized lot, huh, since they took you by surprise and used you to water the lawn... This leader must be inept, new, or both. Let me tell you, "Bones," I've been with gangs of fifty pirates and rackets of five. I've been pretty much everywhere you can think of, and this gang is a mess, I'll tell you that much.

Take me to your 'Boss,' then, honeybabe. I'll make the judgements from there. If I like what I see? Maybe I'll join up with these Skull Bandits. If I don't, I'll be on my way, and you can call this here job a freebie."

Hands on her hips, Yorick looked straight at the bandit lady. There wasn't any fooling in her voice... She'd been around enough. She knew how to play all the games. The only reason she'd agreed to see this boss was because she figured that they owed her one. The boss might give her a good position for the help, especially if this Bones was important enough. A high-up in a big gang wasn't too bad, and it would keep her occupied for a while.

[Bones]

"Inept, maybe", spoke Bones as she wrapped her arms around her side. She did not want to admit it, but it could have been him who sent these men to kill her. The Skull Bandits and the Zod Bandits fused and as a result the Skull Bandits numbers nearly doubled. However the deal required Bones to be second to him. As always with Bandits position is power. Hey may have felt threaten, which he should, that Bones might one day overthrow him and take the position of boss for herself. Well that was all speculation. Even if it was him who sent the assassins he would not dare try to kill her back at the base.

"Very well I will take you to see Paleface", spoke Bones with a bit of disgust in her voice. She did not care for the man, nor his nick name. Still Paleface was the boss, for now at least. "Alright boys we are returning to base", she spoke as she kicked them into action. It took her nearly a hour of climbing up a inclined hill before they reached the wooden gates and by that time the drunks were well sober. The bandit fort was made entirely from wood and was structured with six towers with at least one guard in each. Inside the base was a few house were the bandits slept and a well to get water. There were three horses in a stable along with a small section of the fort marked off for pigs. It was your standard Bandit fort, but their forces seemed to be a little more women in them than others.

"Where is Paleface", spoke Bones as she walked up to a man.

"Where do you think", he spoke as he pointed toward a tent in the center of camp.

[Yorick]

"Hah. Inept it is."

Following Bones the Bandit, Yorick trooped along with the others. Midway through, just on a whim, she took out her throwing axe and began tossing it to herself, back and forth, in rhythm with her steps. Soon, it was all just a blur of hill, and then they were finally there. Ah, well, at least the fort looked decent.

Wood, of course, and watchtowers. Not indiscreet, which meant there must be enough men to fight off a posse's assault. That was good. A well, and a stable. Animals for food. This was a camp with staying power, it seemed. They were rooted in, which meant that they'd be stronger -- but more notorious -- than a wandering band.

"Nice place."

Finally, they arrived at a large, central tent. It seemed the leader was stationed in the center, probably to subconsciously remind the rabble of his or her power. Hah. Mind games wouldn't work on her. She was too cynical, too worldly. The only thing that would convince her was a fight. That, however, would be stupid.

"On your lead, Bones."