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Post by Tiz on May 21, 2015 7:11:30 GMT -6
Tiz whistled a pleasant tune to himself, hands stuffed in his pockets, his sword left at home. He was safe in Laus. He was also at home in Laus. Literally and figuratively, Tiz made in his home in the province, and had taken the night off from doing anything. No bars, no concerts, no work, nothing-- just he, him, and himself. Tiz didn't really like being alone, but the night had sunken over the city and was very pretty, and he hadn't not to enjoy it, even if it was on his own. He often had dreams of traveling the world to see the best night skies, because he had no idea how to compare Laus to anywhere else in the world except Sacae, which might have been the best night sky he would ever get to see. He wasn't sure. He happily strolled along, thinking fondly of how late he could sleep in the next morning. He was a happy guy, and at night, there was no one around to see it.
He stopped near a fountain, peering over the stone edge to look at his reflection in the water. It made him cringe, because the ripples made his nose look too big and made his eyes seem tiny and far apart. Whatever. He laughed and looked skyward, hands still in his pockets. He rocked a little, back and forth on his heels and tiptoes, wondering how late he would be out tonight. He wasn't a huge fan of bars, so he would probably head home soon. But the fountain was so pretty! If only, he thought, there was a way to capture its essence. He wasn't a painter, and therefore couldn't immortalize such a pretty scene on paper with paint. The man sighed, and stopped whistling. The tune had been stuck in his head all day-- he needed something else.
Without thinking twice, he stepped up on the stone edge, and looked around. He didn't SEE anyone around him... so he didn't think there would be any worry. He jumped in the fountain and stood, sort of embarrassed. He was about to play in a fountain, but certainly didn't want to be made fun of for having fun. Seeing no one, the man shrugged, and stuck his head under the flow of water. it felt cool, it felt nice and refreshing, and it felt energizing. He smiled to himself and shook his head around underneath it. To an onlooker, Tiz probably looked insane. Maybe he was. But he did enjoy the water.
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Isaac Errek
Mercenary
Posts: 17
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Wolfbane
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Post by Isaac Errek on May 21, 2015 16:01:22 GMT -6
Isaac was lost, completely and utterly. He a basic idea of where he was, but no idea of where he was going. He'd been wandering laus for the last few hours, trying to find a inn, tavern, any kind of establishment, really. He'd seen some, but they'd all been closed for the night, their owners gone to bed. It was rather late in the night anyway. He'd lived in Lycia his whole life, yet had never been to Laus. He had seen some people, and earlier had tried asking for directions, but now he know better. Everyone one he'd seen so far had either completely ignored him or just plain told him to f*** off. He continued down the street he was on, before crossing over to another one. He looked at the street sign, barely able to see it in the dim light, and saw the streets name was Iceberg lane. He continued down a few more streets, committing their names to memory as he saw them. Dragon street. Swordfish road. Green giant lane. This city was huge. No, it it was gigantic. He had brought Tsurugi with him, making sure it was well hidden under his cloak, just in case of any thugs he might encounter.
He continued walking for a while, talking no specific path, but still keeping track of the street names. He'd continue for a while, and if he didn't find a inn, he'd sleep in a alley if he had too. Be took a few more steps....is that splashing in the distance? He walked down a alley towards the sound, eventually emerging into a open plaza, probably the market place. In the middle of the plaza was fountain, and in it was a man. Isaac was tempted to ask for directions, though he though this man would likely be like everyone else he'd encountered. Well, it was worth a try. He stepped forward. "Sir?" He didn't seem to notice him. "Hello? Sir?" Isaac would wait a little while, and if he didn't respond, he'd tap him on the shoulder.
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Post by Tiz on May 21, 2015 16:17:35 GMT -6
"Mm?"
Tiz opened his eyes. Was that a voice? Was someone here? The young man got really nervous. He hadn't expected someone to come out and find him playing in a fountain, his head under the flow of water. This was awkward. He turned out slowly, facing a man wearing a cloak with fiery red hair, whose expression looked above all very lost. He looked like a man who was running out of options. Tiz wondered what had happened. He thought he might've recognized the guy's face... Maybe he lived on the same street that Tiz did. He couldn't be sure until he asked, though.
He offered a warm smile and outstretched his hand to be shaken. "Hey-yo," he said warmly. "I'm Tiz. Sorry, I uh... This is kind of awkward. I didn't really think anyone else would come out this late, but I guess that's what I get for assuming. Anyway..." He stepped out of the fountain and shook himself off. Mostly only his hair was wet, but his clothes had taken some dampness as well. And it was getting cold. And he didn't have his sword. Tiz realized that if this encounter went south, he would assuredly be killed. But hey, Tiz thought, he'd been in worse situations and come out fine.
"What's up? Something bothering ya?"
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Post by Charlotte on May 22, 2015 16:25:42 GMT -6
Never a dull day, that’s what her smuggler companions used to say, no? Charlotte couldn’t agree more as she walked out from the Velvet Monkey, her usual meeting place with her more well-off mercantile clients. She wasn’t dressed to the nines as she had been earlier that day when meeting with Lord Balsam, but she still did take care to choose a red silk shirt over the cotton or wool ones she wore when travelling, and the leather belts she wore at her waist were some of her finest. Merchants were impressed by a different type of look than her noble colleagues were - though there were still pigs among the lot of them, which she accommodated accordingly.
It was cool, but not uncomfortably so, which was Charlotte’s preferred temperature. Only a handful of streetlamps supplemented the twilight in illuminating the streets, but the consultant didn’t need much light at all to navigate the cobbled city streets. She was a traveler, sure, but Laus was a place very familiar to her, so much so that she had most of the paths, shops, and taverns memorized, like a map in her mind’s eye. It was comforting to know she could never be lost in the city’s streets, even if someone picked her up this very moment, covered her eyes, and placed her in an entirely different district.
On the surface, Laus was not very active at night, most shops and taverns only appeared to be closed to the average passersby. But in Laus, who you knew and who knew you mattered a fair bit - unless you were military of course, but that was a moot point in the military city. Still, Charlotte being connected meant a world of options late at night in the city, as long as the person opening the door knew her and liked her. One of the perks of doing so much business through Lycia - and in Laus, especially.
But as she walked down a back alley she always cut through to get back to her humble home, it seemed she wasn’t the only person out tonight. Just ahead were two men standing by the fountain in the small courtyard near one of the more wealthy merchants in town - who also happened to be a former Knight who retained his noble status. It seemed one of them had been playing in the aforementioned fountain, what with his shirt and hair thoroughly wetted. Charlotte shook her head, unable to hear what the wet one and the fiery-haired man were speaking of as she approached. They didn’t seem particularly threatening - maybe the one with the confused eyes, what with being armed, but Charlotte was smart. One wrong move and she’d run faster than a hare on fire.
Still, they didn’t seem all that harmless as they exchanged blank and confused looks, so Charlotte exited the small alley, approaching but leaving enough distance that she’d have enough time to ditch if she needed to. She shook her head.
“Lost boys? I’m not sure Sir Alcott would take kindly to people enjoying a late night dip in his fountain.” Resting her hands on her hips, she gave a ‘tch’ with her tongue as she stopped, looking over the two as she waited. Technically the old knight didn’t own the fountain, but he did oversee this city block and was fairly anal on maintaining its appearance best he and his few servants could.
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Post by Tiz on May 22, 2015 18:22:55 GMT -6
Tiz shook the water from his hair with his hands and patted himself down a bit. Now he was confused. He came out to play in the fountain, to get wet, to reflect, and now not only was there a cloaked stranger who looked lost, but there was a beautiful woman, who did NOT look lost, and was almost certainly, Tiz thought, out to get them. And he was unarmed. He had picked tonight, of all nights, to leave his blade at home. I guess this is what happens when you get careless, Tiz thought to himself. He sighed.
The young man walked, slowly, closer to the woman so that he may see her better in the dark. His eyes were not so accustomed to poor lighting that he could see from as far away as she clearly could. Plus, TIz was sure he very likely didn't have perfect vision, either. His piercing green eyes narrowed as he got closer, and then he stopped. What was he doing? She could be dangerous. She was very likely armed, though in the light he couldn't tell. He could be walking right into an assassination. He did know better, though-- he lived in Laus; he knew he had nothing to fear about fountain ownership and use. It was public property, ordained by any one man or not. It belonged to him as much as it did her, even. He looked her up and down. "Not sure we've met." Tiz normally always smiled when he introduced himself, but this time he didn't. He also normally offered his name, but he didn't this time, either. He had been put in too many poor situations-- by his own hand-- to be so frivolous with potentially important information. He did hope, though, that such a sight wouldn't be here to kill him.
He stepped back a bit with one foot, in a position that prepared him to dodge a weapon strike if he needed to. It wasn't obvious, but he certainly would be easy to read to someone who was accustomed to that sort of thing. He needed to be ready for everything. He glanced back at his new red-haired friend, and wondered what was under that cloak, and if it could help him, should things get sour-- and they could. Fast.
"Hm." Tiz cocked his head ever so slightly. He had never seen her before...
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Post by Charlotte on May 25, 2015 13:09:54 GMT -6
Charlotte noticed his small, telling movements; it was easy to see he felt vulnerable, even though he looked like he could handle himself. He was tall, muscular, though his exposed arms showed - like Saturos’ had - a knack for swordsmanship rather than something like hard labor. Despite that, though, he had no sword at his belt, or visible sheathed weapon of any kind. That didn’t mean much, considering the sort Charlotte usually dealt with, but it was something of note. The slender, unassuming consultant was the more likely of the two to hide her weaponry - men built like him usually displayed their weapon of choice openly, as if to show what they had and to assure they were capable of using it.
The stranger also would have looked like he was born and raised Lycian if it weren’t for the shape of his eyes, which made her think somehow this fair-skinned man might hail from Sacae instead, potentially a northern tribe closer to the mountains. Odd, but again something of note, as it would mean he was familiar with a different kind of swordsmanship - he would be quick on his feet, which if things went sour, would bode badly for Charlotte. She was fast, but she didn’t know if she was as fit as the man she looked over.
His friend, on the other hand, was clearly armed by the way he had his cloak wrapped around him. She couldn’t see the bulge of the blade or the glint of the hilt, but it wasn’t so frigid that a cloak covering him completely was needed. He seemed too confused to really be a threat, though, so she wasn’t too worried. Sure, he had a blade, but Charlotte also had a few dozen ways to disarm him if he decided to take a swing. Granted, she wouldn’t let the encounter get to that point, but she needed to have her bases covered to keep from getting hurt.
But back to the man who’d actually addressed her. “Not sure we have.” Charlotte grinned, a hint of mischievousness behind her big blue eyes. “Believe me, I’d remember being acquainted with someone as good-looking as you.”
She took just a few steps closer to the brown, shaggy haired man but turned towards the fountain, gazing lazily at it for a moment before peeking over her shoulder at him. “Honestly, it’s no imposition on me; just some friendly advice since you don’t look like you’re from around here.”
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Post by Tiz on May 25, 2015 18:19:06 GMT -6
Tiz smirked, trying to hide the smile that was spreading across his lips. He had met this type before, though something seemed a bit more untamed with this one. He wasn't sure whether or not he was safe, but something alluring about the woman made him feel both at ease, but also on edge. Perhaps combat wouldn't ensue, Tiz thought, but still, something about the way she looked him over, the way she spoke... These were the soft, silvery words of someone who often dealt with people much more manipulative and motivated than he was. Maybe she was an information broker, Tiz thought, or a smuggler. The way she walked and the way she spoke told him that this was a woman with experience-- of what kind, Tiz was unsure. The fact that he was unarmed made him a little worried, because he couldn't tell if she had anything on her, but if push came to shove he could probably dodge and disarm pretty well. If he needed to. He still wasn't sure if he did.
Honestly, he wasn't sure of much, other than the fact that he needed to be wary of his words and not be overcome by how beautiful he thought she was. "Hmph," he said, turning towards her and she looked towards the fountain. "Such kind words. Do all the guys get to hear that line?" He was mostly playful, because he thought that if she had some ulterior motive, she would begin with something disarming. But he had dealt with that kind, too, and until he knew how sincere she was, he would be sure to be on his guard. Tiz lightly placed on of his hands on his hip. "Advice, yeah? I'm ready."
He was from around here, but she didn't need to know that. Not yet. This woman was a mystery, and normally he didn't like mysteries, but he was curious. Maybe it was her red garb, maybe it was her spectacular physique, maybe it was his general interest in people, but he knew this encounter was of a special kind. Tiz covered his jaw with a hand, feeling pensive. He really did hope this woman didn't spell trouble. But why was she out here? He had to be sure he found out. This girl wasn't from around here, that much he knew.
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Isaac Errek
Mercenary
Posts: 17
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Wolfbane
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Post by Isaac Errek on May 25, 2015 19:24:30 GMT -6
The man that had been playing in the fountain turned around as if he was surprised, and Issac was sure he was. For a spilt second he thought he saw suspicion in his eyes, and Isaac thought he's just gonna tell me to back off, but then his expression became a much more friendly one. Suddenly the man introduced himself as Tiz and stuck his hand out to be shaken. Isaac was slightly surprised that there are some friendly people in this city. He reluctantly stuck out his own hand to shake Tiz's. The man had a good, hard girp. "Nice to meet you Tiz. I am known as Isaac." He listened to the man explain himself, then ask if there was anything wrong. "Yes, there is something wrong. I have been seeking a inn to stay in for the night, but they have all been closed. Could you direct me to one that is still open?" Isaac asked.
Isaac saw motion out of the corner of his eye and quickly turned his head, only to see a blond headed woman emerging from a alley way. He'd inherited his father's eyesight, the one good thing he'd gotten from the bas****. The woman stayed at a safe distance, which Isaac noted was wise of her. She was certainly one of the more beautiful woman he'd seen on his travels that's for sure. Tiz asked if they had met before, and she said they hadn't. She stalked forward towards tiz, and said he seemed that he wasn't from around here. Was she...flirting? He glanced at tiz...he had the air of a sacen. Isaac stepped back to let them have their conversation, he was ready to intervene if either tried anything.
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Post by Charlotte on May 25, 2015 20:32:59 GMT -6
“Just the ones who actually are,” the blonde teased in response to the wet man, looking back over her shoulder again with the same impish grin. She didn’t feel the need to mention that compliments like that only came for free when she meant them; even if it was true, most didn’t take kindly to someone who threw around empty compliments. But in her line of work it was essential, especially with those who held the purse strings. The ones who doled out the coin liked to be built up, and Charlotte more than often obliged if they provided her with respect. She had to eat, after all, and Charlotte didn’t settle for just any old meal.
For a moment Charlotte rested a hand on her hip, listening to the trickle of the fountain that filled the small courtyard before turning back to face the handsome stranger and his friend after he asked for her advice. “Well, I overheard your friend here asking for a place to stay,” she said, referencing a small bit of their conversation she’d overheard before she approached the pair. “There’s a tavern slash inn about three blocks east of here, right next to the cooper’s place. Just knock on the back door and tell them Myscha sent you. As long as they have a free bed, they’ll let you stay.”
The kindness she was extending to the stranger was rare for Charlotte, especially since she usually reserved extending the perks she’d gained with some of the businesses in town for herself and her clients. But considering the kindness that had been extended to her by a certain Etrurian as of late, the consultant felt the odd need to “pay it forward,” or something ridiculous like that. Granted, she also wanted to show she wasn’t the threat the pair of them believed her to be. She didn’t want any sort of conflict just as much as them; she’d had enough of that in the Isles for the next few months.
Looking back to the damp-haired man, she smiled. “And normally after two pieces of advice I’d charge, but I like you,” she teased, her other hand moving to rest on her hip as she leaned slightly to the right. “You should keep your hair that way, it’s a good look on you.” Not practical advice, of course, but Charlotte was in a playful, light-hearted mood tonight. And besides, she really did find the stranger was attractive. She’d have moved her hand to ruffle the wet locks if he wasn’t on guard like he was.
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Post by Tiz on May 25, 2015 20:46:57 GMT -6
Tiz laughed, folding his arms, walking a little closer both to her and his new cloaked friend by the fountain. "Yeah, and something tells me you meet those kinds of guys often. Just a hunch." He winked at her. His lowered his guard a bit, enough to make sure she knew that he wasn't going to attack her or anything. Not that Tiz could do much damage without his weapon, of course, but appearances were important.
Looking back towards Isaac, Tiz nodded in response. "Yeah, uh, and if for some reason that doesn't work, I actually live next to an inn on the street over. The guy knows me pretty well-- I can vouch for you, but I would have to do it in person. But I'd be happy to." Tiz flashed Isaac a smile. He wasn't sure he could trust a cloaked man in the night, but he seemed relatively harmless, and Tiz was always good about giving people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he could make some new friends. These two seemed fair enough. He was still confused about the woman, though...
The young man laughed, relaxed, at the woman's comment. "Oh yeah, that so? Well, I guess if you say so, looks like I'll have to stay wet from now on." He tussled his hair a bit, shaking some of the last loose droplets of water out of it, then stretched his entire frame. He was getting tired, and the night was getting long. He turned towards the woman, about to ask for her name, and then something caught his eye. His eyes narrowed, becoming a bit more wild, almost afraid, as he looked past the blonde woman's hair.
"This... may not end well."
As he spoke, he saw three cloaked figures approaching. Brutish and large, these men were chuckling deeply, and one of them was brandishing an axe. The other two might have been armed, but if they were, they were concealed. All of their hoods were up. Tiz reached instinctively for his blade, right were it would be, and yet he was without it. He gritted his teeth and grunted. He could handle disarming one, MAYBE two, but he couldn't fight them-- not here-- and not alone. Would these new friends, Tiz thought, come through for him? Were either of them even armed? He became afraid. Laus wasn't known to have a bandit problem. Is that what these men were? Or were they hired by someone? What was going on?
Then, one of them spoke, the axe-brandisher. "Well, well, well. Looka this, boys! A little late to be out here, don't you think?" They hadn't made a move yet, but seemed menacing. Tiz looked over to the woman, and back to Isaac, wondering what to do. He parted his legs, taking a defensive stance.
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Post by Charlotte on May 27, 2015 12:02:23 GMT -6
A velvet-smooth chuckle slipped through the smirk Charlotte wore as her handsome friend teased her, and almost instantly his body language softened overall. The man was becoming more comfortable with the strange woman who had approached him, which meant Charlotte was succeeding in her attempt to not pose herself as a threat. She didn’t see the need for double-talk or acting like she was on the job tonight; besides, the blonde deserved a break.
It was kind of the damp-haired stranger to also extend his helping hand to the fiery-haired traveler. More notable to Charlotte, though, was her new friend admitting he lived nearby. She was intrigued that she hadn’t crossed paths with him before, even just in passing. Her small residence was only a stone’s throw from here, and she frequented the district, so much so that she usually recognized even just passersby. So how come she didn’t recognize him?
Returning the man’s joyous chortle with a laugh of her own, Charlotte focused fully on his features as he turned to her, seemingly to ask something. But of course, his features twisted to a look that could only mean he’d seen something – or someone – and whatever it was, it didn’t look good. So the consultant turned, pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes as she spotted the three hefty, cloaked brigands approaching, all sporting expressions that said they would not be simply passing through the courtyard tonight. Damn, these kinds of ruffians weren’t usually stalking around this area, so why now?
Charlotte did not return the stranger’s glance, her eyes instead trained on the three newcomers. She crossed her arms, unnoticeably resting her hand on the small hilt of an iron dagger hidden beneath her shirt. The blonde had no intention of using it if she didn’t have to, but seeing the man already openly wielding his axe made her want the security of knowing it was ready for her to pull if something went wrong.
“For some, certainly, though we appreciate your concern,” the woman purred in response, adjusting her tone to be as non-threatening as possible. Shifting her left foot back a few inches, she silently noted their paths of exit – the path she and the other men used to enter the courtyard, an alley just to the left of the red-haired man, and a stack of boxes that could be used to run to the roof. Not the greatest options, but if things went sour and her two new friends weren’t up to the task, Charlotte had to be ready to make her escape.
“But we certainly don’t wish to impose on your nightly patrol, gentlemen, so my friends and I will gladly be on our way and allow you full reign of the courtyard.” Charlotte considered making a move for one of the paths, but she decided to stay rooted. Since the other two men flanking the man with the axe hadn’t revealed their cards yet, she had no idea what kind of weaponry they might be hiding from view.
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Post by Tiz on May 27, 2015 12:30:52 GMT -6
Tiz flashed the woman a mischievous smile. This was fun. It was rare he got to enjoy himself like this-- it seemed to him that at every turn there was someone else ready to do him some harm. And, to be fair, there very well could be, with these three men here. Tiz sensed that something was off, though. He had lived in Laus for going on six years... He hadn't had problems like this before. Something was wrong.
The red-clad woman looked like she could handle herself, and she spoke in a way that made her seem capable, although her first response, quite simply, was to surrender. Not that Tiz assumed they would be fighting, but the circumstances seemed to indicate trouble. Tiz had a knack for finding trouble, lighthearted as he was. All of this for wanting to come play out in a fountain like a small child... well, he had learned his lesson. He probably wouldn't be doing this again, unless it meant the red-clad woman would come back. Tiz grinned at his potential enemies as they approached and spoke, listening quietly as Charlotte tried to excuse them. Though unarmed, Tiz had other plans. He wasn't going to let this slide. There was too much mystery for his tastes.
"Now hold on just a second-- this is MY home, and I like this fountain! Can't a guy just hang out and have some fun?" Tiz offered his arms, palms up, toward the men. If they were as reckless as they looked, it wouldn't be hard to deal with disarming one or a few of them. He did know, however, that he needed to be careful, as he was completely unarmed.
His gaze stiffened, his smile faded, and his eyes grew fixed upon the front man. "Laus isn't known for its bandits. You don't look like some common rabble. So come on, play with me. Who are you? What's your--" he was stopped, and his eyes widened. The axe-wielder was upon him rapidly, with a speed that almost matched his own. Tiz was barely able to dodge by stepping back, leaning his weight on the balls of his feet so he had the upper hand in inertia when he countered. But the man hadn't left him room to counter, weapon or not. He came quickly with a second strike, and Tiz had to duck to evade it. He tried to sweep kick the axe-wielder to knock him off balance, but it didn't work. His legs were too thick, which said something, since Tiz's strongest muscles were in his legs. The axe came down swiftly, a third time, and Tiz rolled over on the ground as its iron blade sunk into the cobblestone with an evil crunch. No, these were not ordinary bandits.
With great haste, Tiz rose to his feet and charged the axe-wielder. The axe came across horizontally, preventing Tiz from side-stepping around it. He leapt up, barely missing the blade, and came down with his left foot right on the man's ankle. He dropped the axe, but jumped to the side to avoid any further mishap. The axe lay between the man and Tiz now. The brown-haired swordsman became worried. This man's skill and speed were not like common ruffians. Were these assassins? And if so, why? And for whom?
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Post by Charlotte on May 27, 2015 21:09:52 GMT -6
Turning her head and lowering her gaze, Charlotte bit her bottom lip as she silently cursed her sodden friend. The way he was speaking to them, it was as if the man wanted a conflict with these brutes, something Charlotte presumed would end poorly. He’d come off as territorial while at the same time making it clear he was unarmed, which told the men he wasn’t a threat, at least as much as he would be with a blade in his hand. The blonde sighed softly as she refocused her gaze just in time for the ringleader of the band of merry men to lunge forward.
Almost immediately Charlotte dashed to the side, only to find that the two side-men were charging at her and the red-haired fellow. Well, at least they were making this one-on-one; that was something the woman could handle. Charlotte didn’t draw her dagger yet, instead sidestepping the ugly rapscallion who had made a grab for her neck. Lucky for her, his wide movement had pushed his cloak back, revealing his armaments. Four small throwing daggers were sheathed on a ratty looking belt crossing his chest, and on his hip there were another four, also accompanied by two slightly longer, hilted daggers. Good, it didn’t look like there was anything larger on his person. Dagger and knives, she could deal with.
With the other two brigands occupied, Charlotte’s full focus was on dodging and disarming the man in front of her. He lunged at her while drawing one of his daggers, so the thief quickly dodged under his arm, throwing a kick out to the back of his knee. As he stumbled forward slightly, the woman brought her elbow down into the small of his back, causing him to throw out a howl of pain as he swung around, his blade cutting through the air and making contact with Charlotte’s arm. She hissed but ignored the injury, drawing her own dagger as she saw an opportunity to slash at the belt across the man’s chest, sending four of his eight knives clattering to the ground. When the man bent to try and grab them, he was instead met with a knee to the nose just before Charlotte kicked the belt away. Charlotte ‘tch’ed disappointedly. Amateur.
Still, he was moving quickly, much quicker and a bit smarter than the average back-alley mugger. It didn’t make sense why they’d be wasting their time and resources on a few ambling souls in the mercantile district. These weren’t men sent by the Bishop, were they? No, they couldn’t be; agents from the Bishop would be much more deadly than these men, and better equipped. Besides, Saturos had mentioned pulling a few strings after the… deal the two of them had made. If the men had found her this quickly, then Saturos wasn’t as good of an agent as Charlotte had been led to believe.
All of those fleeting thoughts flew through Charlotte’s mind as she tussled with the man, doing her best to keep from having to actually use her blade for its intended, lethal purpose. She’d stunned the man fairly well with the knee to his nose, which now had blood steadily streaming from it. Still, it was only a moment before he charged her again, grabbing at her waist to try and send her to the ground.
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Post by Tiz on May 28, 2015 6:07:43 GMT -6
Tiz was in a predicament-- of this, he was now certain. The axe-wielder had gotten his weapon back. Dodging blow after blow, only managing to get nicked here and there very lightly, Tiz knew he was fighting someone with military experience. He had been in the Lycian League too long to miss distinguishing common bandits from trained military personnel, or at least, someone with fighting experience and practice. These weren't ordinary thugs. They didn't attack like ordinary thugs, and their weapons were nicer than those of common street hustlers. Something was very wrong here... Tiz wondered if it was either of his companions that these men were after. He bit his lip, continuing to move out of the way.
The battle was much like a dance. With every step back, Tiz used the weight and pressure from his feet, dancing back further and further, to jump backwards on the balls of his feet. Every axe swing seemed faster than the last, and every dodge Tiz made left him open for another hit that seemed to come almost immediately. This speed was unnerving. It wasn't too much for him-- yet-- but without a weapon, it would be a dancing game until he could get some help from someone. "Oh yeah, you wanna play?" Tiz cooed, coaxing the man attacking him to be more reckless. He thought maybe if he could anger him, he could get the man to lower his guard and come at him with more power and less accuracy. That, he could handle.
But his plan was not working nearly as well as he hoped. The axe-wielding man seemed to smile, and attacked harder, with yet more speed. "Woah, woah," Tiz said, side-stepping to the left, spinning his body around as the follow-through with the axe came. He used his natural inertia to keep himself constantly in motion, moving like water, to avoid the axe. He was quick and light on his feet, but somehow, his opponent seemed to know exactly what he was doing... Even though his dodging, Tiz's movements seemed to be almost... anticipated by this man. Could it be? No...
The axe came down vertically faster than any of the other attacks, and Tiz leapt quickly to the side to avoid it, grabbing the shaft of the axe right below the blade, and holding it there. He locked his feet around the feet of his opponent, trapping him, lest he let go of his weapon to free himself, but become disarmed like Tiz. The young, empty-handed swordsman grunted. "This is nice.. and intimate..." he said through gritted teeth. "I've always wanted to be up close and personal with a street thug..."
"STREET THUG!" The man shouted, furious, kicking Tiz's legs out of the way, pushing him, sending the man flying backwards and into the ground, rolling once. Tiz was up on his feet and barely recovered before the axe came down again. Wait... he knew this. He knew this style. The axe came faster and faster, and Tiz, flowing like water, dodged left, right, back, trying his best to get the upper hand in some way. Even disarming his opponent didn't mean much if he couldn't separate the man from his axe for longer than a few seconds. He was also growing tired-- without a weapon, with this much expressive and demanding movement-- Tiz couldn't go on for much longer without needing a break. This man was fast... and powerful. He felt that he hadn't faced a man so large who was also so fast, except...
"Dak?" Tiz asked, quietly. The large, hooded man stopped moving for just a moment, as if someone had hit him on the back of the head, but then charged forward, yelling angrily. This was it-- his opening was there. Tiz lurched forward with great speed, moving just past the blade of the axe as it came down recklessly. Tiz placed himself behind the man, sliding in a half circle around the brute, and then sent his arm forward, between the other man's side and right arm, which was holding the axe. Tiz grabbed at his wrist, and using the energy created from the man's axe swing, he sent him flying into the ground, pulling backwards as the man flew forwards and into the ground, causing the axe to be let go of.
"GIVE IT BACK, COWARD!" The man shouted. Yes, Tiz knew his voice. Dak Lasser, an old military pal. They had served together in Ostia right as it was destroyed. The battles and the destruction had been hard on them both... But they had been friends! Why was he attacking? And why had he brought friends?
Tiz jumped backwards as the man came clumsily for his axe. This time a bit more angry, Dak came at Tiz with the might and fury of what the Lycian League had taught them both. Tiz grew tired quickly, getting hit only mildly here and there across his body. With no weapon, he would surely die. "Dak," Tiz said through the fighting. "Dak, come on, let's talk about this! I have no idea what's going on, but this doesn't really seem like a proper hello, don't you--"
Dak used Tiz's speech to catch him off guard. With brute force, Dak strongarmed Tiz right in the gut, right where he wouldn't have seen it coming from his left arm under the cloak. Tiz felt the air leave his stomach, and the attack sent him flying back, off balance, into the ground. He couldn't land on his feet, and he hit the ground, rolling a few times. Coughing, he got to his feet as quickly as he could, but the axe wielder was upon him... Without any help, Tiz might lose his life in this next attack. He closed his eyes, thinking of home.
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Post by Charlotte on May 28, 2015 11:57:23 GMT -6
As soon as the man made contact with Charlotte’s middle, the thief let her body fall limp as they crashed into the cobblestone ground together. Charlotte’s right shoulder hit the ground first, a spike of pain shooting through her arm and causing her to cry out. But she didn’t have time to lament over the pulsing hurt, instead bringing her knee up as hard as she could into the man’s stomach. Maybe they weren’t “professionals” in the sense that the blonde was used to, but they certainly were trained to keep fighting even after they’d been downed. It was a military mindset, but Charlotte hadn’t the slightest why the league would have soldiers patrolling the streets this late at night. Then again, it was Laus.
Thankfully for her, though, the brigand who was tangling with her seemed to be losing his focus, loosening his grip on Charlotte’s waist just long enough for her to roll away from him, sending her booted heel again into the man’s nose. The man swore loudly, his hands clasping as his now surely broken nose and eyes tearing profusely. Charlotte jumped to her feet, and as soon as her combatant tried to stumble to his knees she quickly responded with a strong elbow jab to the back of his neck. The man went limp and felt back flat to the ground, unmoving with blood pouring from his nose. He was only unconscious, but it provided Charlotte enough time to run.
The others were still tussling, though, and as soon as Charlotte turned she saw her handsome stranger friend rolling across the ground, trying to react to the bulky axe-wielder who clearly had the advantage as he charged the downed man. With the fiery-haired man still occupying the last of the attackers, Charlotte had a clear escape she could make with no consequence to herself. She could get out with just a nick on her arm and a sore right arm, and go back to her home and forget all about this.
Charlotte didn’t know if it was because she’d been shown so much kindness by the most unlikely of strangers as of late, or if she was just becoming soft, because she frustratedly realized she couldn’t just bail on her fountain-diving friend. “Damn it!” the blonde exclaimed before dashing to the throwing knife belt that had been disposed of on the ground, quickly grabbing two with her right and throwing them towards the charging man. They missed, of course, Charlotte realizing her throwing aim was awful. So iron dagger still in hand, she charged at the man from behind, jumping onto his back and stabbing the short blade as hard as she could into his right bicep, as non-lethal but painful a place as she could reach. Releasing her grip on the blade, Charlotte braced to be thrown from the man while hoping she’d bought her wet-haired friend enough time to regain his footing.
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