Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 16:03:58 GMT -6
The mottled sunlight streamed through the foliage overhead lent the world around him a sort of patchwork quality, a distinct but incoherent pattern of light and shadow. It was a lonely but alluring view that Asura could appreciate. He wasn't much for art, but the sublime was something that stirred the soul; a reminder that even in a world of unending bloodshed, something he knew far better than most, there was still beauty to be found. Sometimes it paid to slow down and smell the roses. It wasn't like he was in any particular hurry, anyways. His quarry would find him or he would find it.
But the emptiness of the road was a tell-tale sign of exactly why he was here. Yes, Tuscana wasn't an especially large or thriving city, especially given the recent developments in the city, and yes, this was a fairly small trade route - but there ought to be at least the occasional traveler. But the last half hour of his casual stroll had been completely uninterrupted by humanity, and that in turn brought them to the crux of the problem: the fact that a small group of highwaymen had taken up residence here, driving off business and causing even further harm to the tenuous existence of the nearby village. Without trade, it would cease to be tenable entirely in short order. As a result, they were paying decently for a solution to the problem - which was why he was here.
That, and he could always use the practice. Asura's lips quirked just a tiny bit at the edges, a wry smile slain in its infancy by the dark forces of edge. Turns out completely reinventing your combat style was harder than it sounded. Whodathunk? He had the physical strength to wield the blade effectively, but it was clear he was missing... something, and the blade itself held the key. But what was the lock? It was a puzzle that would take time to solve. In the meantime, he kept his senses on edge, thoroughly alert without appearing especially so - just another traveler, a swordsman wandering down a path he shouldn't.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 20:43:37 GMT -6
"Uh huh huh, so do I have the job or what?"
"Pah, weren't you listening lass? Some swordsman's already on his way. If he's any good he'll have mopped up those dastards and'll be on his way back with the-"
Yeah, Katsumi didn't wind up listening to the rest of that man's prattling. She knew where the job was, knew what path this "swordsman" would likely take, so instead she took action and sprinted out of the tavern. A small part of her wanted to take it easy on the way to the job. Small group of highwaymen screwing around on some dirt road? It sounded...easy enough. She'd taken on multiple men at once before.
Didn't exactly end on the best of notes, but she survived. That had to count for something.
However Kat didn't exactly want to run all the way there and wind up at the scene out of breath, so once she was out of sight from the town she slowed her sprint to a halt. Thank Father Cloud and Mother Dirt for her strong legs. Sacaen pride and all that. Once she caught her breath she started to walk, briskly, down the dirt road. She could hear birds chirping clear as day, no sound of any footsteps or carts or horses or anything.
This road looked to be the main road, so either it was a slow day or the highwaymen developed such a reputation that nobody was bothering to stroll down it. Hm, if they were such an issue she'd have to think a bit more about her situation. Not to mention she'd have to factor in the...wait a minute...ah hah.
"Yo, old timer." All she saw, a bit further down the road, was what looked to be a white haired man...hell, Sacaen from the look of his attire, and sure enough he had a sword. Was this really the swordsman that accepted the job? Some old Sacaen geezer. "You the guy that sneaked off with my job? You sure you ought to be doing risky stuff like this? Don't you have grand-kids waiting for you back home?" It likely wasn't in her best interest to jest with an armed stranger, but...from her minimal experience, that's what mercenaries in Lycia did all the time!
Katsumi approached the man confidently, though not with any ill-will or intent to attack, smirking at her own japes.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 21:12:21 GMT -6
Asura heard the woman coming some time before her greeting, initially assuming it was just a traveler - he wasn't familiar with many bandits who were actually stupid enough to alert their prey to their presence. He had some experience with lowlives using women to lure others into traps and the like, but a small group like that was likely not going to have the reach to know of his arrival or the resources to do so - they sounded like a thoroughly unprofessional, small-time outfit who had only succeeded so far because no one important cared about what happened in the backwater of Tuscana, and even the lord of Tuscana had holed himself up in his town rather than handle the unrest plaguing his territory.
So while it certainly looked like he might not have noticed her until she started speaking and approaching, it was more that he had simply written her off as irrelevant. Or maybe 'harmless' was the nicer way of saying it, but it was fair to say that the Indra had never exactly been big on minceing words, and he didn't particularly plan on breaking the tradition. If she hadn't announced her interest in the bounty, he probably would have ignored her entirely. It wasn't that he was adverse to working with others by any means, but he had hoped to get this out of the way quickly and simply; no need to bring his misfortune to the undeserving. With that plan thoroughly dashed though, it was time for plan be.
As the unnamed woman approached him, Asura turned deliberately, the tail end of the scabbard of his massive nodachi slicing through the air behind him, spearing her with his gaze. It wasn't actually an attempt to look intimidating, he was just a pretty intense individual who had been either blessed or cursed, depending on perspective, to look like that. Young. Sacaen? She appeared to have a weapon slung over her back, probably a sword or hatchet of some sort, likely a sword, they were usually the safe bet. "Seems I've gone senile in my old age." His expression remained completely unchanged, but there was something approaching a twinkle in his eyes, a sort of reserved amusement that was the most expression he generally allowed himself. He continued a little more pointedly, not exactly reproaching her, but with an element of challenge. "For some reason, I thought I had accepted the job first." Asura wasn't angry or annoyed in the least, he generally had thick skin and could deal with insults and implications alike without issue, but he didn't particularly like being underestimated either. Call it a warrior's pride, Sacaen stupidity, or simple hubris, but he wasn't about to let her walk over him.
Even if she had been clearly joking, which certainly kept things from getting out of hand. His piece said, Asura recognized that he was unlikely to be left to his own devices for the job, and didn't bother mourning it. He finished with somewhat of an olive branch to signal the fact that he didn't intend to actually be difficult - though what the girl took from it was up to her, and he wasn't especially concerned if she wanted to get offended over something meaningless. "Some company might make the walk more pleasant, though."
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 21:41:17 GMT -6
For all her relative naivete, even the bits of her Katsumi herself was aware of, the Sacaen DID have strong instincts and enough wit to keep her alive since her exile. Her instincts were strong and quick, the kind that told her to throw an elbow to the throat the moment she was disarmed in a spar. The kind that let her survive a late night bandit raid even when she was outnumbered. The kind that let her take calculated, and sometimes not-so calculated, risks and let her live to brag or regret them. Kat could, always had, and likely always WOULD trust those instincts.
But damn, if they could sometimes steer her in the wrong freaking direction. If the man was an old grandpa than he was the foxiest grandpa she'd ever laid eyes on.
The man had turned round to face her, and he was definitely Sacaen, but...yeah, he sure as hell was no grandpa. No wrinkles to be found there, just sharp features and an intense expression. It made her blood rush, triggered her adrenaline a bit, and she nearly bent her knees a bit in a ready stance. Yet while he spoke straight and with confidence, he didn't seem aggressive. Hell he actually had some humor to him, dry as it was.
Humor. From a good looking Sacaen. The best looking one's she'd seen back home were always all bow, sword, and horse with little else to them.
Unfortunately he had made a solid point in her argument, though it had been a joke. He definitely accepted the job first. So Kat chuckled and smirked a bit, shrugging. "Ah, yeah, you do have a point there." She uh, wasn't going to bother pointing out her error in her age. Hell she was just glad she didn't blush easy. Even better, the man seemed open to "company", but that wasn't all Katsumi was here for. "And while I can assure you my company is like a blessing from the Grass Mom herself, I don't give it away for free. I'm thinking we clear out the scum together, or at least take half each."
Just to make sure she got business out of the way, she walked ahead of the swordsman and smirked at him over her shoulder. He wanted to play the strong man here? Fine, but she wasn't the type to back down so easily either. "We got a deal?"
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 22:07:33 GMT -6
"Half." The Indra clan survivor raised an eyebrow at her choice of words, bemused but not insulting. It was hard to tell if she was just full of herself or actually capable enough to gauge herself as being able to take on half of the group. She was a mix of soft and hard that exemplified the wild cards; the kind of mercs who were either damn good at their job or really shitty, and outside of testing them directly beforehand, which both kinds would definitely take offense to, there oftentimes simply wasn't an easy way to know. She appeared to be physically fit, but the lack of armor... or clothing in general... took them right back to the starting point - idiot or confident.
He supposed it didn't really matter. If there were more bandits than the two or three he had been given to expect, she might be a useful distraction if nothing else. He'd just have to make sure she didn't get herself killed if she turned out to be incompetent. And there was no value in needlessly antagonizing an ally. Asura might not exactly be a people person, but he'd done enough mercenary work to know that it was better if the person who supposedly had your back didn't hate you. Besides, he generally liked to be on positive or neutral working relations with people on general. There was enough negativity in the world without adding to it meaninglessly; it didn't cost him anything to pretend to be a decent person, and who knew, maybe it'd have some benefit in the future.
The overall train of thought since the single uttered word had been quite quick, and Asura continued after only a short pause to give a slight edge to his repetition of her claim. "I'll look forwards to your performance, then. Name's Asura. Pleasure to work with you." While she wasn't particularly odious, in personality or on the eyes, the Sacaen swordsman turned back in the direction he'd been moving, though a bit less abruptly this time in order to make sure he didn't accidentally wing her with the sheathed blade - it was held midway at his side so it didn't extend out anywhere near its full length, but some people weren't smart enough to keep a few feet of distance between them and a blunt object. That done, he resumed walking, speaking as he went. "Let's keep moving. The sooner we clear the route, the better."
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 22:25:21 GMT -6
The man's tone was difficult to read, though frankly Katsumi was used to that. Even if he wasn't so strained on the inside that he actually had a sense of humor the man, no doubt, came from the standard Sacaen background. Strict, rigid, firm. The only time you could really read the expressions of an average Sacaen was if they were pissed off at you, which you were supposed to be okay with because they "never lied". It was horse crap, but she was perfectly adjusted to it. The man did not outright look down on her, even if he was skeptical, so Kat could work with what she was given.
"Yeah, half. From what I hear the group was supposed to be small." Katsumi may not have let her client finish speaking, but she paid good attention to the first bit. You know, the bit that mattered, concerning job details and intel and whatnot. It was not the size of the group she was unsure of, however, but the quality. Regardless she wasn't going to let herself appear worried. Not to her impromptu ally and sure as hell not to the brigands themselves.
...Even so, she wasn't about to suddenly get so tense and serious now. From the looks of things he'd have that bit covered for the both of them. She stretched her arms up in the air, letting her upper body limber and loosen up a bit, before smirking once again. "The group better be small, at least, or I think we'll have grounds to depend a higher pay."
Always end on a joke. From what she'd experienced that's what the mercs in Lycia did. It wasn't that she wanted to be exactly like them, getting hammered and pinching the asses of some poor barmaids, but she rather enjoyed the air around them. Not entirely carefree, but significantly less restrained than the Sacaens she knew back home. She'd been punished, condemned, and worse for acting in such a manner back there. Out here, though, she could act however the hell she wanted.
Either way, her partner had introduced himself. His name was Asura. Not a bad name by any means, and he was quick to get on the move once again. "But yeah, well met Asura. Name's Kat...Katsumi." She'd been introducing herself as Kat to the Lycians, not that she hated her Sacaen name or anything, but she figured she may as well toss the full thing out there for him.
It was then that Katsumi noticed the sheer length of the sword at his hip. A nodachi? Huh, she only ever saw those from the larger, invading tribes. Nobody in her tribe wielded them. Swordsmanship wasn't exactly her favourite thing, but at least a nodachi brought some variety. "And I'm looking forward to seeing you at work, if you're any good with that big-ass sword." Another jest, at least it was intended to be such.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 23:28:38 GMT -6
Small, eh? It didn't bother him any more than the job description, but then that had bothered him a fair bit. 'A few.' 'Two or three.' 'Small group' Asura didn't like vagueness like that. He could work with it - you kinda had to in order to be a merc - but that didn't mean he had to like it, dammit. 'Small' could mean all kinds of things, and when it was just one or two people against a group, even the difference between two and three foes could be lethal, to say nothing of a full on ambush.
"Two or three men, according to witnesses." Asura snorted in undisguised displeasure. A few! "So expect at least four, all armed, and at least two who know what they're doing." It was a good rule of thumb to always prepare for the worst, if only because reality was usually even worse than that. There wasn't a great deal of feedback on what sort of weapons the highwaymen used or how skilled they were with them - by and large merchants weren't dumb enough to take on a couple armed men with a purse and a donkey. They also weren't rich enough to hire an actual guard; the reward for this job had been pooled together by multiple villagers and merchants, and he still hadn't decided if he was going to take his share at all. They probably needed it more than him.
Kat or Katsumi, eh? That was an interesting divide. She didn't really strike him as the prototypical Sacaen... more of a rebel, to the system that created her. But what did he know? Asura knew he was in no position to judge, and in the end, people's pasts were their business, not his. The same went in reverse of course. It didn't really matter if she was a Sacaen princess or an Etrurian sellsword, as long as she was half decent with a sword and didn't try to jam it through his heart, they weren't likely to have any real problems.
...He'd never heard of the Demon Blade referred to as a 'big ass sword,' though, and Asura looked askance of her blankly for a moment before looking down at the blade at his side. Well, it wasn't inaccurate, anyways. And privately speaking, he was a lot happier having people make light of it than fear it. He'd spent most of his life around people terrified of the weapon, and then the damn thing had saved his life and turned out to be a pretty good partner - so in a way he was almost a bit protective of it. "It's certainly difficult to practice iaijutsu with," he agreed conversationally (for him - it was a work in progress) after a moment. Perhaps someday he'd be able to work his preferred sword style back into his combat, but for now, once he unsheathed the sword, it stayed out.
"You're a sword user as well." It was more of a statement than a question - Asura didn't care much to question the obvious - but it was also his... limited move towards trying to at least act personable and give her an in to talk about herself if she wanted. Or not. He didn't mind silence, but didn't think he was likely to get much with her around.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 23:50:13 GMT -6
Asura was quick to put specifics to the job ahead of them. Kat didn't really mind, she had roughly assumed there would be four, but she didn't go much deeper than that. He suggested for her to prepare for four with two being actual threats, however. She doubted he had any more information to go off of than she did, so he was planning based off a hunch or as a "just in case" measure. Cautious...which made sense. He was a sellsword, yeah? Carefree off the job, but only because they have to be just as sharp as their blades ON the job.
"Four, huh? Two strong, two average or weak. These villagers must have it rough if just four armed men could shut down a whole road." Nah, more than that. LYCIA was a mess, or at least Tuscana, if this was an actual issue. Wasn't Lycia supposed to be known for their mounted knights and archers? You'd think some stupid brigands would be easy pickings, but even Kat knew better. Those stories of monsters roaming the woods were likely a big part of the problem. If that was the case, and she was to believe tavern gossip she'd picked up, then many knights and trained soldiers were probably busy fighting back monsters. Too busy to waste resources and time on some basic bandit scum.
Tch, now SHE was getting ahead of herself. There wasn't that much of a need to prepare in advance. They only had vague details about the brigands, and why the hell did she care about the state of Tuscana? They'd handle the brigands when they found them. Until then she ought to enjoy the company of her handsome comrade. Who knows when she'd run into a guy like this again?
But of course, hot nor not, he was a Sacaen man. Bound by his sword. Married to his sword. Could only relate THROUGH his sword...heh, that one wouldn't be so bad, but regardless the topic wound up on swords. Perhaps even funnier was that, after mentioning iaijutsu, he commented on her use of the sword.
Rather than give away the fact that she couldn't QUITE remember exactly which style of sword based combat iaijutsu was, she instead snorted at his second remark, grinning up at the man. "Yeah I use a sword, but I'm not exactly refined with it or anything. Honestly I'm better at throwing a good punch than swinging a sword." That wasn't just a bold statement either. She wouldn't bother going TOO in-depth describing the hand-to-hand combat she'd learned and...modified, mostly because she didn't quite come up with a name for it yet. In time she figured it'd be uniquely hers, but unfortunately she still needed to rely on a sword for a while longer yet.
"But I'm not stupid. I still make use of swords because of the range advantage and yadda yadda it has over my fists...and because neither my fists or legs are metal or bladed."
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2016 0:19:47 GMT -6
"Tuscana is in poor shape. With the capitol closed off entirely and its lord cowering behind its walls..." He didn't need to finish the sentence, nor did the venom dripping off his words need any explanation. Unless Kat was actually physically incapable of noticing anything, she knew the situation as well as he did. It was difficult to miss when traveling through the territory. Tuscana's army had not completely abandoned them, but the lord's cowardice was costing his country greatly, and the remaining knights and mercenaries were enormously overwhelmed by the myriad problems grasping their home. He didn't understand or care about politics that much, but Asura generally found that he disliked them almost as much as the fools who lived in that world. They paid well, so he kept his thoughts to himself, but rare indeed was the lord or lady within whom he actually found anything resembling respect for their fellow man.
Kat's answer was intriguing though, and certainly made for solid conversation fuel. He commented neutrally with his assessment shortly after she finished. "A mix of martial arts and kenjutsu. It can be a lethal and unpredictable approach to combat. Usually practiced with gauntlets and greaves, or with a focus on extreme close combat." Aside from being about the longest thing he'd said since they met, the commentary was as much for his own benefit as hers. For better or for worse, Asura was not much of one for mixing styles of combat; he had some basic training in unarmed combat of course, it was the Indra way and as he understood it fairly common in Sacae in general, but it was only a last resort when disarmed - a weapon was always deemed superior, and he generally shared the opinion. Especially now that he possessed the Demon Blade... even if it was basically just an over-sized hunk of metal.
But he had fought some pretty dangerous opponents in the past who made good use of their ability to strike with more than just a sword, and so the swordsman held a certain level of respect for them nonetheless. It was no different than light magic or lances, really. Perfectly legitimate in its own right, just not for him. He was grateful for her honesty, though, in his own way. She had told him what he wanted to know; that she was not an exceptionally experienced combatant. Not a complete rookie either, which was a step up from the worst-case scenario, but unlikely to fend off multiple opponents at once.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2016 6:16:24 GMT -6
Asura went and clarified what Kat had been thinking, and he sounded none too pleased about the situation. Kat wasn't much for lords and politics. She'd only been in Lycia for a while yet, and was still far more used to the idea of chieftains and tribal leaders over lords and nobility. She generally didn't hear the greatest things from the mercenaries, but they didn't even sound too certain about the nobility of their homes. Usually they just talked about which noble lady or their daughter they'd most like to the sleep with again. Either way, again, the state of Tuscana didn't really concern her. "I guess a cowardly lord hoarding all the knights could explain it, but I guess we can't fault him TOO hard for it. We got a job out of it, yeah?"
Not really desiring to linger on the subject Kat locked right onto Asura's next statement: comments on her fighting style. Now here was a good subject. "Yeah, martial arts and kenjutsu, probably the more official. The unpredictability is probably my favourite part of the blend." She started with a grin. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration there, but it was certainly part of the charm behind the style. Really if she could do away with the sword part completely she'd probably be okay with that, but she would need the gear that he mentioned: gauntlets and greaves. "Sadly, as you can tell, I don't exactly have a pair of good gauntlets or greaves. For martial arts I'd need pairs dedicated to combat rather than simple armour. Er, trust me, I've tried, there's definitely a difference."
Yeah, the difference being that anything designed as an "armour" was not intended to cause harm. Generally the concept of armor made things lean towards the opposite direction in that regard. The gauntlets and greaves that came with a knight's standard plate armour were not designed to make your punches hurt more, per ser, but more to stop your hands and feet from getting lopped off. Wasn't that usually the goal of Sacaen swordplay? Disarm, dismember, or otherwise disable your opponent in one fluid strike? No, not all swordplay, just the style where you drew your...
Oh yeah, THAT'S iaijutsu.
Kat snorted with laughter and beamed at Asura. "Also, yeah, I can definitely picture iaijutsu being a problem with that nodachi. I'm pretty sure you'd be guaranteed to lose every duel possible if you chose that sword for that style." She really, REALLY wanted to make a joke about the fact that the reason he'd lose would essentially be that "his sword's length would cause him to whip it out too slowly", she really did, but she uh, actually kinda liked the guy. At least how he looked. And he didn't seem to be the type to be all too flattered by obviously crude uh...humor? Could she call that flirting?
Yeah, probably best to keep that one to herself.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2016 11:59:25 GMT -6
"And the innocent pay the price in blood," he returned brusquely and simply to Katsumi's flippant comment. Something about her comment had rubbed him the wrong way. Asura didn't exactly spend the nights crying into his pillow about poor people getting hurt, he was a sellsword with plenty of blood on his hands and no delusions about being the 'good guy', but neither did he think it was right to make light of their suffering. Some of the horrors he'd run into over nearly a decade of work weren't the sort of thing he'd visit on his worst enemy, and certainly not on people whose worst crime had been to be born with a spirit as weak as their body.
That said, it wasn't a subject worth fighting over, and Asura didn't push the topic further. They felt differently on the subject, and that was all that really needed to be said. Discussions of martial arts and varieties of swordplay were much safer... ironically enough, given the lethal subject matter. Funny how that worked. Then again, you could kill ten men with a sword, or exterminate an entire city with an imperial decree. But that army would be using swords. In the end, it came down to power. Those without it were at the mercy of those who had it, and Asura for one had seen enough of what happened when you relied on that mercy to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he would never allow himself to be in that position. Strength was the only thing that could force respect.
Kat's comment about iaijutsu and a nodachi was perfectly accurate, and that truth rankled no less than it had when he first realized it. Someday he would find a way around that truth, but for now he was expanding his repertoire - which wasn't a bad thing in and of itself. The swordsman nodded slightly in appreciation of her assessment. "It's true. Adapting to a new style has been challenging, but necessary." To the surprise of literally no one ever in the history of Elibe, the taciturn Sacaen didn't bother expanding on the subject; he didn't particularly care to share his life story nor did she have any need to know more about his blade than necessary to fight alongside one another.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2016 12:50:07 GMT -6
...Ah. A bleeding heart. Well, maybe that was a bit too much of an assumption. Asura simply hadn't enjoyed how she tried to make light of the whole Tuscana situation. It was no skin off her back if he was bothered by it, really, because she didn't really see the point of lamenting it. The world sucked. Yeah, she definitely already knew that. But unless you were doing something about it any complaints were just pointless griping. If you're not going to change the world, than abuse it. At least take what you can for yourself and push onward. Mercenaries profited off of violence and war and terror, even if they didn't intend to go out and cause it. Hell they were about to go profit on a source of misfortune right then and there.
Katsumi didn't say anything on that subject, but perhaps that could give her mood away more than anything. Asura was a looker but it was hard to stay too upbeat around such stoicism. Where was the dry humor she saw earlier? Ah, to hell with it. Now all SHE was doing was griping, even if just in her head.
Didn't help that she was blessed with an exceptionally linguistic reply in return. Yeah, adapting to a new style was obviously challenging, unless you were hella experienced or some sort of god of war. Wasn't a lot for her to really work with there, and while she didn't mind the silence at all she...preferred to introspect alone. If she was going to be around people than she may as well interact with them. Keep her wits about her not focused inward.
"Yeah, you're definitely not the first to say that." She answered, unable to keep the snark from her tone. It wasn't malicious by any means, but definitely snarky. "So why change in the first place? Needed a challenge? Favourite sword broke? Overcompensating?"
Suddenly her "good" humor and smirk were present once again.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2016 19:19:17 GMT -6
Why change?
It was a good question, even if the vapid woman's intent had not been such. Eight years spent training with a smaller blade, learning and mastering iaijutsu - why change to an unwieldy weapon that was incompatible with his preferred fighting style, that was responsible for the death of his entire clan, and supposedly an abode of unadulterated evil? Asura had asked himself the same question. Purely pragmatically speaking, it had been a stupid decision that had set back his training and lowered his overall combat effectiveness.
...But it had saved his life. And it didn't seem like such a bad blade when he used it. Katsumi's snark rolled over and around him as the stolid Sacaen seriously considered the question, not particularly nettled by her words or concerned by the silence. It wasn't a very good answer, but it was all he had for now... and it was more than she needed to know. He wasn't sure why he'd even tried to converse with her; there wasn't much depth to be found. Just another braggart drowning the stench their own fear in ale and false bravado. It wasn't anything less than he had expected though, so the Indra survivor didn't hold it against her, nor did he think further of it.
Instead, his arm snapped out perpendicular to his body, barring the way between Katsumi and the road ahead of them. "Hold."
A few moments later, figures began to emerge from the treeline on both sides, two men from the right, wielding swords and axes respectively, and one from the left also armed with a sword. Asura withdrew his arm, crossing his arms before him as the small band of ruffians approached them, though none of them looked particularly... well, hardened. They were less 'unkempt men of the mountains' as 'somewhat nervous looking young men,' probably not entirely keen on the idea of dealing with armed travelers. The taller of the two, a 20s-something young man with the back of his sword resting on his shoulder, spoke up as they approached. His voice sounded fairly self assured, but there was a tiny tremor in it, hardly detectable, that suggested to the Sacaen that the man wasn't quite sure about all this. "Hands where I can see 'em! Give us everything you own, and we won't hurt your pretty little girlfriend."
Asura considered explaining, but was fairly certain that Katsumi would have a few choice words of her own if his experience with her so far was any indication. Probably not worth the breath.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2016 19:48:53 GMT -6
Well, on the one hand, the gentle chirping of the birds sounded f**k**g nice today. On the other hand, Katsumi was...nah, you know what, she wasn't anything. Sure as crap wasn't surprised. Trying to talk to a Sacaen male, as always, turned out to be goddamned impossible. Too proud, too stubborn, too stuck in their own ways. Asura hadn't given any sort of response to her questions, none whatsoever.
Katsumi didn't lash out, but her smirk was gone. No point snapping on the dude. He could do whatever he wanted, she just didn't care anymore. No, she never cared to begin with. The whole reason she was here was to kick some bandit ass and make some gold. Making friends or whatever was just pointless to begin with.
Though...the road had been awfully quiet for a while. Too long. The bandits weren't supposed to be that far from the village, otherwise it'd be too easy for the villagers to outmaneuver them, even if it meant risking a trek through the woods. Asura seemed to have the same instinct, as held his arm out before her and told her to hold. Katsumi glanced around, studying the trees and bushes surrounding their pathway.
...Yeah, something was definitely out there, and it wasn't subtle enough to be an animal.
...Hell Katsumi would have preferred an animal. Three armed men emerged from all sides. Two with swords, one with an axe. They didn't really fit the image of your usual highwaymen, of the barbaric marauders that lived up in the mountains, like the men who attacked her tribe. They just lacked the air that they normally gave off. The swagger, the savegery. Kat snorted, but bent her knees into a ready stance.
"...and we won't hurt your pretty girlfriend." What was this, some kind of joke? Some sort of god deciding to rub in the fact that she definitely screwed her shot with this guy?! And hell, MORE than that, did she really look like some poor, pathetic damsel that needed to be protected?
"Oh please. In his f**k**g dreams I'm his girlfriend." Kat spat, her hand going to the hilt of her blade. To f**k with these clowns. Even if they were just some village boys trying to act like big men or whatever, her good cheer had already been ruined by tall handsome and stoic. Right now...yeah, right now she could really just use a good damn fight. She'd love nothing more to just shut her brain off and beat the living crap out of them. "We're mercs, you clowns, not some moronic travelers. And I wonder, can you guess what we're here to do?" Kat was grinning again, but it was different from before. It was an expression that was far from good-natured.
Her body was tingling with energy and adrenaline. Excitement.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2016 20:15:19 GMT -6
"Good thing I don't dream," Asura the terminally not-a-womanizer responded evenly to his companion's(?) barb, though there was no venom in his voice. It was more... implied, if you will. A dagger in the back with all the subtlety of a charging bull elephant... which was still more subtle than the average Sacaen, in fairness. Heh. Truth be told though, he was privately amused by her comeback to the man, it was the sort of nonsensical silliness that ruined dramatic moments in a way he quite enjoyed. Which was more than he could say for her in general - hopefully her sword was sharper than her wit.
Their assailants seemed a bit nonplussed by the firebrand's explosive response, but rallied quickly in the wake of her fury. "HEY, Renton, we got some live ones!" Another man stepped out from behind a tree, making his way cautiously to the group. He apparent leader continued, now towards Asura and Katsumi. "Nothing personal, folks, but it wouldn't do for our reputation if we let you walk away, capiche?" The lone man with a sword to the left didn't look particularly happy with the development, looking to the older sword user. "Uh, Sam, you think maybe if they came here looking for us-" "Shut the f**k up, Robert." "Yes, sir," 'Robert' responded unhappily.
So much for diplomacy.
Asura harbored no delusions about trying to control the bombastic woman's rampage, so he didn't even bother trying, instead drawing the Demon Blade from its sheath in one long, fluid motion. It was neither particularly demonic or magical, but the size of the blade did give the men pause for a moment, though it was clear now that they would not back down at a minor show of force; it would likely require the death of at least one, possibly all. No love lost there. Asura didn't hate, but neither was he fond of bandits and their ilk, and he had no qualms about spilling their life's blood. Holding the blade before him, he breathed, focusing for a moment, cutting away extraneous distractions as the bloodshed prepared to blossom. "Stay alive" was all he offered Katsumi, his words short and clipped. She would sink or she would swim on her own power; he had better things to do than worry about some fool woman who couldn't keep her tongue in her mouth.
|
|