(Pig's Foot Tavern) A Risky Gamble (Cade)

[Shishi]

Time Stamp: 9th of spring, 512av

There was a slight hint of red as the sun was beginning to set. Although red was the woman’s favorite color Shishi mourned the site of it as she walked toward the center of Sunberth. She stood on her tippy toes to absorb the last of the sun’s rays. Just like every day before today it would leave her alone just as everyone else has. She tossed her coin bag from one hand to the other in frustration. Five hundred mizas was all that was left of her life now.

When her mother said she was leaving Shishi thought she would come back. She always came back. Many suns bid farewell and Shishi knew she was alone now. She sold her mother’s empty shelter only a few minutes before and within minutes she was gone with no plans and no destination in mind. That was the thrill of it though. She was gambling just like when she stole things and she sure did like to steal things.

The red of the sky was swallowed by a pale darkness as Shishi reached the center of the city. Her golden hazel eyes became a light brown with the loss of light. She wondered if that made her look more human. She hoped it did because what’s a good gamble without a good poker face or in her case a good disguise. She twirled her long black hair in her fingers as she took in the buildings around her. She had been to the center of the city before, but with no sense of direction she was always making new discoveries.

That’s when she found it, her totally unplanned destination. Many were returning to their shelters but Shishi’s night was just beginning. It was old and slightly shady, but it was new and Shishi loved new things. She clutched her bag of coins tight and ventured inside. She casually learned against the back wall and took in her surroundings.

“What is this place even called?” the woman thought to herself. That was why Shishi didn’t have any sense of direction. Her attention was very selective. The place that she arrived was not only a bit loud and crowded, but also smelled like mildew. Why was she here again? Suddenly she saw a reason to be here. It came in the form of a man. A very intimidating man. Shishi casually moved closer to get a better look. He had long dark hair, slightly bronzed skin, and attractively toned muscles. But what of his face or race for that matter? That’s when Shishi spotted his bait. He had a coin bag. With her bet in place, the woman smiled.

[Cade]

The Pig's foot tavern, weather damaged from the storm, was a a tavern Cade had frequented for the half blood myrian savage had the taste for the scummy, low-down dirty no-good no-name drinking whole on the bad end of the wrong side of a lawless city, ruled by gangsters. A place where nobody wanted to know your name. A place where the only thing scummier than the drinks were the low lives drowning in them. A proper place for such a man looking for conflict for nothing was more musical to the barbarian's ears then the sound of cracking skulls, bones breaking and the sound of flesh being impacted upon by brute force.... the symphony of a brawl....The opera of battle.

Cade, the finely chiselled mountain of muscle with many exposed scars littering his bronze body. The savage of a man was rarely fully clothed as he found armour and heavy clothing would hinder his mobility and combat effectiveness. Plus, he liked to show his finely tuned frame off to those that would admire.

This day he found himself alone at the bar, sipping away at his favourite ale of choice, mead, the nectar of the gods he would say for nothing tasted better then honey wine. He always made habit of keeping an eye on the door every time someone entered and he did notice the beautiful girl that walked in looking somewhat lost. He admired her frame and fantasized what it would be to experience the touch and warmth of her nakedness. But, that was nothing special for the barbarian thought like that of most of the women population of this world.

His attention trailed from her and back to his horn of mead, skulling the remains and tapping the bar top with his meaty hand, signalling for more.

[Shishi]

Shishi stiffened for a fraction of a moment. There was a weight upon her. It was the weight of the mysterious man’s gaze. The first thing she noticed was his eyes. She always liked looking into a man’s eyes. Supposedly they were the window to a person’s soul. It was too bad Shishi was no good at reading those kinds of things. She knew there was depth in those pale blue eyes of his and it intrigued her. With no more motivation than that, she was ready to dive.

Casually, the woman let her gaze slip away from his, as if she was folding a hand at the poker table. Any decent thief knew that you shouldn’t stare at the target. She moved to the middle of the room and stood near a group of people. She was just close enough to not stick out in the crowd, but just far enough that she couldn’t hear their conversation. The man had his back to her now. Perhaps he thought she left? She took out a coin from her bag and flipped it in her hand The woman casually crept closer towards his seat at the bar with her “bid blind”.

Shishi stood to the man’s right now. The woman was inches away from the bag as she tossed the coin up in the air over and over. She saw the bartender in the corner of her eye and the man hit the table for another drink. The noise was loud and unpleasant but it took his attention off her. She had to move quick. She tossed her coin and allowed it to fall. Before it even hit the floor she began to bend down. She swiftly untied the strings of the bag and brought it to her. Just as she switched the man’s bag to her right hand the coin hit the floor. The woman picked up the gold coin and stood up. She spoke softly “It landed on the unlucky side I guess I’m saving my money tonight.”

Shishi casually walked away as if she planned to buy a drink and then changed her mind. In a way she had what she wanted but at the same time she felt unsatisfied. She didn’t want him to notice, but at the same time she did. She had money already and she had her pot winnings, but like always she didn’t have the target’s attention. She made it by the door and lingered there for a moment as she turned her head back to smile at the man.

[Cade]

The coins scattered about the floor caught the barbarian's attention. It was even more entertaining watching the girl pluck each one off the ground. The view from his perch was one where he could look down her shirt not leaving much to the imagination of her ta tas. A smile of satisfaction of his pervertedness crept upon his face just before the mead came. The girl had vanished with her coin towards the exit by the time he had reached down to grap for his own coin purse to pay for his filled horn. Problem was, the purse was not there and his perverted smile transformed into anger.

"Take the feking mead back?" The half blood myrian growled through grinded teeth of rage. He was pick pocketed and the only mark that came to mind was the beautiful creature he so admired watching moments before. He looked up to the door and there she was staring back at him, feline eyes playful as if daring him to chase. He rose to his feet pointing his index finger at her.

"You stay there sweetheart!..... we need to have a chat" He tried to sound sincere in not wanting to cause harm but he was also intrigued by her courage, to make mark of such a man as he took a pair of iron balls and she proved to have a heavy pair. The half blood myrian tried to keep his eyes upon her while his swam through the crowd towards her position. The bitch had his coin and now was toying with him. This was going to be a fun day.

[Shishi]

Shishi stood near the door. She cocked her head a bit to the right as she watched the mysterious man reach for his coins which of course were not there. He turned and was looking right at her. Shishi’s golden eyes went wide and her cheeks lit up red. She involuntarily oriented her body towards him. The man pointed at her and she quit blushing. He knew she did it.

The man yelled across to her. Even in anger, his voice was rich and his light blue eyes were lit with passion. He wanted Shishi to stay where she was and the woman froze. She wanted to listen to him. She stood still as he began to stride towards her. It was as if her feet were frozen to the floor. Her heart was pounding. Wait she couldn’t let him catch her just yet. She forced herself to turn around and take off running.

Shishi’s feet pounded the dirt. She ran towards nothing in particular. She was just running away; away from everyone and everything. She could have became a lion and the man would have never seen her again. So why didn’t she? She was trying to come off as a human but that wasn’t quite it. The truth was she wanted to see the man again. She wanted him to catch her. The moon shed its light on her and revealed wherever she was as a good snitch would and she wondered if the man was keeping up with her. Her hair swayed as she looked back. She hoped the man was there.

[Cade]

The thief took to foot as the barbarian closed in on her. Cade could not blame her, what thief would be that stupid to let the very man, a dangerous man just by sight alone come in reach to exact punishment and revenge. But, it wasn't fear that the half blood myrian saw in her eyes, it was a look of excitement as if the brute was nothing more then just a means of entertainment. It had to be, for Cade was only use to the look of fear, anything different was not normal to the mercenary and the aspect of that unknown made him curious.

The chase was on.......

As the girl took off Cade bull rushed his way out of the tavern quickly picking up on the dark haired beauty in the distance, a seditious smile formed upon the predator's face as his blood pumped for the hunt at foot. He rushed after her, his black mane blowing in the wind as his speed matched his determination to catch her. He could see the girl turn her head, looking back to see if the beast was there and once again his svefran blue eyes did not catch fear from the fleeing beauty. It was mind rattling to what game this creature was playing at, but the warrior was going to find out soon enough. His feet seemed to be gaining on her as he could see the gap of pursuit was closing. He did not know if that was out of his own skill or if she was letting him.

[Shishi]

Golden eyes went wide. The man was getting closer to her. He was faster than she thought he would be. She sped up her pace a bit as her thoughts raced and adrenaline flooded her system. She turned behind a building. He was right behind her. He looked angry. Shishi was anxious and excited. She didn’t want him to take his money and just leave her alone. What would she do with it? She didn’t have pockets . Without thinking she wedged it in her shorts and held it there with her right hand so it didn’t fall out.

Shishi’s pace was much slower now because she didn’t want the man’s bait to fall on the floor. The woman could hear his footsteps growing closer. He was going to catch her any minute. She was slightly scared now; maybe she would lose. After all you can’t win every gamble

[Cade]

The barbarian hurdled after her, his hands longing to for the grasp of her throat as his body dashed about the street hot on her trail. She twisted off around the corner and as He rounded it himself he could see she lost ground. The barbarian knew that was when the girl either ditched the purse or slipped it into hiding upon her body. Either way, Cade was going to catch her and find out through aggressive interrogation. Didn't take long for Cade to catch up and now she was in grabbing distance. It was time to end this.....

The half blood's hands reached out to either side of Shishi grasping her body in a powerful bear hug that pressed their bodies tight together. Cade lifted her off the ground using his own forward momentum to carry them both into the residential that was in their path. Both the power of Cade's shoulder shattered the door to splinters with the two of them skidding across the floor. Screams could be heard in the room next to the one Shishi and Cade were in but that did not halt the barbarian in his mission.

He bounced to his feet, picking the girl off the floor with both hands then pressing her body against the wall behind her, his one hand grasping her throat with meaty hooks tightly wrapped around her soft skin. The barbarian's crystal blue eyes glared deep into his captive's glare, now..... now he can see fear with in her as if she knew that the beast that had her could crush her neck with little effort. Now that he had her, up close and personal, their bodies only a hands width apart he could see that she was a true creature of beauty, a beauty that death would be wasted upon. His eyes moved from hers moving down to her small scar just below her right eye, then upon her lips that gasped for air.

His eyes continued inspecting her cleavage, forcing the barbarian to wet his lustful tongue before continuing on with his visual inspection. But before he could continue his concentration was broken to the sound of foot steps approaching from behind. He turned his head to set his glare upon the residential owner, a mid aged man of average height and weight. he was sporting a wooden club raised to with intent of harm.

"GET OUT!" He demanded, letting his crude club to do all the threatening as he slightly waved in the barbarians direction.

The man didn't wait long before he lunged forward to take a swat at them both. With out letting go of Shishi Cade performed a savage right backhand with such force and power it knocked the man out cold, crumpling his body into a heap unconscious weight.

Cade growled with pleasure before his sights bared upon the girl in his grasps. "You move, I kill you" He warned " I have a feel for my purse" He chuckled crudely as his right hand ventured under her shirt, lifting it up enough for his hand to caress the valley between her breasts and lifting each one up with the edge of his hand. It took every ounce of restraint for the barbarian not to graze upon her nipples, but he had business to do before play could ever start. He wanted his coin back and perhaps give the girl a chance to explain her self, or plea for her life.

His hand then moved down across her sun tanned skin, feeling the small of her back and then slipping into her shorts around the waste band. Then it trailed following the waist band and continually in touch of her skin and around her right hip.....his hand now at the full width of her thigh, he sunk his hand down deeper and moving slowly to the frontside of her leg. His index touched the familiar fabric of his purse and with that he yanked the coins from the girls shorts.

His grasp fell from her neck as he took a step back from her "Shame, I was hoping for a more pro longed search?" The wolfish grin was back as his tone of voice changed from chilling death bringer to a panther at play.

[Shishi]

Everything sped up for Shishi. Suddenly she wasn’t moving anymore. Her legs suddenly weren’t running. She was being crushed, wait no she was being held still. The person holding her had a sturdy frame and he was topless. The woman could feel his warmth and toned muscles on her back. Before she could react, she was lifted up.

A loud noise echoed in Shishi’s ears. She was trashing now. Her legs kicked around wildly but air was all they found. The noise told her body danger before Shishi’s mind could catch up. Shishi’s body was trying to choose flight as opposed to fight, but that was unclear because she wasn’t going anywhere and she wasn’t hitting anyone. They were falling suddenly. Shishi knew this because she couldn’t feel anything holding her steady now. She hit the floor for a moment, but before she could regain her balance, hands wrapped around her neck and she was lifted up once more. She was spun around. She felt the hard, cold wall pressing against her back as she stared into striking blue eyes that were shining with passion and anger. She realized it was the man that she had stolen from and time slowed down.

It was hard for the woman to breathe for a moment both because her neck was under a firm grasp and she was so close to this man. Shishi gasped for air, but her arms remained limp at her sides. The woman watched the man watching her and for a moment she wondered what he saw. She heard someone else walking up to them and he told them to get out. Shishi realized that they were in someone’s home and they were being lunged at. Her eyes went wide as the man who held her there knocked the home owner out. She began trashing again.

The man growled at her and Shishi went still. The woman was told that if she moved she would die and she wasn’t about to gamble on that statement. He told her that he was going to search for what she took. Shishi would have handed it to him, but she was frozen with fear with her golden eyes locked on his blue ones.

Shishi felt his hand slide under her shirt and run slowly across her frame. His skin was warm on hers and she was paralyzed. Her skin erupted in goose bumps. She was nervous. She had never had another so close to her before and it was both scary and thrilling. The woman knew that the man could of done his search a lot faster so why didn’t he. Her body was tense and her hands pressed firmly against the wall.

His hand moved between her breasts and under each one. Surely he knew that his coins weren’t there but Shishi said nothing. Her eyes were wide and she had the faintest hint of a smile. The touch of another, she liked it. She sucked in a breath as his hand glided slowly back down her frame. He made it to her waist and she flinched. It was becoming harder not to move.
His hand traveled slowly around to the front of her waist and her hands tried to grip the wall. She couldn’t move but she wanted to move. His hand moved to the top of her leg and she flinched again. She pulled her legs together and her right hand moved to stop the man’s from running over her leg. Before her hand reached his he moved slowly further down her leg. She flinched again and her hand returned to the wall. He went further down and she involuntarily scratched the wall. Her legs began to separate. She was trying not to purr. She was struggling for control of herself. She was going to purr and then suddenly the man stopped.

The man released her neck and stepped back taking his warmth and his touch with him. Shishi’s hands flew back to her sides. Her face felt like it was on fire as she took the only step back she could take. The woman just stared at him as she remembered the bag she stole. She lost total control it was scary, but at the same time she liked it. Her face grew even redder as she just stared at him with her golden eyes. He was smiling and his voice lightened as he stated he wanted the search to be longer. Except it was only half a statement. It almost seemed that he was stating it as a question towards Shishi. The woman said nothing to that. She was too embarrassed. Instead she asked him a question as she tried not to look away from him. “W-Who are you?” Her voice shook as she processed what had just occurred.

[Cade]

The barbarian continued his leering of the girl he had thought he had violated with his hands, but the girl's reddened face was more then just oxygen bringing colour back. A devilish smirk formed on the brute's face as he realized his cruel touch had more effect in a manner he did not expect. He should of known, this girl wanted to be caught, his purse was nothing more then a means to catch his attention in a unique way. It also showed that she was a person for excitement, an addiction to life threatening situations seems to get her going. A low chuckle rumbled deep from his gut as he finally pieced together what was happening.

There was more unseen movement happening with in the building they had barged in on. From around the corner two boys poked their heads around to see what had happened to their father and glance upon the barbaric perpetrator. Cade's icy blue glare spooked the kids into fleeing as they made a mad dash for the door, leaving their unconscious father at the barbarian's feet. Cade had no intentions of harming them, or even finishing the foolish man off. He looked through the door watching the kids running like the wind and that brought his devilish grin to more of an amused smile before his attention fell back on the girl and her inquisitive question on his identity.

"I am Cade" He answered, his eyes falling deep into her feline like hues. They captivated the large warrior, almost paralyzing his breath in their innocents. She played a dangerous game but those eyes, those eyes were so innocent and intoxicating that Cade was now glad he had not killed her. He slowly stepped closer, his hands free from any of his assorted weapons showing that he was not going to harm her again.

"You are brave girl.....not many can say they have stolen my purse and live to tell the tale" The half blood myrian's voice was now low toned with a soothing rumble to it. His physical approach landed him a foot away from her, his mountain of a body hiding her in his shadow by blocking the light from the doorway. Pity, he wanted a better look at the girl he was dealing with but there was something else he wanted to put to the test. He raised his hand ever so slowly and gently curling his index finger under her jaw line and pressing it to his thumb. He lightly tilted her face up to meet his gaze wanting to see how she reacted again to his touch. "Yes.... you are brave indeed and beautiful" His voice was padded with lust as his own blood boiled for the touch of her skin.

"What is your name, sweetheart?" He demanded softly as his free left hand ventured to rest upon her thigh, truly testing his theory that this girl was more devious in her intentions then just the theft of his coins.