(Flashback) It's gonna be a long Spring...(Ren)

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Spring 44, 511 AV She wasn't a very convincing girl, Orion noted. Something was certainly off about her story. And by off, it's a load of shyke. No one says that. He watched the girl's expression. She was nervous and caught off guard that he'd noticed her little slip of word with the man. Orion had plenty of experience having to read people back when he was a doctor. People were never willing to tell their doctor exactly what happened. If it was due to embarrassment or something else, it didn't matter. Things were never better. He had to admit people stuck things some crazy places, though. He wasn't sure what the girl was hiding. The young man was studying his little friend when the course of the evening had an unfortunate chance to alter direction. A sizable man had collided directly with Orion. "Gross!" he exclaimed, the grease nearly dripping from the rotund drunkard. I hope it's just grease. He turned to face the man, immediately regretting his choice of word. He'd never seen something so..disgusting. At least not that he remembered. Sunberth was a place to leave memories behind for him, but the blue eyed man feared this a memory which would haunt him eternally. Suddenly at a loss for words, the man could only stammer intelligible sounds . "I-I..wahtthuu...kkkhhaa....fuff." He took a step back, his hand going to his dagger. He would die here. And his dagger wouldn't even pierce the mans blubber. He'd only made it a day. This was the end. The previous dramatics were now legitimized. He glanced over to Ren, wide eyed. What the petch is she going to do, Orion? She can barely hold your bag! He cleared his throat. "I'm so s-s-sorry sir. I.." he put his head down before continuing, ashamed of his cowardice. "I didn't see you there." He shot Ren a glance that screamed for her to not judge him. He was tired, hungry, and had some sort of sticky substance on his arm from the underbelly of a drunk fat sailor. He'd been brought to see a petching boat, which he didn't care about at all, by some mystery girl who was quite possibly just here to set him up. Relative? Who knows. It didn't matter. Orion just wanted to survive. Less than a bell and this is where I'm at? It can only go downhill. Why did I come to Sunberth again?

[Renalee]

The stench of unclean, drunk men was a familiar one to the girl who had practically grown up at the Docks. Ren’s eyes were immediately drawn to the heavy sailor the moment he stumbled out of the tavern. After a quick evaluation her little nose scrunched up in distaste as she hurried to look away. She knew to keep well away from his kind, for they rarely had any good intentions to them, especially where young girls were concerned. Still, had she kept her gaze on him for another tick or so she might have seen the unfortunate collision coming and managed to warn Orion in time. Now they were forced to deal with something which was quickly becoming a ‘situation’.

A guarded expression on her face, the Kelvic watched the drunkard’s movements carefully. She knew not to rely on the apparent lack of balance as a weakness when it came to men such as this one. They had usually participated in many a brawl and knew how to hold their own even after five drinks. If anything, the alcohol made them more vicious, less susceptible to pain, and more stupidly careless than usual. It would be best if they could talk their way out of this one, because if it came down to fighting Ren might be forced to shift - something which she disliked doing in the city. A glance at her cousin didn’t provide any useful information as to his capabilities in that particular domain so the girl thought it would be safest to assume that any skill he might have wasn’t particularly impressive. An assumption which was proven correct by his next words.

"I'm so s-s-sorry sir. I...I didn't see you there."

No man with the capability to fight would back down so quickly and reach immediately for an apology. No Sunberthan man anyway. Ren cursed under her breath and prepared to jump from her barrel if need be. Their drunk ‘companion’ was looking at Orion as if he wasn’t quite certain what the young man had said exactly. Once the words did make it through the alcoholic fumes in his head he gave a malicious grin, his eyes bulging out a little bit.

“So-oh-rry you’s say. Sir-eh you’s callin’ me-eh. Ain’t no sur-eh, vagik.” The man took another step forward and started groping at his side where a sheathed short sword hung. “You’s should know yer puhlace. I’ll teash ya!” His clumsy fingers finally manage to bump into the sword’s hilt. He fumbled a little bit before managing to pull out his weapon, stumbling as the sword messed with his balance a little bit.

The moment the blade caught the last of Syna’s rays, Ren pushed herself off her seat, landing gracefully on the ground. Her own dagger was quickly brought into the open, appearing a little bit too big for her eleven year old hands. Still, she held it confidently, low by her side where she had easier control, but it was still visible, tip pointed at the sailor. She stepped forward quickly, positioning herself on Orion’s side and a little bit in front of him. She didn’t really fancy having to tell her father that the cousin she had been sent to retrieve and safely bring back home had been chopped into tiny little pieces by a good-for-nothing drunk at the Docks from all places.

“Petch off,” she hissed at the unsteady man, attempting to glare him down despite his considerably bigger frame. Her mind was racing, trying to find something to say that could possibly scare him off, or at least make him reconsider bothering with them. Finding nothing yet she settled for something simple she had heard many men claim before a fight. Some of those men even won. “You don’t want to be messing with us.”

The drunkard looked at her stupidly, blinking a few times, as if he thought she had appeared out of nowhere. It was quite possible that in his state he hadn’t noticed her at all until now. Finally, he leered, eyes shining with badly hidden intent. “Whut ‘ave we ‘ere? If it ain’t a wittle girleh.” As the man made to reach out for her, Ren moved her dagger in a threatening cutting motion towards him and a barely audible growl vibrated in her chest.

She had to think of something quickly.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Spring 44, 511 AV Orion had very little experience fighting. In fact, the majority of what had happened occurred in Sunberth during his brief times here. An occasional drunken scuffle in Syliras was nothing to the bloodshed that occurred daily at a place like this. He had his magic, but he'd not relied on that in ages. He couldn't decide what to do, but the drunken man's actions forced his hand. The man was reaching for his weapon. Orion nearly froze in place. It was escalating so quickly. Were manners an offense in this city? Last time he was here, he felt wild, free, excited, but this time he was down right fearful for his life. He needed a beautiful deadly woman at his side for moments like this, but it appears that Ren would have to do. His thoughts on that matter quickly changed as his young tour guide sprang into action. Fierce and decisive, she placed herself between Orion and the danger, to protect him. A ten year old girl taking on a balding fat man in his stead. Oh the embarrassment! Ren was showing more bravery than he! Unacceptable! He fumbled at his dagger, nearly dropping it before pulling it free. His hand was unsteady, but he was ready to swing wildly if the man did anything stupid. Ren seemed like she'd been in this situation, so he'd have to follow her lead. Even if he was decades her senior. "Y-yes. Y-you don't want to c-cross us!" Orion's arm was shaking, but he tried to put on a brave face, which was more of a blank surprised slate. "We-we have you out numbered! St-st-st.." His adrenaline rushing wildly, Orion was forced to take a deep breath and calm himself before he was able to contain the stuttering and continue. Summoning all of his apparently limited courage, he stared the disgusting drunk down, trying to ignore every horrible stench emanating from him. "Stand down, fat man." The sailor's intentions quite clear, he pushed ahead of Ren. "And keep your petching hands off her." He had to draw the line somewhere, and apparently this was it. "Or I'll cut them off?" It ended up as a question instead of a threat. I so don't belong here. As if that weren't obvious to everyone there. He still had his backpack on.

[Renalee]

Never show your opponent any weakness. That had been the first lesson Zalek taught his daughter when he started showing her how to fight and how to defend herself. The man had had year of experience, working as a guard for the merchants in the Castle Commons, and even more before that when he used to be a guide and guard for caravans crossing the Wildlands. The time had turned him into an experienced fighter and a deadly opponent, but had also made him slightly paranoid - a trait which only worsened after the birth of his child and the loss of his bonded. He knew he had a limited amount of time with Renalee, just as well as he knew the dangers life could throw at someone like her, so he tried his hardest to impart as much knowledge on her as he could before it was her time to leave him. So far he had done a decent job.

The blonde girl couldn’t really be sure about the way Zalek would react, if he knew the situation in which his nephew and his daughter found themselves in right now. There would probably be shouting. A lot of it. The man never missed an opportunity for that. But Ren liked to think that in the end he would be proud of her. After all, she was standing in front of this man, who was considerably bigger than she was, and there was nothing in her stance or on her face that would indicate she was a little bit - it was a very little bit, mind you! - scared. Never show your opponent any weakness.

As Orion spoke again, words cutting off and coming out uncertain, Ren decided that his own father had never told him that. He didn’t sounds calm or threatening in the least and, if his words had any effect at all, it was to turn the sailor’s expression into a more stupidly satisfied one and push him to take another unsteady step forward. The Kelvic wondered how peaceful of a city Syliras actually was for her cousin to appear so inexperienced in the face of this confrontation. Was it possible that he had never been in a fight before? A glance over her shoulder showed that he had at least pulled out a dagger of his own. Who knew if he could use it at all, but as long as he didn’t fall and skewer himself on it the blade would look dangerous enough.

When the drunkard reached for her her heart skipped a beat and it was only her determination that prevented her from taking a step back. Suddenly she could remember all of the horrible stories Zalek would tell her in an attempt to scare her and get her to be more careful; Stories about 'stupid, reckless girls' who got pulled in dark alleyways by men such as this one and never left alive again; tales about Kelvics who had been caught off guard, captured and sold at markets like pets, or trophies, or slaves and lived their short lives being abused by cruel masters. Such thoughts had no place in a fight and Ren shoved at them mercilessly, reminding herself that there was no one else to rely on but herself and that she had a cousin to protect as well. She wouldn't be losing her newly found relative and source of Syliras knowledge quite so quickly. 

Imagine her surprise when Orion suddenly sidestepped her, positioning himself between her and the sailor. Her eyes widened for a tick and she glanced up at the young doctor not really sure what she would see. Was he trying to protect her? It seemed like that was the case, as he attempted to glare at their opponent and deliver a hesitant threat of his own. He didn't sound too convincing, but at least the stutter was gone from his speech. Ren was strangely touched by the gesture of this man who had met her not a bell ago and had no idea who she was, but was still prepared to face someone who he clearly couldn't take for her. 

The drunkard laugh hoarsely, spittle flying from his chapped lips. Before he could say anything to negate Orion's last words however, the girl stepped in again voice low and as threatening as before. "I'd listen to him if I were you. He might not follow through himself, but there are plenty of Daggerhand that will be happy to do it for him. " Luckily, that had the desired effect and rather quickly too. Dropping the name of one of the three syndicates which were in control of the city was a dangerous game. You could rarely be sure of someone's affiliation until it was too late. But Ren must have chosen right because the man’s face blanked for a moment and he appeared to be considering what to do with this information. 

"Daggerhand yer say-eh? Tis one?" he sounded doubtful and the girl couldn't really blame him. If anyone could look any less like a member of a criminal organization than the wide-eyed Orion, she would be surprised. Still, Ren kept her cool and proceeded with the ease of someone who was speaking the truth. If only. “He’s their new doctor.” A certain smugness entered her voice and she hoped she sounded convincing. “He must be important if they got him out here all the way from Syliras.” She unceremoniously kicked at her cousin’s bag which she had dropped behind her when she had jumped from the barrel. “Sent me out here to get him. They won’t be too happy if he didn’t get to them in one piece.” The blonde gave a triumphant smile, as if she was daring him to go ahead and try something on them.

The man’s bloodshot eyes moved a couple of times between her and Orion. He appeared to hesitate still, but after a few ticks he spat on the ground, not too far from the doctor’s feet and cursed at them. “Petsching vermin’s.” With that he turned around, attempting to put his sword back in its sheath. After a few unsuccessful attempts he gave up and just stumbled off, waving the blade in the air and using it as a cane a few times when it looked like he’d lose his balance. He never turned around to look at them again.

Ren kept her eyes on his back until he was hidden from view by a big wooden container. Only then did she put away her dagger and look up at her cousin uncertainly. After hesitating for a second she went for a small smile. “Well... wasn’t this fun?”

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Spring 44, 511 AV Orion didn't know what he was going to do if the man actually tried anything. Probably get stabbed and bleed a lot, he imagined. There he stood, a dagger he'd never pulled out before against a drunken sailor with a short sword. Orion found himself quite surprised as Ren began to talk the man down by talking about some apparent organization he supposedly was a member of. Daggerhand? The doctor hadn't heard of it before, but it seemed the man knew what she was talking about as he was suddenly hesitant. The young man fell silent, a spectator to Ren's disarmament of the situation. She claimed he was a doctor for this organization. Considering his background, Orion wasn't quite sure how much this girl knew about his history. He hadn't been a doctor for years, so it seemed all too convenient that she would pick that. Of course that doctor training would have come in use if the man had gotten a little bit more aggressive. Fortunately it didn't appear it would come to blows. The threat of this 'Daggerhand' sent the man drunkenly stumbling off away from the two, muttering profanities and complaints back at them. Orion looked down at Ren, exhaling loudly. "Fun? I guess you could say that. I'm wondering if I should just hop on the next caravan out of here, huh?" The young man chuckled, putting his dagger away. "Can we just go meet my uncle? I can't imagine what other kinds of trouble you'll get us in if we stay out much longer. Besides, it's getting dark. What if we run into a real..daggerhand, was it?" He sighed, picking up and readjusting his possessions. "I hope my uncle has some booze, that's for sure." What a strange girl. She was much more brave than he in the face of a man who very well could have done horrible things to both of them. I wonder what kind of life she's lived. Sunberth is an insane place, that's for sure. He'd have to find a way to adjust if he was to stay here much longer. He was confident things would be much easier with just him and his uncle. While he appreciated the tour, the sooner he got rid of what was surely a magnet for trouble, the better.