[Job] The Way of the Savage (Part I)

by **Dor'gen** on October 21st, 2014, 7:10 am

Fall 33, 514 AV

One of the things that Dor'gen missed the most about his homeland was the community's dispersal of responsibilities. It mattered not if one was young or old, all had a job to do and they were expected to complete their tasks to the letter. Through this, it was all but assured that there would be fresh meat and drink on the table at every meal; for the Hunters ventured forth daily. Likewise, the city itself was defended from all potential harms by the efforts of the Akalak and his comrades. However, within the sordid city of Sunberth, there was no sense of community nor was there a dispersal of responsibilities. Every man, woman, and child looked out for themselves...and such survivalist tendencies only made the food shortage even more unbearable for the masses.

Personally, this time was difficult for the giant, for he was not exactly suited for cutting back on his eating. In fact, he typically consumed more than the average man; and so cutting back to a subpar level was the definition of torture upon his body. Despite this, he still arose early in the morning in order to head out to take another job. Like most residing in the city, he still had to work in order to survive; regardless of just how terrible the food shortage was. Having taken the time to arm himself appropriately and measure out a small sum of coin for his belt pouch, Dor'gen emerged from the Springs and released a solemn sigh. Usually, he would have at least had breakfast...but this was a luxury that the Springs just could not afford to offer at this point in time.

So, running on an empty stomach, the Akalak did as usual.

Although he was not a strong runner by any stretch of the imagination, Dor'gen straightway took off in a moderate pace northward. Long, swift strides bore the giant along the way whilst he breathed heavily through his mouth. Of course, there was no way that he could jog all the way into the city proper; and as such he slowed to a brisk walk upon his lungs demanding so. At that point, he rested his hands flat upon the top of his head and began gulping down breaths of air until he was ready to begin anew. Once his breath had been caught, the process repeated once more and continued until he jogged his way onto the cobbled, main road of Sunberth. "Whew!" he exclaimed, taking a moment to mop the sweat from his brow.

Looking about, Dor'gen took a moment to get his bearings before recalling where he was to meet his contact. 'Twas an unremarkable home located within the Sunset Quarters, identified solely by the pronounced smudges of green that were plastered upon its door. It took some wandering to find this particular residence amongst all the shacks located in the district, but upon arrival the Akalak wasted no time in announcing his presence. Balling his hand into a fist, he knocked on the door quite solidly until his client answered the door. She, an elderly woman, was not the usual sort to commission the services of a Sellsword, especially one that was a cut above the common thug. However, the job she offered was actually dangerous given the food shortage.

With a warm smile, she greeted the Akalak and shuffled past; bearing a single crate of medium size in her grasp. When Dor'gen inquired as to whether or not she needed a hand, she simply declined with a small chuckle; implying that she didn't have the hard task this morning. "So, what exactly do you need me to do then?" he inquired, folding his arms across his chest. "Simple dearie, just make sure no rascals snatch my crate! It's important that I deliver it on time." A slight look of surprise captivated the Akalak's face; which then prompted her to add: "Between you and I...this crate is full of dried fruit. Right now, it's as valuable as my weight in mizas! So, if you keep this crate safe, I'll be sure to pay you in dried fruit...that is, if you don't mind."

It was as if the woman was sent from Myri herself to keep Dor'gen strong...or at least, that was the Akalak's reaction anyway. If not for her age, he might have hugged her to death right there! "Yes! Oh yes. I would gladly take you up on that." he began, eagerly resting his offhand upon the hilt of his Bastard Sword. "Just how far are we taking this crate?" he asked, just as the woman began walking along the street. "Oh, just over to the Seaside Market. My son's stall is over that way."

Great. Carrying valuables all over the Quarters...this had good idea written all over it.
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by **Dor'gen** on October 21st, 2014, 7:37 am

Perhaps it was the fact that the growl of Dor'gen's stomach was louder than that of hushed footsteps. Perhaps it was the fact that those watching were simply a touch sneakier than what he was accustomed to. Whichever the case, the Akalak was woefully ignorent of the arrival of a handful of sordid souls who had overheard the potential exchange. Being that a full week had passed since fresh food had entered the city, all had become subject to the cruel ravages of hunger. Now, thieves were contemplating heists centered about food as opposed to mizas...and it seemed that a handful of such dogs had found a new target. Numbering in three, the black-garbed cell began to tail the Akalak and his client from the shadows; ducking and weaving into alleyways as they made their voyage along the main road.

However, as Dor'gen and the woman were enjoying a light conversation, one of the trio made a mistake. He simply was not paying attention to the cobbled road and managed to trip over a missplaced stone. The resulting yelp and clattered caused the Akalak to spin on his heel and step in front of his client defensively. After all, this is exactly what he had been paid to do. In the seconds that followed, the fallen one's collaborators decided to announce their presence by standing at opposing sides of their comrade. "Well this certainly doesn't look good..." thought the Akalak to himself whilst reaching for the hilt of his Sword. The fingertips of his offhand seized the handle of his shield tightly as well, readying it for any swift movements.

"So, what's in the box?" asked the fallen one, who had now risen to his feet. Lofting a brow, the Akalak parted his lips to respond; yet was beaten to the punch by his client. "That's none of your concern!" she cried, taking a step closer to her violet protector. "Oh...But I disagree. I think there's some dried food in there, just like we heard you mention." spat the thief, who then reached for the dagger upon his belt. "So why don't you make this easy and hand it over...That way we won't be forced to kill you and that giant friend of yours." Drawing a breath, the Akalak took this as a clear sign that this encounter would end with the spilling of blood. To this end, he effortlessly tugged his bastard sword free from its sheathe and held it aloft.

"Alright," murmured the "darker" sibling of Dor'gen's soul, "how shall we go about this? Fighting in a street isn't the same as fighting in the Jungle." Motioning for the woman to step back, Dor'gen raised his shield in anticipation of any enemy advancement whilst he mentally replied. "One on one, we'd eat these welps alive...and even three on one. The problem is the potential of one of them slipping past and killing our client...So, I'm thinking we put that Flux of yours to good use." The tone of his "voice" was almost...grudging...for it was a fact that Dor'gen was not exactly a fan of the arcane arts. Goa, on the other hand, was quite the enthusiast and had insisted on learning the Flux during one of the days he had control over their body.

"You? Willing to use the Flux? Now there's a rare sight!" came the dark one's jovial response. "You can chuckle about it later, just help me...Do this thing." he urged, noting that the trio had taken a few paces forward. "Alright, switch with me. Now!" There was not a moment's hesitation, nor a physical sign for that matter, that the two had swapped places. However, once Dor'gen came to reside in the rear of his own mind, Goa surged to the forefront. He took only a moment to appreciate the sensation of sunlight upon his skin...for it was such a rarity to behold firsthand whilst cooped up in the mind...before placing his full attention on the task at hand. Parting his lips, the Akalak then drew a deep breath before unleashing a furious roar.

His legs then slid shoulder-length apart and he pointed his sword directly at the leading thief. The roar was then accompanied by a string of words uttered in pure, ferocious Myrian. Each syllable dripped with killing intent and acted as small daggers that cut away at the thieves' confidence. Indeed, they flinched and retreated back a few paces in response to this display...yet they were woefully ignorant to its true purpose. While some "wizards" prefered incantations and gestures that seemed mystical in nature, Goa preferred to chant, point, and bellow. It was all he knew, for one thing, and it also helped demoralize his enemies in the process! Whilst he continued to encourage the thieves to rethink their goal, there was something quite...amazing...happening underneath the surface.

Precious Djed began to flow.

The Flux could be used for a variety of purposes; with the augmentation of strength, speed, or toughness being paramount. In this instance, survival would rely upon being able to retaliate swiftly enough to keep the client out of harm's way. To accomplish this goal, Goa had elected to select the speed-augmentation aspect of the Flux to utilize in this moment. Drawing a breath through his nose, the Akalak mustered as much focus as he could before setting his mind entirely upon the difficult task at hand. Of his extremeties, Goa selected his left leg in order to be the source of his tactic. Now, this selection would potentially leave him in a bad spot if his enemies slipped past, for his leg would not be able to provide the speed to pursue; but this was a risk the Akalak was willing to take.

Slowly, but surely, Goa made the demand of his body; and soon he could feel a slight...sluggishness...befall his leg. Of course, Goa had to exercise the utmost care whilst calling upon his leg's strength; for the energies could potentially kill him quicker than the thieves he faced. Knowing this, with each passing tick, Djed cascaded forth from his extremety and began its ascension upward. It was only a matter of time before the Akalak borrowed enough energy to make his tactic worthwhile.

"Keep an eye on me Dor'gen." warned Goa mentally, "Make sure I don't maim us."
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by **Dor'gen** on October 27th, 2014, 7:43 am

"Of course. Can't have you killing us with that bloody Flux of yours." said Dor'gen in response; yet there were vibes of confidence laced between every word. This was not the first time that Goa had taken over in order to display his arcane tactics, and if all went well today it wouldn't be the last. Goa, with his mind set fully on the task at hand, concluded his "incantation" and lowered his sword ever so slightly; as if daring the thieves to advance. Although shaken by his terrifying display, the pangs of hunger roaring within the lot of their stomachs was a powerful motivator...and all it took was the fallen one's particular brand of encouragement. "C'mon...just a bit more..." thought Goa to himself.

Indeed, all he needed was a bit more. Having borrowed a modest sum of swiftness from his lower extremity, the task at hand was now guiding this mass of Djed to its final destination. Goa had to be vastly attentive during this step, for allowing any of the energies to build up or stray could cause devastating effects upon his body. It would be a terrifying misfortune for him to lose a limb in the middle of a confrontation; and then subsequently lose his life. As such, Goa placed his full attention on the task and carefully goaded the Djed forward. With a watchful eye, he progressed the energies as a rushing tide up along his leg. Then, he continued the procession northward; carefully ushering the Djed along his torso's nervous system.

Just as it seemed that he would succeed in his task, the client gasp and screeched: "Look out!"

Goa's eyes snapped forward and his attention became somewhat divided. The energies were so close to reaching their intended destination...yet the fallen one was making his move. Reaching for his harness, the petcher drew a pair of throwing daggers and hurled both in Goa's direction. Obviously his skill with the weapons were subpar, as one whizzed harmlessly by on the left...but the other was spot on. It sang through the air and was poised to strike the Akalak square in the chest. However, thanks to the client's warning, Goa was able to throw up his shield just in time. A pronounced Plink! rang into Goa's ears as the dagger bounced off of his shield...and at once he noted his folly. By placing so much attention on mustering the Flux, he had taken his focus off of the enemy.

And now the enemy was upon him.

Now with a third dagger in his grasp, the fallen one leapt forward and attempted to thrust the weapon into Goa's side. Taking a quick step backwards, the Akalak raised his bastard sword in defense; barely managing to deflect the blow. With a solid shove forward, Goa pushed the enemy back, causing him to stumble a step. "Hurry up Goa, we don't have much time." urged Dor'gen. "I know, I know! Almost there." he replied, gritting his teeth. With every precious second hanging in the balance, Goa took the risk and set his focus on completing the Djed's ascension to its final destination. Up he urged the enegies. Up to his offhand, where it could saturate his arm's muscles and give him that edge he desperately craved.

Yet, just as the energies began to creep their way over the shoulder, a sharp pain flared upon Goa's right arm. Looking down, he noted the presence of another throwing dagger; this one sticking out of his forearm's flesh. "Dammit! he seethed, gritting his teeth as the pain threatened to eliminate his focus. "Focus Goa, you're almost there." Dor'gen said, urging his sibling to stay vigilante. Yet time was running out...if Goa did not succeed in his tactic, the Djed would render them powerless to fight; and both he and the client would be killed.
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by **Dor'gen** on October 27th, 2014, 8:05 am

When attempting to focus, pain is the sort of obstacle that makes mere seconds feel like an eternity.

As the Akalak commanded his Djed to make the final leg of its journey, the throbbing emanating from his wounded limb seemed only to drag out the process. Changing a glance, Goa noted that the dagger was not too deep within his flesh...but also saw the placement of the weapon. This was not the sort of spot that one simply yanked a dagger free from...for if he was careless, he could nick something vital and bleed away into death. "Just great...gotta leave it in until we're finished here." Dor'gen seethed, before silencing himself once more so that his sibling could focus. All the while, his attention was firmly upon the process. He was not an expert in the art of the Flux; nor was he an experience wizard...but he did know the signs of going too far, and his job was to point those out if they occurred.

So far, the process was going off without a hitch...dagger wound excepted.

Whilst continuing to guide his Djed along, Goa raised his shield and held his sword at the ready; although the pain of moving his swordarm grated at his focus considerably. However, just as the trio of thieves had begun to find their backbone in the face of their giant foe, success was beginning to come about. The Djed raced along the final stretch of Goa's nervous system, finally reaching over the whole of the Akalak's shield arm. It sank deep into the muscles and tissue, saturating the arm with the borrowed swiftness of Goa's lower extremity. Upon noting this success, a light smirk formed upon the Akalak's lips; whilst he mentally exclaimed: "Got it!" Although the process had been difficult, even more so than usual thanks to the injury, Goa had managed to access the Flux.

And now, payback was in order.

Standing tall, the Akalak motioned for the client to retreat back a few steps with a motion of his head. She took this signal knowingly and slowly inched back, whilst Goa followed suit. The Akalak knew that this would be interpreted as a sign of retreat...but that was the plan all along. Slowly backing away would encourage them to come close, where he could then assault them with this newly acquired might. "Let's hope this works." said Dor'gen; to which Goa simply grunted. Now came the time to show these thieves what happened when they petched with a child of Taloba.
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by **Dor'gen** on October 27th, 2014, 8:21 am

The thieves were about to make a tremendous mistake.

Now encouraged by the "retreat" of the Akalak and his charge, the thieves began to feel a touch cocky...and if history has taught the world anything, it's that cocky never pans out. Nonetheless, due to their assurance that the Giant was all roar and no bite, the fallen one decided to take the lead once more. After all, it was his dagger that had the purple brute bleeding after all; so it should be his kill. With an avaricious look plastered upon his dirty face, the fallen one took a moment to flourish his trusty dagger in hand before rushing the Akalak directly once more. However, unlike the time that he had managed to sink a lucky throw...Goa was more than prepared for this offensive. Just as he had planned, the larcenists had be lulled into a sense of false security, spurned on by the retreat of an old lady and her "sub-par" bodyguard.

Yet they would learn the mistake of their folly.

"Careful not to overdo it." warned Dor'gen as the thief rushed forth. There was no response from Goa, however, but the warning had indeed been heard. As opposed to lashing out with every single ounce of strength, the Akalak paced himself. Rearing back, he then swung his shield outward in an attempt to catch the incoming thief clear in the head. Now, normally, the effort that was expended in the movement would have resulted in a much slower strike...yet the Flux responded with fervor. Goa's arm sang through the air swifter than the thief could even imagine; and his head was promptly bludgeoned mercilessly by the front of a wickedly spiked shield. His temple, right eye, and forehead were each impaled by a spike...

...and the poor cretin fell to the earth. His body crumpled as a heap in such a manner that it was unmistakable. The fallen one was indeed...fallen. Shock rippled through the expressions of the remaining two thieves, who each exchanged worried glances. One seemed more shaken to the bone, at a glance anyway, than the other...and so Goa decided to play this to his advantage. With a grunt, he set his focus to maintaining the presence of Djed within his offarm; just in case the enemy attempted to rush him a second time. However, there was no way that he would be able to maintain this for long...lest he be maimed by overgiving. As such, braving the pain in order to accomplish the movement, Goa raised his sword in the direction of the enemy once more.

"Do you wish to meet the same fate?" he inquired; his tone as murderous as they come. While these words seemed only to worsen the shock and fear of one...the other seemed to become infuriated by this display. 'Twas if the man had some sort of unspoken bond with the thief that had been shattered by his death. Honestly, Goa could care less what the relationship was...but what he did care about was if the confrontation would continue.
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by **Dor'gen** on October 27th, 2014, 9:01 am

Although the Akalak sincerely hoped that the remaining thieves would simply turn tail and run, it seemed as though one was ruled by his emotions. Perhaps the fallen thief was a friend? A brother? A lover? Regardless of the relationship, the man's demise had inspired in him a fury that culminated in a pained yell. At once, the thief reached for his own weapon, a shortsword, and yanked it free of its sheath. Hatred burned in his eyes as he glared at Goa, who simply stood there with teeth bared. There were no more words to say on his part; and his mind was completely elsewhere for that matter. In fact, the majority of his attention rested upon his shield arm and maintaining the energies which saturated its very muscles. With each passing tick, Goa knew that he drew ever closer to overgiving and the consequences thereof...so this confrontation had to end now.

Parting his teeth, Goa unleashed a furious growl and took a bold step forward. Even though his left leg felt sluggish in light of the movement, the point was to illustrate power...and to instigate the thief to action. Goa did not care if the thief chose flight of fight, so long as he acted swiftly. After another tick, the thief decided to choose the latter of the options and blindly rushed forward. A frenzied cry escaped his lips as he raced across the distance between them and attempted to slash the Akalak with his shortsword. Yet, his skill was beyond subpar...and his emotions only caused this abysmal talent to plummet all the more. With a sloppy cut that a blind man could evade, the thief assaulted the Akalak whilst screaming his last...

...And Goa put him to a swift end.

With his effort focused upon maintaining the presence of the energies, Goa lashed out with his shield. The armament collided with the thief's chin in an uppercut so swiftly that it knocked him clean on his backside. The impact was such that the man's head snapped back...and then thudded solidly upon the pavement. This, however, did not instantly kill the thief; for the spikes did not impale any vital areas. In fact, only the soft skin under his chin had been punctured. However, the thief was out cold and definitely concussed. Goa, however, would not allow this fool to walk away from the encounter. He was suddenly...driven by the desire to wipe the sod off of the face of Mizahar. Raising his bastard sword, the Akalak impaled the thief straight through the neck and rudely yanked it free.

The final thief took the hint and ran off as swiftly as his legs could carry him, leaving Goa and his client standing in the street.

It was then that Dor'gen identified something terrible...for the Akalak then sheathed his blade as if the dagger was not there. The pain that had been distracting him this entire time was practically non-existant! "Goa, release the Flux! Now!" he cried, fearing the absolute worst. Goa, roused from stepping into the depths of Overgiving, promptly began the process of releasing the Flux...but he was too late to evade consequences in their entirety. Whilst the vast majority of the energy was released without incident, a surge of energy shot up the Akalak's arm and spiked at his shoulder. There was a sickening "POP!" as the shoulder was dislocated in an instant, causing Goa to double over in pain. "Shyke...Shyke...SHYKE!" he seethed, absently gripping his left forearm.

"Are you alright?" asked the client, concern brimming in her eyes. Turning, Goa grit his teeth and gave a pained nod. He was about to explain that his attempt to utilize the Flux had gone...well then wrong...but then decided against revealing his magick. After all, some people took such knowledge worse than others...so he lied. Flat out lied. "I'm fine...Seemed to have dislocated my shoulder with that last blow...But I can get you to the Market regardless. Just...Point me in the direction of a doctor after we're done?" The client nodded frantically and Goa gave an exasperated groan before trudging forward. His leg was sluggish, his arm was wounded, and his shoulder was dislocated.

But at the end of the day, he managed to slowly escort his client to the edge of the Seaside Market. There, she was greeted by her son and almost ran off to meet him without mentioning payment. However, turning about, she said: "There's a healer in the Quay, I hear. Just to the east of the Quarters! Once you're all patched up, come see me and I'll pay you that which we agreed!" Finally, a silver lining...Food was a certainty in the wake of all this pain.
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by **Redd** on November 1st, 2014, 7:23 am

Name

Knowledge :

Micellaneous :

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Notes

➢Awesome thread, It was good to see someone getting stabbed and suffering from over-giving in flux.

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If you feel that I have left out something or made an error of some kind, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you have any questions or comments, again feel free to contact me. I don't bite, I swear. Also, remember to either delete your grade request or edit it as 'graded'.

Skill	XP
Observation	+5XP
Flux	+5XP
Weapon Skill: Shield	+3XP
Weapon Skill: Bastard Sword	+2XP
Intimidation	+2XP
Endurance	+2XP
Running	+1XP
Philosophy	+1XP
Tactics	+3XP