I...Got Nothing

[Dor'gen]

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It was safe to say that Dor'gen had the element of surprise.

By the looks of it, the thugs who were hired to keep watch over the Storehouse did not anticipate any sort of trouble. After all, they were only charged with guarding a handful of crates; each of which were filled with seemingly average weapons. In the sordid city of Sunberth, acquiring a weapon was so easy that breaking into a Storehouse did not seem plausible...at least in their opinion. However, as the towering Akalak kicked open the Storehouse's door and filled the air with his terrifying roar, they soon discovered that their opinion was sadly mistaken. So loud was Dor'gen's roar, and so sudden was his arrival, that one of the five in their midst fell flat on his bottom. Utterly shaken, the man began to furiously back away whilst on the ground.

Then came the assistance from the shadows.

As the Akalak demanded the five's attention, the itsy-bitsy Spider crawled down from her perch. She, aided by the din of Dor'gen's voice, was able to put to a swift end one of the thugs before scampering off towards her target. The sickening crack of the poor sod's bones were drowned out by her comrade's battlecry; a fact that would afford her precious ticks to get to work undisturbed. This left a total of four men for the Akalak to deal with; and one of them was currently still on the floor. "I'll keep a close watch." came the energetic voice of Goa. That which he was referring to were the tell-tale signs of Overgiving...and the magick in question was known as the Flux. Only with such an art did Dor'gen think that they would be able to successfully fell a total of four sods.

There was a symphony of steel grinding against leather: for the thugs who were on their feet decided to face off against the Akalak. Rearing back, Dor'gen swept his sword in a wide, horizontal arc. It's path was such that it could address the three men which stood before him. Two backed away from the trajectory of the weapon whilst the thug adjacent to them attempted a parry. The clash resulted in a metallic "ding!" that echoed about the storehouse. Sliding his gaze to the left, the Akalak noted that one of the thugs was rearing back for a blow. Raising his shield, Dor'gen caught the blow and shoved back; ultimately sending the man staggering back a few paces. With his arm free, he then swung his shield to the right, attempting to clip the thug with whom he was clashed in the chin.

The man was quick enough to step out of the way as well, and Dor'gen retreated back a few paces. "Oi! Wut the 'oody ell yu 'ant? 'ookin' ta die?!" came the graveled tone of the Sunberthian before him. There was no response, but instead focus on the part of the Akalak. He set his mind to the task of borrowing might from his left leg; commencing the Flux by summoning the Djed located there. It pooled and concentrated at his command, ready to begin its journey upward. At the same time, a heat began to make its presence known on Dor'gen's forearm: the heat of Myri's Gnosis. Her blessing began to race through his veins, working to empower him with might and speed.

The distraction was holding. Saris had time, Dor'gen had their attention.

Word Count578
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[Shai]

oocPermission was granted by Twister for the finding and acquisition of a Symenestra Lash

The lock moved sickenly slow. But finally, with a gratifying thunk the bolt slid free. Scrambling off her perch the little thief round the chest and pried open the lid.

It had been a long time since the spider had been dumbstruck. But she stood there, mouth ajar, at what tumbled out of the container. Shai simply stood there stunned.

Her mind wandered back, into the caverns and recesses of home. Where the slash and snick had been sounds of safety. The guards and hunters employed weapons to keep the city fed, outsiders away, and that which crawled in the deeps at bay. It was one of the moments of pride that the Symenestra still clung to. The tenacity of life her people held, and it was embodied in one racial weapon.

With reverence she bent down and stroked the hilt. Soft fingertips trailed along the leather grip. Dare she take it? Shai fathomed that no smith in Sunberth would know how to make the weapon, let alone have a purchaser in mind. Either it was imported and intended for another Symenestra or taken from one dead or enslaved. Remorse filtered through the adrenaline. Not fully enough to stop the thief, or rather she rationalized it; it was better in any Symenestra’s hand than a human.

Pale fingers and black claws coiled around the hilt, finally daring to grasp firmly. The widow reared back, her mind suddenly joining the fray at hand. She had never once used any weapon vaguely related to this.

Flicking the lash in the air, a tinseling cry as it whistle through the air. Shai grinned, fangs drawing down from the roof of her mouth. Nearly giddy, she laughed cruelly at the circumstances. Like the paranoid thief who fled the streets, like the woman who had dared to love a human, like a Symenestra with a Lash; Shai felt alive.

The understanding dawned on her, the recent nesting. She had calmed, collected into maturity and it taken some spark from her. The joy in reckless reverence for Viratas, the exhilaration of a truly difficult mark, the syrupy feel of a traitor’s congealing blood on her claws. Launching forward the spider skittered up another set of crates, and from her vantage point looked for an opportunity to help.

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[Dor'gen]

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It seemed as though the Will of Lhex favored the Symenestra this day; for circumstances had fallen into place that left her pulse pounding. As if the providence of the divine were even more at play, one of the "hired thugs quartet" had strayed close to the perch of the Spider. 'Twas the man who had fallen at the sight of the Akalak and had fallen victim to terror in the pit of his stomach. Whilst his comrades engaged the purple monstrosity, this man backpedaled to the adjacent stack of crates before settling himself upon the bottom-most one. Slowly, he rose, completely oblivious to the predator that awaited just above him. His eyes flicked to the contest of strengths raging between the Akalak and his fellows, before his teeth were bared in defiance.

In one, swift gesture he tugged free a throwing handaxe from his belt and took aim. Reeling back, he then hurled the weapon into the fray; intent on striking the Akalak whilst he was unaware. However, the will of Lhex dictated the trajectory...and saw the blade sink into the leg of one of his comrades. The wound was not exactly deep, but it was enough to cause the man to fall to his knees. A pained cry howled from his lips, whilst the others looked on in fear and surprise. Confusion swept over the duo until they saw the, suddenly apologetic, face of their supposed ally. Angry shouts were launched, curses were yelled, and the Akalak decided to capitalize. The fallen man was of no consequence at this moment in time...he would meet his end soon enough.

Instead, Dor'gen set his focus to continuing the ascension of Djed along his body. Through will alone, he dictated the Flux to travel from his leg, up to his torso. The energies were almost to their final destination and would soon tip the scales even more in the favor of Dor'gen and the Spider. Whilst continuing to muster the Flux, Dor'gen whirled his shield around and caught one of the agitated men unaware. This was what happened when one let their guard down; especially in the middle of a fight. The steel spikes affixed to the shield impaled the man's face at multiple angles; tearing flesh whilst Dor'gen shoved. The worst of the damage was the man's left eye, which was completely punctured in the process. A blood-curling scream tore from his lips before he fell to the ground, flailing.

And then there was one.

This man filled the air with a fearsome roar before assaulting the Akalak with a terrifying slash. If not for the divine might coursing through Dor'gen's veins, he would not have been able to raise his sword to defend himself in time. Alas, Prowess provided him just the extra "oomph" to raise the bastard sword defensively. Gritting his teeth, the Akalak deadlocked against the thug; committing himself to holding him at bay just long enough to complete the final trick up his sleeve.

Word Count500
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[Shai]

Feral intensity gleaned from atop the stack of boxes. The Akalak had done a find job, in keeping the thugs at bay. She had done her part but soon, their escape route would be in her hands as well. Doubtful that a man of force had the experience to understand the subtleties of escape. That was getting too far ahead though.

The stalemate, she could end it; provide a distraction in turn as Dor’gen had done for her. Hopefully she didn’t hit the Akalak in the process. Bringing the lash forward she whipped the lash forward, with too much force and not an ounce of finesse. The last bit into the thugs back but also recoiled and struck Shai’s own arm. The shock and splitting of flesh caused her to drop the lash beside her on the crates.

When the momentary confusion passed the spider picked up the bone hilt once more. Hoping the slash at the man’s back would be enough to give Dor’gen an upper-hand. Shai slid down the sides of the crate, carefully as crimson drips made no furrows down her pale forearm. The liquid made her palms slick, so she stowed away the lash for another time. Rounding the crates back towards Dor’gen, her hand left a mottled print on the cedar boards.

“We need to run.” She purposely failed to say his name. The door opposite to where they entered was barricaded by a stout timber, but already something was slamming against it. No doubt reinforcements. “Come on follow me giant.”

Shai took off out of the door he had broken down. She had no idea how fast he could follow, so the thief kept her pace at a jog. Dor’gen’s part in their heist had been considerably more strenuous, so the Symenestra was already ticking off escape routes that would mean long distance. The forest edges were out of the question, with distance a concern but an idea sprung on her; the blood pits. It was foolish, risky, but much of today had been that and it had turned out alright. The beefy fighters might be able to hide the Akalak’s form as camouflage while she would simply disappear beneath the crowd.

The Spider turned sharply at an alley corner and led them towards the blood pits.
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[Dor'gen]

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There was something...comforting...about that moment.

As the Akalak's blade struggled against that of the thug, a small epiphany dawned upon him. In that moment, there was nothing else that truly mattered. The worries which plagued his mind and barred him from the sweet embrace of slumber, the memories which troubled him to the core, even the atmosphere of the sordid city. All of it was meaningless in the ticks that rolled by as Dor'gen battled against his foe. For in these moments, all that mattered was survival: to ensure that air continued to fill his lungs and to guarantee that blood continued to run hot through his veins. Driven forward by this thought; inspired by this epiphany, the Akalak willed the traversing energies to complete their journey along his body.

They ascended quickly, dancing upon the connections which made up his nervous system until ultimately settling upon the muscles of his dominant arm. There, they began to saturate each and every fiber: empowering them so that the Akalak might bring about a swift conclusion to the life of his opponent. Just as the Flux began to augment the might of the warrior, there was a sudden swish and "crack!" This was proceeded by the widening of the thug's eyes, coupled with a screech of anguish. Flailing as his back was split open by the Symenestra lash, the man recoiled from the blade of the Akalak and sank to his knees.

For a brief moment, the man looked up and saw his last.

Dor'gen reared back and raked his sword across in a clean, horizontal strike. In response, his blade sank into the flesh of the thug's neck and penetrated deep, literally cracking the man's bone from the impact. With a sickening pop, the thug crumpled to the earth; and in that moment Goa reared his head. "Alright Dor'gen, he's dead. Don't let the Flux overtake you. Let the energies go." he advised. Nodding, the Akalak took a moment to wrench his bastard sword free from the recently-deceased man before exhaling a deep breath. At once, the energies dispersed themselves once more...leaving a dull sensation in the pit of his stomach. Now devoid of enemies, the Akalak sheathed his sword...and looked down upon those still alive.

A single step brought him beside the man felled by his own comrade. His face was now pale from a combination of blood loss and agony; and Dor'gen's presence only caused whimpering to escape his lips. The Akalak was about to indulge himself in a touch of savagery...when Saris' urgent tone roused him from the goal. This, coupled with the sudden slams upon the barricaded entrance, inspired urgency on his part as well. Reaching down, he gripped the hilt of the throwing handaxe and rudely wrenched it free of the man's flesh. Howling, he began to writhe and flail upon the earth...yet Dor'gen did not see the conclusion to his gnashings. For, with axe in hand, he quickly began to run as swiftly as his legs would carry him.

In a rare fit of trust, Dor'gen followed after the woman dutifully. He did not know where they ran or how far, but he...trusted that she would lead them out of harm's way. After all, her hide was on the line as well. "What the hell did you hit that man with, anyway?" came his inquiry, punctuated by panting.
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[Amora Jade]

Congratulations, you've been awarded!

 

Dor

Skills

• Observation +5
• Weapon: Bastard Sword +3
• Flux +2
• Weapon: Small Shield +2
• Intimidation +2
• Rhetoric +1
• Running +1

Lores

• Iyvess: Water Dhani
• Saris: Helped Me by Robbing Me?
• Making Large Purchases will Draw the Attention of Thieves
• Sunberth: Storage Houses Location
• Small Shield: Can be Used to Bash Someone's Face in
• Flux: Combined with a Bastard Sword is Deadly
• Flux: Knowing When to Stop to Prevent Overgiving

Earnings/Expenses

• -8gm 9cm: Items bought and ale.
  +1 Dhani Skin Belt, Boots, and Trinket
  +1 Throwing Ax

Note: I assumed Dor'gen knows Shai as Saris because that's what you wrote in your posts, that's why I put Saris instead of Shai. If I'm wrong feel free to change it.

 

Shai

Skills

• Observation +5
• Acrobatics +2
• Larceny +3
• Negotiation +1
• Embroidery +1
• Tactics +1
• Planning +1
• Weapon: Iron Fan +1
• Stealth +2
• Leading +1
• Running +1
• Weapon: Symenestra Lash +2

Lores

• Negotiation: Haggling for a Slightly Better Price
• Using a War Fan as a Signal
• Stealth: Sneaking up Behind an Enemy to Break Their Neck
• Larceny: Slowly Picking an Advanced Lock
• Symenestra Lash: Basic Whipping Action
• Symenestra Lash: Using Too Much Force Can Backfire

Earnings/Expenses

• -38gm 5sm
  +1 Sewing Kit, Emboridery Kit, Yard Undyed Wool, Symenestra Lash

Injuries

• Lash Wound: If treated will heal in 7 days, if not then in 12 days.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to send me a private message! Also, please remember to edit your post requesting the grade as "Graded."

With love,
Miss Jade