PM to join New Job, New City, New People (Calla Davin)

[Vasin]

Timestamp: 23rd of Summer, 519 A.V.
Vasin stood there in his Cottage staring at the pile of armor that he had assembled. He stroked his beard thinking of how to proceed today. He was going to the Martial Society today for work. Well, he was going to do that today after he went to the Center of Healing. Those scratches from the Mountain Lion were still tender. Had to make sure that they were okay and wouldn't get infected or anything. But that was a simple matter, just go in and then leave after they treat him. This, on the other hand, presented a dilemma to him. He could wear the armor and be protected on the job, or he would not wear the armor and be comfortable while on the job. It was hot out, hotter than yesterday. If he wore that did a lot of walking he would just end up taking it off. That padded armor looked particularly heat stroke inducing as he stared at it. Vasin was not particularly knowledgable on keeping cool, aside from obviously drinking water and shade. Wearing armor added a whole different level to getting hot. Vasin sighed deciding today was just not the day for armor. The reason came to him with memory, when he had been cornered in the deep hot tunnels under Sunberth by Yukmen.

Vasin grabbed his Cold Iron Long Sword, he sheathed its 'flame blade' into his scabbard. The material of the blade had kept it sharp and durable, probably one of the best purchases he had made. Breathing in the warm air of his home Vasin adjusted his belt and turned around heading for the door. once outside despite the sun having just risen it was already starting to get uncomfortably warm. Vasin also didn't recall it hasn't rained since he arrived in Zeltiva. No winter? No rain? Did the weather just not want to work anymore? Even if the world was fallout apart around him Vasin had to keep going with his life. Not like he could do anything about it, especially not as he was. People walked up and down the street seemingly also starting their own day and going about their business. If he was lucky then the Center of Healing wouldn't be busy this early in the day. Catching himself dwelling and standing there a bit too long Vasin started walking down the side of the street. Reaching back he would take out his waterskin and take a sip of water before putting it away.

Not in any particular rush Vasin took a more scenic route today going along the waterfront. This was where the city was the busiest as he observed. Sailors and Dockworkers rushing off to work some he could see already down at the docks. Seemed schedules and time did not wait for anyone, and rather they had to bend to the schedule than the other way around. Already ships were being loaded and offloaded. Hard work being done this early in the morning? They must be tough people with all that. No wonder Kelp Beer was a popular drink. Didn't sound appetizing in the slightest but people had to make due he supposed. However, as he walked he took notice of something interesting. He came to a pause staring out into the water. Not at a ship or a dock, but rather a broken mess of wood and structure. It looked like a bunch of lumber having been collapsed beyond any reasonable repair. Vasin looked to a Gruff Looking bald man as they passed by."Hello sir! I was wondering, what is that broken mess out there?"

Vasin had spoken in an attention-grabbing way, his inquisitive eyes locked upon the gruff dirty looking man. They seemed surprised at being called out all the sudden. They came to a stuttering stop and pointed to themselves and began to look around. Vasin nodded confirming he was indeed asking them a question."W-What? Oh! Do you mean the pier stranger? Or well, I suppose what is left of it."

Vasin blinked looking to the broken mess out there and then to the stranger."That's a pier? Looks like it has seen better days!"

The man nodded in agreement."Aye! It sure has! It was called the Ceruleum Pier. It was the pride and joy of many who live in Zeltiva. Shame though, because a ship crashed into it. The thing has been left there to rot. I certainly miss it. People have fond memories around it. Anyways, I have to go, stranger!"

The man seemed to be in a hurry, didn't really want to speak with Vasin. Though they had eyed Vasin with suspicion as they ran off."Ceruleum Pier... Wonder why they haven't taken to fix it if people found it so important..." Vasin was curious but the light sting of his wounds from the salty sea breeze reminded him to get on his way.

---

Vasin would continue on his way now heading up into the Old Quarter towards the Center of Healing. Upon seeing the entrance area he saw there were a few people hanging around. They were probably waiting to be seen, though none of them seemed particularly hurt or ill. Though as he approached the front counter he saw that the staff here was working fast. Already someone had left while they ushered another person in. Regardless he soon found himself at the front counter where he was greeted by a man working the front."Hello sir, how can I help you?"

Vasin paused thinking for a moment realizing he had been standing there silent for a moment or more."Oh uh, I have these cuts and wounds you see. I want to make sure they are alright."

Vasin pointed to his upper arm where a rag had been wrapped around covering the wound. It was a makeshift solution but plus the use of salt water it should have kept infection at bay, or so he had hoped. He didn't understand why salt water would help when his fellows at the camp applied it, but it stung and he was told that meant it was working."Hmm, alright. Wait by the entrance and someone will come to get you soon."

Vasin would nod going off to wait by the entrance where he saw another person leave and another ushered in. Lucky him things seemed to be going fast so hopefully, he wouldn't have to wait long. Indeed he wouldn't as one after another the group waiting dwindled one by one. Eventually, someone who appeared to be either a Healer or Doctor came out. One of the ones entering and exiting over and over again."Come inside, we will get those wounds looked at."

Vasin smiled and gave a nod before following her inside. She would lead him over to one of the leather beds motioning for him to take a seat."Thanks for seeing me. Was a bit worried that these wounds would turn bad."

Vasin would say as he took a seat getting a little comfortable."It's alright. Now then, let us see those wounds and see what we can do. You got a lot of bandages..."

She would then with Vasin's assistance begin removing the rag bandaged from Vasin's sides and arms. This exposed cuts and claw marks that raking all over his sides and arms. Some deeper then others some already on the verge of healing on their own, while others looked to need some assistance."What happened to you? You look like you lost a fight with a knife drawer."

Vasin chuckled a little."Mountain Lion. Was out beyond the mountains. It probably would have gotten the better of me if it wasn't for my Mule warning me."

She seemed to find this a little amusing though with a hint of concern. She would get to work placing a hand on the most prominent and deep of claw marks. She breathed out and seemed to concentrate. Vasin then noticed something or rather felt something as it flowed into him. Vasin recognized this feeling, it was Djed. She was... healing him with magic? Indeed it was so, she was a healer and under her concentration, she began to heal one wound after another rather diligently. Vasin watched with interest not really understanding this power. But there it was, he watched as his wounds disappeared one after another."Alright, all set. Now be more careful in the future."

---

After saying his thanks Vasin would be ushered out with a good bill of health. The nice thing about Zeltiva was that the Center of Healing was free to use. Or well, it was free if you had a Visa or Citizenship. Regardless, the citizens of Zeltiva seemed to greatly appreciate it, and the University for helping provide such a possibility. Now then, Vasin stood there in front of the Center of Healing a warm breezing flowing in from above."Right!" Vasin recalled what he was supposed to do today. He was going to go off to the Martial Society and get some work. The way it worked reminded him a lot of the jobs for Gold Finger. Going in and getting assigned a job for the day. Though unlike with Goldfinger it wasn't limited to just one thing it seemed. As he started his walk over to the Martial Society he wondered what was in store for him today. Hopefully nothing like that first job they gave him... the most exciting thing that had happened that day was the Seagull Kelvic trying to steal some wine. Even then, that was more annoying than exciting in all honesty.

Vasin hadn't traveled to the Martial Society from where he was yet, so getting there was a bit confusing. It was like trying to backtrack and even then he just wanted to take the most direct route. So, he just went in the general direction until he found a street that looked familiar. Eventually, he would after following that way for a little bit and a few turns find himself in front of the Martial Society. The building itself was hard to miss as it's grand architecture rose up above the surrounding buildings. Grand in scope it was recognizable in and instant. The place was also a bit odd, it seemed almost like its style was trying to copy some of the older buildings of the city. At the same time, it was off and had some different elements mixed in. Having spoken to Crylon before made him examine it a little, but he couldn't really pinpoint anything other than an 'its off' sort of vibe. Walking up the stairs Vasin would enter into the lobby on the first floor going to the front desk area."Ah! It's the new guy! You know you can just go right on the back if you want to use the training room right? How can I help ya?"

The person out front had been quick to greet Vasin who truly was one of the 'new guys' as he had been called. Having just moved in and joined with the Martial Society. The people here were a mix, you never knew what kind of person you would meet. Some warm and welcoming sort of like this one, other cold and distant like those he knew at Gold Finger's Loan Agency."Oh, I know. But I was wondering if there is any work available?"

The Captain seemed to consider his question for a moment before snapping his fingers having thought of something."Yeah, I think I got just the job. Alright so, you tell me whether or not you want to take it. But, a Courier by the name of Calla Davin wants an escort through East Street. Apparently, she is heading to a particularly bad part of the Quarter. So, what do you say?"

Vasin considered it for a moment. This sounded a lot more interesting then guarding boxes. A bit more in tune with what he used to do as well. Vasin gave a nod coming to a decision rather quickly."Yeah, I'll take it."

Vasin having decided to take the job saw the Captain then point over behind him."That's her over there. Finish the job, get paid. See ya!"

Vasin nodded before pushing off from the front desk/counter. Breathing out he turned around looking to the Courier who had come requesting assistance with their delivery. Looking for a brief moment Vasin then walked forward moving across the lobby over to her."You are Calla Davin, right? Name is Vasin, I'm here to take you across the east street." Vasin would offer a hand for a handshake.

[Calla Davin]

Calla rested on her bed. Well, she laid on her bed, but she didn’t feel like she was getting any rest. The heat was oppressive, pushing down on every part of her body constantly. Things didn’t just touch her body anymore, they stuck to it. She couldn’t tell if having the window open helped or not, so she would periodically shove it open or slam it closed. At the moment, it was wide open.

A dry breeze brushed through the window and against Calla’s feet at the end of the bed. ”That’s it.” Calla murmured in near-ecstasy. The blisters on her feet were large and oh boy were they itchy. Calla visited the Center for Healing a few days after she had burnt her feet, because the blisters had grown to cover most of the ball of her left foot. There, she was told three things:

1. Keep the blisters clean and intact, if at all possible. Calla figured dousing the suckers in water every chance she got counted as clean, so check. And there was no way Calla was going to willingly pop them.

2. Keep her foot loosely wrapped, if you have to. Calla wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but she hated the feeling of anything touching her foot more than it had to. She considered her socks a loose wrap.

3. Stay off her foot as much as possible. Calla had wondered how long she would be able to sit still. The woman lifted her head and peeked through the window at her feet. It looked like the answer was . . . not even a day.

Calla swung her feet over the edge of the bed and tugged on her stockings and shoes. After slipping into her shirt, she finally stood. Pain flashed through her foot and resonated in her ankle. She shifted her weight onto her right foot. Slowly, she tested how much weight the burnt foot could handle. Turns out, not that much.

”Great.” Calla muttered. It looked like she wouldn’t be running anywhere. Calla shuffled to her desk and snagged a popper off of it. She punctured it with her thumbs, deeply inhaling as it released its intoxicating fumes. Calla remembered when bursting poppers was an occasion. It had a celebratory feel to it before. Now, it was mundane. Calla wished it wasn’t like this, but she had no intention of changing it.

As the effects of the popper crept into her body, the pain in her foot subdisded--but only slightly. The fog taking over her brain was enough to take her attention away from her foot, though. Calla tested her foot once again, this time rolling the foot to the outer edge. This helped a bit. Satisfied with her ability to walk, Calla picked up a medium-sized box off of her table and exited the apartment.

She had tried to work the day before, but the heat coupled with the pain in her foot made it impossible to work. This package was leftover. It didn’t have far to go, but it was far from a nondescript delivery. If she were to get it done, she needed to either get a new foot (and some more fighting experience) or make a stop on her way there. Luckily, the Martial Society wasn’t too far from home.

Calla hobbled her way down a few streets and into the Martial Society, package in hand. At the lobby desk, she waved hello. The man behind the desk was chipper and huge. He greeted her with a smile. ”How can I help you?”

“I need some help getting this package--” Calla placed the box on the desk. ”To a nasty part of East Street.” The woman leaned both elbows onto the desk, lifting her foot off the ground as she told the man her name and other necessary information.

”Wait over there, please. Someone’ll be right over.” The man gestured to the other end of the lobby. Of course it was the other end of the lobby. Calla felt like she was walking down a long tube for bells before she arrived at a staircase in the lobby. It felt like only ticks after she had sat down before a different man approached her.

At the mention of her name she both nodded and winced. She often forgot she had a surname. She never liked using it, reminded her of her parents too much. The Davins were her parents. Calla was her. The woman lazily smiled as she stood and took Vasin’s hand.

”Alright, okay.” She tried to organize her thoughts, but, in doing so, forgot to let go of the man’s hand. After shaking his hand for a little bit too long, Calla spoke again. ”I’m down a foot--unless you wanna carry me.” The courier wiggled her left foot, looking down at it as she did. ”So we gotta walk. Slow.”

Calla turned and began hobbling towards the exit. She paused at the door, hands on her hips and that same lazy half-smirk stuck to her face. ”Ready when you are, tough guy.”

OOC :

Reminder to future self to pay for Vasin's services. Price for 2 poppers and stockings added to ledger.

[Vasin]

Vasin observed her initial reaction, a nod, and a slight wince. He had taken to picking up on details during his time in Sunberth. Something about using her last name seemed to bother her? Would it be rude to ask? 'It was just a slight thing, Vasin, no need to overthink it.' he quietly thought to himself though then noticed something else. This handshake, which he took to professionally and firmly was going on WAY longer then he had intended. He hadn't even noticed in the process of trying to figure Calla out. This was exceptionally awkward, but luckily, it didn't last very long. Though despite how brief he almost got the feeling that the long handshake had been noticed by the Captain up front. Just his imagination Vasin reasoned. He gave an optimistic and curious smile."Down a foot?" Vasin asked curiously glancing down at her feet."Ah, so that's how it is." Vasin nodded with understanding. He couldn't really tell from the outside what was wrong with her foot. He stared a moment more, trying to figure it out without asking. Did she seem to be putting less weight on one side? Maybe that was again just his imagination. Vasin would look back up to Calla."Well, afraid we will have to take it to slow then. Could barely carry a pack in this kind of heat!" Vasin said with a small laugh, joking a little about the predicament.

It made sense then, why she would need some help making her way through East Street. With a bad foot, she would be an easy target for people. Back in Sunberth the Thugs there would have jumped her no questions asked. Maybe even in broad daylight, though here in Zeltiva? No, they would be more discreet than that. Regardless, carrying a package and being slow? A recipe for disaster on East Street and no Wave Guard around to help. He stood there watching as she hobbled her way over to the door. There it was, her foot was definitely bad from something."Ready as I'll ever be." Vasin responses as he walked up after her, though would end up walking back her side, opening the door."So a courier? Interesting line of work. Sort of the opposite of what I used to do." Vasin would pipe up, wanting to make some conversation. He would end up halfway down the front stairs before recalling that, indeed she was having trouble walking. Looking back up he would wait for her."Do you ever make deliveries to other cities? Or just local?" he asked wondering if she had walked the roads North of here. Vasin himself had never traveled them, for Sunberth had no true roads connected to it.

They were technically already in East Street, the Martial Society being poised right at it. Where the Wave Guard did not enter, the Martial Society picked up the slack. Vasin would call it little Sunberth, but he was sure even the criminals here would take offense to such a notion. To be sure, East Street was far nicer then a majority of Sunberth's locales, not all the buildings looked like they were about to collapse in on themselves. An exaggeration? To be certain, though there were certainly some colorful looking figures around here. A hot sun overhead beating down on the denizens of the city, the sea breeze was salty dry. If they were closer to the docks they could probably hear the incessant cry of Gulls fighting for food. "I take it you are familiar with East Street?" he questioned, though knew that she wouldn't have come to the Martial Society if she hadn't. Vasin was still new to the city, and yet the reputation of East Street had already made it's way to him.

[Calla Davin]

Calla could fully feel the popper's effects now. Normally, this would have her fumbling around the privacy of her apartment like an idiot. But, alas, she was in the public and could not be too ridiculous. Although, she did have a chaperone . . . Calla shook her head in response to her own thoughts. The only man she had ever fully trusted to take care of her while on a high was her father--and that was mostly because he had a vested interest in her surviving. Or, at least she thought he did.

The effects of poppers were pretty easy to suppress if you concentrated hard enough. The average dose would propel Calla into a state of mental bliss, easing the tension out of her mind and body. If she let it, a popper dose could suck her into a haze of happiness and melt her body away from her. All Calla had to do to avoid that was to constantly remind herself that she had a body. Easy enough. The moment she got lost in thought, however, Calla would begin to wobble in a way that would make others think she was either a little sloshed or a big toddler.

As soon as the pair began to walk down the street, Calla tripped over a stone. She cursed under her breath before replying to Vasin. "Interesting? I guess so. Probably be more interesting if I opened people's shyke. For the most part, it's sorta just me runnin around." Calla shrugged, giving a goofy smile. "But who knows. Maybe it gets better when I'm not running and I'm--" The woman looked at her foot as she hobbled along. "Walking? Limping? Dragging?"

The courier put a hand on either side of the box, gently squeezing it so that her hands had something to do. "Local, mostly. Sometimes I get out to the mountains, but that takes so much time and energy. It's usually not worth it." Calla's mind wandered back to Vasin and his profession. She realized she didn't exactly understand what mercenaries did. "What about you?"

In the span of a few chimes, the pair had only made it through about 100 meters. Normally, Calla could have booked it down the same street in a fraction of the time. Now, people caught behind them muttered profanities under their breath as they roughly brushed by. Calla wasn't too upset by it, especially because she knew she'd be doing the exact same thing. "I live around here, so yes. Very familiar." Calla could feel more words bubbling to the surface, threatening to break her ideal frosty composure. She got too friendly when drugs were in her system, but it couldn't be helped. She let it flow.

"And it's kinda my job to be familiar with everywhere. Shyke wouldn't get anywhere if I had to stop for directions all the time." Calla paused as she began to lose herself in thought. What would life be like if she had to ask people where she was going? In the beginning, she didn't know where a lot of places were, but she would just tell her motherr that she didn't know where that was and, boom!, just like that she was onto the next delivery instead. Her range of familiarity didn't really expand outside of the University or Ancient Quarter until she moved out.

"Petch!" She tripped again, this time over her foot. It brought her back to reality, reminding her that she was, in fact, talking to somebody and not absorbed in her own mind. "Anyway, most deliveries are over at the University or down by the shops. People don't really send anything important to East Street...at least not if they want a guarantee on it getting there." Calla nodded as she talked mostly to herself. "I mean, I do my best. But what am I supposed to do with shyke like this?" The courier gestured down to the box. "I mean, seriously, did they expect someone from Priskil's Spire to walk down to a fight club?"

Calla glanced over at the man as they chugged along. "You must get shyke like this all the time." She wasn't sure what he got all the time, but she was sure it had to do more with brawling than her cushy courier job did.

OOC :

I'll get us to the location on the next post, unless you want them to walk and talk some more.

[Vasin]

Vasin raised an eyebrow and had been about to move to help Calla up, though paused the motion at seeing her catch herself. Well, that was a relief at the very least."I imagine clients would appreciate it if you opened them huh?" he chuckled a little."Sort of like if a debt collector skimmed off the top of a payment, or got too nosey. Professionals have standards and all that." Vasin said with a brief wave of his hand."Well, I'm sure it gives you more time to take everything in... though the dragging and limping might be distracting." Vasin said rubbing his chin.

"Must be beautiful up there in the mountains though right? I imagine that you might not notice if climbing up them is between you and a delivery." Vasin said rubbing the back of his head, a slight smirk on his face."Me?" Vasin questioned not having expected the question."I havnt had any jobs outside of Zeltiva yet. My goal is to get attached to some explorer though on an expedition."

Vasin nodded as he roughly pushed past someone, muttering profanity under his breath, giving a sharp and harsh glare at those that he saw as trouble. His hand always drifting near his sword, poised to draw it should someone come between him and finishing this job. The place reminded him of Sunberth in away. Didn't smell AS bad as Sunberth either, what with that massive slag heap everyone tossed their waste into. "I imagine not very far. Asking about would also draw unwanted attention from people no doubt. "

"Well, I'm sure whoever is delivering that must understand as well. Something I learned a while back is you don't leave anything out in the open unless you are willing to lose it. People around here might not understand that though." he said with a brief shrug."Could also be whoever is sending it doesn't want to be caught with it." he said pointing his index finger in the air."Regardless, you can only do what you can do."

Vasin shook his head."Nah, not really. Most of my jobs have revolved around guarding boxes on the pier. It is boring as anything can be. Nobody is going to try something down there with so many people. It's not like back in Sunberth where someone could walk up to you on the docks, stab you in the guts and leave your disemboweled corpse for all to see." however as Vasin was speaking he noticed someone weave through the crowd making a B line for the two of them. He only noticed a flash of them from the corner of their eye. A hood man, scrawny and quick. They came between him and Calla and with deftly quick hands they tried to grab the box and rip it from her hands, before running off in a sprint between people and making their way to an alleyway.

[Calla Davin]

“Yeah, I’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate that, would they?” Calla slowly nodded, knowing full-well that she had done just that: opened people’s mail. In her defense, she didn’t open everyone’s letters. Sometimes, the letters were sealed. In all seriousness, Calla did wonder whether or not people realized their letters got read. Even if they did, Calla was sure it didn’t matter. If they wanted privacy, then they should seal their mail or deliver it themselves.

Calla pulled herself out of her thoughts to respond to Vasin again. “The mountains are just as beautiful from here, and I don’t have to climb them here. But you’re right, yeah. It’s a nice little break.” As Vasin smirked, Calla couldn’t help but mirror his expression. “Attached? Ooooh.” Calla wiggled as she crooned like a schoolchild. “Who’s the lucky explorer?”

Vasin shoved by someone, and Calla cheered internally. She wished she was big enough to push people around. She had the attitude for it--or, at least, she tried to have the attitude. It was a work in project. “Unwanted attention is your field of expertise, no? So we’re hoping for some of that.” Calla chuckled as she limped along. “Well, at least I am. I didn’t spend these mizas for no reason.”

“How’d you learn that lesson?” Calla looked at Vasin as she shifted the box into her outside hand. She propped it on her hip, balancing it between her arm and her body. “You don’t gotta answer, just seems like a story to tell.” Calla gestured to the road ahead of them. “Since, ya know, we got a while.” Her tone made it sound like they were trekking across the wilderness, but in reality they had only a few more streets to go.

“Maybe you’re just not at the right end of the docks.” Calla shrugged. “Are you there at night? I bet that would spice it up.” Calla was a hometown gal. She hadn’t ever left the area, so anything that wasn’t Zeltiva was her weak spot. “Sunberth? Where’s th--” Calla hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary until the wooden box was swept out from under her hand. Out of reflex, she cussed. All she had the capacity and time to do was swat at the box as it floated away in someone else’s hand. She threw her weight onto her healed foot before flinging her arm towards the sprinting person.

Thankfully, her slap landed on the edge of the box. The small crate fell from the stranger’s hands, and Calla felt her heart swell with pride. Success! Her joy was almost immediately snuffed out, though, as the thief caught the falling crate. “Petchin’ shyke! Come back here, vagik!” Calla shouted as she crashed into the ground. The crowd barely parted around the whole ordeal. Clearly Zeltiva was not entertained by this little drama, because its citizens were completely unhelpful in this situation.

Calla scrambled to her feet, wincing as her burnt foot took the brunt of her weight. She allowed herself to cuss again, but she knew she had to get that box back. If anyone found out that she lost a delivery by herself, it would be bad. Add onto that that she had a mercenary with her and she still lost the package? She’d be out of a job.

“Move, move!” Calla screamed as loud as she could, partially because her foot was in intense pain and partially because she didn’t have time to mess with niceties. She could feel the blisters threatening to burst as her feet pounded the pavement. The alley the thief turned into wasn’t far, but it felt like she was moving in slow motion. Her mind knew she had to move faster, but her body just couldn’t do it.

The only thing keeping her hopes up was the fact that the alley the thief had run into was a dead end. Her apartment was right around the bend from here, so this area might have well been tattooed onto the back of her hand. “There’s no way out Vasin! Get him!” She shouted, hopefully encouraging the man to move forward full-force instead of lingering for her benefit.

Eventually, Calla reached the dead-end alley. She didn’t know what happened before she got there, but there was a certain something missing. The thief was facing them with both of his scrawny hands raised. Calla’s eyes darted around, frantically searching for the package. It was nowhere to be seen. This caused the courier to pause.

“Where is it?” She spat at the man. Her eyes met with Vasin’s, waiting for guidance. If the man didn’t have her package then what were they to do? Where did he put it? Was it hidden, or had he passed it off to a different thief without them noticing? A million questions buzzed through her mind as she weighed her options.

As she waited for Vasin to take the lead, Calla squared off her body. Especially now, she had to walk through the whole process of setting up her stance. She slid her right foot back about a foot and then out a few inches. As she did so, she remembered to keep her knees bent. She knew that leaning on one foot made her easy to knock over, but her left foot was throbbing. Calla sat back on her right foot like a lazy bum, but she tried to compensate by keeping her fists loose and imposing in front of her upper chest.

Farren is gonna kill me. Calla tried to push the thought out of her mind, but it was only replaced by a far less pleasant thought: Farren can’t kill me if this guy does. And, in that moment, all she could hope for was that this thief would charge Vasin first.

[Vasin]

Vasin blinked before chuckling realizing what had been inferred."Don't know yet!" he said glancing back to Calla taking it in stride."Though depending on how long it takes I might be that explorer... either that or Kelski." he said before looking forward once more as they went."Big world out there, I want to see it one way or another. Or at least... try..." he said adding a little bit of a shrug on top of that."Anyways I suppose that makes it easier for you, not having to climb them. Though does anyone live up in them?" he questioned curiously of if she knew or not. He certainly wasn't a local, but he figured a local might know.

Vasin breathed through his nose at the notion. "Well yes, but actually no." he said though was not sure."It is better if a job goes smoothly, but that is hardly how it ever goes." Vasin nodded quietly."Yeah, something usually always goes wrong. People tend to notice the mercenary carrying a sword and figure they must be there for a reason. Possibly a valuable reason." Vasin said raising an index finger to mark the point."There is only so much one can do to dissuade people." Vasin said pausing."Given how things usually go for me... well..." he said giving a harsh stare to someone as they moved passed."You might just get to see something." he said his voice full of implication.

Vasin thought for a moment about how he learned that specific lesson."Well..." Vasin trailed off briefly."Back in Sunberth early on I was forced to live in the tent city more or less. I would try and carry around as much as I could. But it just got in the way, and I wasn't strong enough. So, for a while, I left things in the tent. Left more and more until I left pretty much-left everything. No one seemed to bother my tent for a while." Vasin said with a little shrug."I got complacent, lured into a false sense of security. Then I come back one day and all the valuables are gone. After that, I decided to not leave behind anything I couldn't live without." Vasin said with a short pause."That is the short version. There is probably a longer version. Though I suppose in Sunberth all carrying your valuables does is make you a target."

Vasin had no words, only action the moment after he noticed a blur from the corner of his eye. The conversation had distracted him. 'Stupid.' he thought to himself as he reached for the hilt of his sword. A yell, a struggle, and a chase. The Thief had snatched the box as Vasin turned around. Calla shouted for him to get them as the Thief began to make their escape. Vasin rather bluntly shoved past a bystander. Moving quickly through the crowd he paid little attention to personal space. Pushing, dodging, and weaving as he kept the thief insight. This was ringing some bells. He heard swears and agitation as e pumped his legs using his weight to push through like a machine.

Then there was a break in the crowd! Vasin pushed forward out of it and down towards the alleyway. Pumping his legs as he propelled himself forward. Focusing in on the backside of the thief. His hand on the handle of his longsword Vasin drew the curvy flame-like blade. The rasp audible even over the blood pounding his ears. Barreling down the alleyway with intent the Thief saw that Vasin was hot on his heels, so they tried to knock over a trash can. It kind of worked in a way as it caused Vasin to avoid it. By that, had to slow down stumbling a little as he made his way around. Though it did the thief little good as they rounded the corner and found that it was a dead end.

Vasin rounded the corner and saw the predicament the Thief had gotten themselves into. Quickly, Vasin took up a stance, a rather professional and natural once. His body assuming it quickly with barely a thought. His right hand grasping the handle holding it there just above the waist, while his left hand grasped the blade itself, holding it up at an angle. Vasin angled himself at the Thief, his eyes locked onto them. Sword pointed at their neck even from this distance. His knees bent containing spring-like energy. He slowly breathed in and out, a contrast to the breaths he had taken while running.

"I'm going to ask you to hand over that box, or I will gut you and leave you here," Vasin said rather coldly. However, his eyes darted over the Thief and found no signs of the box."Where did you put it?" the thief said nothing showing his hands and giving a sarcastic shrug."You got the wrong guy buddy." the thief would say with a smirk as if he had pulled a fast one on them."You've got it somewhere on your person... now where am I---" Vasin said taking a step forward but paused when Calla entered.

His eyes darted over to her and that brief moment as Vasin's concentration went to her instead of the thief was what they needed. The thief sprang forward like a cat. Moving like a fluid they reached behind themselves and drew a short sword. Vasin caught the movement from the corner of his eye, and as he looked back they had already closed the gap quickly. The thief thrust forward aiming to stab under his guard, having noticed Vasin's lack of armor. Vasin, to the Thief's no doubt surprise, quickly stepped in towards the attack and would shove his blade forward. Moving to intercept the blade with his angled long sword. The blades clashed against one another, Vasin's longsword sliding over the upper end of the short sword. It's curvy surface vibrating the Thief's short sword just a little.

Their blades were in lock, and for an instant, it would appear as the Thief could simply keep thrusting forward and get Vasin in the neck. However, Vasin kept applying pressure forcing a blade lock as they bit into one another. Vasin then used this point of brief leverage to pivot his sword in while taking a step in. Pushing his right hand down while keeping his other hand firmly grasped on his blade Vasin brought the pommel and guard of his sword in. Sliding in as he pushed Vasin hooked the guard of his blade over the right arm of the thief and then pulled before then pushing. The Thief who had a tight grip on their sword bent down before Vasin then shoved them harshly breaking their lock. Because the Thief had been operating one-handed he simply could not get the leverage needed to cut into their face. The Thief staggered back after that brief struggle, and Vasin resumed his stance. But this time he began to approach with ill intent.

[Calla Davin]

Calla watched as the thief flung his body at Vasin. It’s all she could do. Watch, and wait. Her brain was sluggish, and her body was even worse. The courier saw the thief pull a blade, and she shouted. Well, she wanted to shout as the thief pulled their weapon, but she spent a lot of time thinking about it beforehand. Was it a sword? Or knife? Would shouting distract or help Vasin? This particularly worried her, considering that it seemed the thief had any advantage at all because she had just stumbled in behind the pack. Finally, she decided to call to Vasin. “Sword!” She yelled as a warning...a few noticeable ticks after Vasin had engaged.

Vasin stepped into the attack, and Calla seriously wondered about his mental health. From the little fighting experience she had, she thought that maintaining distance was good. Forcing your opponent to come to you was better, she thought. That way, you could anticipate their next move. Unless you already have the moves planned out! Calla excitedly thought, gaining an idea as Vasin forced the man to bow.

“I’ve got the moves.” Calla mumbled to herself as she looked around the alley. She needed something...something moveable. “Moves, moves, moves.” The courier spoke in hushed tones to herself as she dragged her dumb foot behind her. Occasionally, she’d become self-aware; she was wandering around a petchin alley talking to herself in a drugged haze while her bodyguard fought someone. Someone who stole her package...who was the reason why she was going to lose her job. Calla’s emotional pendulum swung the other direction, and she began to cry. She sniffled. I’m gonna lose my job, and this guy is going to die! Calla whined internally. This guy is going to die! Her mind snapped back into adrenaline-mode as she remembered that there was a fight with real, live swords happening mere feet from her.

After some scrambling, the woman finally found a crate, the kind with its top missing so you could carry produce or whatever in it. She grabbed it with her greedy little paws. “Gotcha.” Calla pivoted on her good foot and faced the pair.

In a sort of one-two type plan, Calla chucked the crate and immediately began running. Now, Calla would have loved to say that the two were locked in combat and that the fate of her toss was up to the Gods, not her skill. However, the thief and Vasin were standing away from each other. Their blades were not locked, and they were not touching in any way. Calla, however, was just that bad as life right now. The crate’s trajectory was way off, hitting Vasin in his left hip instead of hitting the thief. Calla, however, knew she could not stop. The plan had to go on!

“Gimme my delivery back!” Calla lifted her hands as she stepped closer to the man. In response, the thief lifted his sword up to his chest and simply said “No.” Calla’s brow furrowed as she dropped her guard a little; a good chunk of her really thought that would work.

“Why not?” This time, the man just lunged forward while making a slashing motion at chest-height, parallel to the ground. Calla was too slow. She only had time to raise her hands to catch the blow instead of her face. Immediately, she felt the damage in her left forearm. The woman screamed in pain as blood began to come out of the cut that ran across her arm. The high intensified the pain, making sure she felt the sensation completely. The lips of the cut burned as if she had held onto a speeding rope for too long, and the whole arm throbbed in response. Strangely, though, her brain wasn’t receiving these messages fully. Yes, she felt the pain in excruciating detail, but her mind didn’t seem to care. It still flitted from topic to topic: had she extinguished her candle before leaving? She hoped so, as it would be especially embarrassing to have her arse kicked and her house burned down in one day. But, then again, was she really getting her arse kicked? Aside from the minor cut, it felt like all was well. She had made a plan and executed it--even if the execution was less-than-successful. Although, it could still be successful if Vasin--oh! Her mind snapped back to the bodyguard she had just assaulted.

“Petch!” She shouted as her thoughts were yanked back to the here-and-now: the thief had lined up another attack. His elbow thrusted back behind him, and Calla felt like she knew very well where that knife was going. As he released his arm, Calla threw her body to the ground. The sword flew above her head, but the thief quickly changed his route. As the man brought down the sword in a hacking motion to Calla’s flattened body, Calla remembered Vasin’s attack from earlier. She tucked her arms in and rolled as fast as she could towards her attacker. She plowed into his legs as she caught his elbow right in the middle of her back. The man wobbled, but quickly stepped over her.

“Vasin!” The courier yelled as she continued to roll away from the man.

[Vasin]

Vasin was closing the distance, his legs propelling him forward not at once ever becoming flat. He was not wearing any armor, so he was moving far quicker then he was used to. But, he knew that meant he couldn't be as reckless as he was usually either. He knew that after his previous counter the Thief would not try it again. Unless they were stupid, which they very well may have been... Then again... No! He was getting distracted! His eyes refocused in on the Thief who was getting ready for Vasin. Their style of fighting was far different than his own. Self-taught? Perhaps, but a cut was a cut, especially against unarmored foes. They probably didn't expect someone to come after them like this though.

But! Before Vasin could spring his attack he heard something. Displacement of air, a grunt perhaps? Then he felt it! Something came crashing into him! Vasin let out a surprised gasp, and noticed the slightest bit of amusement on the face of the thief. Vasin stumbled to the side, the crate having smashed into his hip. He only caught himself barely, slipping a little as is left hand let go of the long sword and braced against the wall. Knees bent he heard something to the side as the Thief rushed off somewhere. What had hit him? He breathed out, standing himself up he immediately noticed the crate laying next to him now. Well, that quickly answered that!

A sore feeling was in his side, probably from getting hit by a crate, but then he heard something. Calla had called out to him, and in the few moments he had been taken out of the fight things had moved quickly. He looked over and saw that Calla was on the ground with the Thief over her. Vasin, speak or make a sound he simply approached. Angling his sword at the Thief with his left hand on the blade Vasin approached and approached quickly in a succession of steps as they stumbled and wobbled over Calla as she rolled under them.

In the end, it wasn't that Vasin made a sound that gave him away, but rather his shadow. The Thief must have caught sight of it because as Vasin thrust forward the Thief would spin around with his unsure footing. Not particularly graceful, but he swatted away Vasin's thrust. Vasin kept moving now that both of their weapons were to the side. He plowed into the Thief who was already on the unstable footing and pushed them into the wall and did so hard. With gritted teeth and not allowing him an inch to maneuver Vasin hooked his leg between that of the Thief. Snaking his right foot around their leg he suddenly pulled and with his upper body pushed. Forcing the Thief to the ground using his footwork Vasin backed off a little, knowing the Thief still had a sword."You alright?" Vasin asked quickly back to Calla as he drew his sword back, storing the energy up in his arms. The energy just ready to be released was released as he thrust his blade down at the prone Thief.

The Thief was a limber fellow and attempted to roll out of the way, but as they rolled onto their side they would find Vasin was quicker. His blade stabbed into their left arm. Drawing blood almost right away Vasin then pulled back as the Thief yelped out of pain. From how hard he thought Sunberth was, it seemed Calla was right. Go to the wrong part of town and things would end up just the same.

[Calla Davin]

Calla kept rolling with her arm tucked against her body until she felt a safe distance away from the commotion. Her arm leaked into her white shirt, creating a growing red blotch on her chest. Once she stopped, Calla pushed herself up using her uninjured arm. Her back was to the men as she folded her feet under her. She was afraid to look at the bleeding arm clutched tight to her body. She could feel the fabric of her shirt sticking to the place where her skin should have been.

It feels like...wet. Her brain still lagged as she lifted her arm from her chest. As she did so, the fabric peeled away slowly. It really did feel like she had just plunged into the ocean, causing her shirt to cling to her body. She willed herself to look down at the cut. At first, she couldn't find it. It wasn't that it was small--no, the cut ran diagonally from the outside of her elbow to to about an inch below the inside of her left wrist. The cut was right there, but the courier still scrunched her face in confusion. When did someone paint my arm?

When she realized that the red line across her arm wasn't paint but, instead, blood, Calla's mouth gaped. Immediately, the pain from a moment ago washed back to the forefront of her mind. It burned. Not in the same way her foot had, but in a much sharper kind of way. She was painfully aware of her skin now, and she couldn't tear her eyes away. There was no bone visible, but blood was forming bubbles on top of the entire cut; it made it look more painful to her intoxicated mind than it should have been. Calla had never been cut by a blade before, so this flesh wound seemed world-ending.

"My arm!" Calla called back in response to Vasin. "What do I do!" She shouted more to herself than as a question to Vasin. Calla tried to get up using only the one arm, but she stumbled back to the ground on her first try. A few ticks later, she successfully stood and turned to face Vasin. He had the thief on the ground, so Calla thought it was alright to approach.

Vasin stabbed the man's arm, and Calla found herself chuckling. "Yeah, it hurts doesn't it? Sucks, doesn't it?" She wobbled over in the sassiest hobble she could manage, waving her bloody arm at the thief. "I'm probably gonna die now, vagik." Calla stopped about a foot behind Vasin on his right side. The thief was clearly in more pain than Calla was.

"You're an idiot, lady." The thief whimpered as he grabbed his left arm. Calla furrowed her brow in frustration. Personally, she found herself to be a step above an idiot...whatever that was. A smart idiot? Whatever. Calla waved the thought away as she gave a very delayed response.

"You see this guy?" Calla gestured to Vasin. "You picked a fight with em, not me." The courier crossed her arms in victory, wincing as she grabbed her new cut. "You're dumb."

The thief overlapped with the woman's last bit of dialogue, angrily offering up a retort: "Yeah, I defended myself. You chased me in here!"

"You stole my shyke!"

"Did not!"

"Seriously? How old are you?" Calla mocked the thief's voice, adding an exaggerated childish tone to it. "Did not!" The pair went back and forth, shouting at each other like children. They clearly weren't going to stop any time soon unless someone else butt in.