Interlace (Canali)

[Cid]

Timestamp: 8th Day of spring, 511 AV The Sunberth sun had finally set. Darkness crept down the alleyways and streets like thick fog on a cold morning. The worst of people would begin to emerge from their lairs and homes. More and more people would flock to the taverns. Not Cid. Having been a drunk for a good portion of his life until recently, Cid learned his mistake. As a warrior in the Sunberth Vigilantes Guild, he was a fighter. But he couldn't really rely on only his longsword forever. He had put off looking for more weapons for far too long. So he was on his way to a forge to add a few things to his arsenal. Cid wasn't quite sure what he wanted. He hadn't really used many other weapons other than his longsword. His brother Dragan was an excellent dual wielder with the katanas. So he was use to relying on more than one blade. He wasn't. Cid turned down a very long, dark alleyway hoping to take a shortcut. He didn't know how long the armory was open so he figured it'd be better to cut a few corners here and there. Cid didn't have the best eyes for darkness so it would take a little bit for his eyes to adjust.

[Canali]

The sun had set quite awhile ago. Stars, or what little there were, began to creep out of the sky; winking down upon the city. If it had been the country, there would have been crickets chirping. Citizens were rushing down the streets, making for home on quick feet. Others were headed for drinking or to cause trouble.

It was a night like this so long ago when Nathan, Canali's father, was brutally murdered before her grey eyes. A hard lesson was earned that day and stuck with her since then. However, she didn't always follow the advice of finding a shelter for the night once the sun had set in Sunberth.

It made her feel a bit safer when traveling with one of the guild members, but… Things change when alone. The thought of someone having seen her face with a member would target her as someone to attack. After all, hurting a harmless vigilante of a group would quickly raise anger. Besides, she also cooked part of their food. As a wise man once claimed, "Attack the heart of them; their stomach".

Paranoia had Canali checking over her shoulder several times within a four block perimeter. She wouldn't have noticed them otherwise; the pair of goons were walking slowly down the street and talking casually. Nothing would have gave them away for a less keen, paranoid, eye.

The stiffness in the shoulders, set of the head, and stepping carefully instead of shuffling. The twitching eyes and knives they were carrying on side hips. One added up to another.

Canali's movements became anxious, hurried. Thoughts began to race and she struggled to take a deep breath to plot the quickest way back. It included skipping through several alleys; always a bad idea after sunset.

Panic set in when they followed her calmly through an alley. Breaking into a slow jog, Canali ignored the voice in her head screaming, "RUN! Run you insane little person!" It was almost too tempting, but Canali figured it was like a game of prey and hunter; enticing them by running would only urge them to catch her more.

It would take too long to reach the house, so Canali opted for the next best option: Sprint ahead, duck into an alley, and hide. Trying to keep her feet quiet, she did just that. Unfortunately, the alley was nearly empty and too long to duck out of.

"Hey, girlie, you lost?" A voice echoed through the quiet, deep and masculine.

"I can help you find yourself someplace cozy," came a perverted reply from the other man. Both shared a laugh and whispered between themselves for several seconds. Canali wondered if they could hear her heartbeat and how to keep from having a panic attack. Memories flash before her eyes; horrible memories.

Canali didn't turn to face the men as she took off running. Feet splattering across the ground, she hit the ground hard as one man tackled her; pinning her.

[Cid]

Cid moved his fingers around inside of his gauntlets. He didn't like his hands getting too sweaty so he always made sure to move them around. Cid coughed as he made a few more turns down the dark alleyways. Cid made another turn, this time to see a few people not too far away, running. He realized instantly that the woman was not with the two men. He watched as one man tackled the girl to the ground hard. Cid was filled with rage. He couldn't stand this kind of thing. Dishonorable and disgusting. He wanted to run straight at them, but was afraid to give away his position at this distance. If they had any weapons on them, which Cid was sure they did, this could quickly turn into a hostage situation if he acted too soon. So instead he crept in the darkness the best he could. His feet and arms shuffled pretty loudly but the men took no notice, they were probably too caught up in the commotion. When he got close enough, he was able to see the woman struggling beneath one of the men as he tried to get a hold on her. The other man was standing behind them, laughing. I'll give you something to laugh about. Cid thought to himself. Cid came right up behind the standing pervert, and aiming his blow perfectly, dealt a powerful, gauntlet covered, punch to the back of his soft head. The man went down fast, and hard. He landed on the ground with a loud thud and shuffle as Cid unsheathed his longsword. The other man got turned his head right after his partner hit the deck. Cid wasn't sure how the attacker would react, but he was willing to do anything to make sure the woman was safe. He still wasn't sure who it was, possibly a stranger, but none the less, Cid would fight her attacker if need be.

[Canali]

"Get off.. Of me!" Canali growled at the man, struggling to push him off of her. Her hands pressed against his shoulders in a futile attempt to keep him away from her. He lifted barely any of his weight off of her.

The ground was hard against her back, one shoulder blade pressed haphazardly into it. Cold and unfeeling, like the man above her. He was breathing hard, like a pig, while swatting at her hands. The other time he was trying unsuccessfully to get her shirt undone.

Panic raced through her like blood in her veins. Canali struggled fiercely, letting out a cry of pain when he brought a hand across her face sharply and the command of, "Shut up, bit**! You'll get us caught!" It would definitely be a bruise after this encounter was over.

How was she to escape these goons? One had her pinned, the other was bound to help in 'securing' her if she got away or struggled. For a few seconds she wondered if they really would rape her… Then she realized this was Sunberth. Of course they would.

Doubling her struggles, Canali took the chance of him turning his head to view something and brought her leg up between his legs. A grunt of pain fell from his lips; along with something that sounded like a girlish scream. It wasn't easy to push him off of her, but she managed.

Scrambling to her feet, her shocked mind paused a moment and Canali backed up a few steps; eyes on the squirming man. It occurred to Canali that there had been another man. This broke her trance and turned to run away. Her eyes fell upon two men, besides the one flailing on the ground. Oh goddess!


Making a quick decision, Canali tucked tail, spun, and ran in the opposite direction.

[Cid]

Cid watched as the woman was able escape the second man's grip with a sharp, knee to the groin. He was actually surprised she was able to escape on her own. She looked a little familiar but Cid couldn't be sure. It was too dark in the alleyway. The woman looked at Cid and ran away. He wasn't sure if she was silently thanking him, or thought that he too had joined in with these goons. The first man was still unconscious, while the other rolled around, groaning. But he was recovering. Cid sheathed his longsword and ran over to the the goon in pain. He placed two firm hands on the attacker's chest and brought him up to his face. "You have fun?!" Cid spat in his face. He then threw him into one of the walls of the alley. Cid took quick, strong strides over to him and picked him back up again. He used his feet to get good footing as he pinned the other man against the wall, but he put one knee in front of the other, protecting himself from the same fate that the woman had dealt this man. Cid delivered a brutal headbutt to the goon's nose, breaking it instantly. He glared as the man grunted in his sheer pain. "Was it worth it you piece of trash?!" Cid secretly wish the woman had stayed. He tried not to show it, but he loved recognition and praise for the things he did. But right now, he didn't care. He just wanted to teach this punk a lesson.

[Canali]

Canali wasn't sure which direction to head once the alley ended. Heck, she wasn't even sure of where she was exactly! Left or right? Straight into another alley way? Which way was the building? Oh, goddess, was someone behind her?!

Trusting her gut, Canali ducked and ran to the left. Her hair blew behind her as she left the alley. Bare feet slapped against the ground. Canali had left her sandals back when she was attacked. Never mind that now. She could buy new shoes some other time.

No one was on the street. It was like a ghost town. It seemed like any other night there was a tavern on every street. Where were the drunken fellows tonight? Where was a tavern she could slide into and hide amongst the crowd?

It was only a few more dirty blocks before pain stabbed her right foot. A light grunt fell from her lips as she landed on the ground. Bringing her foot up, Canali gasped when her fingers brushed the open wound. They came away wet. She must've stepped upon a shard of glass.

There was no time to waste. Who knew when the men would be after her again? And with more people, too! No hunter took well to their prey escaping.

Using the brick wall as a brace, Canali pushed to her feet. Staying upon the toes of her right foot, Canali limped a few more feet before collapsing again. Darnit!

Breathing hard, she scooted to the wall and leaned against it. Her head tipped back in distress. Pushing away a piece of garbage, Canali tried to think of something other than her foot.

By now the men would have gotten to their feet, would have discussed the matter and be out of the alleyway. Take a few minutes to decide which way to go, and maybe split up… There were three of them, after all. If the kneed man found her, she was bound to get hit and beat before he finished his business. Revenge.

Canali hoped it was the man who seemed to be standing off to the side; the one who arrived the latest. He didn't seem to be laughing at the matter. Maybe he was going to put a stop to it! Why get her hopes up? He was obviously with the other two troublemakers.

[Cid]

Cid growled as he brought a full forced knee into the gut of the conscious attacker. As the man bent over in pain, Cid brought his right hand around, and backhanded him with all of his strength wrapped around a gauntlet. The goon quickly doubled over and fell back to the ground, groaning in pain. As the man tried to roll around in pain, his face a bloody wreck, Cid looked back to the other attacker. He still hadn't moved since Cid knocked him out. Cid then smiled a dark smile. He had an idea that these two definitely deserved. Cid turned back to the still conscious goon. He walked over and unsheathed his longsword again. Kicking the attacker hard in the chest, knocking the wind out of him, Cid left his foot there. Pinning him down. He then used his sword to make a bit of a rip on the waist of the man's pants. The blade slid down the goon's pants. There was one swift movement as Cid pulled up and out to one direction. One clean cut was all it took. The scream was instantaneous. But Cid was oblivious to the fact of the other man rising to consciousness and slowly getting to his feet. Cid took his foot off of the man's chest and picked him u again, while he was still screaming. Spitting in his face, he shouted at the woman's attacker. "I was going to kill you! Then I realized... what more of a fitting punishment for what you attempted than this?! So if you manage to live, enjoy!!" Cid shoved the goon into the wall and watched as he fell. Suddenly Cid felt hands grab onto his shoulders, it would be impossible to determine what the man behind him would try and attempt, but Cid used his training to duck down enough and spin clockwise and bring his sword slashing across the man's chest. He stood up fully as the other man stepped back in shock. Cid finally smelled the alcohol. These men were drunk, no wonder this was so easy. Smiling again, Cid plunged his blade straight into the crotch of the other goon. Once contact was made and he felt the sword penetrate flesh, he twisted the handle violently. Destroying anything the man had below the belt. He quickly withdrew the weapon from the man, then wiped off all of the blood nd other fluids on the goon's shirt. The alley was filled with screams as he sheathed his sword and ran out into a street. He saw the woman from earlier, leaning against a wall. He quickly ran over to her. Trying not to scare her, he slowed his pace. "Excuse me miss? Are you alright?" He didn't really know what to say.

[Canali]

Screams echoed through the air, filled with pain and suffering. If it had been a light, it would've bounced from each side of the street to the other; originating from the alley where Canali had escaped.

She winced, hands sliding up to cover her ears. Even though what they had tried do, Canali couldn't even imagine what horrors they were facing currently. There was no reason to, either. Those types of images didn't need to be seen.

Breathing deeply, Canali counted to ten in a soft whisper before taking her hands away from her ears. One brushed her cheek, where the man had hit her. Sucking in a gasp, Canali squeezed her eyes shut. The metallic smell of blood from her foot still flooded the air.

When her lashes opened again, she was staring at feet not her own. Scrambling backwards, only to hit the brick wall, she pushed to her feet in a hurry. Oh goddess, who was this?! … Wait, was this person asking if she was alright? Why did he sound familiar? There was no time to try and discover if he was an old friend. Heck, he could have been with the other two!

"W-" cutting off, swallowing to please her sore throat, she spoke again, "Who are you?" The fear in the words showed upon her face, also, with wide grey eyes and a paleness which made her lips seem violet and hair the color of the night. It was times like this when Canali regretted never learning self defense. Dammit, this was Sunberth, after all!

[Cid]

"My name is-" As Cid got closer he recognized Canali. If he had talked to the Sunberth Vigilantes more than he did in the meetings at the tavern, he might of realized that this was a fellow guild member. "Canali? Is that you?" Cid was still surprised he knew her. He never would have expected the girl being attacked was someone who he knew. "It's me Cid. From the Sunberth Vigilantes?" Cid hoped that she would remember him. He had seen fear take people over. Even when the problem was over, the fear remained and controlled how they reacted and thought. "Are you okay?" Cid crouched down. If she didn't recognize him, he didn't want her to see him as a threat. "What are you doing out here?"

[Canali]

A metallic taste covered her mouth. Fear tasted like blood, or maybe that was because her teeth were digging into her cheek. A dribble of sweat ran down her face and her lungs felt like they were on fire. Short, shallow breaths through slightly parted lips. Canali's hair seemed to gravitate towards the bricks behind her, like a static-balloon to a wall. Warm liquid dripped from her foot.

Somewhere in the surprisingly cool night, a dog howled to the sky. A long and eerie sound, seeming mournful and lost. There was no breeze in the street. Nothing to cool down what heat was left. Way into Canali's dazed brain, she realized it was quite dark out. How long had this little encounter taken if the sun had been setting before this?

This brought back thoughts of those terrible goons. New fear filled her as she watched the man squat down in front of her. Though soothing, who knew what kind of person this was? Anybody could act these days and persuade others! Cid? How did that name sound familiar?

It took a moment, a long moment, before Canali could force herself to think rationally; to push the cloud of fear away. Another before she realized it was Cid; from the guild. Joy burst through Canali. Someone she knew! This probably meant those goons were gone, now; away from the area!

Ignoring the stab of pain in her foot, she launched forwards. Her arms came around him in something akin to a tackle and she clung. A tear dripped slowly from her grey eyes. The beat beat of his heart thudded beneath her ear as her lids slid shut and deep breaths, to reassure herself that this person from the guild was actually real instead of a figment of her imagine, filled her lungs.

"Where were you? D-Did you see?" Trembles shook her form as it finally set in what exactly had happened. "They were… They were gonna…" Canali trailed off, unable to fully comprehend it. Not like she wanted to! "Ouch!" A wince overtook her features as her foot shifted and pain struck up her leg. Obviously the piece of glass or whatever she had stepped upon was still inside the skin. Fresh, body temperature, liquid dribbled. "I seemed to have speared my foot with something…"