[Tall Johnny's] The Game of Gods [Cade]

[Leviathan]

Timestamp: Day 40 of Summer, AV 511 Location: Tall Johnny's Casino PCs Present: Cade He was possibly the biggest man Cade had ever seen. Even the barbarian, as fearless and blood-thirsty as he was, felt a twinge of intimidation settling in his bones as he sat or stood in his corner of the ring. He was being paid to fight, more to win. It wasn't great pay, but it was rare for somebody to die in a place like this, bare knuckle, fist fight. Still, these facts did little to calm the butterflies gnawing mercilessly at his stomach. He could watch only in anticipation as his opponent, who obviously had height, weight, strength, physique, and probably skill advantage, stepped into that cage. An Akalak, nearly eight feet tall and fully ready to beat cade into the ground. Cade would notice on the man, a similar marking that he had seen time and time again in this city, the crimson dagger on the bare chest of that deep blue complexion. This massive creature was a Daggerhand, and judging by the way he was staring at Cade, he either just loved to fight, or he saw this as payback for a certain incident that happened several days ago. Still the fight had not started. Tall Johnny was moving around the Casino taking bets and jousting with sharpened jesting insults with customers as he moved. Occasionally his eyes fell on Cade, where there was only a grin that said "You fucked up." Sure, Cade would get paid a bit of money just to take a beating, but it was obvious by his opponent (who Cade was told was an amatuer and a nobody, a lie) that it was a set up. Everyone was betting against Cade. Thirty to one odds. If it wasn't embarassing enough to be set up, the fact that there wasn't a single person in the room betting for him was just a low blow. Then, there was a single voice in the crowd that spoke. He wasn't shouting and screaming like the rest, yet he still was heard. Everyone, excluding nobody, shut up to hear him speak as if they knew he was about to disturb some great balance. Or in this case, help balance the imbalanced, one-sided betting. "Five Hundred Gold Mizas on the Human." Obviously he meant Cade, assuming there wasn't a drop of anything non human in him, such as Myrian. How could he know from appearance? The building was roaring then as this strange man, clad in deep rich dark brown colors and a fancy, unfamiliar looking hat and thin mustache that made him look more devious and noble than cruel or rough, like most Sunberthans preferred. He was thin, average height, and expensive clothing. He certainly looked like he could afford such a bet, but he also looked like a man who would be lynched and mugged before the night was over. It took several minutes before Tall Johnny could quiet the spectators enough to address his cage fighters. Stalking up to the fence that separated him from them. Both fighters, as commanded, stood side by side and looked at him as he explained the rules, which were few and simple. "Alright boys. Here's how we're going to do this. No biting, no weapons, and no beating a man after he's knocked out. I like it when my fighters return for more blood. Are you guys ready?" Regardless of what was going through Cade's mind, it was dropped instantly as he was hit hard in the side of the head. The Akalak's fist felt like it was the size of a rhino, and hit equally at hard. It was a cheapshot, while Cade wasn't looking, and before Johnny called a start to the match. But did anybody care? Of course not. Cade stumbled back to his corner before he recovered his senses, and he was pissed off. Think quick and act quicker, it was the only way he was going to stand even a small chance against this opponent.

[Cade]

The half blood myrian stumbled back, is head ringing from the Akalak’s fist smashing upon his face, a cheap shot made true for Cade was distracted by the hefty bet made upon his victory. The barbarian’s Svefran blue hues blazed with the inferno rage as his myrian blood boiled like a hellish berserker. The Akalak landed the first blow, giving Cade a taste of what was to come.... a pain that the savage was willing to take over and over to tear this giant apart. He knew his opponent had reach, size, strength and skill but none of that mattered to him now, he was pissed beyond reason, beyond common sense and well being, he was set up and now he was going to make them pay for it.

Cade growled like a rabid beast as he savagely thrusted himself at the Akalak before him. He charged upon his opponent like a pit dog frothing at the mouth to sink his jaws into the meat of his rival. Cade needed to close the distance fast and fight the fight inside the giant’s reach and cut him down to size with as many body shots he can deliver.

Crouched slightly and keeping his left fist close to his face for protection Cade shifted his weight to his left leg once in range, pivoting his right foot so that his toes were pointing forward and simultaneously striking out with a right punch. The attack was aimed at the Akalak’s solar plexus with as much strength he could muster. His first mission was to take the wind away from warrior for most armatures believe knocking a man’s skull in is a way to victory, but battering your opponents core does more damage as you mush their organs within.

[Leviathan]

Despite Cade sudden and obvious outburst of rage, he fell like a true warrior, calm, collected, smart. However, it just wasn't enough, this Akalak giant was obviously skilled, and when that talent walked hand in hand with his natural power it was nearly impossible to touch the guy. The crowd roared with excitement and cheering when the Akalak first hit Cade with that cheap shot to begin the match, and their mismatched voices lifting in praise was no less now that the Akalak grabbed Cade's forward arm, the one meant to strike him in his center mass, and pulled him close. for just a moment before lifting Cade off the ground and tossing him through the air like a ragdoll. The landing was painful, but not devestating. The Akalak was simply toying with Cade at the moment. "What is the wrong human? No strong to fight me eh? Heh heh heh." The large blue figure chuckled allowed as he casually walked circles around Cade. He was giving him plenty of time to stand up and prepare himself, which was probably a shock since he initiated the fight with such an underhanded. "Cade." There was that lone voice in the crowd once again, and though nobody quieted down this time to listen, Cade could hear the man, the one that bet so heavily in his favor, talking as if there was no voices shouting to drown him out. And yet, they couldn't. "Bleed a little for me, won't you?" The man, if Cade looked at him through the face at all, would be grinning as if cade was actually winning the fight convincingly. Or, perhaps, as if he knew something nobody else did.

[Cade]

Bleed?.....not a problem!, Cade thought to himself as he lightly drizzled blood from his mouth and nose, a small consequence of the Akalak’s first strike along with the air time. The barbarian could not get the angle of this wealthy stranger with in the audience was playing at, but for the time being he could not let the man’s majestic and creepy voice distract him from this fight for this daggerhand fighter was so far kicking his ass.

Cade rose up just as the coloured giant came within range, spitting a mouth full of blood towards his face while thrusting himself into a crouched stance, knee bent while lowering his shoulder as he dropped the right side of his body remembering to keep his left fist up by his chin to protect his head. He rotated his hips forward, pushing on the ball of the back foot, punching his right fist up towards the Akalak’s groin keeping his arms bent at a right angle for the most power through delivery and follow through of a uppercut.

[Leviathan]

Ominous indeed. Why would a gambling man want his own fighter to bleed? Bleeding was bad. Bad meant your fighter was that much closer to losing. Bleeding, ergo, meant Cade was losing. The man in fancy clothing, which was a rare sight in this city for certain (wealthy foreign clothing only made you a target to cutthroats and cutpurses), smiled with a strange crooked grin, confident in Cade for some strange reason. "Good man." Again his voice slithered and weaseled its way through the roars and cheers into Cade's ears. He couldn't quite shake the gooseflesh that grabbed at his arms at that sound. The Akalak brawler took several swift strides towards Cade, then, miraculously, he slipped! The blood that had pooled ever so slightly grabbed onto the blue giant's heel as if it was living and angry for vengeance. The Akalak fell, though it wasn't the trip that caused wonder, but it was when the Akalak reached down to catch himself that his arm shattered, the forearm folding backwards as the bones proved too unstable, unsupported, and too inprepared to steady such a massive weight. The room was silent of all cheering and only two things were heard. The man gambling on Cade, the fighter, and the Akalak screaming in pain so loud that several in the crowd had to hide their ears just to avoid as much pain as possible. The few attacks Cade delivered hit hard and true, leaving the Akalak silenced and lying on the floor nursing a fractured jaw and that oddly shattered forearm. The whole room was staring at Cade. Everyone knew that it was that one little slip, as unlikely as such a slip was since there was such a small amount of blood to slip on, was the true victor. Everyone knew that the unlucky fall was just perfect with the momentum and weight of the Akalak to break the arm. That was even less likely, yet happened. Still, Cade was the obvious winner. No matter how great of an unarmed fighter you were, without your arms, you were beat. Only that strange man was smiling, offering a sly wink to Cade as he made eye contact. The table he sat at was empty, excluding himself, yet two mugs of beer sat ready to drink. He was obviously expecting Cade.

[Cade]

Like the crowd, Cade was shocked at his own victory as the Akalak laid beaten before him. Cade smiled, a victory was a victory and the barbarian’s smile turned into a pursed lip as he hocked a wet luggy upon his downed opponent. “ Daggerhand whore!” Cade growled at the broken fighter wishing he could run a blade through his chest, then his attention fell upon the wealthy but odd stranger with the voice that echoed his ears during the match.

Leaving the cage and his curiosity getting the better of him, the myrian half blood made his way towards the lone man sitting at the table with two ales resting upon the surface. From the way the man winked at him, it was kinda obvious that the brew was for the barbarian. Not one for turning down a drink Cade owned the empty seat, his hand grasping the mug and skulling the contents before striking up a conversation.

“ Who are you?” The deep toned voice of the myrian questioned the stranger with simplicity and straight to the point. Cade wasn’t a man that beat around the bush for he was a brute and was generally blunt about all his inquests. This one being no different.

[Leviathan]

Cade took absolutely no time to drain the contents of his mug, and with a pleased nod his new acquaintance (if he could be called that) motioned for another ale to be brought for the fighter, the victor of the cage match, tonight's champion. Tall Johnny himself delivered the drink to Cade, along with a small stack of ten gold mizas. It wasn't normally this much of a pay for winning a fight, but a little extra for overcoming such odds probably tasted well to the half-Myrian brawler. Johnny left without a word. It was obvious the stranger's presence unnerved him, something that nobody could really do to Johnny before in fact. "Me? Why so interested in me? You're the fighter here. The victor over the Akalak, very impressive. Who would have guessed that the very person that had bested fighters for five straight days without hardly being touched would be not only defeated..." He glanced over to the ring, nobody had helped the Akalak at all, who was just now sitting up on his knees, cradling a shattered forearm. "... and to finish him off like this. Some might just say you were lucky." Cade could have sworn he saw a shimmer in the man's eye as he said this, then his gaze left the Akalak and fell to Cade once more. "No, it wasn't luck. I knew you would win. As for me, I'm nobody. I'm a gambler and I love a good fight. You've given me the two best gifts I could ask for, so I feel a need to reward you." The man extended his hand over the table and unclenched his fist, allowing a white ring fall onto the table top. Needless to say, it was beautiful. Judging by its flawlessness, it was valuable as well. "This ring, it's magical. I won't just give it to you though. As I said, I love to gamble for money. You have ten gold there, your pay for beating the blue guy, how about you play a game for the ring?"

[Cade]

The barbarian's eyes were fixed on the ring as the possibilities of owning such a valuable piece of jewellery forced him to lick his lips in lust. The thought crossed his mind in just gutting this stranger here and now and take the ring for himself, but common sense and a prickly sensation racing up his spine thwarted such an idea from action. The man was mysterious and seem to have precognive abilities if he knew Cade was gonna win the fight. Cade knew he was not to under estimate him and thought best to play the strangers game the way he wanted, not the way the barbarian would prefer.

Cade placed the ten gold mizahs on the table, a small price to risk for such a reward. " I will play your game, Stranger!" Though the thought of killing the man still faded in and out of his imagination, Cade's curiosity intrigued him to continue on and maybe not just win the reward but to gain more insight on this elusive man or what ever he was. What else was there to lose sides the mizahs?

[Leviathan]

The man continued to smile, and clapped his hands in glee as Cade agreed to a game of betting or two. "I knew you would! You are very interesting my warrior friend. You can call me Yuren. Here, I want to show you the magic in this beauty. Watch. This." The man picked up the ring in between his index finger and thumb, then without a care he tossed it across the room, where it vanished beneath the blanket of men gambling and drinking and screaming and laughing. Yuren watched as Cade's face most likely shifted, probably to worry or panic at the thought of losing the elegant jewelry, or at the very least a puzzled stare offered in confusion. Yuren lifted his hand to silence Cade before he spoke, again assuming he went to say something, and then he reached into his pocket and drew out that very same ring. Not a scratch was on it. And the man placed it down on the table again. "This ring knows who her master is. She belongs to me, so she always returns until she is no longer mine. Try to take it if you want. She'll keep coming back to me until ownership is shifted in a way that pleases her." This, of course, meant that the ring could not be stolen. An expensive piece of craftsmanship that could not be lost, stolen, misplaced. That was truly a ring worth owning. "Now, let's play some cards. I hope you can count?" The man looked at Cade as he produced a worn and well-used deck of cards from somewhere on his person, Cade failed to see just where it had come from. "The game is simple. Whoever gets closer to the score of twenty-one, without going over, wins. And the prizes are his. If I win, I get your money. And you get this ring if I lose. Deal?" It was a simple game, one of the more common games of cards played throughout Mizahar. The name was different in each culture, but the rules were as solid as the foundations of Syliras. Yuren extended his hand, offering it to shake, to 'seal the deal' in a sense. This would be their promises to fork over their possessions in the event of their loss.

[Cade]

Cade extended his battle forged arm grasping Yuren's hand within his large mitts to shake on the deal the strange man had proposed. A game of cards to the score of 21 and all Cade had to do was fork his winnings of the day to enter to gain the prise of such a magical ring. The barbarian gripped hard as he shook the man's hand, his lips turning to a sadistic grin exposing his savage fangs. " You frekking with me Yuren and I will rip this very arm off and eat it raw" The threat was no bluff, Cade would kill him if this was a mere trick to scandal his hard earned reward from him. You don't cross a myrian, not if one valued life.

Cade let the man's hand go and sat back in his chair, the ten mizahs he earned were in clear site and grasp on top of the table. " Well, shall we get this game started?" He snorted while motioning the bar wench for more spirits of the honey variety. He had a liking to mead and rarely ventured into other liquors if he had a choice.