The Vanguard #1 [Finished]

[Mugenajin]

34th Day of Spring

Mugen's hand was sticky with putting up all these affiches. You couldn't walk 2 minutes without passing by at least 1 of these " Mercenaries Wanted " - affiches.
He just finished doing the small alleys of the town and went to the Rearing Stallion for a refreshing drink and to await the, hopefully, incoming people wanting to join his new-founded travelling mercenary band.

He was sceptic about it all but he needed an income and fighting/killing was all he could do. And he did it well, but even so he still needed more people to be able to accept those freelance missions that involved heavy risks and rewards that matched those risks.

He hissed, clearly displeased with it all but he couldn't think of an alternative so he just waited and slowly sipped on his drink. Glaring at everyone who dared to look him in the eye for longer than a split second. He knew Dhani weren't really appreciated in Syliras, or anywhere else for that matter. But he couldn't care less, his golden snakelike pupils flared around in their pitchblack swamps, looking for someone to dare pick a fight. But noone came, and Mugen hissed in displeasement once again. Hopefully the people that would want to join his merc band would have more guts than these lowlives.

[Eris]

Eris pushed open the door of the Rearing Stallion, slipping inside as quietly as possible. She scanned the sparse crowd, looking for the most likely candidate to have put up the flyers she’d been seeing in every alley she visited. The flyers were certainly an interesting way to recruit mercenaries – direct and a little dangerous. The risk-taking part of her brain appreciated that, but her reasonable side maintained that it must be some kind of scam. She fingered the dagger hanging at her side, carefully concealed by her jacket. She was comforted by the fact that it was still there, a constant reminder that she always had an option other than escape.

Finally, she spotted a man sitting alone in a corner. He looked like he was waiting for someone an fit the image she’d created in her head of the man behind the flyers. Upon closer inspection she realized that he was one of the snake-people. She mentally corrected herself, realizing that she had reverted to calling the Dhani by the name her mother had always used. But her mother had been ignorant and a coward, not someone Eris wanted to remember.

She walked up to the man, carefully perching on a chair next to his. “Am I right to assume that you are behind all those flyers I’ve been seeing recently?” she inquired quietly, her head slightly tilted to one side. If this man was indeed serious about starting a band of mercenaries, it would be very useful in Eris’s present situation. She could continue on her little quest, but have a steady source of income at the same time… or at least as steady an income as a mercenary could ever get.

[Rand]

The boat dipped low into the water as he finished securing the last of barrels underneath the deck of the ship. The boat dipped and bowed unevenly over Rand's feet as he moved up the stairs to the deck. He was used to the waving of ships, most of his jobs and his life had been spent on boats, and his tanned body moved easily up the stairs. As He came up on the deck Rand stopped just as the light hit his face. Rand froze, taking in the look of the sea as he enjoyed the sun on his face. The wend whipped the stray strands of his shoulder length hair that he tied back around his face. As he stood there Rand unconsiously fingered the sivler charm that was around his neck. Today he was fingering the fish charm, his mother had used it to protect her father when he was at sea. Rand continued to stand there, his mind wandering.

Rand, you lazy cur, get back to work! the captain yelled with a small grin on his face as he walked up and gave Rand a gentle pat on the back. The captian was a grizzled aging man with salt and pepper hair, his beard was also dotted with bits of grey. His face and skin were leathery from years in the sun, which had been burnt multiple times. He smiled at Rand thinking of the great deal on labor he was getting. A mere 20 gold Misas for labor from Veltiva to Syliras. Of course it was supposed to be more but the Captain had nocked it down due to some "transport services". The captain chuckled to himself as he patted Rand on the back again. The sea mist sprayed up the side of the ship, and it dipped again as the two stood there. We are amlost at Syliras so dont go slackin off now, you lazy cur. With that the captain walked off whisling to himself.


A few hours later the boat was coming into port, Rand finished his work helping to unload the contents and carry the barrels to the docks. Rand finished his work and went to captains office to collect his meager pay as they had agreed. The captain begrudgedly handed over Rand's twenty misas, all the while saying how he wasn't worth it. Rand thanked the man, moving towards the bow of the ship as he gathered his belongings, however meager they were and headed into the city.

Rand was on a terrific romp this time. This was no trip into the wilds, no long fishing trip, or some dream, this was it the twenty six year old had left. Rand walked his horse through the streets looking at the shops and wares around. His mind was surprisingly off, he was thinking of his mother, and of his need for a sword. He had had to use it as a barting tool with the captain to get on the ship. Rand didn't want to spend his money so he'd had to give up his sword. And, now he had to use the little money he'd earned on the ship to supplement his needs for the moment. Seeing a small arms shop off to the left Rand stopped his horse and slowly walked over, he was no blade master, and some of the blades were rather fancy. Still, Rand had been in the Navy, and knwe his way around a sword.

As he looked over the wares a strong armed man covered in soot walked up to Rand behind the counter. How can I help you? The man eyed Rand as he looked over the wares. Rand fingerd some blades, running his hand over others. His face was placid as he passed over a simple sword. The blade was about three and a half feet long, with a simple handle made of leather and bound with simple cords. Rand picked up the blade checking the balance.

I'll take this one Rand said holding up the blade. And this one As he picked up a simple dagger. How much do i owe you? Rand mentally held his breath hoping it wouldn''t be too much.

Its five gold misas for the dagger, and 25 for the sword the man said eyeing his wares cautiously as he if he'd had problems in the past.

Rand cursed under his breath but handed over the money and secured both weapons on his person, then walked off. Rand wandered the streets for some time his head down, and his mind wandering to home, to his money and to his ulitmate goal. He no clue what was going on with himself or even totally why he was here. As he contiued to move through the streets he noticed a small bar, the Rearing Stallion. I could use a drink Rand thought as he tied his horse off and moved through the door and into the slight darkness of the bar.

The seats were pretty full, especially for the time of day, so Rand moved over to the bar taking a seat by himself at it and ordering a drink. He passed over the copper and began to look around. There were some surly looking men staring uneasly at a man and a woman sitting in the corner. Rand decided to keep his head down and in his drink, but out of the corner of his eye he kept vigil on the brewing storm in the corner.

[Stikka al'Tyne]

Stikka wandered down the streets of Syliras, he wasn’t so much as lost as lacking in destination. He had come to this city in the hopes of making enough coin to return to Zeltvia and purchase a vessel of his own, but playing for tips in an inn was not supplying him the income that he needed to make such a hefty sum before he was old and gray. So today he had taken the day off in the hope of finding a more lucrative form of employment. It was during this wandering search that Stikka had noticed a small man putting up flyers. As the man moved along, Stikka meandered over to the newest leaflet, his iron quarterstaff clicking against the paving stones rhythmically as he walked. It appeared that he was interested in recruiting capable fighters into some sort of mercenary company. Stikka sighed, on one hand, the job probably offered a quite a large payout, but on the other hand, such employment practically ensured violence. In the end, Stikka’s need for cash out weighed his loathing of violence; he would just have to avoid what unpleasant situations he could.

It took Stikka quite some time to locate the Rearing Stallion as he was still largely unfamiliar with the city. When he finally arrived, he noticed that the tavern was quite crowded for such an early hour. He stood just within the doorway, leaning on his staff as he surveyed the crowed. There, siting in the back corner was the man he had spotted earlier. With him appeared to be a young woman, though it was difficult to tell from the distance with her back turned to him. Stikka meandered his way over to the table with the rolling gait of one far more comfortable on the deck of a ship than on solid ground. Propping his quarterstaff against the table’s edge, he took a seat without comment. Stikka turned his expressionless face to study the two seated with him. The man was indeed short, and his odd eyes bespoke of a bloodline that was not human. The woman appeared to be a slip of a girl, though there was clearly intelligence behind her eyes. For his part, Stikka said nothing, not quite ready to commit to these strangers.

[Mugenajin]

Mugen looked the redheaded woman in the eyes for a moment before speaking, to see if she would show any sign of fear or regret of coming to talk to him, since nearly everyone would instantly recognize a Dhani by their snakelike pupils. She showed no sign of fear or hesitation at all, she was either fearless or she had noticed he was a Dhani beforehand.

Mugen was just about to respond when a man carrying a quarterstaff seated himself next to Mugen. He showed no sign of interest in Mugen but he realized that the man probably didn't sit next to him by coincidence. He turned his head back towards the woman.

" Yes, I am. I presume you are interested in the idea of joining a mercenary group so I'll cut to the chase. I'm a Dhani warrior without income, so I figured I might aswell put my fighting skills up for hire but the most interesting missions usually required a group of able people. That's the reason I put up those flyers. I will not pay you out of my own pocket but the reward and loot are divided equally amongst all party members. Any questions ? "

[Eris]

Eris smirked slightly at the quick delivery of the introduction. Well, at least he didn’t beat around the bush. That would make working with him a whole lot easier. “No questions, except to ask your name. Though, I do not much care if you give your real name or not, I’d rather have something to call you,” she said, noticing from the corner of her eye the appearance of another man at the table.

She turned her head fully now to look at him. He dressed in bright color – a trait Eris had noticed was common among men of the sea. The quarterstaff in his hand was a notable weapon – one she didn’t have any experience defending herself against. That meant she’d have to make sure not to pick a fight with him any time soon. Finishing her little assessment, she decided to make use of the advice Joel had given her a long time ago: It is better to confront a stranger first, so you do not find yourself with a knife between the shoulder blades later.

"And who might you be?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at the newcomer. “I assume you are here because of the flyers this man had been plastering all over town,” Eris added with a nod at the Dhani.

[Rand]

Rand sipped his drink greedily as he sat at the bar. His day had been long and the sun had beat down on him at the ship. As he sipped his drink he checked his weapons again, not out of habit, but because they were new and slightly unfamiliar. As he finished his inspections he pushed the stray strands of hair out of his face and took a glance towards the table in the corner. Ther was now another man, obviously a seafareer by the gait and look of his clothes. He must have been a captain for only captains wore such flauty colors. Rand turned eyeing the group openly now as he spun in his seat. The men in the corner were still eyeing the table restlessly, as if something was wrong, however from Rand's view he could see nothing out of sorts with them.

As he continue to watch the three people in the corner he became more and more intrinsically interested about them. He created wild fantasies about who they were, the lives they lead, and even a massive bar fight. AS he daydreamed he unconsiously walked towards the table, his visions becoming more and more visual as he continued to amble towards the table.


Suddenly, BOOM, he crashed into the table. Snapping out of his fantasies, he looked at the three people at the table. Hello, there, mind if i join? Rand said with a goofy grin as he sat down rubbing his shin. As he looked at the crew before him he suddenly noticed Mugen's slanted snake like eyes, before he could stop himselft he said Eh, youve got some strange looking eyes there, bit like a snakes actually?! do you see like a snake, or like a human? Not that I know what a snake sees like anyways so I wouldnt know the difference Rand smiled through the enitre ramble looking content to be at the table.

[Stikka al'Tyne]

A Dhani…interesting. Stikka, having spent most of his remembered life afloat had never had any dealings with the snake people, as they tended to be commonly referred. The stories he had heard however were quite extravagant and so he simply dismissed them. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t believe, he just didn’t feel that it mattered within his current situation. He nodded a little as the Dhani went into his plans for splitting the booty of whatever missions they happened to undertake, that was the way the pirate world worked, and so long as it was even split for even work he had no contention with this method of payment. It did seem that he might need to establish a fence here in Syliras though.

Stikka met the redheaded woman’s confrontation with his usually blank face, letting her finish before wasting breath. When he was sure she was done, he answered her in a bored drawl, “Stikka al’Tyne, I am merely present to hear what this man has to say. If I like what I hear, I may join him. If I do not, then I will not.” His bit done, Stikka went back to idly watching the door. He hoped that the woman would not maintain such an agitated state, as it would grow wearisome fast.

Looking the other way as he was, Stikka was not aware of the shaggy headed man’s approach until the table he was leaning against bucked. Instinctively, he steadied the quarterstaff propped against the tables’ edge to keep it from falling. Glancing over, he was greeted by a view of the blandest man he had ever seen. Stikka was still sizing him up when the man opened his mouth. Stikka detested the idea of killing, but right then he thought that his man’s death just might do the world a favor. The man was clearly either drunk, an imbecile, or had been raised by glassbeaks. As the man’s ramble wound down, Stikka decided that it must be a combination of the three and dismissed him from his mind.

[Mugenajin]

Mugen smirked as the woman confronted the silent man. It was a wise thing to do as his reaction would result in him either being dismissed from the table or allowed to stay. When the man responded with a gaze that seemed to peer through the person in front of him rather than looking directly at her, and with a tone that sounded much like a father reprimanding his child, Mugen smiled again. He had no need for push-overs and cowards, he needed strong people both in mind and body. So far these 2 qualified just great.

Mugen leaned backwards as he saw a man stumbling towards him in his drunken path, not out of fear or disgust but as to be able to better grasp his blade that was laying on his lower body. He was a cautious man and wasn't about to let himself get killed by a mere assassin.

The drunken man stumbled at the table had either profesionnal training in being a clumsy, drunken oaf or he was just a natural. Mugen felt no foul intention but still held his blade, Mugen didn't believe in coincidences.
The man questions were silly and insultive but Mugen didn't care much either way.

" We're busy. " He said at the drunken man, Mugen's tone of voice was not loud yet it had a feeling of peril attached to it.

" And to answer your earlier question, I go by the name of Mugen. " He whispered to the woman.

" Stikka Al'Thyne, I do believe you have heard enough by now. Either stay and join us or leave. The choice is up to you. "

[Eris]

She nodded at Stikka, satisfied with his answer for the time being. Hearing the Dhani’s name was also a plus, seeing as she was getting tired of referring to him in her mind as simply “the Dhani.” Sitting back in the chair, she crossed one leg over the other, so that her dagger was closer at hand. It was always wise to minimize the distance between one’s fingers and weapon. She was beginning to relax - the gathering of mercenaries was a familiar feeling to her. Now that she knew who everyone was, she only had to watch carefully and see how the situation played out.

Of course, a feeling of ease usually does not last long in a crowded bar. Eris’s eyebrows rose in surprise at the man’s dramatic entrance. At first glance, he looked to be merely drunk. But there was something off about his behavior that suggested otherwise. If he was not drunk, then the only remaining option was that he was just a tad insane. Great. We had just been one psycho short.

Mugen might have been more inclined to shoo the man away, but Eris was a bit intrigued by him. After all, his entrance might have simply been a clever ploy to throw them off balance.

“Good evening, sir. Have you some business with us?” she asked him, keeping to a civil tone.

If he was indeed a drunk, than she was losing nothing by speaking to him. If he was more, however, than it would be wise to discover his intentions from the get-go.