Completed [Open] Mayhem and Folly

[Phyolea]

2 Fall 513

(Continuation from a previous thread)

The docks bustled with activity. Sentinels from the Denvali Quarter searched new arrivals. Phyolea had been searched, much to her displeasure. Now she looked at the city ahead. She made her way through the crowd that had yet to be searched. She peered into the city. From what she could tell, there was rioting ahead. She couldn't see far enough to be sure.

Phyolea rubbed her eyes. I have to get to the University! Cautiously, she left the docks. As she approached, the tumult grew louder and more boisterous. She had researched this place before she left Charbosi. Was it always like this? She walked steadily now but her fear remained. What if she got attacked? How would she fend for herself? Her coral manipulation skills would not help her here. Slowly, steadily, she took steps toward the madness. She dared not ask anyone what was going on.


Traveling from Location 3 to Location 2. Location 2 is the University.

[Iff]

Iff frowned down the street at the riot. She had not been in Zeltiva long and already she had come to the conclusion that humans were insane, at least functionally. Did they know nothing about the succession or rulers? Still, the fighting did not bother her much, and she turned away to see a very strange person indeed.

Iff had never seen a Charoda before, and she stared with undisguised curiosity. It seemed to be some sort of sea creature come up on land. She frowned as she watched it, or her it would seem, but the creature did not gasp for breath and in fact seemed more or less comfortable, if somewhat nervous of demeanor.

"Not all land folk are this way," she said suddenly. "It is the humans of this town. They addle their wits with ale and then throw punches in all directions. It is a wonder there are so many of them still alive."

[Phyolea]

Phyolea was startled by the strange land woman who addressed her. She tried to gain her composure. Her mind tried to recall what she had read in the books about different races. Charbosi was closest to the shores of Falyndar, a land filled with tropical forests. There was a picture of a woman that looked similar to the one standing before Phyolea in the textbook she had read. What were they called? She was too afraid to remember.

"Hello... Is this... Zeltiva? Am I in the right place?" She had been told by a sentinel that this was Zeltiva, but it was so much different than what she read. The textbooks certainly didn't talk about the rioting in the streets. Her questions were more a query to see whether the Zeltiva she read so much about even existed. "Please, can you tell me what's going on?" she asked more boldly.

[Iff]

Iff's brows knit together in puzzlement once more. When she spoke her accent was distinct but understandable.

"This is Zeltiva, but I do not know if you are in the right place. You seem more built for the sea."

Two fighting men staggered out of a doorway directly towards Iff and Phyolea, daggers clutched in their fists. Iff punched the closer of the two expertly in the ear, sending him down to the ground in a heap. The other man stared at her a moment before turning and heading off towards the larger fray.

"A group of men called Devali now say they are in charge, but the old rulers dispute this. They do not duel in the traditional way but instead squabble like children. As a result the streets run red and much meat goes to waste."

[Phyolea]

"You seem to be more built for the sea." Phyolea agreed strongly with this sentiment. She should've stayed home, in the sea where there was less rioting. Still she had come for a purpose. She began to speak in her lilting dialect again, but two men with daggers staggered toward them. Yes. Home sounded good right about now.

Phyolea braced herself for a fight. However, the land woman deftly stepped to one of the men and punched him in the ear. When he buckled over, his friend sized up the situation and fled. Now Phyolea remembered what this woman's race was called: Myrian. Her blood ran even colder than normal. Weren't the Myrians known for their ferocity?

The Myrian explained about the Denvali and... meat? Did she mean human meat? Phyolea looked around. The two of them had reached the heart of the city. There were stores to the west. The two men had come from the east. Phyolea and the Myrian were right in the midst of the chaos. Fighting was everywhere.

Phyolea was not keen on rivers of blood. She wanted the fighting to end. In the midst of the fighting stood a pillar of hope: a statue she recognized as Laviku, the god of the sea. Seeing his statue gave her some resolve. Perhaps she was in the right place after all. "Do you know how I can get to the university?" she asked the Myrian.

[Iff]

Iff was fairly new to Zeltiva and not much of one for study, but nevertheless she knew where the university was. It was after all one of the most famous parts of the city and quite large. She raised a finger and pointed.

"The university is in this direction. I will walk with you there in case you are attacked. Then maybe one day you will show me the skill of swimming. I must learn to swim if I'm to become a Wave Guard, as the initiation required swimming to a distant stone."

She watched the Charoda's face with a mild intensity, wondering how she would react. A warrior might not take the offer of protection well, but this person did not seem exceptionally fierce.

[Phyolea]

Phyolea smiled. She had read many horrible things about the Myrians, but this one did not seem so bad. Phyolea believed her. After all, if this woman wanted to do her harm wouldn't she have done so by now? Plus she did protect her already. She stuck out her webbed hand... she read somewhere that land races liked to shake hands in greeting one another.

"My name is Phyolea... but you can call me Lea." Phyolea's smile filled with pointed teeth looked more like a grimace, but it was warm.

"There she is!" a voice called from the east. Phyolea looked in that direction. Five men were coming toward them, weapons in hand. The two men from earlier were among them. One of them was holding his ear. All of them were glaring at Iff. "Get her!" Three of the men charged in with daggers raised. The two men from earlier followed close behind.

Bandits x5
Weapon: Dagger

Skill	EXP	Total	Proficiency
Larceny	20 SP	20	Novice
Weapon (Dagger)	20 SP	20	Novice
Brawling	10 SP	10	Novice

[Yuri Lehrer]

Zeltiva was dangerous, it had been for the last 13 days, ever since the Denvali laid claim to the city and the current owners opposed their claim, a coup d'état had occured on the 80th of last season, shattering the peace Yuri Lehrer had come to know of the city he had kept coming back to, like a home away from home. Right now there were fights and riots all over the city, much to the dismay of Yuri, who liked the peace and quiet the city had once enjoyed. Walking around the center of the city, Yuri was watching one of the numerous fights which had broken out about 10 meters in front of him, between two men, daggers in hand, with disinterest while thinking to himself How did it come to this? before noticing that something else was happening, towards the center of the fighting, which caught his attention, two people were being set upon why what appeared to be a group of four... no five men all armed with daggers, one of them seemed injured as he was holding his ear. Yuri didn't stop to think, he acted on instinct as he burst from his location with all his speed, drawing his broadsword as he went, taking in that the bandits were focusing on one of the figures ahead of him so Yuri dashed in front of the figure telling he or she to "Get back!" as he stopped himself approximately a meter in front of the person, taking his stance Yuri prepares himself for the fight to come. The men who were charging towards the person behind Yuri faltered for a moment or two as Yuri moved into position but resumed as they were, intending to bowl him over with their numbers, but Yuri wouldn't be bowled over because he had expected this, so, putting all of his weight on his back foot and bringing his sword up to become horizontal with his right hand about two-thirds down the blade to block the incoming thugs and push them back into their oncoming allies. After knocking them back Yuri took his normal stance, sword in both hands, arms lowered but sword pointed upwards at the bandits. Before they could rush at him again Yuri questioned and scolded them by asking in a taut, stentorian voice "Two versus five? Hardly fair, do you not have any concept of honour? If you should wish to harm the people behind me, you shall have to fight your way through me." While saying this Yuri glanced behind himself at the people he was saving, both women, one was a Charoda, the other appeared to be a normal human but with darker skin, and was taller that even Yuri himself. Looking back to the bandits with a glare, Yuri steeled himself for the coming conflict.

[Iff]

OOC: Hi Yuri! Welcome to the thread. Phyolea and I have discussed this thread in PMs and decided Phyolea will mod it, so let's let her run the bandits.

Iff took Phyolea's hand and shook it. Her grip was firm, but her handshake was somewhat awkward, it not being her usual custom.

"I am Iff. You must content yourself with my full name as there are too few letters for a shorter nickname."

And then she heard the shouting, and turned to see the five bandits approaching them. A slow smile spread across her face.

"Alas, we have no toast for you to butter with your tiny weapons," she said, but then a sixth man appeared and took a fighting stance between her and the bandits. Iff Drew her skirmish sword and went to stand beside the man, unwilling that he should do all the fighting.

"The odds remain 2 versus 5," she said, "As Lea does not wish to fight this day."

[Phyolea]

Phyolea's hand was still warm from the handshake. It seemed like it all had transpired in seconds. She stared blankly at the bandits and at the two who fended them off. They were besieged on all sides by fighting. There would be no running away.

The bandits recovered rather quickly from being taken by surprise by the newcomer. "The petcher!" yelled the bandit holding his ear. He was not happy about the others being knocked into him. He dropped the hand holding his ear to brace himself. The daggers were at a disadvantage against a broadsword. Nevertheless, the two from earlier banded together to fight the swordsman. One attacked the swordsman's leg with a kick. The other stepped in cautiously and thrust the dagger toward the swordsman's neck.

The three others staggered on their feet and charged. Two of them thrusted their daggers toward Iff. One of them thrust his dagger toward Phyolea. The two that had descended onto Iff had heard the (rather exaggerated) tales of their friend. They would not take her lightly. The two used a similar tactic as the other pair: One aimed high while the other aimed low.

"No!" Phyolea shouted. There was no time for thinking. Phyolea tried to disarm her opponent, but he punched her in the face. She stumbled backward. Her webbed footing helped her to regain her stance. She ran forward into the bandit to knock him down.