Closed Dark Trilogy III - A Dark Assignment (Brandon)

[Sal Mander]

"Sorry to destroy your illusions, Captain Riptide, but you'll have to do a lot better to sway the heart of a man preferring womenfolk over men,” Brandon had warned the pirate. But Riptide seemed totally non phased by the knock back. Instead he offered his usual knowing grin, one that was able to suggest a playful nature, with a hint of a sinister undertone that whispered he was never to be meddled with.
_____"Sway hearts? Haha. My dear boy. Whatever made you think it was your heart I wanted?" He gave Brandon a quick looking over with that, a look that was more than a little unnerving. As to the connotations of what he had said, well, Sal simply reminded himself never to let Brandon and Riptide alone together. He suspected the bat would have little say in any matters of 'the heart'.

With that slight distraction out of the way, the trio had set off down the left path. Brandon's senses confirmed Burton had been this way, along with another smell he had not yet recognized. In any case, with Riptide having confirmed the right path had merely led to a supply cache, their hand had been forced and this was the only way out. But with Riptide in the lead, it afforded Sal time to relax a little more, now that he found himself at the rear of the group. If any of the thugs had thought to pursue them, they were certainly taking their time. Chances were the trapdoor was secret even to them. Or maybe Marion had somehow managed to keep them busy, at least until the shinya arrived.

Ah yes, the shinya, Sal thought to himself. The initial pang of fear that ran through him was that they might have been caught and thrown into prison. No doubt the Cosmos would have terminated his employment too, not wanting to be associated with a criminal. But in the quiet and dark of the tunnel as the three men pressed on, Sal was afforded the time to really think over the events thus far. In his estimation, they had done nothing unlawful. The victims of an attack, Brandon had merely sought to defend himself, even more so permitted since his life had been at stake. As for Sal, he too had been seeking to preserve life. Though certainly the use of reimancy would have got him into hot water. No matter. Who was to say he had even used reimancy at all? It could have been a candle he tossed at those two fools. It was their word against his and Brandon's, if it even came to that. Even then, as far as Sal could fathom, there was nothing tying them to the card game at all. Not unless the remaining thugs were able to remember and find Sal and Brandon.

"How long do you suppose these passages go?" Sal asked after a while. He wondered if Burton had had the tunnel made for such a situation as this, or if perhaps it had been in place long before the Rat came along. If the latter, what had been its original purpose? What other tunnels were hidden safely under the surface of Lhavit? What stories did they hold? What secrets were stashed in the dark corners of those pathways?
_____"Not long I think. There is a breeze coming from up ahead," Riptide reported confidently.

[Brandon Blackwing]

x

Riptide's back was a lot more pleasant for the bat to have in his vision than the man's stares, winks and other attempts to break through Brandon's mental defense and seize hold of the prize that obviously was the Kelvic's body. Fortunately, the further they proceeded into the tunnel, the less frequent the glares over his shoulder became, and they no longer held that playful kind of gleam. It allowed Brandon some rest, and relaxation, though it wasn't that much, considering they were still in pursuit of a dangerous cheater who was quick with the dagger.

Many a time Brandon sent a glance over his shoulder, wanting visual confirmation the investigator was still following along, even though his ears could catch the sound of the man's footsteps all to easily. Sal looked pensive, his scowl a little deeper than usual and eyes not really in the present. For now he was just trudging along without really thinking about it, it seemed, just following the bat's back unconsciously while his mind was busy with other things. Nothing was said, Brandon did not want to disturb the man, nor did he actually feel any need to talk right now. Keeping his focus on the surroundings was much more important; nose tracking the scent and ears scanning for approaching footsteps coming from both in front of them or from behind, but except for the echoes of their own, he heard nothing.

Sal spoke up again, apparently having escaped the vaults of his own mind and busy taking in the sights with big eyes. A confident statement in regards to the length of the passage was uttered by the Svefra captain, the claim of him feeling a breeze indeed true, Brandon could feel it too. More importantly though, the flow of air carried with it the scent of Tally and the mystery person, stronger than ever before, almost as if they were standing right next to them... However, they were nowhere to be seen, and the end of the tunnel was near, a stone set of stairs leading up to a hatch, much like the entrance.

Quickly, the bat grabbed Riptide's shoulder, pulling him back a bit, index finger held in front of his lips, a gesture the man should be quiet. Brandon then brought his mouth close to the sailor's ear, whispering so only Riptide could hear. “They're waiting upstairs, probably right beside the trapdoor. I have no idea whether they're waiting for us or not, but it's best to take no risks.”
Riptide frowned, and whispered a reply: “They? It's not just Burton?”
An affirmative nod came from the thief. “There's two of them. Proceed as quiet as you can manage. It's best we did not attract their attention while we're still down here.”

That sound reasoning earned no complaints from the sailor, and Riptide pressed onwards in a catlike manner, sneaking stealthily, though he wasn't nearly as adept as Brandon, the captain's grace was not something Sal could match. While Riptide stalked closer to the stairs, the thief turned to Sal, offering a brief explanation, though he doubted the investigator was stupid enough not to get what was going on. “It appears Tally is waiting for us up there. Well, we can't be sure, really. He is there though, and it's best to be silent. Maybe best we stay behind, let Riptide handle this. He distracts Tally, we slip away.”

Before any objections could be uttered, Brandon leaned closer once more, and whispered something else. “I don't care if you think it's cowardly. We completed what we came to do. We have the money, there's no need to stick around any longer. I'm not going to risk my life fighting Tally. Thugs, yes, no problem, but I have no need to be sliced to bits. Besides, I hold no grudges against him, I doubt you do. Let Riptide take care of this and seek his vengeance. We don't have anything to do with it.”

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Sal Mander]

Brandon had suggested they had nothing to do with it, but the fat purse of coins in Sal's pocket may have been evidence to the contrary, at least in the eyes of Burton Tally. Concerning the villain, who according to the bat was laying in wait above, the suggestion had also been made to leave him to Riptide. But while Sal certainly took Brandon's advice into consideration, it did not sit well with him. Not that he had any allegiance to Riptide, but he could not in good conscience allow the man to simply open the trapdoor where a meat cleaver or some other form of sharp weapon might well have been waiting to unite with the man's head.

"And what if Riptide is no match for him? How long are we supposed to wait down here? It's not as if we can go back either," Sal protested. Brandon's plan did basically rely on the success of Riptide, otherwise the kelvic and investigator were effectively trapped down here. Maybe they could wait Tally out, long enough that he grew tired of waiting for whoever was down here. Maybe he did not even expect a pursuit, though having left the trapdoor open back in the tavern had lent itself to the theory that the man was in too much of a hurry to cover his tracks.
_____"What are you two whispering about back there?" Riptide asked, his eyes darting between the two of them with a curious look on his face. Sal gave Brandon another look as if trying to read the lad's face, but soon enough had turned back to the pirate captain, all the while keeping his own voice soft and low to avoid detection from up above.
_____"Thing is, my friend and I were not exactly wanting to stick around. See, Lhavit is home for us, and if we're lucky then Burton Tally has already forgotten our faces."
_____"Perhaps you should have thought of that before sitting down to play cards with him, eh? What about you?" the captain asked, turning his attentions once more to Brandon. "Do you think you have a face one could simply forget? Maybe it's time to get you out of that disguise," he added with a wink.

At this stage, Sal had to wonder if the man merely enjoyed making Brandon uncomfortable, rather than genuinely trying to seduce him, or win him over, or whatever the heck it was he was attempting. But more pressing in Sal's thoughts was that Riptide had just referred to Brandon's outfit as a disguise.
_____"How did you..."
_____"Come now my dear fellows. Let's not treat one another as fools. Your friend here is no more a noble than I am a knight. Knew a knight once actually. He was rather a handsome fellow, but a terrible bore. Shame really.
_____"Perhaps we could focus our attentions on the present, Mr. Riptide?" Sal interjected with more than a little hint of impatience in his voice. But if Riptide took any offense, he did not show it. Rather, he flashed another smile at the pair of them, this one genuine instead of the usual sly grin that carried with it so many connotations. He seemed then to pause in thought, pondering some scheme or plan as he rubbed his chin in one hand, the other poised on his hip as though he was posing for an artist. Whatever Brandon and Sal thought privately of the man, there was little denying his charisma.

"Here's what we're going to do. Now listen well dear fellows," he said, having snapped out of his train of thought with such suddenness that it almost made Sal jump. The two men then leaned in a little closer, ears awaiting the salty sea dog's cunning plan.

[Brandon Blackwing]

x

Sal's protests did not strike Brandon as relevant, and were dismissed with a wave of his hand. “If Riptide wasn't a match for Tally he wouldn't been pursuing him now.” the bat stated bluntly, voice a low whisper only meant for Sal's ears. “Unless of course he's a terrible fool, but I don't believe that to be the case. As for staying down here; only a couple ticks. Whether Riptide succeeds or not is unimportant. The point is to use him as a distraction, not as bodyguard. He goes in, we wait, and then we-” The captain's voice interrupted the bat's words, curiously wanting to know what was going on.

The investigator sent Brandon a look that might have been a mix between guilt and disapproval, obviously not to glad to have been dragged into a conspiracy against the flamboyant captain. Brandon just stared back with a blank expression, Sal then turning back to Riptide to offer some sort of explanation or apology. An excuse really, spoken with cautious words in a careful manner. Meek even. His reward was a snort of disapproval from the bat, who just crossed his arms and looked away.

Disguise eh? So the man had figured it out? Well, it wasn't that hard to do at this point; the bat's hair was no longer held in place by a ponytail, and he had been stalking through the tunnels instead of walking. Not to mention that he'd given away his observant nature, and that he had the knowledge of dealing with a situation such as this one, something most merchants would not possess. One could state that while the disguise had still been worn by the bat, his actions had undone it and basically thrown it away, as a man tucking away his hood.

Needless to say, Brandon was not really that surprised; well, he still was, but not as much as Sal. Actually, he corrected himself, he was taken aback by the fact that Sal was so impressed with Riptide's revelation. “Plus, I basically told him so,” Brandon remarked, adding to Riptide's comment. “That is not to say that I was disguised as a noble, however, so I don't see how that is relevant. Not all merchants are nobles. Being raised as the son of a merchant I know that much.” The smugness in his voice was apparent to all.

Impatience on the investigator's part brought both Brandon and Riptide -who was the target for Sal's comment- back to the matter at hand. While Riptide thought about said situation, Brandon shot Sal another glance, an eyebrow raised as if to question whether this was a good idea. As far as the thief was concerned, whatever plan consisted of either waiting down here for a long while, or of the three of them bursting out of the trapdoor in a surprise attack were bad. Yet, there did not seem to be any other way of getting away, so Brandon sighed and leaned closer as the sea-captain revealed his master plan.

"Our best bet is a surprise attack." the sailor shared confidently, and Brandon rolled his eyes, having feared it might have been something like this. "According to your friend here," the man continued, addressing Sal, "there's two of them up there."
“At least,” Brandon interrupted, not wanting to have a plan based on ideal circumstances. “There's two of them near the trapdoor, but more of them could be in the room.” Riptide nodded, and turned back to Sal. "Right. And Tally is one of those two near the trapdoor. So, it's crucial we overpower Tally and the other guy first, as fast as we can manage." His eyes gleamed at that, an expression akin to that of a hungry wolf ready to strike rippled over the sailor's face for a split-tick.

"So, the problem lies in the order of us three ascending. The logical thing to do would be to have the swiftest of us exit first and distract them, while the slowpoke comes last." Brandon thought he saw Riptide's eyes mimic the movement of his own orbs; darting to Sal for a tick before focusing back on the group as a whole. Well, it seemed they agreed on that. "To ensure that you stick to the plan," he faced Brandon now, instead of letting his voice grow dark and threatening he kept it light and playful, even winking again -a really strange combination- "You go first. That way, you have the attention of those above, which gives me an excellent opportunity to backstab that cheating rat."

Needless to say, Brandon wasn't all that enthusiastic, nor glad to be the bait. Yet, he supposed that evading attacks for a couple ticks wouldn't be too much of a problem. “Do you have a spare dagger?” the Kelvic asked Riptide, wanting to have a weapon with him, in case he'd need it. Unarmed Combat was not always as useful. "Oh, so you want my dagger now?" Riptide winked, letting his eyes once more go over the bat's figure while licking his lips. But then he just grinned and produced a blade form his boot and handed it to the bat, who placed it between belt and doublet. Meanwhile, Riptide had approached Sal, a curious look in his eyes. "So, I wonder, how good are you with that sword? I've never seen you use it thus far, but if your skill is as bad as that stance you displayed earlier, we have a problem." Brandon couldn't help but to smother a fit of laughter. "So..." Riptide questioned, after having heard Sal's confession, "What can you do?"

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Sal Mander]

As Riptide unraveled his master plan, Sal could not help but notice feelings of being a burden to the group creep into his thoughts. There had been the suggestion that the slowest, least agile of them be demoted to the back of the trio, the comment having drawn a split second glance from both Riptide and Brandon. It was as though the two had been in cohorts all along, or otherwise had secretly learned to read each others thoughts when Sal was not paying attention. Worse yet, he would have agreed that indeed he was the 'slowest' of them. But the fact that this had already and apparently been decided without his council, was a sore spot that only served to derail his confidence in himself.

Choosing to say nothing for now, Sal continued to listen as Riptide further elaborated on his plan. It seemed to the investigator that the sailor had missed one glaringly obvious detail in all of this. What if Burton Tally was merely standing over the trapdoor, expectant of pursuit and thus having taken measures to secure victory? Had Brandon been the quickest of bats, cats, or any other speedy denizen of Mizahar, Sal doubted it would have been enough to open the trapdoor, cross the fresh hold, and then leap to safety within the room. It was at this point that he felt a pang of distrust in the logic of the plan, but before he could voice such concerns, Riptide had turned to him now with a questioning glare.

It was one thing to be silently ridiculed when it came to assigning the slowest of the group. But now Riptide was openly questioning Sal's talents when it came to combat. True, he was nothing more than a novice when it came to such matters. But at the same time, he was not as if he had never held a sword or thrown a punch before now. Perhaps in the past, his observation had afforded him the ability to be more selective of his opponents, thus avoiding a one sided beating or worse yet, death. In any case, whether or not his current skill set was worthy of the present situation, Sal found himself to be offended by Riptide, enough that the first meandering tendrils of anger began to close in on him.

Riptide had already departed through the first trapdoor back in the gaming room when Sal had called on his reimancy talents. Had the sailor seen that display, he might not have been so forward with his thinly veiled criticisms now. But then, that was one less person to have witnessed Sal's use of magic in public, something the investigator was pleased about given the ramifications of such actions. He had half a mind now to give Riptide a demonstration of those talents. But Sal did not want to flirt with danger any more than he had to, not to mention that earlier use of reimancy was quite enough for one day. Competent as he was in his skill, he had to remind himself that it was a slippery slope when giving in to the urge to use it more.

"What can you do?" Riptide had asked, the final question seeming to flick a switch in Sal's mind, where those early tendrils of anger had at once transformed into fists, whose knuckles turned white as they grasped and held onto Sal's attention. I could smash in your face, he thought for a moment, though perhaps wisely opted not to share the suggestion out loud. Instead he held Riptide's gaze for a few moments, realizing that the sailor's charisma seemed vacant now that the man had pissed him off. He glanced over to Brandon for a moment, long enough for the bat to see that furrowed brow and hard stare on Sal's face. The stare of concentration, as though behind his eyes cogs and wheels were turning at an incredible rate.

Something was about to happen.

"What can I do? I'll damn well show you what I can do!" With that, Sal barged past Riptide with such determination that it sent the man staggering for balance. Before the captain could voice his complaints, Sal had bounded up the steps to the trapdoor, which he then thrust open with such force that it flipped over on the axis of its hinges and slammed on the ground above them. Then Sal was gone, disappearing above and into who knew what was waiting.

[Brandon Blackwing]

x

While the bat had initially though it was a rather funny remark of Riptide's, that feeling did not stick for long, as Brandon could hear the captain crossing a line. Whether it had been his plan all along or merely an accident, the not so subtle questioning of Sal's talents was perhaps the biggest mistake the captain had made thus far. True, Brandon had to admit that he was not quite willing to have faith in the investigator's skill with the sword, but his reimancy made him more than a match for people did have no magical talents at all. Not to mention it made for a fine surprise attack, but Riptide couldn't possibly know that.

Mayhap the question had been sincere, and not a mockery of the investigator, since it would be incredibly stupid to piss off your comrades right before you had to fight side by side in a battle that might decide over their life and death. Genuine curiosity or no, Sal did not take the words kindly, and Brandon could see it clearly on the man's face; a storm was brewing, a loud one with lots of thunder and lightening, raging winds and a relentless downpour. This was not looking good.

Indeed, with determination etched into his face, the tall investigator pushed Riptide aside and marched past Brandon, neither of them having expected this outburst, nor the rash actions of the man. Within ticks Sal had ascended the stairs and thrown open the trapdoor with such force that Bran believed if anyone had been standing on top of it, they would have been sent flying. Surprised screams could be heard coming from the room above, followed by the sound of a fist hitting and possibly breaking someone's face, accompanied by a yell of pain.

Brandon recovered, and dashed for the stairs, cursing under his breath, realizing he owed Sal for saving his life and that his pride would not allow for him to ignore that fact. “Yshul petching damn it!” The thief flew up the stairs with two treads at once, noticing some guy standing nearby clutching his nose and cursing while blood seeped through his fingers. Brandon recognized him as the waiter, someone who might have been on Tally's side. As such the thief did not hesitate one moment to use his momentum to his advantage, using one leg to launch him towards the man and dropkick him in the face. Both men fell to the floor, the victim collapsing against the wall after having hit it pretty badly, while Bran shifted his position in the air so he could catch himself with his arms instead of landing hard and uncomfortably.

Quickly crawling back to his feet, the bat noted they were inside some sort of shack with spartan furnishings, and that Sal was facing Burton Tally by himself, his longsword in hand. Had the investigator gone crazy? Was the need to prove himself so overwhelming that it drowned out his common sense? There was no way the Cosmos Center employee was a match for Tally, especially so if the crook had five thugs to assist him. Fortunately for the investigator though, the cheater barked an order, commanding them to take care of the other intruders, meaning Bran and Riptide, the latter of which had just arrived and brandished a cutlass.

Five thugs versus Brandon and Riptide wasn't a fair fight at all, or so it seemed, until one of them charged and was instantly disposed of by a lightening fast swipe of the sailor's weapon. Perhaps they could deal with the bandits with more ease than expected, but Sal was not that lucky. Tally was quick with the blade, slashing with deadly precision, holding Sal off with ease, and forcing the investigator on the defensive with just as much ease, a huge grin on his rat-like face. As things continued like this, Sal would be a corpse soon, lying in a puddle of his own blood with a stupid expression of disbelieve on his features. There was no hope for him, unless the Kelvic did something about it.

Bounce-stepping as fast as he could manage, Brandon charged at one of the brigands, dodging the strikes of the dagger with his maneuverability, though he could not prevent damage completely, his doublet suffering some damage as well as some very shallow cuts appearing here and there at the sides of his torso. It mattered little, within a couple ticks Brandon was close enough to attack, and he did, viciously and without mercy. His first step was disarming his foe, striking the wrist multiple times with sharp chops, while and elbow planted itself in the man's face. Next came a low sweep kick, which toppled the staggered bandit, and allowed Brandon to grab the dagger from the floor. Another thug had approached though, striking with a sword at the bat, Brandon swiftly re-assuming his fighting stance and blocking the strike with his newly acquired blade, the force of the impact forcing him to take a step back though, the thief's balance not yet completely restored.

Another slash, and Brandon ducked towards the other bandit, who was getting back up, evading the sword and rolling to create a little bit more distance, then getting back to his feet, kicking the recovering brigand to his sword-swinging brother in arms, stumbling into his range and catching the blade with his flank. One down. A flash of red and metal, and the other one collapsed two, Riptide dancing away from his body and evading a wide slash of the last of Tally's minions still standing. Immediately the Kelvic's attention shifted to where Sal was being driven into a corner by Burton Tally, having done a pretty good job staying alive up till now, though that would soon end. Not only had the investigator been disarmed, Tally was preparing to finish it, having settled with stabbing Sal in the heart as his way to kill the man.

No time was wasted, the bat's hand shifted the grip on the blade he held in his hand while his feet carried him to the two fighters, though he wouldn't be in time if he just ran. Arm swung back in a fluid motion and whipped forwards, launching the blade towards Tally, having aimed for the man's shoulder area, but due to the Kelvic's lack of skill it might just strike about anywhere, possibly failing to harm Tally altogether. Thoughts raced, formulating a silent prayer to Dira, requesting that she allowed him to pay off his debt to the investigator.

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Sal Mander]

"Temper temper", his brothers used to tease him with, having learned early on that it did not take much to rile little Sal. But for the occasional relapse, it was a point of pride for Sal that he had marshaled that temper over the years. Mostly. In any case, as he emerged through the trapdoor akin to a volcanic eruption, he felt that rage inside like a wildfire, his face contorted while it scanned for the nearest target to take his frustrations out on. He would later feel bad for the waiter, realizing in hindsight that the man had perhaps not been deserving of the broken nose that Sal administered. It was a fierce punch, one thrown from the shoulder with feet planted, sending the poor man reeling as he clutched his face, blood seeping between fingers like rainwater in the cracks of cobbled streets.

Spinning about as he pulled his sword free of its scabbard, Sal found himself facing off against Burton Tally himself. Under ordinary circumstances, the investigator would have quickly surmised that he was no match for Tally, based on the latter's demonstrations with the blade so far. Not only that, there was a chasm of difference between the two men when it came to ruthlessness. Sal would of course attempt to defend himself, even kill if it meant his own life be saved. But Tally had the freedom that came with an already established murderer. He would kill Sal in a heartbeat given the chance.

There was another group of thugs in the room, appearing to be some poorly furnished hideout by the look of things. A small table with overturned crates for seats sat on one side of the room, the remnants of a now discarded card game sitting on top where the thugs had now risen from. Thankfully Sal's comrades had joined the skirmish, taking the attentions of the thugs while he was afforded Burton Tally's full attention. The rat came at him swiftly, swiping like a venomous snake, seeking a way in where he could deliver the fatal blow. Sal's longsword was proving adept at keeping the rat at bay for now, it's long reach waving this way and that, with the promise of violence should Tally step too near.

He had not paid much mind to how his two friends were doing, nor could he as Burton pressed on, stepping in here, turning there, all the while evading Sal's pokes with the sword. Suddenly he felt the exchange work in his favor, while Tally overstepped just enough for the investigator to take a more meaningful lunge at his opponent. But Tally was clever, and the apparent mistake had been a ruse, forcing Sal to relinquish his upper hand as he lunged too far, too desperate to land the killing blow. Tally had spun and darted to the side, his widening grin evidence of the success of his feint. He danced past a reaching Sal, swiping at his wrist and biting into flesh. It was a superficial wound, but the initial sting of the sharp blade had Sal loosing his grip on the sword. Tally had turned while the two men passed each other, landing an elbow in the back of Sal's head as he went, sending him sprawling into the table and crates.

The investigator scrambled to his feet, backing up towards the wall while Tally closed in, dagger at the ready to put a stop to this unmatched fight. The rat wore a smug expression, one worn by a bully who was overconfident and certain of victory. It was true indeed. Burton Tally was too quick and too skillful with the blade to be beaten by Sal Mander. Sal was a big man, perhaps a little clumsy in his movement and more direct in approach. But Burton was the rat. He was the snake. He was the end result of some foul wizard's project where all manner of agile and speedy creatures had been combined into a melting pot, the end result Burton Tally himself.

It seemed Tally also boasted eyes in the back of his head. While Riptide was dealing with the last of the minions, Brandon had seen fit to intervene in Sal's impending doom. Realizing he would not close the distance between himself and the rat in time, the young lad instead allowed the blade in his hand to do it for him. But as he sent it hurtling towards its intended target, Tally turned just in time to see it coming, batting it away with his own dagger while his grin switched to a more disapproving sneer. Brandon's attack had failed to hit its mark, leaving him unarmed and still several steps away from Tally. The rat had come to the same conclusion, turning back to Sal knowing he had ample time to dispatch the investigator before the kelvic would be upon him.

"Temper temper," they used to say.

Had Burton Tally been placed in a tavern, minus his daggers, his thugs, and his penchant for violence, there was little doubt he would make for a most interesting conversational partner. Likely he would offer stories of daring heists, sticky situations, and hazardous escapades, each with the necessary amount of bloodshed and heroics, or treachery depending on whose side you were on, worthy of a man of his ilk. He might even have softened a bit after an ale or two, sharing a lament of some lost love perhaps, or maybe even how his heart sung the first time he laid eyes on an Ethaefal in the skyglass city. But for certain, had the man a care to share the story, his most engaging account of all had to be the time Sal Mander beat him to death.

Such a story needed to be rich in details, like how Sal's eyes had seemed almost to pierce Burton's soul, burrowing into him like hungry glassbeaks tearing flesh from bone. It was a stare that rattled to the core, honest and true in its promise of what was to come. That stare dared not betray its intent. It did not hide nor shy away. It was certain and bold. It was rage personified. Then there had been that moment where Burton was lifted into the sky, for a brief second feeling elevated as though some deity had plucked him from this mortal realm and ascended him to a higher place. He was left breathless. But the moment was fleeting, his breath had been knocked from him as a charging Sal tackled him, and before he knew it, Burton Tally had been lifted, carried, and then slammed to the ground.

A fine story.

From Brandon's view, he could only watch on as Sal burst forward. Tally only had time to turn his view back to the oncoming juggernaut, arms wrapping around the rat's waist and lifting him in the same moment. Sal's run continued several steps before bringing Burton back down, literally crashing him onto his back with enough force that the wooden floorboards cracked underneath. Then Sal was atop him, straddling him while he brought down fist after fist, punching and batting Burton's face with relentless fury.

"Temper tempter," they used to say. Oh, the Ivak of old would have been proud.

[Brandon Blackwing]

x

Brandon had felt confident; despite his body charging forwards, his form had been impeccable, the dagger flying true for once. The force of which it had been hurled almost made the bat stumble as his one shoulder advanced too far, and his arm did not cease its swing immediately. Still, along with his aim or the force used, the matter of minimizing the motions was also still something Brandon had to learn. The were still far too wide, wide and clumsy. They lasted too long. And yet, the Kelvic had felt confident.

Until Tally twisted his head and brushed away the thrown blade as if he did nothing else in his spare time. A sneer of disapproval rippled over the rat's face, and Brandon felt his gut twist in a knot for a split-tick, fearing Dira had ignored him, that she did not deem the bat worthy of her time, that he wasn't worth listening to. However, that was just one split-tick. Then he realized; interfering and saving one's life did not have to include bloodshed or succeeding in hurting the opponent of the one you tried to save. Sometimes, the actions one took were more than enough, and this was the case here too.

It mattered not that Tally had deflected the dagger, what mattered was that he had shifted his focus to the dagger, and to Brandon. It mattered not that the villain could still use that arm and knife of his; Brandon had just succeeded in drawing the man's attention. It was a distraction, the bat himself was a distraction. Realizing this, a grin spread over the bat's features, once more letting the confidence show. It was but a mere moment, Brandon hadn't even finished his step, the dagger was still tumbling to the ground during it all happened. Their gazes locked, Tanroa slowed down the flow of time just for the two of them, the emotions behind their glares used for communicating, messages sent and translated in mere instants. Tally had seen the hope, he had seen the fear, the despair in Brandon's eyes, but he had also seen the restored confidence. It confused him, and if the bat could have managed he would have let the grin that was still in the process of spreading grow wider.

In his confusion, the criminal turned back to his prey, only to stare in eyes blazing with rage, rage that only grew and grew, consuming the entity known as Sal Mander. Skidding to a halt, time having returned to normal for the bat, Brandon could only watch as the raging Sal charged into the rat as if he were an infuriated bull, using his horns to lift Burton Tally off the floor and smack him down a moment later, mercilessly. The knife slipped form the man's grip, and his hand reached out for the object, his attempts however foiled by Sal who was atop of him instantly, raining down punch after punch on the man's face.

With Sal safe, Brandon took a moment to see how Riptide was doing, being rewarded with the image of the Captain cleaning the blood off his blade with a rag he seemed to have pulled from his pocket. Proudly the man approached, calmly walking up to Brandon with an eyebrow raised and his face displaying a rather amused expression. “You should have told me he was capable of a feat like that,” he commented on the display of brute strength fueled by rage. “I had no idea,” the thief replied, a little taken aback by the ferocity before him, suggesting it might be best if they waited until Sal had either calmed down or run out of energy, the latter more likely to occur.

They did not have to wait that long; powerful as they were, those punches drained a lot of strength from ones body, and before too long Sal's were slow and a couple ticks later they did not even seem to be able to crush a fly. The two men dragged Sal off of Tally, and Brandon noticed the criminal's face being a bloody mess, probably broken in a couple places. Tally did not respond to anything, but in the quiet Brandon could clearly hear him drawing breath, even though it was weakly. Placing two fingers on the inside of the man's wrist he felt the man's pulse, which was present too, and confirmed that Burton Tally had not yet been claimed by Dira, something that couldn't be said of most of his thugs.

“He's still alive,” Brandon reported, getting back up and glanced over to the group of bodies, where one was slowly trying to stand back up, a hand attempting to cover the large gash in his side, blood spilling out and curses rolling off the man's tongue. No-one paid him any mind for longer than a tick though, as he collapsed instantly, only to restart the cycle again. “Excellent!” Riptide exclaimed, “Gentlemen, I thank you for your cooperation, I'll be taking care of that cheat until his debt has been paid.” With that he crouched down next to the Rat and swung him over his shoulder, and took a step in the direction of the door, only for Brandon to step in the way. “I'd like to know where you're taking him,” the bat stated, looking over to Sal, who had calmed down a bit, “And what you're going to do with him. You know, so we have an idea whether we'll have any trouble with him again or not.”

x

credit goes to Euthisa