[The Docks] Harass me not

by **Fallon** on October 13th, 2014, 7:09 pm

Lips pursed firstly into a line, and then her expression fell behind that of neutrality. Eyes flickered between the two women weighing up their words, their values and their reasoning behind them. On one side there was Kaie's thought, cold hard tradition of taking the hand and leaving it at that - it sounded rather Myrian in nature, which did not surprise her. Yet, with it came the sound of certainty, not a suggestion. Almost as if it was law to do so. Fallon gave a small frown, her brow creasing further as she considered it. Sunberth was a city of anarchy, absent of the lawful traditions that may have been seen in other civilisations.

And then there was Zandelia's thoughts, and whilst Fallon was prone to the simple weakness of being her partner - this was an occasion she had to push the emotional to one side. A subtler approach, one smaller of taking still and giving their own justice before the local population, reputation was at stake and so the spy of the group looked to try keep cleanliness where possible. They needed to maintain the good face, whilst not being seen as weak and serve a good enough reminding punishment.

Lips twitched, the brow easing off as she filtered the information of what would happen in other places. Syliras it was a trip to the mines and hard labour, Nyka a good beating no doubt or labour again, Mura she had no idea and Avanthal also rested beyond her memory - she did after all try her best to stay out of trouble. Her eyes looked to the women again, attempting to read their expressions and gauge their reaction. The thief was obviously petrified of what was going to occur, and now looked to the executor of this task.

Spirit was an usual thing. She had experienced the lack there of herself, the cold hollow expanse of being broken and forced to pick up the pieces within the chaos. And even when fixed and restored it continued to hover, a weakness waiting to be exposed again. No, one did not often recover completely from the breaking of spirit and so when Fallon made her approach, her hand drawing forth the kukri with her left did she firmly grasp the wrist of the thief. She felt the weight of the blade in her hand a testing of it as the words came forth, "I have made my choice, and the justice that will be served in this case will be done by myself."

The thief begun to struggle, eyes wide with terror. The blade was pulled back the grip firm as she stopped the struggling woman from escaping. Eyes primed upon her target, the kukri being swung to the wrist. The thief screamed, the crowd gasped and the judgement was made.

There was the smallest tap of the blade tip against the wrist, the slither of blood as Fallon released the hand - still attached to the thief - and watch her crumple to the floor in a blubbering mess. There was a distinct scent upon the air, the face pale and the eyes blinking tears as she grasped upon her wrist, the small slit that had been left there and the thin trail of blood that went with it. Fallon continued her downward gaze, eyes catching the quivering form of the thief and the disbelief that rested there, "That scared you pissed yourself, eh?" She gave a tut, "Beat it. Catch you again though I'll take the hand."

"Kaie, Web," She turned her gaze back to the pair of them then, her tone cool but official, "If you are offended by my choice then we may discuss it later in private. For now, this is my decision and I'll weight the responsibility. For now, let's just focus on the job at hand. Deal?"

by **Kaie** on October 15th, 2014, 5:00 pm

Web had provided a valid point in her defense against what Kaie believed to be the only choice. However, it was not one the Myrian could realistically concede with. Narrow shoulders rose and fell rather passively. Amber eyes drifted down to the terrified eyes of the young thief in their midst, but there was no pity there.
"No more than someone might expect to be killed over the color of their skin and their foreign tongue, but blades are pulled at the very sight of a Myrian all the time," She reasoned with a cold pragmatism that made it clear she had come to terms with the nature of the world in that regard.

Copper arms crossed over her leather vest, and while the Spider and the Pig argued over technicalities, the savage remained in statuesque silence. Would be best if we had a fire before the hand was taken. Cauterize the flesh. Easier and cleaner than bandages. Meanwhile, the thief squirmed and pleaded under Web's intimidation. Another shrug was offered toward the demonstration, but to the alternatives she gave no affirmation or shake of her head. The ancient law was the only law she knew. In the end it was up to neither woman to make the decision. Only Bitzer.

Kaie watched as the kukri-wielder navigated over toward them, expression seeming almost tight with certainty. The blade rose and fell with a justice so close and familiar the Myrian felt it in her chest...That is until she realized her anticipation had been misplaced. No extremity was amputated, no perpetual cries in agony, nor any excessive spilling of blood. There was only the red line against the thief's flesh. A trickle of blood seeped from the slice, and the youth seemed almost paralyzed in her collapse of both relief and terror. Kaie set her jaw, and uttered not a word. Not even her face betrayed her disappointment. She merely nodded in agreement.

"Your call," The savage affirmed and strode away from the teary girl, who no doubt would gather her feet and dart off out of sight momentarily. She wiped her brow and returned to her post, fingers wrapped once more around her favored weapon. This time she appeared more focused. Despite their numbers, street urchins were no less daring. Gods be damned if she'd let another make a fool of her.

by **Zandelia** on October 15th, 2014, 7:10 pm

“Apologies Street Thief,” she stated with a sigh as she heard the tones and knew what was about to happen, “I tried” she shrugged at that and stepped backwards to be more beside the Myrian.

She didn’t look away of course, didn’t flinch at all when the blood sprayed – less than she thought it would - and the deed was done to the blubbing and urine that brought the market to a stand-still for a few moments. Then she realized there had been no maiming, just a placing of fear. It was a cold thing, a psychological thing to do. Yet the world was full of worse than this and the girl was lucky to get away with her life. Most would have killed her she knew, all thieves knew. Still, it seemed entirely right that they didn’t patrol around chopping off body parts of all evil doers. Sunberth was there for them to improve, not return to a state of martial law justice wherein a brutally repressive code of ethics and law were used. Those days had died and, should they attempt to resurrect them, they would surely die along with them.

No arguing with that tone though, or her position. She is becoming a leader…good.Perhaps I’ll just agree all the time? A little test one day soon? I think that would frustrate her even more actually… she smiled tightly at that thought as her gaze returned to the crowds now moving once more.

“I have no argument, I said long ago you were the leader. I’m just a spider, just a spider” she stated, gaze lingering upon Fallon slightly as it turned away from the crowd before returning to seek out what she had thought she had seen before.

Oh it bothered her slightly that there had been no consideration as to whether this girl had any friends of power to retaliate for her scaring, though in truth she had offered a finger off so she couldn’t complain. They had few enough resources to throw such things away. Yet she had made her bed, made her vows. She was an advisor and she had advised. The decision was Fallon’s and she had made it. Kaie was untroubled and yet she suspected there was an edge of grumpiness there beneath the surface. Soldiers followed she supposed, e ven if they didn’t agree. Hopefully she had understood her point of view, even if she didn’t accept it. They were both warriors, she was a spy. Different worlds bred different mentalities she supposed, chalking it up to a confluence of circumstance. Perhaps. Then it flickered through the bodies again, closer now and the markings unmistakable.

Daggerhand! she cursed internally as her fists clenched and un-clenched.

“Well, be prepared to have them pointed at you again Myrian of ours…Daggers are coming. You wanted blood and I think blood means to come to you today. Three I think. Too far to tell right now, too many bodies. Shopkeeper, how many usually come?” she asked snappily, there was no time for dissembling.

“Three…no…four…sometimes. Mostly three!” he squeaked at her as he began to set about hiding what she presumed were the more valuable things from their gaze should they turn up and inspect his wares.

“Well…shouldn’t be too much trouble. Orders Bitzer?” she asked Fallon, “do you want them to see us all? I can hide in the crowds, surprise them from behind if it gets nasty?” she asked, they needed a quick decision as they were closing now.

Blood already and now the Daggers this was going to be a dark end to their day working together. She could feel it rippling down her spine.

by **Fallon** on October 16th, 2014, 1:47 pm

The weight of judgement came down upon her, but it was her decision to make. Let the ridicule come if it did, she was the leader of the Scars and thus it was for her choice to make. And just as it was her choice, it was also up to her to wield the blade and commit the act - could the other two do the same on the basis of it just being an order? No, it was for her to do, more so as the others made no real move to make it. Besides, it had worked even if it received the grumpy scorn of the Myrian. The thief scrabbled away, and she was left in her silence of thoughts, the looking eyes that tried to understand what exactly had gone on here.

And it was with that, Fallon returned to her position - quiet, stoic, and waiting for the next upset of the day. Which came sooner than she would have wanted. Nostrils gave a flare, the alarm given by Zandelia all so neatly letting them know what was coming. The merchant became animated, his movement of goods causing her to glance back at him and wonder what exactly was going through his mind. Panic, fear, the worry to lose something valuable. The tone of her partner did little to calm their employee though. A sigh, the eyes narrowing as she weighed up the options.

Another choice to make, another turning point for the Scars - it was certainly becoming a day of trials and tribulations. Slink away and take the background, or stay in sight. Fallon lifted her gaze , looking between the women and then forward, "Stay in sight and let them come. Let them see who they're dealing with. Can't keep slinking in the shadows forever like children. Web, take the left side, Kaie the right." Fallon gave a firm nod to validate her point, "Going to see if I can sort this using my head first. Words, then if it comes to shove..." She let the rest be left to their imaginations.

There was three of them, she spotted the gruff faces now as they worked their way through the crowd. Acts of intimidation, to appear big and powerful regardless of low numbers or size as they came forward. They spotted the merchant first, eyes barely looking at the women as they barged their way on past and towards their target. The merchant gave a quiver, his eyes growing large as he hid behind his stall and had the colour drain from his features.
"Please, I-"
"Shut it," One of them snapped as he came closer, eyes narrowing down. Fallon's feet moved into action, the mind spurring up and through thoughts and tactics. A pop of knuckles, the curling back of the lips into a cruel grin as they begun their little games, " Time you paid up, little pigg-"

A firm step between them both, a crane up of the neck to the man who seemed easily a foot taller than her. Her fingers had grasped around the hilt of her tulwar, fingers flexing as she straightened and met his gaze with a burn. A flicker of surprise, she watched the weighing up look and the sneer, "What's this? Little rat want to play?"
"Prefer the term wolf, but I'll let it slide," She gave a smile back, shoulders rolling and her form bending slightly, "Think you should back off Dagger. Our prey now if you get my drift. Don't fancy going toe to toe, only end badly for you."
"Some balls you got there. Bet they're just words though. Tiny thing like you is just bark, watch," his hand moved to the dagger upon his belt as if to make a point. The blade was drawn, and in response Fallon acted. The tulwar shot forward - half drawn and slamming the pommel into his gut. He bent double, surprised almost that she had reacted the hissing of a curse as he glared at her. She reeled her head back, and then brought it slamming forward into his nose without a second thought. For a moment there was little more than stars, a moment of swimming as the world turned then snapped back into focus. Clearing her thoughts, she shook the feeling off, "As I was saying..."

by **Kaie** on October 16th, 2014, 8:54 pm

There was a stiffening of the Myrian's body just then. Soon after came the tightening in the muscles of her arms with the flicker of amber eyes down to the balled fists of the Spider beside her. She exhaled, letting the breath out of her lungs along with the nerves of the budding, unidentified conflict. Her sights snapped up to Web's and then outward to find the object of her anger. For a foreigner still relatively unfamiliar to the different gangs and their markings, the threat was not immediately obvious. That is until the jungle-born observed the steadfast approach of three men, their jaws set with malice, which Web confirmed not a tick later. There came only the breath of a sarcastic laugh slipping from the Myrian's lips.

"Another petchin' day in paradise," Kaie murmured back through a curl of amusement to her lips. With the other woman already in the process of interrogating their employer for information, the savage found her purpose in carefully watching the trio (or was it four?) men close the gap with menacing finesse. Then Bitzer's order came loud and clear, and with a grunt of agreement, Kaie made a show of unsheathing her sword. The steel rang with its withdrawal, metal glinting boldly in Syna's embrace. She let her arm drop with it to her side, wrist twitching in anticipation, light racing down the edges of the gladius with each twist. The tigress prowled dutifully to the right with wild eyes. And just as they neared the realm of their leader and the cowardly vendor, the Myrian's expression seemed to harden. Give her a reason to set me loose, that strange, animalistic stare seemed to taunt. Yet part of her knew that if they did, there was no guarantee their "no kill" policy wouldn't slip from her mind.

The Wolf made her stand and the arrogance the men possessed was made known straight from the draw. She could feel her nerves on fire, practically jolting within her muscles to will her to action every time one of the "Daggers" made a sudden move. The cool steel of her gladius tapped anxiously against the warm flesh of her calf. Twice her eyes shifted toward Web, wondering if she too shared the uneasiness, before committing her gaze upon the enemy. There was a slip of his hand toward his weapon and the Myrian's first step was already made. Bitzer's was quicker. In a tick the man had doubled over and been sent reeling. The blood gushing from his nose and down across his lips, where it invaded the spaces of his teeth when he opened them for breath, brought a ghost of a satisfied smirk to Kaie's lips.

"I'd take a few steps back if I were you," She hissed to the merchant after swaying toward him, free hand gesturing back toward the relative safety behind his stall. They'd be foolish to believe the Dagger's humiliation wouldn't come without retribution.
"Please, I want no trouble!" He squealed with a shaking in his voice. Kaie turned to him then with a far sterner look, and he obediently ducked his head and returned behind his stall. Quivering fingers hastily finished stowing away what wares he prized and feared to lose, replacing them with shoddier displays in hopes the thugs were too preoccupied to notice.

She lingered closer to the boiling kettle, so to speak, and flashed a grin at one of the Daggers from just behind Bitzer. Clever taunts and potent threats swam in her head, but none were voiced. Their image in that moment meant everything, and the wrong thing said would likely leave hacked bodies dead in the streets when they were through. Ideally, Kaie had no intentions of being among one of the dead. Likewise, causing the demise of her comrades due to her brashness was certainly far from desirable. Instead she was content to remain in her state of tension like a feline posed to spring from the brush. Only the brutal tongue of her people muttered in hostile prayer.

"Myri, your daughter's blade shines too brightly. Too cleanly. If these barbarians, these Daggers, call for blood let it be only theirs we shed. I'll happily offer their cries up to you."

by **Zandelia** on October 31st, 2014, 1:20 am

She let the words drift past her ears, only half listening under the presumption that they were less vital to absorb than the three thugs before them, the Daggers so filled with self-importance. You could have told them from a street away, it was the swaggering and the flexing that gave them up. You didn't have to see the tattoos and the colours, they practically exuded the idea that they were not just more powerful but better than everyone standing around them. The way in which they smiled made put her hackles rising, if she were an animal she would have been growling gutterall. It was condescending beyond reason, as if they should worship them for being naught better than scum, how she wanted to break those damned smiles. As it was she maintained her position and obeyed the order, it was as much a show as it was a fight – or would be.

Yes...the fact that people would see them stand up to them, face on and with no sneaking about. No underhanded tactics she noted.

There was a sense to it even if she personally preferred to slit someone without them even knowing she was there. She fought quite a bit in the sights of others but that wasn't how she usually started, she started most combat with silently quick elimination. Today she was being told to be a warrior, not a spy. She spat at the ground before the three men as the words were bandied, the two who were not talking scowled at her. She picked one of them, the one closest to her, and smiled at him. A slow revealing of the full set of teeth in a mimic of their condescension. She watched his fingers grip tightly upon his sword handle and the desire in his eyes to cut her down was all too evident. She had chosen her target, the other two would notice. Fallon had chosen the leader of the trio – appropriate indeed. That left the one on the other side for Kaie, she hoped the Myrian was observant to it.

“What you smiling at?” he almost snapped at her as the confrontation could be felt looming.

“You, I'm looking at you” she responded, slightly too jovially despite her feelings within.

“Petch off and stop starin'”

“Why?”

“'Cos I said so!”

“Are you King of Sunberth?” she asked, almost enjoying his complete bafflement at not being obeyed.

“What? Course no-”

That was when the cracking of the skulls could be heard, mostly due to the fact that apart from the whimpering stall owner the crowd had stepped back and were watching in marked silence. They knew death when they saw it, knew that if they spoke – or even moved – they might end up dying along with those actually fighting. Of course, there was also the fact that the citizens of Sunberth liked a show. It didn't matter if that show was bloody, as long as it was entertaining enough to distract them from their lives and hardships. There was a pause then, the two lackeys of the would-be leader not quite sure how to react. They saw sense enough to pull out their weapons but other than that stood dumbly by as their front reeled back, blood streaming and cursing with the truest of passion. It wouldn't last, didn't last. It was fun, though, whilst it lasted.

“Gawping like fish...is this really what people are so afraid of?!” she almost barked at the crowd, to the world in general more accurately as her consternation would have been felt by all who heard her words, the scorn as she tutted and bunched her fists.

“Petching kill them!” the lead thug finally screamed as he gave the order, wrote death in the air as loudly as he could have done.

So it was that the one she had been antagonizing so sweetly stepped forth towards her, he held a dull but deadly looking gladius in his hand, the other freely bunching in and out of a fist. There was happiness in his gaze, the feral murderous kind, the kind that only bastards of the highest degree were capable of conveying. She knew in that instant she would hold no guilt, it spoke of too many other times he had killed and killed gladly. Pointless deaths, deaths for his own pleasure. She stepped away still not pulling out her own devices of death. She gained space away from the others so that the combat would be freer but he was closing quickly. He sensed her demise as he sought a seemingly defenceless prey. He hacked at her head horizontally and she ducked under it, his fist coming around to be batted away by a neat little chop at his forearm – enough to turn it across his own body so she could circle into a blind spot and jab her knuckles into his short ribs solidly.

He grunted and turned quickly, bringing a series of slashes and punches that she side-stepped and blocked easily enough. He was far from the seasoned fighter she was, that much was easily told by even his dulled mind and merely spurred him to further anger. She leant back from another swing and planter her left foot, the right leg coming up between them before snapping out so the side of her boot crashed into his sternum and sent him stumbling back. She pushed her weight forwards seeking to capitalize and darted into his personal space, torso defenceless now but she didn't seek that, she sought the weapon. She hammered blows upon his wrist and elbow, jerking the blade and rattling it out of his grasp. Satisfied as it fell she brought her leg up once more, this time a square front kick to send him into a crowd rapidly trying to get out of the way and reform a new boundary.

“And there...good people,” she stated as she pivoted and paced twice to scoop up his gladius, “are your so called protectors. They can't protect themselves. And you think you have no choice in your being ground under them” she spat and rammed the blade into the packed dirt beneath her.

“I ain't finished wit you girl!” the man was back up now, shaken and dirtied from his tumble and spitting venom.

“But I am with you,” she stated flatly, “run along home boy”

She hoped, for a second, that he would see sense. He didn't, couldn't more like it. He charged at her full speed, rage leading his poor decision making. She pulled out her dagger with a soft inaudible sigh and gauged his approach, a few seconds at most it was, and sidestepped as she placed the dagger point in his path. He practically ran onto it in his zeal for macho supremacy. His eyes widened and to his credit he tried to get his fingers around her throat – until she twisted the blade and he began that inevitable crumpling. Foolish rage, his own speed and a singularly solid thrust forwards – that most basic of moves anyone could get right – had spelt his demise.

“A dagger...for a Dagger...ironic no?” she told him as the light left his eyes and he hit the floor in a slump.

She squatted down and wiped the blood off her blade on his trousers, she was confident by the sounds of things the others had been dealt with. Fallon and Kaie wouldn't possibly lose out to these fools. Finished she slipped the blade back and closed his eyes carefully.

“Rest knowing your terror is at an end” she stated, he was a Dagger but if this was to be a show then she would show people they were capable of more than just blood.

She pushed herself up and turned, seeking out the ending of their days work it would seem.

by **Fallon** on November 4th, 2014, 9:07 pm

Combat came and it was no surprise. Blood was boiled, the spurring onwards by little more than a clever thought and a sly smile. Kaie remained held back for the moment, but even Fallon could feel the near intense level of prowling, balanced neatly upon the knife edge and looking for that opportune moment to spring forward. Fangs bared and metal sharp - that was the way things had to be came the pressing thought. Always the way when dealing with the Daggerhand, Sunberth's dubbed 'bad men'. Though part of her did wonder what exactly made them different from the others, but that would have to wait for the moment. Blood was spilt, and now action was the game.

Zandelia was the first to jump however, dagger drawn and her chosen target held within her gaze. The leader gave a glare, his war cry shout as Fallon simply stood - blade half drawn and her gaze staring back with a smirk. It pulled back, clinking back into its sheath as the performance of her partner continued on round in her side stepping. Feet turned and twisted, a rock forward into her toes as he lunged at her fuelled with anger and rage. A dip, a weave and a second draw out of the blade this time fully as she brought the pommel back around into his side. A bash that send him cursing away. Tulwar drawn, she gave a testing swing of it, moving still as she came around to his back. All the while the crowd held its breath, caught within the pivot of movement and clashing of blades.

It was a show, a deadly dance that could make or break them with ease. Steel did as it did best, it cleaved, it cut it slashed, and return Fallon forced the contortion of the body and the retaliating swing of the single blade - she did not bother to draw the second, there was no need to. Perhaps it was over confidence, or perhaps it was just the moment. Regardless, she swatted the attacking arm away and in response the leader burned at her. Behind she could hear the merchant bordering on shrieking, the sharp intake of breaths as she watched him scowl. Foolishness made him come at her again, even with his blooded nose. The left shoulder dropped, the inner arch of the blade lifting and coming round across. She barged in, ducking and meeting the torso once more and pressing. Heels dug in, muscles contracting and straining as she forced momentum in once more.

He shuddered, hissing in pain before she gave a shove down to the floor teeth gritting as he writhed. The slide upwards, thin, narrow and whilst red and angered it was far from deep. Her boot gave a kick at him, clipping into his jaw and sending him further down. With a flick of the tulwar she gave a point down it, and watched the finishing off of one of his lackeys'.

"So here's the thing," Fallon purred, the smallest prods of the points into his throat - a warning that if he tried anything it would end badly, "We're protectors of this one, and whoever else we deem. And we protect those who come under our wings. Think of us... like family, and he being one of our cousins. Now," Her boot rested upon his slit chest, and he writhed to the pain of it, "If you attack one of ours, what do you think the rest of the family will do? Watch and do nothing?" The eyes of the crowd were upon her, judging and weighing up her words, "Petch no. Family seeks retribution. They set alight those who cause pain and mark them up. And you. You and yours came to our family for violence-"
"It was just an order!"
"You still had a choice. A choice not to obey," Her eyes burned, the warmth sapping and leaving little more than the expression of a furious red wolf, "My family, we don't want to shed blood unnecessarily. We don't come looking for a fight, but you come to us with your fists, your blades, your want of ours through violence and death... then we will hunt you down, we will find you, and when we do we will not hesitate to return you unto the earth." It was then, slowly that her foot lifted and the blade withdrew and returned to its sheath, "Get up. Tend to your dead and get out my sight. We are done here."

She turned away, her back facing him as she looked upon the merchant. Steel gazed, unflinching and unmoving. Perhaps it was the wrong thing to say, perhaps things could be worded better - it would come and bite her back in time. For the moment however, she was content that the warning was spent. And it was in those long moments of silence and leaving that Fallon continued her stare. A deep inhale, she did not hear the noise the crowd made - she was focused only upon the end goal now. What was done, was done. There was no going back.

"So, those Daggerhand. I don't think they'll be bothering you again anytime soon," A slow bring, she could feel the come down of adrenal within her limbs, the faint after shake after a violent turn, "Think they got the message. Meaning... I believe we are done. Nearly. No?"
"Yes- Yes!" He only nodded, violently almost as he hesitated and squirmed. Fallon exhaled, and let her eyes drift on past. Her hand clenched, and unclenched, an inhale inwards as she still herself for what was to come.
"Well then... Anything else you want of us whilst you have us, piggy?"

by **Kaie** on November 12th, 2014, 4:43 am

It was the sort of moment that made her feel alive. There was an immense tension in the air, a breed so heavy it was palpable even to the citizens that paused to watch the dark confrontation. The crowd about the six slowed in their pacing. Necks craned and eyes searched to find the source of the commotion. The bantering between Dagger and Spider fell deaf upon the savage's ears. Her blood began its boiling, the adrenaline bursting to flood her veins with a fiery finesse. Bronze fingers tightened upon the handle of her gladius, lips contorting to a snarl when Myri's blessing scorched her flesh. She felt the quickening beat of her heart, watched the leading thug give the fatal order, and the world came rushing back in like the waves recoiling to crash against the docks.

Amber eyes flashed back to the gang member before her. She caught the sight of the glinting steel of a withdrawing short sword, and rushed him with a cry of praise for the Goddess Queen. His green eyes widened in light of her ambush much like they had when he heard the muttering of her brutal tongue prior, and his sword swung downward from above with a scream through the air it cut. The Myrian's guard rose up just in time. Her gladius caught the blow before it could split her, shaking her arm under the force it took to stop its advance. Teeth grit and a heel dug in, the other rocketing forward into the man's hips. He doubled over with a grunt involuntarily. With a vicious growl her free hand's fist hammered across his face to send him stumbling.

"You're petchin' dead now," He roared when he found his feet. She could see the swelling upon his cheek. Yet this time it was him that made the rush with bared steel. His short sword began to make a swooping motion from his hip, and the Myrian reacted with a sinister grace...right into his trap. A fake! Her thoughts echoed with alarm, but by the time she managed to jerk her body to dodge, it was too late. The edge of the sword raced across her side as her torso twisted in a try at escape. Skin tore in a single red line and Kaie let loose a frustrated cry, pivoting away from the stab and swinging her gladius with new found fury. Her rebuttal dug deep into his back and her attacker leveled upon the earth with a moan. When she neared the fallen man his sword arm offered a panicked dicing, which she put down with side step and plunging of her sword into his shoulder.

"No," She murmured down at him, kicking his sword far from his possession. The thug gave a groan, hands moving upon the ground in an attempt to flip onto his back. That was put to an end when her boot pressed upon the brutal shoulder wound that already bled well through his shirt. "Not yet I'm not." Kaie knelt down upon him, right knee digging into his back instead. Bitzer's voice caught her attention as she moved to continue her bloody work. However, it wasn't until she spoke of a family's retribution that she truly paid attention to her soliloquy. Her left hand grasped her quarry's long, brown hair and yanked his head upward to expose his vulnerable throat. Yet even when her gladius moved to hover over the apple of the man's neck, she found herself taking her time if only to listen closer.

Of course she could understand the concept she spoke of: a family's retribution. For a tick she was back among the flowing grasslands of the Cyphrus. Back among the shrieking of winged humanoid beasts and the terrified horses. Back where she knelt beside the corpse of her father, paralyzed and lost among wildlands and blood. Then she moved forward, remembering the blind rage and overwhelming focus upon the wingless enemy of the same breed of monsters. She could still feel the satisfaction, the justice she felt when she plunged her sword through the Zith's ribcage in her righteous fury. As if no time had truly passed at all, Kaie was back again. She whispered the ritualistic offering to her Mother, and dragged the edge of her father's sword across his throat despite his protests. There came a gurgling, the spattering sound of blood pouring upon the street, and then it was over with a release from the back of his head. The Daggerhand was laid to rest in his own blood.

The Myrian stood then with a grimace. Her left hand reached for her side, only noticing then that blood had leaked down to her loincloth. As she glanced to check on Web, she dug the heel of her hand into the wound for pressure. There came a wince, but relief filled her. It's not nearly so deep. A good cleaning and a wrap will do for now. Following Web's lead, Kaie cleaned her sword with her kill's shirt and sheathed it. Then her eyes drifted to her companions and the squealer. The sensation of being watched fell upon her, and she turned to find the citizens still gaping at the brutally resolved conflict. Anyone deemed under our protection. Family. Retribution. But how can we know who deserves that service and sacrifice? She wondered as she pulled her left hand from her wound. Trudging back to the merchant and her two comrades, Kaie couldn't help but wonder what agony she'd bring upon herself if retribution for kinship was called for again.

"Well that was petching good fun. The only thing I expect to hear this little piggy squeal about is our compensation. Not even a family's protection comes without cost to someone."

by **Vanari** on February 28th, 2015, 4:57 am

Fallon

Interrogation	+2 XP
Intelligence	+5 XP
Leadership	+5 XP
Persuasion	+3 XP
Intimidation	+4 XP
Tactics	+3 XP
Logic	+4 XP
Weapon: Tulwar	+2 XP
Politics	+1 XP

Lores :

Zandelia

Interrogation	+4 XP
Intelligence	+5 XP
Persuasion	+4 XP
Tactics	+4 XP
Negotiation	+1 XP
Philosophy	+5 XP
Weapon: Dagger	+2 XP
Unarmed Combat	+2 XP
Intimidation	+3 XP
Leadership	+3 XP
Politics	+1 XP

Lores :

Kaie

Rhetoric	+5 XP
Intelligence	+5 XP
Philosophy	+4 XP
Leadership	+1 XP
Interrogation	+2 XP
Running	+1 XP
Wrestling	+1 XP
Brawling	+1 XP
Persuasion	+1 XP
Intimidation	+2 XP
Weapon: Gladius	+1 XP

Lores :

Notes :

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