Not Quite as Planned [Kechaiya]

by **Yuri Lehrer** on November 13th, 2014, 1:04 am

17th of Winter 510 A.V.
Sunset Quarter

The young mercenary staggered about the slums of the Sunset Quarter, blood leaking out of the wound on his right arm, hasty bandage made from his shirt staunching the flow of blood, but not completely, he was sure that it was deepish, but he couldn’t be too sure, the pain was excruciating, threatening to take his consciousness from him, as he made his way away from the site of his injury’s cause. Pausing for a moment to reflect on what caused his injury, Yuri Lehrer grimaced, wondering if he would make it to a clinic for treatment, or even if there was a clinic to go to I think I bit off more than I could chew with that last job… but then again my employer failed to mention that the person I was to capture was a swordsman, and an accomplished one at that… Leaning against a nearby wall, blood still flowing, Yuri looked around, gasping with the pain, thinking about exactly what happened leading up to his current predicament.

“Alright, you say you are a mercenary… I want you to capture someone, the details of who aren’t really important, all you need to know is that if you’re any good you’ll get the job done and report back here for payment.” The hooded figure, wispy beard visible, but the details of the man’s face were lost to the shadows, Yuri nodded, happy to help someone out after arriving in Sunberth so soon; he had said he was willing to do almost anything, short of murder. As he made his way to the location he was told he would be able to find his target, Yuri cautiously snuck around in the shadows trying not to get notice, succeeding for the most part but drawing attention strange looks from a few passersby, he paid them no mind, favouring speed over stealth now, he saw his target, walking along without a care in the world. Leaving the embrace of the shadows, Yuri called out to his target “You there, surrender yourself and I’ll do my best to see that you are treated well in captivity.” Confidence brimming as the man stopped and slowly turned around, Yuri waited for the man to say he would surrender himself, but was surprised when he instead drew a sword, thin, with a long blade; Yuri knew the name of such a weapon, Rapier, he had seen several in the past but never used one himself.

Now drawing his own blade in response, the other man now spoke, deep voice full of what sounded like contempt “I will not surrender to the likes of you, you are but a boy, I will say this only once, leave like you never saw me, and I’ll spare you injury or even death.” But Yuri would not be wavered from his course of action; instead he took his ready stance, waiting for the other man to make the first move, and make it he did, lunging straight at Yuri’s leg, Yuri went to block, but discovered all too late the attack was a feint, the blade changed course, going up and slicing into his right arm, the injury made Yuri think that it wasn’t a terribly wise idea to continue this fight, he was clearly outmatched, but he decided to at least try to draw blood from his opponent.

His opponent withdrew his blade and stood with his guard up before speaking to Yuri “This is your second chance, you will only get one more after this, and then I will kill you.” Yuri shook his head, indicating he wouldn’t give up. “Very well then…” The attack this time was an assault on his torso, Yuri used his own blade to deflect the attack, then counter with one of his own, cutting through his opponent’s left leg, the cut itself was shallow, but enough to draw blood, when the two separated, the man didn’t seem to notice the injury he’d sustained, instead making a tsk sound, holding his blade, now slick with blood, Yuri didn’t notice, but the man had allowed himself to get cut in order to cut Yuri himself, a deeper wound on his left leg, than his opponents, Yuri felt the stinging, burning sensation when he looked down, realization dawning that he would die if he didn’t back down at that point. He sheathed his sword, his opponent doing the same, telling him “You fight well, but you are too overconfident, now leave before I am truly forced to kill you.” Yuri understood and began to make his way out of there. Stopping briefly to tear the sleeve from his shirt to make a temporary binding for both his arm and leg, tying them then staggering onwards into the darkness that was the Sunset Quarter.

Returning his consciousness to the present, Yuri spoke a few words in Tawna, one of the languages he had learnt from the Ghosts of Black Rock, by listening to them and trying to pronounce the words as well “This pain… Need to find… Doctor.” The sentence broken because he had not learnt the whole language, just enough to get by if he somehow ended up talking to someone in the language. Yuri spoke aloud again, not realizing that he was still speaking in Tawna, this time shouting for help, knowing it was unlikely that any would come, more likely that someone would set upon him to finish him then steal anything of value. “HELP! Please… Someone.” His cries growing weaker as the exhaustion and loss of blood took their toll on his battered body, slowly fading to unconsciousness.

by **Aliara Cantrell** on November 14th, 2014, 1:33 am

Age 13, Midday

The young girl was walking back to her mother, she had just completed a simple job. It was an easy scrape all the barnacles off of the man’s ship. Not quite what she wants to do but a job was a job and Aliara wasn't going to say no to experience. Doing as she had done every time she completed a job Aliara used a few silver pieces from her payment to buy a loaf of bread at the common castle.

Aliara was only young at her age of 13 but her age never stopped her wanting to be a full mercenary with weapons and a home of her own. walking towards the sunset quarters with a skip in her step and mouth full of bread she thought of her bright future.

Aliara Cantrell the famous entertainer, dancer from the sky, with long golden locks hanging around her waist. Aliara would be the most beautiful and demanded dancer in Sunberth! she would have a home all to herself and would never have to be a person doing odd jobs again.

Looking around before she turned the corner into her street Aliara noticed a man, standing against a pole of some sort. Standing in the the busy street Aliara brushed her unruly hair out of her eyes so she could see him better. He didn't look to good, maybe he was hungry, or maybe he was hurt. Aliara’s eyes widened and she kept watching not to quite sure what to do, he could murder her, it was Sunberth after all.

It seemed hours before she could move closer to him by a few steps. Standing still again Aliara frowned slightly as she heard him whimpering in an unknown language. Her frown deepened and she ran towards him just as he called out for help.

As she got closer Aliara could she the stained band around his arm and his pale skin. A cut? Reaching up she attempted to touch his forehead but then she considered whether he would attack her if she touched him. Thinking she stood in front of him, looking into his pain filled eyes. He looked like he was going to faint or fall over.

“Are you okay? is that blood? Your every pale? What happened?”

Aliara realised that everything she just asked was pretty stupid, of course he wasn't okay he was bleeding profusely from his arm and was so pale he would stand out in snow. Deciding that he was too hurt to try anything Aliara put the back of her hand to his clammy forehead however Aliara had no idea what it meant. Frowning deeply again she pushed her hair out of her face and clamped her hands over the wound and held tightly. Maybe that would stop the bleeding?.

by **Kechaiya** on November 14th, 2014, 5:26 pm

Syna was high in the sky as Kechaiya sat upon a crate ready to dig into the lunch she'd just purchased from a vendor. There were several wooden skewers in one hand, adorned with grilled shrimp, potatoes, squash, and chunks of fish whose names she didn't know, seasoned with a variety of salts and spices. Her wine skin was nestled safely between her thighs, her eyes growing huge like a predator's as she readied her herself to devour the first one. She'd never had skewers with so many options like this before. Back in Eyktol, they would cook a single lizard or snake on a skewer, but there had never been vegetables involved in them.

Biting into a shrimp voraciously, she ripped it from its wooden hold finding it a perfect mix of salty and juicy. For several chimes she ravaged the skewers and her wine skin, letting out a massive belch that startled an old woman across the street. Stomach full and content, Kechaiya hopped off her seat and slung her pack of her cloaked shoulders. The weather was mild today, much to her delight. She despised the cold and the snow that came with it. Weaving through the streets, she kept her head down, keeping her black eyes out of sight from the native Sunberthians that feared them.

Trodding along, looking for any signs of someone needing a patient. Her name wasn't entirely well known throughout Sunset Quarter as synonymous with medicine. She wanted to get better known, so that patients would come to her, rather than her having to find them. But she wasn't so good at talking with the citizens, her language skills leaving much to be desired, and that was if they could get past her dramatic foreign look.

Pondering this conundrum, her ears perked up as she heard a cry for help. Not because it sounded desperate, but because it was in her native tongue, Tawna. That in and of itself was a rarity and a treat in Sunberth, but a Tawna speaker that may also need medical treatment was the jackpot. Moving quickly to the alley where she'd heard the sound, she just prayed he had the coin to pay for treatment. She'd learned very quickly in Sunberth to accept payment before treatment, lest she got ripped off.

Rounding a corner, she saw a bloodied man standing near a girl. He looked dead on his feet, and she looked a little lost staring at him. She couldn't be much older than Kech had been when she was stolen away from her village. For a brief moment, Kech had assumed another doctor had found him first and was laying claim to him. It wouldn't be the first time, probably not the last. Kechaiya wasn't going to stand idly by while some wide eyed girl took money from her coin purse. Especially from someone that spoke her language.

She saw him start to wobble, as people who are unconscious on their feet do, before toppling forward. Wincing as he hit the dirt, this patient was good as hers now. Moving over to him she looked up at the girl, and in her broken Common, "Help move on back." Kech slipped her hands beneath his chest, and strained to lift him by the shoulder upwards. Being a tiny woman, this was a tremendous effort for her, straining and grunting, before finally getting him over. She hadn't even looked to see if the girl had helped or was still standing there with a dumb look on her face. She set her pack next to him, and reached inside, fishing out a small pouch from her healer's kit. Opening it up, she plucked out a single, dried Flametoe root. She brought it up to the man's nose, waving it around, trying to waft the scent up his nostrils, knowing full well this particular plant was known for reviving unconscious people.