Completed The Sharp Tongue's Request

[Xen]

On Fifty-fourth Street
Nyka

Drunken shouts and friendly laughter escape from the building, along with the clattering of glass. And outside locals lean on the establishments wall, lounging and having a good time while conversing about miscellaneous things, like women and the state of the streets. The setting was The Sharp Tongue Pub and Brewery, which bustles with life on a bright summer evening.

Inside the pub, all the tables were full. The cause of this were the dozens of overly enthusiastic hunters, bounty hunters, and lazy local drunkards who seemingly never leave the establishment. Amidst these people and at one particular table, three gentlemen speak about their concerns with troubled faces.

“ Those petching wildland bandits, they do as they please! ”
Willis exclaims with a cup in hand.

“ We need to do something about them they are becoming a nuisance,” Sander says calmly while sitting across from Willis.

“ I don't know what you mean by "just becoming" they've been a nuisance to us from the beginning! ” Willis states to Sander.

“ So, what will we do about them? We cannot deal with those thieving bandits—we are businessmen—who've never wielded a weapon or fought before. Petch, we can't fight as we are now, ” Ferrel speaks solemnly to the two gentlemen, his brothers, with a sorrowful expression. Willis and Sanders did not reply to Ferrel because they could not. The two knew their brother did not mean harm to them, yet the truthful words were painful to hear.

None of the brothers had the physical strength or skill to deal with the wildland bandits themselves, but they did possess the means to deal with them.

“ If we cannot handle the wildland bandits, then we will hire assassins to deal with them for us, ” Willis runs his left thumb horizontally across his neck as if cutting it.

“ Stop being overly dramatic and we currently do not have the funds to hire the likes of them. I say we settling for less, my brother, ”
Sander says to Willis.

“ Then are we going to use mercenaries? They're cheaper than assassins, yet we cannot afford many. Two perhaps or three, maybe, but nothing more, ” Ferrel adds with a pointed, left finger.

“ I'll hire two mercenaries, let's hope that the two I get can kill these bandits without error,” Willis says as he rises from his seat and leaves his brothers to take care of business.

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Date: The Third Day of Summer
Year: 516 A.V.

[Xen]

The Fated Conflict

The Wildlands

Xen walks through the forest boasting his machete-sword and katana, a shield on his right arm, and jet-black, leather armor. He had received a request to deal with troublesome bandits, but his client had not given him their numbers, meaning he would be engaging enemies without knowing how many there were. Luckily, or rather, unfortunately, he was not alone.

“ Why do we need this guy with us? ”
Zar looks at Xen and grimaces. He didn't approve of the Dhani's presence.

“ We do not need him. Coincidentally, he picked the same request we did, so those brothers hired all of us, ”
Dav corrects Zar while noting Xen's particular silence.

“ Leave the fodder alone, Zar, ”
Ryker says snidely. He too did not like Xen's company, which adds to the list of people who were displeased with Xen. The only person unbothered by Xen's presence is the only female in the group, Vina. She appears to be the leader of the irreverent group.

Xen is silent the entire time, seemingly ignorant to the remarks and death stares around him. He just walks while looking forward with cold eyes. Words could not fluster Xen, for the pain of loneliness and emptiness he felt outweighed them.

Dusk was upon the mercenary group. So, the group's "leader", Vina, familiar with the problem of darkness decides to set up camp. However, one of the members, Zar does not approve of this.

“ We have to keep going, dammit! We won't get our money if those bandits escape! ”
Zar exclaims to Vina, who looks at him impassively.

“ Letting this opportunity slip by us is a grave mistake. If you guys want to stay here and huddle up together to keep warm like weaklings do, then that is fine, ” Zar walks ahead of the group, brandishing his machete as he goes.

“ I'm known as Painsplitter. And I will show you why. ”
Then Zar quickly steps into the dim forest, determined to fulfill his goal.

Upon hearing Zar, Xen thinks “ Painsplitter... I have heard that name before, ” Xen recalls a constrictor losing his arm to a myrian called Painsplitter in the Falyndar jungle. He did not promise the constrictor that he'd avenge him, but Xen did not want to allow Painsplitter to go about freely and unpunished.

“ Even people like him can be truthful. I will be following Zar, ”
Xen departs from the group to follow Painsplitter into the shadowy forest. The other three did not attempt to stop Painsplitter and Xen. They did not care and were not too affiliated with the two mercenaries, so they let them be.

Through the dim forest, Zar walks.

“ I hate weaklings, especially dumb ones. They always want to take their time, petch that. I want my reward now, ” Zar angrily states as he traverses the forest, twigs, and leaves crush beneath his feet.

“ I'll finish the bandits first, then those weaklings, ”
Zar licks his lips at the thought of slaughtering the mercenary group.

“ I expect this kind of behavior from a filthy myrian, ” Xen says to Zar.

" What did you just call me, you disgusting, belly crawler? " Zar replies to Xen without turning around.

Xen steps forward—his form bleeds from the darkness “ You heard me, filthy... myrian, ”

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Date: The Third Day of Summer
Year: 516 A.V.

[Xen]

Hate and killing intent fills the air between Xen and Zar, foreshadowing a battle beneath a fading sky.

Xen unsheathes his katana, causing the blade to make a distinct pinging sound. Then the shadows of the tree leafs above Xen dance across the length of his blade as he takes on a battle stance, adding a dramatic effect on the fatally, series action. Afterward, Xen inhales, taking a deep breath to focus and exhales to relax his tense body.

Due to these actions, the hatred and tension, Xen felt earlier lessens, but only slightly, for the person, the object of his frustration remains.

Zar chuckles at Xen's stance, finding it meaningless and pathetic. To Zar, only the weak and those ignorant of battle do such things. So, he arrogantly walks towards Xen while dragging his sword across the soil.


“ Are you here to avenge your comrade or something cliche like that?
Because I've had enough of disgusting bellycrawlers thinking they can, ”
Zar says snidely


“ Oh, how wrong you are, ”
Xen states insinuatingly as his intentions are mistaken.


Zar looks at Xen puzzled and confused, but he senses that the serpent in front of him spoke the truth.

“ Then why bother me? Crawl somewhere else before I split your skull open, ”
Zar scowls at Xen with his bone blade resting on his shoulder.


“ Your lack of understanding is reasonable but not excusable. I come to deliver your comeuppance, Painsplitter, ”
Xen claims as he slides his right foot forward and lowers his body.


Zar stops in front of Xen, leaving only ten steps worth of space between him and the opposing, young serpent because this was the amount of space he usually gave those he deems unworthy. Zar was confident in his belief that he could end Xen's life within ten steps, leaving wariness and his opponents potential skills as things, not worth considering.


Xen quickly notices the distance between him and Zar

“ Painsplitter is different from all the myrians I've encountered. He doesn't charge recklessly into battle, despite his arrogant demeanor, ”
Xen thinks.


“ To survive this battle foul play and speed will be needed! ”
Xen sharpens his conviction with a thought and tightens the grip he maintains on his katana.


“ You're just standing there doing nothing. You should have chosen someone else to be your stan—”
Zar stops talking to prepare his defense.


While Zar spoke, Xen rushes him, interrupting the myrian with his surprising speed. In a series of rapid steps, Xen fills the distance separating him from Zar and swipes at him. Xen's blade travels horizontally towards Zar's neck, possessing all of his killing intent and desire for myrian blood.

Zar raises his blade—quickly and vertically—to stop the katana that would fatally wound him.

“ Ugh, this bellycrawler is faster than those lumbering constrictors! Death is certain if I'm just a few seconds slower than he is, ”
Zar thinks as he attempts to push Xen's blade away from his neck with his bone-sword. However, he meets swift opposition from Xen, who leans forward and adds his body weight onto the blade.


In response to his opponent, Zar adds more strength to his left arm, knowing that if he lets Xen gain control of this situation, his neck would be slashed.


“ My movements will need to become sharper and quicker next time, ”
Xen thinks as he struggles to inflict a mortal wound onto Zar.


“No.... I.... WON'T LET SOME WEAKLING KILL ME HERE!!! ”
Zar roars before he kicks Xen away and forces him to stumble.

Xen did not expect Zar's front kick. So he receives the full impact on his unguarded stomach. The pain that shoots upwards into his skull slightly nauseates him, but it did not stop Xen entirely. Xen recovers and swings at Zar's face, however, Zar ducks and hurries away, dodging the horizontal strike.

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Date: The Third Day of Summer
Year: 516 A.V.

[Xen]

Xen stumbles to his feet, partially in haste, but wholly in the fear of defeat. In an attempt to reestablish himself before his opponent's next retaliatory move Xen steps forward, gripping his katana tightly, and then swings at Zar's face again. The weapon cuts through the air as it travels towards its destination, Zar's soft, fleshy face, but the myrain avoids the blade by leaning backward.

But Xen continues to pursue Zar viciously. He raises his katana over his head to gather strength, then brings the blade down to perform a cut. However, Zar dodges Xen's katana again and watches as its edge cuts where he once stood and then embeds itself in the ground.


“ He is faster than me, but it is his skill that's lacking. I'll avoid his swings and then counterattack when exhaustion gets to him, ” Zar smiles deviously as the thought manifests within his mind.


“ I'll lose this battle at this rate. I need to think dirtier. ” Xen was not going to waste his time with a well-thought plan because frustration induced impatience gnawed at him and he needed relief from it.


“ Tactics, I need to make use of the darkest and lowest tactics I know. ” A darkness that only the depraved knew and savored grips Xen's mind as nasty plots form from his thoughts and cast shadows over his moral integrity: shadows that corrupt a warrior's sense of honor and grays him deeply before time can turn his youth unto old age.


Xen glances at the shadows and then looks at the soil grasping his katana. “ Can myrians see in the dark? ” Xen smirks at the thought.


Afterward, Xen flicks his katana upwards, sending dirt and rocks flying towards Zar's face. Erroneously, Zar jumps backward without guarding and closing his eyes, which allows the dirt Xen tossed to get into his eyes.


“ AH, Skurak! ” Zar swears in his native language, myrian, but the insult was meaningless because Xen did not know myrian.


Xen seizes the opportunity, runs forward and raises the katana high above his head with determination and adrenaline surging throughout his extremities. Xen's goal was to smite the heavily tanned and muscular myrian, Zar, with a dirty and sharp edge! Instinctively, Zar raises his sword and positions it horizontally to defend himself because the idea of a weapon striking the tender flesh across his forehead, was not very appealing.


However, Xen was not after Zar's head; his goal was Zar's shoulder. But Zar's quick defensive action prevents Xen's katana from cutting his shoulder, though, at the cost of his fingers.


“ My timing was perfect, petch, but my angling got me,” Zar's mind fills with regret while he clenches his teeth to hold back a yell. Xen had struck Zar's index, middle, and ring finger and left them bloody and minced. He failed to severe the fingers entirely due to his poor swordsmanship and cutting skills, but he was pleased with the results.


“ What is wrong with you, having trouble holding things together, Painsplitter? ” Xen speaks snidely, his voice like malice and ridicule. Internally, he laughs at the myrians misfortune and found pleasure in his pain. Then Xen points his bloodied weapon at Zar, ironically, revealing the symbol of his goddess, Myri, to him before he ends his life.

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Date: The Third Day of Summer
Year: 516 A.V.

[Xen]

Before Xen could attack a sound catches his attention. He turns in the direction the sound came from to find out what caused it and notices a black, circular object flying towards him. Instinctively, Xen ducks down to dodge the unknown object. Then he jumps away from Zar to add distance between him and his wounded foe.

Zar watches Xen's evasion action for a moment and then turns his eyes towards the darkness. He could feel that someone was lingering in the thickening shadows of the trees, his hunter's instinct instilling such a feeling. Zar continued to watch the shadows until a figure disrupts his gaze by stepping forward.

Zar was the first to see the giant and then Xen, who turns away from Zar and eyes the new threat. Xen was familiar with tall people and their tendency to loom over the short, but this person, this thing was too tall.


“ Bandits, mercenaries and now a myrian and halfling?” The tall figures voice rolls from beneath a myrian tiger skull he was wearing. His voice was deep and carried hints of dissatisfaction and disgust.


“ Those brothers, who promised to pay you dearly, sent me to kill you all. Well, I should say you two since you both are the only one's left, ” Then the figure throws four familiar objects towards Zar and Xen feet. Even in the quickly fading daylight, Xen and Zar were able to make out what rested near their feet. The heads of Dav, Ryker, and two other men.


Xen recognizes two of the four faces in front of him, but one was missing “ Wait, where's the female human? ” Xen asks in the halls of his mind. But his thoughts were no secret. The tall stranger and Zar could see his question through his facial expression. So there was no need for words.


“ The female is okay, but you both should worry about yourselves, ” The tall stranger throws his club at Xen. The way he did so was so smooth and quick that it surprises Xen and Zar.


Xen jumps to his left and onto the ground to avoid the club. He lands improperly on his chest, causing his katana to slip from his hand and slide away from him. Xen scrambles to the katana and tries to grab its handle, but the weapon is kicked away by Zar before he can grasp its handle.


“ Damn it! ” Xen yells as he rolls away from Zar, who tries to kick and step on him. “ The situation is not looking good at all. I need to get away, ” Xen crawls along the ground, thinking this. He continues to struggle along the ground, enduring Zar's kicks as he goes. The desire to escape and hide was greater than the pain; it compelled him to get into the bushes and find relief from the terrible situation.


When Xen was almost able to touch the brush, he feels someone grab his ankle. He tries to free his right ankle from the person's hold, but their grip was too firm. So, Xen lifts his left foot and kicks at the person holding him. His foot collides with something firm, but Xen doesn't bother to look and see what it was. The person had let go of his feet, allowing him to escape into the tall, thick brush.

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Date: The Third Day of Summer
Year: 516 A.V.

[Xen]

Xen crawled beneath the brush haunted by feelings of inferiority and weakness; feelings incited by his ineptitude in battle. But it was these feelings that freed him from naivety and thinking that some divine entity had special plans for him. Xen believed he was special and destined for greatness before the vastness of the world, without realizing just how small his existence was. A fool to his expectations.

Xen continued to crawl along the dirt until he was completely exhausted. The battle—the physical one against Zar and the mental one against himself—weighed heavily on him and left him in lassitude. To reside beneath a blanket of green and brown vegetation unintentionally; he would have preferred somewhere further away, though.


“ I hate this vicious cycle of running, hiding and cowardice...” Xen whispered.


Xen was unable to recall a moment where he'd overcome an opponent with his strength. Luck had always intervened with his endeavors and influenced the weight of his consequences. To Xen, in the beginning, luck was a blessing. It carried him throughout many tough situations and allowed to meet many of those who would become his closest friends.

But now luck had become something he hated and envied. And these emotions he felt would only grow stronger.

Xen manages to recover a small amount of his strength. He then shifts into his serpent form, feeling now was the perfect moment to do so before Zar or someone else discovered him. After changing his form, Xen slithers through the grass with his head and body low to the ground to avoid being seen above the forest brush. In his narrow, slit pupils ill-intent and maliciousness danced seductively, suggestive of evils he would commit.

It was night now. The sun had receded and pulled a curtain of darkness over the world; stars replaced the clouds and the moon overshadowed the sun. Xen slithered over and through brush, as he traversed the forest floor, perfectly camouflaged by the encompassing darkness. He was happy to have been able to escape the deadly struggle from before because now he could make use of all his abilities. Now there would be no more running for Xen.

Xen emerged from the brush, looking around. Immediately, he noticed the stranger from before with his back turned to him. The stranger appeared to be crouching over a corpse, which Xen assumed was Zar's. The image of Zar's dying expression appeared in Xen's mind and made him chuckle; he would have enjoyed seeing the myrian gasping and gripping for life.


“ I'll send you to the grave as well, ” Xen thought as he moved into action.
All Xen needed to do was bite the akalak once then it would be over.


Xen slithered towards the akalak, slowly and quietly. Along the way, he noticed that there were no twigs or leaves in his path, which pleased him greatly. There were no obstacles to obstruct his advancement nor any that would create noise and expose him to the distracted akalak. Only smooth, unfettered soil stretched before him and the akalak.

Xen crept closer to the akalak. His heart raced within him. Xen was close enough to lunge and bite the akalak in the back, but he did not want to risk getting stuck and breaking a tooth. Thus, is why Xen aimed to bite the back of his foes shin and ankle: there were no thick bones. And it was less risky.

Xen slithered up to his opponent, who was now in biting range. He moved with the stealthiness of a serpent behind him and then to his left: where his exposed weak points lied. Now Xen sprung into action. He lunged forward and bit the akalak's ankle while he was skinning Zar's face.


“ Ouch, what the! ” The Akalak—surprised by the sudden jolt of pain—tried to grab the thing that bit him on the ankle. Xen had already repositioned his body and retracted his fangs. So he was ready to strike again seconds before the akalak decided to grab him. Xen struck at the akalak again but this time, he bit the akalak's middle finger, which forced the akalak to pull his giant hand away from him. Afterward, Xen proceeded to retreat from the akalak using the innate swiftness of his kin.


“ I see you! ” The Akalak shouted as he noticed Xen slithering away.


He quickly pursued Xen, knowing that letting him escape from him was certain death. The Akalak assumed he needed Xen's venom to craft an anti-venom, yet did not know he was spelling his demise. Xen felt and heard the giant feet approaching him as he slithered towards safety. The sound of impending danger aroused his survival instinct and compelled him to take evasive action. Xen started to zig-zag and travel across the ground much faster than he did before—all his actions aimed to avoid capture and throw off the akalak's balance—like all of his lifelong aspirations had suddenly awakened.

The Akalak noticed what Xen was attempting and tried to step on the tip of his tail. He missed the first time and then again the second time. On his third try, he almost manages to snag the tip of Xen's tail, until Xen darted to the left and evaded him.


“Stop, STOP! ” The Akalak yelled as desperation settled within. He and Xen were close to the forest now, which was not what the akalak wanted to happen, especially, since he was so close to capturing Xen. But it looked like things were going to take a grizzly turn for the worst.

“ This person is fast, yet unwise. ” Xen thought as he moved.


Xen did not want the akalak to chase him, in spite of this, another part of him did. The akalak was wasting precious, vital time he needed to combat the venom; time that should have been used to travel back to Nyka for anti-venom. The akalak had let Xen become his ruination, rather than his salvation.

Xen sensed the safety of the forest in front him as he approached a bush and jumped. The akalak dove into the bush after Xen, hoping to catch the serpent before he could escape. Bushes and twigs were snapped and bent as the akalak struggled to capture Xen who fled amongst the chaos. The akalak failed to capture Xen now his fate was sealed.

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Date: The Third Day of Summer
Year: 516 A.V.

[Xen]

Xen slithered away from the rampaging akalak without pause. He knew the venom would finish what he could not and put an end to a life that greatly bothered him. Xen paused to taste the air around him for scents, then proceeds onward to reclaim his katana, clothing, and armor. He wanted to secure his belongings before moving on to searching for the whereabouts of the bandits.

“ That guy from earlier he killed Zar and those other mercenaries. So what happened to the female human? ” Xen pondered. Vina's fate was a mystery and one that would go unsolved because Xen did not have the time unfold it. He wanted to avoid chasing after someone that was probably dead or worse mangled beyond recognition.

“ Not matter looks like I'll be the only one getting paid, ” Xen was pleased with the events that occurred around him and his thoughts reflected that clearly. He did not have to fight or haggle over the reward money, nor worry about fighting or betraying someone. And could now focus on the task that he had promised to complete without fear and hesitation.

Peet lied utterly motionless on the ground; tired and dying. The deeps wound along his arms, legs and torso suggested that a difficult battle had occurred. The surroundings were reminiscent of Peet's physical state: deep holes littered the ground and trees were damaged and scorched by flames. A few corpses belonging to unlawful bandits existed within this ravaged place, half destroyed and broken, like some creature had tested the elasticity of their flesh.

Peet listened to the soft sounds of the elements and nature. He lets the wind caress his warm skin. He focused on the texture of the soil, which felt smooth like velvet beneath his fingers and welcomed the crickets—little maestro's of nature—to chirp around him.


“ Who's there? ” Peet sensed a faint presence lingering amongst the shadows and called out to it, hoping that Vina would step from the darkness and warmly greet him. Instead, Xen emerged from the bushes in human form and crushed Peet's expectations.


“ Wretched undead, you killed them, you killed her, ” Peet spoke out of anger and confusion. It was a case of mistaken identity; he perceived Xen as the undead responsible for the demise of his teammates and Vina. This confused Xen, he didn't understand why he'd been mistaken for an undead until he noticed the blood glistening around Peet's tattered body.


Xen paused and observed his surroundings before he approached Peet. The scents of blood and flesh and feelings of loss and suffering lingered in the air. And visible and intense destruction and gore stained the earth. These things presented themselves to Xen and graced him with the visage of a one-sided struggle.


“ An undead did this? ” Xen pointed at his surroundings with his katana and then back to Peet. “ I'm envious, impressed and appalled by its work. ” Xen continued as he smirks. “ I'll thank the undead monstrosity for making my job easier later, ” Xen stated sarcastically.


Peet watched Xen walk towards him and glared as the meters between them shortened. “ Don't act like you're uninvolved! Damn you, damn you!? ” Peet constantly shouted until Xen stabbed him to death with a katana.

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Date: The Third Day of Summer
Year: 516 A.V.

[Aladari Coolwater]

The tide brings in your grades.

Name:Xen

XP Award:

• Weapon: Katana +3
• Acrobatics + 2
• Running + 2
• Tactics + 2
• Stealth + 1
• Observation + 1

Lore:

• Lore of Myrians: Not All are Reckless in Battle
• Lore of Tactics: Fighting Dirty, Literally
• Lore of Self: I Hate When Luck Intervenes
• Lore of Anatomy: No Thick Bones in the Ankle
• Running: Zig-Zag to Lose a Pursuer
• Lore of Mercenary Work:
  Get Paid More for Working Alone
• Lore of Stealth: Using Bushes as Cover
• Lore of Observation: Using Scent in Snake Form
• Lore of Poison: Difficult to Cure Without the Source

Penalties/Rewards :

No lasting injuries, except exhaustion for a few days.

Comments :

Try to remember to keep it in past tense. You mostly used present here.

Don't forget to edit your request to reflect its graded status. If you have any questions or feel I forgot something, please contact either me or the local ST.