Shackled City - Chapter I

[Majin]

Elyas' crossbow bolt misses the mimic, but fortunately Zeric does not, as his morningstar comes crashing down on the creature. His weapon remains stuck to it as well, but this time the mimic does not strike back. It just remains still, defeated.

Keygan's eyes widen at Althron's questions. "Elves? Secrets? No thre is nothing more, and I don't know what you mean about any elves. I know very few, and those I do I am not on good enough terms with for them to do such a thing."

"Where did you see elves?" he questions back.

 

[Mimic]

Althron's eyes squint as he stares at the gnome trying to figure out if he is lying or not.

Figuring that the gnome is telling the truth, Althron backs off half a step but keeps his hand on the handle of his mace. "Humph... saw em as we were entering, they were up on the roof tops. Figured they were friends of yours, either that or robbers casing out the place."

 

[Manzanita]

Raven

Raven pauses, but seeing the creature motionless, she hurries forward to retrieve her morningstar and the caged rat.

 

[Verbatim]

Zeric looked down at the motionless creature and then looked across its inert form and spoke to Raven as they both began pulling their weapons free from the sticky substance that covered its body.

"You did well."

Zeric placed the morningstar back on his hip and as Raven picked up the excited rat, he turned faced the others. He saw the anger quickly rushing to the forefront now that the immediate danger had passed, and for a moment thought of telling them of the message that Priestess Urikas had sent them. He thouht of explaining that his actions were not those of some moronic brute, but those of one who wanted to see the innocent children returned to safety more than anything in his damned existance.

~Dark and empty....they wouldn't believe you anyway, nobody ever does...~

"We need to go back up. The gnome will be happy to see his rat again."

Walking into the room where the unconscious elf was, Zeric sighed at how fragile she was and then called back into the other room.

"I'll carry her up, but someone needs to get her blade."

Picking her up far more gently than he had carried the brigand the day before, Zeric began carrying her back the way they had came and back towards the gnome's shop.

~I wonder what aide Priestess Urikas has sent for us?

 

[kirinke]

Alinis slowly and groggily regains consciousness, regretting the process intensely as shooting pains radiate out from her chest. What happened? It feels like I got kicked in the stomach by an elephant...

She struggles fitfully, almost incoherently, managing to land a blow in a region Zeric would probably not want to be hit. Probably not the best idea she ever had....

 

[Verbatim]

As Alinis opened her eyes for a moment, Zeric saw them focus on him for a moment and thought he saw the elf trying to form a word, but all that managed to escape through her lips was a dry croaking sound.

However, no sooner had he tried to read her lips to see what she was trying to say, Zeric's vision blurred as Alinis' hand shot upwards and caught him with a glancing blow to his temple, momentarily making his vision swim and his legs unsteady.

~Lichspit!!! Why must they all be more trouble than they are worth...Perhaps the Hextorites were not so wrong when they spoke of leaving those who had fallen in battle to the crows...~

Forcing his anger to remain in check, Zeric looked down to Alinis and spoke to her in a voice that left no room for doubt.

"That was your free shot elf. Strike me again and you had better kill me as I swear by Cuthbert's knotted cudgel that I will kill you."

As the elf's body went limp in his arms once more, Zeric wondered if she heard him, or if her mind had already drifted out into the vast plains of itself.

~The others will say that she was acting out of instinct if I mention it to them and for her sake, let it have been just that...~

 

[kirinke]

Alinis fades in and out of consciousness, dimly aware of being carried someplace and a voice mentioning Cuthbert's cudgel. Wha the bloody hell...

Then that blasted darkness closed in on her and once more, she knew no more.

 

[hippocrachus]

Orpheus allows Zeric to take Alinis from his aid, but gives him a look that suggests there will be no foul-play. He follows the large bullocks closely and hisses in retaliation to his threat towards the unconcious elf maiden.
"Save your threats for another time, coward. You'll hardly have a chance to land a blow before I slam my foot in your crotch and slip my sword between your ribs," he says with no bluster meant.
"Shut up and walk," he says before Zeric has a chance to comment. He ignores his other companions that surely must have heard.

 

[Verbatim]

Turning to face Orpheus, Zeric stares long and hard at the dandy before him, who has suddenly chosen this moment to find steel in his backbone. Setting the elvish archer down with a mocking slowness for Orpheus' benefit, Zeric opened his hands wide and away from his morningstar, leaving his chest an open and easy target for the fop.

"She strikes me when I seek to help. When I could have easily left her behind for the gray skins who live in these gods forsaken ruins, but since you wish to be her savior and protect her from base cowardly me. You carry her from her, and may she turn on you as quickly as she did me."

Zeric stood patiently beside her and waited for the smaller man to pick up the much larger woman at his feet and carry her from this place.

"She is your burden now dandy...yours and yours alone."

 

[hippocrachus]

Orpehus laughs hysterically at the gesture. The scene needs the added drama.
"Aren't you a big man?" he says mockingly. He calmly walks over and picks up the unconscious Alinis. The brute has sorely underestimated the long-time war veteran.
"She is no more a burden than your ill-begotten antics, Zeric," he says with a laugh that suggests the half-elf thinks of him as no more than a child.

(OOC: Technically Alinis wouldn't be able to hit Zeric while unconcious, but you did play into, Verbatim, so there was no avoiding this )