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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Renfield" data-source="post: 4286458" data-attributes="member: 13493">After a considerable hiatus.My apologies to my audience, the few I have anyway. Things have been... hectic. While I thrive in chaos I do tend to end up a little lax on things like  writing up my stories. But I shall continue, particularly from whence I left off.So there was a fight, I had just slain one of my guardians attackers and probably drew more than a little attention to myself. I peaked back around the corner and took aim at the remaining horseman, unfortunately my arrow missed the man completely clattering on the cobbles below. I ducked back around and reloaded ready to take a long shot or fire upon any new foes when I heard a neigh from the horse and a body fall from the saddle to the ground. I hazarded a peak and saw the horseman on the ground with a crossbow bolt buried in his chest. About twenty yards off was a cloaked figure wielding what was likely the source of the bolt."A pity,"  the figure called out as he began calmly walking in our direction. "Such bloody interest in a little roll of parchment." he was reloading his crossbow as he advance. "Pardon my caution sir..." Arlan called out bringing his horse forward a bit. "I appreciate your help but... who are you?" he asked, I had a sneaking suspicion. This smelled of efficiency and a lack of tolerance regarding cowardice.I heaved myself onto a shadowy ledge beneath the overhanging roof. The cobblestone street was some 20 feet below me and Arlan was about 30 ft away. The man advanced he put the crossbow beneath his cloak and spoke once more, it was clearly the man from the tavern, the middle aged one in green. He had gotten here awful swiftly. "I must warn you, virtuous warriors, as you appear to be, really should not do business working with scum such as the criminal Jorun." he said and I had to smirk. Scum? Hardly, a bit touched in the head sure, sometimes my solution to dealing with one of evil nature was to wait a few months, return to the city of the offending party, stake out his routine and then kill him in one of many possible ways. Sure I occasionally toyed with their heads as well but what is work without a little fun.The man had stopped about 40 feet away from my companion and seemed to be looking about, for me likely, the shadows are my friends after all. Likely this mans friends as well. "How much is he paying you to guard his wretched hide?" the man asked. Well, I suppose I have been called worse things. Words were nothing though. Not here at least. In the chaos of the docks ward I could probably slip away without Arlan if necessary.I decided not to slip away, I took aim there in the shadows and watched, the man didn't seem to notice me. I watched how he carried himself, took into account the liquid grace of a trained killer and any possible armor he might have under that cloak. Likely nothing heavier than a chain shirt. As I watched I listened. "Its not how much he's paying me thats important." Arlan said shaking his head. "I've promised to protect him, and he's done nothing to shame that oath. If you think I am virtuous, then respect my honor and allow me to fulfill my agreement." He pointed his sword at the man, looking more serious then before. "Stand in my way, and I have to fight you. I have no desire for that." Thank you oh honorable knight! I will have to buy you an ale, if I remember. I apparently had made a good choice in picking this Arlan fellow as my guardian. Strange though, a knight protecting a killer.One thing that irked me though is the fact that Arlan had challenged the man who was some fourty feet from the warrior. I would not like him to end his employment with me with a crossbow jutting out of his chest.  I could only hope that the cloaked man was arrogant enough to keep talking."Ah." the man said as he drew out a three foot long spiked mace. Was he a fool? To go against a knight on his mount in melee? Perhaps he was hoping to take advantage of a knights tendency to fight fair. "More honor than common sense then, apparently." he said and did something with the handle of his weapon and giving it a shake the the spiked ball fell from the handle attached to it with a chain. I would have thought that pretty cool if I didn't swear I saw something nasty drip to the cobbles. This man would need only hit Arlan once for things to get ugly."A fight it is then I suppose." Arlan said dismounting and taking up his sword and shield. Good man Arlan, get all the protection you can from whatever is on that... well it would be a morning star now wouldn't it?I focused, I'd only get one shot at this, and began praying to the winds my silent words coming out with my breath. "and as the clock ticks down the seconds remaining in your life may the winds know it is time to carry your soul away from it's strife of existing in those mortal coils another of the worlds festering boils..."Arlan was smart, he held his ground forcing the man to come to him. Or decide that that crossbow was a better idea, at this point the latter seemed unlikely. It was a stare down, like in the stories. The man advanced, closing to within twenty feet of the knight in only a few strides, damn he was fast and clever too. I saw him move his morning star to his off hand as he drew his crossbow, readied to fire, from his cloak. Clever, but not skilled enough apparently. Arlan threw caution to the wind and charged the man attacking him with his sword, the man in green put up a feeble defense with his weapon and only managed to minimize the wound as the crossbow bolt fired and ricocheted off the shield splattering it with some other nasty liquid.Then they were in melee. The man dropped his crossbow which retracted back on some sort of twine hanger to his hip rather than clattering to the cobbles. He swung that deadly weapon again only to have Arlan raise his shield to block the strike. He would not be able to fend off every blow, their foe was skilled, even if he had missed thus far. I finished up my prayer "...to cleanse you're life of it's sinful stain, let this be the tale of how you were slain." and I took a breath waiting for an opening and let my arrow fly. It sped toward the cloaked figure...and missed. The arrow flew between Arlan and the foe and stuck in a crack in the cobble not far away. The man followed it's angle and stared directly at me. "Seems I've not been abandoned by my employer. This may make you reconsider!" Arlan said and took advantage of the mans distraction to give him a solid blow cutting open a gash on the mans arm. However I knew the way of the hunter, he had spotted his quarry, me. Which is why I was not surprised when he sped toward the wall below me.He didn't realize something though. He was my prey as well, and I was angry, which tends to never be a good thing. Arlan got another solid strike at the man as he disengaged from combat but it didn't seem to slow him though. As I said I was angered. I threw my bow to the cobbles below, for a moment I managed to be thankful it didn't break, and drew my weapon of choice, a Katar. A blade as long as a dagger though wider at the base with a handle meant to be gripped so the attack was like a punch. Hence the crude name 'punching dagger' but I liked the original wording. I was over come with a hot rage though it was gone when I saw him coming to me, even climbing up the wall still not realizing I had marked him, I think I smiled, can't besure. With that I simply dove over the side of the ledge my Katar thrust out to take the man. The look on his face was satisfying, and made the pain of impact (cushioned by his body) all the more worth it. I think I said something as I fell, something like "Winds take you." Not sure, I was a touch in the moment as it were.My Katar plunged into the mans chest and we hit the cobbles together. As I slowly sat up shaking my head, I think I had unintentionally headbutted the man in the fall, I saw that Arlan had plunged his sword through the mans shoulder, and I mean through, he looked pinned to the cobbles. For a moment there was only silence, aside from his ragged breathing and my own occasional pained moans. He was near death that was clear.From the south towards the bay and the pier we heard the sound of boots. There was a man with a crossbow, he looked like the guy who took a shot at us as we rode by. "Wha, you.. Parcs are you...?" he stammered coming to a stop a good forty feet away, perfect distance for fight or flight. Not that I would chase him should he run. No point really.The man, Parcs I suppose, interrupted his companion "Quiet you fool!" he said in a croaking voice, blood coughing up from his mouth. The man with the crossbow aimed it at Arlan "Let him up." he demanded a bit shakily. It would likely be the dumbest move he'd ever make if he actually fired. I found the whole situation funny, I'm not sure why but I find these things funny. Here was his boss, near death by our hands, and Arlan I don't think had even received a scratch, while I wasn't in the best condition I was still capable of putting up a good fight. He popped my back and stretched and groaned in pain as he felt the adrenaline leave my system and letting my body know pain once more. Still, I didn't want to do any more fighting this evening so I looked at Arlan and smiling after having noticed my Katar was still in hand. "I don't suppose you can handle our new friend here? Ngh... best not to leave any enemies behind us and I counted this guy and I believe one other. These guys can be annoying and dangerously persistent."Arlan grimaced and turned towards the man with the crossbow "I don't know why you are after Jorun, but he is under my protection, and as you can see, I'm willing to go to any lengths to keep my commitment." His words turned low and dour. "Your friend is hurt, and while I do not wish to slay him, fire on me and I'll have to fight you as well, and I'm sure Jorun will finish the job. We are at a stalemate, it seems." He looked to me, then back to Parcs. "If you wish you're friend to live, I will step away if you allow Jorun and I some time to get moving. Otherwise, you may take us, but it might cost you the life of your friend, and perhaps you're own." well said I suppose. The man was probably considered mercy a more favorable option. I myself hated the idea of leaving enemies behind us but I'd see how it played out.Parcs helped us it turned out. He winced and looked at the man. "By the Saints, Lokke, lower your weapon!  They'll kill us both!" he said and then grunting he turned to me "A trade--for my life..." Lokke tentatively lowered his weapon when he noticed his boss was serious. "I have information... about your... contract." Parcs said from his bleeding mouth and looked at me with pleading eyes. I had to say I was a little disappointed. With his arrogance earlier I had hoped he'd be one of those stubborn 'kill me' types of which I'd only be more than happy to oblige. I suppose I was a professional though, and he was a fellow practitioner of our art and even if his tastes weren't as selective as my own I supposed I could grant him some courtesy. "Information might in fact buy your life." I said looking from Parcs to Arlan. "Keep yourself ready.""You, my friend, seem to be in luck today. The winds might have favored you so that I might acquire this information, let's hear what you have to say and we'll see if we can't let bygones be bygones." I said in a friendly tone. Now that he was no longer prey I could treat him like I treat everyone, I prefer to be friendly, it almost always works to my benefit I suppose. It would help if I could feel friendly. I rolled my shoulder experimentally and picked up that interesting morningstar/mace and examined it carefully.Parcs nodded, a touch warily, something I was used to. People either liked my friendly nature or they were put off by it. "The contract is useless... The employer knows that Sezch was caught, and has no intention of paying..." he said, Lokke shook his head but said nothing ""We were given one thousand crowns," Parcs continued, looking back and forth between myself and Arlan, "to kill the one Cyrel granted the contract to... and to destroy the scroll..." he closed his eyes in pain "We did not realize it would be so difficult to procure." I suppose if I were more humorous and money oriented I'd make a joke about cost and demand but I'm not and I don't think I'm clever enough anyway. "Very interesting my friend, very interesting indeed..." I said scratching at my stubble with my katar. "Then I guess it's a matter of dark honor that we make the person pay, either in coin or in the justice of the winds." I said.I looked at Arlan and Parcs friend. Killing them both would be the safest bet. No one to pursue, and I wasn't sure how flexible these guys were with contracts and the like. Some in our business took our contracts as seriously as a paladin takes his vows. However killing him might sour Arlans perception of me and I didn't want to have to kill the knight or fight him, he wasn't an evil man and I detest killing those who aren't evil or out for my blood. Not to mention he seemed like a decent guy to have at my back. I set the mace thing down out of reach of Parcs and pulled a small leather pouch from my belt. Opening it I took a pinch of rust red sand, and in my mind I offered a question to the winds "Weal or Woe, should I let them go?"Watching I let the sand fall from my fingers and said to the men "Let us see if I can afford to let you and your companion free, there has been enough blood spilled this night." the sand fell to the ground and I saw a rune, a stani rune for mercy, weal.I nodded and breathed a sigh of relief and sheathed my dagger. "Apparently the winds have smiled upon you." I said and motioning to Arlan that it was okay I put out my hand to help the man up."Wait... there's more." Parcs said as he rolled over and pushed himself up to a sitting position "Our grandfather was paid in advance for this... one thousand crowns to destroy that scroll.  I asked about follow payment... He said there was none... that the employer would know if the scroll had been destroyed or not.  That if we failed, the employer would know.""What sort of person is your employer?" Arlan asked."So they're likely a spell caster or very resourceful..." I said more to myself than to anyone else. "Who is this employer anyway and is there more to this map than just ink and parchment?"Parcs nodded "A spellcaster we surmised."Lokke looked like a clown had just slapped him "Parcs, by the Almin, why are you telling them this?"Arlan had mounted his steed and mine wasn't too far off "This seems like a sincere request, Jorun but I say we continue moving while we consider it." he suggested. "Go now, let me worry about the consequences of bearing this scroll. I can not destroy it at this time." I said and try to put some concern in my voice "Take your lives and patch up your wounds. I must depart," I couldn't let this go... there was something about this map, something important and bigger than just a contract. How I knew that? I don't know, but I had a feeling that this event was changing the course my life had taken up to this point. I smiled "though your concern is appreciated.""Go," Parcs said. "We will not pursue you, but we will make it appear as we are." he said and reached to his belt and pulled out a small vial of liquid and handed it to me. "This is our signature brew; Farnella Extract.  Good for fighting." he said nodding to his strange weapon. He pulled himself up to stand and lean against the wall. "Jorun, if this spellcaster comes for us because we did not kill you, I can make no promises as to our clan's reaction.  Be successful, and barring that, watch your backs." Fair enough. It was a chance I'd have to take. Hopefully I could make a big enough stir with this spellcaster to keep them from doing anything to the guild and keep him focused on me. Something smelled about this situation and I wanted to investigate it. If I found someone in need of the winds justice at the top of this chain all the better.I slipped the vial into a safe place in a pack pocket "My thanks." I said and moved to pick up the morning star fiddling with it until I managed to retract the chain making the item a mace once again. "It is a fascinating device I must admit this button here right? For the poison?" it was indeed a fascinating weapon and I placed it in a safe place in my pack after wiping it off and mounted my horse. I though I saw a look on Parcs face, perhaps he didn't intend to give me the weapon? "You might want to stick around here. You're sufficiently damaged that one could say you were knocked unconscious, robbed of your weapon while your companion here chased after us but lost us in the streets." I suggested as a way of soothing any insult brought by claiming the weapon. After all, he had been my prey and he had lost, that and I really wanted it! "As for the wizard and your clan... we'll jump that rooftop when we get to it. Though in our business I'll simply acknowledge it as 'nothing personal'" I said and kicked my horse into a trot.Arlan and I left, the rest of the evening was spent playing cat and mouse trying to make the escape seem as real as possible. We raced down alleys, traded bow shots for crossbow bolts, a couple came dangerously close but I decided that was just coincidence. By about midnight we made it to my inn and I gathered my gear and my pack and together Arlan and I made our way to the city of Beryl, capital of the White Kingdom and to the next stretch of our adventure for the fun was only beginning.Thankfully the man in green ignored his companion. "The grandfather did not doubt the employer's ability, but he also did not doubt it would be easy to obtain the scroll." he raised his hand, pleading again, there seemed to be genuine concern in his voice. "Jorun, this contract is bad news... It can only end poorly... Destroy it, now, and save us all the misery!"</blockquote>

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