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Message: <blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 4183075" data-attributes="member: 812">What A Woman's Got To Do: 4"Isn't there anything to do in this town besides drink and get into fights?""Ye're a strange one, Isaac me lad."Isaac growled and clutched at his beer as yet another scuffle broke out in their corner of the crowded public house, rocking their table with yells and cheers.Shaeric folk appeared even more boisterous and quick-tempered when assembled in numbers, he noted. Phelan had led them down streets that seemed lined with nothing but more public houses identical to this one, brawls spilling out in the cobblestone streets and toasts sung or chanted from tabletops.Farroway clung to the coast of a barren spit of land, with just enough of a breakwater to reduce the constant pounding of the ocean sufficiently to allow anchorage. Thatch roofs climbed up steep rocky hillsides, huddled together along winding roadways, and ringing much larger structures from which black smoke and an endless ringing came, as of a thousand tireless blacksmiths.All Isaac had managed to glean was that these factories produced the many araments that Shaer was noted for, and he had to admit that the locals carried firearms of a quality to even rival his cherished double-barred flintlocks. But for all the loquaciousness of his hosts, nobody would say a word about what went on in those factories.The big Saijadani grunted as one of the brawlers fell against him. He shrugged one shoulder and slammed an elbow backwards. His sour expression warmed only slightly at the solid sound of contact.Elena watched the drunken Shaeric fellow reel from Isaac blow, and collapse to the floor. The stunned fellow's friend watched and laughed, one of them clapping Isaac on the shoulder and waving for another drink for their new hero.She leaned across the table to get Phelan's interest, nudging Arrafin beside her as she did so."So, Phelan, Arrafin was wondering what you'd found out about that Hyvar guy?""I was?""You were?"Phelan brightened up as he smiled at the confused Naridic girl. Elena nodded encouragingly."Sure you were. So, anyway, Phelan, you got anything for us?""Oh, aye. Barselid Hyvar, he's your lad. His castle's up yonder, near Sword-daughter Mountain. Are ye enjoying yerself, Arrafin? Nice spot of Shaeric hospitality, aye?""Oh. Yes. Uh. Oh!"Arrafin's eyes lit up and she leaned forward, suddenly animated. Phelan matched her enthusiasm with his own."I hear that Shaeric guns are really good. I wonder if you could help me get one? Because sometimes my spells don't work so good. And I can't really handle big ones like Isaac's."Elena snickered, but waved for the conversation to carry on. Phelan nodded at Arrafin's request."Say no more, sweet lass. Phelan O'Breen will see it done, and no mistake. But-- "His eyes flicked from side to side."Take care ye no tell anyone. The Laird of Farroway, he's ever so particular about the distribution of his resources, if ye take me meaning. I'm no supposed to be handing them off to ye foreign types, is what I'm saying.""We'll no say a word. Not. Not say a word."Elena rejoined the conversation."So the castle's not far? Could we walk there?""Oh, aye. 'Tis no so far. Come daylight, ye'll ken the path right quick. No more than a day, I hear. And stout folks as ye are, ye'll take no care for the tales the castle be haunted, now will ye?""A castle's got to be pretty darn haunted before it'll give us the willies."*****The eastern horizon blushed with a hint of pink as they stumbled from the public house. Etienne swayed up ahead, certain of the direction back to the docks and their boat, while the others followed without paying much attention. Elena had an arm around Isaac's waist and the two Saijadani leaned on each other companionably. Nevid had disappeared entirely and so Arrafin brought up the rear, talking to herself and digging in her knapsack for notes.The uneven cobblestones of the street interfered with their passage, however, and Etienne sprawled face-first with a sharp crack."Ow. That sounded like it hurt.""Yeah. That sounded like a gunshot."Arrafin grunted and papers flew in all directions as she collapsed just as Etienne had."Wait."Elena ignored Isaac's command and threw her friend to the ground, rolling in the opposite direction, cursing loudly. Another gun went off and then she heard shouts and running feet.Her head was spinning. Or possibly the street.Arrafin's voice, crying out in pain, came up over other shouting, and Elena recognized Isaac's angry battle yell. She grabbed a nearby wall and staggered to her feet.Two Kishak soldiers, sabres out and cold looks on their faces, approached her. Elena swayed, then leaned to one side and vomited. Unsteadily she turned back to the implacable swordsmen."All right then. Let's do this."*****Etienne groaned, but drunk as he was, his instincts remained well-honed and he rolled sideways into a dark alley and had a couple of breaths to figure out what was going on.Red-skinned figures came charging down the street. Etienne checked the wound in his shoulder and shrugged. That should have been a lot worse."Kishak marksmen."The soldiers rushed past him, intent on where Isaac was getting to his feet. Etienne smirked and stepped from the alley, drawing his knives.He tripped on a cobblestone and fell, again, flat on his face. Looking up, he saw three soldiers turn to him. He realised he'd dropped his knives.Etienne took stock of his options. It didn't take long.Unsure if he'd even be able to stand, Etienne log-rolled away. And right into a pair of red legs.*****Isaac waved his sword and yelled, knowing he was outmatched but hoping a wild display would allow his friends a chance to do something.Maybe even something that would save him, but he tried not to get his hopes up. A step or two backwards got him next to Arrafin, who was making enough noise that he felt hopeful she wasn't in mortal danger. Four Kishak soldiers flanked him, keeping clear of his flourishing blade but ready for his guard to slip."Arrafin, some sorcery right now would be great.""Are you f**king kidding me?""You're drunk.""F**king right.""Great."The Kishak closed in. Isaac switched tactics and brought his blade in close, ready to slash outwards at the first opportunity. But the Kishaks maneuvered around him and he couldn't keep them all in view.One slipped behind him and yelled. Isaac whirled to face him, but frowned at the sight of an unarmed Lohanese man with a fist at the Kishak's throat. The red-skinned soldier dropped to the cobblestones.Eyes wide, Isaac turned back to the other soldiers.One was already dead, with a massive wound in his shoulder and neck. Another stood stock-still, eyes bulging, clutching at his throat for no reason. The third dueled for only a couple of passes with another Lohanese man before dying with a gaping wound at the latter's strangely curved greatsword.The Lohanese killers paid no attention to Isaac, instead rushing across the street. To the Saijadani's amazement, they cut down the soldiers closing in on Elena. He turned to check on Etienne just in time to see the three soldiers in front of his friend suddenly fly backwards as though hurled by a giant -- and beyond them he saw a slender Lohanese woman in a grey robe with one hand outstretched."What the f**k?""Arrafin, maybe you shouldn't do the talking here."The three Lohanese people gathered in the middle of the street and faced Isaac. Elena and Etienne joined him and the four friends faced their mysterious benefactors.The mysterious benefactors bowed."Yeah. Hi. Thanks for that. We're. Not at our best.""We are the Eighty-Third Dagger of the Seven Orders. We have sought you, Isaac, Elena, Arrafin and Etienne. Also we seek your companion, Nevid.""Yeah, so do we. Have you seen him?"Isaac gestured in what he hoped was a dismissive way at Elena's question. He tried a bow."Well. You have found us. Here we are. How can we help you?""We are the Eighty-Third Dagger.""Mm. Gonna need more to work on.""Eighty-two times before us, the Seven Orders have sent forth a Dagger such as us. We are the Eighty-Third, and we have found you.""I drunk I'm thinker than I drunk I am."The big unarmed guy smiled just a little bit, but neither of his companions showed any emotion other than faint frustration at dealing with Isaac's efforts at communication. The woman scowled and stepped forward."We are the Dagger of the Seven Orders! We kill you! You help us!""What?"The big guy smiled again. Without losing his serene expression, he snarled at the woman and she slunk back to the others. He bowed."Apologies. Zhing is eager to fulfill our mission. But we do not seek to harm you.""Okay. Neither do we. Great."Elena snorted."What's your mission?""We have been sent to slay the Demon Goddess."The street lay silent until Arrafin laughed."F**k me."</blockquote>

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