Completed A Chance Encounter

[Smiling One]

(OOC: Takes place 2 years ago)

Daybreak Village, the quaint little town that lay in the upper portion of The Gold Road. Despite its small population and relativity quiet nature, numerous trade routes meet in Daybreak Village due to it lying between the Dwarven town of Belgrath and Alliria: Willis' home town. Daybreak Village atmosphere is best described as relaxed with the inhabitants going from their day to day business. Willis passed through this town many times in his travels to and from Alliria every time he visited, he didn't want to leave.

There was something about this town was relaxing, whether it was the laid back approach that the villagers take or even the cool breezes that pass by every now and then. Daybreak Village where a person can just relax after a long travel, perhaps that's the reason Willis liked this town so much. The young man looked around the small town having arrived from Alliria. Willis just finished up completing a mercenary contract in his homeland and is back on the road again going where the wind takes him. Willis entered the small village and observed its Dwarven inspired architecture and watching the children playing near the well.

Daybreak Village has been around since The Gold Road was first used and it is still standing even after the Road has fallen into disrepair. Of course since the Village lives close to the forest, that meant the people were vulnerable to Monsters that sometimes lurk outside of the forest and into the village. There were instances of people being eaten in their home by a Displacer Beast. Willis felt the temptation to check the noticeboard next to the Windmill but first he must fill his mouth frothing ale an flirt with the tavern maids in the Blind Dwarf tavern. Willis opened the wooden doors which lead to the place and saw it mostly empty. "Bartender!" Willis called out. "A cup of Ale please!"

 

[Arisa Lovelace]

It was already somewhat rowdy within the establishment, a woman's voice echoing above the rest as she drunkenly declared her superiority over any man present. It was a challenge, issued against the villagers as a dare and meant to entice one of the men into taking her on in a challenge. Her, of course, being Arisa Lovelace. A bottle of rum lay in her hand, her fingers curled around the neck of the bottle. She swallowed a mouthful, not caring that it spilled over her chin.

"How about this," the thief exclaimed, and silence followed. "Any man that can best me, can have me for the night?"

Laughter followed, and most of it was her own. She reached over to a villager near her and swiped his cigarette from his hand, pressing it between her lips. A deep inward draw of breath followed, and as she pulled it away, she exhaled a plume of smoke.

"Not that I think a single one of you can win against me in a game of cards!"

 

[Smiling One]

It was to Willis' surprise that the normally silent village was filled with uproarious laughter. If anything Daybreak Village was known as the village of tranquility due to its peaceful atmosphere even the inn was mostly quiet with the only time it's even loud is when the village was celebrating a harvest. As Willis looked around he saw a familar face talking up the men.

"Arisa Lovelace," Willis approached the young woman taking the pipe from her mouth while inserting it in his mouth. "How have you've been?"

 

[Arisa Lovelace]

The woman's dark gaze fixed on a man whose lips were curled upward into an roguish grin, an unspoken challenge issued. She wasn't short on challenges, and in fact, there were several more than willing to ply her with food, drink, and any warmth she could desire. Willis's entrance into Blind Dwarf went unnoticed, for her back was turned toward the entrance. There was no denying that Arisa was boisterous and loud, but the tavernkeep didn't seem overly bothered: excitement meant more drinks, and the unfamiliar visitor seemed especially fond of drink.

"How about you, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome?" Arisa asked, her teeth holding the pipe in place while her lips moved around it. "Fancy a game of cards?"

"I don't think you could handle me," the rogue replied, smirking widely. Whether he meant the game or between the sheets was open for interpretation. "But we're using my cards. Can't trust a woman that acts like a man, after all."

Laughter poured from their corner of the Blind Dwarf and she grinned, just as amused and drunk as the men around her. The last thing Arisa expected was the sound of her name, considered she'd told no one who she was. She grew still as Willis took the pipe out of her mouth, placing it in his and suddenly, the establishment was far more quiet than it had been moments ago. They were curious to see what the short, loud girl would do.

"What the hell," she breathed, and her hand shot outward to steal the pipe back. "You can't just take things out of someone's mouth Willis!"

And then, interest began to dwindle in Arisa. It was never a good sign when a man showed up in the presence of a woman like Arisa, because it usually meant there was more than meets the eye. Her other hand reached for her drink, bringing the whiskey to her lips as she stared him down. His query went unanswered.

 

[Smiling One]

The men Arisa surrounded herself with laughed uproariously. Typical Arisa, always trying to show off in front of men using sass as a weapon. The young man chuckled pulling back the pipe from her as he stuck it in his mouth. "On the contrary sweetheart," he grinned puffing out smoke from his mouth. "Yes I can, especially from you. After all the first you taught me was out to swipe things out of people's mouths."

Those were interesting times, Arisa and Willis would often run around the docks in Allria and take pipes out of from old men partially because it was funny but mostly because they can sell them in the docks. "You taught me well," Willis winked blowing smoke in the air. "So how have you been Arisa? Haven't seen you in a while."

 

[Arisa Lovelace]

Lamenting losing her pipe again, the thief went for a bottle of whiskey left behind by one of the men as they all meandered off and returned to their own things. They weren't as interested in watching old friends catch up, and if they'd known the history betwixt the two, it would only cement their opinions. She tugged a chair out, flipping it around and sitting backwards on it. She tilted the bottle upward, drinking deeply.

"Funny you'd ask that," Arisa snorted, a faint hint of bitterness present in her voice beneath the slurred speech of a woman far too intoxicated. "You can't just run into me and talk to me like the fact we haven't seen each other in years, let alone heard from one another, didn't happen. Why are you here?"

 

[Smiling One]

Arisa loved to be the center of attention especially in front of men where she can flirt with and steal their valuables when they weren't looking. Mostly she liked the attention where men would drool over a woman being one of them or be amused at her trying hard to be tough and seductive. The young man sat on the wooden chair as he continued huff out smoke from the pipe.

"As far as I recall Ari," Willis said. "You disappeared on me after we fucked. I believe it is you who has a lot of explaining to do?"

The two of them had a wild party back in Allria full of drinking and partying. They were celebrating a successful heist and Ari's idea of a good time was to drink and fuck. It was wonderful for her that Willis loved that as well. As soon as Willis woke up though she disappeared without a trace. "I almost thought you were dead Ari," Willis shrugged. "But I know you better than anyone you're too pretty to die."

 

[Arisa Lovelace]

Arisa fell silent as he spoke, listening as she stared at the drink in her bottle. She smelt like she'd replaced the blood in her veins with alcohol. His closer inspection revealed that a lot had changed. She'd gotten more piercings. In fact, earrings lined the outer part of both ears, no doubt heavy.

"Yeah, 'bout that," Ari said, rolling her sleeves up. "Qieane decided to leave Oriel and not come back. Renzo had a fit, went after her."

Bitterness rolled off her tongue as she spoke, and it was undoubtedly the first time he'd ever heard Arisa say the name of her best friend with the complete and total hatred of no love lost. Qieane was why she had no idea where her brother was, and Qieane was why her lover was gone.

"Can I have my pipe back?"

 

[Smiling One]

"Qieane?" Willis remembered his old boss quite well, she was a talented thief but a heartless shrew. "And you decided to go with her like she's your lapdog? Come on Ari no need to have her drag you around like a helpless damsel be your own woman."

Willis can't recall how many times Ari had been in danger, not that she can't fight but she can be easily overmatched and overconfident to the point where Willis had to save her multiple times. "I'm here to check out work," he said tossing the pipe to Arisa. "You know how it is."

Arisa definitely had more piercings this time around. "With all those piercings Ari," he chuckled. "Your pretty ass will be a human pin cushion."

 

[Arisa Lovelace]

"No, I went because my brother's too much of a damned idiot to think with his head and not his manhood," Arisa retorted. "We picked up a couple more on the way, and she charmed their asses off too. For all I know, they're all dead, and I can only pray she is too."

She brushed her short hair aside, tucking it behind her ear. There, in the hollow of her throat, the flesh was knotted and scarred, as if something had taken a huge bite out of her. It wasn't there before. Similar scars marred her body, but fortunately clothing made hiding them easier.

"Piercings remind me I'm alive. Vampires don't feed off dead people."

Though the words were said as if it were a joke, there was a serious undertone to what Arisa said that couldn't be denied. Who reminds themselves that they're alive by puncturing their flesh with needles? Who reassures themselves that they have not died by using the feeding habits of leeches?

 

[Smiling One]

Willis smirked he liked to think with his manhood as well but at the end of the day, when it comes to work it was time to hunker down do the job. The same can't be said for Ari's brother Willis ordered some Ale and the smiling Elven waitress gave him a glass filled to the brim. The young man wiped the brim that was dripping from the edge as he took a deep swig.

"You clearly haven't been around Vampires Ari," Willis smirked remembering his last contract of dealing with Vampire who was sucking blood from corpses. As long as the corpse was warm, it was still edible for them. "I'm not much of a earrings guy," Willis said taking another swig. "So how's life?"

 

[Arisa Lovelace]

"Good thing I'm not trying to impress you then, doll," Arisa replied tartly. She snorted. "Huh, then maybe those fiends are capable of love after all."

She nearly spat the words at him, his remark lighting her rather short fuse. "Or maybe I just imagined it."

When he took his drink, she snatched her pipe back and breathed in deeply, savoring the smoke. Another drink followed after she exhaled. Djon claimed he loved her, and yet he'd nearly killed her too many times. "Besides, how would you know what I have and haven't been through?"

 

[Smiling One]

"Well Vampire's are sentient," Willis said smiling at Ari's spat. "In many ways they're like us looking for love it's just too bad that they have urges that they have no interest in resisting." In Willis' line of work, Vampire's were seducers. Many Monster Hunters fell for a Vampire's charm and was either killed or converted and those converted often ended as contracts for Monster Hunters to kill. Thankfully Willis didn't find encountered anyone he knew that was turned into a Vampire..... yet.

"I know you Ari," Willis said taking a sip of Ale. "You're the type who thinks before they acts and often gets in trouble. Just in time for me to clean up your mess."

Arisa has a habit of becoming a damsel something that she frequently denies but is always placed in the situation. Willis would always be there to bail her out but he wondered what would happened if he wasn't there to save her.

 

[Arisa Lovelace]

"Fuck you, Willis," she growled, grabbing the neck of her bottle. Arisa stood to her feet. "I don't have to listen to your bullshit."

Without another word, the previously jovial and playful thief left the Blind Dwarf, stumbling out into the street beyond. She'd already booked a room at the inn that night, and she had every intention of returning, so her destination was simply the back of the building until the moment that he left, and then she'd go to sleep. Alone.

Someone else's intentions were entirely different though. The door hadn't even closed behind her when the sound of a man's voice was heard calling out to her. It was the roguish man she'd been flirting with before, another grin teasing her lips. He reached for her, curling his arm around her waist.

"I thought you'd be going upstairs with that man of yours," he said, tugging her closer to him. His eyes were guarded, but she was too inebriated to tell.

"Shove off, man. I'm not in the mood anymore," she spat at him.

He ducked his head toward hers, whispering into her ear, "You can either come with me, or I'll snap your neck here and now. I get a reward no matter if your dead or alive, and don't think I won't kill you if you cause me any trouble."

The bounty. Of course someone would pick it up, and find her even out here where crime was virtually non-existent. She inhaled deeply, glancing briefly over her shoulder. The bottle slipped from her hand, shattering against the ground as he led her away from the establishment. A carriage waited for them at the end of the road, ready to take the bounty hunter and his target back to Alliria.

 

[Smiling One]

Willis knew better than not to shit talk Ari when she's drunk. The young woman has had a fondness for the drink ever since they were teenagers. Thankfully she won't drink alcohol during the job but every now and then when Ari and Willis would go to inns, she would make sure to have order a drink.... or three. Watching Arisa stumble out of the Blind Dwarf like a baby learning to walk for the first time. Willis place his drink onto the table as he got up in a huff.

"Fucking hell Ari," Willis grumbled adjusting the hilt of his Cutlass. A drunk woman stumbling alone at night is very dangerous even in a peaceful town like Daybreak Village. "Wait up Ari! You don't know what you're running into."

It doesn't take many glasses to get Ari plastered, Willis exited the inn half expecting Ari to throw up on his shirt out of spite. Instead what he heard was the sound of bottle smashing to the floor. "The fuck?" Willis ran to see pieces of the bottle strewn on the ground.

"Ari?" Willis saw the young woman being escorted away by what looked like the man whom she was flirting with an hour ago.

"Hey!" Willis ran to the man unsheathing his Cutlass and pointing it towards. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?!"

 

[Arisa Lovelace]

The rogue turned toward Arisa as they reached the carriage, extending a hand for its handle. Willis's voice drew their gaze and the hand around her waist slid upward, cupping the side of her face. He pressed his thumb against the center of her throat and applied pressure.

"Say a word, and I will do it right in front of him," he growled, then pressed his mouth against hers. Pulling back, he lowered his hand again and released her, gesturing that she enter first. "After you, pretty lady."

Arisa said nothing, though she was clearly tense as he kissed her. The moment his hand left her, she drew back sharply with the intent to run. The man was quicker, snaring a handful of her hair and slamming her forward into the lip of the carriage. She felt her nose break, and stood up woozily before beginning to fall backward. The man grabbed her legs and shoved her into the carriage before climbing in, waving a hand at Willis.

"Better luck with the next girl, boy," he called before thumping the roof of the cart. The driver cracked the reins and the carriage lurched forward.

 

[Smiling One]

Willis grimaced at the fact that the man forced himself on to Ari like that. As much as a flirt Ari is, she definitely did not deserve to be treated like. "You fucking piece of shit!" Willis yelled rushing towards the man who was grabbing Ari by her hair, breaking her nose and stuffing her on the roof of the cart.

"Nah I like the girl you're trying to steal thank you very much!" Willis ran after the cart as it began to move but he knew that there was no way he would out run two Horses. The young man darted his eyes looking through the dark trying to find something, anything to disrupt or at least keep pace with the carriage. Thankfully he saw a Horse a Black Stallion that was tied up in the stable in front of the Blind Dwarf.

"Son of a bitch!" With a single stroke of his Cutlass, the young man cut off the rope that was holding the Horse in half hastily getting on the animal.

"RIDE LIKE THE WIND BULLYSEYE!" It was a quote from a play he heard while he worked docks as a child. Even though it was from the boy not all of his childhood memories was shit.

The Horse neighed so loudly, it probably woke up every single villager beginning to gallop through the brick and grassy road. Ahead of Willis was a steel Pitchfork stuck on a sack of hay. While the stallion was picking up speed, Willis slowly reached for the farming device grabbing it from its haystack. "This will come in handy," Willis mumbled as he adjusted the pitchfork aiming it like a spear towards the carriage.

 

[Arisa Lovelace]

Arisa lay there, in the floor of the carriage with blood running from her face. It took her several minutes, perhaps because they were already bouncing along an uneven road, but the thief pushed herself up into a seated position. She didn't hear Willis over the sound of the carriage creaking. Unaware that anyone was coming to save her, Arisa pushed herself onto her feet and lurched toward the door with every intent of throwing herself out of the moving cart.

She reached the door, fingers reaching through the window to unfasten it as the bounty hunter grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back with such force that for a moment the cart tilted onto two of its left wheels. Arisa's eyes widened and she pushed against him, helping it balance again as she fell into one of the bench seats. Before she could acknowledge how much it hurt her bottom, he was upon her, hand around her throat and shoving her back against the seat.

"This is your last warning, girl," he growled. The spear pierced the door behind him, startling him into releasing her.

 

[Smiling One]

As soon as he was in position, Willis launched the Pitchfork like a spear at the door. As soon as it left his hand, the young man quickly opened his little black bag quickly fumbling through the mini scrolls, coin purse and throwing daggers to unearth his mini crossbow. Mini crossbows aren't seen as often mainly because of the low damage it deals but it's a favorite among Monster Hunters due to its high rate of fire. It was easier to launch mini bolt than a full fledged one besides Mini crossbows were used mostly disable winged monsters such as Griffins.

Willis cracked the reigns encouraging the Stallion to go faster, Willis wasn't experienced in horse riding but he knew that Stallions can get sprint fast but is not as durable compared to the Horses in the Tundra. The window of opportunity is rapidly closing. Willis found himself paraell to the carriage, noticing the Pitchfork still stuck on the door. He was thankful he hurled the Pitchfork with enough strength to deeply pierce the door. Reaching to the wooden shaft, Willis yanked the pitchfork with one hand and it forced the door to open revealing the man who forcing himself on to Ari.

"Get fucked," Willis with his other hand wielding the mini crossbow, Willis aimed for the man's groin and launched the mini bolt. The kidnapper cried out in pain blood immediately poured out between his legs. "My balls!" He yelled.

"More like it's your flowering," he mumbled hastily placing the crossbow back before setting his sights on Ari.

"ARI JUMP!" He shouted offering his hand to the young woman.

 

[Arisa Lovelace]

Arisa wasn't going to second guess what she should do at that moment; if she wanted to get away from what ever rage this whole encounter might inspire in the rogue. Leaping to her feet, the thief threw herself from the carriage. Her fingers caught Willis's wrist, tightening around it as she tried to use her momentum to swing herself upward and released him, hitting the ground as the carriage raced off.

She had no doubt that Willis wouldn't be able to stop immediately, and the idea of being dragged wasn't exactly inviting. Instead, she landed in a kneeling position, hands pressed against the dirt beneath her. Her chest heaved as she took deep inward draws of breath. Before the bounty hunter could change his mind, she darted into the nearby woods. The adrenaline would wear off soon, and she'd feel every bit of pain from the injuries she'd received a little too soon for her taste.

The thief collapsed against a tree, panting.

 

[Smiling One]

The young man shook his head the moment Ari fell on to the ground. All that fucking work and she chose to let go of his hand. "At least she landed safely," Willis muttered pulling the reigns as the Horse slowed down. The young man could hear the Stallion huffing loudly, as soon as he got off the Horse snorted loudly at his face large chunks of slobber splashed on his cheeks.

"I'll get you back to your owner soon," Willis mumbled rolling his eyes looks like this Horse wasn't accustomed to chases.

He saw Ari heading to a tree and collapsing against it and he began sprinting over to her. "Ari!" Willis kneeled near her his eyes darting to her broken nose that was caked with blood. It was slightly crooked drooping to the right.

"Hang on," Willis reached for his little black bag and took out a white cloth gently dabbing the blood that was splattered on her face and chest. "The break doesn't look too bad," Willis muttered squinting at her injured nose.

Willis touched Ari's nose and slowly realigned the bones back together a snap was heard as soon as he connected them. Willis' mother had broken his nose several times when he was child and the boy always managed to fix his nose afterwards so this wasn't anything new. "You feeling okay?" Willis smirked placing a hand on her shoulder.

This had to be 600th time that he rescued her, Willis should be annoyed but then again if Ari was in trouble Willis will always be there to rescue her.

 

[Arisa Lovelace]

When Willis straightened her nose, Arisa grunted. It wasn't an overly pleasant feeling. Not by any means. She looked down at his hand on her shoulder afterward before looking back at him. The thief looked frustrated, exhausted, and startlingly sober, no doubt all the result of the bounty hunter's actions.

"I swear to god, you're the epitome of bad luck," she snorted, her breathing finally returning to normal. "I'm going back to the tavern. I need a drink. Please, don't follow me. I don't know what it is about you, but the worst things in life tend to surface around you."

Not counting Djon, of course, but she wasn't going to discuss that. He'd already pissed her off by telling her she clearly hadn't been around vampires. Arisa brushed his hand off of her and stood up.

 

[Smiling One]

If it were everyone else who told Willis that he's a harbinger of bad luck then he would be taken aback when he was a child he was known as the black cat by his mother's lovers due to anything bad happening to them was due to the boy being in proximity though it was probably due to his mother whispering in their ear. However given that this statement came from Ari the young man was quite bemused. "Thank you Willis," the young man imitated Ari's voice before changing back to his regular voice. "You're welcome!"

The young man instantly got up running towards Ari. "I think you had enough sweet heart," Willis ran in front of Ari holding his hands up. "What I'm wondering right now is that who did you piss off this time?"

Despite being a talented thief who taught Willis everything she knew, trouble always attracted Ari like flies to shit. Everywhere she went, Ari would annoy and piss off the wrong people or owe them debts to where she was often a target of kidnapping. Willis would always rescue her but there were times that the young man wonder what would happen if he wasn't there.

"I'm going to have to interrogate that Bounty Hunter," Willis grumbled grabbing her hand. "Assuming he's alive of course to see whose the guy you ripped off Ari come on!"

And with that, Willis pulled Ari away from Daybreak Village but not without encouraging the Stallion to get back to his rider. The Horse neighed but otherwise went in the villages direction which caused Willis to smile who knew Horses could understand human desires.

Or he just wanted to get the hell away from Willis and Ari.

 

[Arisa Lovelace]

"Yeeeah, no," Arisa said, and moved to shove him out of her way. She had absolutely zero desire to go investigate, because she already knew exactly who was pissed off at her. "Look Willis. I just want to go back to my room and sleep. All I wanted tonight was to get laid, and you've already ruined that."

To be fair, he hadn't; the bounty hunter found her before Willis even arrived, but in the thief's inebriated mind, it was his fault. She was stubborn enough that anyone would be hard pressed to prove otherwise to her. As she stepped around him, the movement of his hand as it curled around her own gave her a moment's pause and her muscles tensed.

"Don't touch me," she half-growled. Arisa's trouble was not with traps and obstacles, but rather with people. She had decadent habits, for a thief. Most of the things she did were purely for her own gain, and anything that promised wealth, no matter how dangerous. This time, she'd charmed a wealthy playwright and stolen his magnum opus. Arisa had it published under her brother's name.

Willis's hand was warm and familiar in hers, and the feel of his palm against hers sent a shiver through her body. She recoiled, pulling her hand back as she met his eyes. "I don't need a hero anymore."

 

[Smiling One]

"I know you Ari," Willis said pulling her back. Her hand was soft and smooth similar to a newborn baby. It was the perfect hand for a thief, ones hands must be swift and smooth or at least that's what Ari taught Willis. Given Ari was being evasive, Willis could tell that she knew something and was refusing to tell.

"If you've pissed one guy," he said continuing to drag her. "He'll send more than one guy after you. Something tells me that you know exactly who it was."

Willis allowed Ari to pull her hand back as he crossed his arms. "Well go thing I'm no hero then," he quipped. "Rather than a concerned lover whose worried that you're going down a path that I can't get you out this time."

A frown formed on Willis' face she was like him stubborn at times but eventually she'll crack "Tell me who it is Ari," he requested. "Because I have a feeling they'll come back for you."