Private Tales Brothels and Broken Things

[Lexi Quinzell]

Kain snorted and said amen to that, clinking his glass of whisky against the other mans before downing the liquid all in one.

Lexi knocked on the two rooms at around 4am with a call to be ready within the hour before her footsteps echoed away from them and down the stairs. Another woman's voice joined hers as they departed. There was at least a warm meal for the lot of them before the departed once again. The grey clouds were still there but this time they cleared about an hour out of their destination. In the distance black smoke rose. The closer they got the worse the smoke got and when they crested the hill below laid out before their feet was a carpet of hell.

The streets were on fire and blackened bodies lay here and there - frozen in their last moments of life. There was still movement amongst the streets though. Dark twisted creatures hobbled here and there, tearing chunks off of bodies to eat or rounding up the few people were still alive and ferrying them towards the centre of town where the flame burned the brightest. Screams came to them on the downward wind as well as the smell of burning flesh.

"I think we've found the place," Peter muttered. Everyone wore a grim yet... calm expression.

"Alec, Peter, I want you to focus on those creatures. Try and put them down and then focus on getting those people out of here. Kain, Cassian, with me," Lexi nudged her horse forward and down the slope. The two youngsters peeled off after a way heading for the quieter side of the town.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian had made the mistake of staying up drinking until the small hours. He'd woken on the floor, every muscle stiff in his body...every muscle. "Sixty gold next time!!..." he'd grumbled at the knocking at the door, and got himself together.

He couldn't eat breakfast, he had another ale instead, and slowly started to feel a little more human. Being awoken at this hour just wasn't natural...

Every stride his horse took had him desperately trying to hold on to the contents of his stomach for the first few miles, and he was positively grey. The sight of the charred streets and bodies sobered him however, and he readied his axe as he listened to Lexi's instruction and squinted at the creatures in the trees.

"Fuck me.." a common term used for many different situations it seemed.

He nodded, and felt himself concerned for the boys as she sent them off to deal with whatever the fuck those things were, but he obeyed and followed down the slope.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi led the little team round to the opposite side of the town. This was a well oiled and practised attack now. Whilst Alec and Peter were young they had joined her on several missions from the age of 16. That they had even lived to the age of 20 was testament to their strength. Their horses hooves clattered on the cobbles as they entered the town. It was eerie. Ash still seemed to fall from the sky though from what she wasn't entirely sure. It could of course be the fire in the centre of town but the wind was not strong enough to bring it this far - right to the edges of town.

An explosion went off on the other side of town and a few of the creatures slinking through the alleyways near them lost interest in them and went screeching off towards the noise. Lexi led them on, apparently uncaring of the noises of fighting on the other side of town.

"Remember, your job is to not die and to cut off this bastards head. You need to make sure that rune on his throat is cut in two," Lexi pulled her horse back to walk beside Cassian and Kain took the lead. He had one palm out in front of him and a small ring glowed above it acting as a compass to something. She glanced across to him, pressed her lips into a thin line. "Are you ready for this?"

 

[Cassian]

He looked around, scanning the ashen surroundings and his grey eyes reacted to every movement, wary of an attack. "Aye lass, I remember." he nodded, and twirled the axe in his palm. He honestly wasn't entirely sure what he'd be faced with, but he imagined the worse and anything better was a bonus. His skin crept with an anxiety that he wasn't used to, killing elves, dwarves, orcs and men came easily to him, he was used to it, but the sorts of things that Lexi and her crew hunted were different, and they gave the bearish man the creeps.

Another dip of his chin confirmed that he was ready, and he drew his sword to arm his other side, adrenaline coursing as he readied himself for a fight....forty gold.....forty gold...

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Unlike during the days of travel today Lexi was kitted out in her full regalia. The silver and scarlet armour was built for her and traced every curve and moved with her like a second skin. About her shoulders the white cloak was gone. Instead a scarlet red cloak billowed behind her with a black raven etched into it. Once he nodded to her she nodded back and then pulled the visor down on her helmet. There was a glow across a few runes as she did so. In one hand she carried a shield that was almost as tall as her and with her other hand she drew her sword.

Inside the Goddess stirred. The chaos it craved was near.

Kain led the little group through the streets in an efficient and direct manner. They got worse the closer to the centre of town they got. The atmosphere changed. It wasn't just... eerie anymore. Fear was thick as was a presence that pushed down upon them almost like an invisible wall that was making it harder and harder to walk. Lexi raised a hand and a circle appeared over them and the pressure eased somewhat.

"Getting close," Kain spoke but even though he was a way in front and he didn't raise his voice, his words appeared crystal clear next to them as if he stood beside them both.

He was right. As they rounded a corner the little group got their first glance at the man who had made a deal with a ninth level demon. He sat on top a throne that was made out of bones and freshly moulding corpses, on top of a pile of rubble of what had been a church. Clearly the demon had a crude sense of humour. Before him was a slim woman also made of shadow. The pair seemed to be discussing the small cluster of humans - each one was brought forward and the demon made his pronouncement and a stream of black from the sky poured down their screaming throats.

"He's giving his demons hosts," Lexi sounded disgusted as she crouched behind a bit of rubble.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian had no idea what he was seeing, he'd never witnessed anything that had made his skin crawl so much in his life. He had a strong stomach, he'd seen many dead and the smell of burning and rotting flesh was never one he enjoyed but he was used to it. This however, made his iron stomach flip over with a wave of nausea and he felt a slight chill of cold sweat on his back. So many humans had died for nothing, and now he was using them as vessels to let more of these unnatural beasts loose on the world. He gripped his axe until his knuckles were white, and awaited his commands as he peered around a wall of rubble at the gruesome scene, ready to take great delight in parting the bastard from his head.

"On your word, lass." he rumbled quietly, his heart thrumming with rage in his chest.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Kain joined them in a crouch behind the small bit of ruin they had found.

"So we have our target, his lieutenant, and then about three humans who are current possessed. There's about a group of 20 to go though. We will be out numbered if we let this continue." Lexi nodded thoughtfully, turned and looked over the top once more trying to calculate the best form of attack.

"We need to get those people out of here so they don't have any meat suits for their minions, then we can deal with those left. There might be hope for the three already possessed if you can get your hands on them," she spoke the last bit to Kain who nodded his head grimly. Another explosion happened somewhere on the other side of the city and the beings behind them seemed distracted for a moment before returning to their dark works. "There's no hope for whatever poor girlt hat lieutenant has possessed - Cassian no matter what she says to you remember that. The girl is gone. The kindest thing you can do is take her head off. There will be a mark on her like the one I showed you on our target - make sure you break it if you get the chance."

Another scream as another human became a host. Four possessed.

"Cassian get those people out of here, Kain provide Cassian with support. I'll go for distraction. Pick your moment," her eye was on Kain but she spared Cass a look to, nodded and then stepped boldly from behind the ruins.

"Oreins it's been a while, clearly I didn't make it quite clear what exactly I would do to you the next time you showed your ugly face above ground," her voice was loud. The woman's head turned unnaturally on her neck and the man on the throne's grin turned to a snarl. There were two possessed men besides the huddles hostages but the other two still knelt beside the woman, clearly wresting for control over their vessel. Once Kain was sure the attention was entirely on Lexi he nodded to Cass.

"Ok let's go," and then he was slinking towards the group, keeping to the shadows.

 

[Cassian]

He nodded as he listened but hadn't taken his eyes off of the disturbing little gathering until Lexi made her move and he stared at her as she walked boldly into the open to challenge them. He fought a natural urge to disobey her orders and join her, shield her, but she was far more capable than he was in this situation and she didn't need his protection. He had to admire her.

With Kain's word he followed as silently as he could, and gestured to Kain that he would deal with the 'guard' on the right and he could deal with the other. The man was possessed, but he wore a human suit and Cassian could only hope the brain would shut down if he hit it hard enough - otherwise he wasn't sure how else to spare the human host as Lexi had hoped. If it came at him, he'd kill it, human or not.

He stepped quickly from the shadow and wrapped a massive hand around the guard's mouth and slammed the pommel of his axe against his head hard enough to knock a man unconscious without killing him. He'd keep hold of the man, just in case, and he jerked his chin toward the ruined, empty building behind them as he looked over the hostage group "Go. Get inside and through the back." he told them quickly, and they wasted no time in moving.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"Aleeeexssssandra," the demon purred and stood, walking down from the throne. His red eyes never left the woman even when she hefted the broadsword over her shoulder in a very obviously threatening manner. He spread his hands out in front of him. "As radiant as the last time we met."

* * *
​

The demon in Cass' hands went limp. He was a young boy, couldn't have been more than 16 years old. The people stared at their two rescuers as if this was not the first time such a cruel trick had been played on them but slowly the cogs turned and one older lady began pulling the others to their feet and dragging them towards the cover of the buildings. Others roused themselves and in a steady stream of groups of two and three they began to head towards cover.

Kain had been less fortunate having to get to the guard further away. The demon possessed the body of a bigger man who had perhaps been a blacksmith. When Kain attempted to begin the ritual which would free him the creature screamed and lunged. Kain was not Second for no reason but his desire to free the man made him not lash out with his sword straight away and received a nasty strike across the face for his efforts. Grabbing hold of the demon's wrist to stop him doing the same he drove his elbow down into the man's joint between the neck and shoulder then laid a hand on his forehead. The man began to shake, judder, foam frothed out of his mouth in black spurts then finally a cascade of inky tar was ejected from the man's mouth. It crawled along the floor trying to seep beneath the cracks but another of his spells caught it and the thing screeched again.

Their stealth attack was over.

"Get the last one's into the building!" Kain shouted as the Lieutenant whipped her head round to look at them. Kain grabbed the blacksmith and hurled him over his shoulders and made for the buildings. There was a group of about five left who froze in horror at the approaching demon.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian's face was a picture of horror as he watched the Lieutenant perform some sort of creepy exorcism on the man, the colour draining from his face a little as he fought the urge to throw up. He threw down the one he'd been holding onto at Kain's feet. That thing was still in him, and there was no way in hell he was holding on to it for long, Kain could deal with it. He scooped two young children in one arm and got them to the door of the building, but on his way back he looked between the group that hadn't moved and the demon approaching them.. "Mh...Fuck." ..

At least this one he was supposed to kill. How hard could it be? He ran passed the group toward her to reach her before she could get to them, using a pile of rubble to lunge from and get himself airborne to lift his axe and bring it down into the woman's skull, hoping the hostage group would take the opportunity to get themselves to safety.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Kain gave Cass a look when he threw the kid down at his feet, his jaw clenching. This is why he didn't like to bring people who had no idea what they were dealing with on these missions. Heaving the lad up as well he managed to get the blacksmith inside and then turn to deal with the youngster. Once again a circle appeared around Kain's palm and he pressed it to the young boys chest. His face contorted and the black smoke rolled from his nostrils and his ears, turning once again to tar as it hit the open air. It pooled and bubbled on the ground causing steam to rise as it destroyed the wood beneath it then screeched as it went up in flames with another spell.

"When they wake up they will need to stay seated for a bit," he spoke to the woman who had managed to hustle most of the group into some sort of older and she nodded firmly then dropped down beside the pair, barked a few orders at some others, and got them moving further away from the opening of the house. "Go out the back, my men are keeping the Wraiths at bay. Get as far away from here as possible." And then he was moving.

Just in time to see the idiot fling himself at an eight level demon with nothing but an axe.

"CASSIAN!"

* * *​

The woman was tall but reedy, she didn't look at all like she would be much. So it would perhaps come as quite the shock when she turned her head unnaturally so to look at him coming forwards her. Her eyes were black and her white skin cracked. Her hair was long and rank and covered most of her vision but she saw him. And she smiled. It was a grin that cracked her face in two and was impossible to look away from. From her back grew eight long hellish limbs and it was with one of those razor sharp legs that she struck him from the sky.

* * *
​

The hardest part of her job was not caring about her men on the field. Of course she did, she knew each of them, had seen most of them grow up. But she knew that it was important not to split her attention - she had to trust them to be doing the job they were trained to do. So she carried on like nothing was happening.

"I would love to say the same about you but you look god awful, definitely a downgrade from the last human. It seems your followers are beginning to run thin."

The man hissed and turned his attention back to her, for it had momentarily been distracted by the commotion with his beastlings.

"And I suppose I have you to thank for that?"

 

[Cassian]

Fuck. By the time he'd noticed the creepy limbs it was too late, the leg that cast him aside sliced a deep, diagonal wound across his chest and stomach and he smashed into the ground and rolled onto his back. A paroxysm of agony triggered a guttural cry and he grit his teeth hard, warm blood flowing quite freely from his torso. He squeezed his eyes closed and opened them again, trying to rid his vision of the colourful circles that formed in it, and he rolled back onto his side to reach for his axe.

The demon was continuing toward the group, and Kain and he grunted as he pulled himself back onto his feet.. "Hey! Ya spooky bitch.. We're not done." he growled and spat, twisting the axe in one hand and his blade in the other. He glanced to Kain, hoping that he'd be able to do something whilst he held the demon's attention. So far, he was quite literally making a bloody mess of things, but at least there had been a few lives saved.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Done with the stupid creature with the axe, she turned with a sickening clacking and crunching of bone towards Kain and the others. Every time she took a step, the ground shuddered...

* * *
​

"Come on, go, go, go," Kain heaved the young woman to her feet but she couldn't stop staring at the Demon coming towards them. Her legs didn't seem to want to work and he ended up half carrying half dragging her towards the house along with her small child. One of the long limbs swiped outwards and there was a chorus of screaming as one of the black legs sliced the building in half. Kain dropped the woman and swore, a barrier forming above the huddled group as the structure collapsed in itself. It was probably lucky that Cass tried to grab the things attention because his was focused on the house in that moment.

* * *
​

The Demoness gave a cry of victory when the house began to collapse and she was about to launch her attack on the wretched mage when that puny human dared to call her. Her head swivelled, followed by her body in that horrible jarring motion of a girl who was doing something a human shouldn't be able to do. Then she began to ran at him. She was strangely fast, and half dragged herself along the ground with a hissing sound forwards him, her head jerking to and fro. As she got closer she raised one of the spider-like limbs and then lashed out towards him.

* * *
​

"I wouldn't like to take all the credit, I mean there are a lot of better Demons to worship than you out there," Lexi began to walk, moving so that she subtly placed herself between him and her team. He watched her with amusement, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I am going to have ssssssssooo much fun ripping that pretty little body apart," he took a step towards her, then another. "I wonder... how does a Goddess sound when she screams?" Then the niceties were over. He swung and she brought her blade swiftly down to block the strike. As her Blessed blade hit his obsidian one a loud

crrrraaack​

sounded across the town. Then Lexi began to prove exactly why she was the Commander of the White Ravens.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian was quickly regretting, well..lots of things. The creature was coming at him fast and he flicked his gaze to Kain and back, and Kain, and back, the hissing sound causing the his neck to twitch irritably. "KAIN.... IF YOU'RE NOT TOO FUCKIN' BUSY!!" he barked at the man and grimaced before deciding to take a run at the creature for the second time, hoping to the gods it wasn't as much of a mistake as the first time, but there was little choice unless there was something Kain could do quickly.

He threw the massive axe with such power to cut a man clean in two, aiming it for the centre of the demon's chest as he slid, feet first into the gravel with his blade in attempt to take the feet away from her as she focused on the axe.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"Just a minute!" Kain gritted out, waiting for the last of the people to leave before he dropped the spell with a deep in take of breath before turning to the creature. In time to see Cassian once again lob his axe at the thing. It went through the girls arm and she screamed in agony. The sound shattered what little glass there was left in the area and sent several of the fleeing people to their knees in pain, covering their ears as they too shouted out. Her human arm lay on the floor and the creature seemed to watch it for a minute before it picked it up and threw it into a wall behind her. Then she snarled and ran at him.

"Oh fuck, fuck, fuck," Kain was running but he was nowhere near as fast as the creature. Magic leaped into his hands and he began murmuring the words that would banish the creature back into the pits of hell but even though she jerked her eyes and focus was entirely on the man who had just cleaved an arm off of her. Once she got to Cass she struck him, the force of which would lift him clean up into the air before she raised a second spindly leg and sent him flying through the air after his axe. Then turned to Kain with a shuddering jerk. There was a ring around his feet now and a wind picked up his hair blowing it back from his face. The ground began to crack beneath their feet opening a pit to the recesses of hell.

"Cassian you need to aim for her head!"

* * *
​

Everything else had disappeared from the minds of Lexi and Oreins. Magic was a metallic taste in the air for people nearby as the two clashed again and again in a hail of black and white magic and swords. The sounds would make people thing the gods themselves were fighting. The ground cracked and groaned under the weight of it. A particularly nasty barb of black sent the Commander hurtling back through three walls of brick and the house came down. Standing she raised her visor and spat to the ground but otherwise seemed fine and this time when she ran it was almost hard to see where exactly she was. Her form a blur. Then it leaped and came down on him from above. He turned to meet the strike but still the force of it opened the Earth beneath the pair and brought it caving in on top of them. Not that either of them seemed to notice.

 

[Cassian]

Another slash opened more of his flesh and his shirt was now quickly saturating with blood. He cried out. The force sending him crashing into a wall that quickly crumbled to rubble and he disappeared underneath it. His ears rang and his mind registered the pain. Bricks were crushing his chest and he couldn’t breathe, but he coughed and pulled himself to his feet again with a stagger.
Nobody could accuse him of not taking a beating well...

His clenched teeth hissed as he pulled in a few sharp breaths, and he picked up his axe from the rubble, and his sword from the road. “Right..get it done.” he growled to himself, his darkening eyes glaring at the demon as her attention was again on Kain and whatever he was doing.

He shook his head, and strode forward again, leaving his chest exposed as he opened both arms to either side of him to swing both weapons back in toward the creatures neck from either side of her, his aim to snip her head clean off.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

The creature hissed and spat and jerked. It threw itself to the ground and howled in a rage, grabbing at her head. For a moment it looked as though the girl and the monster inside of her were breaking apart. A dark face tried to pull its way out to flee back to the safety of hell. Sweat plastered his hair to his forehead as he kept murmuring the spell under his breath. It was a complicated thing to try and do and it took a lot of concentration. The beast howled again and went to launch itself at her just as Cassian's blades came down across her neck.

A wave of black blood hit Kain in the face and he grimaced. The body collapsed to the floor still writhing and he put his hand out to it and it burst into a green flame. Carefully he undid the cravat around his neck, gave it a shake and then wiped the mess from his face.

"Thanks. Ready to cut the head off of that one now?" He nodded to where the Dark Prince was hurling himself out of a crater.

* * *
​

The pair had managed to crawl their way out of the crater and were stood panting opposite one another. Blood was gushing from some wound on her head from the force of hitting three walls and she tugged her helmet off and threw it to the side. It streamed down one side of her face like war paint. Orein slowly began to walk in a circle around her.

"I am stronger than I was last time Alexandra... You will need more than your old tricks to beat me. Come on, show us what's under that eye patch," Lexi put her sword into the ground and leaned on it, wiping the blood from her eye. It was true he was definitely stronger than last time but she didn't feel the need yet to call on the Gorgons powers. She watched him like a cat might a mouse.

"Women usually like to be taken out for a drink before being asked to take such things off," she pulled her sword back out of the ground and swung it casually in her hand. His lips turned down into an ugly frown and he threw his hand towards it. From it came a horrible jet of black lightning. Lexi hurled her shield up just in time for it to smash against it. Small jolts jumped from the strike to hit the ground near her or the buildings behind her. Her teeth gritted and she dug her heels in harder, putting her shoulder behind the shield as the strike increased in strength and he began to laugh.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian’s chest heaved with each excruciating breath, his skin once flushed with the blood now saturating his clothes and peppering the scorched ground was now ashen and clammy. He set the head of the axe against the ground, leaning on the pommel and let his head fall back as he laughed under his breath at Kain’s words “Aye...” he huffed “I’m ready, Blue Balls..” he winced and “Dont let me get fucking slaughtered this time..” .. of course it was Kain’s fault for not being quick enough with his voodoo shit.

Orein seemed preoccupied with trying to kill Lexi, and he shot a glance at Kain as he waited to take his opportunity, thinking that this time, he’d only be afforded the one shot, he didn’t have many lives left.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Kain actually gave the man a smile, patted him on the shoulder once and then began making his way towards the blasts of magic.

"When I say go ok?" he glanced to Cass and once he had his nod he returned the gesture and shut his eyes, focusing on the spell. He would need Lexi to be able to do her half for Cass to have a chance in hell of getting close enough to that thing without it killing him so first he had to do something to stop the thunderous explosion of Dark Energy that was beginning to crack Lexi's shield. After a few words said under his breath a ball of flame appeared in his hands and he launched it at the side of Orein.

The Prince stumbled at the angelic flame hit his side and he gave a curse. The energy attack faltered for just a second but that was all she needed to launch her own attack. A bolt of pure white light appeared in her hand like a javelin and she pulled back her arm and threw. It went through the creatures chest causing him to scream and arch his back in agony. Anger contorted his face into a furious grimace and he rounded back to the Commander.

"KAIN," Lexi warned.

"NOW CASS," Kain shouted.

At the same time the two White Ravens threw golden bands at the creature that looked almost like chains. The wound around his body pinning his arms to his sides and bringing him down to his knees as Lexi tugged down hard. The spell would only last for moments.

Cassian would have to be quick.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian was starting to get dizzy, and he blinked hard to clear his blurring vision. He clenched his jaw and dropped his sword to get a two handed grip on his axe, the blood running down his arms and dripping from his knuckles was making it difficult to grip. He watched, and waited, he wasn't about to get himself in the middle of shadows and light and fire, he had no idea what he was seeing anymore.

Despite his condition he was quick off the mark at Kain's word, he charged as the bounds were thrown, his axe lifting and taking aim for the demon's neck as he was brought to his knees, and he swung hard at the target, throwing out a furious growl of pain, exhaustion and rage. He could only pray to whatever gods there were that the strength he'd held onto was enough, because it was the last of it.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Kain went to his knees as the demons head rolled forward, panting heavily. Lexi however looked as though she couldn't feel her own wounds. It was she who cast the green fire onto the body and blood that Cassian would have seen Kain do earlier with the demons they had freed from their human hosts. She spared the sellsword a brief nod before moving to the two humans who were laying in dirt where they had been left to crumple after their possession. A few moments later and two further green fires were burning but their job in this section was done at least.

She picked up her helmet at the same moment Alec and Peter rounded the corner. Peter was limping and using Alec as a support but other than that and a few scorch marks and a lot of black blood they looked in relatively high spirits. The horses followed them. Lexi's shoulders slumped in relief and she let out a sigh.

"I don't know about you boys but I need a stiff drink after that," she ran a hand through her messy brown hair smearing the blood that still streamed from a cut to her head into it. "Is anyone seriously hurt? The next town over is only a half hour ride then you have the rest of the day and night to yourselves." There was a small cheer.

 

[Cassian]

How he'd looked forward to a tavern and a brothel, he might've bought three good women and a barrel of whisky, a soft feather bed and all the food he could eat. But right now Cassian's consciousness was waring thin and his legs barely held up him. All he wanted to do was pass out.

Red ran out from wherever she'd been hiding and leapt up onto Cassian's back and curled around his neck to bite at his earlobe, and he forced a strained smile at her.

"Aye lass.. a stiff drink would about do it." he grunted stubbornly with a grimace, and half fell against Kain and gripped the man for support to get to his horse.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Kain wasn't looking too much better himself and the pair seemed to prop themselves up. Lexi looked at the group with her lips pressed together into a thin line as if debating something then she shook her head very faintly to herself. Suddenly she too looked tired. This job had been a lot harder than she had anticipated and a part of her was regretting bringing such a small group to deal with it. But their numbers were few and she had to use them in the best possible way.

Alec helped Peter onto his horse and then swung up behind him to support him on the ride. Kain shuffled towards his and Cassian's own mounts when Lexi put a hand on his chest with a shake of her head.

"You're barely fit enough to guide your own horse let alone keep him up and yourself. Get on Yuuri," he looked like he was about to protest but thought better of it and then hurled himself onto Lexi's white mare with little grace. Lexi put her arm around Cass's waist and then helped him back onto his much larger horse before she swung herself up in front of him just in front of the saddle. She pulled his arms around her waist and then turned the horse with ease.

"Alright guys not long left. I promise."

* * *​

The walk was slow going but they did managed to get to the next down in roughly half an hour. People gave them all a wide but respected birth as they rode into town and pointed them in the direction of the nicer Tavern. Lexi slid off the horse first then helped Cass down, propped him up against a wall and went inside whilst the others disappointed in their own time. She was back a moment later along with a few young lads who went about seeing to the horses.

"The refugees have been trickling in all day so they knew we were coming. We all have our own rooms," she passed out the keys. "Baths are waiting, he's going to send the meals up to you all. Rest. Recover. Enjoy the town tomorrow and then the day after we'll press on," she looked at them all grimly as she spoke, looked like she wanted to say more before turning and disappearing back inside.

"Come on mate," Kain put his arm around the bigger lad and helped him up the stairs.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian was almost a dead weight, he dug deep for the energy to keep himself up but he had nothing left. With his arms pulled around Lexi's waist, he slumped forward against her, and rested his head on her shoulder. It'd usually be the cue for some witty or shamelessly flirtatious remark but his mind was foggy and he wasn't feeling particularly amusing.

"Yer bleedin'.." he groaned out sleepily, having noticed the wound on her head.

He couldn't remember getting to wherever they were, but they were there. He grit his teeth as he was helped down from his horse and propped up, his body ablaze with pain and starved of blood. His wounds were deep and his skin had taken on a much paler and more clammy complexion.

Lexi's words were muffled, her face a pretty blur, but he was soon being helped to his room by Kain and he stumbled against walls and doors until he fell into his bed, ignoring the bath. "Blue Balls.." he mumbled to Kain as he was about to leave him, and he lifted his shirt over his head with some difficulty before sliding a long dagger from his bloody boot and offering it to the man. "You need to stop the bleedin'.." he gestured with the blade toward the fire that burned in the hearth. He couldn't afford to lose much more blood or pick up infection, he'd be no use to anyone.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"You idiot, why didn't you mention the great gushing wound before?" Kain muttered, grabbed the knife and then put it far out of his reach. "We're not barbarians," he looked absolutely horrified at the idea of using a knife he probably used to gut animals on the wound and found a bit of cloth, pressed his hand over it and told him to hold on as he left the room and went to his Commander. Lexi was mid way through removing her armour when her Second knocked on her door and told her of the state Cassian was in.

"Go and get some rest Kain, Alec is looking after Peter and you look like shit - go," she cut him off when he was about to protest. The whole exchange didn't take more than a minute before she was striding back into Cassian's room. She hadn't got far with taking off her gear - only her scarlet red cloak was missing from the ensemble she had worn all day. Gently she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" her words were curt but her hands were gentle as they moved across his skin. "This is going to hurt - here," she took off his belt a little rougher than he probably wanted with his wounds, folded it in half and then put it in his mouth. "Bite down," her eye turned back to the task at hand. After a moment he would feel the healing begin. It was not a nice feeling as blood gushed back into his veins and the skin and muscle stitched itself back together. It wasn't just the cut here that healed though, it was everything. Afterwards he would feel exhausted.

Lexi ran a hand down her face and then glanced to her hand as blood came away with it. She had forgotten the wound on her head. Slowly she stood and began helping him to ease his boots off.

"You did well today, Cassian."