Dreadlords Howdy Partner

[Lumen]

The man chuckled lowly. "And if I win, you'll come willingly to my bed." he stared at Aelita. Lumen clenched her jaw and curled her fingers into fists. How pathetic. He had to win a bet to get women to his bed. Had he ever forced one who was unwilling? A woman untrained and unprepared like she and Aelita?

Lumen wanted nothing more than to...

The man motioned to the barkeep. "'Nother set of rounds on me." He was eager to win and it was disgusting. This spectacle had caught the attention of a few others in the bar and they gathered closer. Perhaps seeing if they could take advantage of the situation themselves.

Lumen shared a look with Aelita: hold me back.

Or she was going to punch this man's jaw in before the bet even began.

 

[Aelita]

After hearing the man’s demand, Aelita firmly placed her hands upon Lumen’s shoulder.

“Deal!” Aelita told the man.

Leaning toward Lumen’s ear, Aelita whispered, “Act a bit drunk. He’ll drink himself to death.”

Having just drank the glass of whiskey, any effects of drunkenness have still not appeared in Aelita’s voice or behavior.

Seeing the unsavory man’s attention having shifted to the bartender, Aelita continued with, “When you win and the bar gets those drinks, everyone here will be our friends.”

Aelita gave Lumen a wide smirk.

With a normal voice, Aelita then added, “And friends help each other, right?”

A table was set. Glasses of cheap whiskey were poured. Spectators began to gather around. The creepy man took one seat. An empty chair sat opposite side of the table from him – waiting for Lumen.

 

[Mieri]

"Well, someone certainly didn't seem to like him." Mieri said in agreement, glancing at the knife again before she shrugged her shoulders. She quickly set to work neatly assembling the stack of wanted posers, sliding it into the satchel that hung at her side.

She was sure they'd need them later.

Mieri then turned and went in the opposite direction of Houri, looking around the room for any more clues. Eventually she found a door, half cracked, pressed it open. Inside was a small cot, a wash basin and besides that what looked like a dresser. "Found his bedroom."

She called to her companion, quickly stepping inside and beginning a search.

Figuring if the man kept some sort of journal it would probably be in his bedside table.

A few moments of searching later, and she came up empty. Finding only a strange amulet with a scrap of paper besides it that had some-to her illegible notes. "Maybe we should ask around town, I'm sure someone around her must know if he had a lady."

Mieri called to Houri. "Maybe at the saloon?"

That was where Lumen and Aelita were, they might have made a friend by now.

 

[Lumen]

“Act a bit drunk. He’ll drink himself to death.”

Act?! Fake it? Lumen excelled and had top marks in every one one of her classes. She was arguably the best swordswoman of their class. But acting-subterfuge?

Not her strong suit.

"Just watch our backs, please?" A whispered plea to Aelita as she sat down wearily. At least Leander wasn't on this mission. Knowing him, he'd try to use this against her, somehow.

Snatching the shot of what she would describe as piss water, she downed it as the man mirrored her. He grinned and laughed. "Bweehehehehe, you won't last long blondie." Eyes traveled over Lumen's shoulder at Aelita. "I'm gonna enjoy our time together sweetheart." He grinned and quickly downed two more shots with a loud smack of his lips together and a sharp, "Ahhhhh," after.

Lumen didn't rush. She reached for the second and downed it. A wince across her face as she tried to fake. Although, it tasted terrible so that was working her favor even if her body was already burning off any effects of the alcohol. If anyone touched her skin, they'd find she almost felt...feverish.

And then the third. They were growing a crowd by now. Others elbowing in to watch. Woops and yells as the competition went on. More drinks were poured.

 

[Houri]

"It is probably best we meet up with the others," Houri nodded in agreement after Meiri came up empty. She hadn't had much luck either. There were no photos, no other trinkets, no notes - aside from the usual - that would help them in anyway. She did take the stack of papers they had found on his desk that included images not only of the man they were looking for but the others who made up this so-called 'outlaw crew'. Perhaps if they found just one of them they would give their friend over.

After a pause she also snatched up the plate of cookies.

"Let's go find Feathers first," maybe he'd found some footprints or another corpse - Oh do you think there will be more cookies? - Houri shook her head at Mithrine's question and Tiri sighed. Something Houri joined her in lamenting over.

But there might be food at the saloon, cautious Vayu offered and the other three perked up. Without a second thought, armed with wanted posters and cookies, she headed out to call for Kor.

 

[Aelita]

“I got your back,” Aelita quietly assured Lumen with a wide grin before the drinking game.

The contest began. The man quickly got to boasting.

“Too early to start celebrating, bud,” Aelita taunted him as a crowd began to gather.

Shots kept getting poured with each drink.

“There’s no way she’ll win! Yer out of luck, lass!” one scraggly-looking patron yelled.

Turning this person, Aelita pulled out a few shiny Anirian coins and placed them the table next to them.

“I’m sure she’ll win, and willing to bet on it,” Aelita proclaimed.

The patron took a few moments to think before he pulled out his own coin as well.

“I won’t say no to charity!” he said.

Then calling out to others nearby, Aelita told them, “Anyone else looking to join the bet?!”

And thus, a betting pool began...

 

[Kor]

Kor was still scouring the town through the Raven's eyes when Houri exited the building, but he heard her as she did and spoke without confirming which of them it was. "He's not so dumb that he's anywhere too out in the open, but there're a lot of nooks and crannies I can't see from here." Muttering a silent word of gratitude to his friend, he severs the connection and turns to face her, arms crossing over his chest.

"I owe you an apology for earlier, Houri. It wasn't my intention to imply you were inexperienced."

Apologies were an extremely rare occurrence when it came to Kor, and it was clear he'd been ruminating on it, as he quickly continued. "Now, I would suggest we do something that would make enough noise to drive everybody outside. Just like a rat infestation, you must find a way to draw them out of their holes before you spring the trap." On such a large scale, though, the analogy struggled a bit, admittedly. Kor did have some ideas though...

"Anything of value inside?"

 

[Mieri]

"Just a body and some pieces of paper." Mieri said with a surprising amount of cheer to her tone given what they had just seen. "Oh and this."

With an underhanded toss she threw the odd amulet that she had found in the Marshall's rooms towards Kor. It was a simple thing really, seemingly made of bronze. Unadorned save for a small gem in it's front. It was bulkier than it should have been, as though it were meant to be opened but no latch or seam presented itself.

"Drive em out?" A frown touched her lips for a moment as the trio began to walk towards the Saloon where they had dropped of Aelita and Lumen.

"Well, 'spose..." Mieri once again adopted her accent. "Could have little Lu make it awful hot in those houses..."

That would certainly get people on the street. "Or maybe we just call a town meetin'."

Though she had absolutely no idea if that would actually work.

Really, Mieri was just spitballing as they made their way through the little town. "But, I don't think the man's in town."

The Initiate added, not knowing just how wrong she was.

 

[Lumen]

Should she be mad about the betting and drinking from Aelita?

Perhaps.

But their allotted allowance at the Academy wasn't much. And her younger brothers could use all the funding they could get so Lu didn't protest as the pile of coins began to grow on their little table. As the empty glasses began to pile up as well. As the man across from her began to turn more red and his eyes began to glaze and glass over.

"Wha-da-fuklskdjfsldkhflskdfjsldffdf," he slurred and went to tip back another glass only it dribbled across his chin. With one final sway he fell to the floor, chair and body clattering loudly and with pain that he probably long lost feeling to.

Those in the tavern went wild.

Lumen's skin was feverish and she really had to find an outhouse. She looked to Aelita, a plea in her face. "Toilet?"

 

[Aelita]

Cheers overwhelmed the saloon as the drinking challenge continued. Aelita continued to collect bets, and another glass of whiskey materialized in her hand somehow.

The crowd erupted into a frenzy as Lumen emerged as the winner.

“WOOOOOO!” Aelita cheered.

She just won nearly the entire betting pot. Only one other patron spared a single coin for Lumen. It was actually a decently sized winning for the technically jobless Initiate.

With her hands and drink in the air, “A round on the loser’s tab for everyone!”

Some of the groans subsided into cheers at the sound of that.

“And,” Aelita continued to shout as she grabbed her earnings, “A second order of drinks on me!”

And the losers of the bet soon forgot the woes.

Looking over to the feverish Lumen, Aelita heard her plea and turned to bartender. She carried her drink with her teeth by the rim and carried her earnings to the bar. She plopped the coin onto the countertop (while pocketing a few coins herself).

Taking the glass back into her hand, Aelita told the bartender, “As you heard!”

Then leaning in, Aelita whispered, “Also, latrine?”

The bartender pointed to a back door that led to an outhouse. Aelita turned back and grabbed Lumen’s hand to drag her to the toilet as requested.

 

[Houri]

Houri sniffed at the apology but then held out the plate of cookies as an offer of silent peace. Proctor D'Amour would be so pleased with her for not decapitating the bird-mans head from his shoulders! She really was learning this new way. As she picked up another for herself and chewed whilst Mieri was catching their fellow initiate up to speed her eyes roamed over the houses. Most of them appeared to be made of wood no doubt from the large swathe of cleared forest they had passed on their way here.

I could blow them all down, Vayu offered helpfully but Houri gave her head a slight shake.

"Let's see what the others have discovered before we do anything," maybe they had a lead. Alerting the town by calling a meeting would no doubt make their man burrow further into whatever hole he'd chosen to hide out in. "Come on," she set off down the road.

 

[Lumen]

Lumen also pocketed a few coins, rightfully so. It should cover a good solstice day gift for the twins. In a feverish haze, she made it to the outhouse and did her business.

Immediate relief. Thank the saints.

Finishing up, she rejoined Aelita.

"Can we not make this a habit, please?" Lumen whispered to Aelita as they went back inside the saloon. To a thunderous applause, cheers, and clinking of over-filled flagons.

 

[Aelita]

As Lumen emerged from the outside, she would see Aelita sipping on another whiskey with rosy cheeks.

“I promise we won’t,” Aelita replied with a smile, “But... this should... help!”

As the two reentered the bar, the crow of patrons cheered and applauded for Lumen’s victory.

Energetically, Aelita would try to raise up one of Lumen’s arms into the air and yell, “The champion, Lumen Adagio!”

Chants of “Lumen! Lumen! Lumen!” followed.

One middle-aged, clean shaven man approached the ladies. The look on his face revealed nothing as disgusting as the man that challenged Lumen. Rather, he just seemed excited by something so unique happening to this mall town.

“Exshellent show! Exshellent! She great Lumen!” the man said with a slur.

“A shelabratory drink!” he said as he offered a mug full of ale to Lumen.

If Lumen refused, he would take no offense. Regardless, he would raise his own drink.

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!” Aelita followed before taking a sip of her whiskey.

“Sho, what brought y’all ‘ere?” he asked with apparent genuine interest in hearing about the story of the two, now infamous, strangers.

 

[Kor]

Repent returned just in time to swoop down and catch the amulet that Mieri tossed to him, dropping it in the hand that Kor opened palm-upwards. He dragged his thumb along its surface slowly, before holding it up for his companion to look at. Repent in particular had an affinity for shiny objects and pecked at it quite eagerly.

"Whatever it is, it's not fake. Meaning it's probably worth a lot of coin. Let's keep it handy, I wouldn't be shocked if it was tied to all of this somehow."

Greed. Such a boring reason to kill somebody.

Taking an idle bite out of the snack Houri offered him, he listened to Mieri's ideas for drawing out their target. A town meeting was a bit out there, but she was right to suggest Lumen's presence; Her affinity for tracking made her ideal for sniffing out trouble.

So, in a first, he found himself agreeing with Houri, and turned to follow her as she headed towards the noisy building they'd left the pair of girls to search.

"I agree. Remind me though... why did we send the troublemaker of the group into the saloon?"

 

[Mieri]

"Who, Lumen?" Mieri said, as they continued to walk down the street. A hand coming up to fiddle and adjust her hat. "I don't think she's that bad, Kor."

A small chuckle escaped her throat at her own joke, but she didn't add anything more.

Just a few moments later the trio of Initiates walked up the small porch outside of the Inn. The smokey smell of cigars and the stale scent of ail wafted from the swinging doors. A broad smile crossed Mieri's lips, and she stepped forward. Grasping each side of the door and pushing them open.

With a rather dramatic flourish she stepped inside, her hat hanging low until she slowly came to a step. Reaching up a single finger to push the wide brim of her hat upward.

A moment that felt utterly unconsequential as everyone inside completely ignored her. Most of the tavern still enraptured with the other two girls.

 

[Houri]

Lumen is the troublemaker?

That doesn't sound right.

Perhaps it's a joke?

Houri's brows knitted together as she tried to puzzle it out. Maybe it was a new Academy kind of joke? But the new Academy was meant to be about friendship and not being mean to one another. Or at least, that was what the Proctors said.

Yes, but some of them did try and kill your old classmates, so how much has it really changed?

Like most of the room, Houri completely ignored Mieri's odd theatrics and promptly began to beeline for where she had spied the two blondes. She might have made it all the way if she hadn't walked past a particular table and noticed a certain face.

Hey... wasn't he from the poster?

"Excuse me... Do I...?"

 

[Lumen]

Lumen's face grew warm. She was used to attention when doing a good job at the Academy. Excelling in a combat session. Getting high marks in class. Praise from proctors when she returned from a successful mission.

Not attention like this.

And as whiskey-logged as she still felt, she shifted uncomfortably.

“Sho, what brought y’all ‘ere?”

She did take the ale but didn't drink from it. Thinking it rude to refuse such a jolly man. A tip of it toward him. One arm flung around Aelita's shoulders. "Well, my sister and I are looking for someone," voice trailed off as Mierir entered. Then Houri. She could only see the back of the man that had caught the storm girl's attention before he leaped up, flinging his beer toward Houri's face and dashing toward herself and Aelita.

 

[Aelita]

“Yes!” Aelita confirmed as she wrapped an arm around Lumen as well.

“And-“ Aelita began before she changed her attention toward the door, “MY FRIENNDSS!”

Aelita’s roar caught the attention of the patrons once more.

“THOSE ARE MY PALS, EVERYONE!” Aelita yelled.

“Here, here!” cheered several bar goers. For the most part, Mieri, Houri, and Kor would receive a warm welcome and get a lot of drunkenly earnest help (and maybe some free drinks).

Except from one person, who Houri called out too.

And ended up throwing his beer into Houri’s face.

“Hey! What’re yer doing!” called out a witness.

The beer chucking man ran toward Lumen and Aelita. Seeing what he did, Aelita pushed herself away from Lumen, wound up a fist, took a step forward, and used her Dreadlord training to throw a punch toward the escaping man’s stomach.

“DON’T THROW BEER AT MY BUDDIES!”

 

[Kor]

Kor couldn't help but sigh at the scene waiting beyond the doors to the saloon, even though it was one he really should have seen coming from a mile away. Aelita in a position to shirk her duties and drown herself in liquor? There was really only one possible outcome.

The raucous cheering that came as Aelita pointed them out though, lord if he didn't wish the blonde Initiate wasn't on their side so he could get away with strangling her. Yes, announce to everybody who they were to a building full of potential targets. It's not like Kor wanted to get the job done or anything. He found himself with the bridge of his nose pinched in frustration, eyes aimed at the floor as Houri dutifully moves in to investigate.

She wasn't the only one, Repent quickly leaves Kor's shoulder to perch on Houri's just as she stops in front of a certain man. The recognition came nearly at the same time to Kor as it did to Houri herself, and his head snaps up to look in the direction of the woman and his bird just as the man rises to throw a drink at his guest and attempt to flee.

"Mieri! That's our target!"

Repent leaps from Houri's shoulder as the cold drink soaks his feathers, and an angry caw rings out over the commotion as he flied after the scampering dead man, talons extended, clawing furiously at his head as he fled towards a now infuriated Aelita.

Kor used his ears to move and feel his way through the crowded room towards Houri, brow furrowed as the difference in what he saw through his attacking companion and what he felt as he made his way to his partner disorienting him slightly.

"Houri, are you alright?"

 

[Mieri]

Mieri's hand snapped up in an instant, catching the thrown beverage in one smooth motion. Half of the bear spilling out and casting over the bird which had perched on Houri's shoulder, while the other half was cleanly tipped back into the Pugilists mouth.

"Hey what the fu-" Before she could even finish speaking Aelita and Kor both called out to her. The former darting up to punch their assailant in the stomach while the latter sent his feathered friend to distract.

"Oh!" Mieri said, cup thrown over her shoulder. "That makes se-"-

Interrupted for a second time within just a few seconds, Mieri suddenly felt a chair break over back. Sending her crashing to the ground. One of the other gang members who had been scattered among those inside the Saloon having stood and understood what was happening.

"OW!" Mieri said as she kicked out her foot, sweeping the legs of the man who had struck her as all chaos broke loose within the bar.

 

[Houri]

DESTROY THEM ALL!

A clap of thunder rattled the saloon.

Houri cursed and her hands came up to her eyes as they began to water. Whatever the man had been drinking caused them to sting and tears flowed down her cheeks as her body naturally tried to rid her of the disturbing liquid. By the time Kor arrived at her side her vision was blurry though good enough to make out the room was turning into what her sister would have called a clusterfuck.

"I'll be fine.. my eyes..." every blink stung and in the end she decided it was best to keep her eyes shut until she could get some water on them. She tore off the scarf she'd been wearing about her neck to help with the dust whilst riding and tied it about her eyes instead. They were a distraction she didn't need. If Dreadlords needed eyes to fight they would be a very poor weapon.

"He was one of the men in the Marshall's office," she explained as a man came up with a chair. Her hand snapped out to stop the leg from hitting her in the side of the head and instead yanked it from his hands then returned the favour. The men fell, stunned, to the floor. "Meiri check the papers, there might be more of them."

 

[Lumen]

Aelita was punching.

Miera was getting deck but could take care of herself.

Repent flew in her face, "Watch it," Lu called, shielding her eyes from the bird's feathers and talons. The man Aelita punched heaved and brought his fist up to try and right hook her follow blond. Lu stepped forward quickly and went to grapple him. Though he was more portly and had quite a bit more mass than Lumen, it was not a muscled mass as she had.

With a twist and a knee, using her leverage, she had him facedown on the ground, one arm pinned behind his back. Her own knee resting against his lower back.

Whelp, the bar was in chaos and she watched as a man with a poncho broke a bottle on the bartop and lumbered toward Aelita, swiping the jagged end toward her friend.

"Watch out!"