Fable - Ask No Fury

[Nym]

Nym paused as the man jolted slightly, and her eyes followed his gaze toward the wall and then back to him with a quirk in her brow. Full lips twisted for a brief moment.. "Assassin and a gentleman? I wasn't aware those existed.." she mused.. "But it's alright.. i'm decent." she laughed under her breath, making a mental note that he seemed the bashful sort and not to bathe in front of him. She'd never exactly been shy in her skin.

She cleared her throat to move the conversation on and combed the knots from her dark waves, leaving them falling softly around her shoulders, and she lifted her coin purse.. "I could eat..." she mused at him with a smirk as she headed to the door. The Golden Mole had a bustling tavern downstairs, and Nym followed the pleasant aroma of roast meats and arrived at the bustling tavern downstairs. She grinned to herself as her jade hues wandered over the tables of people conversing, laughing and singing with merriment. It was a pleasant atmosphere, and one that would hopefully let her forget her troubles for the brief while that she'd be enveloped by it.

Two meals and two drinks were ordered and quickly brought to their table by the window, a soft smile and quiet thanks offered to the kindly old woman who delivered them. Nym's stomach panged as though suddenly awakened by the sight of the roast meat, potatoes and root vegetables and she gave a quiet groan to herself. It'd been the first meal she'd felt like eating in some time, and she wasted no more time staring at it..

"It's almost a shame to be here for work.." she mused, lifting her gaze to Settra over the rim of her wine cup. For the first time, she could understand the appeal of an escape, and her smile faded as she found herself wondering where the Captain was, her thumb absently twisting the ring on her middle finger. Her brow furrowed as she tried to cast it from her mind.

"Have you travelled far, Settra?.." she asked curiously, her head tilting curiously.

 

[Settra]

Only once Nym had announced her decency did Settra dare to look in her direction. Her outfit was...flattering, to say the least. Somewhat exotic to him, like something he'd seen in depictions of those who lived significantly east of Amol-Kalit, he appreciated the view in still-stunned silence. The only response he could muster was something of a grunt of affirmation, then watched as she left the room.

Settra pulled his headdress, hood, and mask off the moment she had exited the room and slapped his palm to his eyes, then brought his fingers together to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"By the Hundreds, what a fool I am..." He muttered under his breath. With a great sigh, he tucked his guise into a belt pouch and set the armored mantle aside, then followed Nym down to the tavern below. He wasted no time in catching up to her; he figured he had already made enough of an awkward scene.

The best thing to do now, he decided, was to brush it off in stride. He supped at the wine and stuffed a piece of potato into his mouth, occasionally surveying the room for anyone that might've looked suspicious or, worse, been looking for them. Thankfully, no one stood out. They were merely patrons, enjoying their meals and time out of the desert heat.

"Have you travelled far, Settra?.."

The assassin chewed his meal thoughtfully a moment, washing the mouthful down with another swig of wine.
"Depends on how you define 'far.'" He mused aloud. Settra recalled the last six years he'd spent in service to Medja and recounted what he knew. "I have seen the seven great cities of the desert. I've sailed the Gulf of Annuak. I've climbed the treacherous peaks of Seret, been as far east as Maraan, even tread southward into Cortos."

A pregnant pause formed as he shifted the food on his plate around with his utensils.
"But I have never traveled beyond the reaches of the sunscorched lands you see around us, and I have never done so for anything other than..." He paused, considering his phrasing given their surroundings. "...work."

There was no scorn in the word, just resignation. This was the life he chose, the role he wished to serve for his Mistress. Or so he told himself, at least.
"And you, Nym?" He asked in return, ever finding himself wanting to know more about the woman.

 

[Nym]

Nym's eyes studied him ponderously as he spoke, they sparkled with the sort of intrigue that showed that she was genuinely curious and paying attention, a slight flare of surprise now and then as he mentioned the places he'd seen. She swallowed a sip of wine and set the cup down as he directed the same question to her.

"No, nor have I..But you have seen far more than I have. Aside Salitra.. I have seen only Ragash and Annuakat." she told him, her tone dipping a little with a hint of shame. It had been no fault of her own, of course, but she'd longed to see so much more of the world and the lack of worldliness made her feel somewhat small. A feeling she found, she didn't much enjoy.

"Perhaps I might try sailing someday." she smiled with a soft 'hmm' to herself as she continued with her meal. Her mind was once again quick to drift, only this time it cast up memories of her home, those which she would once thought 'happy' memories but in truth, none of them were. She'd learned to think of her father now with bitterness, rather than with the sorrow and loyalty she had done until recently.

"Were you there.. When they took Salitra?.." she asked with an inquisitive lilt as she attempted to cover any ill feeling with genuine interest.

 

[Settra]

Settra pondered over Nym's response and aspirations and spared her a half smile. He found it enjoyable to see her look so wistful.
"You'll have plenty of time to travel and see all you like once we're finished here, I'm sure." He chimed in, his tone lilting almost imperceptibly.

The princess' question stole away what little playfulness Settra had felt only moments before. Disguised behind a curious tone or not, he understood the implications of such a query. Settra's brows furrowed and he locked eyes with her, dull browns gaining a sudden intensity.
"I can say with honesty that I was not. The Emperor had not yet come to trust Mistress Medja at that time, so her involvement in Salitra's fall was limited." Settra explained quietly and concisely. "As I recall, I was disposing of some errant warlord in Kherkhana at the time. Regardless...I am sorry for what happened..."

He hoped that she would catch the meaning of his apology. Salitra was taken peacefully and most of her royalty had survived, but he knew of the fate of Nym's father and her subsequent imprisonment.

 

[Nym]

"Hm." was all she'd say in response to his words, she wasn't so certain, but she gave a warm smile to mask her doubts and nodded slowly as she ate.

She met his gaze over the rim of her cup, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took on the challenge of reflecting his intensity. She wouldn't have blamed him if he had been involved, he'd have been following the orders that had tumbled down the ranks after spilling like bile from the Emperor's lips. She didn't blame anyone but Gerra for her father's death, whether carried out directly or not, he'd been the one who had sought it. What she could not abide, however, was whoever she'd believed to have been on her father's side betraying him. Betraying her.

His apology was met with a soft smile as she set her cup down and swallowed her wine.. "Thank you for saying so. He wasn't a very good leader. But if he were still alive he'd still have my loyalty" Nym's brow arched and she cleared her throat.

"Shall we?.." she asked to change the subject and fished a few coins from her purse to set down on the bar as she left.. "We can walk. The horses will only draw attention." she reasoned and pulled a dark hood up.

 

[Settra]

A curious take, to be sure. If what he'd heard of Suleiman Afrit, Emir of Salitra, was true...if what he'd heard of Nymeasha's upbringing was true...well, he'd be no more inclined to be loyal to the man than the monastery that raised him. Then again, he was the one who was so attached to the damned mask in his pocket, not her. It seemed they both had their hang ups about the past.

"Walking seems prudent. I'll grab my gear and meet you outside." He replied, rising as she did. A few minutes and a quick trip back to the room later and Settra was prepared, headdress, armor, and cloak concealing his weapons all equipped once more. He nodded to Nym as he met her outside the inn, then began leading the duo towards the shadier side of town - the so-called "Hollow."

In his time in Ragash, Settra had seen what criminal sectors of a city could look like. No matter how wealthy the city-state was as a whole, there were still places where the buildings were dilapidated; where citizens slept on the streets in barrels and large baskets; where thugs gathered in alleys to gamble and brawl. The Hollow was little different. Stucco apartments stacked too high upon each other marked perhaps the most fortunate living quarters for those who dwelled here. For the less well-off, huts made of mud and clay dappled the streets, cracked from the merciless Kaliti heat. All manner of scum could be found about, from ruffians hassling the locals for "protection money" to shady peddlers selling dubious wares and substances.

Nothing that Settra hadn't seen before. The assassin strode confidently through the unkempt streets and alleys, unchallenged by most and flashing a blade to those that looked like they might hold the duo up. The dregs of society were cowards more than anything, this Settra knew, and most would bend to even the slightest show of aggression. It was the more organized ones, the ones assuredly occupying places such as the Rat Hole, that would require a bit more...finesse...if they wanted to avoid attracting undue attention or conflict.

A beggar approached the duo as they strode through a particularly quiet alley, an old fellow missing many teeth, clay bowl in hands and covered in rags. Bothersome to most, but a potential source of information for others.
"Please," The beggar pleaded. "Spare a coin for an ailing elder?"

 

[Nym]

On the surface, Nym was calm and collected, completely at ease in her strange surroundings, she could blend in as though she'd lived here for years, like she knew the streets and it's people and she belonged. She was on high alert despite her casual facade, and her jade hues moved cautiously, scanning over the rooftops, glancing down alleyways and peering into shadows. She strode with confidence, a little more than usual given that her current company was one that she could trust to defend her if she required such aid.

There was no doubt that they were headed in the right direction. Everything grew more and more dilapidated the closer they got, and she knew they'd reached the area when it could get no worse and she could think of no better name for the decaying and dingy place.

Nym paused in the dimpled path as the beggar approached, and she held out a hand at her side in a discreet gesture to Settra to stop for a moment, and to stay any weapons he might consider hinting at. She slipped a silver coin from her purse, and by the beggar's tremulous reaction as she pressed it into his palm and curled his fingers around it, it was more than he'd held in his palm in his life.

He opened his mouth to speak but she kept hold of his grimy hand and offered a soft smile. "Repay the kindness by telling no one. And by pointing me in the direction of the Rat Hole. Perhaps you might even know of whom I seek, one of the beastfolk , by the name of Kaphiri.." she asked, her voice silken and gentle.

 

[Settra]

The elder smiled graciously as Nym offered him a coin, eyes lit up with wonder. When the princess gave her bargain, however, his grin turned from thankful to devious and knowing. Flashing his missing teeth, the vagrant slipped his hand from Nym's grasp and spoke in hushed tones.
"Two blocks down from here and take a right, then follow the street until you reach a building with a rat on its placard. You can't miss it."

The old man pointed the way with a withered, bony finger, then stuffed the coin down the front of his sirwal. His eyes narrowed and he leaned in to give the rest of his information.
"You're in luck. I hear many things from my place in the gutter...the one you seek is a regular."

"Much appreciated." Settra responded, tilting his head at Nym to signal their exit. As the assassin left the alleyway, he stopped and addressed his charge.

"I can't imagine that your target knows we're coming, but we should be prepared for the worst..." He warned quietly. The last thing he wanted was for the two of them to arrive at their destination believing they had the drop on Kaphiri, only to fall into a trap. "Stay sharp."

Settra continued leading the way to the Rat Hole, following the elderly man's directions. The place was exactly where he had said it would be. It wasn't much to look at from the outside: a small, run down, one story building with a placard depicting a rat hanging from the front. The bar didn't even have a door, per se, just strings of beads hanging from the portal that marked the front entrance and a man sleeping in a chair next to it, apparently the bouncer.

The bouncer made no move to stop Settra from entering. The assassin looked back at Nym, then parted the beads and allowed her to move past and into the bar proper. Hardly anything or anyone was within. A few vagrants sat mostly unconscious at tables and booths, and an overweight and unkempt man stood behind a bar rubbing a glass with a bit of dingy cloth.

 

[Nym]

Nym offered the vagrant a warm smile and dipped her chin in appreciation of his information before following after Settra. She nodded in understanding at his words and her lips twisted in thought. "Yes, I will.." she agreed.

Kaphiri was the only lead she had. He'd been the one to give away her whereabouts, and she'd tortured herself many times now over who he was, where he'd got the information and who'd paid him to share it. She hoped the trail wouldn't be endless, that they'd find this traitor and he'd tell her who'd given her up and that it wouldn't be just another name she didn't know and another ghost to chase. A straight and simple answer was all she wanted, but things were never simple.

She dipped her chin to Settra as he let her step through the doorway and she wandered inside, her eyes scanning over the room only very briefly before finding herself a seat at a sticky, splintering table in the corner. Despite the fetid stench of the place, she made sure to appear quiet comfortable in her surroundings and she settled back, awaiting drinks and quietly listening.

 

[Settra]

Gazing around the bar from his seat next to Nym, Settra thought it odd. The way that this place had been made out thus far, he imagined it would be a busting hub for the town's lowlifes, but the Rat Hole was practically dead. Not to mention, there wasn't a beastfolk to be seen anywhere. There was always the possibility that Kaphiri simply hadn't shown up yet, or that the old vagrant was lying, but...something felt...off.

When it was clear that Nym and Settra weren't going to leave any time soon, the bartender groaned and hobbled out from behind the counter and approached the duo. He hiked his pants up and scratched his belly, and with a sniff he asked, "Welcome in. Don't get too many newcomers 'round here....what can I get for you?"

Settra was still struggling to figure out what it was exactly that was bugging him. It wasn't just their surroundings...there was something else, something less substantial that was irking him. He just couldn't quite place what it was.
"Something strong..." He grunted back to the bartender. As the heavy set man turned to lazily take Nym's order, Settra finally realized what it was. Rhythmic vibrations in his feet, extremely subtle, but he could feel it. Something beneath the floor...music?

The assassin quickly reached out and snatched the bartender's wrist, then pulled him down to eye level. He glared sharply at the man and took a bet.
"And access to the real bar."

 

[Nym]

Nym had the same feeling, it seemed. It simply wasn't right. She expected to find all manner of drunken degenerates, gambling, debauchery, everything that didn't seem to be happening right here. She sat back in her chair with a furrowed brow, her mind on the man she'd met in the alley as she quietly seethed in consideration that he'd lied to her.

Her lips pursed and she watched Settra for a moment. She could tell he was thinking the same, and she'd been just about ready to suggest they try somewhere else when the bartender trudged over to them. Her nose wrinkled in disdain as she watched him.

"And yo--ey now!" the man grunted, his moustache bristling as he was pulled toward Settra. His dark eyes betrayed the intimidation beneath his annoyance and he quickly swallowed down any thoughts he'd had about lying. "Oh.. Oho, well I, I, I .. Well it's a s-sort of uh, regulars only type place y'see, y-you and your uh, your lady friend would be better off up here where it's quiet an' pleasant I assure yeh." the man nodded, stumbling over his words..

Nym's lips curled into a wide grin as she settled her jade hues proudly on Settra. Her head shook slowly, of course, it was below them. "Oh no I very much want to see it. We're visiting a friend of ours, he said this is where he frequented. We don't want trouble, so why not oblige before my friend here makes your evening a little more unpleasant?.." She smiled, but her words dripped with as much venom as her weapons did.

 

[Settra]

Caught between a rock and a hard place, as it were, the bartender's eyes darted anxiously back and forth. From Settra's cold, threatening stare to Nym's smug, equally threatening one, beads of sweat began to pool visibly on the man's face. Then an insincere smile stretched across his face beneath his untrimmed lip hair, which in turn shifted into awkward, nervous laughter.

"Heheheh! Ahaha! Visiting a friend, eh? Well, why didn't yeh say so?!" He cried in a shaky tone. When it was clear that they were going to get their way, Settra let his grip on the man's wrist go.
"By all means, jus' follow me."

The portly man broke into a hobbling jog and beckoned for the duo to follow him behind the bar counter, then further behind some shelves of alcohol. On the ground lay a dingy rug, which the man quickly rolled out of the way to reveal a trap door. He flung it open to reveal a short drop and a spiral staircase just beyond, dimly lit by torches.
"Right this way, watch yer step. An' try not to cause too much trouble, uh, please." He stammered out.

Settra shared a glance with Nym, then hopped down into the trap door to begin the descent into the true Rat Hole.

 

[Kaphiri]

The Rat Hole was built like burial catacombs more than a traditional bar. It was a combination of hand carved and natural caves, lit only by torches and oil lamps and ventilated poorly. The smell of hookah smoke filling the air didn't make breathing any easier, either.

Still, it was the best bar that Kaphiri had ever had the pleasure of visiting. There was little that one couldn't get away with here. Drugs that had long since been outlawed by both the Empire and the powers that came before it were bought, sold, and imbibed within. Human, Abtati, and beastfolk whores were plenty if one sought company outside of the thugs that frequented the place. Gambling was abundant and unregulated, from simple card games to a fight pit in one of the deeper rooms.

Kaphiri preferred to take in a little of everything, a smorgasbord of everything the Rat Hole had to offer. He sat at a table with friends in a private room, booze and a hookah on the table in front of him, hand of cards on his right side and a well-paid working girl on his left. Musicians played their exotic instruments at a dull roar as he and his friends enjoyed each other's company, decent food and drink, and the sight of a pair of dancers in the dim light.

Nothing, the beastfolk wagered, could spoil this day.

 

[Nym]

Nym shot Settra a witting smile and a brief nod in gratitude as the corpulent man broke and led the way. She drew in a calming breath to mollify both the temper that had been rising, and the apprehension that smouldered in the back of her mind, as it always did when she didn't know what exactly she was walking into. For once though, she wasn't alone, and there was some comfort in that.

Her head tilted as she looked through the trapdoor, the now unmuffled sound music and rabble causing her lips to twist as it now seemed so obvious and she shook her head at herself as Settra went first. She lifted a hand to pat twice at the barman's fleshy cheek, a small and impudent smile on her lips. "Thank you my friend." she dipped her chin, making no promises in respect of his request.

She followed Settra down the spiral staircase and into the bustle of the rock-ribbed cellar bar, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the dim light flickering from the sconces. "This is more like it.." she muttered to Settra with a gentle nudge at his side in amusement as she wandered in amongst the riot of revelry. It was difficult to blend into a place like this, everyone knew everyone, and unfamiliar faces were met with conservative stares and pugnacious posturing. Luckily, Nym had always been able to use her femininity as a weapon. The men in these sorts of establishments were generally easy targets, and a flirtatious squeeze on the odd bicep and disarming smile were often enough to get her the information she required without having to cause disturbance.

She slotted herself in between two burly men by the squalid bar, standing up onto her tiptoes as she leaned forward, calling to the harassed bar tender for 'something strong' and accidentally resting her hand atop the beefy, green-skinned hand of the orc to her right. "Oh, I'm sorry.." she looked up at him, jade hues settling into the black, beady eyes that stared down at her lecherously. He grunted in response, his lips curling over his tusks in a way that she assumed was supposed to be a smile as he pressed a coin onto the splintery surface of the bar to pay for her drink.

"I'm Nym." she told him, flashing a coquettish smile back and arching a brow expectantly as she awaited his introduction.

"Joun.." he snarled in response, turning side on to get a better look at her.

"Oh.. You're Joun?.." Nym's smile fell and she looked him over with a slight grimace in scrutiny. He immediately reached to clasp her jaw in his vicelike grip, bringing his face so close to hers that the putrid smell of his breath invoked an instant wave of nausea.

"What of it?!" he growled menacingly, his teeth now bared in a far more threatening manner.

"Wait! I.. I just, heard about what happened to you that's all. It doesn't matter, it doesn't make you any less of a man.."

The orc gripped her tighter, almost lifting her off of the ground as he took offence. "What the fuck are y-"

"Look I have nothing against eunuchs alright! You can take it up with Kaphiri if you don't want people knowing, think he's told every female in the hollow about that dwarf biting your dick off."

"My di- What?!..." the Orc roared and released her jaw, shoving her back against the bar before shouldering and shoving his way through the crowd.

"KAPHIRIIIIII!!!!!!!!"

Nym looked to Settra with a shrug and a half smirk as she rubbed at the lingering ache in her jaw.

 

[Settra]

Settra had been prepared to do whatever was necessary to help Nym find her mark, but it seemed that the princess had a plan of her own. An incredibly effective plan, at that. While she was dressed far more conservatively than any of the working girls or dancers withing the Rat Hole, the bars' patrons were more than capable of recognizing Nym's mystique...or at the very least, eyeing up fresh meat.

While he had to restrain his natural urge to step in and savagely beat the Orc as he grabbed hold of the princess, Settra reminded himself that she was an adept in her own right. Settra's brows raised, impressed, as he watched her plan unfold almost without a hitch, then watched as this so-called Joun stormed out of the room on a war path towards their mark.

He would've returned her confident expression with an impressed one of his own if his mask didn't cover all but his eyes, and the noisy ambience of their surroundings meant that he couldn't verbally commend her without yelling. The assassin let the look in his eyes do the talking and gently patted her on the back, encouraging her onward. Now the duo needed only follow a huge, loud target through the bar to find who they were looking for...

 

[Kaphiri]

"Uhh...Kaph, sounds like Joun's lookin' for ya."
A fellow thug who had taken up watching the door of their room informed the beastfolk man. He shifted in his seat and took a long swig of his drink, then teased at kissing the girl wrapped under his arm before finally choosing to pay attention to his friend at the entrance.

"What makes you think that?" Kaphiri asked in reply. Of course having a nice, uneventful evening was wishful thinking, but he hoped that perhaps he could squeeze a few more precious moments of peace out before he was forced to deal with today's particular brand of bullshit.

"Well, he's shouting your name from across the bar..."

A long, exasperated sigh slipped from the beastfolk's lips.
"Don't run off, now. This shouldn't take long." He assured his companion before standing up and sliding by the other fellows at his table. With any luck this was a drunken, jovial visit rather than a belligerent one.

"KAPHIRIIIIII!!!!!!!!"

The orc shouted and shoved and punched his way through bystanders and the guy watching the door, huffing and practically foaming at the mouth. Nope, belligerent.

"Kaphiri, you son of a bitch! What's all this about my dick and a dwarf, huh?"

"Wha--I don't know what the the hell you're talking about," Kaphiri huffed, exasperated. This gave way to a mischievous smirk, however, and the thug subtly moved his hand down towards a sheathed weapon at his side. He had never been a fan of Joun, and this particularly strange topic was riddled with opportunities. "But it ain't my place to judge what--or who--you do."

"WHY YOU!!" Joun roared and immediately started swinging. Kaphiri was afraid of that. He had only wanted to poke fun at the poor brute, especially given that many people favored betting on him in pit fights here, but the beastfolk scoundrel wasn't about to let Joun use him as a punching bag.

Kaphiri quickly backstepped to dodge Joun's blow, then drew the khopesh at his side and took a swipe back at the orc. Joun roared in pain as he realized that the beastfolk had just lopped his right hand off. Kaphiri sneered at him.

"Quit while you're ahead, Joun."

The orc grasped the bleeding stump of his arm, slavering in pain and rage. Joun was too proud, too drunk, and too angry to quit. Another roar, another charge. Kaphiri sighed. Another swing. The girl he'd been sitting with screamed as Joun's head bounced to the floor, shock and awe permanently fixed to his face, just before the orc's body toppled down behind it, limp. Blood gushed from the corpse's neck and wrist as the woman fled the room in panic. The other men, meanwhile, hadn't so much as flinched. This was just another night at the Rat Hole, and hardly an unexpected result to such a conflict.

The scoundrel grabbed a bit of cloth and wiped his blade, then sheathed it. The day wasn't quite spoiled, but things like this never left a great taste in his mouth.

 

[Nym]

Nym couldn't help but smile at the literal pat on the back for her methods.

In truth she'd chosen Joun to upset because he'd been the biggest creature at the bar, she'd expected the orc to pick the fight and rough Kaphiri up a little, let him dirty his hands a little and intervene when things went too far. What she hadn't expected was to watch him be killed with two swings of a blade, and she blinked at the beast's meaty head as it rolled to a stop on the dusty floor. It seemed to stare, wide-eyed back at her, it's tongue lolling from it's mouth, shock still etched on it's face. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty for ruining the brute's night, and, well, life..

There were almost instantly two teen boys on the scene, lifting the hefty skull and hand into a sack and dragging the corpse off. Apparently it was a regular enough occasion in the Rat Hole to have corpse removal in the establishment's employ.

She slowly lifted her gaze to Kaphiri as he cleaned his blade, and then to Settra with a quirk of a brow. Perhaps, it wasn't going to be as easy as she'd assumed to get the beastfolk to talk, not to mention the posse that he seemed to keep around him. It would have been preferable to separate them. At least she now knew who he was, Joun had been good for that much.

Nym didn't believe Kaphiri to know what she looked like, another assumption she'd made since not many people had ever seen her face, and he'd simply been passing information and being paid for his troubles. She could only test her theory.

She swept her tumbling hair back from her face and pushed her shirt off of her bronzed shoulders. She'd been used to baiting her targets with promiscuity, she'd been taught to dance and smile just so, move her hips in a certain way when she walked, bite flirtatiously on her lip. Her father couldn't have cared less how she lured them so long as they met their intended end. Her lips twisted and she gave Settra an uncertain look before turning away from him.

Nym leaned across the bar to speak to the tender, and a moment later a bar wench carried a tray with a large whisky to Kaphiri, whispering in his ear and pointing in Nym's direction, who smiled coquettishly back at him as she leaned against the bar. Moment of truth..

 

[Kaphiri]

Shame...the girl Kaphiri had just told to stay put went and ran off, screaming as if she'd never seen a man die before. Not like it was anything out of the ordinary, people died in here all the time. He really could have used someone to...decompress with, too.

Of course, it was only a few moments after things had settled down when the bar wench came up to hand him a drink and inform him of an admirer. Looked like this wouldn't be a bust after all! Kaphiri turned around to look at where the wench was pointing.

Hmm...a human girl. Bit on the young side. Must've fancied danger to visit a place like this, not to mention have a thing for a man who just lopped another man's head off. The beastfolk grinned as only a jackal could and began to step away from his table.

"'Scuse me, boys.," He said, taking a long swig of the whisky, then exhaling breathily. "I've got a different thirst that needs slaking."

Kaphiri shuffled his way through the crowd and to the bar to where Nym was waiting. He towered over her, though not as tall as Joun, he still stood a full foot taller than she did. He grinned down at the girl and leaned onto the bar, doing nothing to hide the lecherous, hungry expression he wore.
"So...enjoyed the show, huh?"

 

[Settra]

Settra stood by elsewhere, waiting for the right moment. If this was to work, he had to continue trusting Nym. Lashing out too early or too late meant that Kaphiri would fight back or slip away, while his companions would likely rush in to aid him. That meant that Settra had to wait and watch carefully, and do his best to seem like he wasn't involved. He took up a seat several bodies away and ordered a drink, only watching the events unfolding nearby in his peripheral. This was all up to her, now.

 

[Nym]

Nym slid two coins across the sticky counter to the tender as he set her own whiskey in front of her, she let her eyes wander over Kaphiri as she seemed to have caught his attention, a small smirk curling at her lips as she swirled the drink in her hands and watched him over the rim of her glass as he approached.

"Quite the show.. Yes." Nym's smile grew and she laughed under her breath, shamelessly admiring his physique for a moment, teeth latched onto her lower lip. "Nothing like a little violence to get a girl excited.." she quirked a brow, her full lips twisting in amusement before she downed the rest of her whisky, her jade hues never leaving him for a moment.

She set the glass down, her tongue subtly collecting the taste of whisky from her lips as she reached a hand to let her fingertips trail down the well honed abdominals. "I was just about to get out of here..But, perhaps you'd like to join me?" she asked, her gaze filled with promise as she pressed herself a little closer to him.

 

[Kaphiri]

This seemed a bit too easy, but this was hardly the strangest interaction that Kaphiri had encountered in his days spent at the Rat Hole. His lips curled back further to expose sharp, shining fangs, and his tongue lolled out to lick his chops. He had to admit, the offer was enticing. Besides, it wasn't like he couldn't handle himself should things turn sour, as his little tussle with Joun just demonstrated.

"Yeah, I think I will." He growled back, slipping a hand around Nym's throat, then around the back of her neck to cradle the underside of her head. "We can put on a little show of our own."

He snickered and grabbed a handful of the woman's hair, forceful, but not overly aggressive. She apparently liked danger, but he didn't want to scare her off. Not until tomorrow morning, anyways.
"Got a place in town, or?..."

 

[Settra]

Well, this was quickly getting uncomfortable. Settra slipped a shot of liquor beneath his mask and downed it. In all his time as an assassin, Settra had been passionless in his trade. He killed because it was what he was created to do, because he did it well, and when he came under Medja's employ, because she wished it and he wanted to please her.

In this moment, however, he felt an increasing desire, a burning within him, to end this jackal's life. Perhaps the way he spoke, the way he acted, simply rubbed Settra the wrong way? The assassin wasn't wholly certain. It frustrated him. It did so even more knowing that he couldn't kill Kaphiri, that the beastfolk was a valuable source of information.

Settra shook himself. He was overthinking things. Right now he simply needed to focus on the task at hand. When Nym and her mark moved to leave the bar, Settra would have to follow, but that meant doing so without being obvious that he was following them. If he waited too long to follow, however, he wouldn't know where they were going. He almost wondered if he should go now, before Nym did, and wait outside...but that also had its potentially fatal flaws. A shame that there was apparently only one way out of this place...

 

[Nym]

It was difficult not to tense under the grip of Kaphiri's hand as it wrapped around her throat. It angered her deeply, but she bit on her lip and let the flare of her eyes pass as desire. Her head had to tilt back slightly as he clutched at her hair and she hid her clenching jaw with a coy grin and let her fingers drag downward to hook onto the waist of his trousers with an insistent tug toward her..

"You've no idea." she flirted back with a quiet groan of apparent approval of his commanding hold. "I have a room.. It's not far." she smirked, lifting her knee to slide it shamelessly up the inside of his thigh. "Shall we?.." her head tilted, and Nym would lead the way if he so agreed.

 

[Kaphiri]

Kaphiri was bought it, hook, line, and sinker. Amazing what a little alcohol and teasing could do to convince a guy. The beastfolk leaned in to all of Nym's gestures, excited for what was to come.
"Lead the way." He replied with barely contained, animal salacity.

As long as Nym kept him on tenderhooks, he was putty in her hands.

 

[Nym]

She flashed a grin as he agreed and she laced her fingers with his to lead him through the clusters of people, back up the spiral stairs and out into the street. She curled her other hand around the crux of his elbow and cosied up to his bicep as though she needed him to keep her upright, but she was keeping her hands as close to that blade of his as she could.

She led him along the main street and paused, looking around in her tipsy guise, hoping to catch sight of Settra somewhere behind them. "I thiiiink it's this way.." she smirked and pulled him off the road and down back street. She was half way along it when she feigned a stumble outside a doorway, one hand maintaining it's grip on his wrist as her other reached to draw his blade as she righted herself. All at once her foot would hook around his ankle to try and make him loose balance as she shoved against him with what strength she could to get herself a few careful steps back.