Private Tales Ruffians At The Flying Ship

[Eryn Pere]

It was a slow day at The Flying Ship Inn in Little Portshaw. There were a few customers who sat talking amongst themselves while Eryn went about serving food and drinks.
It was a regular evening. She would talk with the customers about their day, flirt a bit and in general have a nice quiet evening.

But the peacefulness of the night was interrupted when loud whoops could be heard outside the Inn. When Eryn and her manager looked up a group of rough looking men burst through the door. They wore armor and carried weapons with them into the inn and all of them looked as if they ate live sharks for breakfast.

They chased out the other patrons by drawing their swords and the leader stepped up and stabbed his dagger into the bar counter.
"Ale's on the house tonight lads! isn't that right barkeep?"
He gave her boss a menacing grin.
Her manager was not a small, nor weak man. He had his own scars from battle long past. But he had Eryn to think about, if he did something foolish she could get hurt. He kept a straight face as he slowly nodded to the bandit leader, "Yeah... On the house..."
He looked at Eryn and nodded to her, telling her to comply and hopefully they could get out of this alive.

From the moment swords were draw Eryn was terrified. She could see the bandits eying her already and she felt completely vulnerable under their gazes as she hugged her serving tray to her chest. When her boss nodded to her she quickly walked behind the counter and began filling up mugs for the ten or so men that were now finding seats and moving tables around till they were all grouped and ready to drink.

She did her best to not spill as she carried three mugs at a time in each hand and set them down for the bandits. Once she had served the last drink to the leader she felt an arm hook around her waist and pull her back. She found herself sitting on the lap of the bandit leader.
"As your boss I reserve rights to first taste of the tavern wench! aye?"
His band of bandits gave a drunken cheer. She squirmed a little as she tried to extract herself, but he was far stronger than her and his grip would not budge.

 

[Sung Chei]

"If I may be permitted to intervene."

The group of bandits all turned to look towards the source of the supposedly stupid man who came in. He was actually shorter than the men of a country, with darker skin and strange clothing. He wore a conical straw hat, (Chinese rice farmer's hat) the brim was almost as wide as his shoulders and he carried a strange weapon.

(Song dynasty ji polearm)

"There's no need for unpleasantries. Kindly set the lady down, have your drinks and be on your way. Surely men like you have places to be."

His voice was hard, sharp and clear. Although he had a weird accent, his Ls tended to sound a bit like As although not by much.

One of the men closest to him stood up. "Get lost, or we're gonna..."

He never finished the sentence. His throat was struck by his hand, it was hardly visible. But then he was struck in the chest and thrown to the floor, struggling to breathe.

 

[Eryn Pere]

Eryn was scared. The bandit leader had his hand half way up her skirt when the stranger with the straw hat stepped through the door and called for a halt. In that moment she feared for his life because the bandits were well armed and armored, but when one bandit stood up to oppose him he almost instantly fell by alighting fast strike that Eryn almost didn't catch. The bandit leader was distracted for the moment so she used it to escape from his grip and go hide behind a table.

The rest of the bandits stood up from the table and four of them drew their weapons as they approached the easterner. Four men? could this stranger handle that many men? Eryn looked with concern back at her boss, but he didn't seem worried now. He was an old veteran, and he knew well enough the legends of the eastern warriors who roamed the lands in straw hats.

Still concerned she peaked over the edge of the table to see what would happen. She was not a fighter in the least and it made her feel a bit powerless in situations like this.

 

[Sung Chei]

The man just smiled. But it wasn't a gentle, friendly smile. More like the way a wolf would smile when watching its prey, knowing it's fate while the prey itself remained oblivious. He waited for them to come to him. The first tried to stab him in the face, he spun, deflecting the stab and at the same time striking the man in his own face with the butt end of his weapon. Then, reversing the motion he cut up across the man's shoulder, rendering his sword arm useless.

 

[Sung Chei]

"Only four of you? You insult me."