Open Chronicles The Elven Arrow

[Sersean]

LaVaya was delighted to have a partner to match her skill, especially one as handsome as Tzuriel.

“I would be flattered to know you think me skilled, and delighted for you to buy me a drink...if it comes with a bit of your company” she said with a smile.

She was truly enjoying herself, and for a while her paranoia and wariness gave way to the joy she felt in the freedom of dance.
LaVaya could read a person like a book, and could tell there was far more to this “Merchant King” than the persona he presented. His employees were happy and loyal, and he looked upon her with admiration rather than lust. In truth she didn’t want the dance to end, and she considered just for an instant giving him a push toward liking her with hypnotism...but no, he was a good man she told herself.
A good man she’d like to get to know on her own merits and of his free will.
LaVaya Mindshadow continued to dance, smiling as she rarely did, for the time being without a care or worry...

 

[Urchin]

The lad gave a sulky little pout when it became quite apparent that nobody was buying his innocent act. "... But 'ow can I be a fool if I ain't foolin' no one?" he joked... Yes, the lad was probably the only soul in this city who just couldn't resist a good pun, however shamefully terrible it was.

Urchin's eyes went wide when Aeyleia described in detail how she'd deal with the woman that Tzuriel had selected as a dance partner if the woman didn't back off soon. "... Yikes. I take it back, yer every bit as scary as ya look," he corrected himself. "Remind me never ta get between ya an' a nice big hunk o' man candy."

As he sipped away at his ale, the lad smiled fondly as he watched La'Vaya dance. "Wow, she's pretty good," he complimented... Then the look switched to one of concern when the men switched partners and La'Vaya found herself dancing with Tzuriel. "Uhh..." He mumbled nervously as he turned his head to Aeyleia, remembering the threats she'd made regarding the last woman he'd danced with. "Wouldn't recommend tyin' that one in knots. Ya saw what she did ta the last guy what put 'is hands on 'er... Plus, if it makes ya feel any better, I think she were makin' eyes at ya too."

Once the song was finished, the boy started clapping in approval with the rest of the crowd as he got to his feet. "Wow, ya dance like a pro Miss La'Vaya! Where'd ya learn that?" he asked, sounding genuinely impressed. "Yer friend ain't half bad too," he said, smiling at the merchant who had been kind enough to slip him the gold coin earlier on. "Hey Mr, why dun ya come sit at our table? Next round's on me. I owe ya one fer before!" Plus, he figured it would be a good idea to throw Tzuriel and Aeyleia together before some unfortunate maiden got her eyes gouged out.

 

[Aeyliea]

"Magic, she used." The words were delivered in a growl. Aeyliea had been watching the dancing with a growing sense of irritation, bordering on anger. She had never seen the purpose to the kind of dancing that was on display here. It wasn't that the Norei did not dance, it was just that the dance was far more primitive, primal. More in touch with the world.

This? This was fluff. Nonsense. Something to be enjoyed by dainty flowers that were as sturdy as paper. What was the purpose of delicacy without strength of will and resolve, without the ability to take ones own life and guide it without others to interfere?

A finger caressed the rounded steel of her knife as she stared out at the floor. They were having fun, and aside from three or four drinks, she was not. And if she could not have fun one way, then she would have to have it another. And since these delicate little flowers were trying to steal away the one she set eyes on, she was fixing to get violent about it.

Aeyliea blinked, finally hearing what the boy said. "At me? That one was eyeing me?" She sounded a bit at a loss. Oh, she had seen the city people and their predilections to debauchery in all its forms, but had never been presented with it directed in her direction. She did not even know what to think about that, either. She should probably be flattered, though she was usually trying to lure men into bed with her. Women were something unconsidered. "How would that work," she wondered aloud in a low, musing voice.

Another drink arrived. She tossed it back without any consideration to the fact that it was number five, and the liquor was starting to have an effect, although at this point it was still minimal. Yes, come over here, little man. Sit at my table... Thoughts of the woman intruded a bit, and she had to shake her head to clear them. What a strange notion, that...

 

[Tzuriel Alanthis]

When the dance was over he gave LaVaya a low bow. He had danced in bars and ballrooms alike and rarely had as much fun as he did with a truly skilled dancer such as this one. He heard the boy clapping and shouting above the others, inviting him to join there table. He smiled and turned to LaVaya.
"I've still got a round for everybody on me. Let me fetch it and I'll join you and your companions in a moment."

With a brief touch on her arm and a slight smile he moved past her. Gave his friend a slap on the back and made his way to the bar. He took note of what the white haired warrior had lined up on her table and decided he would join in on her kind of fun.
When he approached their table and sat down the tavern boy brought another round of whiskey for both of them and another round of ale for the rest, and diluted mead (Essentially honey water with a slight bite to it.) for the boy.
"Think I'll take up your offer boy, at least for a time. And by the way..."
He reached into his coat and slid the wooden necklace across the table to him, "If I were you I wouldn't 'drop' things important to me."

Addressing all of them he introduced himself, "I am Tzuriel, a merchant. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
He was now sitting at a table with two beautiful women. And if previous suppositions were to be trusted, they both had an eye for him. What does one do to please everyone? Give attention where it's due, and so far he's yet to give attention to the white haired Norei.
Before she could knock back anymore he put a hand over her next glass, "If you don't mind, I have some catching up to do to get to your level."
With that and without hesitation he down five whiskeys one after the other. He's yet to be able to outdrink a dwarf, but he's at least in the competition. He's certainly no lightweight.
Once the whiskeys were down he turned his attention back to those at the table. His face only slightly flushed from five whiskeys and two ales.

 

[Aeyliea]

Cheeks faintly flushed as well, the mercenary captain sat up a little straighter as the merchant came to her table. She rudely eyed him up and down, interest clear in her eyes, which signaled open invitation to the man. He introduced himself and she gave him a genuine grin. It was so out of keeping with her normally serious nature that it was unlikely any of the mercenaries under her command would even recognize their captain right now.

"Aeyliea Terraosa din Belgar," she said in a matter of fact voice, eyes gleaming. "Captain and owner of Rei Company," she added.

Aeyliea cast a sideways glance at the other woman, still confused and uncertain about the admission from the boy in regard to her. She had to admit that the woman was pretty, if not as pretty as she herself was. She was definitely softer than herself, which was not very surprising at all. Most of the people that lived in the cities were soft, and would likely not survive long on the hot plains.

She lifted the glass, and downed it easily. She had long since stopped tasting it, which was just as well because she had always thought whiskey tasted like horse piss. It was very effective, though. "My level, you cannot reach," she said the Tzuriel with all the self assurance of someone who could also hold their liquor. Right up until they couldn't, anyway. "You can try, but on the floor you will be," she said in her thick accent.

 

[Sersean]

LaVaya smiled as she sat, picking up her third ale and taking a long drink.
Her blood was up from the vigorous dance, and she eyed both the handsome merchant and beautiful Norei with equal lust in her fascinating green eyes.
“Oh, I’m sure I can keep up with anybody...at anything they care to try me at” she said with a seductive smile before draining her mug...

 

[Urchin]

How would that work? "Uhh..." the lad mumbled, a little embarrassed. "Good question... Well, it ain't like I can speak from experience or nuthin' but from what I 'eard it involves fingers an' tongues an'... Ya know... Other stuff. Toys sometimes, I think? Not exactly sure ta be honest." Women weren't exactly the most common patrons in the brothel where he grew up. "Could always ask 'er yerself. She looks like the kinda lass what knows the ropes." ... And he meant that in the least offensive way possible.

"Ah, thanks fer that Mr," the lad said, taking a swig of the watered down excuse for mead he'd brought over... But satisfied enough my the sweetness of the honey that he didn't even notice the drink had the alcoholic quantity of a handful of old, moldy grapes. "Ya know, I always thought merchants were a stuck up bunch of crotchety bastards, but you ain't half... Hey wait..." the boy mumbled in surprise as the man tossed his necklace across the table. "What the?" When the hell had he lost that? Damn, it must've fallen off somehow. The boy hadn't even noticed it was gone. Picking the string up though, he noticed that the knot was still in place. No way it could've fallen of. "... Hey!" he suddenly exclaimed in frustration. "You took it!" The merchant must've somehow slipped it from him when he passed by before. "What ya do that for?" he asked, cupping the trinket protectively in his hands. "It ain't nuthin' but a piece o' wood on a string! It ain't worth nuthin' to ya!" If the man had kept the necklace or refused to give it back, the boy would've been devastated... Luckily, he'd been kind enough to hand it back before he'd even realized it was gone. The lad took a deep breath to calm himself. He had the charm back. No harm done. "... Okay, ya made yer point. I'm sorry." Well, sorry he'd gotten caught anyway. He certainly wasn't sorry for the attempt. It was how he made his living after all. "But seriously, how the fuck did ya do that?" the boy asked, sounding impressed and slightly jealous... Fuck, the merchant was a better sneak thief than him!

As his three companions all conversed over who could consume the most liquor, the lad's lips curved into a beaming smile. "Oh... That sounds like a challenge ta me!" Raising his hand in the air, the boy waved over the pretty elven lady behind the bar. "Hey! Hey, Miss!" he called over. "Four shots o' the green fairy, please! Courtesy of my new friend 'ere!" he said, gesturing to Tzuriel as he placed the gold coin he'd given him on the table. So long as the boy didn't go overboard, he'd still have more than enough change to pay his daily debt to Zilvra... That said, Urchin had little self-control when drunk. Knowing him, he'd probably spend the whole gold in one night, and then manage to waste the rest of his coin too... That's if he didn't pass out first, which was far more likely. "... Actually make that five. Ya look like ya need a drink yerself after all these bastards been rushin' ya off yer feet all night." Now, mixing rum, ale, mead and absinthe probably wasn't the smartest idea... But then, Urchin had never claimed to be smart. Fun times for everyone!

"Hey, ya know what, we should make a game of it!" the lad suggested as more drinks arrived. "I got the perfect game! Everyone takes it in turns ta guess summin' 'bout another person. If they guess wrong, they drink. If they guess right, the other person drinks. Me first!" He declared, his eyes roaming between the three at the table before settling on Tzuriel. "You!" he decided. "My first guess is... You got at least one older brother." What was the boy basing it on? The man was clearly wealthy, which most likely meant that he came from a wealthy family... But he also knew how to relax and enjoy himself. From what Urchin knew of the upper classes, they always put the burden of responsibility of the shoulders of their eldest son, grooming them to inherit the family business and expecting nothing less than perfection from them. Younger sons, on the other hand, were kept on much looser reigns. They had the benefits of their families boundless wealth without inheriting the responsibilities that came with it, As such, they spent most of their time squandering their coin in markets and taverns... And brothels, where they would constantly complain to the long-suffering whores that Mummy and Daddy never paid any attention to them.

 

[Zari'to Honi]

"Interesting lot here... Come here of-" The nervous man seated at the table spoke as he twisted in his seat to look about, but found himself silence by the cat eared neko who sat across from him. A simple hand held up was enough to silence him as he swallowed nervously.

"Garr... I do not pay you for your company... I do not pay you to converse... I do not pay you to ask questions... I pay you for the product you offer... Which... Looks... Good." Honi said as he looked to the spool of thread he held in his hand. The thread was a vibrant blue, interwoven with actual gold, and by how nervous the man look, something he shouldn't have had.

"R-Right.. Sorry... This one... Just came with a lot of problems... I barely managed to-" Garr began to talk but Honi silenced him once more by raising his hand.

"Garr... I'm in no mood for stories... Difficult was your task... Yet you survived the ordeal... And for your troubles awaits a fat purse..." Honi smiled, a toothy wide smile that showed his pointed fangs. He then slid a folded slip of paper across the table to the nervous man. "Follow the directions... Do.Not.Deviate... Take your coin and vanish for a while.. Allira will not miss you... When I need you once more, I'll send you for you."

"How will you know wh-" Garr began but was cut off for the third time.

"Garr... Just go." Honi said as he waved the man off.

Garr took the folded slip of paper, tucked it away, and offered a slow nod before scrambling off. His departure was quick and sudden, causing him to nearly collided with several people on his way out. The man, Garr, was nervous, and held the appearance of a man scared for his life.

Honi was left at his table, alone, the spool of thread long pocketed and kept from prying eyes. He had been seated there for sometime now, a table in back of the tavern which afforded him a nice view of the many patrons who crowded in while also providing the security of not having to worry about anyone sneaking up behind him. The neko often frequented the tavern... Well perhaps it was this tavern... Another like it? He visited so many establishments it was honestly hard to keep track.

Taverns often provided the ideal place to conduct business, a simple gathering of souls, meetings often over looked unless someone was purposely watching. And even then, with how loud they they often were, someone would be hard press to listen in. And so, business conducted, Honi simply went back to enjoying the view.

Golden eyes danced about with lingering interest, moving from the lad, the white haired mercenary captain, the merchant, and the many often people who crowded the tavern. "Interesting lot indeed..." He said with a grin as he pushed up from the table, palms plat against the table top to aid the simple motion.

Stepping out from the shadows of the back, the neko came into view as he marched up to the bar itself, a striking image cut into the portrait of the Elven Arrow. The beauty of Allira was he had little to fear and thus did not worry about hiding his appearance. Sepia toned skin, red markings on his face, large feline ears that poked out of the stylized blue bandanna wrapped around his head and large bushy tail, he was definitely a sight to behold.

Stepping to the bar, he would wrap his knuckles against the bar top and a tankard was placed before him. Business conducted, now it was time to see what trouble he could get into.

 

[Tzuriel Alanthis]

The boy seemed to have gotten the message when he slid the precious necklace back to the boy. Its monetary value wasn't important, but the emotional value it carried, and that's what he had bet on with the kid. He was a merchant, so he wasn't very fond of those who would, and have, caused trouble for himself and his employees both locally and on the road. When the boy flustered a question about how he managed it he simply snapped and seemed to manifest a coin out of the air, then with a quick open palmed turn made the coin disappear with nothing up his sleeve. Really only some basic slight of hand.

Tzuriel smiled. Now they were playing a drinking game with a clearly underaged drunk. The boy went first and his guess and suppositions about him having a brother were wildly off the mark.
"Sorry. No brother. But hold off on the strong stuff kid."
The reason he lived the way he did wasn't because he didn't shoulder responsibility, and his parents didn't even play a role. In fact, his relationship with his parents was quite the opposite. They payed too much attention to him, stifling him and frustrating him. His parents stepped back from the trade business, and they wanted him to take more interest in the clergy, so he picked up the business again all by himself. And he had the time to do things like this simply because he could afford it. His business expansive enough that he could take all the time he needed to do what he wanted.
He did come from a wealthy family, but he took that wealth as a baseboard and made it even greater under his own power. And now he was one of the most powerful merchants in Arethil, only under the merchant council of Elbion by choice.

He is the Merchant King, hailed so from Elbion all the way to Belgrath, and areas in between and beyond.

He turned his attention and striking blue eyes back to Aeyliea, "I suppose it's my turn."
He actually wasn't in the mood for a drinking game. Sure it was fun to get drunk and see what crazy things happen because of it, but he found himself in the mood for something more active. Still, he saw no harm in playing along with the kids antics.
He examined the warrior for a moment. Sure she had her telltale signs of battles, the leather of her sword hilt was well worn with use, but that wouldn't give an accurate number of how many battles or kills she's collected. Even the almost invisible white battle scars couldn't betray that information. So he settled on betting with a generalization. She was a native of the Savannah and a mercenary captain. So he felt it was safe to gamble on that.
"You don't normally like high born or wealthy people of the cities, do you?"

 

[Aeyliea]

"Their money I like," she replied, cheeks lightly flushed. Her eyes were still as sharp as a hawks, though. But she shook her head in negation at his question. "The answer, it is only partly right," she drawled, thick accent nearly mangling the words. "Pretentious, the wealthy. Entitled, the noble. But ignorant, all of those in the city. The world you have forgotten, your ancestors nothing but bones to be forgotten." The last was said with a species of disgust; to her, it was unthinkable that the ancestors could be anything other than venerated. That was the way of her people, and had been for hundreds of years.

She had no desire to play drinking games. Disregarding the rules, she took up one of the drinks set on the table, and downed it as well. She was leering at Tzuriel quite openly, her intent on open display. And if she had been so open before she had even started drinking, it was a hundreds times worse now. The barriers of propriety were being broken down by a volume of liquor that would likely have stunned anyone with less fortitude. A flick of her eyes to the green-eyed witch - LaVaya, she though was her name - and a momentary expression of confusion. The boy had to have been drunk already when he said that.

It was vexing to be put out of countenance by another woman in that way. Not that a man could have the same affect on her, anyway.

"And if pleasing enough to the eyes they are, then not only their money do I desire," she added.

 

[Oliver Rose]

Everything was moving too fast. Rysa watched as Silvan nearly tripped five different times at fiver different tables and when he ran back to the counter to grab more rum, he finally did fall. The elf caught the bottle before it hit the ground and helped the boy off the ground.

"Hey," she kept her voice as calm as she could over the booming of the rest of the inn, "Take it slow, Silvan."

The boy groaned as he sat down on the clammy floor. Rysa couldn't imagine the germs he was sitting in.

"I don't know if I can afford to slow down," he said, rubbing his temples, "I don't think I've ever seen the inn this busy."

"Me neither," Rysa sighed, rubbing his back, "But once tonight is over, I'll pour us some ale. If there's any left."

"At this point, I'm counting on there being some ale left," Silvan rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the ground.

Rysa handed him the bottle of ale and watched as he poured it into separate mugs. Then he rushed back off to the men who'd ordered it. The elf sighed once more, wondering how much longer the night was going to last. The sky had turned black hours ago and the moon shone brighter than the sun. She prayed to whatever god was listening that she wouldn't have to work until the sun rose again.

As she was pouring more ale into a woman's cup, the boy from earlier in the night approached her again, asking for shots of green fairy.

"You're insane, kid," she said, not caring how anything she said sounded, but went to prepare the drinks.

Once the drinks were finished, she set the tray down in front of the boy and his companions, "Don't worry about paying. I don't think I can keep up with it."

Hurrying back to the counter, Rysa went straight to cleaning the empty mugs and bottles. At the beginning of the night, her shelves were packed with ale and rum and whatever other alcoholic drink one could imagine. Now she had three bottles of ale left and a few random bottle scattered in the back of the shelves.

"Shit," she cursed to herself, throwing away the last empty bottle.

Just as she turned back to face her customers, she saw an angry drunken man fling his drink at Silvan, the disgusting brown liquid soaking into his hair and dripping onto his shirt. Rysa didn't know how much longer her temper could last, but she was sure it couldn't be much longer. She stormed over to her apprentice.

"I told you to bring me rum!" the man yelled, pushing Silvan back a few steps as the boy wiped his wet hair out of his eyes.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we ran out half an hour ago. I told you and you requested ale instead. That's why-."

"I don't recall ever asking for ale," the man was much taller than Silvan, towering over him.

Rysa rushed to his side, "Sir, you're very drunk. I'm sorry about the misunderstanding-."

Then the man slapped Silvan across the face, forcing him to the ground. Rysa gasped and kneeled next to him.

The man smiled wickedly, "I asked for rum."

 

[Aeyliea]

If there was an answer forthcoming from Tzuriel or anyone else at the table, it would have to wait. The loud complaint and the smack of skin against skin echoed across the common room. Eagle eyes scanned the crowd looking for the source, and found it in the form of a towering brute of a man. One if the younger servers was on the floor, rubbing his face.

"Do not go anywhere, my delicious piece of meat," she said as she got up, a trifle unsteadily. She removed the knife at her belt, hanging it on the harness of her sword. "Steal this, do not allow. A moment only will I be."

She had not got a good screw in yet, and she hadn't punched someone in days at least. She was not normally one for senseless violence, but she'd had far too much to drink, and her blood was up in more way than one.

She stepped up alongside the proprietress of the establishment with a crooked smile on her flushed cheeks, offering a hand to the boy. "Someone your own size, you should hit instead of a boy," she said in her thickly accented common. Then, in her own native tongue: "Kick the dogshit out of you, I will. Being beat by a woman will improve your honor much," she said in that coarse tongue, laughing sardonically at the end.

Let him try to get the first punch, then destroy him she would.

 

[Tzuriel Alanthis]

Tzuriel heard the slap as well and saw Silvan on the floor with a belligerent drunk over him and the hostess of the tavern. He knew this tavern and he was fond of that particular duo. They worked hard and tonight harder than most nights. And that large man had the gall to strike the boy?

He got up much the same time Aeyliea did and he watched her approach the drunk. He could see a brawl about to happen, and he could also see that there were a lot of drunk men in the tavern that would like nothing more than for a brawl to start. And with the tavern filled almost to capacity... It would be a massacre.

The drunk was a large man, but he dressed as a man from the upper districts. So he probably took a horse to get here and had it tied in the stable. Thinking quickly while he moved through the crowd he moved up and spoke to the man, stepping slightly in front of the mercenary captain.
"Excuse me sir, I think I saw someone riding out of the stable with your--"
He was cut off quickly by the fist meant for Aeyliea, hitting him heavily in the chest about the height where the mercenaries face would have been. He staggered, the wind knocked out of him with a whoosh and he stumbled back against the mercenary.
His friends saw this and leapt into action, they were also fairly drunk at this point so only chaos ensued, but one of them managed to promptly arrive and punch the big upper class drunk in the face.

And exactly what Tzuriel was trying to avoid, all hell broke loose.

 

[Urchin]

"Awh, too bad!" The lad declared when Tzuriel explained that his guess had been wrong, and quickly downed his shot... Damn, this game was a bad idea. Urchin was a lightweight at the best of times, without throwing absinthe into the mix. Still, a bit late for regrets now.

The boy gave a little chuckle when Aeyliea commented on how pretentious, entitled and ignorant the upper classes were... Though that quickly changed to a look of mild awkwardness when she mentioned how she could always find a use for them if they were 'pleasing to the eyes' as she put it. "Hey, ya know... I think I'm just gonna... 'Ave a look at some o' the jewellery over there," he muttered, before drunkenly getting to his feet and wobbling away from the table. He was heavily under the impression that he was a fourth wheel at the table, and nobody likes a cock-block after all. Best he left the three of them to it... Though who was going to end up going home with who was anyone's guess. Both women seemed to have eyes for the merchant, and La'Vaya seemed more than a little interested in the warrior woman, so he supposed it could go any way... And once it was settled, he could always buy the rejected party a drink and give them a sympathetic pat on the back... That of course, was assuming that there actually was a rejected party. No reason to assume that he supposed. Sharing was a virtue, after all... And it's like old Madame Jade used to say, 'Two's company, three's a party!'

As he wondered away from the table though, the lad quickly found another patron that caught his interest. A strange looking man with unusual clothing, golden eyes, red markings on his face, and, most interesting of all, ears that looked like they belonged on a cat. "Holy fuck! You got ears!" the lad drunkenly blurted out when he saw the man... Of course, that didn't quite come out right, but at this point, the boy was far too drunk to even notice. Without so much as asking the stranger, the lad reached his hand's up to brush the neko's ears with his fingers. "Wow, they're so fluffy! What are they? Are they real?" he babbled, so intoxicated that he was completely oblivious to the fact that it wasn't polite to touch people's ears without their permission.

Suddenly, the lad became aware of a lot clatter and commotion behind him. Turning around, he noticed that a group of assholes were making trouble for the long-suffering proprietors, and Aeyleia and Tzuriel had kindly stepped in the solve the dispute... Or at least had attempted to do so. When Tzuriel's attempts to calm the situation were met with a fist into the poor guy's stomach, the entire tavern broke into anarchy. "... Bar fight!" The lad declared happily. Picking up one of the empty tankards on the table, he hurled it across the room, only for the mug to knock quite loudly against one of the trouble maker's foreheads and knock him to the ground unconscious... A lucky shot, but Urchin had a rather smug grin on his face, as if he'd hit the man by talent alone.

 

[Zari'to Honi]

Honi was enjoying his drink as the lad sauntered up to him, tipsy it would seem, and began to chat him up. The neko could not help but feel both entertained by his antics and weary. It was well known that even children could have deft hands and would be prone to helping themselves to a coin or two if the chance arose.

"Aye, I've two of them in fact." Said in response to having ears. He would even go as far as to laugh when the lad touched his them and proclaimed how they felt. "And yes fluffy... The maidens love'em as well." He dared to say.

A healthy draft of his ale was taken and he finished the drink in a satisfied gulp. All this happen moments before the ruckus broke out, and much like every other patron, his golden gaze was drawn to the commotion. It seemed fun had found him and judging from the nervous twitch of his tail, the small grin that creased his lips, and how his ears flicked in response to the noise caused, he was interested to see how it would play out. And then before he knew it, he was involved, as the lad beside him yelled out "Bar fight!" and took his empty tankard and flung it across the room.

"Seven hells lad." Honi said surprised, voice laced with amusement.

The tankard cracked a drunkard clean on his forehead, ending his night, at least for now. His friend was not so keen as to what happened however and it was clear as he tore forward, chairs overturned and tables pushed aside when he barreled towards them in the sloppy fashion known to those who had to much fun in the form of wine and spirits. The neko seemed unphased strangely enough, pushing off from the bar while choosing that moment to stretch. Arms over his head and a yawn offered, a action which mirrored the appearance of someone who had just awoken. In truth, a part of him did awaken at that moment. He had no intentions of working a sweat this night, at least not in this fashion, but there he was.

Stepping forward to meet the drunkard, the man lowered his head as he charged forward intending to spear the neko and the lad, who, unknown to Honi, was named named Urchin. However Honi had no intentions of being tackled unless it was a feisty maiden going up against him. One step forward, one step to the side, and the arm he held over his head as he stretched came down in such a fast violent motion, the man was already out cold the moment elbow connected with skull. The drunkard continued forward, legs no longer working and carried solely on momentum. By the time he reached the bar, he was skidding across the floor and tackling nothing more then a empty stool which toppled over on top of him. A fitting blanket for a man just put to sleep.

"This is a fun bunch!" Honi exclaimed, a wildness to his eyes as he stepped beside the lad. Though he didn't say as much, it seemed he was keen on sticking next to his side in case more trouble came their way.

 

[Quoril]

Quoril exited his home and made his way to The Elven Arrow. The tavern was very close to his home and because he disliked cooking for himself, Quoril had become a frequent patron. He had spent the day furiously preparing potions for a caravan trip to Elbion, and was now in dire need of food and drink.

A dance was ending as he entered the tavern and made his way over to the bar. “A tankard of mead, please,” he called over to Rysa, the kindly tavern owner. Looking around the room he saw Silvan the tavern boy, but also many new faces. He immediately recognized Tzuriel Alanthis, the man who had hired him along for the caravan sitting at a table with two women. One was also a beautiful young woman with dark brown hair and green eyes. The other woman was equally attractive, but looked like she lived out in the wild. A boy sat with them, wearing worn clothes covered in patches.

“They look as if they’re having fun,” Quoril mused to himself. He was tempted to walk over and ask to join them, but decided to have a few drinks first. Pulling a small leather bound book from his pocket, he opened it and began reading.

 

[Aeyliea]

If it was supposed to be all in good fun, then the message was clearly lost on the mercenary, who went at her work with gusto and violent enthusiasm. The bastard that had struck Tzuriel in the gut - which would have been her head, or at least at head height - did not expect the assault that came. Arm still extended to deliver the blow that struck the piece of meat she had been stalking, she grabbed his wrist, and then delivered a flat-palmed blow to his elbow in the opposite direction from its normal motion. The crach of bone was loud enough to make a few nearby wince at it.

A flurry of blows later, gut, sternum, crotch, and square in the nose as he dropped, grabbing the busted arm and twisting it viciously behind his back and getting a blow into his kidney while she was at it. Didn't matter than the man outweighed her three to one, she took him apart as effectively and efficiently as some kind of sadistic surgeon would have.

A blow to the back of the head sent her staggering over the fallen, screaming body of the man she had just destroyed, and she spun in time to take a left to the the jaw that made lights dance before her eyes. The son-of-a-whore tried with his right but she drunkenly caught his fist, half spinning her around from the weight and force behind the blow. Her other hand flashed out, three successive blows to the ribs ending with a crack of bone breaking there, too.

Aeyliea didn't believe in fair fights. She didn't believe in just having a fight for fun, either. If you were going to do a thing, you were going to make sure that the other party never even considered repeating the event again. Ever.

Backhand blow as the unfortunate with the broken ribs doubled over, spray blood from a now broken nose.

Bedlam reigned all around her.

She stepped up beside Tzuriel, spit a mouthful of blood on the floor, and gave the man a crooked grin. "The floor you should not hit, yet," she purred at him, accent even more thick than normal. "On the floor for me you'll be, 'ere long," she said, and laughed in a throaty, smoky way that should set a man aflame. Someone ran into her from behind, and she spun and took a blow the the gut herself, doubling over and spitting up a little of her liquor from the force of it. She stood up, hunched a little from the hit, and saw the bastard that did it come at her again. Clumsily blocked another blow, this one with a ceramic mug in hand, and then punched the bastard in his throat before kicking him in the fork.

She stood up, breathing a little hard, and spit bloody, acid-tasting saliva in his face as he fell. "Fucker. Pig fornicating sheep stealer," she snarled, and spit on him again.

 

[Oliver Rose]

Rysa desperately dragged Silvan out of the center of the fight, helping him to his feet, "Are you alright?"

He was breathing heavily, clearly in shocked, "I'm- I'm alright. I've never been attacked while working before."

Silvan wasn't holding himself up right, so Rysa slung an arm around his waist, "There's a first time for everyone, I suppose."

She watched as ale flew through the air followed by chunks of broken pottery. The floor was littered with food and was browning with the color of spilled beverages. Anger began to rise in her throat. She'd never seen The Elven Arrow so dirty. It would be hell to clean up and she needed the night to end before she would have to close down the whole inn due to the night's rambunctious events.

"What do we do?" Silvan sounded hopeless, "How do we stop them from fighting."

Rysa tried to think quickly, but her head was pounding and she had never been more tired. She hated using magic, but at this point it looked like there weren't any other options. The last time she had conjured even the most simple of spells, it made her head hurt. Anxiety and guilt rang through her veins from a memory she couldn't remember.

Whatever had happened the day she lost her memories was because of her magic. That much she knew.

Rysa took a deep breath and massaged her temples. Just as she was about to approach the crazed man with a spell in mind, her eye caught one of the last bottles of ale. A better idea popped into her mind.

Setting Silvan down in a chair behind the counter, she grabbed the bottle with determination and stormed over to the drunk man. He was preparing to swing at the girl who'd jumped in to help, but before he could lunge at her, Rysa raised the bottle above her and brought it crashing down on the man's skull.

The bottle cracked and ale poured onto him as he fell to the floor. The sight was miserable and Rysa had contributed to the amount of mess she would have to clean, but at least the inn had fallen silent and the man was no longer lunging at people. She turned to face the crowd.

"If you've come here to fight, I ask to you kindly take your leave!"

Her expression read anything but kind.

 

[Sersean]

LaVaya watched as the brawl unfolded all around her, a faint smile touching her lips. She casually sipped her ale as she observed Aeyliea in action, the white-haired warrior woman showing an impressive display of skill and toughness that LaVaya found exciting.
The green-eyed beauty suddenly leapt from her chair and moved with impressive speed and grace through the melee, dodging and ducking blows, sweeping one man from his feet before he could cheap-shot Urchin. She winked at her little friend before spinning away from a blow from the man’s drinking buddy. She swiftly kicked him in the groin, then the stomach and followed with a spinning kick to his head, dropping him to the now filthy floor. LaVaya didn’t stop moving, turning just in time to block a punch at her face from another drunk, his second blow hitting her solidly in her ribs making her grunt in pain and his third splitting her lip. LaVaya staggered back a step; the man moved to strike her again.
LaVaya’s green eyes met his.
“Freeze!” She said firmly, and he did.
She viciously head-butted the man, bloodying his nose, then grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing him to his knees.
She was about to break his arm when the elven proprietor cracked a bottle over a man’s head, causing the Inn to go silent.
“Sleep...” LaVaya whispered in the man’s ear, dropping him to the floor.
She touched her bloody mouth and winced in pain as Rysa addressed the crowd.

 

[Urchin]

Urchin beamed up at the strange cat-man when he pointed out that this was a fun crowd. "Yeah, I know, right! I should come 'ere more often.... Ya!" the boy suddenly yelped when one of the rowdy trouble makers made a swing at him. Luckily La'Vaya tripped the man just in time. "Wow, nice one! Thanks Miss La'Vaya," the lad said with a happy little grin, watching the woman quite intently. "She'd good ain't she?" he asked the neko beside him as he watched La'Vaya at work. "I like 'er. Well, looks like everyone's havin' a good time... HOLY FUCK!" the boy suddenly declared as he spotted Aeyliea at work. Seemed that someone was taking this little brawl extremely seriously. "Uhh... I take it back. He dun look like he's havin' fun at all... Someone should probably go stop 'er before she kills 'im."

As the lad drunkenly stumbled to his feet though, he heard the loud smash of a bottle across the main trouble maker's head, followed by Rysa's call across the tavern. "Uh oh..." he mumbled guiltily, looking down at his feet. "Sorry Miss." To be fair, the boy hadn't caused much mess himself, but yelling out 'bar fight' and throwing things across the room probably wasn't the most helpful reaction he could've had to the situation. His apology was short lived though, as he quickly fond something else that grabbed his attention. "... Bugger me, ya got a tail too!"

(Going to be on holiday for the next few days, so carry on without me. ^_^ )

 

[Zari'to Honi]

His large furry tail twitched in response to the lads exclamation and he couldn't help but laugh once more. By now, the bulk of the fighting, if not all, had ended it seemed. Honi stood there with a bemused look upon his face. The ladies here were a wild bunch, the sort he could appreciate the company of, and thus not wanting to end the night he put forth a plan into motion.

Stepping off with a sureness in his step, he navigated the sea of patrons, dancing over the crumpled bodies of those who fell to blows and came to stand beside Rysa, hands finding a spot upon his hips as if he had some sort of authority in her place of business.

"Now listen you feisty lot.. I've not my share of fun tonight, and though this was indeed entertaining, I would note that I have yet to enjoy my fair share of poison... I aim to have a few more drinks.. So what say we put our differences aside?" He said innocently enough, those golden eyes finding two large men within the crowd, blacksmiths by the looks of it. "You two..." He called to them. "Two golds for the pair of you if you can carry this rift raff old to sleep off their misadventures out back... Please"

He then looked to another set of wiry gentleman who perked up at the mention of gold. "Help our fine proprietor regain a semblance of her business." Honi motioned to the over turned tables and chairs with a lazy wave of his hand.

"The rest of you lot, sit and drink.. Round on me." He offered before looking to Rysa. "Broom m'lady?"

A toothy smirk was offered as he raised a brow to her. There was a cockiness to the neko but if all went as planned and he had helped in calming down everyone, how couldn't he be cocky?

 

[Aeyliea]

"Getting kicked is too good for these goat-fornicating, honorless dogs," she snarled in her native tongue, eyes glassy and flashing with anger. "If he didn't want to dance, he should have kept off the dance floor," she continued in Norei.

The fighting had stopped almost immediately after the proprietor had called a halt to the proceedings, and various figures were comically halted mid-action. The captain stood up, stretched in a particular way despitevthevtwinge it cause (and the murmur of appreciation), before saluting the keeper, fust to heart, and returning to Tzuriel's table with a particular swagger.

 

[Oliver Rose]

Rysa was practically fuming, but she pushed down her anger and took a moment to collect herself. A man sporting cat ears was talking and she hadn't been paying much attention until he asked for a broom. Thank the gods someone was actually willing to help.

"Of course," she said, trying too hard to sound polite, "I'll bring out the round shortly and I'll get you lot something to clean up with."

She turned to collect the very last of her stock, but stopped herself before leaving. She addressed the group that had help with the drunk man who now lay unconscious on the floor, "Thank you for all your help."

That part was genuine.

Rysa went to gather a bunch of rags and brooms from the storage closet and stopped by Silvan on her way back. She rested a hand on his shoulder, "How are you feeling?"

"I want nothing more than to sleep for a week," he sighed.

Rysa giggled, "I couldn't have said it better. Why don't you retire for the night. Don't worry about cleaning. I've got it covered."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course."

She brought out the brooms and rags and dropped them onto an empty table. After the brawl had finished just a few minutes ago, Rysa could see that the bar was starting to clear out. She turned to her saviors for the night.

"I really couldn't thank you enough. Will you be in need of a room tonight? I can get you one free of charge."

 

[Sersean]

Silently LaVaya moved to pick up a rag and assist in the cleanup.
She nodded at Aeyliea as she began to wipe up booze and blood...

 

[Zari'to Honi]

The neko had a ways about him, fitting at home as he was given the broom and he swept, humming all the one. By his cheerfulness, one would be hard pressed to believe that one of the men that was being dragged out had been knocked out by him. In time the bodies would be removed, round poured, and when the men helping finished, jobs paid for.

Looking about, a smile was issued to LaVaya once those golden eyes found her, thankful for her help.

He had no plans on staying in a inn tonight, but the offer Rysa presented did tempt him. "Thank you my lady.. I believe that is a offer I will take you up on." He said as he leaned against the broom.