Private Tales When It Rains it Pours

[Jinx]

A human can drown from only 1 teaspoon of water entering the lungs. It was ironic, but also poetic that the liquid that gave life to so many living creatures could also bring death from only a few drops....At least, that was the bullshit that the Proctor's used to spew at her while submerging her underwater for hours on in. Jinx did not really know why she was thinking about something so dumb, but it had popped into her brain like an annoying gnat.

What really mattered was Vel Ghoran a recently built Anirian fort that grown-up overnight. It overlooked a small farming village that had likely never been known for anything of note except maybe producing an especially fat pig one year or two. That was not especially impressive, as Anirian forts tended to pop up like bad acne on the pre-pubescent children at the Academy. No, what made this one far more impressive was the large dam that had also been built along with the fort. It had created a large water reservoir that provided water for several villages and cities in the area...and Jinx was going to ruin it all.

This wasn't Gilram's idea or anything. No, the former Archon actually encouraged free thinking and to "do whatever you want." That was how Jinx liked to think about it anyways. And what Jinx wanted to do was bring a little bad luck to Vel Ghoran and have it bobbing along in the river by the end of the week.

To make matter worse for everyone else, it had been raining for three days straight, but for Jinx she rode into the village on a small donkey with a wide grin on her face. Sure, she was receiving a couple of strange looks for riding a donkey, but Chester was as good as any warhorse, twice as smart.

"It's ok, Gary, they just have to get to know you."

Henk

 

[Henk]

The village that lies under the shadow of the new fortress of Vel Ghoran was indeed one small and insignificant settlement in a region littered with dozens of more impressive towns and cities. So long as their yield of goods didn't dip or falter, Henk doubted the Anirian government ever paid them any mind. That is what made it an ideal place for the runaway Initiate to rest his tired body after another long week of honing his body and mind.

Henk was a Dreadlord no more, but he had not rested on his laurels in his absence from Vel Anir and its Academy. On the contrary, since his disappearance, the scar-faced man had never trained harder, never pushed himself as tenaciously as he now did every day. There would come a day he would return to the Academy, and it would be as one whose power was undeniable, as one who had the strength to carry those who relied on him without worry.

"Essy! Did you see them?"

Henk turned his head from his place at the small kitchen table of the farming family he'd taken residence with to see their young daughter walking in the front door, blond locks mopped with rainwater, but not enough to hide the always eager shine of her eyes.

'Essy.' Espen. It was the name he'd given himself to avoid using his true moniker. He was, after all, a wanted man.

Setting the bite of food he'd been about to take down, Henk offers a smile to the little girl. "Have I seen who, Floris?" The poor thing had been so excited to have somebody at the house for a change, her parents always being out working during the day must have been hard on her. Henk understood the loneliness.

"There's a strange lady riding through town on a donkey! I've never seen her before, but she's really pretty! You think she can come and play with us?"

Henk's brow furrowed, his hand slowly sliding the plate across the table. Company in this village? In the middle of a rain like this? That didn't check out. He had no inkling who the woman in question could be, but... It felt like his stomach was held up by a single thread "Where was she headed?"

"I think she was going to the big house way up on the hill. The one the water comes from?"

That was all it took to snap that thread, then.

Henk stood quickly, reaching to the wall behind him to retrieve the dark green cloak hanging on a nail and throw it over his body like a seafoam cape. "Go to your room, Floris. Don't come out until I say." It was only a gut feeling, but he was in no position to turn a blind eye to any doubts. The girl pouted, stamping her foot and protesting. A stern look from the scarred face of 'Espen' was enough to send her retreating to her room.

Pulling the face cover stitched into the cloak up over his nose, Henk quickly departed, eager to see this traveler for himself.

 

[Jinx]

For all of the torrential rain that was going on outside, Jinx wore no cloak or any sort of cover. It was just her normal loose-fitting clothing and jewelry. She was absolutely soaked, but she loved it. She seemed to be whistling a soft tune as she continued into town, but stopped as she neared a stable. "Alright Billy, you stay here be good. Prepare to come if I call you."

She was sure the donkey nodded but turned her focus to the stable hand, whose mouth hung open in shock at this random stranger appearing out of the rain.

"You take care of Diego, and I will give one whole gold piece when I come back."

That was a big deal for a stable hand, but it did not matter. Jinx had no gold coins and she would not need any. The boy and the stable would be washed away when the damn gave in. She just needed to come back and pick up Archibold.

Henk

 

[Henk]

If the woman had been covered, Henk likely would have thought nothing of the stranger and deemed her nothing but an unwise traveler. He'd have gone back to the home he'd been staying in and entertained young Floris until the storm passed, before going out to train for the remainder of the day.

That's not what happened. Henk saw the face of the one leaving her mule at the stable from his shadowy spot tucked between the blacksmith and another home, his own face concealed by his cloak. From between the shrouds of unrelenting rainfall what he'd feared most had come to pass: The bronze skinned girl who now made way towards the damn, he'd seen her before at the Academy.

Her name didn't come to him, but she was only ever seen outside when she was trying to escape. It wasn't uncommon to spot her being hauled back into confinement after another failed attempt at escape. Hell, Henk seemed to recall she'd gotten pretty far once or twice. At some point her sporadic appearances simply stopped. He hadn't thought about it at the time, but... had she made it out?

If so, was she acting on her own? Or under his orders?

Either way, he intended to find out.

As soon as the stable hand took the donkey inside, Henk set to follow the woman, using the cover of the rain and a fair bit of distance to remain undetected, hopefully. His cloak was soaked through, but the armor he wore underneath protected him well enough from the elements.

Jinx

 

[Jinx]

Jinx wore no cloak and did not bother with avoiding the rain at all. In fact, she seemed to enjoy the downpour. Her lithe figure skipped through the town like a child as she hummed herself a tune.

"Oh, Anir's bridge has fallen down, fallen down, Anir's bridge has fallen down. I drowned her in a puddle."

To end the tune, she jumped up high and splashed down into a large puddle at her feet. This entire time, Jinx had been making her way toward the Dam in the distance. She did not have to worry about being spotted, everyone was inside to get out of the rain. All but one.

Jinx leaned far back until the point that she was looking upside down back in the direction of Henk with a big smile on her face.

"Hello? The rain tells me I have a stalker? You can just buy me dinner." She called out in a sing-song tone.

Henk

 

[Henk]

The singsong voice that led him through the thick veil of rain ahead of him was almost twisted in its merriment. The longer he listened to her words, the more certain he was that she was no Dreadlord. There was a hidden, yet distinct madness in her tone. Not to imply that the Dreadlords were typically sound of mind, but... It was a gut feeling, and he'd learned to go with his instincts these last few months more than ever.

Still, her song and dance made her easy enough to track and tail. So engrossed was she in the pace of her skip that she didn't even appear to notice him. Henk didn't buy that, of course. If she'd been raised in the same place as he, she'd be well aware somebody could easily fall in behind her in these conditions.

And, as if on cue, she bent over backwards to look in his direction with a wide grin.

Henk really didn't have any desire to prolong the inevitable. Besides, his intent wasn't to fight her. Not until he knew why she was here, at the very least. So, at her call, Henk stepped out from the shadows and through the curtain of cascading water that shrouded the air around them, his face still covered, but hands without weapons.

"Apologies, I've eyes for another..." He replied. "But perhaps a cup of tea is in order. I do fancy a conversation..."

He'd be at a disadvantage in this thick rain, so if a scuffle was to be had, Henk would much rather not do it yet.
Stall, buy time and gather information.

Jinx

 

[Jinx]

A new toy had wandered into her eyesight and a big grin spread across her face. She happily skipped over to Henk, her amber eyes looking him up and down...hungrily.

A real muscle man, with a few scars here and there, but who did not have a few of those? It was easy to see, for Jinx, that this one was a dreadlord. Maybe not exactly, but he had the demeanor. Like Edric, like someone had shoved a rod up their ass so they would stand up straighter. She did not really mind, those were always the most fun to play with.

"For another? Well, that's not fair. You just met me. You might change your mind." She pouted which quickly turned into a giggle.

"Besides, after your tea, I fancy...other things. I'm sure you might second guess yourself." As she said this, she reached out to gingerly placed a hand on his chest. All the while her eyes locked with his and refused to leave them.

Henk

 

[Henk]

Henk knew this one was going to be trouble the moment her eyes met his. There was something behind her amber gaze that he knew well enough to watch out for, though he knew not the word for it. Whilst she looked over him with the gaze of a predator to a meal, he himself watched her with eyes not of judgment, but of curiosity.

What had brought her here? To this place? Had she found what she sought in escaping the Academy after all of the efforts that it took her? Certainly, she didn't look worse for wear, her bronze skin practically glowed in the murkiness of the rain, and she wasn't dressed in the clothes of a struggling runaway. Gently, she prodded him, seeking a reaction as she reached out and placed her hand flat against his chest.

It probably would have flustered him a few months ago, the blatant flirtation. Now he felt his lip curling into a smirk.

"Bold, aren't you? I won't stop you from trying, but I can't promise you'll be pleased with the result."

Henk was quickly learning that people were into the whole scarred and rugged thing he apparently had going on. He didn't understand the appeal at all, but the only woman he was interested in was probably chomping at the bit to beat him senseless right now.

Henk raised a hand, gently wrapping it around her wrist. It wasn't enough that it would hurt even a normal person, but the strength behind his grip was evident. "If you've time to give me out of your busy day, please accompany me." Turning away from her and releasing her wrist, Henk waved his hand for her to follow. There was a nice little tea shop that always stayed warm inside. He rather liked visiting it on stormy days like this one, though he had a feeling this would be his last visit.

The warmth of the small shop was something he'd miss, the four tables dotted through the torchlit room with the aroma of freshly brewed leaves wafting from the line of pots and kettles behind the counter. He gave the older woman his usual order and took a seat, never taking his eyes completely off of his new 'companion'

It wasn't until she joined him that he continued.

"So. You here on business?"

 

[Jinx]

Jinx enjoyed playing with those she met, and even more so when they did not like to playback. However, Jinx pulled her hand away with a small frown and a look of...pity? It seems she much have misunderstood what he said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I've heard a lot of men have that problem in the bedroom."

He did not seem to be to bothered by it though. He must just be putting on a brave face, the poor thing.

She pouted as he walked away, not necessarily because he had assumed a meeting with her, but because he was walking back in the opposite direction of where she had been going. How rude...Still, it wasn't like she was on any time limit so she would go get some free food.

Jinx lightly skipped after him humming a song. When she entered the tiny shop she took her seat, she let the rainwater on her skin just sit there not bothering with drying off.

"Yes, my own. Why do you care? You know, men usually aren't so invasive on the first date."

Henk

 

[Henk]

Henk rolled his eyes, unable to stop himself from quipping back to her. "Not what I meant, but I appreciate the sensitivity." It wasn't any of her business how he 'performed' really, but he didn't want pity of any sort. Leaning back in his seat as he waited for his tea, he slid the hood and cloth fully from his face, revealing the rest of himself to her prying eyes. "Forgive my bluntness, but I wasn't expecting to see anybody from the Academy in a small place like this."

If she hadn't already figured out who he was then that probably did the trick. Granted, she'd only know he was from Vel Anir. Of all the Initiates he'd known, his association with this woman had always been from afar; there was no reason to believe she remembered him at all. Assuming she was with Gilram though, it's possible Edric had told her of him.

"We're in the same boat, it seems. I too ended up fleeing them not too long ago." Putting some thought and a little guesswork behind it, Henk extended his hand to her."My name is Henk. I think we were in the same class, though we didn't cross paths much. I recognized you, but forgive me for not recalling your own name."

 

[Jinx]

"Well, a good thing neither of us are from the Academy anymore. I'm from wherever I please, and you are from...a crappy farming town."

She ordered her own tea and a little cake thing that was being sold. It was only after she ordered that she looked back at him.

"You are paying, right? You asked me here."

Jinx had long guessed who the man was under the mask. She had heard and seen Henk before. She had no problem with him not knowing who she was, most people did not.

"I'm Jinx and I know who you are Henk, but I'm not running. I'm just out for a walk, and you are...trying to grow the best harvest of wheat the town has ever seen?"

Henk

 

[Henk]

Well, you couldn't say Jinx wasn't to the point. Henk could admire that, at least. She was right too, neither of them were 'from' anywhere anymore, though she seemed to think slightly less of him for his choice. Either way, he didn't show any notion of surprise from her apt memory save for the raising of his brows from behind his cup of tea

"My hands are good for fighting, not tending crops. One of the families here let me turn some of their open land into my own little training field." Henk smiled, setting the tea down and wiping his lips with the cloth provided by the shop. "Look, Miss Jinx. I'll be frank with you, I followed you because I know damned well what happens to a place when people like us start showing up."

There was no chance in hell that Jinx was here just wandering through, he couldn't believe that for a second. The cake she'd ordered was out quickly, and the kindly old woman gave the two of them a small smile and the slightest bow before retreating back into the rear of the shop. Henk's eyes followed her, before trailing back to the bronzed beauty in front of him.

"I want to make a deal with you. Whatever you're here to do, let's do it together."

 

[Jinx]

As the cake arrived, Jinx sort of just checked out from the conversation. He was saying something about how he dreamed of working the farm to pay off the debt of the family who took him in when he was at death's door. Oh, there was something about a daughter his age. They both were interested in each other, but neither was brave enough to admit their love. Absolutely beautiful.

Eventually, she was nearing the end of her cake and she looked up with a raised eyebrow. Oh, a team-up? It was true things were always more fun with two. However, she needed to make sure this guy was not a total killjoy.

"You don't even know why I am here. What if I was here to do something bad like burn down that farm you live at, or just kill you?"

Henk

 

[Henk]

True, he didn't know her intent, but she seemed to have missed a key part of his proposal under the sweet taste of the cake. Henk leaned back, finishing his tea and setting it down in front of him. "I proposed a deal. Deals have terms." Whether or not Jinx could be 'dealt' with was still up in the air, though. "I'll go along with whatever you want to do, so long as you give bystanders a chance to escape before you do it."

His expression tightened. It was a tricky way of phrasing the request, but for good reason. Giving them a chance didn't mean they'd take it, and it didn't mean she had to warn them. It was purposefully worded so that Jinx could take it as creatively as she wanted. Henk didn't like playing with the lives of those who'd taken good care of him but...

He had something in mind.

"As for killing me..." He polished off the last of his cake and set it beside the empty cup. "That's a lot harder than you're making it sound. If you want a dance, you just need to ask."