An Attack at a Roadside Tavern

A woman dawning a blue and gold cloak entered the inn. She bore witness to the previous fight, though she cared little for the toiling of peon bandits. She was looking for someone, a shape shifter named Aeon.

She looked over at the group and called out for assistance as she walked over to them. To anyone who could sense magical energy, this woman was covered in it.

"Hello, I noticed you make quick work of these pests. Perhaps you would be interested in aiding me in a hunt. I assure you, the prize is well worth it, and of course I'd be willing to exchange my services for yours."

The woman pulled her hood down, revealing long chestnut brown hair. Her blue eyes sparkled as the flame from the torches on the walls of the inn danced a ballet across her cerulean iris. She stood about five foot five inches and had a tan complexion and a well maintained figure.

"I guess what I mean is, you scratch my back, I scratch yours...and you get a ton of treasure. Anyone here ever slain a dragon before?"

The woman was getting ahead of herself. She put her hand over her mouth and cleared cleared her throat.

"Excuse my manners, My name is Leona. I'm a Glyph Mage. You are Jade, Brynden, Hades, and this handsome gentleman is Kiro. Forgive my eavesdropping, but I've taken an interest in you. Kiro, I know who you're looking for, I do not know where she is, but I know I can help you find her. All I ask is for your help slaying this dragon. He took something from me...something precious...And...he needs to pay...He is only a few day's journey to the west. Who knows, maybe we can find your girl there, Kiro. If she has some worth at all, this greedy dragon wouldn't hesitate to seek her out."

Leona was awaiting a reply, mainly from Kiro since he was the only one with an apparent mission.
 
Brynden smiled at Hades' joke. True, he never enjoyed killing...but there was nothing quite like a good fight, and a good fight was what had just been. But more fights together? Brynden did not know. He understood that there was a poor little girl in trouble....but he just was uneasy about the whole thing. Like Kiro had only given them the minimal amount of information about his quest...when at that moment another person strode forward to speak.

Her name was Leona, and her beautiful blue eyes looked into each of them in turn as she told them all of her plight. Promising treasure and help to find Kiro's lost little girl, in exchange for the head of a dragon. It was all well, but no amount of beauty or sparkling blue eyes would change the fact that what she asked was a tall order. Brynden was confidant, but he wasn't stupid. Dragons were no joke, and frankly not something anyone wanted to face, even with an army at their back.

But then again, blue eyes have convinced me to do some pretty stupid things in the past. And with that thought Brynden smiled openly.

Brynden drew his long sword and bent his knee sword propped hilt upward and swore:
"This girl will be returned to her home. I will not rest until she is returned home. If this means fighting dragons, so be it. I will fight so long as my companions and I draw breath. This I swear, to you both" And he raised his eyes to Kiro and Leona.

Brynden stood, and looked Hades in the face and said with a large grin "Perhaps we shall have your fight."

As Brynden left he threw a quick smile at Jade and walked outside grabbing a tankard on the way out....if there were ever a time he needed to clear his thoughts it was now. And sitting against the front wall of the inn seemed as good a place as any.

((Sorry, this was meant to take place before Hades last post. I left my Laptop open and forgot to post it right when I finished it a couple of hours ago.))


 
((it's ok I'll delect my old post and repost it now))

Hades grins.
"Miss you're in luck I have slayed dragons before, and since I am still alive I may say I am pretty good at doing so!"
Hades walks as he speeks then turns around - "But it would be to much of a coincidence if your Dragon was the one who took the girl Kiro seeks..."
Hades sits back on the chair playing with his sword balancing it on the top of his finger.
"So you either manipulationg us, or you know more than you say!"
 
Seems the fight was over. Disappointment stabbed the young Xyft's veins, though only faintly; he was too uneasy about his surroundings to have ever joined in, despite his own thirst for blood staining his paws and jaws. And so he remained where he was, beneath the mound of overturned tables, gnawing on the morsel he'd snatched, content with stale blood. But only for the moment.
 
Kiro listened to the woman with a very neutral look on his face. It was true that the trail was a little cold already by now, by the time he would feel able to continue tracking her, but there still was a trail to follow so far. It was unlikely that she would be captured by someone else, after working so hard to elude him, but there was always a chance. All the same, he wasn't strongly inclined to trust this woman. He watched the other two men agree to join without so much as a question, and idly wondered just how many powerful warriors wander aimless looking for a reason to slay a dragon or do some other reckless and difficult task for money. Finally he responded, "If you have magic that can accurately locate, track, or scry I'm certain it would aid me considerably. I do not like to stain my hands with blood, but my Gift's more helpful aspects may be extended to others, and I could hardly object to providing that service in a fair deal. Of course, I am already under contract with my employer, so I can hardly take a new direction in my search without first consulting him. Fortunately, I do have..means of doing so remotely. If you will excuse me for a moment, I shall return with a proper answer to your offer."

He stood up carefully and walked out of the inn, around to one side of the building (not quite at a window), and pulled a small charm from his pocket, an outer ring of wood with a complex web of strings tied to it crisscrossing the middle. "I serve the true king," he whispered to it, and it gave a very faint glow in one of the holes between some strings, opening a mental contact to another holder of a similar device elsewhere.

((He'll be back in my next post. A couple of minutes need to pass for this to make sense, unless of course someone decides to interrupt him.))
 
((That was the first cell phone ever - lol!!!))
 
Leona listened to the two warriors as they agreed to aid her. She smiled and nodded "thanks" to them. She listened to Kiro's words as well. He hadn't quite made his mind up, and he spoke of magic that allowed tracking and scrying. Leona was more than capable of both types of spells, but before she had a chance to demonstrate her magical feats, he was going outside to do some thinking, or so Leona supposed.

Now Jade was the only one who hadn't spoken. Leona looked at her and smiled.

"And what of you, Jade? Will you join us? In addition to the horde of treasure we will plunder, I swear my aid to each and every one of you in return for your aid. If you wish more information, simply ask, and I will provide. I do not claim this as a simple task, and declining would be understandable, but I am in need of strong warriors, if all of us are to survive."

Leona would tilt her head and raise her brow in anticipation of a reply or a question from any of the warriors.
 
Whistling a happy tune, a man of medium-height and slim build made his way to the tavern. He wore loose black pants of a simple cloth and a dark purple tunic. His boots were made of sturdy black leather adorned with silver buckles, reaching up his calves under his pants. His hair was long and black, left to hang over his shoulders and occasionally fall into his face. Slung low around the man's waist was a black leather belt, off which hung a few small leather pouches.

Strapped to his back was a bow, made of a sturdy white wood and strung taut, hanging at an angle to make room for a leather quiver packed with arrows. A sword, long and slim, hung at his right side, packed securely in its sheath. On his left hip hung an odd-looking harp, no larger than six inches tall and equal in width. The frame was silver and looked thick and sturdy.

Apparently oblivious to the deadly bar brawl that he just missed, he wanders up to the tavern and steps inside... only to look around and down at all the bodies strewn about.

"Sh--!"

He halts mid-step in the threshold, eyes wide with surprise. His hand immediately goes to the hilt of his sword as he eyes the individuals still standing inside. Most appeared to be shaken up; cowering behind furniture and crying over dead bodies. It was the few individuals that were relaxing about, covered in blood, and handling weapons that caught his eye.

He didn't know what to make of the situation; were the people still standing friends or foes?

"Oi, what's all this then?! Come now, this is not the kind of hospitality I'd expect from a tavern!"

He takes a step forward, past the threshold. Hearing a squish, he looks down and makes a disgusted face as he realizes he stepped on someone's eyeball.

"Oh now, look at that. I've got blood on my shoes! Ugh!"
 
"Stop your whining, geez."
A rumbling growl reverberated out into the night, accompanying the sinuous unwinding of the young Xyft's sleek form, as he slipped out from his hiding spot, drawn out by the distinguished squishing sound; glowing tawny orbs cutting down the newcomer's unimpressive form to the mess on the floor, then back to the newcomer, alit with obvious disgust, his whiskered lips lifted in a snarl of disdain. "You just ruined a perfectly good morsel."
 
((Sorry it took me so long to reply, but I've been moving house.))


Jade frowned and wondered how the man named Kiro had even notice her during the battle, he was right of course but she wasn't about to say so. She didn't like people knowing as it made them avoid her like a curse, though she couldn't really fathom why. She was saved from having to answer by his description of a lost child, this saddened her. She had been a lost child once and it was a harsh world, especially for a girl.

She was about to reply when a new warrior arrived, she promised riches and aide to those who would help her slay a dragon. She claimed that she could find Kiro's missing girl, either she was a very gifted mage or a talented liar. Jade wanted to decline, she saw dragons and intelligent and beautiful creatures. She didn't want her hands stained with their magnificent blood, not to mention taking on a dragon was an arduous task. She returned Brynden's smile as he stepped outside, then went back to her thoughts.

However she was sift, agile and graceful, she'd be able to avoid the dragon's attacks and get up close. She had dealt with dragons before and she was still alive, though it had been a struggle. She also needed the riches this Leona offered, she too was looking for a missing person. Her brother had been missing for quite a long time, and the trail had run cold. She need money to continue her search, she also wondered if there was truth in her scrying skills.

She decided to take a chance and nodded to Leona, "alright I'm in." "when shall we be leaving? I must fetch my horse and..." She made a gesture to the seemingly empty air around the inn, "i have something to do before i depart." As she was the only one here able to see the spirits of the departed, it would be her responsibility to help them *((cross over.))

*((Ghost Whisperer moment. XD))
 
Leona smiled at the adventurers' willingness to aid her. She barely noticed the new adventurer enter the room.

"Excellent! We shall depart as soon as everyone is ready! I know exactly where to go, the dragon's lair is a way's away, and no doubt we'll need to be on our guard, but I assure you, this trip is well worth it!"

Leona was quite excited now. She finally found a group of willing adventurers. Aeon's demise was imminent. Now she only awaited Kiro's response...he would most likely be the deciding factor. If he declined, the group may also decline.
 
-That is about the size of it, sir. What would you have me do?-
[align=right]-Hmm...well, as much as this intrigues me, I would advise you to ignore such a mission and continue following her trail before it gets any colder. It is beyond far-fetched to suppose this dragon would even know of her survival, much less seek her out at the risk of losing his hoard. But there is the one thing...-[/align]-The girl's own prophecy said she would escape, and in the same breath that I would catch her again.-
[align=right]-Indeed. I would like to test if her predictions are really as accurate as we've been led to believe, and the best test would be a prophecy that she would personally prefer to avoid. If isn't accurate, we don't need her and she is no real threat, and perhaps this mage could help us in her stead.-[/align]-I remain concerned. Some of our plans the girl does know.-
[align=right]-She believes she knows them. We believe she knows them. That much is true. However, as long as she is trying to avoid her own capture she wouldn't dare come near you, nor us. She has no reason to, furthermore; our enemies were responsible for the destruction of her people.-[/align]-So you would have me join this quest, to gain a potentially powerful ally.-
[align=right]-Yes. She seems shrewd enough to ruin our plans if on the wrong side, but this is an opportunity to put her on our side. Slaying a dragon for someone is a hard debt to pay off, after all. I'm sure I could find a place in our plan for her regular magic, at no risk to her, of course, so long as nobody tells all. And besides, think of this as a test of your own abilities. It is quite a challenge, after all.-[/align]-Very well my lord. I'll be certain to report in with you every once in a while, and especially if she does turn up in the middle of our quest.-
[align=right]-Of course. Peace and tolerance always.-[/align]-And to you the same.-

The charm stopped glowing, and Kiro closed his hand around it, and then dropped it back into his pocket. He strode back to the entrance of the tavern and found someone standing in the way. "Pardon," he said, slipping easily around the man without quite touching him. Then he saw someone else, some kind of sentient creature, and had to pause a moment to examine the strange one's features. Finally, he turned his attention back to the Glyph mage, Leona. "I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that my employer instructed me to help you on his behalf. He is not lacking in riches..but a simple favor or two of no risk to you would suffice."


((I tried aligning the other side of the conversation to the right in hopes it would distinguish things better. Hope it isn't too hard to follow.))
 
Brynden sat outside the tavern, and finished off the rest of his drink. He had had enough. The initial shock of the battle this morning had worn off of him, and he had finally overcome his massive hangover. Mind running sharp again, he decided it'd be best to return inside the tavern to discuss, the trip that he so whole-heartedly decided to join just of the coattails of a battle haze. Brynden was not some coward that would take back his word, he'd just like to learn a bit more about the people he'd be working with.

Brynden strode back into the tavern, shield slung upon his back brazenly showing the stag and colors of the Blackwood family. The Yellow represented purity and the blacks represented duty. But the bloodstained shield had turned the yellows red in some areas, the red his father had told him would represent the blood his family had lost to bring peace to the realm (A barely lingering peace I might add). The Blackwood family had been a prominent family for years, and had married a daughter of Blackwood into the royal bloodline many decades ago. They served the land and its people faithfully. And when they gave their word they swore it on their blood, and by their blood's blood. But he did not know whom of these new companions to trust. He certainly liked the look of a few of them, and felt more confidant in some than others, and had hoped to begin a friendship with all of them, but he knew this would take time.

Brynden had been more than impressed with his new company, although he found it altogether unlikely that so many gifted individuals would meet in such a random location, and that had caused him to raise questions, as did the people themselves. But his first thought was for the little girl Kiro had spoken of and her safety, and it did not matter who helped ensure this end, as long as she ended up safe.

As Brynden re-entered the tavern he noticed two new faces had came forward, one disgusted by the eyeball that had seen fit to decorate the bottom of his shoe, and the other who seemed less disgusted in the fact the the eyeball was in pancake for, and more disgusted with the fact that it couldn't be eaten properly now... He walked in and stood over the body of the man who's face he had crushed with the bottom of his shield and knelt. Allowing his pendant to drop from his neck, it was ancient, and was very distinct in its shape. It was a series of hoops all connected in the center by an extremely thin wire it rested a few inches above the poor soul who had recieved Brynden's bludgeoning. Brynden said a few muttered words and moved on to the next man who had died with the arrows trough his body and repeated the process. Brynden had done this for every man he had ever killed, it was a tradition to him. Life was precious to everyone, especially those who had just lost it. And even though he doubted the dead raider would care for his own killers apology, it made Brynden feel better about the whole situation...including the new one that was beginning to unfold. But as Brynden said his few words of comfort, he realized he was not the only who had an interest in the dead, and the same pretty young girl who had surprised him in battle had surprised him yet again, this "Jade" was turning out to be a useful person to have around...Hades seemed like he would be a steadfast friend in the future... But Brynden did not know what to make of Leona and Kiro they were both shrouded in mystery. A mystery that Brynden was unsure what to make of at the moment.

((Sorry Filler....I just felt like it'd been a while since I last posted so I'd throw one in, even if it doesn't really further anything YET, although background is always nice? maybe? lol. I like thought processes, sorry. ;) but Brynden is a quieter charecter so far, and thinks more than he talks, so I'm sorry, but It's all I could think of for now :( ))
 
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