The Lost House

She whipped around to face her friend, but gave a soft smile. This boy, like any thief, was like a brother to her, and he was simply trying to act brotherly. "Look Nick, I'll be fine, alright? You just go, get away. Alright? Trust me, I'll be fine." Her blue eyes flickered towards the stranger. She was surprised by the electrical charges that seemed to be around him, and instantly classified him as some sort of sorcerer or mage. Definably not one to trust. But she pretended to be blind to the magic, and simply responded to his statement.
"Fighting is not necessary. We must simply leave at once. Just, let's go, get out of here. Fighting is not really an option, with one weak and one wounded. Nick, you go, and you two," She spoke to the girl and the wounded man, "Please just agree to come with me?"

As a shadow of a person arrived, Veri thought it was a sailor or a soldier, both bad news, and her hand flew to the hilt of her weapon. But it was another girl, as weak and battered as the first one. It dawned on her that this ship seemed to contain slaves, being sold to wealthy merchants down here, just people picked off the streets and sold to a new, harsher life. She gave a small smile to the newcomer, her lips reaching the tips of the slightly freckled area upon her face. "Another escapee. I seem to be running a service, so please, come with me." She could not stand for slavery, and therefore couldn't help but extend her kind offer to the new girl.
And all this started because you felt like you needed to help a mysterious man. What are you getting into Veri, you idiotic girl?
"And I swear, stranger, I will help you find a boat to the North, but right now we really need to get out of here before the soldiers come!"
 
Nick tought to himself "she aways treats me like she dont care at all for me, we are friends from little and shes still treating me as a stranger, even the strangers are greeted better" Nick then looked at Veri and told her "Havent you notice the guards have suronded us, we have to fight we dont have a choise there is no way to escape" Nick told her waiting to see if the guards are going to attack then he told to Veri "well both of us can climb the house behind us but i dont think the others can" Nick said it puting his daggers back into his belt waiting to see what Veri is going to say.
 
Selene felt herself get picked up, swiftly and easily, by the man who should not have been able to. She did not resist, not even a protest. She was entranced, by the remarkable man that had appeared out of nowhere, whose words were enough to scare an army of sailors, whose warm blood was soaking its way into her stringy black hair. She felt his blood drip down her cheek and into the corner of her mouth. Her body shivered ever so slightly at the taste of it, but no one had noticed it.

The voices of strangers could be heard, first one, a female, then another, and then a third, both male. She heard them, yet nothing registered. She was completely beside herself, trying her hardest to fight the demon that was in her blood. It wasn't until she felt herself stand upright again--obviously having been placed back on the ground--that she regained her senses.

She listened to the exchange between a comical duo, one pulling at the other to leave, but the other resisting. She wanted to laugh in the spirit of the merry scene before her, but her throat was tight and dry. The two of them looked nice enough, despite a certain mischievous aura that surrounded them.

She next turned her attention to the sorcerer. Despite the cloud of mystery that surrounded him, she had already determined that she did not fancy him. He was cocky and arrogant, just like everyone was from the place that she came from.

And then another girl appeared. She did not look familiar, but there was a certain familiarity in her posture. She couldn't quite put a finger on it.

Still, Selene said nothing. She watched as men began surrounding them. She noticed the same royal crest that was embroidered on the tunic was also on some of the men's shields. Realization struck her. He was the royal prince!

She scanned the area for a weapon, but found none. She would be useless if battle ensued. "I think we need to leave. Now."
 
How to escape a ship's port, surrounded by water, with wounded and weak people who are weaponless? Veri liked to put old plans into new ones, for they were always efficient, but this was simply a situation she had never faced before, nor even dreamed of it. And, if she had one day thought of it, she would imagine the people she was with to all be fellow thieves of her Guild, people with whom she grew up with and for whom she would always risk her life for. Not some random strangers off the street that she felt compelled to help. She lent towards Nick as she watched the approaching soldiers. "Nick, you climb that house, attack from there." Her voice was cold, leaving no room for debate. "Just do it when I tell you to, and don't you dare try and be valiant. If they go after you, run away."

She looked to the mage. "I don't know you, but I'm being forced to trust you for a moment here. Use whatever the hell your magic is, get rid of guards." Taking one of her daggers from her belt, she handed it to the first slave girl who came, for the second newcomer seemed too battered and weak. "Take this, just in case. When the guards get close enough, I will do my best to make an opening. Take your wounded friend and the other slave girl, and escape. I'll watch your back. Bleeding boy, do you know where Fortuna's Fountain is? Even if you don't, any local can help you. Go there; I'll meet you after I get the rest of the guards off my tail. I will then bring you and your friends to a safe place. Everyone got it? Don't debate it, just do it." She said, affirming her status as the temporary leader. It was a hasty decision, and she hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. "Now get ready, because they are almost here…"

A small smile graced her lips. "Oh, and for later, just call me Veri. After I do a Veri good job at saving your buts."
 
Aleron looked at the little group that had emerged, his posture becoming that of a cornered wolf, anger showing on his face, with the furrowing of his dark brows, the splay of black hair in his face. He drew the sword scabbard again, never pulling out the blade. He looked at the small party. "If the guards are foolish enough to come..." he watched as they approached. The guards were here. They were dressed in fine, silver platemail, with blue tabards. The Crest of his house was emblazoned in light blue thread, flapping gently in the sea breeze. They had halbreds in their arms. They were responsible for his injuries. And if he had to kill them, he would. And he did.

"There's no choice now." He said flatly, "They have chosen death. They cannot...return to the palace to say that I was alive. That I was ever here at all." He narrowed his blue eyes. They were as sharp as glass, as blue as ice, and harsher than any winter. "And now they have seen me." The guards looked amongst themselves, and then at Aleron. "Prince Aleron..." The first one said. He was the Captain of the Guards. His name was Renethal. Aleron had known him since he was two years old. He had taken care of him. Protected him from harm. And now, he would try to kill him. Renethal continued, "How do you yet live? Return wha-"

His words were cut-off. Aleron had shoved, with a good amount of the force, the scabbard through the Captain's chest, and withdrew it in one swift motion. Renethal sank like a stone, his blood spraying across the ground, mixing with Aleron's own. He sheathed the scabbard looking at the guards with his flinty eyes, and then down at the girl he had only recently been carrying. "We will leave." He looked at the other companions, and the remaining unit of guards, "After these gentlemen," he nods his head to the thief, "And lady. Help us elude them. Through violence. Or otherwise."
 
Veri watched as the guards approached, her ready hand resting upon her leather belt, hidden behind the draping folds of her cape. About to attack, she accidently stalled as the guards spoke, and she could not help but turn her gray blue eyes in wide astonishment to the bleeding man. The Prince of their homeland, Prince Aleron, was standing among slaves and thieves against his own soldiers and men. And running from them, like a fugitive.

She wondered if the simple fact that he was the Prince is what compelled her to come to his aid, but dismissed it as a ridiculous idea. It wasn't like she knew he was the Prince beforehand, and Nick obviously didn't feel the same pull as she did; only helping because his sister-in-arms was there. It wasn't really time to debate that, at the moment, and she returned her focus to the battle, all too glad the soldiers hadn't taken action in her brief moment of distraction and had killed her. She watched as the Prince stabbed the soldier with his scabbard, and, next in taking action, she removed her hand from her cloak, expertly throwing a small throwing knife into the forehead of an unhelmed guard while tripping a second and sticking a stiletto into his throat. "Nick, go!" she shouted, hoping her friend would climb the nearby rooftop. Grabbing the stiletto from the dead guard's neck, her swift feet readied themselves. Thieves had head-on conflict occasionally, but it never lasted long before they fled and caught their pursuers in a deadly trap. Here, that wouldn't work, with all the people around her to protect. She wondered how she would fare in this battle, and hoped her newfound companions would take the first chance they got to escape…
 
Nick quickly clibed the the building then saw Veri fighting on her own, Nick hhad to help her, but previously he heared that the bleeding guy was the Prince, Nick was wondering why are his own guys attacking him and are trying to kill him it was very confusing, and what is he doing with bunch of thievs. a mage and two slaven girls. Nick tought about this but ther was really no time for such thing. Nick quickly got his daggers out of his belt, then he stood in a battle pose and jump from the rooftop heading right into two guards, Nick spread his hands cuting the head of two guards, then he said "Need some help" Nick jumped one guard and stabed him in the back, he then throw a knife right into a guards neck. Nick countinue fighting with Veri, but Nick then saw that there are more guards coming this way "Veri there are more coming, we cant take them all" Nick then kicked one guard he fell on the ground and he stabed in the neck. Nick didnt notice but behind him was a guard with a swored in hand, the guard almost killed Nick but he blocked the swored with his dagger, Nick then kicked the guy and cut his head off.
 
This scene was too familiar. People collapsed left and right, blood staining everyone and everything around them as they came for her, but this time people weren't trying to murder her alone. They were trying to murder others too. Her logic felt twisted, but Halla felt better that she wasn't the only target. Yet the cold blanketing her skin, the emerging sting and warmth of blood from her side, and the weariness of hunger and thirst bogged down her ability to attempt a fight for her life. Hallian wasn't even a fighter in the first place, she was much too soft and completely untrained. With a shake of her head, she took two steps back. There was nothing she could do to help herself. Not one thing.

But she couldn't just give up. Though she was not a fighter, she would not just lay down and die. A tiny fire lit up behind dark blue eyes, and she whirled her head around to her sort-of comrades.

"Give me a weapon. Now!" A guard was already approaching her with caution like she was a small dog he didn't want to harm unless necessary.
 
Selene took the dagger, it was heavy and sharp enough so that any novice could deal damage, but not so heavy that it would cause wrist injuries later. Once Veri had finished talking, she looked at the girl dressed in similar, thin garments as herself. Selene then watched as the male thief ran off to his designated ambush spot and waited for the opening.

Just then, she watched as the prince took a swift stab at the man who's armor and weapons were adorned with a more intricate design than the rest of the soldiers--no doubt a high ranking man. She shielded her eyes and looked away from the bloody sight. She could not stand it.

The moment for her to escape was soon to come, but heavy doubt was washing over herself. Veri had told her to take the girl and run, but the girl had braced herself for battle, looking ready to stay and fight, at least on the outside. More than that, could Selene really take this girl to safety even if they ran?
 
Eamon's hand was poised, the electricity in his palm making a high pitched screech. A guard tried attacking him from his flank, unwittingly getting too close for Eamon's comfort. With one swift motion Eamon spun around and unleashed the bolt directly into the man's chest. A resonating cracking sound could be heard before the guard's sword dropped from his hand and he collapsed to the ground.

He turned to face more of them only to notice the two young girls had still not run for cover. The others were all standing their ground but this was not the plan at all. Eamon's legs carried him quickly over to the two girls location, his long green cloak flowing behind him as he was reaching out a hand towards both of them. "Get your heads down, you fools!" He barked at them, grabbing each one by the wrist and pulling them together. They began to disappear, Eamon using his magic to render the three of them invisible. "If the rest of you insist on this fight then fine by me! I'll be the one to get these two somewhere safe. I'll bring them to the area you described, Veri. When you lot finished up here, meet us there."
 
Dancing away from the guards on her swift feet, she held up her stiletto in defense as she fetched her only other dagger and handed it to the second slave girl between attacks. She did not have time to question if the girl was fit or not for battle. If she wanted to fight, Veri would let her have a chance. It would at least improve the other girl's chances of surviving slightly.

Darting in and out of the fray, giving a stab to the arm there, a scratch across the face there, she began wishing she had more room to perform her usual fighting maneuvers. She was so engrossed in the simple act of survival that she could not yell at Nick to attack from afar, although the rage and the extra member to protect added some fuel to her battling.

She heard the mage's voice, and replied without ever ceasing her dance amongst the swords. "Alright, take all those who can't fight away. It'll make things easier. We'll try and finish this off. If we survive, we'll come." She was starting to doubt she they would get to meet them…
 
Aleron fought with his scabbard, drawing it in a single quick motion. He was fighting his own men. The men who, he reasoned in his mind, had a death wish. They should have fled. They should have let him be. But instead, they were trying to apprehend him. And there was no excuse for that. No excuse for betraying the prince. No excuse for the prince betraying them. His scabbard connected with limbs and heads. It was not like a scabbard - it wasn't being used as a club - but rather a bladed implement that was more an executioners axe than a sword. In Aleron's hand, it severed whatever it struck.

The pale black prince and the cursed scabbard. It could have been a cliche, at one point in time. But for the moment, there was only this terrible prince standing on a mound of shed limbs, heads rolling, blood gushing. Some of the blood was his own. The hole in his chest made a red waterfall down the front of his shirt. He looked at the guards, and then at the rouge- her dancing blades making minced meat of anybody who came near.

They were all dead now. All the guards. Wiping the blood from the scabbard on the hem of his tunic, he stared at the rogue. "I had no intention to kill anybody." He frowns, "But If this is what gets me out of the city, so be it." He narrows his flinty blue eyes, "I assume we should meet up with those girls."
 
As the last man fell to the scabbard, Veri took a moment to close her gray blue eyes to calm her turning stomach. Death was not a new sight, and she was used to being within the Grim Reaper's band, dealing their share of murder with quick stabs to the head and the slitting of throats. She was a murderer, but she only killed when it was truly needed, only wounding unless there was no other option. This, what they had just done, was like a massacre. There were body limps and head strewed about, and all those at the port had fled from the battle. Their band of thieves always gave the quickest, cleanest kill they could manage.
Scabbards were not exactly clean weapons.

Taking a few shallow breathes, she opened her eyes, and nodded. "Very few ever wish for death upon others. Although as necessarily calls, it is needed. As for intention, fate does not always agree with it. I came here with the intentions to help and heal, not kill and destroy." She shrugged. "Fate is a fickle lady."

She bent over to wipe her bloody stiletto on one of the few bits of unstained cloth that one of the guards sported. Slipping it back into her belt, she stepped over the dead bodies. "But the Lady of Fortune did help us against the odds, and now we meet by her fountain. We shall fetch the others, and we shall hide all of you until the next ship to the North comes."
 
Caught up in the battle and the blood, Halla heard nothing that was being said. A swirl of green in her peripherals drew her attention, and she spun as if ready for an attack. Instead she saw only the mysterious man that was one of her sort-of-comrades, and she heard that she was being taken somewhere safe. Relief visually saturated her entire body. She was okay. Soon she would eat, and have water, and rest. Her eyes stared into the air blindly, waiting for the change of scenery to occur. Magic was nothing new to Hallian; she recognized its touch as if it were her own mother. A tiny amount of energy seeped from Halla to any other user of magic within twenty feet. It was like a little gift. It was the last of her energy, but she didn't need it for the moment, and it's not like she could have used it for anything else. So she gave it away.

Within her relief though... Halla was the slightest bit worried about her other "comrades." She hoped she would see them again.
 
Nick stabed the last guard in the stomach he than turned around cuting his head off, blood sprang all around his body, the situation was bad he had helped others and they werent any thievs, it wasnt his ide but he could get over it he wanted to help Veri so he didnt had a choise. Nick tried to clean the blood from his face and hands as much as he could, but he was still covered in blood, Nick puted his blooded daggers in his belt and walked where Veri was, he than puted his hand on her shouwder covered in blood and said with a relifed voice "Well atleast we won" he smiled and looked at Veri "So lets go where the others are, they must be waiting for us".
 
Selene had been watching Eamon as he conjured a weapon made of lightning and stabbed it with a crackling noise into a nearby guard. The lightning penetrated a fatal wound into the guard's guts, however, it laid harmless in Eamon's hands. She watched in awe. This must be magic. Suddenly, the sorcerer she had been watching so intently had disappeared, and instead, Selene felt a slight breeze stir in the air as soon as Eamon arrived beside her and the other girl. She had been watching him the whole time, yet how did he appear behind her so quickly?

She didn't have time to ponder this fact before the sorcerer performed another puzzling trick. Suddenly, her vision became distorted, as if she was behind a glass or some sort of veil. She stared at the guards who had been eying her just moments before and the guards look as if they were staring through her rather than at her like they had been doing just seconds before. She realized that somehow they had become invisible.

She would be able to escape. She took her first sigh of relief since she had been forced onto a slave ship and began running, with the sorcerer and the girl towards the rendezvous point. Behind her, she could hear the deafening sounds of groans as men met their deaths and metal and weapons clanged viciously against another, but it was the spilling of blood the resonated clearly in her head. She clamped her hands over her ears as she ran, and was glad that she would not have to see any of it.

After the three of them arrived, she waited for the others to join them. It wasn't long, but to Selene, it felt like eternity. Selene had felt each trick of sweat as it moved from her forehead to her cheeks, and finally down to her neck before it finally dried out.

She saw Aleron first, then Veri, and then Nick trailing behind. They looked tired, but they were a welcoming sight. Aleron in particular stood out. She now noticed the gracefulness in his movements and the extra elegant firmness in his footsteps that only a prince bore.
 
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