Re: Forsaken Wolves IC (RES n ETHEREAL)

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Mon Oct 25, 2010 10:04 pm

Catching the apple as Zied returned, Tyth noticed he seemed a little....off. She didn't know him well enough to determine his exact mood but she felt he was different. Not bothering to voice her observation, the white haired woman gripped the apple a little harder before taking a small bite out of it.

It was sweeter than most of the others she had sampled...

Smiling despite herself, she nodded her silent thanks to him and swallowed fully. Delicious.

However, when she heard the name 'Mist Ravens', she paused in taking another much wanted bite. Life was rather cruel, especially when she wanted to do something.

Lowering the apple like fruit away from her lips, Tyth met the mismatched eyes of her partner with an serious expression. Maybe now was her chance to dig into him? A smirk tugged at her lips despite the grave news of the guild name he asked about.

"You've taken out people on your jobs and you've never encountered one of them? A newbie, you must be."

Sitting back down on her butt, Tyth held the fruit with both hands as she stared into the space in front of her with a blank face.

"They are ruthless in their extreme amount of in sync teamwork in taking down their targets. Just when you think one is taken care of, the tables turn and its close to over. Rumors were told that they were trained to be in the presence of each other for over five months, blindfolded only."

Shaking her head to herself, Tyth took another bite from the apple then swallowed, "Their use of teamwork combined with speed is a signature of their guild name, as they are sometimes thought to have disappeared from sight only to appear a second later without so much as a blink while attacking. I've only encountered them once and that was nine years ago. We were decent enough in teamwork to hack and slash en mass so fora breif few minutes, we were at a stalemate and then.....they were gone."

Closing her eyes, she bit half the apple and chewed silently.

"That's all I know."

by Ethereal Tue Oct 26, 2010 1:12 am

Newbie. How long has it been since he was last called a newbie? Zied could barely remember. Those days where he would botch a job just because he couldn't keep up with a swift legged target, those days where he would complain about not having eaten throughout a two day trek to the job location, the days where he would often go to an isolated place just to drown himself in guilt after having killed someone, those days were long gone.

The white-haired mercenary stopped in his tracks after hearing a jab coming from his female partner. On most days, he would come up with a witty comeback, but this was not most days. Zied pondered on his mercenary life, trying hard to recall the memories of having fought difficult battles and having overcome dangerous situations. There were a great many and yet he couldn't remember an instance where he heard of the Mist Ravens. He was not one for names but there are certain names out there that are hard to forget once they made themselves known.

Resting his back against a tree, Zied crossed his arms before his chest, ignoring the trickling blood that almost dried up on his wounds. Apparently, his female partner had her share of stories about the Mist Ravens. According to Tythlany, the Mist Ravens is an elusive guild comprised only of the elite with top-class teamwork capabilities. For a lone wolf like Zied, he was not impressed. Tyth had battled them before but for whatever reason she had for doing so, it was kept in the dark. Not that it mattered, Zied was just made curious by it.

The battle between them, according to her ended up in a stalemate. If that was how it really went, then there was no need for concern.

"Stalemate eh? Heh! That only means two things, either you're not good enough to take them down or they're really that good." he mocked.

Not that he doubted her talents, she was not yet at her prime and she was just getting things back on track. Either way, something about the Mist Ravens doesn't sit right with him. If they were a bunch of highly-skilled mercenaries, then why was there a need for them to outsource their jobs? What reason could have driven them to rely on other guilds to do their bidding? Zied looked up into the sky as if the answer was there. Truth is, he was just as lost as a stray kitten about the Mist Ravens.

"I would love to face one of them in combat, or maybe I have already killed some of them... Heh! Who cares anyway? As long as they pay us our money after we get the job done, that's fine."

Pushing himself off the tree, Zied looked at Tyth in displeasure. She was back down on her butt munching on the apple-like fruit he gave her. "Like a kid eating sweets... cute, but get a move on..." he said in a snarly tone and turned around. She could throw anything at him if she wanted to, he would just dodge it anyway. The forest was getting slightly uncomfortable and the sooner they're both back on the road, the better.

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Wed Oct 27, 2010 5:26 am

So that was it and she was internally proud that she finally noticed a certain change in him. His barbs and harsh comments were more....potent then before. Could the old man he had run off to see said or done something to royally mess with her partner's mood? Whatever it was, he was venting it when he lashed out but for the most part held it all back.

That wasn't good and she honestly didn't want for him to turn on her if he finally cracked and blew up. Men like that just don't think, just lose themselves in the hard waves of anger until they are spent. It was just ugly, and she really didn't want to see that happen to Zied.

Using the pumping irritation, annoyance, pent up anger and wrath to fuel her working limbs, Tyth let her vision clear as she let her long lost instincts come forth once again. Shooting forward, she angled her body so there was less wind resistance as she bowled forward. It was dirty but she knew surprising him like this in his state of mind had its brief benefits. She wouldn't be able to get a chance like this for a while under normal circumstances. Hell he would down right just not trust her any less than he already did but it was chance she knew she had to try.

Out of shape or no, impressive or no, she was going to wake him up.

Catching the fabric of cloth covering his side in a death grip as he turned to dodge when he sensed she was close, she used the withering remains of high dosage of energy to push him hard on his back and trap him beneath her by holding down his arms and legs with her own.

When she felt him start to move to shove her off, she opened her eyes to give him a full angry glare.

"ENOUGH!" she screamed as loud as she could that it echoed in the air around them for a few seconds. She had made sure she was close enough to his face so her voice seriously was met with his ears.

"I've had it with your attitude, I've HAD it with your dismissive demeanor and your hurtful remarks! I'm not like the rest of the scums you've deal with, who demean you and talk down to you for whatever reason."

When he struggled to break free, she furiously fought to keep him down. Her eyes glittered like black burnt coals as she glared angrily down at him, trying to get him to listen. Her dirty hair fell around her shoulders in disheveled, clumpy lumps of pale strands.

"NO! Quit seeing everyone the same way, quit expecting everything to be the same! I may not be as good as I once was, so the hell what! Everyone has their reasons, whether it be smart or stupid! You don't get to pass opinion on everything just because life had taught YOU better!!!!!!!! For once instead of replying with whatever I say with some damn demeaning and harsh remark, you could just keep it to yourself!"

Her chest was heaving from her scream and her breath was coming in gasps. Closing her eyes as a few stray tears feel, she clenched her eyes shit and used his chest to keep herself up since she was sitting on his chest with one leg on either side, leaning against his ribs.

"I don't act like a normal mercenary. Not a typical one. Not any more. I made that choice and you'll just have to live with it. I don't go back on my word and so you are s.t.u.c.k. with me unless you kill me. I'm tired of hearing your words like I have to hurt along with whatever else you're venting your moods at."

Standing up on shaky legs from her lack coming down from her angry moment, she stared down at him who has lying between her spread legs. Her gaze was filled with pity and hurt.

"I'll spar with you, I'll wrestle with you, I'll argue with you, I'll take it however you need to let it out, but I will not let you keep whatever it is that is bothering you inside yourself. Got it?"

Tossing the rest of the trashed apple into the woods one jerking it out of her trouser pocket, Tyth turned away to hide her face from showing him the lone tear streaming down her cheek. If he attacked her, let him.

"Now get up and lets get moving. If you start hacking away at trees or whatever, I'll understand. Just don't start acting like some brooding ass who has to dish some verbal abuse to make himself feel better. Those men just make me crazy."

Looking towards the direction of East, Tyth glanced back at her partner as she was still standing over him and offered a hand to him slowly with her eyes were now refusing to look into his.

"We need to get our first target. Night is almost here."

Would he attack her? Now was his chance. She had no real energy left to defend at this point. If she was dead weight, if she hurt his feelings or made him feel like trash then now was his chance to get rid of her. She was ready. She was offering him a chance to get back at her like he usually did with his remarks.....

by Ethereal Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:46 pm

She grabbed him. It was the first physical contact he had in a long time that does not involve killing people. Her grip was strong and he was caught slightly off-guard. He never expected her to lunge at him like a tigress pouncing on prey. He fell to the ground hard and her added weight on him only made his fall harder. However, somewhere along the brief moment before his back hit the ground, his eyes met hers. For a moment he found her eyes... beautiful.

It was filled with genuine emotion, negative or not, it was probably the most captivating thing he ever saw in a long, long time. Of course, Zied struggled to break free. He never did liked the idea of being pinned down by a woman. But she fought hard, keeping him pinned down with all her might. He could have just tossed her away if he wanted to but he held back, if only just a little bit he held back. A part of him wanted to see what she would pull off in the spur of the moment.

Then she let loose all the emotion of her hatred for his attitude. She lashed at him verbally, making her point crystal clear for Zied to understand. She did not want to be treated like a nuisance, she wanted - no, she demanded his respect. Tyth wanted to understand Zied and was implying that he should do the same, they were partners now after all. What was he supposed to do? This was him, this is how he is and it would be hard for him to just suddenly change because she made her point. Nonetheless, Zied always knew that he could make an exception.

Getting close to people never felt right for a lone wolf like him. He got this far on his own, he was doing fine on his own and he never depended on anyone else. Why should he start now? Then she stood up, turning around to avoid his mismatched eyes. A glitter that sparkled briefly caught his attention. Were they tears? Did he just see her cry? Never in his life had Zied imagined that his stone cold heart would be moved by anything. Still, this woman's tears actually made him feel... bad.

She turned around and offered him her hand to help him get up. After all that jazz of emotions, she was trying to act like her usual self? Zied was neither angry nor was he frustrated, he was... confused. Women had always been hard to understand, that's what he heard from some guys talking in the bar. He never knew that what they were saying was real until now. He took her offered hand and got back to his feet but did not release her hand as soon as he was back up. He pulled her hard, closer to him until both their bodies gently slammed into each other.

He could feel the heat of her skin from the bare parts of her clothing, he could feel her muscles tighten as if ready to react for anything. Her breath, her eyes, the slight trace of tears in them... the details of her, he took them all in. He was silent, his breathing calm and collected. She would have expected him to be angry, but he was not. In his eyes were nothing but gentleness. He stared at her with those gentle mismatched eyes for a moment that felt like it lasted for minutes. He broke the silence by raising his right hand slowly to avoid freaking her out. He brushed his fingers on her cheek ever so lightly in a gesture of wiping away her non-existent tears. Zied was absolutely not himself, this was the person he used to be that died a long time ago... the real Zied.

Her skin was unbelievably soft and smooth. A trait of her that he found pleasing. His hand continued to move until it got tangled up in her disheveled hair. Zied combed through her hair ever so gently, trying not to hurt her in the slightest by accidentally pulling even a single strand of her hair. She was uncomfortable, he knew that she would be for this was obviously not what she expected of him.

As his hand combed through the tip of her hair, Zied smiled at her. A smile completely different from the smile he always put on when he was "him", the mercenary. His smile this time was sincere, a true smile.

No words were said. To Zied, there was hardly any need for them.

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Wed Oct 27, 2010 11:07 pm

Tyth had acted like a real, emotional woman just now. It felt great to let it out for once. Brant had made sure she never held anything back for if she did, she would hurt others.

Her black eyes widened from complete shock at the unprecedented turn of events. A wave of deja vu mixed with her shock as the warmth of his hand leaked through their tangled fingers and slowly registered into her brain. Of all the reactions she expected from him, this was definitely not one of them! He seemed to like making her run around and pulling her close when he really wanted to make a point. Or just plain mock her, she wasn't quite sure as of yet.

Still.....golden eyes flashed through her fuzzed brain with memory and she gasped with a sharp inhale of breath. Gulping down nothingness in her suddenly dry mouth, Tyth let her body relax and she slowly nodded her head.

He understood. Good. Her peace of mind was settled for now.

Slowly pulling her hand half way from his gently grip, she clenched her eyes shut at the gentle gaze he set on her and gave him a shaky smile.

"Thank you."

Taking a step back so their bodies weren't touching any more and giving her a chance to breath once again, Tyth tugged on his hand to urge him to start walking then completely separated their fingers. He took her by surprise and honestly, she didn't want to touch him right now. His mood swings confused her with his snarly comments and dismissive demeanor, then he suddenly just looks at her as if she were...were....

Shaking her head, she reached down for her bag that was a few feet away and tugged it on her shoulder so she was ready to go. She lost her sword in the last battle but she was sure to be able to find a new one. Any weapon would do. She just needed some different thoughts to bring herself to ignore him for a while.

Looking eastward again and taking a step forward in that direction, she waited patiently for them to leave, "and I thought I told you not to pull a stunt like that again. Do you want me to hurt you?"

She gave him a hesitent smile, hoping this got them on their usual rhythm of mismatched arguments. Anything to take the tingling feeling from her skin. She didn't want to think about those strange, tingling zips of sensational mysteries. She didn't.

by Ethereal Thu Oct 28, 2010 1:05 am

"and I thought I told you not to pull a stunt like that again. Do you want me to hurt you?"

Zied knew she wouldn't. If she really meant that, it would have shown in her eyes the moment he pulled off that "stunt". He shook his head sideways and began walking eastward. This woman pulled out a man long lost in the abyss of darkness. How she managed to do that with words baffled him. Perhaps it's a kind of mystery best left unsolved. For now, he was satisfied with what he did. Tythlany Nightfox, something about her got him thinking.

The journey to the eastern town of Eindir was that of a silent one. Zied refrained from speaking to Tyth or engaging her in small talk. She was actually a shy woman, according to his observation of course. He smiles at her occasionally when their eyes met. Although it was mostly faint smiles, they were all genuine and came from his heart. He found it amusing that she would suddenly look away and pretend she did not see him smile, or mostly pretend that he was still the Zied that usually mocked her or snapped at her with abrasive comments.

Since they had no food with them, Zied would sometimes veer off the road into the forest then come back out with something for them to nibble. Of course, he only picked the wild fruits which were actually good for the body and had a pleasing taste. Overall, the rest of their journey was uneventful but nonetheless good.

People, civilization, residents, businessmen. It was always annoying to have to go through a flock of people inside a town. Eindir had been well-known for their weapons and armor shops, a paradise for those people who needed or used such things. Apart from the fine weapons and armor shops, Eindir also had a wide selection of sundry shops to choose from. Anything you need, you can find in Eindir, if Zied remembered correctly. However, they were not in town to shop... well, maybe a little but they were here to find a man and take him out. In order to do that though, they would require information. Zied knew exactly where to gather some.

Eindir had fine bars, all they had to do was to pay them a visit. If all goes well, they would find lodging at the town's inn then set out to complete their job at night. Assuming this town's mercenary guild doesn't get in their way, Zied figured they would be out of here in a day or two. What are the chances that the mercenaries of this town won't get in their way? Slim. Zied recalled an occasion where he had to muscle his way out of a bar because he was a mercenary from a different guild. With Tythlany accompanying him, it could probably go farther than a normal bar fight. Zied turned his head back to look at Tyth from the corner of his black eye. She was eye-candy, certainly a reason for the rumored all-male mercenary guild to get rowdy. Zied sighed and shook his head sideways.

"It can't be helped I guess..." he mumbled and walked on towards one of this town's finest weapon shops. "Come on, let's find you a weapon. You'll be needing one when we start gathering information." Zied said and walked on. "Heh! You'll be surprised at the amount of barfights I'll have to deal with later on..." he added. "And since I'm with a sweet and innocent woman such as you," he continued while shaking his head sideways. "I just know we're going to get a lot of attention. If you've been here before, then you know what I mean." Zied finished.

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Thu Oct 28, 2010 4:43 am

Tyth followed near him the entire journey, avoiding his gaze. She had seen enough looks like that from men thrown at women to know it's meaning. It was something she didn't want to deal with.

The risky town of Einder was a place she honestly couldn't remember ever passing through. A bar about as same as any other so she was prepared for that sort of scene. Her two years experience as a waitress helped in that thought too.

As they entered a weapons shop, she noted the mounted blades and other weapons along the walls and shelves of the shop. Many were very well made, some even made of Adamantine and diamond. She let her fingertips graze the smooth sides of the blades or an intricately designed handle. Her eyes softened as she took in the details and estimated in her mind the time it took for each weapon to be made.

Smiling, she pointed to a white broad blade of sparkling Kilamite hanging behind the shopkeeper and nodded when the keeper asked if she was sure. She knew the blade was large and heavy but she could take it. The muscles in her arms and wrists were abnormal after all. Looking down at her left sword arm, she clenched then unclenched her hand. Narrowing her eyes at her limb, she looked up as the keeper pulled the sword down and placed it on the counter between them.

Pulling out her money pouch, she laid out twice the amount the money was worth and claimed it to be a tip for the man's shop. He took it gladly and she sheathed her new sword, turning to Zied.

"I may look innocent but I'm anything but. Brant has a way of teaching one to look deceiving and it fits my lifestyle. You of all people can agree to that."

Walking out of the store, she noted the sign of the shop for future purchases. This place was decent enough, considering the shady reputation of the town. Figures since most were probably high quality works stolen from hard working blacksmiths. After a few moments, she decided to head towards the nearest bar. They needed information and this was the town they were sent for their target.

Looking over her shoulder as she strapped her new sword to her left hip, she looked at Zied knowing he would be there, scowling like usual.

"Do you have any idea which bar is the most popular, gives discounts, has a daily show performance or something? That narrow down our search since our guy is probably looking for a good time at the best place possible. You come into enough money, you can afford any place you want. Any ideas?"

Tying her long jacket closed around her chest, Tyth smiled to herself of the comfort of the worn jacket sliding over the skin of her arms. She bought this jacket two years ago before she resigned from Mercenary status and everyday use can be seen in its worn buttons.

The familiar weight of a blade at her hip reminded her of their purpose here. It was time to get cracking on some prey they sent to take down. Let the hunt begin. A gleam flickered in her eyes but died before meeting Zied's as she turned to him on one heel of her boots.

"Well?"

by Ethereal Wed Nov 03, 2010 4:38 am

Playtime is over. Zied knows that fact full well yet he cannot help but wonder why Tyth had to put up a facade, that she was raring to go and finish their job when it was her own choice to leave the life of a mercenary behind. It was something his inquisitive mind failed to grasp even after giving it a thought. Was she living her life in denial? Or does she truly enjoy being a mercenary? Those questions remained in the dark and Zied knows that the answers to them will come... in time.

"Fair enough," he mumbled and walked past her. Pointing westward from where they were in town, Zied looked back at her. "there's a bar they call The Pit this way. If we're after information, that's certainly the place where we should be." he finished.

The Pit, a run-down joint that withstood a long history of conflict between mercenaries and information brokers. Not that the joint started shabby, it was just that the numerous bar fights it witnessed caused the owner to finally decide to just let the place crumble. Of course, in this world where money is of the utmost importance, who would want to spend their revenues just to repair stuff that got broken out of sheer drunken stupor?

Regardless, The Pit serves fine liquor and is home to this town's most luscious waitresses, those facts alone is enough for the crumbling joint to garner numerous patrons from nearly all walks of life. Sometimes on rare occasions, someone from the elite status could be seen wasting away time and good money in the said joint. Not that it always ends well for their type, it just so happens that in The Pit, critical information is also among the items in the menu. All one needs would be good bargaining skills, fighting skills to back them up just in case something goes wrong, and a ton of money in their pockets.

As Zied led the way to the bar, eyes that wandered upon him were followed by the buzzing sound of gossip. The people who saw him coming from a distance would either avoid his eyes or make way as he and his female companion passed through. These gestures by the townsfolk made him remember some of his past escapades in this town.

There was this one mission that he would rather forget but the people he sees in front of him would not allow him to do so. It was a cold winter night when he first set foot in this town. He was on a job, the target was a group of rogues who was said to be stealing from one of the elites who lived in the neighboring city. They were locals of this town and according to the townsfolk, the money that they steal from the elites was always used for the benefit of Eindir's people. Zied found them in The Pit and slaughtered them all in broad daylight. He could still remember the horror in the eyes of the people as he snuffed out the lives of the bandits one by one. He was supposed to be doing his job and yet as he carried out his job, Zied felt like he was stripping away all the hope of those who lived in Eindir.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Zied stopped when The Pit was already in his sights. "It's going to be rough from here on out," he said and drew out his katars. "I am never really welcomed in there." he finished.

The hustle and bustle inside the bar could be heard even from a few feet outside; it was always like this. However, when Zied walked through the bar's front entrance, silence filled the atmosphere. It was like time stopped for The Pit's patrons when their eyes met Zied's.

"Heh! Tyth, I suggest you draw your blade, it's going to get ugly."

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Thu Nov 04, 2010 3:57 am

She followed her white haired partner toward The Pit a mere step behind. When she heard him say he wasn't welcome, she was about to ask him why when the sudden silence as they entered put her senses on high alert. Nothing, nowhere and no person became that quiet so suddenly for any good reason. This fact she knew from a great deal of experience. What she was starting to learn that was even more guaranteed then that simple fact? That Zied seemed to seduce violence into stalking his every footstep.

She seriously wondered if he was dropped on his head as a baby for getting so many ruffians pissed at him at the rate he went.

Rolling her eyes upward behind him as he pulled his sword out, she figured she could save her wounds from reopening by settling this matter with not having to resort to violence at each and every turn.

Stepping forward, Tyth placed a firm hand on the wrist of his sword arm and pushed down until the blade was vertical with the floor. Holding the arm firmly in her grip, she tugged him forward to follow her and headed straight for The Pit's bar. Now was not the time for them to be attacked en mass when they were so close to getting some good information.

Narrowing her eyes in a stern but serious death glare for further intimidation, Tyna let go of Zied's arm once they arrived at the bar and motioned the bartender forward with two fingers. Sweeping the space around her and her partner, she figured she had a good few seconds before her little glare wore off. Twitching her cheeks to move the stiff muscles above her cheekbones, she realized again how tiring after a few years a deadly glare could feel when not practiced properly.

"We hate the man you brought in, and he has less than a second to live any longer," the man sneered nastily, his eyes burning with hatred as he raked a glare over Zied's form.

An interested gleam suddenly lightened the bartender's eyes as he leaned closer, letting his hand rest close to hers and his putrid breath was heavy with stale alcohol, "Unless you're interested in putting reward on his no good ass, for that we'll all chip in a coin round here just to tear him apart."

Ignoring the barkeep and his nasty breath, Tyna tugged Zied closer again until his arm was pressed against hers. Reaching into her jacket, she noticed several bodies around them closing in, ready to pounce and lunge at her partner. She wanted to smack him upside the head for pulling whatever he did to make everyone here hate him, but knew that would just cause someone to attack first. Pulling out three slips of high quality, Republic dollars of 200 each. Then with two fingers, she slammed down a green and silver minted coin, the face up side engraved with seventeen various weapons crossing tips at the middle then covered with the two letters that were hidden under her two finger tips.

Letting go of Zied again, knowing his was getting bothered by her jerking him around, she pulled the bartender closer until their noses were nearly touching.

"The dollars are for buying drinks on the house by me. The coin is me telling you that if you don't have your customers leave and my partner untouched, then I won't hesitate to level this place with him in tow," she murmured in a dangerous tone, lifting her fingers just enough for the barkeep to see the two letters on the top of the coin. The barkeeps breath, and a peeking man to her left gasped aloud, only to recoil from her but the barkeep had been jerked back to her face after his first attempt.

"Are these terms agreeable?" she asked, raising a brow. The barkeep nodded and she let him go.

"That be agreeable, Miss. DRINKS ON THE HOUSE, LADS!"

As the man to her left whispered two words, 'Olisiur' and 'Saints' only for it to ripple around the room, she smiled a wry smirk. Soon the surrounding members in the tavern eased away from them and went back to their seats, waiting for their free drinks. Turning towards Zied, she gave a small apologetic smile.

"Sorry, but I had to pull rank on this place. I saved your ass so a thanks is in order."

Not bothering to wait for his reply, she reached forward, felt along his side until she found the paper she knew held the job information on their target and thrust it into the barkeeps face since she had not dismissed him and his other fellow bartenders were handing out the free drinks. Pointing to the name that was followed by the town name of his last known location, she locked gazes with the bartender.

"Have you heard or seen this man? If I get an instant answer, I double what I paid and you can do what you want with it."

As the bartender stuttered at her offer, she turned to Zied and raised her eyebrows in a silent question of he was alright. Flipping some hair over her shoulder, she gave another hesitant smile.

by Ethereal Tue Mar 08, 2011 9:35 pm

What was that just now? It felt like the world had turned upside down when an imminent bar fight was stopped by mere words - words that came from a female nonetheless. Unwilling to accept reality as it is, Zied played back every frame of what just happened over and over again in his mind. Tyth came walking in, talked to the barkeep, and then everything calmed down... what was it that he was missing? Ah but of course! There was this slight detail of her pulling something out. Although discreet, the slightest movement would fail to escape highly trained eyes.

What was it that the men saw from Tythlany Nightfox that their demeanor changed nearly in an instant? The air of mystery around the woman just became more and more mysterious. Here he was, thinking that he had done his homework before he scouted his partner but all of a sudden, everything became vague for Zied. Truly this was a time when nobody should place their trust on anybody's shoulder. Not for any reason at all. If he did not know any better, misplaced trust would be the death of him.

Just when things started to lose any sense, that faint smile she gave him was a little bit of both concern and hesitation. It almost felt like she was hoping he wouldn't notice what she did just now. Was it him reading too much into the course of events that played along as he stood there? Regardless, she was now grilling the locals for information, and if he heard it correctly, she would be providing them double the first pay she offered for the info. Zied was never a man of academics and such but it wouldn't take a genius to figure out that the money she will be using to pay for the information would definitely not be coming out of her wage as a guild bartender. Even if she was a former active mercenary, there was just no way she could have saved up so much considering the country's economy. Somewhere in the middle lies a missing link.

Judging this wasn't his scene, Zied loosened up and put on his usual indifferent expression, turned around and walked back the way he came in.

"I'll be outside if you need me... which I seriously doubt seeing you have everything under control..." he said followed by a scoff and stepped out.

Sometimes asking around can be dangerous. But even so, it may also be the easiest way to find what you are looking for. Especially in Zied's line of work, aside from your weapon, information is your second best friend. One can never have too much information on their hands, and if one knows how to play their cards right, one can even make a living with information alone. Of course, there are risks involved but there are still a lot of people who don't consider that a problem. Information Brokers... or mouths as they are more commonly known, is a good example of such people. If only they could find one in this town, their business here would have been so much easier.

A few blocks away from The Pit...

"There's no mistaking it. He's one of them forsaken wolves..." said a cloaked man watching Zied from afar.

The other, busy playing dice between his fingers, looked up to his larger companion and spoke in a mild-mannered tone.

"Interesting that it's him again. Seems like he's become a regular of these requests..." he trailed off.

"Poor bastard. Doesn't have a clue of what he's getting himself into." the larger one replied.

"Indeed, just put up a hefty sum of money and you'll get a bunch of them hungry wolves. Keep an eye on them for now, those are our orders. Though I would be surprised if he completes this request. This one is rather complicated..." the smaller one trailed off again.

His larger companion shifted his gaze away from Zied. "Just in case that he does complete this one, then it will be the time for us to take out the trash."

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:50 pm

She honestly was feeling royally disgusted with herself with what she had just done. It was the actions of the corrupt to force others against their will into a corner like that. But it was for information and she couldn't extract what she needed from brawling drunkards or her partner getting riled up by being challenged to a fight.

Tyth also didn't like remembering how so very little she cared when she tormented others, attacked them and killed others just for a tiny bit of information and a sum of money as a reward. To think she was as mindless and as corrupt as the thieves who scavenged the roadsides once upon a time. Even the thought of the word 'past' made her want to shudder from the images and memories it threatened her eyes to relive.

Steeling her nerves, the white haired woman grilled the bartender and those who he sent her to talk to for answers on their prime suspect. Her narrowed eyes noted their facial expression to determine if they were lying to her or not. If they did, she threw or pressed a nice sharp blade against their favored body parts to get their real answer. After the third man in the tavern she was sent to noticed how she casually threatened the last man, he just jotted down a location name and directions onto a piece of paper before she could reach him.

Paying him nearly as well as the bartender, the woman turned on her heel and strode out of the tavern. The whole way she ignored the barely hidden glances her way or the way their hands itched to reach for their weapons but knowing better of it.

It was a very good idea the Saints, a group in which she used to belong to, had secretly disbanded instead of publicly. There was still some use in the stupid reputation.

Jogging back outside, she scanned the area for her partner. When she did find him, she pocketed the piece of paper and nodded to Zied.

"Got it," she murmured and then jerked her head lightly in the direction in which their possible lead was located. Gazing at his face, she wondered if he was curious at all at her actions earlier. Or maybe even irritated? She did pretty much pushed him around and kinda out of the picture.

Why was it that it suddenly mattered? She may be a woman but now was surely not the time to be acting like a fledgling teenager! Besides, her days as a teen were not normal.

by Ethereal Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:28 pm

"Lead the way." Zied answered.

Little did he pay attention to her curious look. He had other things in mind but all of them mostly revolved around getting their first target off the list. If their target was indeed in this town, all the better. Giving the least of the things in his mind a moment to take the spotlight, Zied began to wonder... Why were these people becoming targets? Who would order them to become prey for the predators and for what reason?

It's not like he hadn't done a couple assassination requests back in the day, but those at least had an ample amount of "need to know" with them. Unlike this anonymous request that they took which had nil. Perhaps it was better to leave things as it is? It might be for their best interest that they know nothing about their employer for this job, or so Zied figured. Shrugging the thought back to where it came from, Zied looked around.

"This town is certainly lively it's exhausting." he commented and sighed a long one after.

It has been a while since they had a good night's sleep indoors. Not only would it be a wise choice to rest up and get back into top shape, resting now would also give them time to talk things over and plan their next move. Based on the information that Tyth gathered - whatever they were, they might need to make certain adjustments with their approach.

Looking over at his white haired partner, a pang of curiosity suddenly made him want to question her. It would seem that he had not yet gotten over what just happened inside The Pit. As his mouth parted and his tongue ready to roll out the first question, he stopped and silently questioned himself first. Would it really matter if he knew? Would it be a hindrance to their job if he did not? The answer came up sooner than he anticipated. Of course not.

"There's a nearby inn up ahead. I'm tired so I'm going to take a break." he said and walked on forward, not caring if Tyth would agree or not. "I need a good meal, a hot bath and a comfortable bed to sleep in anyway." he finished.

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Sat Apr 09, 2011 7:48 pm

Blinking, Tyth remembered that the throbbing in her body was from exhaustion. The thrumming in her veins was the leftover adreniline from her 'introduction' in the Pit. She had not rested in a while and her brain was running on automatic 'mercenary' mode. As her partner walked ahead of her, she flexed her right hand and stared at it with a blank stare. Her veins moved, as did her tendons and muscles. They were still there and would always haunt her...

"I'll meet you there. I want to pin down our target's location before I start relaxing," she murmured and turned on her heel to head in the direction her intel directed her to. Zied would be fine, and she could do with some time away from him. They were new to having a partner in a while, and being around each other too much would surely get their tempers ignited again.

Reaching a seedy bar on the outskirts of town, Tyth inhaled slowly through her nose and out through her mouth. Pushing the door open, she schooled her face into a one that radiated calm and seriousness. She could do this without drawing too much blood.

Brant Oliusier shuffled through several paper records from the archives he was searching through. Scyth sat on the opposite side of the table, his dark purple eyes scanning quickly through several entries before grabbing another clump of papers.

Glancing over his glasses, Brant smiled a little at watching his former student research so hard. Every once in a while, a leather clad hand fingered a shiny pendent through the fabric of his shirt where it rested against his skin.

'I've kept him at my side long enough.' Brant decided and cleared his throat to catch his young friend's attention. Looking up, Scyth paused in shifting to the next page of his stack that was in his hands.

"I know you want to check on her. Go."

The younger man knew an order when he heard one. Carefully setting the papers down, he tugged his coat off the back of his chair and nodded his farewell.

"I'll send one of the others to take my place, Brant."

Chuckling good naturally, the older man removed his glasses from his face and rose one mocking brow, "Do I look like I need a babysitter?"

"It would put us at ease, despite your scary strength."

Sighing, the man nodded and waved Scyth away with a smile.

"Tell Tyth I say hi and bring brief her on the sitution."

Pausing from leaving, Scyth narrowed his eyes in a small glare, "I don't like how these shadows from her past are appearing again."

"I know. Just do what you need to. Jaavi's Anniversary is coming up and for once, Tyth is going to be there."

The young man winced at the steely tone his friend used.

"Got it. Later."

A large muscled man, with plenty of scars littering his whole body, stared hard at the shivering little messenger in front of him.

"Say that again, worm."

"Sir, Nightfox has risen again. Several of our weasals saw her depart from the Wolves' headquarters with some white haired young man. It seems she's back in duty again."

The large man's one milky white eye with a faded iris jerked sideways when he blinked. A sharp, toothy grin stretch his cracked lips as he licked them.

"Get her. Its time she payed for leaving me once and for all. That damned Brant cannot protect her forever. She's mine!"

"And the man?"

"Kill him. I want my White Sinner back."

A thin, bony man with a large nose and dark blue eyes threaded his long fingers through his oily hair. His other hand held a vial filled with a bubbling, clear liquid. Drinking the liquid, he shuddered violently and rolled his eyes back until all was seen was the white of the eyes. Dropping the vial from his twitching fingers, the thin man slumped back into his seat and grinned over at the larger man across from him. Patting his belly, the thin man smirked.

"You plan on feeding it to her again?"

"I made her. I can break her."

by Ethereal Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:40 pm

Having said that he needed a decent place to stay and good food to eat, Zied was surprised that Tyth was not so eager to do the same. They had been traveling for quite some time and even had a nasty forest fight with machines; what could be pushing Tyth into working so hard? Didn't she know that haste usually makes waste? "Tch! Who cares?!" Zied thought. All will be fine so long as Tyth doesn't get herself accidentally killed by exhaustion.

Shrugging his shoulders upon the words of Tyth, Zied proceeded to the Inn. He could use a little 'alone time' anyway; having company was not something he was used to after all. After a few minutes of zig-zagging through the crowd, Zied finally made it to the inn's doorstep. The large wooden doors were not as how he remembered them the last time he was here but of course, it would have been replaced after what has happened back then. Taking a deep breath, Zied pushed the doors open.

"Welcome! Are you looking for a place to stay? We have many fine rooms available upstairs."

The greeting was casual and had a very sweet and friendly female tone to back it up. Zied's eyes soon found out that the source of the voice also had good looks to back both the greeting and the tone. She was a new face, that fact made him wonder what could have happened to the owner of the inn? Perhaps it was for the best that someone new is now looking after the inn. The last thing Zied wanted right now is a hostile encounter. Brushing aside the random thoughts, Zied approached the counter and briefly signed on the inn's log book.

"Room for one and your best full course meal. After sending the food to my room, I want no housekeeping and no disturbances." he demanded.

"O-ok. Here's your room key sir. It's the one at the far end of the east wing. Enjoy your stay!"

The receptionist tried to maintain her friendliness but little effect did it had on Zied to change his usual indifferent facial expression. He grabbed the keys in a hurry and galloped up the flight of stairs heading to his rented room. Some thirty or so minutes later, he was enjoying a hot bath. Soaked inside the tub, Zied enjoyed the peaceful moment. How many chances did he actually get to have moments such as these? They were too few to which made him actually value the opportunity. Closing his eyes for a few minutes, Zied drifted into sleep.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You monster!"

"Murderer!"

"Father..."

"How could you?!"

"Bring him back! Bring him... back..."

"Curse you! Damn you to hell you monster!"

It was his job, it was nothing personal. Accomplishing it was supposed to be rewarding but why was he feeling... guilt? There was blood everywhere he looked. It was not his but from the ones he had just slain. Bodies lay lifeless here and there, postured in either an awkward manner or just plain gruesome. The sight was something horrible to see... for a normal person that is. This was his very first job as a mercenary and he was excited about it... but why was he feeling disgusted about himself all of a sudden?

The bloody mess he created was only worsened by the cries and curses of a lady clutching the lifeless body of the man he calls father. Her tears were an endless stream running down her eyes. Her fine dress, bloodied and soiled. Her voice, full of grief and resentment, cracking and breaking as she hissed and yelled at him. His right arm, the very same one with the hand that held his weapon of choice which he used in the bloodbath, was risen and ready to strike but was held still by the mere thread that was his thoughts.

"Go ahead and kill me you bastard!"

He could... but he would rather not.

"You took everything away from me!"

Lies. This was brought upon her by the man she called father.

"You monster!"

He is not. He is just a man doing his job.

"Just kill me!"

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The sound of footsteps and creaking wood woke Zied up from his light nap. Reflexively, his hand was already holding his sword. He stayed still but not a moment too soon, the aroma of good food wafted into where he was. He let out a sigh of relief when the footsteps faded into the distance followed by the sound of his room's door closing. He was never a fan of fighting naked but he already had encounters of such where he had no choice.

Distractions aside, Zied's thoughts went back to his dream. Not a pleasant one, that much is for sure but then again, he was not someone who had the luxury of pleasant dreams. Almost all his life he had done nothing but deeds that would haunt him someday as nightmares. Rising from the tub, Zied grabbed the towel and haphazardly dried himself before stepping out of the small confine. The moment he opened the bathroom door, killing intent instantly engulfed him. This was something he faced almost on a daily basis and he would never go wrong with how it felt like. After all, killing intent is an element that is present in both people and animals, the mere desire to end someone's life. Not all fighters and mercenaries alike are able to sense this but someone trained and standing on a higher skill platform could, or if someone had some animal instinct.

In a bat of an eyelash or two, Zied brought the hilt of his sword up to cover his face from the incoming projectile thrown from the other end of the room. Metallic noise followed after the throwing knife failed to hit its intended target and landed on the wooden floor. The owner, smirking as he licked another one of his knives.

"Damn... and here I thought you rusted even a little bit after all these years..." the man trailed off and sat on the bed.

"I should have known it was you. You should be dead, why are you still breathing?" Zied asked while taking a few careful steps into a more open space where he took his stance.

"Aww come on! Is that how you greet your friends? Yo! Long time no see... Black Dragon Zied..." the man replied with an annoying smirk playing on his lips.

"What do you want?!" Zied asked, sword on the ready. The instant this man shows an opening, he would take it and obliterate him for good.

"Feisty as always. Tsk! tsk! It would do you no good with the lady you know? Hee! Hee!"

Judging from what he said, this man knew that Zied came with somebody to town. It also gave him the idea that their every move is being watched.

"Don't worry! I didn't come here to fight. Sorry about earlier, I just couldn't pass up the chance to kill you..."

The damn maggot was mocking him but Zied wouldn't bite. It was far too dangerous to fall into whatever this man's plans are and incredibly stupid to fall for his provocations. Zied adjusted his footing a little and gripped the hilt of his sword tighter.

"Oh boy! The mouths here sure are something. I didn't believe it at first that you would come back to this place but here you are, alive and looking well to boot! But let's get down to business... I came bearing a warning and a proposal; two things that you should seriously take into consideration. First, you sure picked a fine lady but Black Dragon, are you sure about her?" the man questioned Zied.

The question suddenly shattered everything he knew about Tyth.

"What do you mean Croix?" Zied asked, his tone dead serious.

"Oooh goodie! You remembered my name! I really like it when you get all serious and stuff, most threatening! Let me put it this way for you, nobody would like to travel with a walking bomb now would they? Hee! Hee! Oh! And secondly, we know why you're here..." the man said and walked over to the window, posing himself to jump.

"I really, really hate the way you speak." Zied said.

"Likewise! Now for the proposal, our new lord has heard about you and is highly interested. He is definitely seeking your servitude. I must say that he tracked and followed your every move for quite some time now..." the man trailed off and let out a sigh of frustration. "... if only you hadn't gone and joined the loser's bunch called Forsaken Wolves, things would have been so much easier... Ta ta Zied the Black Dragon! I hope we don't meet again." Croix finished and leaped out of the window.

"Likewise Croix... likewise." Zied mumbled.

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Tue Apr 12, 2011 3:35 am

Two hours later, Tyth left the bar with a bruised pair of knuckles on her right hand, and an exhausted body. She was right to trust her instincts to scout this place out on her own. Sure enough, one of the name's given to her from the Pit was actually a contact of their target, and he squealed as soon as she none to gently sat on his 'lap'. He tried to dodge her questions but she would not have it, but turns out their target was not in the building. He would return later, but she knew there's a good chance she would scare him off by tomorrow by coming here. These goons would tattle on her presence here, then the target would skip town or something.

So she puled another ace from her sleeve.

"Tell him I'm from the Souther Devils," she whispered the lie into her captive's ear after slinking her arms seductively around his shoulders to rest her cheek against his. The Southern Devils were one of the violent, top gangs from the Souther hemisphere that their target was rumored to have some links to.

"I moonlight as a bogus Wolf merc to dig up some dirt for them. I've come bearing some news. Otherwise I pay to someone else, got me?"

After paying for the man's drink, she left feeling more tired than ever. Heading back to the Inn sounded wonderful because it meant pure rest, and she was sure Zied wouldn't question her too much.

After grabbing her set of keys from the front desk from the way too happy receptionist, Tyth made sure to jangle her keys very loudly in the door to alert her partner of her entering. He was very serious about his work, she noticed.

Once she was through, she stepped aside to keep her front to the room a a precaution while nudging the door closed with the heel of her boot. Quickly sweeping the room for any suspicious movements, Tyth pocketed her keys and stilled. Her ears took in all the sounds from the air in the room, and then relaxed. There were no extra patterns of breathing besides her's, which was how it should be. No sounds of an extra heartbeat either.

No bothering to bathe or eat, she shrugged out of her boots and jerked off her coat and leggings. Snuggling into her bed with less clothing than when she entered, Tyth remembered that her partner was somewhere in this Inn somewhere, she was sure of it. The receptionist's facial expressions even proved her hunch.

"Did a white haired man with a grumpy scowl and a sword strapped to his back come ask for a room?" she asked the lady who got a wide eyed and almost hurt look in her eyes.

"Yes! The man was very demanded and intimidating!"

"Can I have his room number, please?"

"I am sorry ma'am but I cannot do that." What?!

Smiling, Tyth patted the woman's hand, "Well if he ever asks about my appearance, please direct him to my room."

She walked away smirking at the woman's further shocked expression as the writing utensil she was holding fell from her grip.

Pressing her cheek further into the comfy pillow as sleep tugged at her eyelids, Tyth let out a small snicker at how suggestive she made it sound to the receptionist. She didn't regret it in the least since because of how stiff her partner was, she needed to find some sort of entertainment to keep her mind from going stir crazy with how bland their start to their job was going.

Sleep tugged further at her and Tyth gave in, smiling to herself. This sleep was going to feel so good....if the presence outside her window would go away.

Peeking one sleep eye open, she stared wide eyed and obvious at the window above her where she was sure the shadow would eventually notice that she was awake and aware.

After a few minutes, the presence went away and she glared even after it was gone.

So she was being watched. Could Zied be under surveillance too? She would have to ask him when they met up again. If she wasn't careful, her wish for this job to be less boring could just be granted.

Scyth ran easily through the woods that was in the direction of Einder. He knew Tyth was there because him and Brant got a copy of their job posting from Brant's secretary in Headquarters. That and the pendent under his shirt hummed faintly from her presence being so far away. When they were training together in her week to get back into shape, it pulsed with its own heartbeat at having her heart so near.

He remembered when they were younger and during those nightmare filled nights, her heartbeat lulled him to sleep. She is one of the few people who he felt so at ease and calm with, and he was one of the last living people who knew her past before Brant took her in, and did not judge her for it.

His dark, blood red hair streamed behind him from the speed he was using to get to her side faster. Scythe had to make sure she was okay. It was stupid that he would check on her with how grown up she was, and having a partner to have as support too, but he just had to know. Their intel of some survivors from that incident eight years ago were said to have been spotted out in the open again.

He never wanted to see a tortured Tyth again, EVER.

Popping an energy pill, Scythe gulped down some water and kept running if he wanted to make it there by tomorrow night. The pendent against his skin hummed just a little stronger, as if urging him on.

by Ethereal Tue Apr 12, 2011 3:38 pm

Sunlight, it was golden in color and a sign that a beautiful morning was just about to grace the town of Eindir. Zied was never a man of nature but he just had to stop in his tracks as the first of the sun's rays grazed his skin. He had lived another day considering he had an unexpected encounter from an old acquaintance - a deadly one at that. Despite the hatred for him in this town, Zied still managed to keep a few contacts from different armor makers in town. Some of them had the best material in the entire continent which makes the town a prime spot for active mercenaries to find and buy their stuff. Zied this time was one of the consumers.

He had himself tailored a new black coat with silver lining, just like the old one that he used to wear before being tattered to pieces by those spear wielding scum. The only difference this time is that he had the tailor remove the right long sleeve of the coat to reveal his dragon tattooed right arm. His black undershirt hid a very light but incredibly sturdy chainmail made out of the newest type of metal that the blacksmiths in town formulated, Titania if he heard it right the first time. Still impressed with the craftsmanship of this town's artisans, Zied continued on his way back to the inn.

Of course, the innkeeper notified him of a seductive woman looking for him and even joked about the 'House Rules' that they had. Zied's mismatched eyes narrowed as he gazed upon her almost threateningly which caused the poor innkeeper to shut her mouth. Not that Zied would actually slice her head off but he just might if she kept on insisting that idea of hers in his head. It was not a bad idea in all actuality, if only he had really known her for quite some time then maybe...

His trail of thought was disturbed by early morning yelling that sounded like trouble. Instinctively, Zied's trained senses found the source. An angry baker giving chase to a street rat running towards him with bread in his hands. When the kid neared where Zied stood, he quickly jolted his left hand and caught the kid by his clothes. With a good yank, Zied lifted the kid up into the air with one arm as the angry baker caught up to them.

"You thief! You're gonna ruin my business! Thank you so much for catching him. He took the new bread that I was going to line-up for the first time! That kid could use a beating, thanks lad but I'll take it from here." the baker said to Zied.

His mismatched eyes looked at the kid first, he was thin for his age and was surely not getting enough to eat. The kid's eyes were closed as if awaiting whatever blow he will receive from either Zied or the baker. It was a clear sign that this child had seen and experienced many things he did not want to. It actually made him remember how he was back then and what he has become now. This kid will ultimately end up destroying himself if kindness would always skip his way. Then Zied's eyes turned to the baker.

"How much does this kid owe you?" he asked.

Puzzled, the baker was about to argue but with Zied placing his free hand on his weapon made the man concede. Zied paid for the bread and made sure no harm came to the kid.

"I just saved your ass. Go ahead and eat." Zied said as he gestured for the kid to take a bite.

The bread he bought was almost instantly devoured and it actually made Zied feel like he should have bought more. It was not his usual expression but Zied this time although faint, was smiling again.

"What's your name kid?" Zied asked.

"...M-Marco..."

Marco's tone was very meek, almost as if he was scared that Zied might actually hurt him. He was staring at his weapons along with his tattooed arm. Zied did not fail to notice the shift in the kid's expression.

"Hey, do you have a place to stay? A home perhaps? Any parents?" he questioned but all he got for an answer was a sideways shake of the head from Marco. Zied was contemplating on what to do when the kid suddenly pointed at his tattoo.

"Something wrong kid?"

"You're the man with the black dragon tattoo... you're going to die today..." the kid trailed off.

He knew it! He was right on the money. Street rats don't just roam the streets causing all sorts of trouble. Zied knew that they were keen with information others would not likely have; who they saw and what they heard. Living on the streets will teach you how to survive. It's like a battlefield out there where you should know what you need to, familiarize yourself with everything, and practically own the streets. If there is something strange going down, the street rats will be the first outsiders who would know.

"And who decided that kid?" Zied questioned further.

"I just heard it from cloaked men. They frequent the back-alleys since yesterday... they're scary..."

"How can you be so sure that I'm the man they were talking about?"

"Because whichever alley they were in, you or that woman you were with are always somewhere close... and that woman you're with, I planned on stealing her coin pouch when she came out of some bar but I got scared of the man that was following her..."

The kid knows too much. Something tells Zied that there are other elements working behind the scenes. It made him reconsider about the job that they were here to do. Of course it was a fact that there would be other elements in play since the reward was actually more than enough to last any mercenary a lifetime of luxury. But Zied never expected 'them' to be involved.

"These cloaked men you are talking about Marco, did they have some sort of sign or anything noticeable?" Zied pressed on.

"Birds... they had black birds with them..."

Zied's eyes sharpened. Everything he knew so far, the little bits and pieces of information he had was starting to show him a faint picture. Could they have been the Mist Ravens? Is Croix, the man he had supposedly killed long ago be working with them? Questions raised came one after the other. Of course Zied has not spoken to Tyth yet and she was out late gathering information. Perhaps she has something useful to share, but then again, Croix's words lingered in his head.

Giving the kid something for his trouble, Zied continued on back to the inn. He needed to speak with Tyth and yet the receptionist refused to let him have her room number. It took him a little bit of coaxing to get the receptionist to give him what he needed.

Finally standing before Tyth's room, Zied listened closely to the surroundings first. He was trying to make sure that he would not catch Tyth in a bad mood. She was surrounded by mystery and Zied knew that he had to be careful around her. He knocked on the door.

"You awake?"

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:34 pm

The bright, morning sunlight was rather annoying to her waking eyes. Still, she peeled the covers away and stretched. Tilting her head sideways to take in all the sounds again, she again eased into a relaxed state from her frequent cat naps through the night. Since sensing the presence outside her window, she did not let her guard down once. She pressed her back against the wall by her bed while fingering the long dagger she had snuck under her pillow after settling under the thin covers.

Now she was lowering her hands from her stretch when her keen ears heard the loud, hollow knocks from the other side of her door. Her sword was on the floor by her bed when she was too tired to lug it onto the mattress beside her. Hooking her toes underneath the sheath near the handle, she nudged her weapon up into her hands just as the last knock sounded. The blade was half drawn when she heard Zied's voice which made her pause.

"You awake?"

Looking down at herself clad in only a long blouse and underwear, she figured that would be a no.

"Hold on!" she called as she sheathed her sword with a loud 'click!' and pulled on the rest of her clothes. Opening the door for her partner, she figured the receptionist had followed her suggestion. When he was fully inside and had closed the door behind him, she met his eyes while combing the tangles from her hair with her fingers. Bed hair always felt messy in the morning.

"I sensed someone outside my room last night. Are we being watched?" she asked while pulling one last tangle from her hair before braiding it into one long plait.

"Because if we are, we will have to deal with them before we continue with this job. The chances are high if we go after our target only to get ambushed or something at the same time and lose our one lead."

Strapping her sword back around her waist, Tyth jerked the blankets on her bed back over to cover the mattress and headed over to her partner. Zied looked the same but rested which was good. He did look a little tired last night. And the new outfit! Trailing her eyes around his form quickly, she noted the new coat and missing right sleeve. The seam was sewed over so it was threading and tearing from use. He liked quality and the material that was used was very study to resist hard use.

In a place like this and he still displayed that black dragon to the world....

For some reason, it caused her to start giggling and she had not giggled in years! Even in the presence of the more womanly Seida from Forsaken Wolves' bar, she had stayed rather resolute in her demeanor of not acting too happy. Being bubbly and flirty in bars tended to call for too much attention.

It just seemed so endearing. Almost cute! Like hell she was going to tell him that though. Whatever the tattoo symbolized, it was important to him somehow. She wouldn't disrespect him though so when if he asked why she was 'giggling', she would make something up. No need to hurt his ego...

Shaking her head while wiping one stay tear away, Tyth gave her partner one faint smile and gestured for him to follow her out the door.

"Let's talk about this over breakfast. If we are in this room for much longer, that receptionist might call security or something on us for suspicious activity."

And now she had her excuse to giggle some more.

by Ethereal Thu Apr 14, 2011 4:49 am

She was awake of course and even let him inside her room. She was dressed and ready to kill although one point is missing for her to get a perfect score. She was a female after all and acting the lady part was missing. It was always good to be on the go with a job but one must not forget to keep themselves feeling fresh.

"Talk it over breakfast would be a nice thought but..." Zied paused and quickly gazed at her form. "... it would also be nice if I would be eating with someone who has gotten a good bath. You don't wanna ruin my appetite now do you?" he finished and chuckled.

She was a mess. Although she combed her hair and neatly tied it, the mud marks on her legs and all that grease that they got on their way to Eindir was evident on her skin. In all honesty, Zied would just pretty much like it if she would take good care of herself more.

"Hey, I don't mean to sound like a jerk but you're awfully much better when you were serving drinks in the guild bar." Zied pointed out and laughed as he opened the door of her room, ready to step outside. "I'll be waiting for you downstairs in the dining hall with breakfast. Just make sure to come down when the food is still warm."

Just before he closed the door shut, Zied also noted one thing. "Stay on your guard..." he said and left.

It was awfully quiet last night given that he had an unwanted visitor. A matter that Zied didn't like one bit. It was true, they were being watched and probably the only thing keeping them from getting attacked was the fact that they were not easy prey.

The Black Dragon, when was the last time he had been called by that title? Reminiscing the past as he made his way down to reception, Zied recalled a mission where he was working with Croix to assassinate the daughter of a wealthy business man. It was a rainy night back then in the eastern lands and the odds were against him and Croix. Wealth was a formidable opponent especially when put into good use.

Their target hired capable goons to protect themselves from Zied and Croix. It was not a bad choice for the wealthy business man to hide out in the eastern lands where money was scarce and the opportunities... golden. They were almost there, slashing their way through what seemed like never-ending waves of hired men. After a long and bloody struggle, a wounded Zied reached the top of the mansion only to find out that he was double-crossed by the man he was working with.

An entrapment for the eastern land's Black Dragon. That was what the mission was all about. It was the wealthy businessman's scheme to file a fake assassination request to lure Zied out into the open and take care of him. If not for being the best mercenary and the biggest threat to the businessman's plans of eastern lands domination, he would have left Zied alone. But fearing his competition might hire such a dangerous man, he could not take that chance.

A hard fought battle with Croix soon followed and with Zied not fighting in his prime condition, almost lost his life. In the end, the eastern land's Black Dragon was just as the rumors said, very dangerous. Delivering the final blow to Croix with a matter of luck, Zied crawled out of the place barely breathing. Of course the business man paid the price for trying to kill Zied.

It was then and there when he nearly lost his life did Zied decide to end the legend he created. After recuperating, Zied left the eastern lands with the imperial knight who took care of him when he was young. But it was not that easy to put things behind the past...

"Good Morning! Can I help you?"

The voice interrupted Zied's thoughts. It was that annoying receptionist again. She had a big smile on her face although Zied could tell that she was faking it for him.

"Breakfast for two and a quiet place to eat." Zied replied and made his way to the inn's dining hall. He picked a corner spot where he could see all the inn's patrons with ease. One can never be too careful in situations such as what they have. Now to wait for the woman of mystery..

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:56 pm

For a minute, the urge to simply defy him zipped through her mind and then vanished, Shaking her head, Tyth headed over towards the washroom to grab a washcloth. Now was not the time to be acting childish. They could be attacked at any time. No one was their friend out here.

Quickly wiping down her skin in a sponge bath, she decided this time her hair would be in just a low ponytail. As long as it wasn't a high one with her loose hair scraping the back of her neck. She used that hair style too many times when she younger, more at ease with the feel of blood on her skin and in her hair. As if sensing her thoughts, her wrists began to ache which caused her to grit her teeth.

'I made a choice. I'm paying for it by going back to being a mercenary. There is no real glory in this job. I can't be like Brant and become a killer and a hero. There is too much at risk for someone like me, and he knows this.'

Still she owes him her life, and more for being alive merely today. Before, she only lived if- Tyth paused at the door just as footsteps walked past. They sounded light, like a woman's so she eased down her killing intent a bit.

'Great, I'm getting back into my old pattern. Not good.' she though with potent disgust. Why did she do this to herself? Did she just like the torture? No, she hated feeling used, helpless and out of control, but...

Heading down to the dining area after dealing with the expectant look of the receptionist, Tyth found her partner and sat down. At once, a waiter was by her side ready to order, although she had the inkling he just wanted to ogle a bit at her revealing top. Then again, he was a man.

Still, she liked revenge....so she ordered a large breakfast that cost nearly 30 Ada. She was out of practice for being a mercenary but he knew she wasn't trying to impress anybody, just keeping her alive.

"So, our target. I fished his location out last night. I don't think I scared him off but there is a chance he might be wary if he has any decent friends in this place."

Threading her fingers together so she rested her chin on them, she met her partner's eyes with a questioning gaze. She noticed she has been giving them these looks for quite a while now. Then again, she doesn't know him.

"We are being watched. There was my interesting encounter last night, although the word stalker doesn't quite fit. Did you deal with anything strange yesterday?" she asked, glancing at her glass of water but decided against drinking it for now. She was ready to scarf down her foot and then burn off the calories in a fight (or a chase) should anything happen.

Still, it would NOT stop. The aching in her wrists and she began to rub them, wishing desperately that the feeling would go away. If this tingling, pulsing feeling was back, then it only meant her last dose was soon to be over. She needed to get another dose , otherwise she might be in trouble...

Was that why she was thinking about Scyth lately? The other 'heartbeat' against her breastbone seemed to feel stronger lately. It was like him to keep track of these kinds of things, worry and then show up out of nowhere to check on her. He was caring that way, despite their growing up.

When she moved her hand to reach for her glass of water, a more painful ache zipped up the nerves in her arm. It took a careful blank face to cover the whatever emotions on her face that would have showed. The cool surface of the glass met her fingertips and she tightened her grip on the glass a little to tightly while pulling it towards her a drink.

'Scyth, please hurry. I don't know the area out here so I don't know where to get any.' she wished to the necklace that was around her neck, settled against her chest where it shone like a moon out of night, which is basically what it was. A thin, round white piece of stone hung from a very well made chain around her neck. Its sister stone was hung around her friend's neck. They were rumored to enhance one's emotions when being cut from the same moonstone, and if the bond was strong between the two wearers than they can sense each others heartbeat.

It made sense for her and Scyth, then. He forgave her for the disaster eight years ago, and was one of the few who was willing to fight at her back if even Brant forsakes her and leaves her for dead.

Smiling gently at Zied, she saw as he got his food first and hers was still cooking. Oh well, she blew a few strands of long bangs from her face and observed the dining area.

"I say we take care of the target first, and then leave. Whoever is watching us, could follow and ambush us out there. We might have a chance of wringing some information from them without few witnesses."

Gravon's face filled with pure hunger as he watched the process of the green, crystallized stones be crushed into smaller pieces beneath the large wooden hammer. Behind him stood the thinner of the two men, Schwis.

'Do you plan on feeding it to her again?'

Of coarse Gravon was going to give it to her again. He wanted to see her suffer for leaving his side and joining that damned Brant and his ilk. She was a ruined product now, worthless to him ever since the fogginess from her blank eyes lifted to look alive and healthy. He would show her she has been replaced as the last thing she sees in this life.

He made her life mean something, now he was going to make it meaningless. Looking over at his brother and partner, Schwis. It had been years that he had seen him this excited to be reunited with the remnants of their old successful products. It would be a time to reminisce and a time to destroy.

"He is ready, sir," said their underling from the doorway of their workplace. The heat from the furnace filled the room with an almost unbearable heat as Gravon shouldered past the underling out into the open. On the ground in the clearing in front of the workhut lay a shivering, half naked man who was foaming from his mouth and the veins along his arms, legs and neck were bulging.

The whites of his eyes could be seen as he moaned and gasped from his condition on the hard ground. His ratted and tangled mass of blond hair lost a few strands every time he jerked his head left or right with a whimper from pain or dementia.

Sneering at the sight, Gravon shook his head and then gestured for the thing to be killed. Another failure. Over a decade had past since these experiments and still none were surviving. He needed the girl's blood. She had one last use before he wiped her from this world completely.

"No quarter on attack. Bottom line is get some blood samples. We can kill her with someone stronger than she ever was. A new Sedhrsennar."

A new White Sinner.

by Ethereal Thu Apr 14, 2011 6:21 pm

Ahh finally, the woman arrived. She was looking genuinely pissed at him again for being too nosy and forcing her to take a bath which she practically did not have in mind. Nonetheless, the food he was eating will not be spoiled which made him quite happy. He observed her for a few seconds as she sat down and continued eating breakfast. A fine tasting, meaty soup and freshly baked bread. He would have ordered eggs if it wasn't for the type of fowl they were keeping as poultry in Eindir.

As he kept to himself while sipping some soup, Zied noticed that something was off about Tyth. She was hiding something and her tensing facial muscles from trying to hide an expression confirmed it. Zied wouldn't mind though, as it seemed nothing related to their job. He will however, stay on his guard. He listened to her speak some more after pulling her glass of water close to her. So it was all true, they were really being watched, just like Croix said. Then came her question if he had encountered anything strange of the sort last night. Normally, he would keep that meeting with Croix to himself but since they were in this together, both of them needed the information. Putting down his spoon, Zied wiped his lips with his thumb and stared eye to eye with Tyth.

"A meeting with an old friend of mine..." he trailed off and looked around as if sensing some sort of malice in the air. "... a deadly mercenary from the eastern lands whom I thought I killed a long time ago paid me a visit."

Seldom would Zied talk about himself to a stranger but now was not the time to have such reservations. Two cloaked men entered the inn which immediately called for Zied's attention. The killing intent they were giving off was extraordinary. "Killing our target would not be a problem. What I'm worried about is how to get to him with all these highly skilled people watching our every move. Did you feel that?" he asked Tyth.

Slightly shifting his position so he could easily draw the weapons strapped to his legs, Zied continued to speak. "The man who came to my room last night told me that they know why we're here. To top it all off, I found information from a street rat that it is possible the Mist Ravens are also among those watching us." he continued.

Breaking off a piece of bread, Zied's eyes became fierce, like that of a tiger's. "Doesn't it make you feel that something more is going on behind the scenes? I've completed previous requests like these and I could tell you this time is a whole lot different..." he trailed off and chewed the piece of bread. "I wasn't going to tell you this but I figured you might need the knowledge. Not too long ago when these requests started popping out, it was clearly made for the best of the best. No rookie mercenary could even dream of taking the missions from these... opportunities. Then when they became popular, that's when it happened. The best mercenaries who previously took these requests started to vanish mysteriously, without a trace."

Zied picked up his spoon and scooped up some soup as he rolled his mismatched eyes to the corner where the two cloaked men sat, only to find out that they were gone. But the feeling was still there, more intense than it was previously. As Zied scanned the area for the cloaked men, he was surprised to see them standing behind Tyth, provocatively. Just when and how did they get there without him noticing?! Times like these, if Zied was alone, he would have already drawn his weapon and took the fight to them, but his partner's blind side is open. No matter how skilled one is, if the opponent is in your blind spot, it's always a fifty-fifty chance for you to survive their attack.

"Stay calm and don't move." Zied instructed in a mumble hoping that Tyth would not get agitated and make the first move.

The cloaked men were gauging them, that much was obvious. Zied's fierce eyes carefully met their own. Then as if they were old friends, one of the cloaked men approached with a fake smile and breached their circle. He was asking for it but his words were the first to come out.

"Ahhh Black Dragon of the East, what luck it is to run into you in this... remote area. And I see that you have company! My, my, the White Sinner! It brings joy to my eyes to see that you haven't crumbled yet despite not having 'it' for quite some time." the man said followed by a hollow chuckle.

His voice was small and meek, easily mistaken for a weakling but his eyes displayed the contrary. Not to mention his reeking killing intent that could choke a novice with fear. Refraining from making a move, Zied played along, trying his best not to pull anything of the sort given that they were at a disadvantage. The man sat down and joined their table as he politely introduced himself with a light bow of the head. "My name is Krauss and that big man behind is Granz, of the Mist Ravens at your service. It seems you are here on business are you not?" he asked, that creepy smile still lingering on his lips.

"What's it to you?" Zied casually asked, not once taking his eyes off the two.

"Ohh nothing really..." Krauss chuckled. "I was just wondering how much you know and it seems there's nothing to be worried about... yet." He finished and then broke a piece of Zied's bread. "But the same could not be said to this... fine lady we have here. Or should I say, specimen?" he questioned while giving Tyth a look of both desire to kill and lust.

"No matter, you are at your wits end. It's only a matter of time before..." he said but was cut off by his bigger partner.

"Krauss! This is not within our orders. Let's go." the man called Granz said and walked away.

"Ahh my friend's patience with me has reached its limit. I feel sad that we must part when this could have been... a wondrous and blood-filled encounter. Black Dragon, White Sinner, Joaquim knows you are here." Krauss said and followed suit after Granz

Joaquim was their target's name and there is no more doubt that why they came here is no secret anymore. News travels fast after all. Those were Krauss' parting words which made Zied think of their next move. He was about to continue feasting on his bread when he suddenly found out that the earlier fresh bread that Krauss touched has turned into a heap of rotten mass.

"Bastard... they're three steps ahead of us." Zied mumbled and looked at Tyth. "There goes our confirmation, any bright ideas?"

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Thu Apr 14, 2011 10:18 pm

They were at her back, where she was very vulnerable. Shit, this wasn't good.
Not good at all!

"It.....specimen....White Sinner..."

Her past was coming back to haunt her. She closed her eyes when Krauss gave her a sickening, heated look. Her fingers clenched harder on the glass of water in her hands while the rhythm against her breastbone got stronger each passing minute. Scyth must have sensed her panic, which means he would rush to her side soon.

Once she was sure their two guests were clear of them, she pushed her glass of water away and stood up abruptly from her seat.

"I say we forget this job, and concentrate solely on getting out of this town alive. The Mist Ravens are involved somehow and I have not heard the title White Sinner in years, which means this is only going to go downhill much faster."

Throwing a few Republic dollars down on the table along with her uneaten food, Tyth began to walk out of the dining area. She only got as far as three steps out of the inn's main entrance before she was attacked head on. A long, sickle like knife was thrown at her head and thanks to her reflexes, it sank into the wood of the doorway a few inches from her neck. It was a warning shot, since it did catch her off guard.

"Shit!" she cursed and drew her sword as a long, broad axe was thrust down upon her. She skidded to the side once she had the weapon glance off her sword in order to make the wielder lose his balance. The aches in her wrists intensified as she twisted her grip to twirl the blade around the axe's next thrust through her arms, catch the hilt and then slash at the man's main veins in the bend of his arm. When her attacker jerked back from the deep cut, she moved forward towards his opening and slashed his throat.

Not bothering to watch the dullness fade from his wide eyes, Tyth grabbed his hair to keep his now limp head up and took in all the tell tale signs of the drugs he had used.

Another blade came at her back while two other attackers ran into the inn, probably to look for her partner.

"Scyth!" she called out, not bothering to look up from the now dead body at her feet and sure enough, her friend appeared just in time to block the attack. Pushing the man back, he swung his sword against his opponent's so hard that it rattled the man's arms. Parrying their blades sideways, Scyth spun around to kick the man aside and into the stone wall of the next building to the Inn's left. The man crumpled to the ground after impact.

"Tyth, here!" he called over his shoulder as their backs pressed against one another with their weapons drawn. Scythe threw a smoky, thick liquid in a small corked glass over his shoulder. Catching the glass, she slashes the top off with her sharp sword clean off and gulps down the contents.

The painful ache in her wrists fade rapidly until after the third swing of her sword as her and Scyth used the circle pattern to dance around each other in defending each others backs.

"Better?" he asked after parrying another thrust from a lance weapon this time.

"Yes. These aren't from Mist Raven like the other two. They are failed Sinners."

"The Devil Brothers are on the move again, hence why they are attacking you now." he murmured with a growl as he cut down another mindless, drugged attacker. Their eyes were pale and sunken from harsh malnutrition and drug use. Foaming drool drizzled from their mouths as they attacked savegly but sloppily at their target.

"They must want us to get rid of their trash instead of doing it themselves. Heartless!"

Realizing it had been a while since she had seen her partner, Tyth kicked another body away and glanced at the Inn's entrance. He came last time, what's the chance of him not coming to her voice again?

"ZIED!" she screamed out, hoping it would help him find her outside. She needed him by her side as she fled this place, instead of leaving him to fend for himself.

by Ethereal Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:05 am

Any bright ideas was his question, and it was answered by Tyth's choice to just up and leave their job undone. Perhaps he was wrong about her, maybe he was asking too much from someone who has just recently returned to active duty. He was in genuine disbelief when she bolted out of the inn. Zied did not take her as a quitter but something tells him there's more to it than that.

Those Mist Ravens, they said something that shattered her, almost as if Tyth was afraid of something from her past. Everyone has their own ghosts but now was not the time to be fearing them. Zied finished his meaty soup when two men - no, they were anything but human, came in with their weapons drawn.

The small crowd inside the dining hall panicked upon seeing them rush toward Zied. He in turn calmly waited for the right moment to flip the round wooden table towards his attackers. Stunning them for a brief moment, Zied leaped into the air and delivered a hard kick-punch combo to both assailants knocking them down on the wooden floor.

He did not pull his punches, he was pissed and that was not a good sign for anyone who wanted to get in his way. Surprised that his attackers could take his blows, he watched them stand up like they were unharmed. "Interesting..." he mumbled and bolted forward to the opponent in front of him. He grabbed the man by the head and guided his face toward his roaring right knee. Zied heard a cracking sound upon impact but he was not going to stop there. A quick uppercut sent the man's head soaring upward now primed for a finisher. A roundhouse kick with the heel of Zied's boot landing squarely on the face.

Of course the second of his attackers did not sit idly by. With a roar not even close to a battle cry, the second attacker came at Zied with his curved blades. He evaded the precise but mindless slices from the man's weapon with ease. Their fighting style was not any form he had faced before, it was more like they were only aiming for vital points regardless of the risk of being countered.

In the heat of their clash, a soaring chained knife made its presence felt as it zipped a few inches away from Zied's face coming from behind. It was from his first attacker which he thought he already took care of. "Tch! So much for his down time... Alright, this ends now." Zied said and drew his Katars from both leg sheaths. Whatever is keeping them up and fighting is not their fighting spirit or human desire. Sure they had killing intent, but that was all that they have.

With a quick spin, Zied decimated the opponent in front of him with a series of slashes, all aimed at the vitals. After making sure that the man fell lifeless, Zied then stood up and went after the retracting chained weapon. A swift grab to the chain part and they were in a deadlock, he tugged hard at the chain and found out that his attacker proved to have more grip than pull.

"ZIED!"

That was his cue, of course his partner would also be under attack but who needs her when she wants out? "Whatever..." Zied mumbled and swung the man around, aiming for the window before letting go of the chain. The attacker's body crashed through the inn's window, Zied following through the same exit with his katar aimed at his attacker's throat. The moment they landed on hard ground, his Katar slipped through the man's throat with ease.

"I thought that was the last of them..." Zied said as he stood back up to his feet. There was a hoard more of those things they just fought and even with the three of them, Tyth's friend included, their chances of escaping would be slim.

"Now I see why you're afraid of your ghosts..." Zied commented at Tyth. "Look lady, I don't care about your past but you at least owe me some explanation for getting me involved in this. I can see from the looks of both of you that you know what these are." Zied said, pointing in the general direction of where more of their attackers are coming from.

"It's a shame that you want out. I thought highly of you. It would seem I was mistaken... It didn't cross my mind that all it needs to shatter your resolve is a little dirt from your past. No matter, if we see each other again, I'll make you explain this to me one way or the other. Hurry up and get out of my sight! I'll hold them off while you two escape."

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Sun Apr 17, 2011 3:37 pm

Her mouth fell open from pure shock at Zied's words. Did he just call her a coward?! Sure, Zied was pure attitude with skills to back it up but she just wanted to slap him! Yet on another note, she knew he was being realistic and she was caught up in memories that had been buried up till now.

As if reading her thoughts, Scythe pulled out a long sharpened boomerang and pressed the handle into her hand. Looking down at the weapon, she glared at him but the red haired man pointed a thumb behind him.

"Go take care of the Sinners. I'll tell him," Scyth said and she nodded, throwing the boomerang while unsheathing her sword once her hands were free. The boomerang sang through the air and cut off the heads of the next seven bodies that had been marching towards them. Using a type of speed that made her an almost inhuman blur, she zipped around her enemies while cutting at their vitals.

Scyth watched her fight for a second longer before facing Zied with a frown. When the white haired man tried to get around him to attack again, Scyth firmly pushed him back to let Tyth take care of the rest. He was almost shoved away, but the red head caught the man's black eye and gently shook his head. This was her fight, and he needed this man to listen.

"I'll keep this simple," he said while folding his arms over his chest. His back was to the battle but he trusted Tyth with his life. He also could tell from the cutting sounds that she was angry and venting her feelings out in the fight. Scyth was glad he wasn't watching if the feel of her killing intent was anything to go by, "About 15 years ago, there were some high class criminals who experimented on kidnapped people to create the perfect killing human. In order to do that, they combined a complicated amount of drugs to enhance the bodies. Tyth was one of their victims. "

Glancing back over his shoulder when the noises stopped, he saw that the area behind them was littered with bodies and they did not get back up. Standing in the middle was Tyth, heaving for breath with an disturbing, wild look in her eyes as she clung to the boomerang's handle too tight. Scyth knew she would calm down in a few moments. The tonic he gave her is stronger than usual.

"You have to understand. She's not saying she wants to quit the job because she's scared or wants out. She only sets her sights on the bigger picture that is guaranteed to be a bigger threat. It s a programmed habit, if you will. For all you know, the Mist Ravens and the Sinner creators could be teaming up behind your backs once your acceptance of this job was processed at the guild."

Face dead serious, Scyth took a step closer to his friend's partner and rested his hand on his sword's hilt as an intimidating gesture.

"She's playing it safe. For her sake, I hope you do too."

Sensing she was nearing them, Scyth stepped away from the dangerous white haired man. Jerking the boomerang downward so the slimly blood was thrown from the weapon, Tyth handed it back to her friend.

"I'll be tailing you for a while, whatever you decide to do," Scyth said as he pressed his forehead against her left temple. He stayed there for only a second before glancing over at Zied, then jogging off. There might be spies around and he could use with a little venting too.

"Thanks," Tyth said but she didn't pay attention to the brief gesture of affection. She was looking at Zied and the urge to hurt him came back. It was his attitude, her incompetence and this whole shitty situation. Whatever was going, whoever was wanting them dead was going to wish they NEVER attacked her now that she was a mercenary again.

Gravon was still alive. That was the whole message behind this attack. He was mocking her from some far off hiding hole, thinking she would come running to him with blades cleaving off flesh. She wasn't his mindless little slave anymore.

Mist Ravens too were another matter and didn't seem to have any connection with Gravon so far. People were moving and her and Zied seemed to have targets right between their eyes. The job, the reward money was the least thing on her mind now. She wanted to hunt, and disperse these interlopers from interfering with what sad, normal life she happened to claw and suffer to make.

But despite everything that was happening, Tyth realized something and he was going to hear it. Walking straight over to Zied, she stopped until their bodies were but a leaf's width apart and grabbed the front of his leather jacket so that it barely tightened around his throat to show how serious she is. She could feel his breath on her mouth and his hetechromic eyes looked so detailed this close. For once, she was going to invade his space instead of it being the other way around.

"You're right, I am afraid but you got the reason wrong. I'm afraid of losing myself to that void they forced me to live. There was no feeling, just NOTHING. I want to feel emotions, get hurt and be afraid if it means I'm still human. I live by my emotions and always will!"

Gulping down some air, Tyth searched his mismatched eyes through her pissed off glare, "We will part ways here if that's what you want. I honestly don't care if you think less of me for quitting on you. I don't know what made me join a man like you out of the blue. You anger me, you frustrate me, you confuse me. And yet I..."

Licking her lips from speaking so long without taking a breath, Tyth loosened her grip on his clothes and then let her hand fall to her thigh.

"And yet I pity you for not showing how you feel. I guess I thought I could save you like Brant saved me. Just look at me and tell me I'm still weak."

Because if he did, then she would know he was just like all the others.

Meanwhile, Scyth is scouting the area around Einder for any more Sinners or suspicious characters who were eying Tyth. When he saw them from afar once he was near enough, his hand clenched tightly closed at the sight of them so close. Tyth was his friend, but he also loved her. It was not easy watching her be so close to other men but he resisted being a douchbag in her life. She had enough of those, but he really wanted to run Zied through right then.

He knew she was trying to save him, to get the guy to be more in tune with his feelings. He just hoped that was as far as it went.

Home. Brant was home and the sun was just peeking over the horizon as his horse trotted down the valley slope.

The sky was half covered in clouds that were painted in bright yellow sunlight. The large farm house he was riding towards was basking in the morning scene and he smiled. His shoulder length hair danced around his shoulders as the wind picked up. Closing his eyes, he inhaled the fresh air and urged his horse to go faster.

Once his mount was hitched up, Brant shrugged off his traveling trench coat and walked into his large house. Voices were everywhere as young men were eating, a few ladies were walking about with sharpening tools and a scowling woman with his hair color was yelling orders in every direction. As if sensing his presence, everyone turned towards him and he playfully pulled a flashy bow.

"I'm home."

In one voice, everyone in the house and outside in the surrounding fields welcomed him home. The bossy woman marched right up to him and pulled her long cigarette from her plump lips to smirk at him.

"Welcome home, little brother."

Leaning forward to kiss her cheek just as she move to peck his, Brant smiled at Fury and handed his coat over to her waiting arm.

"Its almost the Anniversary. I had to be here."

Nodding, Fury threw the coat carelessly onto a random coat hook and began walking outside towards the fields out back. He matched her step for step, rolling his shoulders from his long ride to get the blood moving.

"The boys were betting when you would be back. You made Antoine a fortune," drawled the light brown eyed woman as she blew out some smoke with a bored look on face. Brant knew better that she loved looking after their family home for him as he was off on mercenary business.

They kept walking past the fields full of food being tended by the people he chose to be his students. In order to learn from him, they agreed to spend a year on his farm while learning the lessons he offered. Fury applied them in his absence and was sometimes harsher than he was. They were siblings and despite his 'scary' strength, his siter was probably the one person he was afraid of more than some bloodthirsty murder. She could kill him with her fingernail, no joke.

"I want Tyth here this year," he said as they turned along a winding path that led around the fields to the hill a ways from the back of the house.

Snorting very rudely, Fury rolled her eyes upwards as she inhaled a long drag, "Scyth will make sure she gets here. Don't think I didn't notice him not return with you."

"I'm going to win our bet when he confesses," Brant announced with a gentle smile and adjusted his thin glasses. It was common knowledge that Scyth was smitten for Tyth since they were kids.

"Nah, they will have grey hair and still be friends. I'll win." his sister replied and they descended the other side of the hill to climb the next higher hill. At the top, the two Olisiuer siblings stopped in front of a grave that was cut from pure marble with the words engraved across the top: "Jaavi Olisiuer Yr 7769-7793 Wife and Mother"

Pausing from taking another drag, Fury rested a hand on her brother's shoulder as he bowed his head and let a tear fall from his eye.

"Tyth will come this year. She can't run from this grave forevers," the older woman said and then bowed her head as well. The two siblings stood there for a while, simply thinking of the beautiful woman who died eight years ago.

by Ethereal Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:14 pm

Just when things were starting to spiral out of control, Tyth's friend only made it worse for having explained the truth behind Tythlany Nightfox in a nutshell. Zied would listen, he was interested to hear what was what and who is who, save for the fact that he did not appreciate the testosterone levels of the man who just came out of nowhere. If there was one thing that prevented Zied from delivering a world of hurt to the man when he placed his hand on his sword's hilt, that would be because Tyth, his partner, knew him.

Deciding it would be best to keep his mouth shut, Zied took in every word the newcomer said but he has no plans on heeding his advice of playing it safe. He was a man with nothing to lose after all. What good would playing safe do him? Of course, nothing.

Realizing the ugly truth behind Tyth was the real deal, Zied stayed his blade. He understood how it felt like to be haunted by things that you do not want to remember. It was her fight and he would just watch by the sideline. He had heard rumors about human experiments to make the ultimate killer, but he never even once thought that his partner would be one of those people experimented on. The revelation made Zied remember his words earlier, they were a tad too harsh for someone who has endured what he could only imagine to be... a horrific past.

The fight raged on between Tyth and her ghosts, it was quickly becoming a bloody mess. Tyth was oozing with killing intent and Zied figured that one-fourth of that must have been for him. He had acted like a real jerk earlier and he thought he could not blame her for being that angry. Zied watched her every move, her every swing of that mighty sword and given her past, it started to make sense to him why she was so strong in the first place. A soft sigh escaped his breath after Tyth delivered the final blow to the last of them.

He watched her walk back to them and raised a brow slightly at her friend's little gesture of affection. Now it was clear to him why his aura was that of hostility against him. Getting a clearer picture of her partner, Zied now knew what Croix meant of her being a walking bomb. It almost made him laugh at himself for having handpicked her to help him with this job. If he knew this about Tyth before asking for her cooperation, then standing right now in this very spot, Zied would definitely be thinking if he was still sane.

But then she grabbed him by his coat, their bodies ever so close to each other. He was shocked of course, but his eyes and expression would easily hide it. He stared into her eyes, waiting for the piece of her mind that she would no doubt deliver. And so it came...

"You're right, I am afraid but you got the reason wrong. I'm afraid of losing myself to that void they forced me to live. There was no feeling, just NOTHING. I want to feel emotions, get hurt and be afraid if it means I'm still human. I live by my emotions and always will!"

It makes sense. He figured she lived a life she did not want to far too long for her to be craving a normal life. Who was he to judge her? It was his mistake and he would admit it, but he would not take back what he said. Conquering one's fears and getting over one's past, no matter how dreadful it may have been was also a part of being human... a strong human. Words of wisdom from someone in Zied's past that he would rather keep buried.

"We will part ways here if that's what you want. I honestly don't care if you think less of me for quitting on you. I don't know what made me join a man like you out of the blue. You anger me, you frustrate me, you confuse me. And yet I..."

So that's how he was to her. Giving her words more thought, was it just sheer intimidation that she agreed to cooperate with him? If she feels that way about him then why was she putting up with him? Questions being raised one after the other, but to Zied, those are questions that would only yield no answer.

"And yet I pity you for not showing how you feel. I guess I thought I could save you like Brant saved me. Just look at me and tell me I'm still weak."

Now she has gone too far. Zied's emotions instantly became a storm. He does not need pity, and he definitely does not need to be saved! He has not lost his emotions once like her, he just likes them kept under control, that which he became terrifyingly good at. He could choose to silence an emotion whenever he wanted to, no matter the circumstance. But this is going to be an exception.

"I see I've hit a nerve or two. Yes you are still weak, as you are now with your current state of mind, you are definitely not ready to face your past. Trust me when I say this that when and if you choose to pursue and give it closure now, as you are, you will die..." Zied trailed off and held her hand clutching his coat, forcefully removing them from their tight grip on his garment.

He stared at her for quite a long time, not moving an inch to separate themselves from where they stood. He wanted to tell her what he has gone through to make her understand him better but this was not about him. It was actually her who needed pity but she was long past that stage now. What she needs is recognition for being strong. If only he could give it to her as easily as the people she knew and had around her...

The storm in his chest had subsided, Zied moved closer to her right ear and whispered softly.

"I'm sorry Tyth... for misunderstanding everything..."

Having whispered those words, Zied moved his head back so he could meet her eyes with his. Taking in a deep breath, Zied raised his right hand and lightly brushed away a few loose strands of her once neatly tied hair away from her eyes.

"You know as well as I do that we don't really like each other. I'm only going to say this once so don't make me repeat it. For the record, now that I know a little bit about you, I can trust you more..." he trailed off and backed away one step from Tyth.

"Don't even think for once that I'm just making this up, it's how I really feel. You've earned my full respect, Tythlany Nightfox... and you might even earn more than that." he said and chuckled.

Zied walked a few paces away from Tyth before stopping in his tracks. Without looking back at Tyth to hide his smile, he had one last thing to say.

"Let's finish this job and find the people responsible for your past. I would be more than honored to lend you my sword." he said and paused. "One last thing though, where's your friend? I need to tell him that the next time he touches my sword, I'll cut off his hands from where he's standing." Zied finished and walked away to inspect the bodies of those who had just attacked them.

If there was any clue about the identity of their creator, or perhaps anything that can tell Zied where they might have come from, he would certainly need the information. Right now it wasn't what they needed to do but for the first time in his life after a long while, Zied was willing to set everything else back for another person... and he was happy about it.

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Somewhere nearby, two well-hidden cloaked figures stood in awe as they watched the whole scene unravel. The smaller of the two failed to contain his excitement.

"Marvelous! Marvelous! Did you just see that Granz?!" he questioned, tone highly elated.

"I WAS watching the whole time Krauss..."

"Never in my life had I seen such beauty and grace combined with genuine anger and the influence of that... substance. Fascinating work coming from the Ultimate Killer. She is truly worthy of our attention as well."

The larger man turned his good eye towards Zied. Both of them had only witnessed him kill one of those things before their eyes. It was him he wanted to gauge but they did not get the chance.

"It's too bad we did not get any new data on the Black Dragon's fighting style... but to me, he looks too weak to be the man feared in the Eastern lands so I'm not worried." Krauss commented while adjusting the mechanism of a device similar to a recorder.

"He said not to underestimate him Krauss. I felt a strange sensation when we stood before them. If you hadn't noticed, his killing intent was enough to send shivers down my spine, and I only ever felt that when we took Croix into our ranks."

Krauss paused for a moment to look at Granz's serious face. He was lightly sweating, a sign that he was intimidated.

"Back then when he looked at me, I got the feeling that I could die at any given moment from where I sat, like I was at his mercy Granz, but I am not afraid of him. That's what makes this mission so amusing! We get to deal with two very interesting individuals. Hee! Hee!"

Granz sighed in response to Krauss' comment. "Just make sure to write that down on your report for our lord."

"What about the third one? I believe that man is Scyth, a pet of that Brant from the Forsaken Wolves." Krauss asked.

Letting out a low growl, Granz slowly turned his head to look at Krauss. His one eye fiercer than a man hell bent for revenge.

"You know how I hate hearing that name Krauss, for he was the only one I ever failed to kill. Brant..."

"Hence the reason I am asking you what to do with Scyth. If you want to get to him, I think Scyth may be your key to rattle his chambers."

With his fierce look turning into that of contemplation, Granz stood up and turned around. His huge frame and arm muscles rattling a few bushes as he moved about from their hiding spot. Removing his gray colored cloak, he let it fall down on its own revealing a finely crafted, magnificent looking battle armor with black hue and golden lining. His olive tanned skin was only visible in his face as his loose, long and thick black hair swayed with the wind blowing. His weapon of choice, a massive axe strapped to his back revealed its intricate design and fine craftsmanship as a few stray rays of light danced on its crystal-like head.

Wrapping a big hand around the snake handle of the axe, Granz drew the heavy weapon out with incredible ease, like swinging a thin branch. Turning his head back to Krauss who was smiling a wicked smile the entire time, Granz scoffed.

"You head back first with our report, I'll catch up with you later..." he said and set out to look for Scyth.

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Sun Apr 17, 2011 9:44 pm

Just when she gave up hope that he didn't understand, this man turns around and surprises her once again. There was hope for him yet, considering he proved her very wrong in her past assumptions that he was just a cold, emotionless man. Sure he was rude, but he was also very strong and under control.

She needed to be under control too, especially with how her breathing was slightly hitched after feeling his breath on her ear. When he finally pulled away and moved a few steps from her, Tyth let out a relieved breath to finally be away from him. Otherwise she might have given into the sudden desire to press her lips against his, just to know she could do it just once. Blinking as he moved further away from her to inspect the bodies she laid waste to, Tyth crossed her arms in front of her chest as she took a step closer to him, then stopped when a sudden thought hit her brain.

He now knew the truth about her, and was offering to help her in making sure the demons from her past were finally dealt with. He wasn't telling her to deal with it herself. It was a nice offer, but she wasn't sure she should take it. Before when she had the chance to do it herself, she was protecting two very precious people to her, and was weakened beyond reckoning.

Studying Zied, she wondered what made such a man. He was even more confusing to her than before. He is a killer, but also a man. His sword ended lives, but he also used to save her's. It was wrong of her to think he only killed for money, despite their job description. Deep down, she was glad she could stay with him a little longer. Another sword in battle was welcome, and she also wanted to see him surprise her more.

Chuckling, Tyth looked around the clearing they were in. This town hated Zied, she got that much. Could it be anything connected to the title, Black Dragon? Looking back to the man and lifted a hand to the stands he touched earlier and her fingers actually shook just remembering the phantom touches. Just who was he? For all she knew, he could be someone as strong as Brant, a thin man who could wield a sword that matched her's when she wielded her old weapon, and used the speed that could be compared to that of Gods. She admired and respected Brant, especially since he was a person she could not bring herself to kill, again.

"Scyth might take you up on the offer," she said with a smile as she thought of her dear friend and her voice actually warmed a little.

"They way I am now, he is stronger than me. He makes me look weaker than ever, even if I gave my best."

Because her drug created ability wasn't awakened, and she prayed it never was again. Not when she could risk killing Zied. She definetly did not want this man's blood on her hands. It would one of many death's she had come to regret that she did not want to add to.

The perimeter around Einder was secure, as far as he could tell. But he never trusted anything since he grew up having blades thrust at his throat randomly whenever he tried to lower his guard. His sword was drawn and at the read as he made his way back from the edge of town towards where he last left Tyth. For now he would stay by her side, and work on persuading her to return to the farm with him.

Scyth was determined to bring Tyth back home with him. She needed to be there for the Anniversary of Jaavi's death. The white haired woman had avoided the farm where she was 'reborn' since eight years ago, and he could not blame her.

That entire day was a complete and utter tragedy. It scarred Tyth's mind and was the reason she forsake being a mercenary. For being in Brant's home where she failed him.

'Once a Sinner, always a sinner, boy. She is nothing without it.'

He will never forget being spared by that large and ugly man that day. Scyth saw in his eyes that he was nothing worth anything.

The fingers holding his sword's handle tightened as a flare of anger ripped through him. Scyth vowed to himself that he would protect Tyth. He would, even from herself.

by Ethereal Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:00 am

"Take me up on that offer? He's more than welcome to try and beat me if he can even dream of it." Zied said while examining some sort of dirt not local to Eindir or the surrounding areas.

These drug controlled men came from a faraway place. Zied had traveled around a lot and this is the first time he ever saw this type of dirt. It was rich with a certain crystal or mineral. Judging from the looks of the dead men, they came from underground, definitely a perfect place to hide such hideous creations.

"We won't be finding them anytime soon, that much is sure." Zied concluded.

Standing up from being crouched too long, Zied stretched out his arms to help relax his tensing muscles. He was raring for a piece of the action earlier but it was not his show. The adrenaline left coursing in him is urging him to do something - anything for that matter.

"If he's stronger than you are which I seriously doubt, then maybe I should ask him to take your place..." he trailed off and looked into the skies. "... then again, I would rather have you as my partner even if you were really weaker than him." he finished.

He was being more expressive than he usually was. Something about her just makes him remember Seiryu. With his mismatched eyes turning back down and landing on her form, Zied remained quiet as he looked at her for a time, seemingly lost in thought. There was something special about Tyth and he knows it. He was just unsure if she would even allow him to find out what it is, given the fact that she practically hates his guts for being who he is. Zied laughed at his thoughts.

People started to gather and the local authorities are next to come. They should head out and leave this place before they miss their chance.

"Hey, I'm not waiting for that jackass to return. He found us once, I'm sure he can do it again. Besides, we've drawn too much attention."

Having said that, Zied pocketed a sample of the dirt he found on the drugged men. He knows someone well informed of this continent's geography, perhaps he would drop by later after this job. Joaquim was on his mind now. Judging from the high priced information he gathered from the blacksmiths and armor crafters in Eindir, there exists an underground route and establishment which was used by black traders to get their goods into town. But according to them, it was now a base of operations for the man they were looking for.

Chances are that Joaquim has already prepared a warm welcome for him and Tyth. Perhaps even a worthy opponent or two. All they needed to do is walk down the entrance at the back of The Pit.

"Come on, I've found out where they were hiding and was meaning to tell you over breakfast until that..." he said using his left thumb to point at the mess Tyth created.

Not wasting any more time, Zied began walking back to the direction of The Pit. They have overstayed their welcome here in Eindir, and it would not help Zied's reputation any further with the townsfolk seeing him involved with that recent bloody mess.

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With his katars on ready, Zied tread lightly down the cobble stairs that led down to a dimly lit hall. Tyth was just behind her. According to their information, this was the shortest way to the underground establishment, which proved to be correct when Zied found out that they were standing before large iron doors that seemed to be locked from inside.

"Well now, nothing beats good old fashioned metal doors..." he mumbled.

Knocking is not an option. Who would be stupid enough to let someone who is out to kill them into their territory? Zied figured there has to be some sort of switch nearby. He was just about to start looking around when a voice echoed from a dark spot.

"Well well, it would seem you did not heed my advice about that woman... Zied."

The voice came out to be Croix's when he slowly emerged from his hiding spot. He was wearing a gray colored cloak which hid what could easily be a thousand different ways to die underneath. His smile was still an annoying thing to look at and his tone was only making it much worse.

"You! Don't tell me you were hired by Joaquim to be his bodyguard?!" Zied questioned.

The man cursed at Zied's question.

"Is that how low you think of me Black Dragon? You may not be known much in these parts of the land but some very powerful people do. Incidentally, they have asked me to provide them as much information as I can regarding you. I am merely... an informant." he said and chuckled.

Zied gritted his teeth. He was dying to tear him apart if only there was an opening he could take.

"Now, Tythlany Nightfox, or should I say, White Sinner... Do you know anything about the man you're working with? I'm assuming he did not tell you anything about him. Let me--"

"Croix! That's enough! This is between you and me!"

"Feisty feisty! What are you so worried about Zied the Black Dragon? You were a legend, we shared so many good times working together! Are you afraid that this woman would hate you for who you are if she finds out about you? I can see you have taken a liking to her Zied... how unlike you."

"That's enough!"

"Shut up! You should have been the one who died that day! It should have been you but you were blessed with the devil's luck! I who worked hard for everything that I was and had my whole life, instantly overshadowed by some random guy who decides to be a mercenary! Do you have any idea how it felt? Do you even know what it feels like to have been defeated over and over? Even Seiryu..."

"CROIX!!" Zied yelled, furious no doubt.

Upon mention of the name Seiryu by Croix, Zied's eyes darkened. His facial expression changing from that of an angry one, into one without emotion. His tensing muscles relaxed and his pulsing veins became calm. Without looking at Tyth, he spoke to her, his tone low and almost lifeless. He sheathed his katars and slowly unsheathed his sword.

"I know we should get our job done and over with, but I need to finish this. Whatever you do or happens to me, don't get involved."

Almost in an instant after he finished his sentence, Zied closed the distance between him and Croix. A loud metallic clash resounded underground as Zied's sword landed squarely on Croix's knife which he drew with nearly blinding speed.

"Did I hit a nerve Zied?" Croix asked, his tone mocking.

His rage going past that of a furious beast, Zied followed up with a series of full powered swings of his sword, all blocked by the small knife Croix wielded for a weapon. His strength was on par with Zied, and Zied was not even holding back. He was aiming to kill the man Coix, who dirtied the single person that ever gave a damn about him.

"You want to know a secret Zied? She was calling your name when I had my way with her, calling for the name of the most feared man in the eastern lands... Save me! Zied!" Croix mocked, mimicking the way Seiryu called out for Zied. "But you never came... of course you wouldn't, I urged you to take on a job." he continued followed by a heartless laugh.

"Croooooix!!!" Zied yelled.

He charged in again, executing another series of slashes, more in tune with his feelings. Each swing backed with conviction to end the life of the man who betrayed him, but all of it was futile. Croix knew him all too well to predict his moves, even Zied's advanced swordplay proved to be ineffective against Croix.

"That's it! Become who you once were! Become the most cold-hearted killer that ever walked this earth again so I could finally have my sweet revenge!"

Heaving deep breaths as he ceased his attacks against Croix, Zied met his eyes with his own. He was falling for this man's agenda, he knew it yet he could not bring himself to stop.

"A man such as you does not deserve happiness! If there's anything in this world that can grant you that luxury, I would be sure to take it away from you!"

Hearing the words that Croix said, Zied paused. He was right, a man like him does not deserve to be happy. Hell, even his existence is a crime! Having killed so many, having stained his hands with the blood of innocents and guilty alike, there was no place for him in this world. He was destined to die alone, and this man lives to make sure that he does. He was walking down the path of destruction, and everything he touches will end up getting destroyed, everyone he gets close to, dead. He was cursed, and this is his fate.

Tythlany, why in heavens would he be thinking of her right now? Zied was confused for a short moment but when he thought of her, the heavy heart he was carrying for a long time seemed to lighten up even if it was for a bit. The rage he felt quickly dispersed, replaced by a calm aura and a confident smile. He lowered his sword and took a stance completely different than his usual fighting pattern.

He stood there, sword lowered and feet planted to the ground. With that confident smile playing on his lips, Zied raised his free hand and motioned for Croix to come to him. By his standards, this was his forbidden technique. Whenever he reaches a shattered state of mind, Zied would draw out the full potential of his self mastered sword style. In this state, he will kill anything and anyone that stands in his way. Surely Tyth would sense the ridiculous killing intent he is giving off right now.

Sensing danger for himself and realizing he has called forth more than he could handle, Croix decides to call it a day.

"Not today Black Dragon..."

Those were his last words before vanishing in the dark, leaving Zied standing there, immovable. Though he may seem to have won the encounter, he was quickly losing the battle within himself.

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:07 am

"For all iron sake," Tyth muttered as they entered the Pit once again, knowing what was waiting inside for Zied. Trouble followed him wherever he went, it was now proven true.

But once the man Croix appeared again, all hell broke loose in Zied. She watched as he attacked with a deadly amount of intent surrounding him, his katars blurring except to the trained eye as he slashed and swung his weapons in harsh, killing blows.

It was not good that he was attacking in anger. This Croix fellow was a person from Zied's past and was involved in whatever included the aforementioned Seiryu. She let him fight, since he would only get angry by her petty interference. Not to mention the man he was fighting was level with Zied, which was interesting in and of itself.

Croix liked taunting her partner, but he wasn't aiming to have him killed. Which was unusual, but meant he must be under orders. Once the battle was over and Croix departed, she took a step towards Zied but hesitated.

This drastic change in him, it was disturbing. He went from a raging man hell bent to kill to a cool, emotionless person. Sad thing was, she knew that change. She knew it very well.

It was ironic that pieces of Zied's past were revealed as well. She would have to needle it out of him later, since if they were going in this together, it cannot be going in blind.

"Zied," she said in a clear voice, easing her intent to that of one without threat but concern. She knew her voice had little chance of reaching him but it was all she could use at this point. She stretched out her intent to try and brush with his, taking a step closer. Her weapon was still drawn, ready to defend herself if he decided to turn on her should she happen to spook him.

"Focus, please. We need to leave," She stepped out of his blind spot behind him to this line of vision at the edge of his sight near his ear. Thinking better of it, she lowered her blade down to the ground to show she further meant no harm to him. Her eyes tried to meet his, trying to get any contact with him at all.

He was like a bomb, ready to kill anything if pushed just right. Maybe this was Croix's intention all along, for them to turn on each other. No that was not it. It did not fit the man's motives for taunting Zied into this state. No, he wanted him to suffer, just like Gravon did to her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Scyth appear on the scene through the growing public but kept his distance from Zied. The killing intent said it all and he gestured for the Inn to pick up their stuff and she nodded.

They didn't have much time to dawdle. They needed to leave.

Moving closer while noting where his sword was, she moved to be standing in front of him.

Smiling, she figured she risk getting hit if it meant getting him to respond.

"If you don't move now, I'll kick you in the balls to get you moving."

by Ethereal Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:39 am

Voices, he could hear them clearly. Although they were not from where he currently was, these voices reminded him of a past he has tried so hard to lock within himself. Cries for mercy, curses, every heart-rending ridicule played back crystal clear in his head. And yet there he stood, unaffected, unfazed, and what's worst of all, uncaring.

His knuckles were already white from gripping his sword's hilt so tight. He could feel the gentle breeze coming as the passage from The Pit opened, only to reveal a man who hides hatred for him. His head did not move to look at all. He stood there like a rock, waiting for his opponent to strike him, then he would counter and end it all in one blow.

"Zied, focus please, we have to leave."

That voice, it sounded familiar. Of all the things he could sense, the slight drip of water, the crawling insects, the footsteps of the one moving to his front; it was the killing intent that was missing. She meant no harm, he was certain of it.

"If you don't move now, I'll kick you in the balls to get you moving."

His eyes focused on her person as she walked slowly and cautiously towards him until she was only at striking distance. Without her weapon, if she had any killing intent at all, she would be as good as dead. But no, he recognized her. The haze that clouded his senses slowly started to dissipate. He was regaining control.

Just before he lost that state of terrifying strength, Zied turned around and gave everything he has to slash the iron doors that blocked their way towards the underground establishment. He understood why they needed to leave but there is no way he would let Joaquim run freely. There's a reason why he was wanted dead, and the contents behind the iron door answered the question why.

Contraband, high grade and advanced weapons smuggled. Someone feared that what Joaquim has, could potentially be a threat to them, hence the request for termination. Inside stood a man shaking with fear. He was alone and held an intricately designed sword. Turning his head back at Tyth, Zied smiled.

"You could have died... why'd you risk yourself like that? Are you stupid? In any case, thank you," he muttered, how long has it been since he last used those words? He can barely remember. "Your blood is not something I want to stain my hands with... after all, you're just like... her."

Zied walked forward facing the lone man who stood before them.

"Joaquim I presume? Where's your vanguard?" he asked.

The man, clearly under severe pressure and fear hissed and yelled at him. Zied soon learned that when they heard the White Sinner was in town, all the men he hired fled for their lives. Amusing... Zied never thought Tyth's unwanted title could also be advantageous. He looked back at her and winked.

"This will be over in a minute, and then we'll leave town..."

Walking closer towards Joaquim, Zied readied his sword. There was no scream, no struggle. Only the sound of a lifeless body dropping down to the hard earth.

"Let's go Tyth..."

by Rogue.Ember.Shadow Mon Apr 18, 2011 3:03 am

She sighed in relief. Honestly as much as she wanted to leave, she wanted Zied out of this place all the more. But being the likes of whoever she was like irked her a little a bit.

"I was actually looking forward to kicking you," she said once Joaquin was dead.

Scyth appeared again with their meager bags and tossed each one to their respective owners. Ignoring Zied, he handed Tyth another vial filled with liquid and then headed off into to the surrounding crowd.

She smiled after him, pocketed the vial and then looked at Zied.

"He'll meet up with us later, no doubt."

"OI there! You two!" yelled a black haired man with grey at his temples jog up to them with a scowl.

"Are you the cause of all this ruckus? And you damned Black Dragon, I bet you killed near everyone them back a ways huh? I should have you hanged for the mess left here!"

Tyth resisted the urge to giggle again. Here it was all her doing and Zied was getting blamed for it. Stepping slightly in front of her partner to avoid any more bloodshed, she tried to give the man a smile that was suppose to calm.

"We're from Forsaken Wolves on a job. If this place is as small as I think it is, you got whispers of who I am. We're leaving so you should be happy for it."

The man had eyes only for Zied and she had the urge to simply elbow her partner for being so hated. Scowling at him, she also thought of how little her coin would aid in this situation since they probably wanted her dead to. Being a Sinner, especially one given a color mark, was not liked at all in many places back when it was a big scare.

"I really hope the next populated town we come to, you aren't recognized for whatever crimes you did. Or I really will knee you."

She was about to try and reason again while moving to push Zied further back when a large explosion in one of the houses a block away went off. Debris fell everywhere and then another explosion happened over Eindir's well, showering water everywhere and soaking whatever it touched.

A flash of red through cracks between crowded buildings and through panicking people could only mean Scyth. She would have to thank him later.

Tugging lightly on Zied's arm, Tyth pushed her way through the panicking people since they were more scared to focus on them leaving. They ran for a while, easily keeping pace with each other with Scyth picking up the last
quarter mile while scanning behind them for any pursuers. As she ran, Tyth wasn't sure why but she laughed aloud. There was a slight drizzle of rain but it didn't bother her at all.

When they slowed down to a patch of trees, Tyth pressed her back against the wood and simply breathed. She felt so alive right now. The air felt so clean, their target was taken care of and no one was currently around wanting to skin their hides for whatever sadistic reason. Scyth arrived a few minutes later and smiled at her and then leaned on his sheathed weapon like a cane.

"Now that is over with, you need to think about the Anniversary, Tyth. I aint taking no for an answer this year." he growled at his friend while pushing dramp hair out of his eyes.

Rolling her shoulders to get the blood moving, Tyth stretched long and hard, "No, I need to be thinking about our next move. You know this is only the beginning, Scy. I'm going to hunt those jerks down and get them to talk. Brant will just have to forgive me this year. I can't make it, not now."

The red haired man sighed and shook his head, "Quit being stubborn. You'll be safe at the-"

"I am not leading them back to that farm. You know I will not repeat history again," she said and reached a hand out to press her palm against his wet arm, "You need to check in or others will wonder what is taking you so long. You will find me again."

He seemed very reluctant to leave, but Scyth knew his friend wouldn't let him be selfish and stubborn. Looking over at Zied, he glared outright and his mouth drew a straight line. Hooking his hand underneath the elbow of her arm touching him, Zied tugged a few feet away to talk in private. He leaned closer to pressed his forehead against her's, their eyes staring into each others to show how serious he was right now. Tyth closed her eyes and waited.

"I don't trust him, Tyth. You saw what I did. He could turn on you by the mere utter of a name. He's dangerous."

"So am I and I understand this kind of situation. I can handle this."

Shaking his head, Scyth leaned back and dropped his hand from her arm while shouldering his sheath's strap, "You still don't know enough, Tyth. Don't try to tame him, understand? I think Black Dragon has been mentioned before and I'll dig up what I can. But you be careful, got it?"

Tyth nodded and hugged her friend to her tightly, thanking him for the distraction earlier. It wasn't even a minute and he was already gone from sight back towards the town a few miles from Eindir.

Turning back towards her parner, she gave him an easy smile and reached her bag near his feet where she left it. Reaching in, she pulled out a small comb and began pulling the little teeth though her damp and tangled hair.

"What's the next move? I'm tempted to sleep just about anywhere right now if we decide to camp out again."

by Ethereal Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:39 am

All that ruckus for an escape! Zied was not one for flashy exits but this one couldn't be helped. Authorities now wanted him dead for being the alleged cause of the bloody mess near the inn. Tythlany was indeed irritated with his status in this town but he could and would not complain about it.

Not too far from Eindir, Zied and the other two stopped to catch their breaths. It would seem that the woman was enjoying herself. Seeing her acting like that caused Zied to actually smile again. Of course he would hide it by turning around and pretending to be irked by his drenched person. He just got himself a new set of garments to begin with.

After the events that happened in Eindir, Zied refused to speak about anything around that man. He did not trust him and the feeling between them was mutual. It was proven when he overheard bits about their conversation. The man called Scyth said that he would look up information about the Black Dragon. Scoffing with his back turned against the two, he doubted the redhead would find anything useful. He was an outsider to these parts of the world after all.

After making sure that Scyth was gone and that he was finally alone with Tyth, Zied took off his wet coat and hanged it on a nearby branch to dry. Now only wearing his jet black, body-fit undershirt, Zied brushed his wet hair up with one hand. Looking for a place to set his weapons down, Zied then began preparations to make fire for the night. It was not unusual for travelers to camp out. People of Eindir would think that they would have been long gone by now.

Finally having prepared what they needed to spend the night outside, Zied looked at Tyth, a crooked smile making itself visible for her to see.

"You are really keen on landing a hit on me are you?" he asked her, trying to get some conversation going on between the two of them.

Somehow, seeing Tyth as she was now, half drenched and having a happy smile. He thought differently of her, pretty - sexy even if only for a short thought, and deadly he added right at the end. Resting his back against the bark of a tree, Zied stretched out his tired legs to a more comfortable position.

"He won't find anything useful about me even if he runs a deep background check..."

Zied trailed off and looked above, watching the skies slowly turn from blue to orange.

"Sit down and let me tell you my story... or at least a decent overview of who I really am. It's only fair that you get to know something about me after all that right?" he asked, not bothering to wait for a response.

Zied avoided looking into her eyes as he began telling her a bit about himself.

"Zied Gray, born from the eastern lands in the small village of Rikushu, I was the only son of a tailor and an imperial knight. When I was just about reaching the age where I'm starting to see and understand what the world is, I saw my first glimpse of blood. It was my mother's..." Zied said, trailing off and taking in a deep breath.

His hand slowly curled into a fist as he continued to tell the woman more about himself.

"Following that was my first glimpse of destruction. Rikushu was not spared when the neighboring kingdom decided to attack ours. They slaughtered every single capable hand in the village, leaving children like me to rot and die..." he paused, clenching his fists tighter. "I could still remember it as clear as day, all the screams including my mother's as she begged the marauding knights for mercy... it was terrifying, yet I couldn't do a damn thing about it! I felt so helpless..."

He took in another deep breath and this time, lowered his eyes to the ground. His facial expression started to show his inner emotions of anger.

"When their onslaught came to an end, it was that imperial knight from the opposing kingdom who took me in. He taught me the way of the sword, treated me like his own son and yet I knew that he was the man who killed my parents. He forced me to live a life of hatred around him, where the only choice I had to survive was to become stronger under him so that I could one day take his life with my own hands."

Zied's eyes were focused on one spot. He cared not if Tyth was listening to him or not but he continued anyway.

"But I was weak, the absence of my real parents made me grow lonely, and with him treating me like his own son, I had grown fond of him. It was his plan all along to get me to acknowledge my own strength, he gave me all the chances in the world for me to take his life, and yet he already knew that I would somehow find it in myself to forgive him."

Turning his eyes to catch Tyth's gaze, Zied continued.

"I ran away from him, lived the rest of my teenage years in the streets, fending for my own, and looking for a way to enable myself to kill him. That's when I became a mercenary. They were unbound to the world's playground and rules, a fact about them I admired so much."

"My first mission came as a shock but the thrill I felt when I completed one job after the other kept me on edge. Killing was the closest thing I could get to regaining the lost strength I once had... that strength to take him on and kill him, that murderer."

Zied let out a long sigh. It was hard for him to dig up his past but he knew that this day would eventually come.

"In my quest for my own vengeance, I have seen many things that have corrupted me, warped me into a man I barely knew. Slavery, prostitution, gambling... you name it, I've seen it. I've lost sight of my goal, in the end I was just another killer for hire out in the streets. A very good one at that."

He stretched out his right arm and trailed his fingers down the length of his dragon tattoo.

"This is the mark of the man who took everything away from me. I got this tattoo to remind me everyday of what I must do. In the end, I couldn't do it. I cannot raise my blade against him no matter how hard I tried or how much I wanted to. In my own despair, I would find solace in one thing, killing..."

Feeling disgusted about himself, Zied paused for a long time before continuing.

"I threw myself into the field of combat every chance I would get, and thus the title, Black Dragon of the East came about. I brought about the fall of kingdoms, slaughtered countless men and women... I became feared... when in reality I'm just another man heading down the path to oblivion."

Zied looked at Tyth once more and softly spoke.

"And then I met her... Seiryu, the Azure Dragon... but that's for another time. Get some rest, we set out early tomorrow."

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