[Flashback:Solo]Seaside Market: Between the devil & the sea

[Antar]

1st day of Spring -511 av-

Ah, the seaside Market was a fascinating place to be in for any roguish vagabond of sunberth to bask in the mystery of trying to find a set of real copper bottomed souls. By that, Noth thought to himself was that his task was to find a few trustworthy people which might help him in his task.

For now, a simple delivery.

Supply and Demand.

A package to be brought from one place, one person to another, and he didn't really care what it was. Just that it was a job, and jobs were always welcome. However, he wasn't remiss to stick his hide out without knowing what he was carrying so he'd snuck a quick peek inside the large heavy burlap sack to note it was a rather simple affair.

Copper nails.

And the client wanted it delivered to a ship's crew on the far side of the docks. Altogether an easy sort of task, one he didn't think held any real danger at all, so Noth casually began to walk in the direction of the docks.

[Antar]

Sunberth was a bonny town, if you could ignore the cutthroats, beggars , and other nonsensical rabble that would as soon sell their grandmother's for a single gold miz to slaver's then work an honest day's work in their lives.

It was kind of ironic then, this first job of his.

Here in a lawless city, the task was a abberation. An actual delivery of goods. Even if it was probably to some ship in the harbor. Copper nails. He had an inkling of why such would be delivered to a wooden ship. Shipworms and barnacles. Copper plating protected a ship below the water's surface, and if someone was foolhardy enough to fasten the plates with iron nails then all they got in the end was corrosion with their investment of copper plates ending up on the ocean floor.

The clien had said it had something to do with the physics of how sea water with iron and copper created something called a 'galvanic battery'. Now to be fair- he had no clue what that meant but he presumed that even Pirate ships needed work. And the nails he surmised were for one of them. Otherwise, he fathomed out there would be no point delivering such a bag of goods to the harbor anyways.

It was just a fact of business.

And the most important tenet of business in any circumstances or a delivery, was being on time with the goods. Even if one was new to Sunberth. Thinking he could shave off some time to get to the delivery point Antar veered off towards an alley, thinking he might cut through to a thoroughfare which might get him closer to the port. This exuberant decision was bound to be a mistake which would cost him dearly, both in time and money, if not in blood, for in Sunberth there were always eyes watching and waiting for an easy mark. For fate had dictated that Noth was about to become the next item served up on the platter of Sunberth's nefarious ongoings.

All in the form of a nefarious child jumping into his path at knee height. He barely was cognizant of his head hitting the ground as an accomplice pushed him from behind to trip him before the pair scampered off hand over fist towards a side alley. The bag of copper nails clearly seen held between their clutches before they disappeared from sight.

Pushing himself up onto his elbows Antar shook his head to clear it before cursing his rotten luck; taken advantage of two measly childish pickpockets turned muggers. Swearing under his breath Noth came to his feet and began to run after the pair...

[Antar]

Antar did not need this added aggravation on his first job and the damn kids were getting farther and farther ahead as they scampered off. He didn’t really know the reasons why he persevered to chase them; other than this was Sunberth and his own life might be taken if he couldn’t deliver the goods. Other than that; he was angry.

Yes. Angry.

All he could think of was lengthening his stride and pushing himself forwards, hoping that when he got his hands on the little brats he’d let his ruthless nature free to unleash his hatred at the situation.

If there was one thing Antar hated most in the world, after his own dismemberment or death or loss of profits, it was running after some punk kid who seemed to have gotten the fething idea to steal from him and run like it was a game of tag. But then again, this was Sunberth. Every kid or street rat was a pickpocket or purse snatcher; though to be honest most women in Sunberth did not possess purses. Though he knew that normally such accessories were reserved for the ladies of the 'gentry' in other cities. Noth supposed that was good things... kids in sunberth were just trying to make a living.

Antar knew that.

But that fact alone wasn't going to be enough to stop him from fileting these annoying children alive.

His face almost broke out into a bizarre and twisted smile as he vaulted an overturned stack of crates in order to bridge the distance. “Get back here you fething twits!” Noth shouted aloud as he jumped over what looked to be some drunkard's sputum. It was just another hazard he'd add as the second type of peril he now knew of existing in Sunberth's back alleys. The first type of peril, these brats, he was going to make sure never bothered him or anyone else again. Even if they were kids... there would be no forgiveness for those which took from him.

None.

Noth’s footsteps echoed heavily on the cobblestones as he quickened his stride as the pair rounded a corner. He could see details of them now… the pair that had snatched the bag of copper nails he’d swore to deliver. A pair which consisted of a white haired teenage girl at about the age sixteen who was glancing backwards as she ran, and a little brown haired boy at about age ten who was trailing behind. Without batting an eye, Antar drew his longbow from behind his back and notched an arrow, taking a scant second to aim before letting it fly towards the nearest target. He could see the young girl’s eyes widened in fear as she tried to shout a warning, but it was too late.

The arrow fell true piercing the leg of the fleeing boy collapsing him to the harsh stone pavement. Like a deer in the headlights the girl stopped for the barest second before turning to flee down another alleyway… he knew such a route would lead only to another thoroughfare which only lead towards one place- back towards a section of the slums where only children were quartered. That was fine, he had gotten a good look at the brat, long enough to note she was a Konti. She’d be easy to find, but for now Noth’s thoughts were on his goods.

In mere seconds Noth fell upon the boy, who was crying and grabbing at his leg. The boy had tried to reach towards a small dagger at his belt, but Antar stopped this by delivering a punishing blow with his boot heel to the young scamp’s head.

The boy fell oddly limp though it seemed to still draw shallow breaths. With a brief glance over to see if the boy carried the sack of nails, Antar cursed as he spotted nothing in the kid’s hands. This was the little brat who had tripped him.

Without remorse, Antar savagely yanked the arrow out of the boy's leg, twisting it to pull it free. Without caring to waste any further time and unwilling to leave a wounded enemy of any sort, Noth came to a swift decision.

He slit the boy’s throat with the kid’s own dagger.

Then he wiped it on the boy's tunic before securing it in his own belt. Antar had already made his decision; he’d simply deal with or kill those who got in the way of his regaining the bag of copper nails. Including anyone else the little girl went to for help. It was just another tenet of business; if you cheat someone you pay the consequences.

Almost without pause Noth vaulted back to his feet and began running in the direction the Konti had gone… towards the Slums.

[Antar]

Rounding the bend to the main street heading back towards the slums Antar had his eyes open and constantly scanning the road ahead. In the early morning the crowds were thin. And few people were out and about as he began to ran in the direction he thought the girl would be taking.

It was a risk, but an educated one as far as the territory of sunberth was concerned. The kid would be fleeing towards safer territory, seeking to get as much distance between a source of death and a job gone wrong.

Noth took the time to refasten his longbow behind his shoulder and began to run, he darted around a wagon going past to vault up towards the seawall. It was a large and flat affair of stone that ran alongside Sunberth's seaside quarters, and wide enough for two men to stand abreast upon the smooth surface. In times after worse weather it tended to be rather slippery with small pools of water nestled in divots in the rock. Dangerous to walk or run upon without having some balance to oneself, but for now- it was rather dry in the sea air.

He ran along the length of the stone wall, making headway against the flow of incoming traffic, gaining time and distance until he spotted in the distance a flash of white hair from two or three people. He gained some ground, ducking back into the flow of traffic, weaving his way towards the one he was closest to as he tried to identify which of the three light haired people was his mark.

It wasn’t the first one, he noted that for sure as a large burlesque bleach blonde haired man turned to shove a companion into the nearest wall. Noth gave the man wide berth not needing to become involved at this point. Besides, Konti weren’t male. So he continued on to find the second wasn’t of any note either, just a bleach blonde tavern wench making her way to the last bit of stores before the area turned over towards the Children’s quarters. Finally something caught his eye ahead, as a flash of white disappearing into a side shop.

With a bit of caution he advanced to where he might see through the store window and immediately thanked the gods for his luck. Through the window, he caught a glimpse of the kid’s face, setting it to be a match to the child who tried to gank his stuff, as she began talking to someone behind the counter.

Moving quietly to the brick door, he settled into eavesdrop while he waited for the time to make his move... While sneaking up he heard a few choice bits of conversation.

“Hey there, Marivel! You been okay? How’s business? Going good?”
“Yeah, But… but I lost Mark!”
“What? How the bloody hell did that happen? Ach, he was too young for these jobs, didn't I tell you? Forget it, just tell me if you got anything good?”
“Just a bit of copper. Look, can we get on with this: I need the money and then try to circle back to find Mark.”
“Ach… alright, lemme see what you pinched.”

Smiling a bit to himself Antar drew his kukri dagger and palmed it. After that he put his game face on and simply walked into the store as quietly as possible while the two were distracted... The girl had the bag of goods on the counter and was quickly scrambling to pick up a pittance of gold mizzas, a far cry from what the copper was actually worth before scampering out unknowingly. When she left the store, her eyes downcast Noth let her go, noting that she didn’t seem to recognize him.

The clerk behind the counter turned to him as he placed the boy’s dagger on the counter. “I hear you like to do business around here in the buying of odd goods.” Like it was a commonplace event Antar smiled as the man came forwards to appraise it. When the man’s hands were just about to reach the dagger, Antar struck with all the speed of a snake, with one hand grabbing a handful of the man’s hair in order to slam the clerk’s face down hard onto the wooden countertop. Antar duplicated the feat a few more times, making sure the man was thoroughly stunned before hauling him over the counter to fall heavy upon the earthen floor.

Without wasting time Antar’s kukri was at the man’s throat, creating a small shallow cut as he applied the slightest pressure as the shopkeeper began to cough and sputter. “Now let’s say you answer me a few questions there, I don’t like having the little girl who was just in here mug me for those copper nails, and if you’re kind enough to tell me where she stays, maybe I’ll let you live. I’ll be taking back my property by the way, so you wasted whatever money you just gave to the konti whelp.”

He said and spoke in such a manner that the man seemed intimidated enough to start talking. A few minutes later, Antar left the shop with the bag of nails, the boy’s dagger an address in the children’s quarter, and a bit of the now dead shopkeeper’s money purse which had a few odd coins in it.

Walking quietly and sticking to the main roads this time, Noth ventured towards where he had to deliver the goods. When he found the ship at the harbor he signed over the bag to the shipwrights master for the repair of one of the ships before going back to see his client to tell him the goods were delivered and for him to return tomorrow, even if the good had been delivered a little bit late due to the unnecessary distraction.

He was told to take the rest of the day off.

That was fine with him… he knew exactly what he was going to spend the rest of his day, and the night doing. He had a score to settle with a little konti, after all…

[Antar]

Antar smiled to himself in the semi darkness. Here in the slums were a ramshackle building set across the way that he knew were housing the little nuisance who had come across his path. He was looking at a two story home on the far side of the street, one with a gaping hole in the roof and part of a second floor that had caved in. A bit of the structure had been torn down and the section of the home had been walled off with a scavenged window where a door used to have been. He’d spent his time observing the structure and just waiting there until the children came home like good little lambs to the slaughter. It was certainly a good thing this hovel was far enough on the outskirts of the city that it wasn’t exactly in the children’s quarters. More likely it was half a league from anything but a broken run down section of town where most people never wandered save a few orphan groups that didn’t want to take part in the ‘orphanage’ system that Sunberth possessed and struck out on their own. For the moment, all he could do was stand there, gazing down from the rooftops as he considered his options and the gear he had brought.

Noth had left the boys dagger at his camp, with his tent hidden in his hiding spot near the outskirts. Instead, he’d brought with him the rather more … unpleasant tools of the trade. First there was his weapons, his gladius strapped to his back over his right shoulder, his kukri dagger ; sheathed at his upper left, and his longbow upon his back with the subtlest weapon of his old trade a string of beads wound around his right wrist...

Add that to the thieves tools he brought from his pack and Noth was almost beginning to think he was back in the midst of his old life. Truth be told, he wasn’t entirely sure that was a good thing as he surveyed the area below his rooftop perch. He’d been watching a good candlemark now. Surveying which children entered and left the building, and those who returned for a nights sleep. He was almost filled with a ungodly sense of anticipation as he saw the female konti “Marivel” come back amidst a small throng of following children.


About five of them in counting, two younger boys he guessed were around the age of ten and two younger girls. One six, and one looking like she was in her early teens. He merely watched and waited as around them , more roving bands of delinquents and criminals in the making returned to their own houses, their days of infamy or begging over. The two youngest didn’t look armed, but the other girl from the Konti might prove a problem as she was holding an old dilapidated shortbow, and seemed to have a quiver of arrows. Probably a budding hunter of some sort, the dead rats tied up on a stick behind one shoulder guaranteed that.

Noth had supped on one of them before during his trips in the wild lands to get here. Hell he guessed even orphans would eat just about anything if they were starving enough. Yes the archer would be a problem. But the konti would to… He hadn’t noticed but she seemed to be wearing a blade of some sort, probably a rapier or a large dagger. The only other one which might give him a bit of trouble were the two boys… boys at the edge of puberty, even ten years old were always rambunctious and energetic. Hell, he’d bet even odds they’d try to fight him with any improvised weapon on hand or attempt flee after pissing themselves. He honestly hoped it was the first option, he really didn’t want to go chasing down any street rat at night just to kill them to cover up what was to go down.

With the moon rising, and very little activity from anywhere around, Antar decided to make his move. With soft steps he traversed from one rooftop to the other, making his way over the broken down structures carefully until coming to a wire which hung across the street. You saw a lot of these in these sections where kids were, they were meant to hold up sections of the wall which were weak by anchoring them to something farther away. It really was a pitiable fix to a structural problem but it worked amidst the ramshackle shanties. Thankfully, they tended to be strong enough to support a full grown man’s weight.

Antar crossed the line , pulling himself hand over hand with his legs encircling the wire, protected by the toughened trousers he wore until he made it across and slowly let himself back down onto the roof. He traversed quietly to his hands and knees before sinking down to shimmy forwards on his stomach. When he came to the hole in the roof he took a firm grip on the edge and bent himself over the ledge to check on the situation. There was no light on in the second floor section of the habitation. With the coast clear, Noth tightened his grip and swung himself over, slowly easing himself downwards with his upper body strength alone until the tips of his feet touched the ground. Only when he was sure did he let go to transfer his weight to the ground. The floor was boarded over, to keep out the rain, though he could guess it probably leaked like all the other building in Sunberth's slums.

Easing towards the window in the door, Noth took a look into the darkness of the room beyond . It seemed like the door was literally barred with a stick, but he could see the edge of it through the window. Taking out his thieves tools he began to get to work.

[Antar]

While not the best at breaking and entering, Antar knew enough of the basics now about being careful. He wasn’t here to steal anything, just here for blood, so the quieter an entrance he made the better his chances of taking the children below by surprise. There was another reason he had marked out this entrance from the second floor. In the waning hours of the daylight it had seemed only to be used for storage.

Laying out his tools by unrolling the cloth they were stored in, Antar’s eyes and fingers roamed over his choices. First there were the lockpicks, which were no good on a door which was simply barred from inside, but the manual glass cutter might prove useful. It wasn’t more than a scalpel really, and a far cry from the mechanical wonder that it’s diamond bladed big brother was. But it was useable, and that brought him to the last item within the tool kit. A small wrapped bundle covered in wax paper. It was this he took up first as he peered inside the darkness of the second floor storeroom from his crouched position.


It was actually a lump of clay, still wet enough to be pliable. With care, Noth grabbed a hunk of the clay and molded it to the glass of the window, making sure the bottom left hand corner of the pane was still capable of being cut. Normally one would have to cut a circular entrance hole, but when working on mechanics it was best to remove an entire plate of the glass; or take off the hinges of a door entirely. Unfortunately the hinges of this door were on the other side, despite having been modified from a collapsed part of the second floor. So that left Noth with only the first option.

Sealing the putty to the window pane he carefully cut the pain of glass as close to the wooden braces as possible, keeping one hand on the putty at all times being as careful and quiet as he could. There was a bit of noise, which seemed louder to him then the thunder of his own heartbeat echoing in his eardrums. That was when he realized it wasn’t the thunder of his ears he was hearing, but rather the distant sounds of a storm approaching. Ever the perfectionist, Noth continued his work in quiet and after a few minutes of cutting and recutting the course, the deed was done. Pulling slightly at the clay, the glass square separated from its mounting and came free into his hand. Noth placed it aside with care as he began to hear echoes of noises from inside. Some snores, other’s the laughter of children and a few bits of low voices seeming to whisper as they talked about something Noth couldn’t make out...

He secured his tools again and put them away before standing to his full height. As carefully as possible so as not to cut himself, Noth reached down through the hole in the glass in order to grab the bar and lift it up from its brace. Applying a small bit of pressure from his shoulder the door swung open upon creaky joints loud enough that Noth thanked the gods for the tumultuous weather. People always said the storms were a thief’s best friend.

As he slipped inside the rogue surveyed his surroundings for a moment against the backdrop of the storm. The storeroom wasn’t in good repair and had more broken boxes then not. From below the muffled curses of a group of squabbling and grieving children could be heard with one feminine voice telling a boy to go get something.

For a moment, Antar hoped the boy was sent elsewhere, making it one less of a target to deal with but then his ears told him a different story, causing him to unwind the beads at his wrist. Hiding behind the false wall of the stairwell Noth smiled a small predatory smile of anticipation as he heard the pitter patter of a tiny pair of feet begin to make their way up the stairs…

[Antar]

Antar waited silently in the darkness of the storeroom, like a malevolent shadow waiting for a tiny animal to fall within it's embrace. Each step from the stumbling child he heard was counted in seconds as he slowly unwound the beads from his right wrist. Finding the pair of special beads, he stretched the wire within them taught as the moments stretched almost into an eternity. It was not his will to allow himself a mistake at times such as this. Noth knew he himself was a killer, and it was a job he excelled at. It was something Antar reveled in even if it bore all the hallmarks of his former life he had been trying to escape for far too long.

The rogue held his breath as the boy reached the upper tier of stairs, not wanting to expose his presence. Just watching and waiting patiently like a fisherman as he waited to catch something in his net. The only difference being it wasn't a fish he was catching, but a living, thinking, breathing being. But the boy wouldn't be breathing for long... He saw the boy pause at the entrance to the room, staring out as the lightning from the storm illuminated the area. In the last moments of his life, Noth could have sworn the boy had instinctively realized something was there. But it was too late. Noth was already upon him.

Circling the thin wire about the boys neck, Antar showed no mercy as he physically pulled the small child off his feet. The boy wriggled in the air, his legs kicking as his face turned blue, his mouth open to scream and gaping like a fish out of water. But it was no use as the child had no air to scream. It was all taken from him by the wire which encircled his throat.

Noth kept up the pressure until the boys hands fell to his sides, and the body went limp. Only then did he stop, letting the dead weight to fall against him. With the wire slackened, the wire spooled back into its form of a simple set of prayer beads he thought it proper to ensure the job was finished. Noth's right hand grabbed the child's chin, and his left held the back of the head steady. With a sickening twist the rogue snapped the boy's neck, and lowered the corpse to the ground as slowly as possible.

Strangulation had to be one of his favorite ways to kill, though snapping necks was a close second. To him; it just wasn’t a job until one of the two had occurred.

Rewrapping the assassin’s beads around his hand in the still darkness, Noth pondered his next move. Of the five in the building he'd come to slay one was already dead. It had been one of two males who seemed no more than in their early teens. It would be difficult for him to deal with the others unless he could take out one more as quietly as possible. Reaching a decision, he reached up and drew the gladius he kept buckled behind his right shoulder and tentatively swung it. He hadn't much training in a sword, albeit none, but the twenty two inch blade was at least a pound and a half heavier than his kukri.

But it was longer than his dagger , and might allow him to stab someone from afar while an arrow shot from his bow was no sure thing in the cramped quarters of the slum-house. With this thought in mind, he turned towards the steps, and slowly began to descend. In the room below he heard a muttered female voice say, "For the love of the gods, are you done getting that thing for Mark, Ethan?"

Still walking down the steps he paused to peek behind the doorway, towards the dim light of a candle lit room. In a chair by the corner a dark haired girl sat in an old rocking chair, a bow and quiver resting at her side.

It was she who was speaking, "Ethan! Did you hear me?"

Another voice, this one he recognized as the konti's yelled from downstairs, addding her two coppers."Listen to Emeralda, Ethan! I have to get you three to bed!" The bowman was the only one he could see. He couldn't see the others.

He had to presume they were downstairs and take this opportunity to get rid of the archer. Taking a slow breath to steady himself, Noth turned the corner and began his charge making sure to keep as low to the ground as possible as the kid's instincts made her grab for her bow.

To his side, he heard a young girl mutter, "Emmy I'm 'firsty'' before she started to scream.

[Antar]

The child's cry echoed in the air as the rogue raced in, the girl's hands came about her bow as she tried to bring it up, but it was too late as his sword arced towards her in a sideways slash.

In those few seconds, Noth could see the whites of her eyes, and almost feel her fear... Luck, or reflexes, caused her to push the rocking chair backwards, causing his swipe to pass above her head an imbed its point into the wall beyond. On her back the girl drew a rushed bead on Antar, loosing an arrow that skirted past his cheek so close that he could feel the air from its passing. Planting one foot on the wall, Noth used the extra leverage to pull out his blade. He switched his grip, holding the sword like an ice pick before bringing down in a stabbing thrust. With the limberness of youth, and the reflexes of a cat, the girl rolled aside, dropping the shortbow in the process.

As the gladius imbedded itself through the chair's wood and into the floor below, Noth reacted by kicking the archer in the side. The force of the blow sent her careening into the wall. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the screaming girl being grabbed by someone with a flash of white hair and being dragged into the basement.

Pulling the sword out, Noth took a step towards them, only to be stopped by a left hand at his ankle and a sharp blow from an iron poker wrapping at his gut. Cursing loudly, Noth angled another kick at the interloper's head, only to have it dodged once again as the girl pushed off the floor to roll to her feet.

He had a mighty spry one here...

Wielding the poker like a dagger the girl struck out with a right handed thrust, stabbing for his innards forcing Noth to dodged back and wildly swipe his blade from side to side. The wild parry made the flat edge of the sword meet the iron bar and his arm ached from the blow as metal met metal. Reaching up with his left arm, his hand encircled the poker, holding it locked against his sword as he let loose a snap kick to his opponent's stomach.

The girl released her grip on the iron and pinwheeled backwards, as Noth followed up with a thrusting stab that the girl barely ducked beneath, his blade cutting loose only a few strands of the brunette’s hair. Fighting for her life the girl's hands searched for anything within reach to use, and a chamber pot fell into her grasp and she cracked it against Noth's knee causing it to shatter on impact. Falling to one knee, Noth's pain allowed her an instant of reprieve enough for her to scramble to her feet and lash out at him with a well-placed kick to the sternum causing him to fall back and lose his grip on his sword.

It clattered to the ground. Like a rat, the girl scampered for the blade only to have it denied to her as Antar kicked it away. "Emmy" aimed to kick him again, but he caught his quarry's leg and twisted it, throwing her to the side.

Noth shook himself and breathed deeply trying to regain the air his opponent had kicked out of him as he slowly struggled to his feet. With his sword out of his hands, Antar pulled his dagger from his left shoulder sheathe and staggered towards the little wretch. The brunette forced him back again as she renewed her assault. This time, with the remnants of the rocking chair she had originally been seated upon.


She succeeded in dropping him once again to his knees as it impacted his back, but his fingers kept a firm hold on his blade. Lashing out with his off hand, Noth backhanded her causing her to spiral away from him towards the other side of the room. If he hadn’t had the edge in weight and strength this little fox might have been the death of him as she once again came to her feet with his sword in her hands. The girl let out a guttural cry as she raised the gladius in an overhand swing which would have surely decapitated him had he not reached up to grab her arm with his left hand, and thrust with the dagger in his right. It penetrated her chest as he came fully to his feet, bullrushing her and bearing her over with his greater weight as they both fell to the ground.


Keeping one hand pinning the brunette’s arms he stabbed again, and again until bloody lines of scarlet ran across her chest and the gladius fell from her limp fingers as the life left her eyes. Taking a look around, scanning for a new threat, Noth saw the commotion of the fight had broken just about everything in the room, from chairs, to a table and some dishes. Wearily, he cleaned the dagger on the dead archers pantlegs and sheathed it before taking back his sword to look down at the stairs which lead to the basement of this dwelling.

He could hear the sounds of heavy objects being moved, like they were barricading themselves in. Looking at the sword in his hand, the rogue wondered if he might actually be able to accomplish the goal he set out for himself. His thoughts ventured towards the door, it would be so easy to just walk away right now, so easy… but he shrugged them off as he glanced back towards the steps which led where the final three were hiding. From what he could see from here as straddled the corpse it was a straight shot down.


Gaining his feet, he glanced down at the body and then back towards the stairs. He made a quick decision and raised the gladius above his head one more time...

***

“Feth, Marivel! What in all the hells is happening?”
“Just shut up and check the window Mark! Can you get out?”
“No the window’s too tight!”

In the basement a young Konti named “Marivel” and a little group of children were in hiding, allowed to live here by the grace of the orphanages. "Okay, this is where we'll be safe for the time being." said the girl. "Just be quiet." Without delay, she took one of the youngest , a six year old punk into her arms to hoist the kid up towards the basement window to look outside, "Darn it! Can you see anything, Mark? Anyone to shout to for help?"

“Who the feth would come? This is sunberth, Mare!” This got Sella worried. "What about Mikey?" he asked. The konti glanced to the side breathing deeply before replying, ”That guy we stole from shot him."
“So when’s Mikey coming back?” said the small one.

“He’s not coming back, he’s dead. His throat was cut.”

“Whom do you think is breaking in up there than. You think Emeralda’s alright? She’s going to be alright isn’t she? She’s just going to shoot the person right?” cried Sela , the younger girl who had screamed. “Just shut up and be quiet! I have to watch the stairwell!” Marivel cursed again as she shoved a rotten bed frame towards the opening of the steps, Upstairs the noise had been terrifying in the amount of smashing which had gone on. “Is there anything useful you have to say Mark?”

“I don’t know, until today we weren’t thieves who mugged people were we? You ever thought maybe its this guy looking for what you took?”

‘Damn Mark! He’d always been a brat. “How the hell should I know? It was just a sack of nails! There weren’t nothin’ special about them!”
“What about Ethan? He went upstairs looking for somethin’. He gonna be okay?”
“I don’t know, just do as I say! You’re scaring Sela!”

Unheeding her words the ten year old continued blithely on, "Where did this guy come from? If he is the one who broke in; why was he so adamant about getting back a set of stupid nails anyways, Big Sis?"

"I... I don't know Mark. Just shut up and be quiet unless you see something." The Konti swore at the little wretch.

"Maybe we should just give them back?" the boy insisted turning towards her.

At that Marivel’s eyes began to tear up, until she lost her temper, backhanding the boy before shouting. "Stay at the window damnit! Are you crazy? The sale of them for scrap alone was enough to feed all of us for a month and it was already hawked! We can’t give them back if it’s him, and if it’s not then we’re screwed anyways!" Mark fell silent, as above their heads a slight creak above their heads in the wood floor could be heard. Then a creak of the door opening followed by the dull thud of something falling down the steps.

When they saw the bloody mess of what actually had been thrown, the Mark, the youngest started screaming. Sela joined in a second after as the young konti tightened her grip on her dagger and swore a foul string of curses that were of no use. An accusing set of dead eyes were staring at her as a shadow moved above in the stairwell. Unable to take it, Sela in a panic made a run for the stairs, scrambling over the barriacade as behind her Mark kept cursing and crying from the pain of being smacked.

The six year old didn’t get very far on the stairs before her tiny body pitched backwards towards Marivel. For a second all the young konti could do was watch in horror as she saw the cause: an arrow lodged in the child's throat.

“Feth! Dumb little Idjit just got herself killed!” muttered Mark as the boy jumped away from the window to grab a box and tried to help build the barricade even higher...

[Antar]

'Heads of the dead were such useful things.' Noth mused as he knelt at the top of the stairs and sighted down his bow. To an archer such as himself, the hunt was almost always a waiting game at some point in time. He was just glad his little trick had sparked an easy kill. Rolling a head down the steps wasn’t the smartest thing to do to tip off a mark that you were coming… but it sure was fun. Besides, he gained a realization too; it was bloody hard to swing a gladius into the body of a body, living or dead. The gladius it seemed was good for decapitations but seemed to sink wetly and get caught on the bones of the ribcage if one’s strike was off. It was something he’d remember, but all in all using the severed head as a scare tactic had played upon the fears of trapped orphans , driving the smallest to flee right into his arrow sights.

He knocked another arrow, sighting down as he considered the situation. He had two opponents in a basement, barricaded by an overturned bedframe and assorted boxes blocking a straight facing but cramped stairwell. It was still night, he had a few hours till dawn. Plenty of time to let them simmer, and let their fears govern them into making stupid mistakes. However, he didn’t know if anyone else might come by, and that was a risk he did not wish to take. But the remaining options were few…

The first idea was to rush in, sword in hand to kick the barricade down, however that might leave him open to any attack. The second idea being to find a way to smash through the barricade and get inside, with the following third idea he had being a calculated risk of smoking them out. Too much fire, and the whole place could go up, drawing in others from outside before the job was finished. Too little, and there wouldn’t be enough smoke. Glancing around for an idea Antar’s eyes scanned the wreckage of the first floor of the hovel, settling on the round top of the busted wooden table as an idea slowly came to mind.
Upon closer inspection the tabletop was not exactly what it had seemed. It was part of one of the wooden anchor spools they had down at the docks. The thing was heavy, and when turned on its side would come up to his chest. It’s circumference banded in rusty iron. Loosening his bow, he took a little bit of exertion but Noth moved it slowly towards the stairwell. He checked down the stairwell again noting the body of the girl was still there as the other two tried to set up something to keep him out.

Antar took a bead on the mattress, concentrating his djed, Noth coated the length of the arrow in Res, aiming down towards the rotten bed mat draped over the barricade. He’d bet even coppers the thing was old, dry, and dusty, yet the mildew would keep part of it damp enough for it not to strike up immediately. But it was another method of causing panic. Releasing the arrow Noth ignited the res around it into flame. Smiling, he watched it imbed itself in the mattress and take light. Below, the two children began cursing, with the girl pulling the mattress back over the bed frame and the boy beating at the flames with a blanket.

Noth slung his longbow to his back and got a grip on the round table. The rough wood under his hands pricked him with a splinter, but he did not give up. With his muscles straining he heaved it upwards to rest on its side and then pushed it over the edge of the stairs. A small portion of his mind laughed as the rolling wheel fell downwards, crushing parts of the dead girl’s skull before it impacted the makeshift barrier the pair of children had erected.

The wheel continued on with its momentum from falling causing barrier to come apart in a fury of tossed boxes, broken beams, and a wash of splinters. Noth drew his gladius and rushed down after it, wanting to utilize the surprise to its fullest. When he burst into the room he saw the carnage his little stunt had caused. A boy, no more than ten lay with his legs trapped under the wheel. The matress lay smoldering in the distance, the fires of its festering threads causing it to burn slowly to coals. Through a window on the far side, light from the storm came in flashes from the gods thunder. The konti bitch was unsuccessfully move it, her eyes widening in fright as she reached for a dagger on her belt.

He lashed out at her with the hilt of the gladius, sending her back to hit her head against the wall before turning his attention to the boy. The boy was still struggling to free himself, staring up at Antar with anger and rage as the boy was coming to grips with the fact he was going today. His hand tightened about the hilt of his sword, holding it horizontally as he thrust the blade into the body, piercing the spinal cord above the heart before pulling it out. The boy had only a few moments to stare at the gaping hole in his chest and the blood that began to flow as his brain forgot that his spine was severed and his lungs stopped breathing.

Noth wheeled towards the girl, to note the konti was moaning weakly in pain as she struggled to push herself to her feet. Taking a stride closer, Noth swung wildly, the flat of his blade hitting her back. She fell to the floor again, and in his fury Noth began to kick the object of his day’s consternation. Over and over again he kicked the girl in her stomach. He didn’t let himself stop until he saw her fall unconscious.

At the sight, the rage left him as he considered what to do next. He had to find some means to profit for all this work after all. He was sure he might find a means to do something more fitting for the day’s pain than just kill her. A means to achieve revenge in a manner far better than if he had just killed the girl. To cause her pain and suffering for the rest of her life. His memory of rumors in the market told him that in Sunberth, there was a better way. There were such things as slavers, and whorehouses and the young woman like this girl would fashion quite a price. Some dark being within his soul was satisfied with that outcome. The girl was going to learn just what it was like to be sold as chattel!

He gathered up the unconscious konti whelp, securing her dagger in his belt and bound the teenager soundly. Throwing her over his right shoulder. Directing his attention towards the dry boxes in the basement, he called forth his djed from the pit of his stomach. Drawing forth the Res he summoned another use of it, this time summoning a small sphere of transparent vapor to his left hand before casting it towards the dry piles of splintered wood, and boxes. This time, the flames grew quickly, igniting the outer edge as the things began to be set ablaze.


The rogue turned to leave, only stopping at the first floor to gather the dead brunette’s shortbow and quiver from where they had dropped by the body before he turned to walk out into the dark and rainy night… He had one last place to go before he could retire for the night.

Noth mused that today had been a good day asides from all the annoyances.

Antar had been robbed by a couple of street rats and shot one of the accomplices. Then he took the boys dagger, and tracked down the Konti before he used the idea of selling the weapon to get close enough to dupe the shopkeeper who bought the stolen delivery items. He then killed the shopkeeper, recovered the goods and then as an added bonus he liberated the same shopkeeper’s purse. That was all before delivering the goods to the shipwrights, and reporting back to a very upset employer who had given him the rest of the day off.

Antar spent the later portion of the evening observing the scene before breaking and entering into the house where the konti thief lived, hacked apart her fellow orphans and bound her after he had clubbed her into unconsciousness ; thankful of fate taking special care to not mark up the girl’s good looks. He’d set the fire after deciding not to dump the other children’s corpses into the sea before finally settling on the idea of selling the Konti whelp to some slavers to complete his little bit of payback to the whelp and her cohorts.

Gods, it made him wish he had marshmallows and the chance to do a little jig if it wouldn't hurt so much. He was sure he had a couple of bruised ribs from the fight with the brunette, and his jaw was puffing up like a melon. He just would carry on for the moment, knowing he had a few hours till sunrise and then he could sell the fething whelp.


Whistling to himself as he marched towards the outskirts of the city where he had setup camp, Noth mused that: All in all, his first day in Sunberth had been a pretty good day. As for the destructive amount of murder and mayhem he’d been dragged into, well… the details were between the devil and the deep blue sea.


~Fin

skills used :

Combat elements used: Weapon Longbow, Weapon (garrote)Assassin’s Beads, Weapon Shortsword(gladius); weapon(dagger):Kukri;
Other: Larceny, Intimidation(throwing a severed head, multiple threats to a shopkeeper,etc), interrogation, Intelligence(observation of the house with the kids)
Magic(minor use Reimancy to start the fire to burn the corpses and smoke them out)
Physical skills:
Stealth, Running, jumping, climbing, brawling,
Misc: Any other you see …

Spoils&Stuff- none, its a flashback Otherwise I'd want a slave to sell :3
As Always I hope you enjoyed the read . : )

[Cantrip]

Did you want something? Antar: XP Award: Running +2; Longbow +2; Observation +3; Kukri +2; Stealth +3; Interrogation +1; Intelligence +1; Brawling +1; Climbing +1; Larceny +1; Garrote +1; Unarmed Combat +1; Gladius +2; Intimidation +2; Tactics +3; Reimancy +1 Lores: Pondering on the Uses of Copper Nails; Taking Shortcuts can be Risky; Getting Mugged by Kids; The Fine Art of Slaying Children (advanced); Strumpet Stalking (accidental); Konti are Elusive; Revenge is Preferable to Theft; Entering Through the Window; Chamber Pots are Deadly; Using Severed Heads for Emphasis; Smoking them Out; Konti Fetch a Good Price; Revenge is Sweet and Profitable. Additional Notes: I vastly enjoyed this thread. I don’t think anybody else has gone on quite this sort of rampage, so props for that, and for adhering to the rogue concept. Also, the story played out well, with a good flow through the city and house that kept me on the edge of my seat.