Completed Duck, Duck, Swan!

[Oriah]

Oriah nodded along as Xira kindly expounded all the information she would need to know about receiving a job, as well as some reassurance that it would be neither a difficult nor daunting task. Then, when he enthusiastically agreed to escort her, called her company a gift of gratitude, and then claimed dinner with a fair and kind lady like herself would be wonderful, she, a dancer, almost tripped on her own two feet.

"W-Um. Thank you!" she managed somehow, "I would appreciate that very much."

All her traveling and being stuck on a boat with a host of swarthy, mannerless sailors must have left a greater mark on her than she had originally believed. Oriah couldn't remember the last time she had received so many kind words and compliments in one meeting. For the longest time, she had all but forgotten a person could be so genteel.

"I'm not from any one place in Eyktol," she answered congenially, slowly recovering from her bewilderment. "I lived in a Tent, which was my community of fellow, nomadic travelers. We moved whenever we needed to, and stopped whenever it was a good opportunity to do so. It was hard, sometimes, surviving, but we always managed."

She smiled at Xira's mentioning of the legend of Syna's loving gaze. That smile faltered a little, however, at her memory of the very things Syna had taken from her. But she did not let it fully surface and sank the memories back to their murky depths before her mood could be completely dampened.

"Indeed, it is so hot there the legends seem far from mythic, and the lands change so much it is practically an art form just to know how to navigate it. " She quirked a playful eyebrow at her companion. "You know quite a bit, for knowing almost nothing. I suspect you know much more than you let on."

Oriah grinned, looking up at the hustling scenery around them. "As for me, well...I was a desert Tent child for a very long time. We visited the city of Yahebah once in a while to trade, but my life was to be no different from those of my community. And of my sister...before she passed to gentler realms."

"But I showed a skill for dancing," she quickly moved on, "and I was as ornery as a mule. Eventually, my elders wanted me to leave as much as I did, and here I am. Former sheep herder, now a traveling dancer, searching the corners of the world for the path to enlightenment, to living this life Yahal has gifted me to its fullest."

Oriah was not the preaching type. She was rather tired of them, in fact. But when she meant that Yahal had gifted her life to her, she was completely earnest. To prove this, she turned over her left palm to show Xira her mark of favor. "Without him, I would've died many years ago under Syna's fiery gaze," she explained, and then spoke no further of the subject.

"What of yourself? How did you come to such a profession?"

oocWelcome back! ^_^ So, just a heads up, but we're going to have to make it so that somehow Xira can neither escort Oriah all the way to the Employment Office nor eat dinner with her that evening (perhaps a rain check?) due to her being in another thread that same day. I know, my bad, don't know why I didn't see this coming xD We can make the reason as thrilling as possible though!

[Xira Hezmek]

"Me, know a lot?" Xira smiled graciously at the idea of him knowing anything of import about the deserts. "Only what I hear from storytellers and travelers." He then realized he had nearly interrupted his friend and closed his mouth before he added another quip. Something he had learned early when around a temperamental drykas.

Which allowed him to save face for the next part. Losing someone close. He knew that all too well. He didn't have any siblings, at least none that he knew of but he had lost much in his life. His real parents, his mother, his mentor. Everyone he cared about was gone and he was by himself. Unconsciously the young man let the burden on his shoulders show, they sagged a bit and he grimaced at Oriah's words. He listened and nodded and gave a smile as she finished.

"Yahal must have be a powerful force in your life. As for me? Oh well, I had a friend- Nay, my idol was a courier. He helped me get through some tough times, kept me out of trouble and showed me a thing or two about riding a horse. He would tell stories about his travels and filled up a young child's head with dreams beyond these corridors" He gestured to the winding halls. "Sure, I know now how dangerous it is now but since he is gone now, I figured 'why not follow after him.' That is why I chose this season to settle my affairs and really try and make my dreams come true. However foolish they may be." He shrugged a bit and smiled some more for the pretty woman he was with. Xira didn't feel as cheerful as five minutes ago, but he was still rather enjoying his time.

The young man stopped suddenly. He had no idea where he was and they were confronted with a dead end. "umm..." He grimaced again, but for a different reason. Xira had spent too much talking and not enough paying attention to his surroundings. Now he, the guide for a foreigner, was lost in his own home. How embarrassing.

OOCNo worries! I saw your threads before hand and figured this was your plan all along. Sorry about the delays; shenanigans.

[Oriah]

Oriah nodded at Xira's assumption; Yahal was indeed a powerful force, though more in faith than direct contact. The closest she had ever been to him was the day he granted her a mark of favor. The god had sent a cowled messenger to hint at her blessing, but she had felt his presence nonetheless. There was no way words could describe the sensation, or how she knew. It simply was.

The Benshira listened as her companion shed light on his own past, his tone and demeanor more somber than moments before. She could only guess that he had suffered in his past too; it seemed no matter where she went, when she revealed bits of her history there were always those who felt the echoes of familiar loss and pain. It united them, in a way, their suffering. Helped them remember they were not all that different, no matter which corner of the world they survived.

Oriah smiled as Xira spoke of settling his affairs and trying to make his dreams come true. "That doesn't seem foolish at all," she insisted, "It's a hard world we live in, and anyone who has what it takes to chase after a dream or two has more courage than most. We may be a little foolish, but I think we are mostly brave."

She lost her train of thought, however, when they stopped suddenly at a dead end. Her guide seemed to be thinking, his face locked in a grimace. Oriah would have found it amusing and teased him a little, had an unsavory sort of voice called out to them from behind.

"A pair of little lost birds," it hissed. "How convenient."

The Benshira whirled around to find their only exit blocked by two figures. One was a mean looking woman with hawkish features, the other a burly, hulking fellow who filled up most of the opening, posed as though he was merely taking a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle.

"What do you want?" Oriah demanded.

The thieves leered. "Everything you've got, lass. And that package in your lovely friend's pockets too, 'o course. We know it's there. It must be valuable"

So they had been followed, straight into this dead end alley. Oriah felt a rush of panic, but she held onto her composure, hugging her drum closer. She would never, ever, in a thousand years allow these fiends to touch her one and only tie to the place of her birth.

Her Tamos were sheathed on her belt, but they might not do much good up against the beefy looking thug. She inched closer to Xira, wondering if he was armed as well.

Where were the knights when you needed them?

oocBad planning on my end, and a lot of unexpected twists of events xD And no worries! Also we don't have to necessarily fight, feel free to resolve (or not resolve) this however you see fit

[Xira Hezmek]

Xira closed his and breathed in deeply. This was not happening. It couldn't, he just met a pretty young woman about his age and he got them lost. He got them lost and now they ran into one of the most uncommon occurrences: Thugs. Thugs in Syliras were uncommon due to the knights, but the ones that were there were worse than the "average" thug. These people had a sixth sense when it came to where the knights were. Maybe it was a signal for knights they used or something, he didn't know, he wasn't a thief or their muscle.

He turned around and put on an appeasing face. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you guys are talking about. My companion and I have nothing of monetary value, I assure you." He made no move to draw his sword, which is great since he left it at home; it wouldn't do to go armed to an elderly lady's home, a client. Besides, he was so unskilled in his sword that he was more likely to hurt himself or Oriah.

Xira lamented his foul fortune. Of all the times to leave his weapon at home he would end up on the receiving end of a beating. The woman did not appear to be armed. That was what the bruiser was for he supposed. That one had what looked like a carpenter's mallet at his belt, he probably used it as a cudgel and pretended that he was a construction worker when the knights were around. Of course.

He did his best to contain his panic, Xira's instincts were to run and so he looked about for an exit. They appeared to be in the maiden district, somewhere. Apartment doors lined the hallway that terminated in a wall. They could go into one of the rooms, but they were more likely to be locked and trying them all would bring down these thieves. No, they would have to fight or push their ways through. He would not be giving up his first package as a courier to thieves.

"How good are you with those?" He whispered to Oriah, eyeing one of the daggers. "I think I have a plan, but it's kind of reckless." He braced himself, widening his stance as if he were to engage the toughs. It occurred to the young man that these two might not be the only ones waiting for them. It was more than plausible that they would have look outs but he hoped to all the gods that he was wrong.

[Oriah]

She clenched and unclenched her fists as Xira spoke, wondering what the courier had in mind. Clearly, his package meant enough for him to resist their robbers, just as her drum did for herself. "I'm horrible with them," she admitted under her breath. "But I can still make them hurt."

She also had her sling, but decided it was near useless in this situation. Besides, her bullets were somewhere deep at the bottom of her pack and there was no potential ammunition to be found on the cobbled ground. Unless the thieves decided to upend her bag before robbing them blind, she had little to no chance of shooting either of them in the eyes.

"If you're quite done," the woman sneered. "Valuables, on the ground. Now. Haven't got all day, you know."

Oriah did as she was told, though more to keep her few but precious belongings safe than as an act of surrender. She needed her hands free to reach for her daggers should they resort to fighting.

Of all the things she had imagined happening to her on her first day in the city, getting robbed had not even been on the list. These two were either horribly stupid to try and steal in a city run by knights, or horribly good at what they did. It was likely they were not alone, which made the Benshira feel all the more uneasy.

"There's a good girl. Now, it's your turn, boy. Package, on the ground. Then you two will step back and face the wall. Move one muscle before we're gone and you'll find yourself in a world of pain. We clear?"

Professionals. They had to be. Oriah gulped and waited, wondering for the hundredth time what Xira had up his sleeve.

[Xira Hezmek]

Inwardly he sighed. It had come to this. It was not an ideal plan, he would not rather put his career in the hands of a stranger. No matter how much he got along with her. It was the best that he could think of in such a short amount of time however, and he would end up with the brunt of what would be a decent beating. World of pain here I come.

There was no such thing as crime in Syliras. There was no crime syndicates, no blackmarket, no gangs. How did these thieves manage to survive in such a place such as this. The knights were more likely to kill than to put people on trial. There was never one far. So how did they get themselves in this situation? Dumb, blind luck. Any group larger than a couple would have been wiped out by the knights, but a duo could carve out a hefty living stealing. Perhaps there was no more after all, no lookouts.

That didn't mean he needed to be quick about complying though. He slowly reached into his pocket, making a show of getting out the package while speaking quickly and quietly. "When I say 'Now' I am going to give you my package and you are going to run as far and as fast as you can. I'll distract them. Find a knight and come save me. If you can't find me, I live at the traveler's row, right next to the tavern."

His package was out by this point and he could feel his assailants' eyes on him. He couldn't waste time in waiting for a response. He had to act and hope she followed through with what he told her. If she did, perhaps they would get out of this okay. He whispered, "Now!" Not to alert them what he was about to do and tossed Oriah his package. He didn't even see if she caught the object before hurling himself at the bigger of the two with a primal roar that he himself didn't know he possessed. Which worked better than he hoped. The bruiser wasn't expecting that and when Xira collided with the man they both went down. His goal wasn't to win the fight, just buy time, but that didn't stop him from trying to put in some pathetic blows.

He was too caught up in the moment to notice what the woman was doing or what Oriah was up to. Hopefully everything would be alright.

OOCGo ahead and work it out however you want, staying and fighting or running or whatever. You can also RP the big guy NPC's reaction if you like.

[Oriah]

Oriah bit down on her tongue and struggled to maintain composure as Xira laid out his plan. She didn't even have time to object such a suicidal scheme, because no sooner had he finished his hushed explanations did the courier hiss, "Now!"

She caught the package just barely, cradling in awkwardly in her arms before watching Xira roar ferociously as he plowed into the burly henchman. That left her with the hawkish woman. Yahal save us all, the Benshira prayed under her breath before she shifted the package to rest under one arm, leaving the other free.

Wasting no time, Oriah ran straight for the female criminal. She unsheathed one of her Tamos midway, brandishing it clear enough for her opponent to see. When they were no more than a few hand spans apart, the girl made a wild swipe for the woman's face.

The thief ducked easily out of reach. A triumphant smirk stretched across her face...

...until she watched Oriah run right by her, wearing a grin of her own.

Shock bought the Benshira valuable time. Clearly, they hadn't counted on one abandoning the other, likely having marked them for a pair of close friends or lovers. It took the thief a good ten ticks or so before she snapped out of her stupor, swore colorfully, and pelted after the fleeing girl.

"Bergis, get the rest, I'm going after her!" the woman screeched behind her before her feet carried her out of earshot. "She has the package!"

Nodding, the man returned his attentions to his victim and all the possessions that had been left behind. When Oriah looked back, she felt a surge of relief to see the thief chasing her. They must be desperate to pursue her in public. It was only a matter of time before she ran into a knight.

No sooner had she concluded this than the blessed form of shining plate and armor appear in the distance. The knight saw her almost immediately and held out two well worn gauntlets to help stop her reckless momentum.

Panting wildly out of control, Oriah looked behind her. Her heart sank. The woman was no where to be seen.

"My friend...in trouble...please...save him..."

Without hesitance, the knight followed after her, lending the Benshira a plated arm as they ran as fast as they could back to where she had left Xira. Her heart twisted with overwhelming guilt and fear. As they neared the alley way, Oriah prayed to all the gods and goddesses they were not too late, and that the female thief had not returned to help her accomplice finish the job.

[Xira Hezmek]

With Oriah free Xira had a dilemma on his hands. He could stay and fend off the big guy, this "Bergis". Or to run himself. Unfortunately he didn't get the chance to weigh the options in his mind. The burly man struggled under Xira, easily throwing him off. Somehow his cudgel was thrown to the side and Xira ended up landing on it. He winced and pulled the hammer-like object free.

Bergis was staggering to his feet and Xira did his best to match him. The man looked into the alley then back to the courier. He could practically read the thug's thoughts, get the goods or get revenge on the puny man. He couldn't let them get Oriah's things. It didn't matter if they were worth a lot or not, he would do what he was hoping she was doing. He took the decision out of Bergis' hands and threw himself at the man again. That proved to be not as effective the first time and was met with a solid punch to Xira's cheek. The courier staggered back, pain and specks of color exploding through his skull. Again Xira threw some pathetic, unpracticed punches, which while finding their mark occasionally, did nothing to the musclebound man.

He shook his head, recovering a bit when a blow landed in his gut and another on his side. Xira gasped for breath, nauseous from the pain. He almost retched, otherwise senseless from the beginning of his beating.

If only he actually knew how to fight. He tried to remember what it was like to watch others barfight, what they did but nothing came to mind. The next blow came to quickly for him to do anything about it anyways. Another to the face, eye bruised to attest to it, another to his sides as he doubled over to protect his stomach. A blow to his back sent him sprawling, instinctively curling up to protect his vulnerable parts from a kick he knew was coming.

At this point there was no thinking, no analyzing, just waiting for the next blow or kick. He flinched and seized up for the next one, but it never came. He heard an authoritarian voice and a familiar one. A brief moment of an altercation and then a wet thump as something heavy hit the ground. He looked up, bruised and battered but alive.

Oriah's drums and other things were still on the ground at the end of the hallway. Thank the gods he hadn't failed. The other end of the hallway had three people, a knight in platemail, a woman and a prone man, dead or knocked out. It took a moment to recognize that the woman was Oriah. "Thank the gods" he half-croaked, giving words to his thoughts.

[Oriah]

Oriah's heart leaped to her throat as she skidded to a halt beside the knight. Bergis was readying for a final, fatal punch, towering above the curled form of a battered courier. They were too far away. They wouldn't be able to stop him.

"Halt!" the knight shouted, so loud that Oriah flinched at the sudden sound. "Surrender now, or action will be taken!"

Bergis must have known he was doomed either way. Crime was not something the city handled with mercy. Ever. He balked for a moment before plowing down the alleyway, likely aiming to barrel past them. The brute didn't make it half a step past the knight, who's gauntlet flashed and sent the huge man crumbling to the ground.

Oriah looked at the knight in awe for a tick before rushing toward Xira. "Blessed Yahal," she gasped, gingerly placing a hand on the courier's shoulder to inspect his bruised face. "I thought we were too late. And by the looks of it, we almost were! Are you alright? Is anything broken?"

Behind them, the knight was dragging the unconscious man out of the alleyway for his comrades to deal with. The commotion had sent several citizens running to fetch more knights, and now there were at least two or three more arriving at the scene.

Oriah glanced up and, seeing that all her belongings were still untouched, found herself smiling in spite of the situation. "Thank you," she whispered, "for staying. That was very brave." Then she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, holding up the package as she did. "Look, your parcel is safe! I think the woman gave up when she saw the knight and sneaked away."

No sooner had she explained this than said knight knelt beside them both, intimidating and reassuring all at once in his resplendent armor. "A courier, I take it?" he inquired. "A courageous act, sacrificing yourself for both friend and duty. I can have one of our pages deliver the package for you; you've proven yourself enough to earn some rest."

With that, the knight and Oriah worked together to help Xira stand, making sure he wasn't too seriously injured before assisting him out of the alleyway.

[Xira Hezmek]

Xira wobbled on his feet, accepting the support of his saviors. No sharp or stabbing pain, so that meant he had nothing broken. He could breath easily, though his ribcage was bruised and sore. He steadied himself and stood on his own. Miraculously, nothing had been broken. Perhaps Yahal had intervened in some way, or maybe another god. Unlikely but he muttered a prayer of thanks anyways. Boy was he sore, and he was definitely going to feel his injuries in the morning. He did not relish the thought in any way, shape, or form.

Everything seemed to move around him so fast, he was having trouble taking it all in. Xira had to take a moment to let it all soak in. They had been mugged, Xira distracted the thugs so Oriah could get away, Oriah apparently enlisted the help of this knight, who spooked the thug and saved his life. He sighed deeply, letting all the fear and heightened emotions wash out of him. He was all jittery and it took him a moment to register that these two had asked him questions. "Sorry, had to get my bearings. Um, doesn't feel like anything is broken, if anything I'm all bruised." He itched his nose, specks of blood smearing onto the side of his hand. Interesting.

"I'm fine, really. I don't know how, but I am better than how I probably look." He turned to the knight, "Thank you for your compliment Ser, but I can handle it. I need to get this package to my client. It's very important to me, a thing of honor." He smiled to his new friend, "Thank you for getting help. And sorry about getting you lost again... It happens more than I'd care to admit." He gave a sheepish look. "Ser knight, can you point us off in the direction of the gates? I need to get this package to the 'Swan and my home is near there in any case."

The knight gave a smirk, "You are almost there actually, just around the next corner is the main hall, follow it down to the main gates and you are there. But before you leave I need a description of the other assailant so an investigation can be started; we don't just let criminals wander our fair city."

Moments later the knight had his description and his fellow knights and he took the man into custody. Xira gave his home and answered for Oriah, perhaps a bit presumptuously, about where she would be staying. With the knights satisfied the bruised courier turned to his companion again, one eye black and swollen, and asked, "Well then, that was exciting. Shall we?" A massive understatement. He offered his arm to her, waiting for her to take it before heading off into the city again.

OOCSo seems like we are in the home stretch, I am guessing maybe one or two more posts from each of us and we'll have it all wrapped up.