[The Rearing Stallion] You called me a what!? (Xelin)

[Elhaym]

Pain stood up, pushing her chair back under the table as she stood. She reached for her satchel, tossing it into her former chair, and sat in the one it had occupied. Now closer to Xelin, she scooted her chair up next to him and pressed her elbows onto the table, burying her chin in her hands.

"That's very true... the only thing we have to worry about is attracting too much attention. Let me tell you something... this Gaar fellow, he messed me up pretty badly once before. I had a sort of job at a much smaller pub in Syliras before, you know. I was quiet, I sat and drew in the corner, and the owner let me stay in a tiny room in the back for free. The catch was, when someone got rowdy, I would approach them and calm them down, you know. Sometimes I would have to take them out back and rough them up, but most of the time it was enough to have a woman's company for the rest of the night." Pain said in whispered tones. She knew what Xelin must be thinking at this point, that she had been both a bouncer and a whore. Maybe so, but that was in the past.

"Thing is, this Gaar fellow came in one day. Apparently one of his friends had been one of the ones who didn't feel satisfied with my company alone, and I guess I messed him up a little. He came straight for me, broke my ribs, busted up my face real bad. To make a long story short, I got him back... but here in Syliras, the Knights are diligent. I had to leave town for a while, they don't let beatings go unpunished, much less murder." She finished with a weary sigh. This would be a challenge, and Pain saw only two options.

"The way I see it, we can do this two ways... we can lure them back to my room. It's deep in the guts of the castle, the doors are heavy and the walls are thick. The advantage being that you could easily conceal yourself in there, it's pitch dark. There are no windows... however, if we do have to kill one or all of them, what do we do with the bodies?" Pain mumbled the words near silently into Xelin's ear, darting her head around periodically to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation.

"Or... we could lure them out of Syliras, where disposing of the bodies won't be an issue, but it will be harder to control the situation, and harder to hide you."

Pain looked into her newfound friend's eyes, knowing that either plan would put them both in a significant amount of danger. Despite that, the planning, the plotting, the danger... it felt good. To have someone at her back for the first time in years was a refreshing feeling.

"So... what do you think?"

[Xelin Sylaaf]

77th Day of Summer, 510 AV

Xelin once again went quiet. This was not how Xelin enjoyed spending his days, and it was not a state he enjotd being in. Very rarely was someone, must less a young woman, able to leave him so speechless so regularly. It was starting to dawn on him that he'd actually have to kill someone, and the thought was not pleasant. He stared back at his guitar. He knew that if he left right now there would be no consequences. That thought was beginning to grow more and more in his mind.

The girl, however, was starting to endure himself to her. A bounce and a prostitute? In all honesty Xelin couldn't even try to imagine this quiet girl such a situation. Even more shocking was that there was someone interested. Not that Pain was ugly or anything, far from it, but she just seemed so.....intense. He had a hard time believing she'd be much company for a drunken patron.

Well, there's always a way out of this, and it didn't require running away, or murder. "You're room, I think, would be easier to conceal me. But I leave this to you, I'm no professional here. Well, I mean I'm a professional, but not a 'professional' professional." He gave a chuckle, wanting to lighten the mood. He then took a long gulp from his mug, "Though, I have to ask, what would happen if you just left?"

[Elhaym]

"I've considered both leaving town and going to the Knight's for help thoroughly, I don't think either would work. If I goto the Knights, they'll eventually find out about the whole series of events before, and not only will I be jailed for assault, but for what I was doing in the Pub beforehand. I don't want to bring anything down on that Pub's owner, he was a good man who helped me out when I needed it. I know that sounds odd, considering the work, but thats the way it is."

Pain could see that Xelin was starting to become aware of the situation as a whole. She didn't blame him; here in Syliras, acting out justice on your own is not a sanctioned activity. The Knights of Syliras ran a tight ship, and Pain should have gone to them in the first place. She hadn't.

"If I just leave, well, that may work for a while. I don't think I would get far, though. I've not mentioned this yet, because I didn't want to alarm you. But, they've been tailing me for days, trying to catch me alone. Don't worry, he isn't here at the moment. Aside from getting that note, I was making sure I wasn't followed during that two hours I gave you to be here."

"I guess i'll tell you this upfront. I'll pay you fifty gold mizas if you help me through this. I'll find a dead drop to store the money in town before we confront them, so if I die, you can find it." Pain's face was ashen now, worried at whether or not she would be able to handle this alone if Xelin decided to just take the money and leave.

"Concealment aside, if we consider the Knights, and the fact that the room is registered to me, I think out if we could lure them outside the city would be better. Having bodies pop up in a room registered to Elha... I mean, me, would probably end up with a very brief trial involving me tragically falling into a horseman's blade." Pain finished her sentence hurriedly, after almost using her birth name in a moment of high stress and making the conversation even more awkward.

"So, i'll make this simple for you. Theres a spot we can do this i'm pretty familiar with about three miles south of town. If you follow the road that far, you'll see a big rock up near the road. It sticks out horribly, so you can't miss it. Around it is a field of blue flowers; if you cut through that field and through the thicket of trees that surrounds it, you should find yourself in a small clearing. Take a shovel, and meet me there tonight. Whether you're there or not, i'm going to finish this." Pain eased the words out of her mouth in a whisper. Deep down, she had a feeling Xelin would come to his senses and leave it to the gods to decide whether or not Pain would survive the night.

[Xelin Sylaaf]

Xelin had to admit that Pain, or Elha...whatever the rest of her name, was certainly being more than helpful. Offering him 50 Mizas, and leaving it fo him to pick up at his own time, with guarantee he'd even be there to help her when the time came. Again, this bugged him, if she had planned out payment this poorly, how was this assassination going to be pulled off. It made Xelin tight in his stomach. The ale in him wasn't helping, he definitely needed to relieve himself.

And with that an idea hit him. Out of nowhere, with no real provaction. Xelin was so marveled that he congratulated himself on his brilliance, as he was want to do regularly.

He looked to Pain, "Okay, I can get a shovel, but don't pay me the 50 in the drop off, give me half now. I need it for something." He said, his comforted smile returned to his face and he was back to the cheery young man who'd bothered Pain in the first place.

[Elhaym]

Pain noted the shift in Xelin's demeanor as he spoke with a sense of bewilderment. However, sometimes talking too much was a bad thing. Without a word, she reached to her waste, and pulled free a small cloth bad that was tied at the top with a knotted cord. She sat the bag on his lap, wincing at the sound of the Miza's metallic dance within as they settled. It was a lot of money, no doubt. Dead people didn't need money though, and if Xelin took the money and ran, and she somehow survived... well, she speculated the chance of that happening were low.

"Whatever you're scheming, I hope it's good." Pain whispered as she lifted herself from her seat. She bent over a bit, so that her head was hovering just above Xelin's shoulder. "Meet me there, at the 19th bell... keep yourself hidden. Unless you have something else in mind."

And with that, she spun on her heels, snatching her satchel from it's respective seat, and making her way to the exit.

---

17th Bell (two hours later)

Pain hurriedly approached the gate, moving quickly through the crowd at a jogging pace. She had succeeded in arousing her pursuer from his lapse in coverage, and she was aware of him a few hundred yards behind her. She hadn't anticipated on him having a horse, however...

The guard exchanged pleasantries with her, apparently remembering her from the semi-regular runs she took throughout the last few weeks around the exterior of the city. Pain bounced from foot to foot, stretching her legs as she asked the Knight about his wife and children, wearing a mask of happiness that concealed her true anxiety. A rider. Once she was out of the lookouts atop the castle's line of sight, she would be run down. Probably much sooner, if she was unlucky. Despite, she was dedicated to the plan and had no recourse but to trust in herself and Xelin.

She said her goodbyes to the Knight at the gate, and began jogging down the road at a medium pace. It wasn't too hot, and the run wasn't excruciating in the least, but Pain was sweating bullets.

---

The Knight returned to the doldrums of guard duty after the young artist took her leave. He watched diligently as familiar faces paced through unhindered, almost wishing for a troublemaker to appear. He caught sight of a man dismounting a horse near the gate in his peripheral vision, quickly snapping his head toward him and locking his eyes on his figure. He had apparently picked something up off the ground, and was now slowly leading his horse toward the gate.

"Excuse me, Sir Knight. I just found this on the road, and I know you're busy, but... have you any idea who this may belong to?" The cloaked figure asked cordially. A heavily bearded and smiling face was all that was visible from within his shadowy hood.

"Yes, in fact. That young woman that just ran off a moment ago, it would be hers. Ahh..." He reached for the object that the cloaked rider had produced, which turned out to be a small sketchbook with several drawings of plants and flowers inside. "... hmmm... yes, here it is. That's what she calls herself, there in the corner. Pain. Odd name for a young woman, but you know how artists are, talking about feeling things deeply and such, and--... hey!" The Knight was interrupted abruptly as the rider snatched the book from his grasp, and began mounting his horse. He left the Knight there fuming as he rode off after his prey.

[Elhaym]

The rock Pain had described to Xelin was visible in the distance. Pain's body moved rhythmically as she ran, unencumbered by armor, weapons, or supplies. As it was, she was quite fast, but what mortal could outrun a man riding a horse? She had been curious why her pursuer had hung back as Syliras became more and more distant, but upon a quick look around her shoulder, found his reasoning. It did not bring any comfort.

Every so often, he would swing his arm as if tossing something to the ground. He had begun the moment they had left the beaten path of the road, and she knew he was leaving a trail for others to follow.

"So..." she thought, "It will be three after all."

As she neared the large craggy rock, she redirected her path across the same field of blue wildflowers she had described to Xelin. Normally, she would have tread lightly across such delicate beauty, but tonight was a rare exception. She burst into the wooded thicket beyond the flowering field, covering her face with forearms as she bullrushed through the spiky branches and thorny underbrush. The natural sounds of the woods were ghostly to Pain; monotone insect hums and thin dead branches scraping against each other created a simple but eerie symphony. The sharp cry of a horse cut through, and Pain now knew the time for running was drawing to a close. At last, the labyrinth of branches and thorns gave way to ankle high grass and the remnants of the day's sunlight.

Pain's breathing was heavy after such a run, and her muscles were pleading mercy. She obliged them, and stopped in the middle of the clearing to take what little rest she could before the first of her adversaries came for her.

[Xelin Sylaaf]

He hated not being stealthy. Normally it never bothered Xelin, it was his nature to get people to pay attention, but tonight was not a night that such a nature was a good thing, in theory. But one thing Xelin was good at was lying and another was being able to put on a good show.

Quietly he drudged through the thick night, quickly as he could but not enough to make too much noise. He had to, he had some added weight with him. On his back he carried a large leather skin, the size of a large dog. It wore on his shoulder, and as he moved the liquid that filled the skin slushed around. He moved through the woods, keeping off the main road, lest he run into the thugs prematurely.

Sure enough, Pain's instructions were spot on, and he made his way through the now trampled path of blue flowers. Seeing Pain at a distance he tried waving, hoping she could make out his form in the night. He said nothing to her as he closer, but motioned towards a nearby set of thick bushes, went behind them and crouched.

Finally he spoke, "Let's hope we know what we're doing."

[Elhaym]

Pain's body instinctively turned, her firsts coming up to her chin in a defensive posture and her left leg sliding forward in one fluid motion. Her body had gone into fight mode, but Pain's recognized the voice. he was somewhere near the edge of the clearing, apparently concealed in the wild growth that abruptly ended into the grassy field.

Yeah... lets." she said, sucking in a few final gulps of air before her lungs relaxed and her heart rate returned to normal. "One is almost on us, he'll be here any second... I don't know what you have planned, but he'll come for me. So... do whatever it is you're going to do, and lets try not to get killed..."

And with that, the sound of a person cutting their way through the woods danced into Pain's ears. She hand signaled to Xelin to remain quiet, and backed into the center of the clearing. In the growing darkness, the found it difficult to focus on the man that emerged from the brush. He was of average height and build, and so he definitely was not Gaar. That was not a guarantee of safety, however. He didn't speak a word, and his footfall were his only audible tell. Pain grimaced at the sight of a large knife dangling from a sheath on his belt, and in her wandering thoughts, lost her focus for a split second. The wrong split second.

There was no preamble. No long winded explanation of why they were doing what they were doing. No threats, no coercion. He took two long strides foward, and threw a fast right jab that would have shattered Pain's nose had she not brought her fists up just in time to let her forearms take the punishment for her. His fists came quickly, pummeling her arms and shoulders as she blocked or batted away each one. The pain in her forearms was swelling, and Pain saw an opening to end his assault.

Pain took a long step forward, twisting her hips to the right and throwing her elbow across, folding her wrist into her chest as she did so to further extend the hard, bony point of her elbow. The crunch of bone connecting with cartilage was sickening, and her assailant stumbled backwards. A low gurgling sound escaped from his mouth, the first sound he had managed to make.

Pain took a step back, raising her hands once again to guard, hovering them just below her chin. She stood on the balls of her feet, feeling the beginnings of an adrenaline rush. No doubt her opponent would be feeling the same. Their first contact had lasted mere seconds, and already Pain's forearms were battered and swollen red. Likewise, the Mercenaries nose was broken. Blood was streaming down his face, with the added effect of his newly broken nose's wheezing and bubbling blood from his nostrils only adding to his increasingly feral demeanor.

Pain thought she could take this guy, but he wouldn't make the same mistake again. No doubt, he wouldn't hold back the next time he came. She became increasingly aware that she had a trump card; Xelin. Pain didn't know what he had planned, but in the next few moments she hoped it would become clear.

[Xelin Sylaaf]

Xelin gnashed his teeth, his fist clenching until his knuckles were white. He punched his fist into the dirt a few times, the soft earth making little sound as he let out his boiling anger. Pain was getting her share of brutality quick and hard, the beast that lorded over her was worse than he thought. More so than that, his bloody partners had yet to show up. This plan wouldn't work without them and now he was starting to think that it wouldn't matter.

Dammit, he cursed himself and the Gods for their worthlessness in this. So much for prayers, he thought, not like he worshipped them anyway. But now these things were gonna work out the way he wanted, and now was kicking himself for the large leather skin that was quite useless at this point. Worse still, he didn't think Pain would make it much longer, not after another skirmish with that living mountain. Also, the anger in him was getting stronger. Call him old fashioned, but Xelin didn't like it when people hit girls. And he also was not one to sit by and let it go unpunished.

He took the leather skin off and emerged from the bushes. It was dark and his foot steps were light but swift. He reached for the knife holster on his belt and withdrew his blade, gripping the hilt tightly. He was a novice with a knife but he didn't need to be too handy as he was coming less than 20 feet from a giant who was reeling from his first bout.

"Hey! Asshole!" Still approaching the man he raised his knife, his eyes locked on the bastard's thick chest. His wrist curved back and with one swift swing of his arm he unleashed his knife, throwing the blade straight to the man's heart.

[Elhaym]

Pain bobbed back and forth in her stance, watching her opponent. In her head, she was trying to analyze what she knew about the man's fighting style and predict his next move. He had stepped with his left foot first and favored his right hand, and she was ready for that. She focused on watching his whole form, ready to read warnings signs of an incoming punch or kick. To her dismay, she witnessed the worst warning sign of all. He slide the knife that was hanging from his belt free from it's leather prison, revealing a thick, sharp looking blade.

"Hey asshole!"

Pain's head snapped to her left, gritting her teeth as Xelin revealing himself. Her opponent half turned, and seemed to stumble back a bit. His hands started to spasm and he tossed his weapon aside, it landing in the thick underbrush several yards away. He was wildly clawing at his chest, like he had been bitten. Pain wasn't sure what had happened due to the darkness, but a chance was a chance.

She closed the distance between them in three quick strides, catching the bewildered mercenary by surprise. He seemed slow, not preparing himself for her assault. She saw the glint of steel from an object protruding from his chest in the split second before she launched her own attack, and let out a mental sigh of relief at Xelin's presence.

He was off kilter, and she took advantage. She planted her left foot on his slightly bent right knee, and pushed her body up with as much power as her thigh could muster. Now semi-airborne, she twisted her hips and bent her right knee, again favoring the hard, bony joints of her body rather than fists or feet. Her right arm shoot backwards for momentum, completing the technique, allowing her knee to impact against the now staggering mercenaries face with a sickening crunch. She followed through, burying her lower shin bone in the soft tissue of his throat as she rode him to the ground with a hollow thud. Pain rolled away from his body after they landed, noting the man's death throws coming out in gasps and whispers from his ruined face and crushed throat. They ended shortly enough.

Pain's breath came heavily, her eyes darting in the darkness in attempt to locate Xelin again. She saw him, standing at the edge of the clearing. "One down." Pain thought.

"... Xelin? We probably don't have much time before the others arrive. This one left a trail for them to a follow... Do you have a plan?" She said in between breaths. The adrenaline was fading. She only hoped Xelin had more of a plan than she did.