Waste Not (Reisen)

[Konrad Venger]

Whoever Scythe was, he knew his weapons and had toughness enough to shrug off blow that would leave him limping and pissing blood... but he didn't have two heads. His head snapped back and forth as he realized he was being assaulted on two sides, Konrad charging at the front, Three Eyes from his right-

Shyke, where'd that peeping bastard go?

The Rujaro roared and swept out with his right scythe, keeping Three Eyes back, curved blade and straight daggers kicking up sparks in the night-

-Konrad's own kopis chopping at him from the side, caught by the other blade before it could connect-

-but with his other scythe busy with Three Eyes, there was no retaliation from that hand, leaving the Rujaro open-

-for Konrad to bury his boot in the bastard's crotch and nearly lift him up from the swampy mud with the blow. Those white eyes became screaming, bulging globes within a tick, before frosting over and exploding against with rage, Rujaro flailing madly, at him, at Eyes, every direction-

Not a good idea, falling apart while yer in the middle of-

There was a yell, a blur, and Konrad's head jerked around to see his death hurtling towards him, grasping a halfspear, face twisted in fury and hatred. Any man from Kenash, any swinging a sword, was an enemy of this man, and Konrad knew he wouldn't be able to block in time. Maybe deflect, but not keep that length of metal and wood from skewering him.

Petch that, he thought in his last second, arm already flexing, don't mean I ain't gonna t-

Something dirty, desperate and wholly unexpected got there before Konrad had a chance to go down fighting. Wielding some sort of cutlass, curved like his kopis but the "right" way, the man tackled Spear down into the mud with a titanic splash and sploosh or mud and water. The two distinct figures became one for a moment, splattered and covered in filth as they rolled around, finally coming up...

Konrad blinked for a few precious, stupid ticks.

He saved you. He stopped that Rooj bastard. Could've just let him do it, but... but he didn't.

Why?

"Kon, f'petch's sake-"

He snapped out of his reverie and found-

Things changing for the worse. Another Rujaro had emerged from the shadows, a woman with lithe limbs and the scars of old floggings stark on her pale skin, forcing Three Eyes back and back with a short sword and a chain wrapped around her other hand. Scythe was back on his feet, limping a little more clearly now, but still strong enough to hold his weapons-

"Shyke!"

-and swing them at Konrad, forcing him back and back, training lessons at the Proving Grounds back in Sunberth keeping his blade swinging and slashing and knockign the scythes away until-

-his back thumped into a tree and the Rujaro let out another inhuman wail, pressing down with one scythe to keep Konrad pinned, the other swinging for his neck and Konrad let his knees turn to wax beneath him-

THUNK

Rujaro and Dynast killer both paused as they heard metal meet wood, not flesh and bone. Konrad looked up and the scythe that should have taken his head off was buried in the side of the tree, being furiously yanked-

Petch're you waiting for?!

Konrad seized his moment and exploded up and forwards, rocketing up with his head leading the way-

-smashing it into the face of the Rujaro as he pushed the man back, pushing hard with his kopis and the man's arm with it, until he could pull back his weapon and slash low-

-the Rujaro blocking it, but slower now, unsuited to fighting without his other hand full, punching wildly instead-

-and Konrad swayed away from the blow, jerking forward fast-

-smashing the crown of his head into the man's nose and feeling it break, warm redness splattering across his forehead and the Rujaro went reeling, slashing blindly-

Konrad felt their minor battle shrink and slow. Just the patch of filthy water and sucking mud they stood on, their weapons and their bodies. It was no less frantic or mortal, but after so many of the same, Konrad had learned to seize this tiny fragments of understanding, perception, opportunity.

He slashed again, knowing the Rujaro would block, and gripped his kopis with both hands, whirling both their joined weapons around and to the side-

-pulling his free as the Rujaro's arm was straight out to the side, slashing down at the same time with a roar that blasted through his fatigue and pain.

The Rujaro screamed as the kopis laid him open from pectoral to stomach. Rich mud and sweat was suddenly joined with a gaping maw of red that spurted and heaved blood over Konrad, into the dirt, the man crashing down to his knees.

Konrad saw the defiance leaking from his eyes as quick as the blood from his body. Scythe dropping from his hand as he pressed both of them to his chest, as if trying to force together the cleaved skin, stop the flow, ignore the shadow-

-that fell over him. He looked up, and Konrad saw a man on his knees before him. Not a ghost, or a daemon, or a monster. Just a man, at the end of his sand, trying to beg or curse with his mouth full of blood.

Konrad didn't give him a chance, with a breathless grunt he swung the kopis sideways, and with an almighty tremor through the blade and a crunch like a dozen branches broken at once, Scythe's head toppled backwards, and his body went forwards.

[Reisen Widerspruch]

The half-spear wielding rujaro looked at him with hate and disgust, as if projecting all his mistreatment and loathing by the Dynast’s or whomever his previous master was at him. There have only been a few times Reisen had ever seen such raw hatred, yet he’d perhaps put this as his number as the face revealed by moonlight showed the scars and the tattoo’s that hid the brand.

He wondered if he’d show such a face if he were a slave, at the same time thankful he wasn’t one. Yet Kenash demanded work from him and Kenash wasn’t kind to those who would only be a waste of space without contributing ‘That could be me right there, if I’m not careful’

And if he’s not careful now then he’d be dead, as the thrusting Rujaro so kindly reminded him. Despite his weapon being only a half spear he still held some length over Reisen. The flat of his cutlass slapped the spear tip aside with each thrust, yet his arms tired quickly whilst the Rujaro didn’t have such complication.

With one second slower he barely parried a lethal thrust that grazed against the shoulder of his sword arm, causing Reisen to yelp as he dropped his blade.

‘PETCH’ Reisen never much liked pain, even minor ones. The Rujaro, thinking he had seen a lethal opening to exploit, thrusted the spear again but soon he was surprised as Reisen bobbing his head to the side, with the tip now grazing Reisen’s face from his check to beneath his ear.

Reisen stepped forward, slipping inside and close to the Rujaro’s personal space with their eyes meeting. Tightening his left hand into a fist, Reisen stepped on the tip of the Rujaro’s left foot and brought his fist into his ribs with repetivie body flows, his boxing training taking over.

It was effectively a counter, a boxing basic that took advantage of an attacking opponent’s opening, unable to brace themselves for the incoming blows to minimize damage. It helped that this particular band of Rujaro had not the advantage that armor would have gave them, else Reisen would have had need of knuckles or gauntlets to make proper damage.

There was the crack of ribs on the third strike, the Rujaro dropped his spear as he took in the pain and then backhanded Reisen who was unprepared for such a blow and stumbled away. Reisen’s left eye was left swollen and temporary unable to see, as well as left in a diz.

The Rujaro, while not blinded was left feeling agony as he tried to collect himself with his left covering his side.

Both knew they were left open, both knew that if they don’t act fast the other would kill. On syncornized yet opposing wavelengths the two picked up their weapons. Their hands shook, Reisen’s more so as he felt pain wielding the cutlass, yet it was his sword hand and so he felt left with no choice but to use it.

They looked at each other again, seeing desperation in the other, taking note of their wounds and weaknesses.

Reisen knew he was worse for wear in comparison, and so he illicited the same word for the umpteenth time this night.

“Petch”

[Konrad Venger]

"Petching! Shitting! Bitch!"

Three Eyes knew he could have finished their little duel with a couple of quick thrust from his blades, but the bruises, cuts and gashes on his arms and face demanded something more satisfying. That's why he was breaking every bone in Sword-and-Chain's face before he petching killed her.

After the first dozen punches, he wasn't punctuating them with anything but grunts and snarls. The dozen after that, it wasn't a face anymore, and everything under it was just twitching meat that hadn't yet realized it was dead.

Blood and burst eyeballs were mingling with grey matter and his knuckles would be a petching mess the next morning. But it was worth it, straightening up as he straddled the bitch, and spat a hateful gob into her face.

"Petching... shyke."

Konrad watched Three Eyes win his personal battle (after a fashion), leaving them with just the Peeper and Halfspear.

Until more moans and strange hootings from the swamp told him that the trio they'd already met could just be the beginning. They had to get gone, get moving, get into the safety of civilization where the Rujaro wouldn't dare enter in numbers. Too exposed. Too much brick and stone and open air.

Time to end this, then.

Halfspear was so petching tired. Every breath was like a dagger in his ribs... his broken ribs, he realized. Gods, would he even make it back to camp for the healer to see to him? He didn't dare breath in too deep, fearing just doing so might break another one. He had a death grip on his spear, though, determined to end this pugilistic little sod before-

Movement to his side, enough for him to spin around-

-shaft of the spear just below the tip smacking into an outstretched hand reaching out to meet it, stopping it dead-

-Halfspear's eyes were filled and changed, going from the kid with the cutlass to the tall, lanky black figure he'd charged at before. He'd got his hat back, apparently, green eyes burning beneath it and-

-a flash of silver, in the same tick his hand grabbed the spear, making it useless, before Halfspear could process what to do next-

Konrad had already decided on that. He was going to die-

-with his kopis rammed through his stomach. Halfspear's whole body seemed to spasm at once, then froze, jaw dropped, eyes popping, slowing looking down at the three-feet of curved steel buried in his guts and-

-twisted-

Ah, not quite frozen. Konrad could see his brain kick back into gear, some semblance of frantic life returning, fighting the pain, clawing for more of Tanroa's precious attention. One hand reached out and clawed down Konrad's chest as he sank down to his knees.

Konrad pulled his sword free and wiped it on the man's shoulders, front-and-back, like an absurd, bloody knighting ceremony. Halfspear fell to his side, mouth moving feebly, trying to breath, half his face buried in the mud and the water, contemplating eternity and tadpoles as he bled to death.

Leaving Konrad with a different conundrum. He stared at the Peeper. Bloodied on his arm, still holding his blade... but with Three Eyes limping to his side, he wouldn't be a problem between the two of them. Looked like a kid. Barely with fur on his face, cutlass waving in an unsteady grip, eyes wide and frightened and-

He saved you.

The hooting continued. The calls. Rujaro codes he'd no hope of understanding, letting the word travel. Three dead. Intruders. Come, come for revenge. He'd have that to deal with, soon, he didn't need an additional complication-

You'd be dead if he hadn't helped. Maybe he knew he stood a better chance with you than them. Doesn't matter. He still did it.

"Kon? Kon, s'a witness man...?"

Shyke-head that Eyes was for still using his petching name, he was right, in that narrow, cautious way of street survivors. Man orders the job done quiet and anonymous, that means no survivors. There was two bodies for this job: the first had a Rujaro message carved into his chest by Konrad personally; this second was meant to be the same. But now there was extra eyes on them, and that meant-

All you've ever had is your tomorrow.

Konrad blinked. Gripped his kopis tighter.

He gave you that. He saved you.

Things he didn't want to acknowledge, even look at, bubbled up from the past. Back before and closer to the present. Those fragments, those memories, that pulled on him through time and circumstances. He stood there covered in blood and mud and excrement, and all it would take would be one final exertion, a few swings, a thrust, and the job would be done...

... petch.

"Town's back that way," he growled, gesturing with his clean(ish) kopis back the way they'd all come. He could tell by the body of Harven, still trussed up and now bloody from throat to toes, strung up for all to see until time, elements and scavengers tore him down. "Don't follow us. An' boy? Youse don't keep yer mouth shut..."

He gestured around them all. At Harven, roasted alive then having his throat opened. Scythes, with his body in one place and his head another. Halfspear still dribbling filth into the mud. Three Eyes' lady love, no longer possessing a face of life. The message, Konrad thought, was clear enough.

So was the next. He kept his sword in hand in case they ran into anymore Rooj on the acre-walk back, but his other reached up... and touched the brim of his hat.

"We're even."

Then he turned and started to walk, a stunned Three Eyes following in his wake.

[Reisen Widerspruch]

Reisin, with the adrenalin and pain of the situation now down sans the pain in his arm and face, cllapsed to his knees as he saw the backs of his almost=killers. He heard the name, or at least part of it, of the tall man in nice hat.

‘Kon…. Well this whole night felt like a particularly bad one’ He thought. He spoke in a familiar accent, one he’d heard many times and even lived among it. He and his friend both had it….. He couldn’t place it yet, but that didn’t matter now.

He dumbly nodded at his ‘message’ , Reisen had no trouble allowing himself to register it. He had witnessed the carnage incurred done mostly by one man. One, single, man whom he’d saved in a desperate attempt to survive.

The attempt was successful, in turn he was spared and the man pronounced them ‘even’. Even got directions back town.

‘Well, that’s swell and dandy alright. Went out for a bit of exploration, ran into a torture session, got hunted by the torturers, fought rebel slaves, saved the scary one in the nice hat, got me arm stabbed and a gash to my face’ As he watched their backs as they walked away, his eyes lingered on Kon.

‘That man is gonna be in my nightmares’ And Reisen had a number of those but this one would rank somewhere at the top. Switching the grip of his sword to his left hand, he sheathed it awkwardly. The horrible sounds came back.

‘Not time to linger then’ With an awkward gate, he ran in the awkward direction. If the Rujaro knew his face now, he didn’t know. Someone could have been watching and seen their faces well enough, could have come up with the same thought he did…

‘ I chose a side, what it is I don’t, but I did it’

Another thought struck him at that moment, one that caused him to pause as the memories so fresh displayed themselves in his mind.

“Who the petch is he calling a boy?! I’m thirty-one for shyke’s sake!”

Realizing what he said, he berated himself and just walked forth and a little bit happy. After all, he bought himself another tomorrow.

[Khida]

Konrad Venger

Skill	Points
Investigation	+1
Tactics	+1
Unarmed Combat	+3
Weapon: Kopis	+1

• Acrobatics: wet surfaces impair footwork
• Investigation: listening for signs of a hidden presence
• Kenash location: the Ghalash Swamp
• Reimancy: phantom aches warn of limits
• Reisen Widerspruch: cutlass-wielding peeper and unexpected ally
• Rujaro: terrors of the swamp, yet still just men
• Tactics: one to distract, one to ambush
• Tactics: taking advantage of distraction
• Unarmed Combat: a knee to the ribs
• Weapon, Kopis: catching and hauling an opponent's weapon aside

Reisen Widerspruch

It looks like you've been inactive a while, and I also see you haven't paid Spring 516 expenses. Should you return and address the ledger issue, let me know and I'll grade your posts.

Notes

I have to admit, when I started this thread, I didn't expect 'instant Rujaro' to suddenly derail the encounter. Made for a good read, though! Konrad, great job depicting the flow of battle and putting the reader right in the moment along with your character.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding this grade. Also, please edit your request to show this thread has been graded.