The Mystery of the Cane Sword (Bob Barton)

[Eridanus]

Day 27, Fall of 511 AV 55 Chimes after the 11th Bell The Pig's Foot Tavern It had been recently that the fog finally lifted, and many had gone missing, while the others who were not involved tried to piece together the events but most failing, causing speculation to be rife about the real cause of the events. He knew the true reason behind it all, but kept silent and pretended to be one of the people wondering what happened, for there was no good to stand out in a crime-filled city like Sunberth, and safety lay not only in one's ability to protect oneself, but also one's ability to remain unseen and unknown. He had been caught staring at Bob's cane sword, with its mounted rat skull and various engravings, and was offered the opportunity to learn more about it, as well as possibly make something like it, as a token of friendship from Bob. He agreed, and the two had set a designated date and place to further discuss this issue. The Vantha was fairly on time, for as he stepped into the tavern, the midday bell rang, signifying the time of appointment and he surveyed the crowd eagerly, trying to find his acquaintance as he waded through the crowd. He made extra notice to look down as often as he looked far, as one thing's for sure - it wouldn't be easy finding the four footer in a crowd of five to six footers which was the average height of humanoid races in Mizahar.

[Bob Barton]

The midget did not have the same luxury as the ethaefal when it came to Sunberth. He could protect himself true, which was why he was able to live this long. The question was when should a person protect themselves in Sunberth? When trouble came to them of course. How does trouble find a person when they are in Sunberth? Even better. They have to stand out. Bob's height was a lot different from the other humans here in Mizahar, different with even most humanoids. Being shorter than most should make him nearly invisible is he stands up in a crowd of taller people but in Sunberth the size would expose to everyone that he was weak. An easy mark ripe for picking. Bob should have been born an Isur, they were all just as short only their arm will stand out and show their race warding off most people in the Berth just by reputation alone.

Most people because Sunberth was not only a place of opportunities but also a place of desperation. Everyone needed something to get by and would do whatever it took to get it. That thing was mizas and that was one of the thing which can grant safety in Sunberth as Eridanus should learn. Bob knew. You can't do much without money which was why Eridanus could be on time. Bob was working on his job in Killroy's at the morning trying to get some of it out of the way before he went to the Pig's Foot like they already agreed days ago.

How long has it been since Bob actually worked on horses? Before the fog? Before the Fall season? Since Darik tried to set a bewildered horse on him? Either way it was still pretty long. Bob was a lot more comfortable with the dogs as he somehow got one of his own. Training it gave him some experience on how to handle them and everyone knew Bob always went for the easier jobs. As soon as he woke up in the morning, Bob headed straight to the other building which he hardly went into, the stables and got to work.

"I am going to clean out some of the stalls and then I am off for the rest of the day. Just tell me which one of the horses you are going to work on till the afternoon and I'll get them out for you to make your job easier." It would make Bob's job easier too, an empty stall without any nasty surprises from the horse "and don't be so suspicious, please. I am trying to be nice here." He just lived through one of the worst few days of his life in the mist. Experiences like that don't come too often and Bob was very much happy to share just how he felt, happy, with the other people around him.

After he knew which which stalls, Bob had to coerce them out. He opened the doors and pointed out to the fields commanding "out!" like he always does. Unfortunately these were horses, not the dogs that he was used to working with. Yes, yes, yes, Bob forgot the first lesson. It was the dogs that were the smart ones. Since he was still thinking of his usual practice, he futilely repeated over and over "out! Out! Out!" to the horses but the only reaction to his commands were neighing which were a lot like laughing. "If you know how to laugh at me then you'll know how to obey me...and! Get! Out!" yelling again with nothing different.

More failed attempts later and Bob had enough. One way or another he was going to get those horses out but he only knew how to do it with dogs. The other way he does it, which was the method he was going to do now is tying up a rope around their necks. Going up to each one by one, Bob put the rope around their necks and met both ends at the front tying up a knot. It was the legendary Squiggle Knot that Darik taught him! That boy had some uses after all. Once it was firmly secured, Bob started pulling on the rope all the way to the field chanting calmly "here boy, boy, boy. Out to the field with you and out of my hair." They were going to be another person's problem now.

Bob took with him a pitchfork to the now empty stalls. "Seriously people? What have you been feeding them?" It was even more messier than the dogs but it might only seem that way because the horses had a lot more space to work with compared to the dogs. The dung and straw were mixed together giving some very weird shapes and sizes. Unfortunately Bob could not use the same method as last season because morning was when most of the other workers were in the stables as well. Because of this he had to work at it the boring old mundane way and it was not nice at all.

The pitchfork went right into the piles littered all around the stalls and lifted them without much of a problem for normal people. For Bob it was pretty much heavy and then he was forced to contend with making himself slower. Taking less of a load on subsequent piles as he tossed them over into the barrels. Scoop after scoop until the old hay started to clear out. The first stall and the second stall were cleared out but halfway through the third, he heard some ringing bells.

"Shyke! I'm late!" he yelled out forcing himself to work faster when he started pushing the pitchfork in harder and throwing the piles into the barrel quicker. In his haste some even spilled out but someone would get to it eventually. Someone who was not Bob because he would be out the rest of the day and the ditry hay would be more trouble than it was worth. After the barrel was filled and the third stall was cleared, Bob pushed the barrel away to the back of the stable along with all the other which stunk up the place and threw the pitchfork back announcing "alright, its time for me to go. I guess that someone else can handle the remaining two. I'll put some new hay in tonight when I get back." and ran off before anyone could protest. Why would they? He already did most of the work here and he did it without a complaint for once.

Bob ran out to make his way to the Pig's Foot because "damn oh damn, I am sooooooo late!" But anyway that won't be a problem because Eridanus would not be able to do anything without him. Passing by some of the horses in the field which he got out earlier he shouted pointing at them to "be good!" and continued on. Sometimes the dogs would listen to him if they wanted to and if the horses listened to Bob the same way, it would let their trainer have a much better job. Making good time he reached the tavern one bell after midday. "Well..." he mentioned as he brushed himself at the door, "if Eridanus cannot be patient I am sure I can find someone who would be willing to play a game or two..." and stepped in looking through the crowd.

[Eridanus]

Every time the door swung open Eridanus would turn automatically and glance at the new arrival, dismissing the person immediate when he saw that he was not Bob. It had already been quite a while since he arrived, and after searching the whole tavern with a fine toothed comb - metaphorically speaking, of course - he had to decide if Bob had forgotten about their appointment or was he just late. He was annoyed at the time that he was wasting, for every second wasted was a second that could be spent doing something useful, though he could not complain for Bob had the upper hand n this particular social negotiation and so the Vantha just viewed this wasted time as part of the whole deal. He had been trying to pass the time by talking to the other people in the tavern, mining for any possible information that might be useful to him out of the drunks (who gets drunk so early in the day?) and the lonely. His carefree appearance and devil may care personality seemed to be like a drug to those who were down in the depths, even more so if they happened to be lonely young ladies. His carefully framed expressions of compassion (that was entirely fake, for he was bored and needed things to pass the time) and his patient, caring actions sealed the deal, and he found himself listening to an angsty young woman, who could not be older than eighteen, who was complaining to him about how over-protective and restricting her parents could be. Apparently she was a daughter of a pretty well-to-do merchant and they were exceedingly strict on her, forbidding her to speak with people who they did not know and demanding to know all her friends, doing background checks on them if they suspected that something was amiss. She even had an early curfew and there was once during her school's summer break when they hired a private investigator to tail her just to see what she was kind of activities she was up to. Internally, Eridanus was upset that she did not appreciate the luxurious situation she was in, having caring parents who looked after her very need and a lifestyle where she did not have to worry about making ends meet or even fighting for her life. Externally, he soothed her gently, "Your parents are only worried about you. It's pretty fortunate that you talked to me instead of one of the many ruffians out there, but you should still heed their advice. Not everyone would be so civil to you." That was the truth, for she was wearing clothes that did a good job in advertising her wealth and her clean and tidy appearance helped to add to her feminine charm. He was sure that there would be many who were already fantasizing about doing all sorts of illegal things to her, and if she was unlucky some already plotting to do so. "I'd advice against doing this again, m'lady. Sunberth is a very dangerous place and your parents have good reasons for this. They merely wanted to keep you safe." It was strange that a self made man like her father chose to raise his daughter in a lawless city like Sunberth, for if he were in the man's shoes he was sure he could afford moving his family to Syliras, where it was much safer with the absolute might of the Knights cracking down hard on any activities that might disturb the peace of the city. Still, he was sure that the man had his reasons and so he had to resort to such excessive measures to prevent his daughter from being subjected to criminal intent. Or worse, being drawn into a crime ring. The girl was flattered, for no one had spoke to her this gently before except her father who treated her like a princess even though he was strict with her upbringing. Being addressed like so added to the roguish Vantha's charms and gave his words the extra effect of actually working compared to her father's demands of which she had the natural tendency to want to rebel against. He grinned at her and patted her clasped hands twice, "Just believe me alright? When you're ready to see the world you will be ready. Until then, let your family keep you safe until you're prepared for the harsh reality that is out there." Just then, the doors swung wildly open and someone dashed into the pub like he was in a hurry. Eridanus threw a glance and with a jolt recognized the figure, if not for his short frame then for his face, for he was the man that he was looking for. Looking at the time-piece hanging on the wall behind the bartender, he saw that it was about one bell's time from the agreed appointment time and he sighed. At least the time passed quickly enough when he interacted with others instead of merely standing there and willing time to pass. He knew how painfully boring the latter option could be. Winking at the girl, he said, "Well look like my man's here. I gotta go, remember my words, alright?" She looked like she wanted to say something, but perhaps she wanted to uphold her pride and she nodded, albeit stiffly, her eyes following him as he stood up from the table and walked over to the midget. "Bob! What took you so long?" Eridanus approached to his friend and clapped him jovially on the shoulders. "Got yourself stuck with your bum wedged in between the latrine, perhaps?" He ribbed the midget in a joking tone. He would not usually be like this to any other people that he barely knew, perhaps maybe Zenai, but there was something about Bob Barton that somehow brought up the joker in him, and the fact that he tended to be more lighthearted when in his Vantha form probably contributed to this effect.

[Bob Barton]

Everyone in the tavern were just as usual at any other day. Drunk and lonely people trying to forget just how bad things are in Sunberth. If Bob could then he would have joined them too. The mist business was absolutely horrible. That was actually what they should be drinking to instead of just the normal, ordinary things. If they were sad with the results that many people have gone missing, they should just drink to their sorrows. If they were happy that they got through it then they should drink in celebration to the awesomeness and bravery of team B.E.D.Z. or Snurglepuffs that had saved them all. Them led by Bob along with the help of a few other lesser teams who are not important enough to be considered here. When exactly is the national holiday dedicated to them? Because the only thing Bob knew everyone was looking forward to now is Oktuberia. Maybe he will get his parade with animals there. It might even be with an elephant! Bob liked elephants because they were big lumbering beasts that the tiny human would definitely be able to control...eventually.

Eridanus was another member of the team that Bob was supposed to meet today at the Pig's Foot. Bob looked around the tavern, sifting through all the customers there. "Stupid man...ugly man...fat lady...dumb isur... Pretty girl!" Even among the scum of Sunberth there were some very lovely individuals around. Very lovely actually even if she was a little young but since when was age an issue? The way she was dressed with her fine clothes and all that glittering jewelry made Bob wonder who she was and where she came from. A lot of other people should be wondering that too especially the ugly man and dumb isur he saw earlier which was leering at her. Everyone had their own ideas of what to use her for. Kidnapping, ransom, slavery but for Bob he just wanted to swindle her for all she had. Maybe in a game of strip? He knew better than to actually try anything dangerous on her. If she could stay untouched this long in Sunberth without any issues, she would have some way to protect herself. Bob guessed that it could be from the Sun Birth. He knew that Silvertongue sold jewelry there much like what the girl is now wearing because he was there before trying to trick another woman that he could actually afford to buy an expensive gift for her in return for some companionship.

Even without the protection of the Sun Birth her vantha body guard should be able to keep most people away. Something about him seemed familiar. As Bob tried to place where he might have seen him before, he stopped talking to the girl and started walking towards him. Was he really that obvious in his staring? There were so many other people looking at her too and what made Bob so different? Wait...no need for a reminder. It was his height. Well, if the bodyguard thought he can bully Bob into an example for all the other people in the tavern, he had another thing coming. While weapons were not allowed in the Pig's Foot as he knew, it was very easy to rile up the people to escape in the chaos which followed.

When Eridanus came closer, Bob started grumbling about how "unprofessional" the vantha was in "doing" his "job." There was definitely something up with the two of them because when he looked back at the girl to see if anyone would take advantage of the bodyguard's absence, he could see her eyes looking adoringly at the vantha. It made Bob a little bit jealous. Now everyone could have a nice job with a nice woman and a nice pay. The only females he dealt in his job was the occasional irritated customer who could not find anyone else in the Kennels or Hannah. Unless of course Bob did not mind bestiality but the closest he might ever get to that would be a kelvic. A kelvic which surpasses far beyond all the standards he set for normal women because if he was going to have to give some leeway he was going to have to take a lot of satisfaction.

He did not even know that the vantha was Eridanus even after he was reminded about the appointment. Instead he just stared at the hands clapped on his shoulders and told him a little bitterly that "leaving her alone in the tavern is not really a good idea. Do I know you? Because I think your concerns should be with her instead of when I decide to come to the tavern." The only people who knew that Bob comes often would be regulars. Regulars that normally gambled with him but he was not that important to them. Only his mizas. They could always find another person if they really needed one.

The joke was not really lost on Bob. Sort of. But the only people he will see a joke in a good way if it came from his friends. He actually interpreted this one as the vantha saying that "I'm a coward am I? I'll have you know I never walk away from a game!" Eridanus can wait. This vantha is going to know just how scary a Barton can be. "Come on!" he asked, the statement being issued more as a command than a request as he went to one of the tables on the side and took a seat. Laying out his dice and cards on the table he would let Eridanus "pick your poison and tell me what you want if you win. Something that does not involve me getting stuck in the loo. But if I win, your job fails today and I am taking her with me for a night." waving sweetly at the girl that the vantha was talking to earlier. Bob would not use force but his win would mean that he gets a chance of at least talking to her without interference from the bodyguard. Surprisingly this was exactly the same circumstances which led up to Koffurn teaching Bob malediction last season.

[Eridanus]

Eridanus frowned when Bob did not recognize him, instead addressing him quite hostilely and somehow seeming to think that he was related to the young lady he was accompanying while waiting for Bob to arrive. One chain of events led to another, and now somehow Eridanus found himself seated opposite Bob in some sort of gambling battle. After a while, the Vantha got over his surprise and wanted ask the midget what was wrong, for he seemed to be in a pretty foul mood. When Bob declared the stakes to be the girl, that was when he partially snapped. No one was going to take advantage of the innocent tonight, not Bob, nor anyone, and he saw her as under his protection as long as she was in his vicinity. It was an interesting bargain, and he decided to take him up on it, for if he could get Bob to honourably swear off the young woman, it would be good. If he lost, well he would find another method to protect her, and so he decided that a game would not make a difference. Furthermore, he was curious - especially in his Vantha form - and he wondered what exactly was this man up to, for if the midget merely wanted female companionship any of the queans in Sunberth would do. "Fine. We'll just do a simple dice game, that fine with you?" He began, taking a cup and three dice. "Three rounds, highest total number out of that three wins." He began to shake his cup, wondering if luck happened to be shining on him this time.

[Bob Barton]

dice rollsThe results are counted according to columns, not rolls.
Third to be swapped with the first to use all three sets.

(00:34:41) ChatBot: Bob_Barton rolls 3d10 and gets 1,4,3.
(00:34:48) ChatBot: Bob_Barton rolls 3d6 and gets 5,2,5.
(00:34:52) ChatBot: Bob_Barton rolls 3d4 and gets 4,3,1.
Total: 10,9,9

(00:37:31) ChatBot: Eridanus rolls 3d10 and gets 4,1,8.
(00:37:35) ChatBot: Eridanus rolls 3d6 and gets 1,1,1.
(00:37:38) ChatBot: Eridanus rolls 3d4 and gets 4,2,3.
Total: 9,4,12

Hahaha! Eri got a crit fail XD.

In Sunberth, no one was innocent. Even newcomers would be corrupted by the city eventually like Zenai who they both knew which is slowly getting used to being a little bit uncaring or sneaky from his honorable and protective self. That girl over there? She might look like she was all dolled up, brought up well by her mother or father to become an outstanding member of society. She even had a story that she was the daughter of a well to do merchant but could she have prepared all this on purpose? Forget about being strict, she should have bodyguards all around her like Bob suspected Eridanus to be. The quean might actually have done that to solicit customers or protection from the unwitting like Eridanus. Would Eridanus think differently if he knew the truth of Sunberth? He would soon enough given time but today he will learn something more important. Unless you had an advantage to cheat or had Ovek smiling on you, you will have a hard time beating Bob in a game. Today it would seem that Eridanus had neither. He might have the flux but what good is that? Bob's reimancy on the other hand can discreetly load the dice without anyone knowing. Koffurn too would be able to utilize his projection and change the numbers. There was no such thing as fair play in Sunberth, only winning.

Eridanus chose to have a simple dice game, but simple would mean only one dice to Bob. Why waste time totaling up the numbers when you only need a set amount to tell from victory and defeat? Nevertheless "that is fine with me. Since you chose it, you can start first" he invited with a grin. Who started first did not matter. Only that Bob won and had his way tonight. Bob could tell that Eridanus did not like the stakes. He was angry at the proposal, vigorously shaking at the cup like he had seen many do when they are stuck. When Eridanus revealed his dice Bob a little bit surprised had to admit "that is a pretty good roll..." Even with the one over there, the eight and three were so close to the top and were more than enough to make up for it. His confidence a little bit shaken, Bob took up the dice and cup and gave them a weak shake. It was going to be hard to beat so why should he bother with putting n any effort? He still had another two chances after this. With that sort of attitude of course his roll turned out with a total of nine. He blames the one. If that die had hit a four then at least he could catch up with the thirteen Eridanus has and make it a tie.

Continuing on, Bob saw that Eridanus had an absolutely horrible roll. With a taunting laugh at the pathetic "ones? Hahaha. Oh wait, you have a two there don't you?" Hooray for the little things. The two might not make much of a difference but at least "It makes up ha-ha-half of what you could have gotten there. Oh well, win some, lose some." Eridanus already had his win earlier and now it was Bob's turn and unless for some reason the universe hated him and gave him straight ones, he already won. Or maybe he would turn the loss around and say that straight numbers actually mean a win. They never really got through establishing proper rules. But he got a straight of another kind. Numbers ascending in the order of "two, three and four. A lot more better than ones even before you total them up."

After that display, Bob would try and scare Eridanus and make off with his win earlier. "You know its still not too late to walk away from this with your dignity right? You only need to leave the girl with me." Bob, the most trustworthy and harmless person in the tavern today among all the rest of the men and some of the women who were looking to take advantage of her. But Eridanus would take the dice again "so I will have to take that I will have to humiliate you right here?" That was fine with Bob too. Eridanus revealed a total of four, four, one..."nine" out of a potential twenty. Hah! Anything less than half was bad in Bob's books and looks like this was another win for him. Giving a smile and a wave to the lost girl they were gambling for to try and show up the vantha, Bob had his turn. Before revealing the dice he gave her a wink to tell her that he was coming for her and showed his ten. Exhaling with relief after seeing just how close it was Bob would announce that "it looks like you just lost. Now take a hike."

Keeping away all his dice and cards, Bob's attention would shift to the girl when the vantha was no longer relevant. Giving a smile that would continue until he reached her, he got up and started advancing. If Eridanus wanted to remind him the reason why they were here in the first place, he better do it now. Bob did not like third wheels cramping his style. He can do that very well on his own.

[Eridanus]

Eridanus shook the cup, slamming it on the table confidently and he revealed the dice, totalling up the sum to 12 out of the possible maximum of 20. It wasn't a particularly good throw, but at least it was slightly above average. He stared at Bob as the man weakly shook his cup, revealing an inferior total from his own total. One score for the champion, baby. Bob had a sort of defeated look when he saw the results, but he was still not totally dejected and had the look of someone who thought that he could still win. Well, the odds were tipped against the man, for Eri only needed to win one more round and the game was his. Hoping that luck shone on him, he shook his cup again, placing it on the table and releasing the container slowly. It was a... one. He moved the container again, revealing another one. Okay, this is pretty bad. The Vantha looked up to see Bob peering over at his scores, and the midget sniggered when he saw the two ones peeking out of the container. Sighing, the Vantha removed his cup totally, revealing dual ones and a sad two, coming up to a petching grand total of four. It seemed that the fates probably hated him, why couldn't he get say, the maximum instead of the side of the minimum? Eridanus briefly considered declaring double ones as an instant win, for they had not really established the rules, but what little sense of integrity he had advised against doing so, and he reassured himself that this was not a desperate game to him anyway, it was not as if there was an axe waiting over his neck to decapitate him the instant he lost the game. He had seen such high-stakes gambles before and shuddered mentally at the thought of participating in one of them. He'd much rather go down fighting in glorious combat than because he lost a dice game. He imagined trying to explain the circumstances of his death to Lhex and probably inviting a snigger or two from the god of reincarnation. Nope, not a good idea. He did not notice Bob's throw, for the man would be hard-pressed to find a combination that would lose unless he drew triple ones. He probably wouldn't anyway, and it meant that Eri would have to win the next throw in clinch a decisive victory. Bob took his silence to mean that he was demoralized, and he offered him to give up the game now. That would be insane, for probabilities dictated that each of them had an equal chance of winning, with the last round finally deciding the win. Why should he give it up without a fight? That also meant that Bob was not confident in clinching the last round, and so Eri shook his head, his own confidence bolstered by Bob's apparent lack of it. They both shook their cups, and slammed it on the table. By now there was a decent crowd gathering around the table, and some enterprising vagrant has already begun to run his own gambling round, collecting odds and such. From the murmurs of the crowd, it was interesting to hear that the odds were on Bob to win, and Eridanus inferred that Bob was an old hand at this, and so no one in the right mind would bet on a fresh face like his. Removing their cups slowly, it seemed that was a hushed silence as both competitors and the crowd held their breath in anticipation of what the cups would reveal. They both revealed the first two dice, bringing both their totals to 5. The intensity of the air was building, for the final dice would reveal the winner. So far they had been evenly matched, each taking one round and the first two dice of their last round matching each other. Eridanus held his breath, as he revealed the last dice hoping to score a superior number over Bob. This was it, the one that would determine the victor. He saw a dot, a second, and finally two more dots symmetrically etched and he removed his cup with a flourish, a satisfied grin on his face. Hah, beat that you gambling addict. The crowd murmured in panic as those who bet against the Vantha began to realize that their money might not be as guaranteed as they thought it would. Bob glanced at his score, but showed no signs of panic. Revealing his cup, he showed a five and Eridanus swore quite colourfully, mixing up both Vani and Common curses and slamming the table with his hands. He lost by one. If he lost by a large amount he might just have accepted his fate, but the fates were cruel enough to ridicule him by a loss of one. Bob gave a self-sure smirk and told him to get lost, heading towards the young woman. Okay, game's up. Before Bob could approach the lady, Eridanus stepped forward in long strike to grab the midget's shoulders again, spinning him around quite easily to face him. "Bob, petch this. Are you serious about going through with that? What about our appointment regarding your cane sword?" He muttered to himself about how Zenai did not tell him about Bob's seeming insanity or amnesia, or maybe he just had a short attention span. As he was muttering, Bob would only catch phrases of 'mist', 'Zenai' and 'insane' along with a collection of pretty colourful adjectives. When he thought of Bob's offer days ago in the rolling fog, it was then it hit him. They had met while he was in his Leth-blessed form, of course he wouldn't recognize him! He realized that the human had not seen him in the day when he was in his mortal Vantha shell, and he also face-palmed. This entire misunderstanding could be cleared if he had told Bob. Regardless, the damage was already done and he sought to clarify the issue. "Bob, it's me, Eridanus. Team B.E.D.Z., remember?" He began quickly, lowering his voice so that his true nature would not be found out by curious onlookers. Steering the man out of the tavern, he continued, "I'm an Ethaefal, just think of us as a sort of kelvic race which undergoes involuntary transformation whenever day shifts to the night, and night shifts to day." If Bob had not met his kind before, he would not be surprised for Ethaefals were rare even in the land of the living, since they obviously did not belong here. He knew that kelvics were common, and this was the quick analogy he could use to quickly clarify matters with his friend before things got ugly.

[Bob Barton]

It was surprising just how suddenly people started to pop up around the table to watch the game going on. Didn't these Sunberth people have better things to do like drinking, wenching or gambling on their own? If they had money to wager on Bob's game, they might as well have some games of their own. At least if anyone lost, they only had themselves to blame. Bob could see that many coins changed hands among the crowd around the table. A few coppers here and there, mostly silvers and surprisingly some gold. Along with them he could hear a lot of murmurings about the short one, him and dwarf. He wanted to shout out at them that there was nothing wrong with his height and they should get lost but he could not allow that to happen. To do that would give his opponent an advantage to beat him. Bob did not want to lose now. Not for some private time with the girl but for his personal safety as well. Whoever lost might have private time of their own with an angry group in an alley somewhere for losing them their money. He would say that the bodyguard vantha with his two swords would do a better job of surviving that in comparison.

For those who actually cared about Bob's win like his fans and not the amount of mizas the opportunistic vultures could win from his, they would be glad to know that Bob won in the end. Whatever reputation that Eridanus thought Bob had earned during his time in Sunberth was not without any reason. Just how many wins and loses had he experienced compared to the ethaefal? How many mizas has he gained or lost in the Pig's Foot? They were enough to justify his win and chance to brag at victory. "Next time you people want to ride on my victory, make sure you are going to give me a cut" he said with a grin and ignored the rest of their laughs of joy. It was enough that they were not yells of anger from a loss. The knowledge of his victory and the sudden increase of popularity in the tavern brought the eyes of the girl on him from the vantha. As he got closer he would announce to her that "it looks like my win also lets you gain something tonight my lady" giving a wink to acknowledge her newfound interest.

The only person who was not satisfied with all this was of course the loser of a bodyguard. He grabbed Bob by the shoulder and spun him around telling him to "Petch the game?" and have an appointment with his sword? Bob could not help but laugh as he asked the remaining members of the crowd who have not left yet if "can you believe this? This man lost the game and now he wants to fight for the girl!" looking back at the girl at her seat who gave him a smile of approval. It just got more Bob worked up to get the reward he was promised. Giving the most hateful glare that he could while he ignored the muttering, he said that "I don't mind beating you down if the numbers did not satisfy you." What was Bob up to? He was fairly decent with the sword sure, but did that mean he can beat anyone? Not really, but the only reason he agreed was because he knew that "Merv might beat you down first if you draw your weapon here." Leaving himself open he will issue a challenge that Eridanus could "hit me now, or get out of my way." In a way this was another gamble of whether he can scare off the man with the weapons with a few facts that can never truly be confirmed by anyone.

That brought out more of a reaction than he expected. While he was still looking at the girl to see how she felt about his brave actions to get her, he could hear the crowd gathering to place bets on who would win this time. Most of them were talking about the vantha and his swords and that came as no surprise to Bob. Giving a dashing hero smile to her yet, he looked back at vantha who was trying to talk himself out of it by trying to remind Bob of who he was. This was getting from lame to pathetic really fast. When he said Eridanus and team, Bob just arched his eyebrow in suspicion but suddenly he was being pushed out of the tavern. The name caused him to drop his guard and he said "w-w-wait!" Looking back at the girl one last time before he was fully outside where the protection of the no weapons rule did not apply anymore.

The vantha made one grave mistake and that was letting Bob bring his weapon with him. Bob ignored all the further lies the man used to keep him at his undefended state until he was able to attack. "What the hell are ethaefals?" he would ask as he begun to hold on to his canesword in a menacing manner. If Eridanus wanted it so badly, Bob was going to give it to him. Point first right into his hand which spun him around earlier. Fortunately before things got really bad, he started talking about kelvics and how similar ethaefals were to them so Bob did not draw his sword yet. Thinking back to everything which happened, Bob just had to confirm that "you are Eridanus right? Does that mean I can go back into the tavern and pick up my prize you promised me?" With everything that just happened with the gambling and nearly fighting mostly because of her, the issue of cane sword kind of got pushed back right behind Bob's brain somewhere to make room for the girl.

[Eridanus]

Eridanus swore again, it looked like Bob's little 'brain' down there was making his decisions instead of his big and logical one in his skull. "For Leth's sake, Bob. That time in the mist with Zenai and Darik you promised to show me how to make your sword! It has something to do with the squiggly markings and all, have you forgotten?" The Vantha burst in exasperation. It was like talking to a wall, or just a really deprived man who had surrendered all control and rational logic to his instincts. Instincts that were controlled by primal desires. "I am Eridanus you little shyke. Do you want me to get Zenai to knock that fact into you? Or do you want me to do it myself? I wouldn't mind beating you down if that's what it will take to get you to see reason", he was getting tired of Bob's stubbornness and was beginning to forget that he was there to learn from the man. Beating someone wasn't a very good action if one wanted to learn something from that person, but Eridanus was well, frustrated at Bob's lack of reasoning. "Whatever you do with that girl, it's really not my business. She doesn't belong to me, I don't belong to her, and whatever you may think we're not related in any way. Do what you want with her after this, and whatever that may result would be entirely your business", he added as a disclaimer. He was not entirely worried for the girl, despite what Bob may think, for if she managed to stay protected this long there might very well constant surveillance on her by her paranoid parents. No doubt snippets of their wager would have spread like wildfire through the crowd by then, and the employee watching might have already called reinforcements to protect their employer's daughter. If Bob continued on, he might have gotten more than he wished for, and though the little shyke was being a complete idiot he did not wish for him to get dismembered or otherwise equally mangled. Sunberth had no government and no laws, and thus people make their own laws and whatever that would work for them. "But after we're done with this. If you're in a bad mood we can always do this another day." The situation was beginning to get ugly, and so he decided that maybe for Bob it was that time of the month, whatever the hell it could be. Perhaps it had something to do with why he was late, or maybe it could be that he was just simply deprived of female attention. He could never really understand the latter, for his carefree bad boy appearance during the day seemed to draw girls looking for a bit of naughty excitement, while during the night his celestial glamour did the job for him without needing to open his mouth. Thus, the best solution might just be to give both of them some space unless Bob could somehow calm down and see reason.

[Bob Barton]

Bob was just that awesome and Eridanus seemed to know it. He not only had one big brain which he uses most of the day but he also had another smaller brain down there. Size did not matter when you have numbers because two is always more than one no matter how you want to put it. Oh sureeeeee Eridanus had two forms which was his vantha and ethaefal but he could only be in one at a time so he is not that great. Maybe that is why he uses two swords, because he wanted to make himself seem better but Bob could have two weapons too if he wanted. One was his sword that Eridanus was so interested in and the other was the cane which held it in. Bob told him the truth that "noooooo, I did not forget since I rushed over here right after my job right?" but conveniently did not mention that once the game, things changed because it would get Eridanus more frustrated than he already is now.

And since when did Bob allowed himself to be controlled by fear and instincts? He was a very rational person. If Eridanus had been paying more attention to how they were able to survive in the mist instead of the sword that he will not even be thinking that. Of course there were some instances that would make Bob a little less rational. Times like now where Eridanus was threatening him for no reason. Just how possible was it that Eridanus could beat Bob down right now? Pretty possible, but Bob could do that first or waste his time feigning submission and bringing along Zenai for a better one next time. Who knew Zenai longer? Bob or Eridanus? Eridanus should not have brought him into the conversation because it only made Bob a little more bolder.

Bold enough that he could come to a conclusion that he did not need Zenai to handle all his problems like in the past. Bob had already gotten through one season in Sunberth alone didn't he? "Good, very good..." that Eridanus had admitted that he had nothing to do with the girl. But did he just issue Bob another threat by suggesting some form of result if Bob went for her? Big mistake. Out came the deprived man who surrendered to the instinct that he should be showing Eridanus who was boss or risk being pushed around in the future. "You mean this cane right?" he asked raising the cane up to face level with Eridanus like he was showing it for confirmation. Whether or not the vantha would look at it, it was an innocent question which he probably will not stop so, surprise! Bob flicked his wrist and swung the cane forward allowing Eridanus to see the rat's skull very closely before it smacked his face. This sneak attack did not tire Bob that much since he did not mean for it to be damaging but he did not really see the point of wasting much energy and so he brought it down again where it could get support. Only he was aiming the point at the poor vantha's foot to send a sharp jolt of pain if he did not move it away.

"Opps, sorry about that Eridanus. I get tired pretty easily so I guess I lost control over the cane." A completely unbelievable lie which Eridanus should not try and oppose if he really wanted to talk about the more interesting things. "Right after I do something. So just wait out here for a few moments while I arrange something." Without waiting, Bob walked through the doors again leaving some very baffled patrons who took some bets earlier about why he was unscathed from the fight. But he ignored it going right up to the girl again before giving a quick bow and admitting that "it is regrettable that we had to go through so much trouble and we still cannot get together. If you are interested, just remember that a Bob Barton normally frequents this tavern. I might even be here tomorrow if you promise me you will be" adding a smile before he headed off. She was very polite throughout, never interrupting and just nodding but Bob did not know for what reason. Maybe she was just going to ignore him forever after that or she really liked the idea that two men would go through two separate contests just for her. Would he get into trouble for approaching her? Maybe, but it was unlikely. While there was no laws people just do not go around killing or hurting people for no reason because others might launch a preemptive strike so that they will not become the next victims.

On his way out one of the patrons asked what happened to the vantha and Bob only replied that "I am here and that was all that matters" if they really want to bet on the results of their "fight". When he saw Eridanus again he would tell him that he was "done, so lets talk about the cane then" before walking away from the Pig's Foot. Obviously after all that they should not be seen together again for the day. Where would be the best place that they could continue their conversation in private. A place that no one would go to unless they were really stupid. Bob decided to go to Stumble Alley. Specifically, "we are heading to the library because most of the people in this city are too dumb and illiterate to read. We will be alone there..." he hopes. On their way there he will tell Eridanus what he has been bugging about that "I got the sword back when I was in Syliras and the rat's skull from killing a rat last season. If you want a sword, you can just buy it from any store but if you want a skull you will have to kill your own."