Hellp Wantd (Open)

[Liminal]

Pete nodded. "Best of luck to you, Aku." He clapped the Ethaefal once on the back, and then returned his crimson gaze to the cage.

No one looked twice at Aku as he made his way back to Klarsin's. It was exactly as he had found it before, although in the mid-day heat, it looked if anything more dilapidated.

At Aku's knock, the door opened slightly, then wider as Klarsin recognized him. "Eh, you've come back?" he asked, although the answer to this should have been rather obvious. "Come on." He hurried to usher Akuaysun through the door so that he could close it.

"Right then. How did you deal with Pete? And what have you got to show me that he's taken care of?" He looked expectantly at Aku, and if he suspected any kind of double-cross, it didn't show on his face.

[Akuaysun]

Akuaysun didn’t have to wait long for his banging on the door to be answered. The shuffling inside signaled that Klarsin was waiting, and with the quick opening of the door he could see the man was still a bit nervous. Quickly being shuffled inside, Aku could tell that the bag of meat had little suspicion that he was about to be punished for his lies. The faux Myrian had little intention of giving any warning in the deed but at the same time wanted to insure that the fool known what he had done, and the thought would be fresh in his mind when judged by Lhex.

The would be assassin considered pulling his blade and jamming into Klarsin’s neck when he turned to shut the door, but instead chose to play out the façade out. Keeping a level tone he moved over to lean against the table that the coin had been counted on earlier and began to spin his tale.

“I found Johnny’s easy enough, nice place, good people. A young woman there with a loose tongue named Tessie told me just where Pete was staying. Being early enough I found him still asleep in his room and made quick easy work of him. He never knew what was coming and died peacefully enough. I had no troubles slipping out, or taking his eyes as a souvenir. I am sure here in the next hour or so they will find his body and the real commotion will start, I’d like to be out of town by then. Show me my mizas and I’ll let you have one less look of those eyes, and be out of your hair and life.”

Casually Aku rested his left hand on his knife at his waist and pushed himself up onto the table, watching Klarsin with suspicious eyes. His head moved side to side, the bones in it releasing their pressure and popping. If Klarsin decided he didn’t want to go along with Aku’s demands, and asked to see the eyes first, then Aku would take matters into his own hand. His plan was to use the circulation of Djed in his form to manipulate the Flux and close the distance between them as quickly as possible, once in arms length he would draw the knife and shove it into Klarsin’s throat.

[Liminal]

Klarsin looked suspiciously at Akuaysun, but finally nodded. "All right then." He reached behind him and grabbed a bag, which he kept in his hands. He undid the drawstring, however, and even in the dim light, the glint of gold was clearly visible.

"Here's your money," Klarsin said. "Show me the eyes, and we'll make the trade. I'm gonna sleep easier knowin' Pete ain't gonna be knifing me in my bed, you know?"

He glanced at the knife at Aku's side, and placed his own hand on the hilt of the knife that he was wearing, though it was more a cautionary gesture than anything else, and he didn't draw it. You couldn't be too careful in a place like Sunberth...although it was very easy to be not careful enough.

The man looked anxious for the whole affair to be over. He squinted a bit, and his forehead creased in anticipation.

[Akuaysun]

“Indeed, you’ll never have to worry about Pete again; I have to say things have worked out in this city quite interestingly. I never anticipated that I would be killing someone when I turned my eyes on Sunberth. Fate is quite interesting.” Aku smiled, his words spoken casually as if they were talking of the sun’s rays shining brightly. He stood up from the table, letting his right foot fall slightly ahead of him, his left hand slipping off the knife, and hanging loosely open at his side. He smiled a toothy grin, his eyes lighting up, likely unnerving in appearance considering his Myrian looks.

Pretending not to notice that Klarsin’s own hand fell to his knife, Aku’s right hand fell to the pouch at his back. Internally the man was already focused on the flow of his Djed, feeling the way it was coursing through him, and manipulating it, pushing it from his torso into his feet and into his arms. He could feel his heart slowing, and his breath flowing evenly from his nose. The energy that would normally be thundering through his heart and forcing adrenaline into him was now being focused into making his body move faster, and more powerfully.

He held in his right the leather cup that contained his dice within and presented it to Klarsin as if to declare here they are. He tossed it into the air toward the man’s chest, with one of his hands holding the bag of coin, Aku was sure his natural reaction would be to pull his second from the blade to catch the container. If not the leather cup would bounce off his chest and fall to the ground and he would be forced to bend over to pick it up. Either way, he would take action in the moment.

Already Aku knew how his body reacted while charged with the Flux. He knew just how much he needed to use in order to maintain control but to give him incredible strength and speed. He had used it in actual combat against the masters of Sahova, and those men seemed much more skilled then this old fool. When the moment felt right, Aku would leap forward, closing the gap between them in perhaps a step or two, his open left would snatch the blade from his left hip while his right would go for the blade at Klarsin’s side, to hold it in its sheath as he drove his knife into the man’s back be it through a hug like embrace, or shoving him to the ground as he bent over. The faux Myrian planned to stab his steel into the man’s back, twisting it with each thrust at least four or five times to open up plenty of wounds for the crimson liquid to flow.

[Liminal]

It was almost surprising how quickly Klarsin died. He did indeed reach for the flying cup, but made almost no reaction as Akuaysun grabbed him and plunged the dagger through his flesh. The blood flowed, and he shuddered, but he didn't say anything, or even cry out. It was all over in a matter of seconds, and Klarsin's corpse slumped to the ground. The expression on the dead man's face almost looked like one of relief.

The mizas were indeed in the bag, should Akuaysun be interested in counting them. The remainder of the house looked dusty and ill-used; aside from the low-grade furniture and a barrel of grain, there was nothing else that looked even remotely of value.

[Akuaysun]

“Perhaps in the next life you will find it better to be more honest to both yourself and others.” Aku whispered the words into Klarsin’s ear as his knife stopped piercing the flesh and he felt the last trails of life leaving his flesh. The body grew heavy and Aku listened as the breath of death was stole from his victim’s lips. The kill had went remarkably easy, but it brought no pride or regret to the Ethaefal. He simply had followed through with his promise and brought an end to the man’s worries and concerns.

As Akuaysun slowly lowered the body to the floor he tried to take care in keeping the blood off of himself, using any bit of cloth he could find to wipe what did cover his hands away. The home itself seemed poor and simple. The follower of Leth did take Klarsin’s belt with the knife that hung upon it, examining the blade before shoving it into his bag along with the second satchel of Mizas.

Now that Klarsin was dead, he wouldn’t need the things about his house. First thing was first as they said, and Aku spotted the barrel of grain. Using his strength he pulled it to the body and tipped it over to use the grain as a collector for the seeping blood. Hopefully it would contain the mess, and mask the smell that would eventually form from the decomposing body. Word would spread around town soon enough and someone would likely claim the home for themselves.

Taking his time, Aku also slid through the rooms using his knife to cut open any furniture that could be holding something within, or rifling through books and cases. He really didn’t expect to find anything but his man had connections and if Aku could figure some of those out, or perhaps find a lead on the money the thief had “paid his debts” with then it would be worthwhile. The Ethaefal wasn’t sure how long he would be on this plain of existence or even what his mission was, but it was better to have options early to work with rather than trying to seek them out later.

Once he went through the home, whether he found anything or not Aku gathered his goods and slipped out the door to his horse. Snatching the sign as he exited if it still hung and threw it back inside the house before closing the door and leading his horse back toward Johnny’s. The faux Myrian wanted to pass along his farewells to Pete before heading westward on his continued journey.

[Liminal]

The house seemed to be close to the only thing Klarsin had of value. There was the knife he had been carrying, and showed Akuaysun; it was a serviceable arm, with a six-inch blade, made of worked iron, and hung on a simple leather sheath. The furniture and bookcases held nothing save a small bag with ten mizas in it that had been shoved under a couch. If Klarsin had any more money, he wasn't keeping it here.

The man had no books, only the cheapest of dishes and personal items, and no treasures or antiques. Indeed, there was no sign of what, if anything, Klarsin had done for money or employment; a shovel, beginning to rust, was the only tool of any trade that was apparent.

The trip back to Tall Johnny's was uneventful. A fight was now in progress in the cage, and Pete was there in the crowd, seated next to a stunning brunette and watching the fight. He turned, seeming to be aware of Akuaysun's approach before any words had been said.

"Ah, Aku!" He moved to one side, towards the woman, leaving a space on the bench beside him. "You don't waste time, do you? How goes it?"