Flashback The Old Stomping Grounds

[Athinar]

Summer 513, Day 1
Ahh, that should do it! Athinar sat next to the now burning fire and scratched Harvey behind the ears. The large black dog lolled his long, wet tongue and laid down happily. Smiling, Athinar stared into the fire of his camp and thought back to his times in Sunberth. They were hard times, sure, but they were good times. Drifting asleep, the memories became so vivid and they flashed before his eyes, taking him WAY back..

Fall 491, Day 36

He ran through the streets, ducking under people's arms and stepping over filth, laughing. Holding in his hand, he held a quite rotund and greasy man's coinpurse. Even though in this city money was scarce on the streets, this man had thirty copper mizas! Tripping slightly over an inebriated man, he regained his balance and kept running. Behind him, the shouting man shoved aside the crowd, earning him some angry stares and rude gestures. One particularly annoyed person even threw a glass bottle of mead, shattering it on the back of the man's head, soaking him. The man stumbled a bit before glaring at Athinar, mead trickling from his bow, and continued after him. Jumping over a bored-looking fish cart owner, Athinar tried to shake the man off his tail. Growling in frustration, he thought, What does it take to lose this guy? I mean, it's not like he was in the best physical condition, anyways. Darting into a building, he weaved through several drunkards, gamblers, and harlots, trying to escape. Jumping out the unshuttered window, he paused for a second, and grinned as he heard a large smashing sound and several voices yelling. It appeared that he'd lost him.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

36 Fall 491 Rykanis had been in Sunberth for a few seasons now, soaking up the violence and deception and all around pettiness. People would kill for a scrap of food at times, or something worth about as much. He had wanted to come here to learn more of the world, to see places besides Riverfall, to experience things... But, while he had gotten into it a few times, he did not feel he had really learned that much. He had learned to keep himself armed, and to not show fear or weakness. As always he walked proud and tall down a street, while keeping the most watchful eye he could. Not easy when anyone could try to jump you at any moment. Of course, it did not hurt that he had a pair of lakan at his waist, ready to be pulled out and used as intended. Though he would prefer not to, and would only do so if the other person pulled on him first. Otherwise, he would just use his fist and body. He kept his right hand close to the hilt of his right blade, just in case he needed a quick draw. Of in the distance he heard someone yell, the smash of glass, the sound of something smashing or falling... Though with all the murmur of humanity, it could have been a block away, or even right next to him, and he would have trouble discerning it. He was walking forwards, when out of no were a body came flying out of a window, like someone had thrown it, or more likely like the person was being chased. It took him a moment to calm his nerves, and realize it was only a human child before him. He would tower over the tiny human, with his full length coming just over seven foot, all of it dark purple muscly Akalak flesh, likely making him appear like some kind of odd purple giant. "You alright?"

[Athinar]

Fall 491, Day 36
Athinar stared up in wonder at the large purple man with the fancy knife. Eyeing it speculatively, he tried to see what the chances were of him getting away, without getting stabbed. Looking down at his hands, his eyes widened as they fell upon the coinpurse, still in the open.
Whipping it around his back and nodding earnestly, he said, "Yessir. I'm fine." Maybe if he could placate him for long enough, he could make a break for it. "Although, what's up with your skin? Ain't seen anything like it, at least not 'round here." As if finally noticing how BIG he was, Athinar shrunk back a little in fear and tried to look as non-threatening as possible. Moving his hand to his left pocket, he felt the tiny shiv that he kept there. Although, he thought, Wouldn't do much good 'gainst the big man.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis kept his blade in its scabbard, after all he had yet to have a reason to draw it. While he had been surprised, he still registered a child, and though his hand had momentarily gripped his hilt, he did not pull it out. He looked down at the child, and noticed a bag, which looked like it held money. The youth quickly realized this, and attempted to hide it away out of sight, but Rykanis eyes had been too quick, and had seen them, and the motion which showed were they had gone, to behind his back. He of course quickly insisted he was fine, to which Rykanis gave him a neutral gaze back at his face. He was holding and now hiding a bag, which assuredly was full of money. He had come thundering out of a window, likely being pursued if his haste was any indicator. Logically, there was one of two possible scenarios he could come up with, from what he had seen. Either it was his money, and someone was after him trying to steal it... Or he himself had stolen it, and was being chased by the rightful owner. As he thought this out, or more to the point, his other side thought it out, the boy asked him a question. It was not the first time he had heard it, nor would it be the last, though it was one he did not hear back home. "Whats up with your skin?" Rykanis did indeed grin, giving the boy a small shake of his head as if he had asked something silly, and he found it funny. "Well aren't you to the point? Didn't your mother ever teach you its rude to ask such questions? If you must know, I was born with my skin like this. Its quite common amongst my family." This was truthful enough, though slightly evasive in nature, not mentioning that when he said family he meant an entire race. His skin though was purple, or at least a very dark shade of it that was often mistaken for black, especially in bad lighting. He often thought a Akalaks color reflected something about said Akalak. Which said a lot about himself. Rykanis looked down at the boy, the grin still on his face as he spoke. "So then, whats in the pouch, the one you so recently tried to sneak behind your back. You know, that one? It seems to have gotten you into a bit of trouble, hasn't it? Want to tell me the story?"

[Athinar]

Athinar watched the purple man smile, looking at him shake his head. Looking at him oddly, he said, "Well... al'right then! If you say so! And... well.... I live with my da, just the two of us... don't know where my mum is, but father keeps saying that I'll meet her some day. And you said everyone in your family has purply skin? What's their name, then?" Quickly moving from subject to subject then, he took out the pouch from behind his back and looked at it, mind racing through several stories about how he got the money. "Uh, well, it's a funny story actually, and this man I was walking behind just dropped his money purse! Jus' like that! Can you believe that! And anyways, I was... uh.. searching for him? To....give it back?" As he said this, the fat man slammed the door open covered in mead, dirt, and bits of greasy food. Growling and pointing at Athinar, he said, "You slippery little son of a - I chased you all the way across the city, and I don't intend to leave without my pouch!" Attempting to push Rykanis to the side, he seemed like he intended Athinar bodily harm.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis watched as the boy told him of his family, his father who he lived with, his mother who was gone, of whom he did not know. Asking what his families name was. Rykanis smiled once more, as he answered. "Now now, before you go asking others there name, it is common courtesy to tell your name." But then they were past that subject, and quickly on to the next one. It did not take a Akalak as observant as Rykanis to notice that the boy was being evasive, and that the tale he told was likely made up, not true. Likely. He doubted his story, for one since it seemed he was unsure of it the entire time. Which meant he was likely making it up. He also kept saying things almost as if he was questioning himself, and then accepting it, perhaps in hopes Rykanis would also. But the facts did not add up, and logically he had stolen it. After all, if you were just trying to return some money out of the kindness of your heart, then why was he running and coming flying out of a window? Before he could point out these flaws in his tale though, someone else entered the situation. A human male, one that was quite riled up. Clearly he was saying he was the owner of the money pouch, and from his current state he had gone through a lot to get after the boy. Or perhaps he always was in such a dilapidated state. It was a bit harder to tell in Sunberth, since some people did go around looking like that all the time. He had to remind himself this was not Riverfall. Different place, different rules. Before Rykanis could say anything, the man was launching himself at the boy who had yet to name himself, attempting to shove Rykanis out of the way. He was having none of that. As the man went to shoulder past him, Rykanis was knocked a step, but then he pushed off with his feet and thrust his weight into his shoulder right into the side of the man, shoulder bumping him back. Now, for a normal person this would not have done much, but with Rykanis having about a foot and almost a hundred pounds on the man, the effect was apparent. He immediately went stumbling off course from the knock, and nearly ran right into the side of the building. Apparently he had not noticed quite how big or strong or formidable Rykanis was. As it was, he ended up falling and tumbling for a moment to his knees, leaving Rykanis with the boy on one side of him, and the man on the other. "Now that was just rude, you could at least say excuse me. And pardon me, but I don't think I would be much of a man, if I just stood around while you beat the stuffing out of the boy, even if he did steal your money. Now, surely we can come to some kind of a resolution here." Rykanis flicked his eyes back at the boy, and then back to the man. Making sure to watch for any motion from the two. Either from the boy trying to make a run for it, or from the man trying to come at Rykanis, or the boy.

[Athinar]

Athinar gulped nervously and started backing slowly away towards a pile of barrels that reached the top of a dilapidated merchant's stall. The greasy-looking fat man stared at Rykanis in shock. Then, suddenly realizing that he shoved him into a wall, he snarled and stood up quickly. "The only resolution that there's gonna be 'ere, sir, is giving this young lout wot' he deserves. And then he's going to give me my money back." Attempting to run around Rykanis to reach Athinar, he pulled out a crude-looking small club of wood from his belt. Athinar, eyes wide, turned and ran towards the stack of barrels.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

The boy was no master of stealth, that was for sure. His not so subtle motions of slinking away registered in the corner of Rykanis eye, and he turned to look at him. "Hey, no edging off for you either, not till we resolve this." But before he could do anything to stop him, the movement of the other man registered, calling back his main attention. He had drawn some kind of chunk of wood that he apparently was using as a basic weapon, and had pulled it on Rykanis. Rykanis let out a sigh, and pulled out his own lakan, his right one, with a single fluid motion. The man attempted once more to skirt Rykanis, and to get at the boy. Rykanis stepped in front of him as he raced around, and pushed forward. The man made a instinctual reaction of trying to smash him across the head with the wooden club. Rykanis matched his weapon to the club with a vicious slash, knocking the wooden implement right out of his hand. Before he could react, he then brought a foot stomping down on top of his right foots toes, to which the man let out a howl of pain and began to hop around away from Rykanis. The man preoccupied for the moment with the pain in his foot, Rykanis turned to race after the boy, sliding his blade back into its sheath without even looking. He apparently had been moving to climb up a pile of barrels, perhaps hoping to get onto a roof and get away with the mans money. If he was still low enough, Rykanis would attempt to reach up and grab the boy by the scruff of his neck/shirt, and pull him down. However if he had gotten to high for him to grab him, he would send a kick at the base of the barrels on the ground, attempting to make the entire pile come down. The latter obviously being a bit more unpleasant for anyone halfway up climbing them.

[Athinar]

Athinar was pulled by the back of his shirt, off the barrels and onto the ground. Struggling for a moment, there was genuine fear of death in his eyes, fear that no child should've felt. Realizing that it was the purple man who grabbed him, he relaxed a little, but he was still frightened for his life. "Please, sir, take the money. Just don't hurt me!" Athinar obviously thought that the man's earlier kindness was just a ploy to rob him.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis managed to reach the boy before he got to high, and pulled him down, setting him on his feet on the ground, though keeping his hand gripped into the fabric of his shirt, behind his neck. If he was really determined to get away, he could do so, but he would have to leave his shirt behind to escape, and his Rykanis stature and length of step, there was no guarantee such an escape would be permanent. As he looked into his eyes, he saw a transition, from fear, to slightly less fear. Clearly, he had expect that if the first man whom he had robbed caught him, he would be thrashed. He seemed to think that was a bit less likely with Rykanis, but then he was still unsure of the giant purple Akalak, who he still thought was just a large human. Rykanis glared back at him, as he offered to give him the money in exchange for not beating him. Really though, he thought he would do such a thing to a boy little more than a child? It was not like he had killed someone. He reached down and snatched the pouch of money out of the boys grip, and still gripping the boy, turned to face the man whom it had been taken from. With a careless toss, he sent it flying back at him, were it bounced off his chest, sending a few coppers flying, which he quickly moved to recover. "There, your money has been returned, you can go. Though really, acting as such over a bit of coin, does life truly have no more value for you than that?" Rykanis glared at him, a stern reprimanding expression on his face. Perhaps that worked. Or perhaps it was his glance at the weapon that had been returned to the giant mans scabbard... Either way, he scooped up his coins and returned them to his pouch, and quickly darted off, grabbing up his club on his way out. Turning back to the boy, returning his full attention to him, Rykanis gave another glare. "And you... Stealing, really? Would the coins have really been worth it? That man likely would have beat you, or perhaps even killed you if he had gone to far by accident. Is there truly no honest way for you to make coin? Somehow I doubt that, even in this city, that someone willing to put in the toil, would not be able to make a honest living."