Nothing but Trouble

[Ashven]

Bloody hell.. where could it be!? Surely those miscreants couldn't have gone far before selling it. Aye.. You fool..

The man silently cursed himself for faltering and giving in to his weaknesses. Now, for the first time in his long life, he had a real task.

I MUST find that stone! I has GOT to be here.. somewhere!

He wandered through the city until he found himself in the marketplace. He smirked and sauntered through the crowds with seemingly impossible grace, swiping an apple here, a loaf of bread there. If nothing else he was an accomplished thief.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he happened to pass by a trader in jewels and gemstones. He carelessly tossed the half eaten apple over his shoulder and simply dropped the bread as he headed for the stand. He looked over the merchant's wares with careful scrutiny.

"Ah.. Good day sir.. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

The young man ignored the merchant, still examining each gemstone as if reading the stars themselves.

".. Perhaps a nice string of pearls?.. Or this Diamond? The largest you'll find in Baghdad!"

The young man blinked and looked up from the jewels and to the merchant.

"Actually I'm looking for a stone.. a very particular stone.. one that was stolen from me.."

The merchant was slightly taken aback. He composed himself and smiled back to the young man.

"I assure you I only deal with reputable men."

"Why do I not believe that?"

The young man sneered sarcastically at the merchant as he walked around the stand.

"But.. If you are telling me the truth then you won't mind if I have a look back here."

He began sifting through the sacks of jewels that the man did not have on display, much to the merchant's protest.

"What do you think you are doing! Criminal! Thief! Riff raff!"

The merchant shoved at the young man who returned the shove without breaking from his rummaging. The merchant ran off shouting for help and that he was being robbed but the young man didn't care.

Blast.. it's not here either. I supposed that wretch was telling the truth after all.

He gave up and started to leave the stand when his path was blocked by three men. He turned to head back the way he's come originally only to be blocked by three more men. Two of them he recognized as the ones who's stands he'd stolen the apple and bread from. the third was the man who's stand he'd just ransacked.

"Ah there you are. I suppose you were telling the truth. Sorry to have bothered you."

He bowed in a polite manner no matter how he despised pretending to be something he wasn't.

"You're not getting off that easy you swine! We're going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget!"

The young man sighed and shook his head.

"Mortals.. Nothing but Trouble.. "

He braced for what he knew was coming.. and smiled.

Then they lunged at him.

And so the fight began.

[Guest]

Anthea led the horses going around the corner and through another street. She did not like the way the unsavory-looking characters on the streets eyed the wagon. They knew something valuable was under there and she feared their curiousity would have them dare to approach them. Unconsciously, her hand kept on edging towards her knife. Hm.

She smiled to herself and urged the horses onwards.

[Khei]

Khei, too, was wary. She watched diligently, examining each person thoroughly, as they stepped back, out of the way of the wagon. Some seemed innocent enough as they simply cleared a path and went about their way. Then again the ones not actively watching the wagon were probably the most likely to attempt to ambush them.

Her senses were on high alert but more than that something seemed.. off.. Something in the distance, though not too far off, caught her ears. She kept trying to shrug it off as she was still very new here.

Still something nagged relentlessly at the back of her mind.

[Ashven]

Perhaps I've underestimated the cunning of these Mor..

His mental comment was interrupted as a rather large fist found it's mark against his left temple. By itself, this wouldn't have mattered so much. But it wasn't.. eleven other fists of various sizes landed hard against various parts of his body.

I do believe that it's time for me to make an exit.

With a blood filled smile the young man crumpled to the ground, as if in defeat. Five of the men were still on top of him generously pelting him with their fists. the sixth man, the jewel vendor, obviously wasn't much for fighting. Then again five against one should have been overkill in the first place..

SHOULD have been.

The man balled up then yelled. A sort of blast of concentrated air knocked the men off of him, slamming some into the walls, and others into nearby stands. The man staggered to his feet, still smiling as he wiped some blood from his nose.

"Now. If you'll excuse me. I have other matters.. More important matters to attend to."

He began to walk away when he heard the men groan and find their footing once again. Then came a familure voice. The jewel vendor. Clearly, from the tone of his voice, he was furious.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE YOU BUFFOONS! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY! AFTER HIM!!!"

The young man sighed and shook his head before breaking into a sprint. Sure there were other ways to get away. Frankly he could just disappear. But then.. where would the fun be in that?

Mortals truly are fools. Perhaps I haven't underestimated them after all.

[Guest]

So they arrived. Khei seemed on edge and her mind seemed to be elsewhere. She was about to ask until she saw the buyer was waiting outside his house. He was tall man and seem to be the person who wore a constant glare. Thea didn't care if he was bad or good. As long as he had the money...she didn't care. But she was on a no-name bases with some who had a less than healthy reputation, like the current buyer. Less you knew about them, the better off you were. Do your job and get the money. These mottos she learnt from dealing with certain fellows.

The buyer seemed irritated that she was late.

"You're late," he said gruffly.

She ignored the comment. "Got the money?" she asked, matching his tone. It was best to show you were the no-nonsense type. She got off the wagon and walked towards him.

He held out a pouch in the air and shook it so she could hear the money jingle. She reached out towards it but he swiped it away behind his back before she could get to it. He clicked his fingers and two men at least twice his size came out of the house. They were the typical brutish, ugly henchmen type.

The two lackeys went behind the wagon and lifted up the blanket. They nodded to each other and a silent communication passed between them. They ripped off the blanket and slung the bags of armour and metal over their shoulder and marched into the house.

Satisfied, the buyer said, "Here's your money." He held out the pouch. She reached for it again but this time he dropped it on the ground, the money falling into the dirt. "Enjoy," he said heartily. And with that, he walked back into his house and slammed the door.

Anthea knelt down and started to pick up the coins splayed out on the ground. She grunted. "What an arse," she muttered to herself.

She put them in the pouch, glad she got her moneys worth and returned to the wagon. She sat up on the seat and put the pouch in her pocket. She gave a smile to Khei, seemingly hoping she wasn't bothered by the scene, and got the horses going. The crowd seemed to be dispersing to somewhere and Thea's tension began to relax. Perhaps all would be peaceful for a while.

[Khei]

Khei remained in her seat on the wagon, acting as lookout more than anything. She was fairly sure that Thea could handle the buyer. After all had Thea not happened onto her yesterday she'd be handling everything herself anyway.

Still she kept an eye on the brutish thugs while keeping her ears open for signs of danger. She could feel the tingling sensation up and down her spine. Something was going to happen. she was sure of it.. What was going to happen was still unknown. With so few people in the streets she couldn't help but wonder just where was everyone.

She wouldn't have to wait long to find out...

[Ashven]

As if on cue, the young man rounded the corner and came to an abrupt halt. Dead end. He quickly turned around and started toward the wagon. He had planned to jump to the side and go around the wagon at the last second to spook the horses and allow himself ample time to disappear into another alleyway.

At least that was the plan..

His wrong turn had delayed his getaway for just long enough for the large man with the fruit stand to catch up with him and tackle him, knocking both to the ground. Soon the other men had joined the first in resuming their beating, this time they had grabbed wood poles to beat him with.

The crowd gathered around the beating as the young man had managed to regain his footing and remove himself. The crowd, however, kept him from escaping again. He faced the six men again and smirked.

"That all you got? It'll take a lot more than that to hurt me!"

The jewel vendor, furious with anger, snarled at the young man.

"You insolent peasant!"

He calmed himself down and forced a smile before continuing.

"Perhaps, then, we should stop trying to teach you a lesson and simply kill you!"

The five market men and the young man all waited, ready to strike, but waiting for the other to make the first move.

Today was going to be a long day..

[Guest]

Thea was shocked by what she saw. The man was the target of of attack by these men but from what she heard he obviously did something to anger them, or at least that was what she presumed. She continued to watch the scene, frozen.

She didn't know what to do. She looked to Khei with a question written all over her face. Should they help?

[Khei]

Khei, too, was shocked once she'd calmed after the initial jump the suddenness of it all had subsided. The fight seemed rather unfair with six against one. Well five against one as one man didn't involve himself physically. Still it was an unfair fight.

Khei returned Thea's questioning look with her own.

Clearly she was at a lost as to what they should do. It wasn't really their place to get involved yet it seemed wrong not to.

[Ashven]

The young man scanned the crowd surrounding himself and his attackers. Far too many people for him to risk exposing himself for what he was. Mortals were, after all, skittish beings. He couldn't risk his stone being packed up and carried off by some paniced buffoon if his stone was evenstill here. He still had far too many corners of the city to check.

He stood up, taking a more relaxed posture before addressing the men before him. He hated being forced to take the high road but he was losing precious time. The stone mattered too much and he was willing to do whatever he had to to find it.

"Now lets not be too hasty. You.."

He pointed toward the fruit stand vendor.

"You wish to have the money for the apple I took yes? And you"

He turned toward the vendor from which he took the bread.

"You wish for the money for your loaf of bread. This should cover any damages you've suffered on my behalf."

He tossed small cloth sacks to each of them. Each sack holding more than enough gold and silver to buy their entire stands.

"And you.."

He addressed the jewel vendor.

"This should cover whatever damages you feel I caused to your stand in search of the stone that had been stolen from me."

He tossed the man a third sack of coin before smiling and raising his hands, palms upturned, in a gesture of resolution.

"I believe that makes us square. Yes?"

The men blinked as they caught the pouches that had been tossed to them. They examined the coins contained inside. One man even bit at a coin to ensure it's legitimacy. The jewel vendor tucked the sack into his sash and looked back to the young man with a smile bathed in contempt.

"Aye. That about covers your financial debt boy but it will not spare you from a much needed lesson."

He pointed frantically at the young man as he yelled at the other men.

"KILL HIM!!!"

The young man smirked and shook his head.

"I thought as much."

The young man was growing tired of this game. He was wasting time now. As the men charged he began to truly stand his ground and fight. Unfortunately, hand to hand combat was not one of his well honed skills. He'd never needed such skills before.

He managed to get in a few good blows, even stole a pole from one of the men and knock him out cold with it. However his luck would not hold out as he was soon knocked to the ground where the other four men resumed their relentless beating.

[Guest]

Thea's eyes widen in horror at seeing the young man being inflicted with the beatings. He had been threatened with death and the rate of the attackers were going they were overcoming the man. From what she heard, the young man was arrogant, but he didn't deserve to die for it.

Thea leaped off the wagon. "STOP!" she yelled. But the men didn't seem to hear her and persisted to beat the young man.

She turned to Khei with a knowing look in her eye. The corners of her mouth managed a smile and her eyes were alive with anticipation and excitement. "Khei, would you like to play the good old fashion game of Teach These Scum A Lesson?"

[Khei]

Thea seemed to radiate confidence. A confidence that must have been contagious as Khei felt herself gain confidence as she nodded back, following Thea's lead as she jumped down herself.

"I think I could do with some action. Four against one hardly seems fair.. I mean we're really just leveling the odds a little right?"

She rolled up her sleeves while she waited for Thea's cue.. If there was one. After all she didn't want to just rush in if Thea had a plan.

[Ashven]

In truth, the four angry men had heard Thea's command but paid no heed as they were fully engrossed in beating the young man on the ground like a pinata.

Perhaps ~Ow~ I should ~Ow~ rethink ~Ow~ my ~Ow~ options here. ~Ow~

He ran different scenarios through his battered and bruised head but none of them really seemed to help the situation. Everything he could think of would result in a paniced mob, one of which could easily run off with his precious stone. That was not something he was willing to risk at this point.

He managed to grab at one of the poles at just the right time and yank it away from the fruit vendor. He used it to his advantage, jabbing the assailant in the gut and slamming the man in the face with the pole. Unfortunately this merely resulted in angering the man even more and the young man found a boot handing hard against his face.

This was the last thing the young man saw before blacking out.

[Guest]

The young man was unconscious. Time for some action.

"Agreed," she said, nodding at Khei. "Off we go." She let out a laugh.

She rolled up her sleeves and charged at the men...

[Khei]

Khei chuckled lightly at Thea's enthusiasm as she bounded into the fray and followed suit.