Sword of Sacrifice

- -Braavos- -

"Hmm, very well then." Braavos said, looking the man over. "But be forwarned that barfights seem to find us in every town we visit."

Meanwhile, Dathdr poked his head out of the wagon looking a bit groggy. "Eh?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Dathdr stumbles out of the wagon, tripping over a rock. He joined Braavos and Zak as they set out to find a bar, and Dathdr wanted to see what the town had for sale anyways.

Zak stopped and pointed to a building down the block

"that looks like a good place as any to get drunk before a battle, what do you say shall we go"

- -Braavos- -

Braavos looked up at the bar Zak pointed out.

"Hmm, 'The Pickled Whore'. Sounds like a good bar." he said with a smirk.

"Shall we?"

Dathdr stumbled into the bar, along with Braavos and Zak, and they got several strange looks from the patrons, two of which were drunken mercenaries, and a tall, hooded figure, bearing imperial colors. Bearing an angry look, Dathdr said to his companions, "Hold on. I must take care of this."

Dathdr stomped up to the hooded figure, grabbed him by the shoulders, and slammed him against the wall, saying in a small, angry voice, "Give me one reason why I will not gut you and strangle you with your entrails, you flee ridden whore son." Then, the figure did something unexpected.

From the confines of the mans robe, in a voice as smooth as silk, yet rough as steel, came the words, "Fricai onr eka eddyr."* Stunned, Dathdr let the man go, just as the two mercenaries walked up to him and said, "You one of them, elffy wood whores, aintcha? I always wanted to kill me one of them..."

*I am your friend

Zak saw that Dathdr was being targgeted by a couple of thugs so he released the clasp on his book, ready for battle

Zay and Ryan vs. twenty bandits, aided by a group of mercenaries and traders

___COMMENCE___

Rushing in to engage the approaching bandits with the flock of mercenaries, both factions yelled war cries as they collided with a sickening crunch as metal rang against metal and skin was ripped asunder. Ducking under a swipe from an axe-wielding bandit, Zay responded with an uppercut that sent her claws through the soft flesh under his chin and out the back of his neck. Screaming out his last breath, the bandit fell, and Zay saw to her dismay as the human ranger took a mace to the skull as he aimed at another bandit. The ranger’s head exploded like a pumpkin, and little bits of brain and bone went spewing all over the Sylvari who had been fighting another miscreant next to him.

This distracted Zay long enough to have a halberd imbedded in her side. Grunting in agony, she rolled to the side, and discovered her attacker to be the dwarf of the mercenary group. “I’m on your side!” she hissed, but to no avail, as the small man was immediately murdered by two bandits who stabbed him in the throat and kidney respectively.

Meanwhile, Ryan was dueling a bandit with a longsword. Parrying a forward thrust, he swiveled around and cut a gash across the bandit’s chest. Howling in rage, the man reared back and began swinging at Ryan with all his might, However the bandit’s poor state of mind and lack of training did him in as Ryan feinted to the left, shot to the right, and impaled the bandit through the heart. Pulling out his blade, he was instantly attacked by a bandit with two daggers, however he was cut down by the elven swordsman before Ryan could even turn around. “Thanks friend!” Ryan shouted to the elf, but didn’t wait around for a response. He quickly searched for and spotted Zay, who, to his horror, was bleeding badly from her side. “Zay!” he shouted, and began rushing over to her, but he took a mailed fist to the face followed by a crashing noise as he fell to the floor. Holding his bleeding nose, he looked up to see that he had been smashed by a bandit who was clutching a spear in his other hand. The spearman immediately tried to skewer Ryan, who attempted to roll away . His roll came an instant too late, and the spear caught him in the torso, barely missing his vital organs. As the bandit pulled out his weapon, Ryan fought back an excruciating pain and finished rolling onto his stomach. From that position, he painfully scrambled to his feet, and turned to square off against the spearman. However, the bandit was already in mid fall, his throat and shoulder having been ripped open by Zay. She nodded at Ryan, breathing hard, who nodded back in thanks. Certain of each other’s ability to keep going, they both re-engaged.

All this time, spells had been flying this way and that from a dwarven magician, and the results were four bandits with their skin melting off as they screamed and flailed about whilst being incinerated. Unfortunately, the dwarf was dispatched by a bandit with a rather sinister looking axe. It only took one swing and the top half of the dwarf’s head was rolling around on the ground with his brain slowly oozing out. When she saw this, the Sylvari shouted something inaudible, and began slitting throats and stabbing this way and that, ripping fatal gashes in three bandits as blood and viscera filled the air. However, her bloodlust got the best of her for a moment, and she took an arrow to the hip from an enemy archer. The archer was quickly cut down by one of the sword-wielding merchants, who was in turn cut in half by a halberdier. As the merchant’s intestines and liver mingled with the grass, two more merchants were fatally stabbed by five bandits who had surrounded them. Their bodies resembled pincushions after their attempts to beg for their lives had failed.

Realizing that their employers were being effectively murdered, the elf, giant, and Sylvari all convened on the five bandits. Before they could get there, Zay and Ryan crashed into the enemy mob, stabbing and cutting their way through two of them. Reaching the skirmish, The giant maced one of the bandits in the jaw, liquefying every bone in and around his skull. Likewise, the elf and Sylvari assaulted the other two bandits. The Sylvari parried a blow and struck the bandit in the arm with her dagger, however the bandit was killed by a nasty stab from Ryan. The elf didn’t fare as well ; he took an unlucky jab in the right lung from a spear-bandit, and fell to the ground, dying. However, the bandit wasn’t able to celebrate his victory for long, as the giant ended his life with a crushing blow to the neck.

Realizing that enemy numbers were dwindling, the three remaining merchants summoned up some courage and entered the fray as well, converging on a duo of bandits. The first one was cut down without a problem, however the second one slashed one of the merchants across the throat, killing him messily. As their partner fell, the other two merchants took their vengeance, severing the bandit’s arm as well as his head.

“Oh fuck it’s hopeless!” One of the three remaining aggressors shouted. “Let’s get the hell out of here!” Another insisted with increasing urgency. The third one merely screamed like a bitch and ran off with the others close behind.

The battle complete, the giant sheathed his weapon and scooped up the dying elf and began running for the town shouting for a doctor.

Meanwhile, the crows began to circle overhead.

They would have quite a feast tonight…


___CONCLUDE___

Nonpayer Survivors - The half giant with the blue shield (fine), the sylvari (mild damage), and the elf with the blades (Dying). Two of the traders survived. (fine)

Zay levelled up once, Ryan leveled twice. Both obtained 79 bolsa and two iron daggers each.

- -Braavos- -

Braavos slapped his forhead. He had REALLY wanted a drink, too.

"We're getting in a fight two seconds through the door. A new record." He said, drawing his blades.

"Trust me fellas, you REALLY don't want to fuck with me or my friends today." he growled, addressing the drunken mercenaries.

Unfortunately, the two were far too inebriated to comprehend threats, nor could they see the lunacy in attacking three well armed, mostly-sober people.

Dathdr, Braavos, and Zak vs. two drunken mercenaries.

___COMMENCE___

The first mercenary tried to swing his blade at Dathdr, but nearly tripped over his boots in the process. In response, the elf drew his knife and gutted him as Braavos sunk a blade into the man's side, and pulled it out violently, throwing blood across the floor. The mercenary made a noise like a sob and a scream, and died where he stood. Meanwhile, Zak had electrocuted the shit out of the other mercenary, his blackened remains littering the ground.

"Now can someone PLEASE supply me with some whiskey?!" Braavos shouted, returning his swords to their proper sheathes. He cast a murderous look at anyone who would try to give them further trouble

___CONCLUDE___

28 bolsa obtained

Dathdr sheathed his dagger, while Zak and Braavos went to get some whiskey. He then turned to the hooded man, who said, "Not all of us fight in the ash's of Fioldafralis." With that, the elf, for Dathdr was certain he was a brother, left in a cloud of confusion. Awstruck, Dathdr sat down, grabbed some whiskey, and downed the bottle.

- -Braavos- -

2 hours later

"Did I eversh tell yoush guys abote the time I fell offa house? Well, it weren't fun..." Braavos stammered, terribly drunk. He then began tilting back and forth as he started building an awkward pyramid out of all the empty whiskey bottles as he watched the lewd dancers bounce.

He hiccuped occasionally and smiled for unknown reasons.

Zak was sitting down for his first drink in a long while.

"you know, i am surprised we haven't been kicked out off here yet, there are two bodies on the ground, and man can you not hold your drink"

Zak just shook his head and started downing another bottle.

- - Braavos - -

"Ah go fuck yourself ya fruity cunt..." Braavos said, waving one of his many empty whiskey bottles at Zak. "Hozawabout we see howsh many yoush can handle? You and yer one drink.."

Braavos blinked, one eye and then another.

Zak laughed

"the alcohol must be getting to your vision, because this inset my first bottle, i have been keeping up in the amount of bottles as you have had, you are just a light weight."

Zak laughed inwardly, what he wasn't saying is that Maia had a metabolism that was five times the human norm, to keep up with the stress magic put on the body

Dathdr sat on the bar stool, several empty bottles arranged in a flower around him, as he performed an interpretive dance. He gained several bolsa from people willing him to stop.

- -Braavos- -

"Well at least I dun have a shtupid beard, you beardy..." Braavos mummbled as he staggered to his feet. "Hey purty lady!" He shouted, wobbling over towards one of the pole dancers. "What's y-"

Braavos passed out.

Dathdr wandered over to where Braavos had passed out, then set an empty vase on his head. "Itsh an ornamentaal tablesh!" After that, he passed out.

Zak cringed inwardly at the insult to his beard. Its not that he liked it as a feature, but he didn't like looking old well because he wasn't old, his beard just made him look that way, he vowed that he would cut it first chance he got.

but first he had to get these idiots out of here.

he then proceed to get them onto a cart (at the cost of 20 bolsa, they would be paying him back) then in 30 mintues he delivered them to Bisiteros feet

(Two points I believe.... one into strength the other into agility)

Ryan walked slowly over to Zay's side, assessing her wounds and asking her, "Are you alright?" before turning and adressing the others, "Well fought, all of you. I'm sorry so many of your fellows died, and I request that you apologize to my friend Zay here for your small friends antics with the Halberd..", he said to the Traders, "and... your friend is he going to be alright?" he said referring to the Elf who had saved his life.

- -Bisiteros- -

Alas, Bisiteros' work was never done. Although he would have been lying if he had told you he expected otherwise of his drunken youngest brother.

He sighed, turning from the document he had been composing for the past hour. "My thanks to you, Zak." He said, eying over the inebriated contents of the cart the elderly looking man had brought with him.

Bisiteros merely snapped his fingers, and two guards jogged up and took the two shit-faced revelers to a nearby inn to sleep it off.

Dathdr woke up, still partially intoxicated, to find he and Braavos in a small room. Dathdr got up just enogh to but a large vase on Braavos' head, then passed out.

- -Barthathos- -

"This is very boring, and the only thing Ive learned is that he's a terrible drunkard. This is very disappointing." Barthathos muttered from his perch atop a particularly tall oak outside of Qualtree. He was beginning to think that he had utterly wasted three days of his life, living in forests and surviving off of rabits.

Growing impatient, he considered making his presence known.

Silent as a cat, he hopped down from the tree and began walking back into the forest. Perhaps in time.

"I could do with a shirt as well." He thought to himself, regretting his decision to ditch his jacket.

Dathdr wakes up, head pounding, to see Braavos throwing up in a nearby urn. "Ugh." Dathdr said, "Let us go in the forest, in hopes of finding an herb to sooth this devils horn of pain."

Nodding after he finished, Braavos grabbed his pack, as did Dathdr, and set out into the nearby woods, looking in all the shrubbery and plants, when Dathdr heard footstepscoming towards them. He looked up, to see a young man walking towards them. Something did not bode well with this encounter.

- -Barthathos- -

He had been rummaging about in the woods, bored and restless as usual. Suddenly, he saw something rather... Unexpected.

Braavos and his elf friend came strolling on through, and he was fairly certain the elf had spotted him.

Barth slapped himself internally. Stealth had never been his thing (he preferred open destruction) however he was pretty damn certain that no amount of bad luck could allow the person he was tailing to randomly walk up to his hiding place for no reason at all. He was pretty sure that some higher power had conspired against him and his quest.

"Guess there's no point in hiding..." he thought to himself as he stepped into the open.

"Evening, gents." he said with that silken voice of his. A warm smile graced his lips.

The elf seemed unfazed (Obviously he didn't recognize him) however all the colour immediately left Braavos' flesh.

The shocked redhead immediately drew his blades, much to the disquiet of his elven friend.

Dathdr saw Braavos drawing his weapons, and Dathdr reacted with the speed of his kind, restraining Braavos. Dathdr looked at Braavos, then a tthe stranger, and asked, "Who are you, and why does my companion have such an urge to harm you?"

- -Barthathos- -

Barthathos coughed nervously into his hand and looked away. "Oh me... you can call me James." he said, looking back at the elf. "And I'm afraid I've never seen your friend before. He must surely be mistaking me for someone else." He continued, with an innocent smile.

It was then that Braavos regained enough control of himself to form a coherent sentence. "That's the bastard that killed my brother! That's the guy we're trying to get our revenge on!"
he shouted, struggling against the elf.

Barth merely stuck his palms up, as a sign of peacefulness. "Oh, please don't make this harder than it has to be... Surely we can talk..." He said, resisting the urge to rough up his fellow human until he stopped being so damn disrespectful.