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 Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 6:44 pm
✦ THE PERFORMER ✦
Mei’s bright gaze followed after the half-orc as he answered for Mr. Langley, speaking assuredly about the Bounty of the Skull’s travel preferences. Lips lightly glossed with elvish make-up formed a small ‘o’ in wonder. When Dez had first entered, the dark-haired woman had to steel herself against the smell of someone that didn’t bathe on a regular basis. With all of her focus on that, she hadn’t been able to give the man much thought beyond that. She had tried to get used to the smell of stale sweat and body odor since she embarked on her travels, but it was something she would never fully be able to ignore. Still, she always wanted to be polite as possible and not visibly gag.
But after hearing Dez speak so concisely and confidently, Mei gave the half-orc a second look. She had never met an orc or even a half-orc before. She wasn’t sure exactly what she had been expecting. Tilting her head, the brown-eyed girl’s lips broke into an excited smile. This adventure was already full of interesting new friends!
“All right!” Mei shouted as she hopped up from her seat, the wooden chair scraping against the floor as it was suddenly pushed backwards. Leaning to one side, the bubbly human picked up an overstuffed leather bag and a wooden fighting stick that was just a little taller than her petite self. “Let’s gooooooo!” Giggling brightly, as if she was suggesting that they head to the market to find pastries, Mei turned quickly to their benefactor and winked, “Don’t worry, Mr. Langley! We’ll find your daughter!”
Mei began to bounce from one foot to the other as she pulled her arms through the straps of her backpack, struggling just a little with the extra weight before she regained her center of balance. “Right! Mr. Langley gave me instructions for how to reach him once we have news so we can coordinate how to meet up again.” The bright-eyed human informed the party before she also began heading towards the tavern exit, “This is going to be so much fun! Does anyone have a cart or wagon to travel in?”
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2020 5:44 pm
✦ THE MOUSE ✦  Mouse finished a rough sketch of what she assumed the young lady must look like. Langley's description was less than helpful but she used his likeness in the sketch as well. She must look a little like him at least. She took down some hasty notes on other things discussed as well before staking the pages and shoving them back in her pouch. The ink may smear a bit but would likely still be legible. She stood and pulled another small pouch off her belt. This was the last thing she had received from the guild and, even though money will always be useful, she could find more somewhere else. She nodded and walked over towards Alto, placing the pouch on the table in front of him. "2 gold, 4 silver, and 6 coppers." she said simply. "Add it to the funds. Use it as you will."
With that and a final nod towards Langley she trailed after Mei towards the exit. The sensation of new beginnings washed over her as the exit to the tavern grew closer. This could be the beginning of a new and noble life. Or it could prove to be a convenient way to move from one place to another in safe company. If nothing else, the presence of an Orc would prevent anyone from bothering their company too much.
Mouse walked up to Mei's side, glancing over her shoulder to make sure the other's weren't too far behind. "I don't have a cart but I must ask, what brings you on a quest like this?" She asked softly, still trying to make sure no one else around could overhear. "You don't seem to be the hard living adventurous type."
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Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 6:49 pm
✦ THE SCHOLAR ✦ 
Alto continued writing in his journal, reminding himself not to take offense at Mr. Dez's abrupt departure. This business was, after all, a rather different sort than he was used to dealing with. Perhaps this was how these things were done. Or that may have been a half-orc's idea of good manners.
If the latter was true, then Alto could do little but try not to let it bother him so much. The road ahead was a long one, and it was a little early to be feeling peeved by his newfound companions.
"Of course, ma'am," he said to Miss Mouse, scooping up her contribution to their party's funds. "Thank you. I'll be sure to put this to good use." He added the sums in his book, including his own money, as well. His great-grandfather might have had a fit to see Alto investing all he had with him on such an endeavor, but money seemed a trivial thing considering his own life and well-being were part of the risk.
Finished with his notes, the halfling tucked his notebook and pencil inside his jacket pocket and offered his hand to Mr. Langley for the final time. "I hope you'll rest a little easier now, sir. I know the wait will be difficult, but we'll bring you word as soon as we can. Farewell."
With that, Alto hopped down from his chair and adjusted the straps on his pack before heading to the door. He stepped quickly to Miss Mei's side and shot his hand into the air to get her attention. "Indeed! I have a wagon that should suit our needs just fine. I'll bring it around to the East Gate and meet you all there." He hastened by, weaving his way ahead to the door and pushing his way--not too aggressively, of course--into the bright afternoon light.
The stable where he'd paid to have his mule and wagon looked after while he sought out Mr. Langley were not far from the East Gate. He cheerily reclaimed his property and stowed his pack in the compartment beneath the driver's seat, then went around to unlock the back of the wagon.
A pang of guilt went through Alto's heart as he rearranged things to fit his companions. Mother and father had only allowed him to go on an adventure under three conditions. One: he had to bring some of their wares along to try and expand the family business wherever he went. Two: he had to bring back whatever he could for the family so there might be some benefit to listening to one of young Alto's odd ideas. Three: if nothing else, the wagon needed to return home in fair condition.
That, at least, did not concern the halfling overmuch. At first glance, the wagon did not look like a valuable target. The exterior was plain painted wood, free of any indication that it belonged to a wealthy merchant family. If he were trying to attract buyers, Alto only had to pull on a cord to release a flashy banner over the sides.
Even the inside would not impress someone looking to rob him. The roof and sides were reinforced with steel, and most of the goods it carried were packed neatly into compartments one had to look for to find. A window opened to look over the covered driver's seat, which he left open. All that sat out in the open were a few baskets of colorful silk squares, ribbons, and garments. If he did have the misfortune to be robbed, Alto did not mind losing the cloth. There were other, more essential things aboard.
Once he was sure everyone would fit, albeit snugly, Alto hitched up Otto, his mule, and gave the animal a friendly pat on the rump before he climbed into the driver's seat and snapped the reins. He pulled Otto to a halt just inside the East Gate and hummed a merry tune to himself while he waited for the rest of the party to arrive.
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2020 3:07 pm
((OOC: Mood Song ))
“Huh?” Mei tilted her head to the side as she turned her head to look at Mouse, her brown eyes wide in question. Holding her staff in one hand, the human thought over the question for a total of three seconds before grinning widely and turning her head to once again face the road, confidence in every step despite her heavy load.
“Oh, I know all about hard living and adventure.” Mei lifted her free hand to raise a finger in the air, the words spilling from her mouth in a constant stream, “There was this one time, back home, it was like…I guess two years ago? One of the main pipes in our house exploded or something and so we had no warm water. We didn’t even have cold water running through the pipes! So, get this, our house servants were all really busy cleaning up the flooding from the pipe exploding and so none of them could bring water back from the river for cooking, cleaning, or bathing. So, I had to go, all by myself because my sister was doing gods knows what, and bring back buckets of water from the river just so I could take a bath. Ugh, it was so hard. And it was like, five days before my birthday so I was like, really gods? What did I do to deserve this?”
Turning her head again to smile at Mouse, the dark-haired woman giggled, “But you know, what? You do what you have to do, right? So yeah, no worries. I can keep up with all the adventuring. It’s going to be amazing and fun!”
Waving Alto off when he went to get his cart, Mei continued walking with the rest of the group, stopping if someone decided to purchase a ware or two from the markets and vendors that they passed. Eventually, they made it to the East Gate as Alto had instructed and Mei squealed in delight at the sight of the mule, “Hello! You are SO. CUTE. You’re like a baby horse!” Skipping up to the creature, Mei turned to the halfling and gave him a bright smile accompanied by pleading eyes, “Is he friendly? Can I pet him? Oh yeah, can I put my bag in your cart? It’s SO heavy.”
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2020 1:18 pm
✦ THE WANDERING WIZARD ✦ Jalen wasn’t overly concerned with any of his traveling companions—his goal was just to go, to be and stay busy. That way he wouldn’t be found. A halfling, half-orc, weremouse: these were all things he could deal with, for better or worse.
But the sound of Mei’s chirping caught his human-looking ear as they headed for the East Gate. He wasn’t sure what Mouse had said to prompt it, but he drifted closer to the conversation anyway seeing as they were the only ones really saying much. At least, if he listened, he might learn a bit more about them.
And then he half wished he hadn’t eavesdropped.
That’s what you get, isn’t it? You can’t ignore that you just heard that.
Jalen sighed, scratching the back of his head, hood down now. Coming upon the cart as everyone began unloading and situating their things, he didn’t dare look down at the bubbly girl. She seemed so young and naïve that calling her a woman would have felt strange.
”You’ve got the right idea,” he said, unshouldering his bag. ”You do what you have to do. Just remember those words when, not if someone, maybe one of us, gets hurt along the way.”
She had the right idea—there was no point in being doom and gloom about everything before anything bad even happened. But he was afraid that, if someone didn’t warn her now, she’d be absolutely crushed when the first bad thing came around. Their team would only be as strong as their weakest link. If that was Mei, then the only thing to do for it was reinforce her. They’d need all the people they could get—there was no sense in sending her away just because she was an optimist, even if potentially to a fault.
After stashing his bag, he extended a hand to Mei in silent recognition of her bag. ”Would you like some help?”
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2020 2:52 pm
✦ THE MOUSE ✦ That little conversation had decided Mouse on one thing: Mei must be completely insane. Danger didn't seem to be a factor to her. In fact, nothing seemed to penetrate the jolly shell she seemed to be encased in. The wizard, however, was wise in what he said. Of course, all those that performed the art were wise. That was common knowledge. Mouse once again felt justified in her previous assessment that messing with him was a bad idea.
Leaving Mei in Jalen's capable hands, Mouse made her way towards the front of the cart where Alto still sat at the driver's seat. Everything Mouse needed was strapped securely to her body and she saw little point of storing anything inside the cart. She was interested in the groups new accountant, however, and still considered he would be the most trustworthy of the group. The one she considered would be the second best confidant was the half orc, but she didn't want to bother him beyond necessity. Rumors of needless violence don't start from nothing, after all.
She fetched a sugar cube out of one of her pouches and held it out to the mule. Mouse was accustomed to dealing with horses and had never actually handled a mule before, but she was sure every creature alive must like sugar cubes. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she kept the cubes on hand for herself and not for horses. Some secrets were definitely worth keeping. "This seems a sturdy animal." she said in Alto's direction. "Does he have a name?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2020 4:39 am
✦ THE SCHOLAR ✦
"Oh, by all means!" Alto chuckled in response to Miss Mei. "That mule's favorite pastime is being fussed over by lovely folks. Just mind yourself when you stop petting him. He's been known to n** at fingers and hair when he's not had all the attention he wants."
Smiling from his perch in the driver's seat, Alto approved of Miss Mouse offering Otto a treat. "That's Otto, the most reliable creature you'll ever meet. Not to mention clever and stubborn, even by mule standards," he added with an exaggerated look of suspicion in the mule's direction. The halfling leaned out of his seat to whisper, "He tricked me into purchasing him and has made a fool out of me more than once. I'm happy to tell of his exploits if you get a little bored on the journey."
Otto flicked an ear in Alto's direction and stamped impatiently. Alto chuckled to himself; evidently, his four-legged friend insisted those stories be told.
The dark-haired halfling looked again at the weremouse and noticed for the first time how little she seemed to be carrying. "I see you packed lightly compared to, uh..." He gestured sheepishly to his wagon. "...some of us. Is there anything you need? Or do you think this might be more of a brief endeavor than a long campaign?"
A fair part of him hoped their adventure was a short one. There was already a thin layer of dust from the road on his travelling clothes that he was itching to scrub off. Not to mention there was no telling how hard the journey might be on Otto, and Alto very much wanted his mule to come home with him at the end of it all.
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Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 4:12 pm
((OOC: Mood Song ))
“Aaaaaaaaw…” Mei cooed at the mule, giving the creature ample scratches and pets as she smiled, “You’re just a sweet baby, aren’t you?” Giving Otto a final scratch behind the ears, the human headed for the back of the wagon, excited to relieve herself of her load. While she did not have quite as much luggage as Alto, she was probably second on the list for overpacking.
Mei’s brown eyes widened for a moment as she looked up into Jalen’s tanned face, the hint of a blush reddening her cheeks. The cause of it could have easily been blamed heat from the afternoon sun, but she knew better.
He asked to help her with her luggage! That was not only thoughtful and kind and chivalrous. Out of everyone here, he had asked to help her. Never mind that no one else seemed to be struggling with their packs…it didn’t matter. He had asked her. Did that mean that he liked her?
“Yes please!” Mei chirped with a bright smile. She turned her back to the magician so he could slip the backpack from off her shoulders as she sang out a “Thank yoooooou!”
Once the pack was off her shoulders, the performer rolled her small shoulders and stretched her arms in the air with a sigh of relief. “All right!” She announced, “Let’s go!” Hopping into the wagon without a moment’s hesitation, the bubbly woman chose a seat in the middle of the business cart. A strategic choice so that she could remain in the center of any conversation. “Does anyone have a good story to share? Something funny! Not boring, okay?”
((OOC: Everyone, please make a perception roll for your next turn. Also a battle roll. smile ))
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MISSimissyou rolled 2 20-sided dice:
9, 4
Total: 13 (2-40)
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Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2020 11:02 pm
✦ THE MOUSE ✦ Mouse nodded as she stroked the mule's neck, smiling as Otto nibbled the sugar cube out of her palm. This mule would prove to be a good companion, she thought idly as the mule's tongue tickled her palm. They had the same taste in snacks, after all. "I would love to hear more of this little one's story." She told Aldo as she straightened up, frowning a bit at the mention of her lack of possessions. "I have never had much," she said simply, looking into Otto's eyes as opposed to Aldo's. "Possessions seem more a burden than anything else. Better to travel light. That way nothing gets in the way of work." she forced a smile at the halfling as she walked towards the back of the cart, patting the seat next to him as she walked past. "If you need someone to take the reigns let me know. The journey may be long and rest is required to keep a sharp mind."
She still had an idea that Aldo would be the easiest for her to trust. He was smart and everyone else already deemed it appropriate that he be in charge of their financing. Not to mention, he had already proven his worth by offering their method of transportation. The more illogical part of her brain mentioned that he was small and so was she, but that hardly seemed to matter. It also mentioned that he was similar to the woman who had saved her life as a child, be it in race if nothing else. She shoved the illogical thoughts down in favor of the logical ones. The size conundrum, however, brought the dwarf of the party to mind. Small in size but broad in stature, the woman hadn't talked much sense leaving the tavern but that only peaked Mouse's interest more.
Mouse walked towards the back of the cart, looking around at the ragtag group as she went. As she lifted herself into the cart, she gave a tentative look at Mei before sitting next to the girl. She was sure some of the larger folk would walk alongside the cart or take up a bench all their own, in the orc's case. She would fit perfectly next to the bubbly young human. Brida would likely fit perfectly on the other side as well. The dwarf remained an enigma in Mouse's mind. All the dwarfs she had known were industrious, keeping to their tasks and getting them done almost flawlessly. Brida seemed something different. Perfection didn't seem a word to describe her. Sturdy and strong seemed more accurate. She was like a cliff standing strong against a high tide and a strong wind. The only problem was Mouse couldn't figure out any more of her story. Hopefully, if the dwarf woman decided to indulge Mei's conversation, she would be able to figure out more.
Mouse nodded as Mei poised her question. To be honest, she had hundreds of stories. None of them boring but none of them she was willing to divulge right now. Maybe she would never talk of them with this group but who could say. This was only the beginning. She offered a small smile to the girl and decided the best bet was to prod for more information from her. Maybe this would open the pathway to learn more of the others. "Why don't you start?" she offered. "It might give us a better idea to what you think boring is."
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2020 2:58 pm
There were so many stories that Mei could tell about herself—but another idea struck her in response to Mouse’s question. “Oh, I know!” The human announced. “I’ll tell you all one of my favorite stories! Have you ever heard of The Golden-Haired Maiden in the Highest Tower before?” Pulling her bag closer to her, the dark-haired woman opened the flap and after rummaging around for a moment, she pulled out a smaller, velvet drawstring bag. Handling the velvet parcel with care and holding her backpack between her feet, Mei opened the bag and produced a miniature lute that was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand.
Depositing the emptied drawstring bag into her backpack, Mei then held the lute in one palm and tapped on it gently with a delicate finger. The enchanted lute sprung to life and instantly became several times its size until it was about equal with the length of Mei’s upper body. Smiling broadly, the entertainer delicately plucked a few of the strings to test their tautness and tuning. Strumming a few chords, Mei’s brown eyes looked up at her companions and she smiled, “Right then! This tale begins, with a king and queen longing for a child of their own…”
Her voice complimented the melody—soft and pleasing to the ears. What she seemed to lack in caution, some common sense, and physical fighting ability, Mei made up in the arts. Dancing, singing, performing…those were her expertise. And she was never shy to display her talents. Rather, she shined even more brightly as she sang of the tale of a young maiden, locked in a tower by an evil witch until a knight came to save her from her prison.
~*~*~*~*~
In time, Mei’s voice tired and the lute was replaced in her bag. As other tales and conversation was shared, the jostling and vibrations of the cart sent the human into a peaceful sleep. Dark lashes resting against pale skinned cheeks didn’t even flutter as various noises and conversations happened around her. She was in a deep sleep and blissfully unaware of anything going on around her.
~*~*~*~*~
As the afternoon sun began to dip beneath the horizon, casting shades of red and orange into the darkening sky, the travelers found themselves on a main road bordering a forest on one side and a fast moving stream on the other. There were no other travelers in sight either ahead or behind of the group’s wagon. And the opportunity was just too perfect.
Without warning, an arrow was shot at the cart, just barely missing Otto and obviously intending to spook the creature into a halt—perhaps to even see if the creature would be off-balance enough to tip the cart.
Out of the forest, six figures emerged. Two were werewolves, already morphed into their upright lycan forms and brandishing long swords. Three were humans—one woman and two men. The woman dropped the bow that she had used to assault the mule and armed herself with twin daggers. One of the human men drew a heavy battle-axe while the other carried a mace and shield. Finally, the last opponent was a large female orc. She smiled nastily at the party of travelers and carried her two-handed battle-axe across her shoulders nonchalantly before shouting, “Give us your valuables and we’ll only kill a few of you!”
Her threat was all her party needed to begin charging at Langley’s rescue party.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 8:21 am
✦ THE SCHOLAR ✦
Long after Mei finished her tale, Alto was still quietly humming the tune of her song. It made for a pleasant passtime while he relaxed in the driver's seat and let Otto carry them along the road. He enjoyed listening to his passengers, committing as much to memory as he could. When the road was smooth enough and Otto didn't need any guidance from the reins, Alto took out his pencil and journal to collect their stories. With the sky deepening toward dusk, the halfling wondered if he should light one of his lanterns to help the mule find his feet in the growing dark. But the road between the forest and stream was clear, so he saw no need to trouble with a lantern for now.
Otto shook his head, jangling his harness. "Take it easy, boy," Alto soothed in a soft voice. The mule grunted in response, his ears pinned back with one flicked toward the forest. "What's making you uneasy?"
When an arrow shot across the mule's nose, Alto had his answer. Otto brayed in alarm and jerked back a few paces before Alto steadied the animal with a firm hand on the reins. "Easy, old friend! This isn't our first rude interruption."
Alto looked toward where the shot came from, eyes widening in alarm as they took in the imposing party setting upon them. Were those werewolves? Good gracious! They were worse than he'd imagined they'd be! Not to mention the she-orc... He shuddered.
No no no no no. This behavior was not fitting for a Fawler. These were far from the usual rough-mannered miscreants he'd had to fend off before, but that shouldn't matter. He was hardly alone, and for once he was in the company of true fighters. All he needed was to make the charging menace pause long enough for those true fighters to have a chance to ready themselves for battle.
Forcing a little steel into his spine, Alto cleared his throat and shouted in an even voice, "I'm afraid you'll find little besides disappointment with us. The poor wretched folk I'm carrying lost all but the clothes on their backs in a fire, and neither cloth nor hide would fetch you much of a price with even the most desperate merchant. Surely you wouldn't dull your blades with so little profit to be made! Especially not with the finer folk who managed to save some of their possessions just a few miles behind us."
With a little luck, he could buy them a few moments to spare them from an early end to their journey. Dropping a hand to the hilt of his shortsword, his trembling fingers felt a little steadier at the touch of his weapon.
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 6:46 pm
The she-orc barely paused as Alto spoke. Instead, she answered by removing her battle-axe from her shoulders and handled the giant weapon in both of her blistered hands. “Too much talking!” Grunted the bandit before whistling and nodding at her team of highway robbers. Without another moment of hesitation, each of them sprang into action.
Alto’s words may have bought the newly formed team five more seconds, but it was five seconds that they didn’t have before.
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 9:56 am
✦ THE WANDERING WIZARD ✦ That five seconds was all Jalen needed to dig into his bag for a pouch, though.
He’d chosen to walk alongside the wagon for the trip so far and he had ducked when the schick of an arrow caught his attention. One, two, three, six figures in the woods to the party’s six…well, five, considering Mei had fallen asleep. Honey eyes scanning the marauders, he felt his hackles raise at the weres—he could shift, match them… But his attention shifted to the lady orc. The leader.
Peeking over the cart, he kept his focus on her. The others should be able to fend for themselves. He had to work quickly. They all did.
The pouch was deceptively small, one long white feather sliding out of it easily. He wielded it like a pen now, whispering under his breath. The quill scribbled in the air before him as if tracing, writing the words he uttered on each hitched breath. He’d warned Mei to not forget her words when someone got hurt; he just hadn’t anticipated it could be so soon.
The magic he drew on sparked to life, sparking up through his lungs, his chest, shoulders, racing down into his fingertips. With one last swipe of the feather’s quill, the spell was complete. He exhaled, watching as the magic did its work, a watchful eye on the orc’s reaction as he readied himself for another round.
At first glance, the orc became even more impressive, drawing to her full height. But it wasn't to be intimidating; instead, she was tensing up, her eyes the last thing to go, wide and round and horrified. Her knees crooked, weak under her own weight. Her jaw dropped as her battle axe did, eyes lifting far above the heads of anyone around her as she backed away. Whatever she was seeing, she was the only one seeing it.
"N-...no way," she grunted. Jalen didn't break his gaze—he didn't care what she was hallucinating, he just needed to make sure she was envisioning something and that it was enough to scare her away. His jaw tightened when her lips curled back over her tusks and she let rip a bellowing roar. But just when he was sure she was going to charge, she pivoted, fleeing the scene and leaving behind ten potentially confused onlookers.
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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2020 7:07 pm
✦ THE TANK ✦ Brida had been walking easily just behind the cart, whistling to herself with her battleaxe over one shoulder, when she heard the rustling. But by the time she hefted her axe down into both hands and spun around, there came an arrow and a rabble of thugs. Augh, so soon?!
"Aye, Moira! Ya hungry for mutt?!" the dwarf roared with a smile as she charged, swinging her trusty axe at one of the werewolves.
The blade made a decent gash in his chest, but his claws also tore about as much flesh from her arm, leaving three red, wet stripes. Brida practically ignored the scratches, waving her axe back the other way, lower at his abdomen now. Claws found the side of her head this time, dragging furrows of blood over her scalp, but the wolf retreated.
"That's right, tuck yer tail, pup!" she cackled after him as blood trickled down into her ear.
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The Meadowlark Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 6:56 pm
((OOC: Mood Song ))
Even when the cart jolted from Otto’s sudden backward steps, Mei barely roused from her slumber. It wasn’t uncommon for her father’s carriage to lose a wheel or for the horses to have a fright. The servants would take care of it. No need for her to worry herself. It had only been a couple of weeks since she had left her father’s mansion, and her mind was still conditioned to her privileged lifestyle.
“Give us your valuables and we’ll only kill a few of you!”
Doe-like brown eyes began to flutter open at the threat as pink lips parted just slightly, “Huh? What’s going on?” Willing strength into her limbs, Mei slowly began to pick herself up as she lifted a hand to her head to brush away a few stray strands of ebony hair. “What’s all—”
Her eyes grew wide and her words were interrupted by a scream when a mace flashed in her line of vision. She just barely managed to move in time for it not to deal a deadly blow to her stomach. Instead, the mace collided painfully with her right thigh and for the pain of it, Mei wondered if the bone had shattered. Quickly attempting to gather her wits, the young human attempted to make a grab for her staff, but it was too far for her to reach and the human bandit with a mace and shield was leering at her from just outside the wagon.
“Might jus’ leave you alive for a bit…” The thief smiled nastily as he walked to the end of the cart and began to climb inside.
Mei felt pure fear and panic grip her heart. Yes, she had been trained to fight. Her father had seen to that. She had trained and trained and trained…even if it wasn’t her passion. She wasn’t terrible at the different martial art forms her father expected her to learn. But now, her balled up fists felt useless and she could feel tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
“S-Stay away!” The entertainer cried out. She couldn’t even make a ball of chi to fire at the man. She hadn’t been mediating enough recently to have that kind of focus. Besides, fear and pain were robbing her of her senses.
The man simply let out a chuckle while lifting his mace to strike again.
She had to do something! Everyone else was holding their own. She had to at least…try!
As the man struck out with his mace, aiming to knock out her head, Mei dodged, blocked, and struck. One of her lithe arms lifted to grasp the much stronger striking arm as she came close enough to land a punch to the man’s unarmed face. It connected, but instead of the man reeling back or even crying out in pain. His head just barely turned and he smiled.
She was so…weak.
In return, the man lifted his other arm holding a shield and he easily brought it crashing down onto her head.
Mei cried out and fell on her backside in the middle of the cart, warm blood mixing with her silky hair and trickling down her face.
So…this is what an adventure was like? Isn’t this what Jalen had tried to warn her about?
“H-Help…” Mei squeaked out, her brown eyes looking up tearfully at the man looming over her, readying himself to strike again.
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