[center][h1][color=ed145b]Faylrie[/color][/h1][/center] [hider] [hr] Faylrie’s heart beat in anticipation. For years she had been the blunt of everybody else’s joke. The dog that people kicked when nobody else was around. Lied to, pushed around, beaten close to death, betrayed by the only one who was supposed to care!!! … She tighten her grip on her walking stick. Her knuckles turning white. Grief pushed beneath the surface. Damn that Jhaydarr! [color=ed145b][i]Don’t think about it.[/i][/color] She thought. Why? Why all the lies? Why couldn’t he just be honest with her? [color=ed145b][i]Don’t think about it![/i][/color] She urged. The truth about her past… the truth about her parentage… Or maybe, just maybe, any kind of remorse for what he fucking did to her?!?! [color=ed145b][i]DON’T THINK ABOUT IT![/i][/color] [color=c4df9b]“You seem stressed, Faylrie”[/color] Came Faine’s voice beside her. Faine, he was the only true friend she had left in this world. The only one who had never used, lied to or abandoned her. [color=c4df9b]“Here, would you like a turn playing with my new friend?”[/color] Faylrie steadied herself with one hand in the rundown closet, in which she hid. Today was the day she had dreamt of for years. Today was the day she would cross Charcoal Lin’s name off her list. Charcoal Lin. A stormtouched of some renowned in these parts… barely any renowned. He headed a small time gang of other Stormtouched and claimed a small run down abandoned factory as his turf. The same factory Faylrie was currently hiding in. By paying him tribute, usually in the form of stale food, he would allow other stormtouched to stay in the building for shelter. The old office area of the factory, however, belonged to him and him alone. In fact, it had taken Faylrie tremendous effort just to sneak in here, past the guard, while Lin was away. But Lin was known for more than just the factory and his thugs. Word on the street was that he even had connections to the Grey Market. Connections that he was willing to make use of for a price. A price Faylrie had once paid in coin, which she had stolen from Jhaydarr. Lin had never followed through on his promise though. And so, Lin found himself on Faylrie’s list. Faylrie calmed herself with effort. Today was not the time for unnecessary distractions. She then looked to Faine. He had come to her as a black alley cat today. And his new friend? A mouse he had found and trapped in the corner of the closet shortly after they had snuck in. [color=c4df9b]“He seems to like it when you trap him under your paw, like this.”[/color] Faine deftly swept at the mouse with this paw, sandwiching against the floor. The mouse squeaked in terror and squirmed. Trying fruitlessly to escape from the cat’s grasp. [color=ed145b]“I’m good.”[/color] Faylrie said, calming herself. Faine almost seemed to shrug. [color=c4df9b]“You know, I think Fred also likes it when I do this.”[/color] Faine lifted his paw and let the mouse free before suddenly swatting it into the wall. ‘Squeak!’ Went the mouse with a thud. Faylrie frowned. [color=ed145b]“Fred? You named the mouse Fred?”[/color] Faine looked to Faylrie. [color=c4df9b]“I named the mouse Fred.”[/color] He said with a nod. His eyes almost seemed to beam with pride. [color=ed145b]“And how do you know that it’s not a girl mouse?”[/color] Faine almost seemed to frown… or as close to frowning that a cat could do. He looked at Fred the mouse. [color=c4df9b]“Psst… Fred.”[/color] He whispered in a hush tone. [color=c4df9b]“Are you a girl?”[/color] “Squeak.” Said Fred [color=c4df9b]“Weeeell shit.”[/color] Faine cursed. He glanced back to Faylrie. [color=c4df9b]“Fred said yes.”[/color] Faylrie arched an eyebrow and frowned. Sure he did… uh… she did??? Fred took that moment to escape. [color=c4df9b]“Wait! Fred! Don’t go! We were having so much fun!”[/color] “Squeak. Squeak.” said Fred as he dashed into a hole in the wall. [color=c4df9b]“Weeeeell, fine!”[/color] Faine sniffed. [color=c4df9b]“Maybe I never want to be friends with you either!”[/color] Faylrie sighed, as amusing as this was, it was yet another unnecessary distraction. The door to the room opened. Faine perked up. [color=c4df9b]“Stabby stabby time?”[/color] He asked. [color=ed145b][i]No[/i][/color] She thought. Not until she knew it was him and confirmed that he was alone. “Damn those Inner Ringers! Always striping us of anything of value.” Faylrie waited to see if anybody responded to his complaint. Nobody did. A good sign… Maybe? What would she do if there was someone else there and they or Lin checked the closet? Damn. Perhaps she hadn’t thought this fully through. She could almost hear Jhaydarr scolding her in her head. silently, Faylrie got onto her hands and knees and peaked through the crack beneath the bottom of the door to the closet. She could make out only one pair of feet. Another good sign, although she didn’t have a full view of the room. “Shame, boss.” Damn. Lin wasn’t alone. “That knife was good steel.” Faylrie’s ears perked up. Knife? Steel? That was a rarity in these parts. More likely than not, it wasn’t good steel at all. Probably a little rusty at best. “Why the hell did you let Rosco have it? You know he can’t help but show shit off?” Faylrie frowned. Showing off steal of any kind was likely to get one in trouble with the Wardana. Particularly if that person was as stormtouched. No doubt that was what happened here. “Won’t happen again, boss. Isn’t that right boys?” Faylrie heard two others grunt in response. Shit- shit- shit! There were more of them?! Damn it! She should have thought this through more! Great job, Faylrie! You snuck into his quarter, hide in the closet, and now you’re stuck in here with four thugs. Only one of which was on your list. Her heart started beating faster. [color=ed145b][i]It’s all fine.[/i][/color] she thought. [color=ed145b][i]All I have to do is kick the door open when he gets close. Stab him. Jump out the window and then run like hell. Right?[/i][/color] [color=c4df9b]“Stabby stabby time?”[/color] Faine’s voice whispered into her ear. Fuck! Startled by Faine, Faylrie jumped and bumped into the door. “Um, you hear that?” “Well don’t just stand there, you idiots, go check it out!” Said Charcoal Lin. Faine patted Faylrie sympathetically with his paw. [color=c4df9b]“Nice going, Faylrie. That’s some grade A sneaking right there.”[/color] [color=ed145b][i]Damn it, Faine![/i][/color] She wanted to scream. She made to pull out her crude dagger, but before she could get it out, a giant stormtouched man opened the door and dragged her out by the arm. Faylrie kicked and screamed, but the man didn’t seem bothered. She tried to swing at him with her walking stick, but he caught it, ripped it out of her grip, and tossed it to Lin. The big man then punched Faylrie in the stomach and tossed her collapsing body at Lin’s feet. “Nice Stick.” Lin said before whacking her across the face with it. Faylrie cried out. Her vision swam. [color=c4df9b]“Um… Faylrie?”[/color] Faine called out to her in a drawl tone. [color=c4df9b]“Just a thought, but you might want to try the stabby stabby now, yes?”[/color] While Faylrie could make out Faine’s words, to everyone else it came out as a simple meow. “What in the Storms? Where’d the cat come from?” One of the thug’s asked. [color=c4df9b]“Your bum hole, mayhaps?”[/color] Faine shot back with a snicker. God Damn, Faine! Couldn’t he just try to be helpful? Curled up in pain. Faylrie tried again to reach for her dagger, but Lin’s foot connected with her ribs.. “Nah-uh-ah.” Lin waggled his finger at her. “Don’t. You. Move.” He squatted down to her level and spat out a bit of soot to the side. The soot was part of Lin’s curse. Any fluid he secreted produced soot. “Now then.” He said. “You want to tell me what you were doing in my office?” Through all the pain, Faylrie forced herself to chuckle. [color=ed145b]“Still haven’t changed, have you Sooty Lin.”[/color] Lin frowned, his brow furrowing at the name ‘Sooty Lin’ [color=ed145b]“Still cheating people and beating up on your ‘friends’.”[/color] Lin’s eyes widened in recognition. “Well curse my soul. If it isn’t the little fairy princess.” [color=ed145b]“It’s pronounced Faye-lrie.”[/color] Faylrie growled. “Yes, yes, and my naaaaaaame is NOT SOOTY LIN!!!” Charcoal Lin ended with a yell. ”Charcoal Lin now.” [color=ed145b]“How about Shity Lin. That better?”[/color] [color=c4df9b]“Nice one Faylrie. Next, tell him that he’s got bad B.O.”[/color] Faine said, encouraging her from afar. Lin gave her a cool smile as he rose to his feet and kicked her in the back. “Buddies, Pals.” He said. “Allow me to introduce you to a childhood friend of mine. Little Miss Faylrie. I beat her ass when we were kids, but it looks like it wasn't enough for her.” That was the other reason for Lin being on Faylrie list. They had been friends when they were younger. Back when Lin was still called Sooty Lin. They were at the bottom of the bottom. Both teased and humiliated by those around them. But then, one day Lin, tired of getting picked on, snapped and turned on Faylrie. To send a message to those around them he beat Faylrie to a pulp one day. From that day on, he had people calling him Charcoal Lin. It was this event that had spurred Jhaydarr into seeking out combat training for Faylrie. Training that up to this point had proven quite useless. However, that was all about to change. Faylrie subtly pulled out her dagger, and stabbed Lin in the foot. This time, history would not repeat itself. The previously haughty Lin was not so haughty now. He screamed out in pain, released Faylrie’s stick, and fell to the floor. Crying out as he clutched his injured foot. Her dagger still in his foot. Now out of easy reach. Storm it! Acting quickly, Faylrie retrieved her stick, rotated the right end and activated the ikonomancy built into her walking stick. Instantly, the stick transformed into her weapon of choice, a kusarigama. Fighting through her pain, she forced herself up. “What the F-” Those were Lin’s last words. As she brought the sickle end down once, twice, three times on to Lin. [color=c4df9b]“Stabby stabby! Stabby stabby! Stabby stabby! Stabby stabby!”[/color] Faine shouted with glee as he pranced around the room. Lin let out his last breath, and with that, Faylrie crossed off a name from her list. Breathing out heavily Faylrie rose to her feet and looked up at the three remaining thugs. The three of them frozen in place. “Ikonomacy…” The big one whispered. Shit! Shit! Shit! They saw her use it! They saw her use it! The smallest one bolted for the door. Storm it! She couldn’t let them go now! She whirled the Kusarigama’s chain in one and tossed the weighted end smacking the runner in the head. The man went down. The big one then started to move. Faylrie pulled back the chain and swung it wide and downwards. Tangling the big thug around his leg. She pulled the chain back and dove in between his defenses. Cutting him with the sickle from the belly and across the side. [color=c4df9b]“STABBY STABBY! STABBY STABBY!”[/color] Screamed Faine. The big thug went down but now her chain was still stuck on his leg. The third thug saw his opening and dove in. Faylrie rotated the end of the sickle, triggering the built in Ikons and transforming her weapon into a two hand spear. She pointed it forward. The thug’s eyes widened, caught by surprise. The man impaled himself into Faylrie’s spear. Pulling back, she removed the spear from the thug’s gut. The third thug went down. Faylrie lowered her spear, eyes wide. Damn it all. Damn it all!! She was only supposed to kill one person today! These three people… they were not on her list… [color=c4df9b]“This one is still breathing.”[/color] Said Faine. He casually sniffed the thug that bolted for the door. [color=ed145b]“What?!”[/color] Her heart skipped a beat. A bit of guilt diminishing. One of them was still alive. [color=c4df9b]“He saw what you did Faye.”[/color] Faine said. [color=c4df9b]“You have to finish the job.”[/color] Faine stared at her with anticipation. [color=ed145b]“But I-”[/color] [color=c4df9b]“You have to do it, Faye. If you don’t, he’ll wake up and word will get out about what you can do.”[/color] Fuck! [color=c4df9b]“Stabby Stabby, Faye.”[/color] [hr] Faylrie collapse against a wall in an alleyway. She groaned in pain as she rubbed her bruised and bloody side. She had done it. One name finally crossed off from her list. One name… at the cost of three others. Faylrie sighed and opened her pack, made from yellow moss. From within she pulled out the last bit of Third ringer food that she had stolen from Jhaydarr. Some fresh bread, cheese and a few fruits. Fruit… It was a rare treat to have in a city like this one. A city from the depths of hell itself. Faylrie took a bite from her bit of bread. [/hider]