Sol Grim

Kings and Killers: A Classical Fantasy Adventure (Chapter 1)

I actually like the slow pace of this rp cuz im pretty busy with work too so I say take your time bud!

Kings and Killers: A Classical Fantasy Adventure (Chapter 1)

For this one you can skip me, I think dal can be knocked out momentarily for the blinding light thing. If you guys wanted to wrap it up quicker to move on to the docks, I can come to afterward and then set sail again there. Or whatever you guys wanna do I'll just wake up after the light.

Kings and Killers: A Classical Fantasy Adventure (Chapter 1)

While the others were busy or asleep, Dalious moved around the deck of the ship grabbing some ropes. He tied the grate shut over the crew's quarters, making it so that when they awoke they could not come back out. This only blocked the few that were in there sleeping, the rest would have to be taken care of by other means.

He released the anchor then moved over and opened the grate above Joss and the newcomers heads. A wide smile on his face, he dropped down into the room and landed perfectly onto one of the wooden tables. "Here I am, you tub of shite! You had your fun, but I already told you before mate. No matter the odds, I will prevail!" Dalious held his dagger high and gave Cicero a nod. "You can put me in a cage but you can't hold me forever. For I am the great Captain Dali-" When the anchor reached the bottom it tugged the vessel, Dalious went flying from the table and smashed hard into another table with food sprawled about it.

Kings and Killers: A Classical Fantasy Adventure (Chapter 1)

oops sorry thought this was dead. I shall post now...

Kings and Killers: A Classical Fantasy Adventure (Chapter 1)

Dalious

"Rats!?" Dalious spat shockingly, quickly jumping onto the desk and looking around the floor. "Where!?" He hated the little vile rodents, sickly creatures that deserved no place in this world. The large smash knocked him off the table and back to the floor, nearly toppling him to his face. He collected himself once he realized it was just an expression and that there were actually no rats.

"Sure, but if there are rats out there you lot are on your own," he muttered as he took the dagger from her. While she seemed entirely focused on the fight outside, Dalious slipped out the way he had come in. The waves made the wood of the ship slippery but he was used to it, so he climbed from outside and onto the deck where a crew mate was idly steering the ship solo. Dalious grabbed him and quickly tossed him overboard quicker than he could scream. He then ran his fingers across the ship's wheel and smirked. "Did they treat you well?"

Looking down the grate below he had a clearer view on what was going on with the fighting. Joss was about to take on the newcomer in a game of fun, which seemed to be the only opportunity they had to overtake them. He watched and waited with a hand on the anchor wheel, if things started to turn sour he would pull the lever and release the anchor. This would halt the ship and hopefully daze those below long enough, or if the newcomer gained the upper hand he would simply jump down and join in the fight.

Kings and Killers: A Classical Fantasy Adventure (Chapter 1)

I went the creepy route lol!

Kings and Killers: A Classical Fantasy Adventure (Chapter 1)

"Yes I see, your friend might just be as crazy as myself," he muttered upon hearing the fight just outside. He smiled when she asked how he got out, sticking the fishbone he still had into his mouth to pick his teeth creepily. "Well, yes and no. There's only one simple reason on how I escaped, as I'm sure you'll learn soon enough. That reason, I'm Captain Dalious Durendail. No matter the odds, I will prevail. Savvy?"

Behind her back while she searched for a key, he attempted to pick one of the chests with the fishbone. However, the bone snapped in half almost instantly rendering it useless. "Blooming hell!" He looked around the room, having no clue where Joss would keep the key except on himself. "It's probably on the captain, though he is forgetful so you never know." He started going through the clothes spread about, searching the pockets as quickly as he could. He didn't know how much longer her friend would be able to distract them.

Making a disgusted face, he tossed some pirate trousers off to the side. "Ah, dirty bastards!"

Kings and Killers: A Classical Fantasy Adventure (Chapter 1)

Dalious& Gwyneria

"Ah, right where I left you," Dalious muttered aloud as he opened a drawer revealing a bottle of fine whiskey. Either Joss didn't know it was stashed here or he was saving it, either way the look of the liquor was extremely tempting. He opened the bottle and began chugging it when he started hearing some yelling and fighting coming from just outside the cabin. Good, they were distracted. He took a few more swigs of the bottle as he stood in thought of what his plan should be.

The door suddenly came open just as he was about to exit, thinking it to be Joss he panicked and fell backward. At the same time the ship took on a rough patch of waves, helping to mask the sound of his fall along with the fighting. He quickly found his footing again and saw that it was the newcomer elf instead. Dalious closed the door behind her, holding a finger to his lips to keep things quiet.

"I forgot my whiskey," was the first thing to blurt out of his mouth. If she were sneaking in here without Joss, it must have been for her and her groups equipment. "If you're doing what I think you're doing, then perhaps I misjudged the lot of you. Does this sneaking about serve purpose of a plan? While they are distracted, what's say we barge out there and start cleaning up the Libertalia?" He glanced over to a few chests, thinking them to maybe have her friend's belongings.

Pursuit of Power

Dalious

and

Laurel Mith

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

THE REDFLAG BANDITS

The gang of mercenaries and cutthroats originated from Luthra, though their members were a mix of the different kingdoms. They were known to stay on the move, terrorizing any unfortunate souls to have crossed in their path. However they had a safe haven, some place in Exodus that they always returned to. The late prince of Luthra seemed to have found that place, though was unable to see it out. It was a lumber mill, located just a few miles outside of the city. At least that was what one of the store clerks had told Dalious, once he showed them the address he had.

The leader of the Redflags was a man named Bo, the same man that had taken Melchior's eye a long time ago. This bounty was personal for the late prince, something he had been pursuing for some time. Bo had killed Melchior's men and took his eye, then fled with his own men far out of reach. Dalious wasn't there to see it transpire but the story was well known, and now it was time for it to come to an end.

Dalious stood again where the bear attack occurred, eating an apple and thinking to himself. After asking around the local stores about Melchior, he had found out that he was last seen at the old tavern. He must have been heading in to bed when the bear came, probably set on pursuing the bounty in the next morning. The pirate finished his apple then headed toward the place, thinking it best to down a few to help his unclear mind get a little worse.

When he entered the bar, he immediately noticed the Earthican girl from the arena. She had downed a drink quickly as another was being prepared. There were more of her people drinking with her, though the mood all around was not hearty and fun but instead quiet and sad. They were all in mourning while the rest of the city went on with the festivities just outside.

Dalious ordered a cup of ale and a shot of whiskey, then sat at the table nearest the Earthicans. "I'm sorry for your losses," he said and took his shot, then turned his attention toward Laurel. "I'm glad you're okay, how is your head?" He wished he were only here to flirt with the pretty girl, but seeing her again gave him a different thought this time. She fought better than most in the arena and would prove to be a valuable ally in things to come.

It was with some surprise that she recognised the Luthran from the arena sitting near them, raising a drink in commiserating toast. Gone was the jovial, blasé attitude of a swaggering pirate that she remembered him mostly for. There was pain there, fresh and raw as her own.

Some of those she sat with cast glared at the man but she waved them down. Her actions in the arena had not earned her any favours but had won some small measure of respect, for her integrity but mostly for the surprisingly brutal manner she had downed so enemies with. Her status as a huntress, a solitary archer by nature, made others look down on her manner of fighting but when it came down to it she was just as capable at heaving to in a shield wall as the others.

"Better. And worse." She downed another drink and held out the empty tankard for a refill. It barely took the edge of the fresh pain, perhaps she was becoming too used to drinking in taverns like this. "What about you? You were worse off than me by far." She glanced toward where she knew him to be wounded before back at his eyes, seeing again the pain and anger there she knew was reflected in her own. "I'm sorry for any of yours the beast slew last night. If only I hadn't been in that damned tournament!"

She slammed the tankard down on the table, a small portion slopping free onto the table. Despite the loud sound few cast glances her way; it was probably not an uncommon sight that day to see warriors frustrated with themselves at not being there for the fight. For her it was different though. She was a huntress. Slaying beasts was her speciality and her job and when one showed up she had been incapicitated from failing to be a proper guard.

Dalious quickly took down his ale once he saw her quickly drink hers. This was no time nor place for such a drinking contest, however in his mind, he could never let her beat him in drinking. Saying nothing of it, he waved over another as well. "It's just a scratch, nothing to hold me back," he spoke of his wound. His limping had stopped and he only felt the pain again when rising from a seated position. "And thank you, I lost a dear friend. The prince of Luthra."

More drinks were brought over and he realized that he had reached his budget, so he made a mental note to cut himself off any further. "If you hadn't been in that tournament, I never would have never been able to see you fight. It is because I've seen you fight, that I may have a proposition for you. A legal one to boot." He pulled out the crumpled bounty letter and set it on her table. "My friend had this letter on him when he was killed by the beast, I look to seek it out as sort of a last will. The bandits were spotted in the lumber mill outside of town, I have a horse just outside. If we hurry we could be back before nightfall. I'll give you forty percent of the earnings, what say you?"

It would have been normal to turn down his offer, both for her and any normal person but she was not in her usual state of mind. She felt useless, failing to be a proper guard, embarassing the king in the tournament and then being too injured to fight a beast she specialised in killing, resulting in the death of her mentor and Earthican pride along with him. A defeat such as this did not suit Solveig, he should have died after glorious and victorious battle or, having run out of worthy enemies, of old age. It was the last which tempted her, drew out her usual reluctance to engage.

"Fifty. I won't have people say I come cheap." She threw back the last of the ale and stood up, ignoring the noises of concern from the warriors she sat with, and left her share of payment on the table. "Solveig needs a proper send off and I'll create a mountain of corpses to send him off with." She turned to leave but a thought, a guilty one of a Princess no doubt worried at her disappearance, struck her.

"Send word to the Princess, that I'll be back before nightfall. Don't mention what I'm doing." She add the last forcefully, knowing that should Eve find out where she was the woman would follow and that was the last thing she wanted. As capable as she was, Eve was not a warrior and had not yet learned the vital skill of suppressing her revulsion at death. Laurel hoped she never would have to, either. That was her job, to keep that from the Princess.

"Let's go. Those beasts come out at night and they rarely move completely alone, I'd rather not run into one on the way back."

"Forty-five? ...fine, fifty. Fair is fair, I suppose," he said and finished his drink. He wasn't sure she would agree so easily, but she was in a delicate state of mind as he himself was. A true warrior seeking justice when there was none to achieve, he just hoped she was as good as he thought she was. They had to be at their best, even with the injuries they carried.

"Yes, tell the princess she's off on a date with the finest Luthra has to offer," he spoke to her men as he struggled to stand up again. "Actually don't tell her that either, in fact say nothing. I was never here!"

"Agreed, lets go." Dalious opened the tavern door and headed back outside. They walked over to the stables where his horse was notched, all of his belongings in the satchel. He equipped Melchior's weapons, two finely forged steel half swords and a mini holster of throwing knives that strapped around his chest. When he was ready, he got onto the horse and offered a hand to help Laurel onto the back. They trotted out of town together, and as they exited through the city's front gates they could see more and more people entering. The place was lively, regardless of the attacks last night.

"Your princess seems to care for you a great deal," he said as they passed through the many people, reaching the beginning of the large fields outside the walls. "To care for your own, must be nice. The Mother and Father both hate me and wish to never see me again, just when I started to feel like I was growing on them. Maybe they just don't get good company."

"We've known each other a long time now. It's harder now, when she's expected to be a Princess. By rights I shouldn't be here, I'm no guard." She sighed, adjusting the bow on her back so that it didn't rub with every step the horse took. "Well I managed to piss my own king off by not knocking you out after your ever-so-chivalrous gesture. Once he's had a drink he forgets about the honour he usually abides by and turns into a berserker."

"I've met the type."

Outside of Exodus the landscape stretched out into rolling fields and hills and Laurel felt a weight she had been ignoring lift from her chest. Cities like the Exodus capital were alien to her, too full of people and too removed from nature to be comfortable. Out here she could smell the clean air, unspoiled by human over-habitation, and could see as far as her sharp eyes enabled her.
A little farther on and they passed through an open orchard, filled with many fruit trees and plants. Dalious pulled the horse over to a stop near an apple tree, getting off his horse and examining Laurel's bow. The weapon was looked down upon to pirates, as they would rather kill a man face to face."Are you any good with that thing? If you're to get fifty percent, I must make sure you're the right person for the job. Good looks only get you so far, love. Trust me I know."

He plucked an apple from the tree, took a large bite of it, then held it to the top of his head. Standing a good distance away from Laurel, he gave her a nod and stood firm. "There now, shoot the apple from my head. If you kill me, you're fired!" He was fully serious, not an inkling of fear in his mind. He was confident in her skill, though did not care were she to fail. It wasn't that Dalious wanted to die, just that he believed in his god-like luck should she be poor aimed. "Alright, lets see what you've got." He held the apple as still as possible, motioning for her to go through with it.

The stop in the orchard surprised her but she conceded his need to ascertain her skill as necessary. Brawling in a tournament under strict rules and a fight to the death where they were heavily outnumbered, when injured, would require a certain level of trust between them.

She took her bow back, restringing it and then walked several places back as Dalious took position. Then she continued to walk, far beyond what she suspected he had been thinking of, before turning and noching an arrow to the string.

"That's a bit far, don't you think?"

In one smooth motion she pulled the string up, raising the bow and, releasing her breath slowly, loosed the arrow. It had all taken under a second but her arrow flew true, spearing the apple atop his head and pinning it to the tree behind him. Taking the time to aim was something that an amateur bothered themselves with; Laurel had been practicing with the bow for most of her life and it was second nature for her to pull the string of her great warbow back and hit her target by instinct alone.

For good measure she buried two more arrows in the apple, slicing chunks off which fell into Dalious' hair along with a good amount of sweet juice. Stalking towards him she yanked the arrows out from the tree and wiped their heads on the ground before placing them back in her arrow bag, only amateurs used quivers which had a habit of ruffling the feathers of even the best arrows.

"You should probably be less trusting, Dalious. Just because I'm good with a blunted axe doesn't meant I'm as good with a bow. She swung herself up into the saddle easily and motioned for him to join her. "Of course, I'm far better with it. Now let's go take our frustration out on some unsuspecting bandits."

Dalious opened his eyes after it was over, he had not expected her to fire off more than one arrow. He breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the apple chunks from his head. Lastly, he took out his flask of rum and chugged it before responding. "Ah yes, though I'm not certain if it is trust or madness yet. Perhaps we'll find out together! Anyway, you'll do just fine." He smiled and joined her on the back of the horse. "Lets go."

Kings and Killers: A Classical Fantasy Adventure (Chapter 1)

Dalious

Who knew when they would return, there was little time to waste. He looked at the dead fish lying next to him, staring deeply into its blank eyes. He grabbed the fish with only a moment of hesitation, then sunk his teeth deep into it and started eating. He ate a few large bites, gagging a few times and pausing for breaks. It wasn't the first raw fish he had ever eaten, but he was hoping it'd be the last. "Ah, fookin' horrible!" After a few bites he settled on ripping the rest of it apart until he reached the bones.

He started breaking the fish spine until he had one long pick, sharp and thin on either end. He then reached his hands out of his cell and placed the bone into the lock. Humming to himself as he worked with the pins, he eventually felt a click and the cell door simply opened. A smile formed on the pirate's face as he pocketed the makeshift lockpick and slipped out of the cell.

From above, he listened as the crew and the newcomers went to eat. They were loud for a time, but as the night drew on things became more silent aside from the crashing waves and harsh winds. They were eating and drinking themselves to sleep, though he could not tell what the newcomers were up to. Perhaps they were siding with Captain Chrom, it didn't matter. He would wait his time and then slip out unnoticed, making his way to where he believed his belongings to be.

Heading to his old captain's cabin, he hid as best he could while searching through the darkness. Hearing light footsteps, he thought Joss would be coming back soon so he gripped his fishbone lockpick tight between his fingers to use as a shiv. When the captain showed, he would make him pay for everything he's done.