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Snippet #2701663

located in Khi'ir, a part of Skaerra: The Unlikely Tale, one of the many universes on RPG.

Khi'ir

The city of Khi'ir is a fine port city off the western coast of the continent of Syakh.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Huo Character Portrait: Antius Geminus Character Portrait: Danairia Feyn Character Portrait: Caspian Polarus Character Portrait: Sanvi
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[co-written with almostinsane and Captain Awesome]

29th Breh

The group journeyed by foot, the most appropriate mode of travel considering the expenses of a camel per person. Yet, one or two camels to haul their supplies and provisions would have been fine. The second sun just awoke while her sister already shined her light from the peak of her day.

“So, our group has how many mages? Three?” Bertholdt counted.

"I mean, technically, four," said Danairia, creating a spark with the snap of her fingers.

"You're not a threat honey," Bertholdt said, "But you start popping that in Nabbuz, they won't look twice before locking you up."

"...That's all I got..." the elf admitted through clearing her throat.

"You are full of surprises," Antius commented dryly.

The spark of magic surprised Sanvi, but she supposed she had to speak up lest they forgot about her.

"Five," Sanvi cleared her throat, she thought she sounded like some sort of adolescent girl, "I am a cleric, you might have forgotten."

"Our mistake," Jolloc nodded, "But you're not...does she count as a foreigner according to Asyrish laws?"

"Complicated," Bertholdt snapped, "But I think any elf, dwarf, non-D'homani human, or Kaleth will not be allowed, but don't quote me."

Jolloc nodded, "Well, get as banged and scratched up as you want before we reach Nabbuz. After that, her healing is off limits," he jabbed a thumb at Sanvi.

Sanvi shook her head, "That's not how it works. That's not how any of this...forget it."

“If you’re worried about the Asyrish laws, know that I can still use my hammer like a hammer,” Niobe replied as she walked with her hammer as though it were a cane.

“There’s a fair stretch of Asyrish land we must pass through before we reach the Hamyzadh. From there we pass through Tharon. The Tharonians are agreeable only on their best days,” Bertholdt muttered, “And they have few of those.”

Jolloc looked at Bertholdt, “The lizards? You hate them? I always thought they’re nicefolk. Wish I knew how to go invisible like them.”

Bertholdt dismissed the orc, "If we ever run low on funds, we can always take up odd mercenary jobs. Though, be warned, 'tis quite competitive."

"Well, we have a professional blacksmith here," Danairia reminded everyone as she jabbed Caspian in the shoulder.

"Sure, I think people might need some blades made," Caspian paused, "Though, I'm not sure if any of you wish to wait a few days for me to finish one."

Caspian began to regret his decision to jump aboard a ship with strangers at the whims of a dream to a land where he had no skill to keep him fed and housed. Yet, he had survived, and he made some friends. He began to smile, but his broad smile drew a perplexed stare from Sanvi. Caspian zipped when his eyes met her, he still felt embarassed about the molting question.

"Aaaaaaand, you all happen to be in the presense of a professional blade-for-hire here! If you translate for me, I can get us jobs no problem."

"You? Our negotiator? I hardly fancy us being run through by the town guard," Antius teased lightly.

"Trust me, we won't translate what she says, verbatim," Bertholdt said.

"Thank the Creator."

Lir remained quiet when Antius spoke. She felt she would have to remain quiet for the rest of the journey. She accepted that, some burdens were hers to bear. As they traveled, Antius took her hand for a moment. She had suffered much while he was gone. All he could do now was be with her.

The group reached the eastern gate checkpoint and joined a small throng of people, mostly traders and merchants and a city convoy. Guards covered the gates and ramparts of the wall. Every entrance was the same, Khi'ir managed the influx and efflux of travelers with care.

The group approached the gates behind a train of others.

Huo eyed the guards, they reminded him of his colosseum days. His cast a downward glance at his feet, those days had passed, but some things never really departed with them. To be seen as a free man felt different to him.

The guards posted at the gate had received word just a day ago to be on the look out for an ugly elf woman, perhaps seeking to escape. They sought to inspect each and every person leaving the city through the east gate and make sure they completed their job. Though, they hoped for their sake, that the woman already found some other means of getting past the walls. Catching her seemed like more trouble than she was worth based on the story they heard regarding their fellow deceased city watchmen.

"Next!" the guardsman waved his current detainee through the portcullis.

As the group neared, Huo felt weary of waiting for the crowd. However, he noticed a group of guards approaching them. He sensed that they brought nothing but ill news.

The Osu whispered, "Heads up..."

"Are you all together?" the guardsman asked the group.

They defaulted to Bertholdt, who scampered from Jolloc's shoulder to the front, "Yes, we are together."

The guardsman scanned the group up and down, Huo could feel their incriminating eyes already.

"Arrest the elf."

"What?" Bertholdt cried.

Danairia's shoulders drop in a loud, annoyed sigh.

Jolloc's eyes darted between the guards and Danairia. As an orc, he refused to partake in any sort of aggression. Humans often perceived orcs to be dangerous enough already. If the past three or so days had taught Huo anything, it had taught him that this particular moment seemed just about appropriate for Danairia to do something...stupid. He sighed.

He decided he wanted to bust some heads too.

"We are looking for an elf wanted for murder," the guardsman said and turned to his comrades, "Yalla!"

Danairia perked up.

"Okay-bullshit. I KNOW those guys didn't die!" She yelled, not seeming to notice in the heat of the moment that she just incriminated herself of some form of wrong-doing anyway. The glare of the armed men grows more potent

Caspian looks over at Danairia, somewhat doubting, despite the story from earlier.

"Well, one of them was hit with a mace..."

"No! You don't just die from getting tapped in the jaw!" The elf explains.

"And didn't you strangle the other one...?" Lir chimes in.

"You've CLEARLY never strangled someone before, have you?!" Danairia says, pointing at the mage in an accusing manner.

"Umm...I like to think that that's a good thing..." Lir says, raising an eyebrow.

"...I've strangled someone before..." Jolloc quietly adds.

Danairia squints at the half-orc.

"...Good for you?..."

The guards, having heard well over enough, began to move and as they inched closer, everyone fell into a battle stance. Huo noticed a group of hooded guards join their brothers. They carried no weapons, swords or spears of any kind. He observed a small purple light began to form at the tips of their fingers. Was that magic?

"Seize them!" the guards rushed at the group.

Huo dodged a pair of sword strokes and countered with his fists. He observed Jolloc smashing another guard in the head. The guard mages spread apart and began to channel a containment spell. The mage in front of Huo seemed surprised that his magic sputtered into nothing just as Huo pounded him in the face and knocked him unconscious.

Sanvi did her best to keep up with the chaos, but a spear near caught her wing and made her wince and scream. Caspian parried the thrust with his wrapped blade. The cleric bolted in any direction where a sword was not thrust.

Danairia drew her blades, surprisingly put-off by the sudden aggression of her peers but engaged the enemy before them regardless, crossing swords with the guard immediately to her front and taking him on as frost and steel rain down around her comrades. It was clear that the guards were fighting with intent to capture or kill but, regardless, the elf did her best to show restraint, choosing to take quick shots and defensive tactics rather than any lethal strikes.

"Everyone for themselves!" Jolloc cried, "We'll regroup once we're past the city gates."

"Why do I get the feeling that the number one cause for our party being run out of town is going to be one reckless, hard-drinking elf?" Antius exclaimed as he twirled his staff. For the record, he did not use magic immediately. Thanks to his days in the Colliseum, he was quite skilled with the spear. In the end, however, he found himself forced to use his magic in order to defend himself.

"It's a mage!" a guard cried and Antius cursed. He created a wave of flame to distract them while he created illusions of himself to run in every direction as he made his own escape.

The squad mages saw through his spell and countered with their own blasts of frost. The concoction of primal elemental magic sent the many denizens fleeing in a multitude of directions. The guards of Khi'ir handled magical threats better than most as they had armed themselves with oredrium gilded shields and swords.

"One of these days, I will stop being surprised at things like this." He murmured.

Lir followed her fellow mage's direction. The runemage Niobe did not bother herself with the guards. If anyone recognized her as the daughter of a dwarven dignitary, it would be trouble for her. She retreated into the background while her newfound acquaintances attempted to escape despite the Khi'iri city guard cornering them on all sides.

A horn was blown, Huo swore under his breath. More of them were coming, he glanced in the direction of the city gate. They would lower the portcullis any second.

"We need to get out of here," he paused to glance at a nearby mage who shot a bolt of frost in his direction.

The magic dissipated, as it should against tertiary resistances. The Osu spotted the Kaleth cleric who, despite avoiding the enemy's arcane frost, stood frozen in fear.

He grabbed her arm, "Looks like you're with me wings," they made for the city gates ahead of the others. Niobe observed this and she followed suit after the pair.

Danairia's chosen opponent was not alone. It was only but a few seconds before another joined the fray, forcing her to separate herself from her opponent to address the second front in one quick, sweeping motion. She remained back, steady as she tried to work out a plan for herself to escape. However, her plotting had been cut short by something in the peripheral vision of her right side...and it was coming directly at her!

Her swords raised on instinct, only helping her to just barely intercept the incoming threat, a bolt of ice, which shattered against the steel of her blades on impact and forced her back in a stumble. A mage had joined the skirmish, making it three-on-one.

Danairia's mind raced as she tried to find a weak point. Little did she know, one was about to present itself to her on a silver platter.

"AAAAAAAGH-!!"

There was a loud crack from behind one of the guards and, in an instant, he was on the ground. Nearly on top of him...was Caspian. In his hand was a wrapped up...
...something...

"WHY DO GUARDS HATE US SO MUCH?!" He yells.

...Maybe it wasn't a SILVER platter, but a blacksmith with an improvised weapon of some kind certainly was better than she expected.

The blacksmith unties a knot on the object in his hand, letting the cloth fall away to reveal...

...a sheathed sword?

"I was hoping I could find some answers on this thing before I did anything rash with it..." He thought to himself as he firmly gripped the scabbard and tugged on the grip.

But I guess there's no other option now, is there?

Danairia watched as Caspian drew his eligent blade. His form was perfect. His feet firmly planted into the dirt as his hands seemed to command the weapon they gripped with the influence of a noble and twice the passion. He was but a kid, yet it felt as though she were watching a master with many years of experience.

Was this the young blacksmith who had accompanied her all the way from Opynonias? Could this have been someone else entirely?

...How could she have been so wrong in her initial judgement on-?

-The guard lunged forward, swinging his yatagan diagonally down into Caspian's raised blade, directing it harmlessly out of the way before mercilessly punching the lad in the cheek and sending him reeling down to the street.

...Danairia watched, purse-lipped.

That...really went in a different direction than I had expected it to...

She rushed forward, reaching low and then bashing the guard in the face with the pommel of her sword before sheathing the other and tugging on the young blacksmith's tunic.

"C'mon!" She yelled. "We've got to go!"

Caspian, with the help of the mercenary, jumped to his feet and the two made for the gate, shards of ice impacting around them as the mage attempted to pick them off.