Independence III
Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2020 6:21 pm
34th of Ash, 120
Arkash breathed heavily as he ran. The weight on his back was more than he was used to, and its contents bumped against his spine with every flick of his swift legs. He could feel the warm drip on his calves while he bolted far from the scene. It wasn't the kill that bothered him, but the sloppy, messy nature of his work. He'd left the turf in an uproar with at least one dead and two injured, but he got the job done. As such, The Sawteeth would be happy, he hoped.
Arkash had killed a thug when they mugged him; a member of The Black Boar Chargers who'd taken on the guise of a Sawtooth. Because Arkash had killed him, the Sawteeth were grateful. But their leader had perceived disrespect in his actions, for he'd killed someone that he believed to be one of their own. So, he had to make amends, and that involved the assassination of a member of The Black Boar Chargers, namely, their second in command. A reward was offered, so Arkash accepted. He needed the farthings for the restoration of his gun, and he didn't want to make an enemy of the Sawteeth.
Then again, did he want to make an enemy of one of the most revered gangs in Lower Nivenhain? Someone had seen him, too. Granted, Arkash set that man and his dog on fire, but there was always the possibility that he lived. He screamed loud enough, it was fairly likely that someone came to his rescue. Arkash could only pray that the man had perished.
Before he could contemplate impending doom any further, the ground shook under him and the air blew hard as the beat of wings eclipsed him in the low moonlit night. A sudden crash before him almost knocked him off his feet, but he held his ground. Before he could gather his senses, a metal-wrapped hand gripped his arm and pulled firmly. "Where have you been?" Asked an all-too-familiar voice.
It was Asmodei, his stalwart protector and guardian. Arkash blinked his one eye, then squinted before he pulled his arm from Asmodei's grasp. "Working," he spoke with something of a huff, and steadily caught his breath.
"Fayeth and I have been worried sick. You can't just say one thing and- ...Did you say working?" Arkash nodded. "What kinda work?" Asmodei flexed his brow.
"Someone paid me to kill someone else," Arkash explained simply.
Asmodei stared with a cautious glare. "Oh... That can be dangerous, you know, Ark. You can mix with the wrong crowd or someone could want revenge... Not to mention you can get caught, but I suppose if it's between nameless you-."
"-I know," Arkash interrupted. "Asmodei, don't worry. Just tell Fayeth I'm fine? I'll be back around the abandoned factory when I've got my pay."
The tall avialae stared with uncertainty, as though Arkash somehow confused him. "You mean you're already done...?" Arkash nodded with a wide eye and a raised brow. "You just killed someone for money?" Again, the rath nodded.
"I need to drop his head off to collect my reward," he explained.
Asmodei's eyes ran over the lizard with obvious concern. "...You cut his head off?"
"What's the problem? It's just a human." Arkash crossed his arm with his stump awkwardly.
Asmodei sighed and shook his head. "Do you hate humans, Ark?"
The rathari furrowed a brow and curled his nose. "What? No. Az, just go home? You're getting in the way."
Asmodei shook his head a little, then turned away. "Alright, but we're gonna talk about this later. Be safe, Ark." With that, he sprung off the ground and took to the sky with a hard beat of his wings. The rathari shook his head in turn, then drew a final deep breath to restore his stamina before he proceeded out of the alleyway. His next destination was the team that had been assigned as his support, who were likely still gathered around the barrel fire that had been provided for him. Before long, he arrived, and the four gathered men looked at him expectantly.
"Wha's in th' bag?" Asked the giant with a raised brow. Arkash bowed his head as he approached the fire, then turned it around to open the flap on top, and gripped the head by the hair. With something of a sigh, he pulled the body part from his new bag and presented it to the group. A couple of them reeled, another covered his mouth. The giant grinned. "Nice work, lizard."
The weight fo the head surprised the rath; he couldn't hold it like that much longer, so he tucked it back into the folds of his bag. "My pay?" Came his request in common.
The giant laughed a breath, and the three humans straightened themselves out once the head was out of sight. "Yeah, the boss 'as it. C'mon, we'll take ya there."
With that, Arkash slung the bag back onto his left shoulder. As the four began to leave, Arkash stopped by the fire for a moment to warm his claw, then withdrew his extremity into his sleeve and followed after the others.
The route they took was direct, an even more direct path than Arkash would have taken due to the more dangerous streets and blocks that he normally avoided. But it wasn't often that Arkash encountered traveling parties five persons strong, let alone traveling parties led by a giant. If any nasty surprises were waiting for them in the shadows of Lower Nivenhain's rougher spots, they were safe. Thankfully, the journey back to their den was relatively quick, and they didn't even bag his head for the trip. He briefly wondered if they minded his knowledge of where they resided, but didn't think too deep into it.
The building was an unsuspecting wooden door in a tall flat wall of stone brick in the dark of an alley. The wooden panels that made the door almost appeared to lead into the back of the building it connected to, but as the iron hinges creaked and gave way to the door's weight, a descending staircase was revealed. One by one, the Sawteeth made their way into the torch-lit darkness of the stone-walled passage, except for the giant, who offered that Arkash went first. Though the offer made him glare with suspicion, he saw no reason to be worried. He'd done the men a favor, after all. So, Arkash proceeded into the long staircase and followed behind the three humans as the giant closed the enormous wooden door behind him.
The room was lit with mounted torches. Warm wooden floors made up the majority of the interior along with a few ornate-looking rugs that contrasted the jagged stone brick walls and coarse stone ceiling. A doorframe of a similar wood to the floor rested on each wall and led to places unknown to the rath. One thing he did note about the architecture the last time he visited was that the doorways were tall, the stairs were tall, the room was tall. It made sense, half the gang seemed to be made up of giants.
On the far wall was the elevated wooden throne, upon which, the same giant as before rested. Arkash didn't know his name, only his features. The bald head, the eccentric-looking goatee, the expensive-looking furs that adorned his form. "You're back," he spoke as he looked upon the men, then furrowed his brow. "What's that dripping sound?"
Arkash stepped forward, then lowered his bag to the floor, where a smudge of red was smeared. With his one arm, he opened the flap, then produced the head of the charger's second in command by the hair. "I's this," he spoke in common.
The giant smiled broadly. "You actually did it. Nice work," he spoke in a tone that reflected genuine pride, Arkash smiled a little.
"The lizard also set one o' they's goons on fire, along with one o' they's dogs. It was carnage when we left," informed the giant that had led him there. Arkash turned his blindside to the giant reflexively but nodded all the same before he looked to the throned giant with his sighted eye. The giant looked pleased, to say the least.
"Serve's 'em right," spoke the giant as he stood, then approached the rathari that stood maybe half his height, then knelt. "Arkash," he spoke. "I'm a man of my word, so, as we discussed, you're fine with the Sawteeth. And I think you've earned that reward I spoke of, too," he moved his hand to rest on Arkash's left shoulder. Arkash struggled to stand upright. "So, name your price."
His price? The giant was letting Arkash choose? he thought for a moment. How much df was that whole ordeal worth to him? "Well... If 'ew'd pay for me gun's repairs, that'd be gre't. Oh, an' tha' sword, the one wiv the teeth." They'd taken his serrated shortsword when they abducted him for the first time. Sure, it originally belonged to them, but he wanted it back.
The giant half frowned, then nodded. "Well, the gun bill I can do. But the sword is reserved for Sawteeth only. It's our calling card." Arkash frowned. "Of course..." he added. "I didn't say you can't join us. We could use someone like you," he spoke with a nod to the severed head.
The rathari furrowed his brow. Joining a gang? While he'd certainly thought about it when he was young, he never really thought it would happen. Arkash looked the giant in the eye for a moment longer, then sighed a breath. "C'n I think abou' i'?"
The giant nodded firmly, then grinned a little to veil disappointment. "Sure, little rathari. You know where to find us. And consider that gun bill paid for."
Arkash breathed heavily as he ran. The weight on his back was more than he was used to, and its contents bumped against his spine with every flick of his swift legs. He could feel the warm drip on his calves while he bolted far from the scene. It wasn't the kill that bothered him, but the sloppy, messy nature of his work. He'd left the turf in an uproar with at least one dead and two injured, but he got the job done. As such, The Sawteeth would be happy, he hoped.
Arkash had killed a thug when they mugged him; a member of The Black Boar Chargers who'd taken on the guise of a Sawtooth. Because Arkash had killed him, the Sawteeth were grateful. But their leader had perceived disrespect in his actions, for he'd killed someone that he believed to be one of their own. So, he had to make amends, and that involved the assassination of a member of The Black Boar Chargers, namely, their second in command. A reward was offered, so Arkash accepted. He needed the farthings for the restoration of his gun, and he didn't want to make an enemy of the Sawteeth.
Then again, did he want to make an enemy of one of the most revered gangs in Lower Nivenhain? Someone had seen him, too. Granted, Arkash set that man and his dog on fire, but there was always the possibility that he lived. He screamed loud enough, it was fairly likely that someone came to his rescue. Arkash could only pray that the man had perished.
Before he could contemplate impending doom any further, the ground shook under him and the air blew hard as the beat of wings eclipsed him in the low moonlit night. A sudden crash before him almost knocked him off his feet, but he held his ground. Before he could gather his senses, a metal-wrapped hand gripped his arm and pulled firmly. "Where have you been?" Asked an all-too-familiar voice.
It was Asmodei, his stalwart protector and guardian. Arkash blinked his one eye, then squinted before he pulled his arm from Asmodei's grasp. "Working," he spoke with something of a huff, and steadily caught his breath.
"Fayeth and I have been worried sick. You can't just say one thing and- ...Did you say working?" Arkash nodded. "What kinda work?" Asmodei flexed his brow.
"Someone paid me to kill someone else," Arkash explained simply.
Asmodei stared with a cautious glare. "Oh... That can be dangerous, you know, Ark. You can mix with the wrong crowd or someone could want revenge... Not to mention you can get caught, but I suppose if it's between nameless you-."
"-I know," Arkash interrupted. "Asmodei, don't worry. Just tell Fayeth I'm fine? I'll be back around the abandoned factory when I've got my pay."
The tall avialae stared with uncertainty, as though Arkash somehow confused him. "You mean you're already done...?" Arkash nodded with a wide eye and a raised brow. "You just killed someone for money?" Again, the rath nodded.
"I need to drop his head off to collect my reward," he explained.
Asmodei's eyes ran over the lizard with obvious concern. "...You cut his head off?"
"What's the problem? It's just a human." Arkash crossed his arm with his stump awkwardly.
Asmodei sighed and shook his head. "Do you hate humans, Ark?"
The rathari furrowed a brow and curled his nose. "What? No. Az, just go home? You're getting in the way."
Asmodei shook his head a little, then turned away. "Alright, but we're gonna talk about this later. Be safe, Ark." With that, he sprung off the ground and took to the sky with a hard beat of his wings. The rathari shook his head in turn, then drew a final deep breath to restore his stamina before he proceeded out of the alleyway. His next destination was the team that had been assigned as his support, who were likely still gathered around the barrel fire that had been provided for him. Before long, he arrived, and the four gathered men looked at him expectantly.
"Wha's in th' bag?" Asked the giant with a raised brow. Arkash bowed his head as he approached the fire, then turned it around to open the flap on top, and gripped the head by the hair. With something of a sigh, he pulled the body part from his new bag and presented it to the group. A couple of them reeled, another covered his mouth. The giant grinned. "Nice work, lizard."
The weight fo the head surprised the rath; he couldn't hold it like that much longer, so he tucked it back into the folds of his bag. "My pay?" Came his request in common.
The giant laughed a breath, and the three humans straightened themselves out once the head was out of sight. "Yeah, the boss 'as it. C'mon, we'll take ya there."
With that, Arkash slung the bag back onto his left shoulder. As the four began to leave, Arkash stopped by the fire for a moment to warm his claw, then withdrew his extremity into his sleeve and followed after the others.
The route they took was direct, an even more direct path than Arkash would have taken due to the more dangerous streets and blocks that he normally avoided. But it wasn't often that Arkash encountered traveling parties five persons strong, let alone traveling parties led by a giant. If any nasty surprises were waiting for them in the shadows of Lower Nivenhain's rougher spots, they were safe. Thankfully, the journey back to their den was relatively quick, and they didn't even bag his head for the trip. He briefly wondered if they minded his knowledge of where they resided, but didn't think too deep into it.
The building was an unsuspecting wooden door in a tall flat wall of stone brick in the dark of an alley. The wooden panels that made the door almost appeared to lead into the back of the building it connected to, but as the iron hinges creaked and gave way to the door's weight, a descending staircase was revealed. One by one, the Sawteeth made their way into the torch-lit darkness of the stone-walled passage, except for the giant, who offered that Arkash went first. Though the offer made him glare with suspicion, he saw no reason to be worried. He'd done the men a favor, after all. So, Arkash proceeded into the long staircase and followed behind the three humans as the giant closed the enormous wooden door behind him.
The room was lit with mounted torches. Warm wooden floors made up the majority of the interior along with a few ornate-looking rugs that contrasted the jagged stone brick walls and coarse stone ceiling. A doorframe of a similar wood to the floor rested on each wall and led to places unknown to the rath. One thing he did note about the architecture the last time he visited was that the doorways were tall, the stairs were tall, the room was tall. It made sense, half the gang seemed to be made up of giants.
On the far wall was the elevated wooden throne, upon which, the same giant as before rested. Arkash didn't know his name, only his features. The bald head, the eccentric-looking goatee, the expensive-looking furs that adorned his form. "You're back," he spoke as he looked upon the men, then furrowed his brow. "What's that dripping sound?"
Arkash stepped forward, then lowered his bag to the floor, where a smudge of red was smeared. With his one arm, he opened the flap, then produced the head of the charger's second in command by the hair. "I's this," he spoke in common.
The giant smiled broadly. "You actually did it. Nice work," he spoke in a tone that reflected genuine pride, Arkash smiled a little.
"The lizard also set one o' they's goons on fire, along with one o' they's dogs. It was carnage when we left," informed the giant that had led him there. Arkash turned his blindside to the giant reflexively but nodded all the same before he looked to the throned giant with his sighted eye. The giant looked pleased, to say the least.
"Serve's 'em right," spoke the giant as he stood, then approached the rathari that stood maybe half his height, then knelt. "Arkash," he spoke. "I'm a man of my word, so, as we discussed, you're fine with the Sawteeth. And I think you've earned that reward I spoke of, too," he moved his hand to rest on Arkash's left shoulder. Arkash struggled to stand upright. "So, name your price."
His price? The giant was letting Arkash choose? he thought for a moment. How much df was that whole ordeal worth to him? "Well... If 'ew'd pay for me gun's repairs, that'd be gre't. Oh, an' tha' sword, the one wiv the teeth." They'd taken his serrated shortsword when they abducted him for the first time. Sure, it originally belonged to them, but he wanted it back.
The giant half frowned, then nodded. "Well, the gun bill I can do. But the sword is reserved for Sawteeth only. It's our calling card." Arkash frowned. "Of course..." he added. "I didn't say you can't join us. We could use someone like you," he spoke with a nod to the severed head.
The rathari furrowed his brow. Joining a gang? While he'd certainly thought about it when he was young, he never really thought it would happen. Arkash looked the giant in the eye for a moment longer, then sighed a breath. "C'n I think abou' i'?"
The giant nodded firmly, then grinned a little to veil disappointment. "Sure, little rathari. You know where to find us. And consider that gun bill paid for."