The Dark Chronicles
By: The Dreaming Fangirl
The Bar-Room Brawl
Cough! Cough!
"Something the matter, little lady?"
"Yeah, would you guys not blow that smoke in front of my face." The young lady placed a hand over her nose, "Disgusting."
A man chuckled, "Aw, what's the matter? The lil' lily too delicate for a lil' smoke?" The man exhaled.
"I thought I told you to stop that", she hissed.
Another man said, "Enough of your stalling, you little wench! You've kept us waiting long enough. Now show us your hand."
Within the girl's peripheral vision, she saw two young men at a table next to her. They nodded. She smiled and looked back to the table. "Full house, boys! Read 'em and weep!"
"Damn it!"
"Shit!"
The girl laughed, and it was not long before she picked up her coins and placed them into a bag. "It was fun playing with you boys, but I have to split."
A man at the front of the table held out his hand, "Now hold on, little lady!" He started shuffling the cards, "Double or nothing."
"Pass."
"Oh?", said the man next to her, "Do Ylisseans have lily livers as well as lily skin?"
The girl inhaled, "No, my friends are expecting me." Her eyes narrowed, "I wouldn't want to keep them waiting if I were you."
The man at the front sneered, "Your friends are more than welcome to play too." He let out some more smoke and cocked his head. He grinned, "There's no need to hurry."
"Like I said, I'll pass." The girl rose out of her seat, and it was not long before she saw the two men who had sat down next to her blocked her path. "Hey!"
"The boss asked for one more round, miss. Why don't ya sit back down?"
"Do you guys treat all your guests this way?", the girl hissed.
Another man said, "Ya seem to be in quite the hurry, lil' lily. What do you think, Arif? I think she cheated."
The man at the front of the table smiled, "You might be right. Check her pockets."
The girl answered, "You get any closer and I'll kick your dick so hard your balls will shatter."
The men moved closer, but before anyone got into contact, a voice broke through, "What's going on here?"
The gentlemen turned their heads. The sound had come from one of the side tables, and it was at this point that two young men walked towards them. On the left side stood a myrmidon. His arms were crossed across his chest, and he was quick to move to the young lady's side. On the other side, there stood a young man dressed in light yet durable armor.
Another man at the front scoffed, "Looks like we got a cup' a wannabe heroes." He looked to the young lady, "These your friends?"
The girl whispered, "What took you two so long?"
The myrmidon said, "Sorry, Severa, but don't you know heroes always wait until the last second to make their entrance?"
The other young man smiled, "I believe the lady told you guys to back off."
One by one, the rest of the men rose from the gambling table. They said, "And just who are you two?"
The myrmidon spoke first, "They call me Owain Dark."
The other one said, "And I am Inigo." He bowed slightly, "Nice to meet you."
The myrmidon looked around the room. Nine men in total. He looked closer. Three thieves, likely hiding daggers. Four bandits, and it did not take him long before he noticed the axes slung around their chairs. The other two men were dressed rather plainly, and it was at this point that the man named Arif rifled through his sleeves, though Owain could only guess at what he was grabbing.
Inigo glanced around the room, "We're here to pick up our friend." He moved himself closer towards the young lady, placing one of his hands between her and the man on her right side.
Arif said, "One more game."
Inigo rose his eyebrow, "What sort of men would be so low as to feel they need to coerce a girl into a poker match? You heard her; she's had enough."
One of the bandits spoke, "We thinks she's been cheatin'."
"Severa is many things," Owain said, "but a cheat is not one of them. Let her go."
For a moment, there was stillness, and all sides slowly reached for their weapons. The two young men's eyes darted across the room. In a snap second, a blob rushed towards Severa. A man gasped for air and fell on the floor. Severa lowered her foot, "I told you to not get any closer."
Arif pulled out a tome and yelled, "Get her!"
All men rushed for their weapons, and Severa inhaled as she just barely dodged the swipe of a thief's dagger. The swipe left his left side exposed, and she was quick to counter him with a punch to the diaphragm. He staggered backwards a little, trying desperately to get the air back, but she didn't let him as she punched him in the Adam's apple. Falling to his knees, he clutched at his throat, gasping for air. She elbowed him in the shoulder, and with the leftover momentum, she smashed his head onto the floor.
BOOM!
She stood up and kicked him in the side one more time for good measure. He laid there unconscious. She looked forward. A man with an axe rushed towards her, and Severa cursed as she drew her sword too late. She prepared for the worst.
"Not today!", a voice yelled.
"Inigo?!"
The young man looked back at her, "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She charged at the enemy, slashing at the gap in his armor. He fell to the floor, and the duo quickly moved on to their next opponent.
Behind them, Owain rushed around the left side of the table. He was met by three bandits, and as the other plain-looking man pulled a stave out of his sleeve, Owain's eyes narrowed. A sage, huh? The bandits circled on either side of the myrmidon. The young man inhaled, and his feet moved into a defensive position. Owain placed one of his hands onto his hilt, "Come on!"
The bandits rushed the young man all at once; however, the bandit in front of him was the fastest. Owain dodged the swing of the bandit's axe and grabbed one of his arms. Owain pivoted his body towards the left, and as the other bandit charged in, Owain delivered a swift punch with his palm, sending the two bandits stumbling backwards. The last bandit released a battle cry, and he jumped towards Owain's exposed back. Luckily, Owain was able to avoid the strike in time; however, he gritted as the bandit managed to hit his arm. The myrmidon looked down at his wound. He exhaled, just a scratch.
The three men clustered in front of him, and it was at this point that Owain drew Missiletainn. He smiled; His sword-arm was singing. "Brace yourself!"
He charged towards the bandit who scratched him, and with one slash of his sword, he landed a gaping hole in the bandit's neck. Blood spurted from the wound, and for a moment, the man choked on air. He reached for his neck, but it was too late as his body soon hit the floor.
"Hari!"
"Ya bastard!"
The hairs on the back of Owain's neck stood up, and it was not long before the myrmidon could see why. Within the myrmidon's peripheral vision, the sage finished the last words of his incantation. As the bandits charged towards him, Owain stepped backwards.
"Elthunder!"
The two bandits wheezed, and they slowly stood back up again. One of the bandits yelled, "Watch where ya aim next time, Kavi!"
"Well, why don't y'all watch where you're going!", the sage responded.
Taking this opportunity, Owain lodged the hilt of his sword into the diaphragm of one of the bandits. After staggering a little, the bandit fell to the floor unconscious.
The sage moved towards his remaining friend and yelled, "Cover me!"
"As if I would make it that easy!" Owain charged at the sage, but just before the myrmidon's sword could make contact, the bandit blocked the strike with his axe. Owain smiled, "Looks like you've got some fight still left in you after all."
"As if I would ever be beaten by a lily-livered punk." The bandit used the last of what strength he could muster and lifted both of their weapons into the air. He raised his leg upwards, but before his foot could connect, Owain's sword broke through the bandit's axe. The bandit began to fall backwards, and it was at that point that the myrmidon spoke once more.
"Look who's being the cowardly one now." He slashed at one of the bandit's arms, and as the man gripped onto his wound, Owain finished him with a kick in the side.
"Wira!" The sage rushed towards his unconscious comrade. He pulled out his stave, and after a few words, the bandit's injury began to close.
Owain held Missiletainn towards the sage's throat and said, "Do you intend to stand in my way as well?", the sage gulped, "Or do you surrender?"
For a moment, there was stillness. The sage clutched at Wira's head, and one of his hands fell towards his stave. He gulped a breath of air before, at long last, he answered.
"I surrender."
Owain smiled and lowered Missiletainn to face the floor.
"You about finished yet?"
Owain turned his head towards the source of the sound, and said, "These four were no match for my skills. What about you two?"
Inigo smiled, "We took care of them easily enough."
The teenagers let out an exhale, and it was at this point that Severa went to collect the rest of the money on the table. She placed the coins into her purse, but before any of them could leave, the trio found themselves blocked by a stout old woman.
"And where do y'all think you're going?"
Inigo spoke first, "We were just leaving, madam."
The woman's eyebrow raised up, "Leavin'? Your lil' scuffle has gone done trashed up ma bar." She directed her attention towards the gambling table once more, "Look at all this! Glasses smashed, and Grima just knows how I'm going to get the stank off my floor. What were y'all thinking fighting indoors?" The old woman huffed," Getting all huffy just because of a lil' poker game. For shame."
The old woman turned towards Severa, "Young lady, since ya were the one to cause all this," She opened her palm, "You're going to pay for the damages."
"Hey." Severa clutched her purse tighter, "They were the ones who attacked first. Make them pay for the damages."
The sage slowly began to rise from his seat; however, before he could run towards an exit. Owain clutched him by the shoulder, "And where do you think you're going?" A silent pause lulled over the room, and with each minute, the sage sank further into the floor.
Finally, it was Inigo who broke the silence. He lifted a hand in front of him as he said, "I have an idea."
The woman said, "Oh? Let's hear it."
"These men are brigands. If you were to turn them in to one of the constables here, surely you would get some kind of reward."
The old woman put a hand to her chin, "Enough to make up your debts?"
The young man smiled, "And more." He nodded his head at Owain, and with one punch to the diaphragm, the sage was rendered immobilized.
Owain said, "He won't be coming up for a while."
The old woman said, "All right then. Ya'll can go, but don't let me catch werd of any of yer getting into trouble."
Inigo said, "Thank you, madam."
And with that, the trio left the bar and headed out into the open-road. The wind blew softly behind them, and for a moment, there was stillness. Severa turned back towards her party, "Thanks for the save back there."
"There was no need to mention it, lovely Severa!", Inigo responded.
Owain smiled, "You would have done the same for us, right?"
The girl smiled and faced the road once more, "Yeah, you're probably right."
At that moment, a large gust of wind blew past the party, and both young men's eyes widened as a playing card fell from Severa's sleeve.
"Severa, what was that?"
The girl's eyes widened. She chuckled, "Uh oh. How did that get there?"
The two young men inhaled, "Severa!"