Reaver and the world of Albion belong to Fable and Lionhead studios.
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Nothing like a beautiful day at the renaissance fair to get the inner nerd all riled up. This year, pirates were the popular theme and my little crew was all geared up from boots and hats to coin purses and bucklers. We were running around all morning shopping at the stalls, mostly jewelry although I saw a beauty of a cutlass that would go wonderfully with my costume. The blade was sharp and balanced with a beautifully crafted handle of crimson and gold wrapped around leather. The gents were looking at the variety of two-handed bastard swords, cross-bows, and scimitars while the ladies were picking out daggers that could be hidden in corsets or in their boots. Jenny was practically drooling over a pair white of throwing daggers with a white cat head on them. Fortunately for her coin purse Jareth, her "handler" lured her away with promises of sweets. Theo was showing his girlfriend Josey an old fashioned compass and Tom was arguing with my mate Daga over the accuracy of a ballista.
"There is no way this thing can shoot a marshmallow, it's meant for bolts." Tom argued.
"They would not be selling "marshmallow ballista" if it didn't shoot them" Daga retorted.
Loving a challenge, I picked up one of the larger ones and balanced it on my arm.
"Mallow please" I said to the stall vendor. She handed me one and instead of loading it at the back, I balanced it at the front end. Tom crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head, saying
"Come on Jessie, do you really think you can get off a shot with that thing?"
Daga winked at me, "You can do it babe." So with that I took aim and fired at Kitt who was admiring his new vest in a full length mirror. It hit him square in the back of the head. "Ouch, what the heck was that?" Tom's jaw dropped and Daga burst out laughing.
"Ouch! Oh very funny Jessie … Did yah have to hit me in the head?" Kitt said walking over to us, rubbing the back of his head. I handed the ballista back to the smiling stall vendor while some of the on lookers headed over to try their shot with some of the small wooden marshmallow shooters. I grabbed Kitt by the shoulder and led him to where the others had congregated. Theo was giving Josey a big kiss for talking the price of the compass down to a reasonable one. Jenny was playing with two of her black daggers while Jareth explained that she can just fabricate the daggers to have the white cat face on them. "but re-fabricating them could throw off the balance and then I would need to get new daggers anyway …" Jareth sighed and pulled on the pink cord, causing Jenny to squeak and fall into his lap.
"Now behave" he said as he bopped her on the nose. Daga came up from behind me and picked me up, swinging me around before we both fell down laughing. He gave me a big kiss while the others sat down. I giggled and rested my head on his chest while the guys were talking about getting food. Smiling, I looked over my group of friends. We have been through so much together the last few years and I don't know what I would do with out them. I unconsciously started to play with my pewter wolf pendent. Two crossed scythes with a wolf head in the middle. We each had a necklace special to us, one that represented a promise we all made.
"Well I'm starving, who wants some grub?" Tom said, standing.
"Ooo, I'm hungry!" piped up Josey, jumping off of Theo. "Mmmmh foods" Kitt stretched.
"So, gents get the food and the ladies sit here and look pretty?" I said.
Daga growled in to my ear, "Not too pretty I hope." I giggled and responded
"Only for you my love" and kissed him when he got up to get her something to eat.
I relaxed with my gals, Josey's head falling onto my lap while Jenny rested next to me. A wave of calm washed over us. Just as I was going to close my eyes, I could have sworn I was hearing the ocean. Normally the sounds of a warm fire are comforting.
"Hey, do either of you hear an ocean?"
"The ocean doesn't make sounds" yawned a sleepy Josey.
"What do you mean?" Asked Jenny.
"Cute, but seriously do any of you hear that or am I just going crazy" I sat up a little looking around. Jenny started to look around before sitting straight up, paling.
"Ummm Jessie, I think you should call the boys back."
I looked in the direction she was staring at, the bridge over the small pond and saw the beginnings of a fight between Tom and some punk.
"Oh crap not again! Josey get up sweetheart." I sat up and started to head to the bridge. I felt more then heard the girls behind me. As I got to the bridge, things started to get weird. My vision started to get fuzzy. I tired to shake it off but the closer I got to the bridge, the more blurred things got. As I stepped onto the bridge, Tom was being restrained by Daga and Jareth while the punk and his little friends were taunting him.
"I bet you couldn't hit the side of a barn, not to mention lay a hand on me!" he shouted in Tom's face.
"Let it go Tommy, he's a useless prick with nothing better to do. You're better then him." Daga managed to say holding back a struggling Tom.
"ENOUGH!" I shouted standing behind Tom. My boys jumped and Daga let go of Tom, who turned around to look at me. "Sorry Jessie, I-they just got on my nerves."
"It's ok Tom, you need to learn to rela-"
"Well looks like these bitches are taking orders from one hahaa." Boasted the 'leader' of the punks. The five or so runts standing behind him were laughing, that is until I stepped up to their leader and let him have it.
"Who in the nine holy hells do you think your talking to you little fuck! You DARE insult me or one of my pack again and I will personally rip out your intestines and hang you from the bridge with them!" The group fell silent, shrinking back a bit. I started to get a head ache, but the paling complexion of the bastard standing in front of me was too gratifying to pass up, so I pushed my luck.
"Now get the hell out of my way and gods help you if you or your bitches interfere with my pack again." And with that I turned on my heel, taking Daga and Tom by the arm and walked back to the tree.
Theo straightened his glasses, "Yah know Jessie, that temper of yours is gonna get some idiot killed." he looked at Tom and shook his head.
"Damn bastards" Tom said as he straightened out his tunic. Jareth ran a hand through his hair, Jenny handing him a hair tie to hold it back.
Daga held me in a hug, my head buried in his chest. The only problem with temper is I never fail to cry when I'm angry. Dam defense mechanism. My friends knew I cried when I get upset, and as Josey put a comforting hand on my shoulder, I knew I had to manage my emotions. I took a deep breath, blocked out the sharp pain in my chest and head. I looked up at Daga and he was smiling at me.
"You know you're silly honey" he said, kissing me on the forehead. I laughed and everyone just sat around the tree for a little bit. Finally Kitt spoke up,
"So, anyone else hungry?" There was a nod of agreement.
"Yah, lets go get something to munch on before the boat show." I said, standing up and brushing off my pants.
We headed to the food vendors and bought some turkey legs, funnel cake and birch beer. After we finished, he headed to the stadium where the pirate show was going to start. As the performers took the stage, my vision started to blur. I groaned, holding my head in my hands.
"Sweetheart, are you ok?" Daga asked.
"No, my head feels like it's about to split and I am having trou-
BOOM!
I jumped out of my skin as the cannon went off, signaling the start of the show.
"WOOT!" yelled Jenny, she loved acrobatics and as the pirates started with the hand stands and splits she got more excited and was practically jumping out of her seat. Jareth looked more amused watching her. Tom loved the sound of the gun fire and the cannons. I tried to relax and enjoyed the show. Theo and Josey were cuddling and Kitt had his head resting on my lap. I felt my head get heavy so I rested it on Daga's shoulder. As I looked up at him, his eyes were glazed over. That was when I noticed everything had stopped, I tried to stand, but couldn't. I felt a wave of heat wash over me and I knew something was near. I looked around and saw a tall, black cloaked figure leaning on a ten foot scythe. It nodded and that's when everything went black.