Chapter 2
Sinn looted the body of the dead/unconscious leader of the guards and found some gil, which he pocketed. He then took the leader's sword. Sinn himself never used weapons, (he found them unreliable, and said that only a fool would trust their life to a weapon.) but being in the field for some time had taught him which weapons fetch a fair price at the local pawn shop.
He wasn't sure if the leader was really dead. They always came back though, the judge made sure of that. Which always meant more work for Sinn, no sooner did you kill someone that they came back, looking for revenge. He hoped this man had learned his lesson and wouldn't mess with him again. (Actually he didn't really care about the man by himself; he cared more about the new number of guards he would bring with him if he did decide to have an encore.)
Truth to be told, Sinn had never actually killed anyone. He stayed away from jagds, not that he wouldn't go there if a job became available with the right kind of compensation. He just preferred not putting his own life on the line. He'd never been caught yet, and didn't want to, but he still would rather be alive if he failed a mission. His business finished, he left the body for the judge, not bothering to carry the cheap armor, and departed for his makeshift home.
On the way, he pawned off the weapon to a local moogle he knew. Sinn hated moogles. That didn't matter though, because Sinn hated almost everyone. He headed for St. James church. Climbing the bricks outside was no easy task, but Sinn had done it a million times, (sometimes in a rush as well) and he found the window he usually entered through without problems. It was open, which was not unusual. Felix, the bangaa who lead the church, left it open when he knew Sinn was in town. It seemed odd that the old man let him use the church's attic, especially when he knew he was a criminal, hunted by the palace. Though for some reason, Sinn knew that the old bangaa would never betray him. He was the only one Sinn trusted, other then himself, and was the closest thing Sinn had to any sort of a family. With these new strange thoughts in his head, he slept.
Sinn headed out the next morning to see what kind of jobs (and what kind of mischief) he could get for himself today. Strolling into the Black Widow, no one spoke about his disturbance last night. The barmaid kept a good distance between her and Sinn, however.
Sinn asked the bartender, "So what do you have for me today Omem?" "I've got the perfect thing for you Sinn, just try to keep the palace out of my pub okay?" "I kill what I can..." Sinn muttered, too soft for anyone to hear. "The pay's good, about two thousand gil." Sinn's ears perked up, the mention of money was enough incentive, and two thousand was more then enough to keep a single bangaa alive for a week or so. "Where do I start killing?" Sinn asked, eyes alight with the lust for battle. "It's a wanted alchemist named Ciyep, kind of like you." He chuckled. Sinn sneered, Yeah right, he thought. But before he could continue another voice came from behind Sinn
"C'mon little one, why don't you let the big boys take this job." He recognized that voice. Sinn turned around to find an old enemy. Sulrod Erim, human scum, leader of clan Venom. Sulrod leaned against the counter. "Come back to settle old debts Sulrod?" Sinn asked menacingly. "No, just come to send you packing your bags and heading out of Sprohm. Why don't you just leave now and save me the trouble?" As Sinn started towards him, Omem interrupted "Come now gentlemen, take this outside." Sinn headed out of the pub, his eyes never straying from Sulrod. He didn't trust him to wait that long, given the opportunity Sulrod would strike. He knew this from experience. "Come Sulrod, let us settle this dispute." "Indeed." Sulrod replied, following Sinn. As he exited the Black Widow, he felt a bad feeling. Sinn's instincts were right of course. Upon exiting he found himself surrounded by clan Venom. On his right was a moogle with two guns, a bangaa warrior, (Sinn tried to become a warrior once, with little success. He did not work well with a sword.) and a nu mou mage. (Sinn couldn't tell mages apart either, they all looked the same to him.) On his left were a human thief and a vierra archer. And behind him, of course, was a rotten filthy fighter.
"What you brought your friends along to join the party?" Sinn turned to face Sulrod and taunted. Sulrod chuckled, "Yes, yes I did." Sulrod had the upper hand and he knew it. Six against one were not good odds for Sinn. Especially since these were trained clan members and not cowardly guards. But Sinn knew the terrain well; he had fought on it just yesterday. Fate was not without a sense of humor. Facing Sulrod he watched the others from the corners of his eyes. In his left he saw the gunner loading his weapons. In his right he saw the judge appear, a little farther off. "Well then-" Sinn spun around and rushed towards the thief.
The thief, though surprised, was ready for Sinn and swiped at him with his dagger. He was fast, but Sinn was faster. Sinn grabbed his dagger arm with one hand and the thief's face with the other. As the thief tried to squirm free Sinn spun, his front protected by the thief's body as a deadly bullet of flame spat into the thief's chest. The gunner cursed and tried to reload, dropping his gun and some of his ammo in the process. The warrior started towards Sinn cautiously while the mage stayed back, waiting for her chance to dart in. Sulrod merely watched, preferring to let his minions do the work and weaken Sinn before he came into the fray.
Using the thief's body as a shield against the warrior's mighty sword strokes, Sinn managed to slap the warrior a few times in the face. This angered the warrior, making him swing clumsily while Sinn got three got cracks in with his fists in three vital areas. The first went to the warrior's stomach, making him double over in pain, the second to his nose, making his eyes water and blinding him, and the third finished him, clocking him in the head and sending him to a sea of unconsciousness.
The nu mou, viewing this battle, had crept towards the thief and was about to heal him but before she knew it Sinn was upon her. Sinn tackled her and ripped the staff she held from her grasp. Using it he cracked her over the head, once, twice, before she fell over. Sinn broke the staff and tossed its remains just in case she decided to get back up. Sinn spun to avoid another bullet of fiery death that sped past him.
But Sinn had been busy and had not kept his eye on the archer. The vierra had waited, and with a perfectly timed shot, gutted Sinn in his right arm. Sinn fell to his knees and that was the moment Sulrod chose to enter the fray. Brandishing his silver blade, he brought it down upon Sinn. Sinn used his right arm to block the hit, and cried out in agony as the sword cut in to the arrow wound.
Sinn tried to pull himself together. He rolled out of the way of the next attack Sulrod made and caught the arrow that flew at him from the archer. Spinning around he used the arrow to cut through the light armor on the gunner that had crept behind him. The gunner cursed for the last time and dropped both his guns as the arrow pierced his heart.
Sinn stayed low, but loaded the gun that the gunner had on him and kept it hidden beneath him. The blood loss was starting to catch up to him. The archer had her bow lowered but loaded while Sulrod approached Sinn for the killing strike. "You're a fool Sinn. You could be so much stronger if you just joined clan Venom. Think about it, we'd be unstoppable." "Never," Sinn replied "I work alone." "Suit yourself." Sulrod shrugged "I'm sure I'll get wonderful reward for catching the "legendary" Sinn" Sulrod sneered. Sinn raised the gun and fired the weapon, hitting the fighter square in the eye. (He wasn't that good with a gun either, he had aimed for Sulrod's heart.) Sulrod screamed in pain, dropping his sword and covering his face with both hands.
Sinn smiled but then realized he'd made the same mistake twice. As he turned towards the archer and the unavoidable arrow, he braced himself. But that pain never came. Sinn turned to find the archer frozen in ice. Sinn looked around to find the culprit and saw a moogle staring at him. "You're welcome kupo." The moogle said. Sinn hated moogles.