League A (Division 2): Amber Eyes v. Lye

[Max Dirks]

Battle at your leisure folks. This thread must be completed by January 9th, 2014 at 12:00 AM EST. If you finish early, please submit it for judging per usual.

[Amber Eyes]

The warm whiskey washed her worries away. The peaceful Promenade was, as always, filled to the brim with comers and goers. The evening was beginning to wind down, several men had already left far less gracefully than they entered and tables were full of empty glasses and playing cards. The barmaid scurried from corner to corner doing her best to keep up with the thirst of the room, her partner had long since disappeared with a stranger to a room next door. Patrons called for drinks, but the regulars knew to help themselves and keep up with the tab. The drink went down smooth, leaving a burn behind just strong enough for her to desire another.

Kyla had spent more and more time in the bar lately, a side effect of her new job. With that thought The mystic lifted the bottle and watched as the amber liquid pooled into the glass, making waves that crashed into each other before dissipating, leaving only bubbles to prove that they ever existed at all. Sei obviously had more faith in the girl than he should. She was far from ready to lead a group of 'reformed' criminals. She spent more time attempting to keep her team in check than she did actually accomplishing goals of the Ixian Knights. Todays assignment had been simple. Well, it should have been. What was supposed to be a routine check of ammunition storehouses had ended in a chase through alleyways which landed two of her team in the medical ward and a third in a cell with an extended sentence. Her body and mind begged her to resign, to plead with Sei to place her somewhere easier, somewhere with less responsibility. She ran her finger around the rim of her glass before lifting it and finishing the drink inside. No, she would either succeed or die of liver failure, but Kyla Orlouge would not back down.

The mystic glanced around the room, her eyes drawn to a table where several men sat peering under dark glasses. A burley man leaned back in his chair, rubbing his stubble-covered chin and giving a look of contempt at the man across from him.

"What's that going on over there?" The girl caught the attention of the barmaid as she made her way back to her post.

The girl turned, running her fingers through her disheveled gold hair. "Oh, its a dice game. I'm not real sure on the specifics, but it sure seems to get people riled up." A loud voice called for a drink across the pub and the blonde gave a look of defeat. Her stance screamed that she was exhausted and her weak smile could only hide her frustration so much.

Several coins clinked against the bar as the woman began to fill a pitcher with ale. Kyla counted the coins one by one, leaving twice her tab. "You know, you really should look for something else. This place will be the death of you."

The woman gestured with the pitcher towards Kyla's bottle, "If there's one thing I've learned from this place it's that everyone's job kills them sooner or later." With that she was off again, bustling about the tables.

"True enough." The mystic whispered the phrase as she grabbed two fresh glasses and the rest of her whiskey. She watched as the burley man from before stood angrily and threw some coins down upon the table before storming off. Kyla stood, doing her best not to wobble, and made her way towards the table with her offering in hand. When one of the men looked up the girl smiled and took the now empty seat. "So, how do we play?"

[Lye]

"LIAR!"

"I can assure you," a gloved hand lifted a large black glass, exposing five dice all showing sixes, "I am not lying."

A beast of a man, marked by years of wear and hardship, stood from his crude wooden chair knocking it back into the floor boards. His brow scrunched together and mouth pursed as if ready to roar forward his next words, but they did not come. Maintaining the look of anger and oral constipation, he thrust his hand into a satchel at his side and slammed a specific amount of coin upon the wooden table. The dice jumped in response. He gave his opponent a glare that would have been cause for a fight were they at one of the other pubs in Salvar or Alerar. The Peaceful Promenade was rather well known for keeping confrontations to a minimum - at high costs if necessary. The knowledge of this kept the frustration bottled inside the patron and forced him to stomp off in a myriad of grunts, grumbles, and muffled expletives.

A figure robed in dirty greys collected his winnings from the ale-tempered surface. One by one, the coins fell into his satchel with a clink barely audible above the drunken static. The few onlookers made their own private exchange of coin upon their wagers of the players. Lye returned his fingers to the horn of dark red wine and brought it to his lips for a swig. This scene was against his norm, but many familiar things had been changing lately. Once someone who was determined to operate alone, now was responsible for the actions of many. His thirst for blood and insatiable anger had been calmed and kept at bay by an icy beauty. Surprisingly, he even produced himself in public to willingly subject himself to drink and games. Many things were changing, but his motives remained the same. This youth of platinum hair and emerald eyes was here to collect coin, information on potential targets, and perhaps make some deals to harvest a new skill or two.

The horn of wine left his lips to return to the table. As it cleared his field of vision, the chair that had been knocked aside previously was occupied by another - a woman. She was curious about the game.

"Whiskey," he commented, noticing the bottle and glasses clasped in her thin fingers, "A little strong for a lass your age."

He sized her up with a glance. A single finger traced the scar over is left eye before curling about his chin in contemplation. The corners of his mouth motioned into a twitch of affirmation.

"I could teach you," he leaned forward and grasped the five exposed dice with corresponding cup, "This is a game of lies and deception. Each participant if given a cup and five six-sided dice. Today, it seems like one on one matches."

In a nimble gesture, five dice were cast inside the cup before bringing it face down upon the table with a jingle of ivory against glass.

"You begin like so, making sure to keep the cup from exposing your dice."

With one hand in front of the cup, he tilted the glass forward enough to glance at the numbers exposed on their surfaces and shut them back underneath.

"You look at what you have, and then you state how many of one number is on the table. If I say there are three fives, you can either match or up the ante. To match, you would say there are three of another number. To raise you would say there are more than three of a number. Eventually, someone will be forced too high for it to be true. Now, if you think the person is wrong, you call them a liar."

Lye gave her a smile, and lifted his glass to expose his dice.

"This is when you show your dice. If I am called a liar for saying there are five fours and there are less than five fours between you and me, I lose and must discard a die. If there are more than five, you lose and must discard a die, for there are still at least five on the table. The first to run out of dice loses the wager."

His gloved hand snatched up the cubes and cast them into the glass.

"Would you like to make a wager, Miss Orlouge?" he said with a charming sneer. He knew her in great detail by information collected through his associates, but in Scara Brae, the Orlouges were not strangers to the common folk. Their Ixian Knights held quite the reputation.

[Amber Eyes]

Kyla listened intently, her finger twirling a length of her deep brown hair. Her lips were pressed tight in concentration and her eyes never let the dice. When the man finished his explanation her eyes slowly rose to those of her new acquaintance. When he spoke her name the girl smiled, "If you know who I am then you know I can handle a little whiskey. If you'd rather though--"

The mystic stared towards the bar and watched as an empty pitcher lifted itself from the drying rack and filled itself with Coronian Ale. It sat itself on a serving tray and soon a fresh glass joined it. The tray then floated towards the table as several patrons stopped to watch. When it reached her the mystic took the glass and pitcher and sent the tray back to its place. She sat the items down and picked up the glass the sore loser had discarded, looking it over for any obvious cheats. It was ordinary in every way, seemingly harmless. The cool glass chimed as she flicked it with her finger and its base was solid. Satisfied she lay the glass down in time to notice that they had a bit of an audience.

Several patrons were gathering around, some hoping to see the game, several hoping Kyla would so something worthy of the next day's gossip. Even the barmaid stopped for a moment to watch. The smell of musk from men who had worked the day away in the hot sun hit her nostrils, mingling with her own perfume in a way that wasn't quite appealing. She brushed the distraction from her mind, eager to try her luck at this new game.

The girl brought her hand to her side and pulled a string, releasing a pouch full of gold coin. It was heavy, enough to feed a family for months if not squandered away by the daughter of the dragon. She placed the bag upon the table and took another sip of her whiskey and adjusted herself in her chair, leaning forward and grabbing her dice. "I've got plenty of coin. Let's get this started shall we?"

[Lye]

Irises of exotic viridian traced the floating bar ware. The corners of his lips curled into a sneer.

"This might not be so easy after all..." he internally mocked.

"I appreciate the gesture Miss Orlouge, but I rather fancy my drink dark red and dry," he lifted the drinking horn in a gesture of a toast and kissed it to his lips for a sip. He let loose a soft breath of refreshment as the vessel returned to the liquor stained table. He let her examine the glass as the air around him became mottled with the scent of bar patrons. They descended upon the two similarly to wolves upon a carcass, some even panting as their general method of drawing breath. Her slender fingers abandoned the search for tricks and gimmicks only to produce a rather satisfying thud of coin against wood.

Lye shared with her a Cheshire smile and with a show of dexterity, cast five dice to his cup, jostled the container, and slammed the vessel opening down.

"I'll begin with fifty gold on the wager and four threes on the call," he spoke without even getting the chance to see what dice he had rolled. Now was the time to see how she would fare. Would she be a good sport, or would this turn into a game of deception through magic and mischief?

[Amber Eyes]

Kyla dismissed the tray as soon as the stranger spoke, sending it to the waiting arms of a group of men that visited regularly. The gave a toast in her direction before returning to their card game, lighting freshly rolled cigarettes and letting out a round of laughter.

The mystic gave the man a nervous grin before lifting her glass. She bit her lip as she noted the dice, thinking carefully about her options. She stole a glance at the crowd around her, trying to find hints in their glances. Most of them sat watching her, and suddenly her hand became quite sweaty, the glass threatening to slip out and clatter against the worn wood of the table top. She took another sip of her whiskey, feeling it float to her head, taking away just a touch of her inhibitions. The liquid left the familiar burn that had become her closest friend in the last few months.

Kyla swallowed hard and forced her smile to stay put as she lowered the cup slowly, and brought her eyes to those of her opponent. She cleared her throat and wound a strand of hair around her fingertip.

"Hmm..." Kyla started, testing her voice for nerves. Satisfied that it sounded calm she continued, "Four fours."

[Lye]

The assassin noted the confidence leave his opponent's eyes. He surmised this to be a rouse, and furrowed a brow in response.

"You don't look the gambling type Miss Orlouge," Lye commented.

He tilted his glass to expose a sliver of view to the five ivory faces. He surmised what he held within his glass and pursed hidden lips in affirmation.

"A few more sips of whiskey should help you shed that nervous charade - five fours," the assassin stared into her enticing eyes with a twinge of malicious intent mixed with an insatiable desire. A pair of drinking mates behind him jeered at his call and whispers began to circulate on who would pull out the winner of their encounter. Lye's gloved hand tapped rhythmically on the opaque glass, knocking away the seconds until her response.

[Amber Eyes]

The strangers words rang true, Kyla wasn't a gambler. She was however very stubborn and money wasn't much of an issue to the daughter of the dragon. She smiled, taking the man's advice and taking another swig straight from the bottle, the booze burning away what was left of her inhibitions. She licked her lips, savoring the taste before setting the bottle back on the table with a soft thud. She furrowed her brow, her thoughts more focused on not looking like an idiot than keeping her coin.

The man's call set off a chorus of whispers and Kyla felt completely out of the loop. Did that mean she should call him on it? The mystic studied the mans green eyes, searching for any hints. None were given. There were two fours beneath her own cup, but that only offered no certainty.

I need to know what is under his cup. For the first time the game clicked in Kyla's frustrated mind. Her mind had never enjoyed numbers, probability was lost on her. This was not a game meant for Kyla Orlouge. As though to cement this fact a man brushed against her shoulder, the smell of ale permeating the air around him.

She lifted her cup once more, searching the numbers for any possible combination that might win the game. There was nothing concrete, it was all a game of chance at this point. She kept her face straight as she lowered the glass once more.

The man brushed against her once again and Kyla looked up to tell him off. She noted the glass in his hand, debating sending it flying across the bar for good measure. Suddenly the mystic sat a little straighter, her eyes full of mischief. She gave a sure grin this time, looking her opponent dead in the eye. "Five Fives."

[Lye]

She took to her liquor like a Scara Brae sea dog and not a cringe or wince formed with the gulp of pungent spirits. Were he a man of the flesh, a prolonged engagement would prove to his advantage. Unfortunately, he was one to seek pleasure from carving flesh, not savoring its vast array of primal positions and animalistic addictions. Though he must say, her frame was quite supple and easy on wondered eyes. Especially when uncertainty permeated the air about her.

"She's back into a corner," he thought. "Let's test that moral fiber of hers."

"You know, I hear you have quite an interesting band of characters in your little castle," Lye mentioned, trying to lift her attention from the table and jostle her mind from six-sided cubes. "A man with telepathy, an immortal, someone born of the shadows..."

His finger continued to rhythmically tap against the glass that housed his mischief. Completely swarmed in a void of light, his skills tilted the odds to his favor. Without a sound, luck became a matter of stealth and deception.

"I even hear rumors of a famous pick pocket who also dabbles in some strange magic..."

Snake eyes...

Lye took up his horn of scarlet wine and wet his gullet with another wave of tangy, yet dry perfection.

Double snake eyes...

"I just to happen to be looking for a man. Someone of Lavinian blood. A thief who is quite proud of his reputation..."

Done.

"You wouldn't happen to know of anyone like that in your band of merry men, would you?" he pulled the horn away to expose an impish grin.

"Now don't you go lying on me like you are with those five fives of yours..."

He set his horn down and as it kissed the table, the other glass lifted to expose five irregularly arranged cubes, all tainted with a single black dot on a chipped ivory surface. Those that gathered let out gasps or grunts. Some grew twisted, understanding the odds of such a reveal were nearly impossible.

"I, on the other hand, make a habit of lying."

He leaned back in smug anticipation of her response while the onlookers began to raise their tones to concerning levels.

[Amber Eyes]

Kyla took in the murmers around her, her mind suddenly clear. She squinted her eyes slightly, trying to place the man. Who was he and how did he know so much about the knights? Her pulse quickened as she chose her words carefully.

"Lavinian you say?" She pursed her lips, Seth's image planted firmly in her mind. "I don't believe we have anyone with that bloodline currently operating within the organization." The half-truth left her lips easily, Seth was in hiding, non-operational.

Kyla lifted her glass, certain of what would look out from beneath. Five dice, all neatly lined in a row, each showing five. It was obvious they were tampered with, no die could have fallen so neatly on their own.

The mystic gave a large grin as the onlookers began to step back, surely imagining some sort of fight would break out over the obvious trickery. The girl stood, lifting her bag and removing the fifty gold pieces. She leaned across the table until her eyes inches from the stranger's, depositing the coins in front of him. "I don't make a habit of lying, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve." With that she stepped away, taking several steps toward the door before pausing.

She turned on her heel, her voice unwavering. "I'm not sure who's giving you information on my family, but they probably didn't tell you this. We protect our own on pain of death. If you want Seth Dalios you're going to have to come through Sei, Jensen, Talen, and many others with talents you haven't dreamed of." She pursed her lips in thought. "And then, your going to have to come through me."

She left the bar with the taste of whiskey and anger biting her throat. The cult hadn't been active in months, so who was this new threat? The cool air enveloped her as she disappeared into the night.