Run Thief, Run

[Fez_The_Kid]

Closed.

Folding vambraced arms, Anubis studied the sword array through slitted eyes. The grizzled merchant before him leaned behind the counter, rising with the last of his available weapons. From side to side the countertop was covered in distinct types of blades, all with leather-wrapped handgrips. Anubis inhaled a slow breath, a frown marring his brow. His attention fixed on the broadsword directly in front of him, when he tapped its blade with a gloved finger. "And this?"

"That's thirty gold coins," the man croaked, fumbling with his straggled mustache.

"Thirty? Thirty!" Anubis' brows fractionally rose. "I'd be paying through the nose—" His face suddenly brightened, letting his arms dangle beside him. "Can we make that twenty?"

"Twenty-five," the man snapped, tone fevered with impatience, "and I ain't goin' any less than that, son."

"All right, got an idea…" Anubis paused, noticing the man's eye wander past and settle on the entrance behind him. The monster hunter did not so much twitch a muscle, even as he sensed three people approach, their footfall muffled and virtually undetectable.

The merchant released an involuntary gasp, eyes widening. Anubis felt a blade tip prode his shoulder bone, two, black-clad figures flanking him as they gathered the weapons and deposited them in a bulging sac. "Don't even think about it," a voice rasped behind him, "or I'll personally introduce you to the ground."

[Rayleigh]

She felt the man before she heard him. Granted, were the woman better trained, or more observant, she would have felt him far before she did. A presence behind her, or the gentle movement of air as he approached. But Rayleigh had been far too fascinated by ornate etchings in an on old dagger's handle, so caught up in her own musings that his hot breath on her neck came as a surprise. Then came his voice, low and husky, inches from her ear. "Don't move," came his order, somehow both seductive and terrifying at the same time. And terror was the brown haired girl's second reaction, sandwiched between first chills (because breath on one's neck is never a pleasant sensation), and finally annoyance. She had finally taken some time off, and saved up enough money to shop around. Who did this guy think he was?

The mechanic was ready to tell the man off, give him a gentle shove or sharp elbow, depending on his next move. But when he next move came, and it was to flash a blade in front of her face, she thought better of it. "Tits," Ray cursed, face crumpling as some of that fear returned. Not good.

[Philomel]

Philomel was being amused.

Or rather, she was musing. Weapon shops were often great to just spend time in, away from her devotees/followers/girls of the Lily and commit to simply enjoying being.

To avoid all contact she was wearing her cloak, the kind all grey and drab, covering all of her body and ornaments but with a glorious array of white fur at the collar. She had it turned up, against her cheeks to hide her face from those randomers who might recognise her - though she had a habit of staying out of the general knowledge at least in terms of her face. The cloak even usefully hid her hooves, so to all those concerned she was probably just some awkwardly walking human, complete with tapered ears.

Elf maybe then? With purple hair?

"Freeze," said a ... gentleman's voice. Philomel glanced over. And she saw a sight that made her raise her brows.

Three men. A sack. Two of them with drawn weapons keeping the other customers at bay. A couple more men entered behind them, one nodding as if to say to his leader, 'it's all clear out there.' He drew his bow, pointed it at Philomel and she just blinked.

[Fez_The_Kid]

Anubis flicked his gaze to the merchant. The only man the robbers had forgotten to keep in check; foolish. The man's hand flashed, and in one swing, something whizzed past Anubis' thigh and thudded into the nearest mugger's neck. Horrible choking sounds played directly behind him. The hunter whirled, simultaneously slipping out his blade from its sheath to slice down and across. Leather ripped, then flesh tore. Blood spattered.

The body crumbled over the red-stained floorboards in a heavy thud. Anubis jumped forward and retrieved the throwing knife, hurled it at the closest black-clad figure. Who also fell in a similar manner. Tilting his grip on his sword, the hunter twisted on his heel and batted aside a blade that had targeted his chest.

One stride forward and a horizontal slash and his attacker's shriek fell to a wet gurgle.

[Rayleigh]

Everything happened so quickly. Unable to get a full view of her surroundings, Rayleigh struggled to determine exactly what caused the sudden commotion. There was shouting, a hard thud, and an unusual gurgling noise. Whatever it was, the action was enough to shock her captor. The blade dipped slightly, and his grip loosened in his surprise. That was the opening that the mousy girl needed. Uninhibited by the horrible sights that plagued the others, Rayleigh dropped down, slipping under the arms of the burly man, turning on the toes of her boots, and straightening a pace away from him. And nearly on top of the dying man.

A woman screamed, the sound splitting her head with such force that she wondered if the sound had come from her own mouth. But a sideways glance revealed an elderly woman, still clutching her cloth bag to her large chest, her face speckled with blood. In that same moment, the remaining thugs came to life, as if the poor woman's shout woke them from their stupor. In a fury, the smaller of the robbers lunged for the snowy-haired shopper. Fortunately, Rayleigh was both closer and faster. She threw herself at the woman, crashing into her, and sending them both sprawling. At the same instant, a blue bubble surrounded them both, forcing the approaching attacker back, and sending him flying the other direction. His arms windmilled helplessly as he staggered backward.

[Philomel]

In the mess of things the man released the bow.

Philomel watched, astounded, as the room went from a hold-up to a genuine massacre, two figures at the centre winding their way through the enemies to crush them to death. She was stunned, in that second, actually impressed she was not going to have to be the first to deal with this, until she focused in on the girl. A familiar feeling came to her, a strange sense of 'I know you, but from where?' As the arrow from the notched bow whistled towards her, Philomel could only think of this. It caused the arrow to literally come over to her, aiming for her chest -

And then strike through the cloak, then ping away.

She glanced down at the arrow beneath her, that had been aiming to kill her.

"Ah," she said, leaning down to pick it up as chaos reigned. And a very stunned archer. She gazed at its tip. "Steel. No use against dragon hide I am afraid."

[Fez_The_Kid]

Anubis heard a bowstring snap and turned in time to see one blurry arrow headed for a cloaked figure. The shaft connected, but simply glanced off and settled beneath the motionless figure. Whoever that is, Anubis decided, it's not one of the robbers. I could definitely use some help here... He flicked his gaze to the other side of the store, saw a fizzy blue mass - just as a sudden weight climbed onto his back, a high-pitched scream, one thin arm wrapping tightly about his throat.

The hunter staggered, tugging at the iron grip that seemed impossible to unfasten. His eyes came on a wall with a cluster of adornments, where a moment later he turned, took two steps forward, then ran back about five paces and hammered the woman on his back into the wall. Nothing. She simply kept on choking him - if anything, her grip had tightened even more, a gestured promise to strip the life off of him.