Behind my Back

[Bloodrose]

No mod on this one please. Closed to Vicious.

To the average passerby, Teric might have appeared to be nonchalantly browsing the wares of a bazaar merchant - happily ignorant of the people around him. The merchant as well, was eagerly dismissive of the passing populace, focusing almost solely on the old man interestedly perusing his wares. Jewelry, find gold and silver work, and even a few ornate gilded mirrors. The mercenary seemed especially interested in the mirrors, but what the merchant was failing to recognize was that Teric wasn't necessarily eyeing the mirror itself, but rather, what was in it...

Why are you following me? The veteran thought the question rather than asked it, focusing on the sore thumb in the wandering masses milling about the Bazaar. The incredibly pink hair was a dead give-away, and it hadn't taken an experienced eye long to figure out that the shock-locks wearer was tailing the old fighter. An assassin maybe? Who have I pissed off recently?

The thought that perhaps an agent of Bale Kenrick's, or perhaps the dead Bishop's, had followed him all the way to Radasanth from Salvar was an interesting one. Not so long ago Teric and his nephew Rayse had been in Salvar on business, dispatching to the Great Beyond a few of Knife's Edge's more prominent crime lords. It wouldn't have been a far stretch of the imagination for one of the two to send an assassin after the mercenaries, but it begged a question:

Since they're both dead, who would send this scamp after me?

Bale Kenrick's son was out of the question as well. Rayse had made sure the boy was a ghost before they had even killed the Bishop, so it wasn't family paying the bounty hunters. Probably not even an assassin. Teric decided, moving away from the goldsmith's stall to meander down the street.

He had been enjoying a leisurely afternoon in the Bazaar, taking some time to himself while Rayse was away on business. The younger mercenary and often-times contractor had his own business - and his own contacts - to deal with, and both he and Teric knew the score. The Company, their joint enterprise, was a priority to be sure, but that alone wouldn't stop either from taking on their own respective side projects.

Come along, Pinky. Teric willed, pausing here and there to look over a stall's wares while carefully sighting his brash follower out of the corner of his eye. If the would-be assassin, thief, or whatever she was had been attempting to stay out of sight, she was certainly failing. Her hair alone, and Teric couldn't believe he kept coming back to that feature, made her easy to track.

Definitely not an assassin. The veteran decided as he ducked into a nearby alleyway. He chided himself quietly for not bringing his shield with him, but at the same time lifted his leg and fetched the dirk from his boot. Standing around the corner, just out of sight, he held the knife ready to confront the would-be tracker. No assassin would ever get hired with hair like that...

[Vicious]

From within the dark of her sunglasses, Vicious smiled at her target. Could he have seen her eyes, they would have met for a few moments as they gazed upon each other. There was no costume, no hidden cloak, no concealing night. Even with the truth that he would have probably been keen to a random knife in his aged kidney, Teric would have been dead or dieing already if she had been hired.

They had traversed a number of blocks through the bustling market with her staying a healthy distance away from him. Close enough to get his mind working, but far enough for him to keep a good eye on her. She wouldn't want to him to lose sight of her just yet. Just cause a little paranoia.

Going to run out of streets soon, Teric...

while he stood at one last stand she lit a cig, watching him calmly move on and duck into an alley. Typical ways for anyone being followed. Even Vicious was a little depressed by his predictable ways. It truly must be some sort of natural instinct or something that forces people to duck into alleys when being followed.

As calm as a shark she strode by, a yard or so from the alley, her head turned towards him with a smug smile as she let her glasses slide down, showing her cutting eyes as she pulled a small portion of one of her knives out, just enough to put out the idea she was going to use it on him.

Having thought most of this out already, She had already channeled a spirit. Nothing complex, just a minor illusionist. As a lumbering bulk of barbarian broke their view of each other, her hand caressed over her head and down her hair, changing to a mild auburn as her features became more human, her clothes more peasant like. With a disguise like that, she simply became part of the crowd as if she had vanished.

Stopping at a small fruit stand, she watched and waited for the old man.

[Bloodrose]

Not afraid to be seen, when she wants to be... Teric pondered glumly as he stepped out of the alley, ...but equally capable of hiding as well.

The pink bob of hair that had served as the mercenary's tracking mechanism was lost amongst the crowd; vanished into thin air as though his stalker had never existed. One moment he had been following that bright landmark through the crowd, and then in the next Teric found himself standing on the side of the street glancing about warily as he tried to relocate his follower. The bravado and the gall that his tail had shown when walking by the alley hadn't done much to unnerve the warrior at first, but now that such bravado was backed up by an obvious skill for going undetected, Teric was having doubts.

Maybe she's not as amateurish as I'd thought. Was the thought plaguing the old man as he lowered his knife and held it close so as not to attract to much attention.

Keep moving. Was Teric's immediate plan, and the mercenary set a brisk pace down the street. Every now and again he would glance cautiously over one shoulder, checking his blind spots for bared steel and eyes alight with deadly intent. Most of the crowd seemed completely unaware of his presence as he strode through the milling throngs of people, and those who did glance at the fighter as he passed did so with blank, uninterested stares.

Where did you go, bitch? The mercenary goaded his opponent silently, as if willing her to show herself again. I know you didn't just walk by to give me a stare and a flash of steel before taking off. No, you're out there somewhere...

Whoever she was, and whatever he reasons for following him, Teric hoped the pink haired stalker knew what she was getting herself into. He could only hope that for her sake she was as good with a blade as she was at hiding, because the next time he sighted pink hair, Teric was fit to pick a fight...

[Vicious]

Those elven lips couldn't help but to smile as she watched him from behind the illusion. Teric had taken the baiting just like she had hoped, bringing him right back out into the light of the crowded streets. Even though she could already feel the tingling draw of the magic waning on her illusion, there were things that needed to be done. Her form ducked and weaved through the streets behind him as this turned into a deadly game of cat and... also cat.

She gained ground quickly with her small size, being able to fit between the usual larger forms of the common races. Ducking under a swung load here, between to fat merchants there, her steps never seemed to stop as she grew closer and closer. Her teeth clenched in a malicious grin as she finally fell upon him. Sweat had begun to pour off her brow as she grew within a step of him, his scent was strong as she prepared to draw forth her blades.

This would be easy if she really wanted to make it that way, then again, maybe he was sharper, with the metaphorical eyes in the back of his head. Either way, she was here for more than wetting her blades. The spell finally slipped as she rested her hands on the silver handles of her blades.

“Lookin for someone love?” she spoke simply, the smile on her face a mixture of malice and humor.

He would probably retaliate knowing the type of warrior mercenaries are. She had challenged his control, and now she would have to really prove to him what she was worth.

[Bloodrose]

To hear the voice at his back wasn't surprising, per se, but it confirmed just how well the pink haired tracker could hide if she wanted to. It also had the perhaps unintentional side-effect of confirming that she was just like any other would-be assassin. Give her your back and she'll sneak right up on it. Teric's mind whirled into action, drawing on previous experiences to judge how things were about to play out. It was unfortunate for the pink-haired nightblade that the veteran had lived this exact moment before - right down the cliché dialogue. For all Teric knew, she probably had a smug grin of self-satisfaction plastered across her face as well, as if betraying her position at his back made her a more intimidating enemy...

"A hint," Teric stated, without turning around, "if you wanted to kill me, you should have done it by now."

She's standing right behind me. Teric knew. I'd image she's looking right at me. He hoped; Even she couldn't be so much of an amateur as to take her eyes off the target, right? And it's very easy to angle your palm towards someone standing behind you...

BANG!

Shoppers, merchants, and general bystanders started screaming and panicking at Teric's flashbang technique went off in their midst. A brilliant white flare of light, accompanied by an ominous, thunderous boom exploded from the veteran's palm in an attempt to blind the female behind him. Normally he would have refrained from doing anything so blatant and attention-grabbing in a public setting, but Teric wasn't in the mood for playing games with the wench. Almost as soon as the flash went off, the veteran spun around on his heels and threw a vicious right hook - his fist still wrapped around the hilt of his previously drawn blade...

[Vicious]

A moment of stillness filled their world, two mercenaries in an unsure situation. Blessed though was the way of the ice elf, those thick glasses that sat upon her face were not for looks. The grand flash certainly startled her, but it was more a very bad sun reflection through her glasses.

The sound was a completely different scenario though.

Her teeth gritted as her mind became rattled, everything going completely silent save for the unholy ringing that tore through her mind. It was almost nauseating in the way it seemed to scramble her poor mind. There wasn't much time to honestly think about it though as she felt her body twist from her head down, spinning her into the dusty street.

After the world stopped, which was probably only a matter of moments, she could feel and hear again. Which was only half as bad, her jaw stung like it got hit by a base ball bat, and her mouth tasted of blood.

“Is that any way to treat a girl?” she said, wiping the blood from her lip.

With only another moment she stood, eying Teric's drawn blade. Watching to see what his next move would be.

[Bloodrose]

Pause.

Teric's knuckles were alight with the satisfying burn that comes from connecting one's punch to an opponent's jaw, but there was something distinctly wrong with the situation that he couldn't place. A counter attack would have been something he'd expect, but to hear the short would be assassin speak as though she'd just been struck for no obvious reason was surprising...

"That's the way I treat sell-blades who creep up behind me." The veteran replied gruffly, scowling at the girl from behind his beard. The knife was still ready in his hand as watched the pink-haired damsel stand and watch him intently, her purple eyes waiting for something. There was a voice in the mercenary's head that told him to just stab the bitch and be done with this whole situation, but the other half stayed his hand. More and more it seemed that this girl wanted something from him, other than his life...

"Why are you following me?" Teric questioned in a practiced 'tell me what I want to know' voice. It was the sort of voice he'd used before to get information out of soldiers on an active battlefield, and it's tone betrayed an obvious truth: Answer quickly, or die...

[Vicious]

Exactly the kind of way anyone would react, hesitation. Though having to kill him would put a nasty dampener on her advancement.

“Oh uncle Teric, you're so silly some times!” she said with a cheerful adolescent child's voice, “why don't we go get that sandwich you promised me all those years ago.” her eyes glared into him with that dark smile that said business.

With one last eye she moved through now flowing crowd. Stopping only momentarily to ensure his trailing from time to time. It was a rather loud bar, the kind that people went to for partying and blatant drunkenness.

A clear table was found and her hand waved over a waitress, ordering two large double pints in mugs of their cheapest ale.

“so then, let me start by saying, that if I got that close, then you have a problem for a man in your position. So lets talk business.”

[Bloodrose]

She didn't answer his question, but she didn't press the issue of a fight either. The pink haired dame just sort of picked herself up, ignored the obvious predicament of her given situation, and walked off. Surprise is not good enough a word, perhaps, to describe the look that came over Teric's face as the would-be assassin lead off down the street for whatever hole she crawled out of. Confusion is a better word, although there was certainly a level of disbelief involved.

Uncle Teric? The mercenary contemplated as he trailed behind the pink-haired elf girl cautiously. Why did he follow her, rather than just disappear into the crowd? Morbid curiosity, perhaps. More and more Teric was beginning to feel that he wasn't being targeted by an assassin so much as he was being persecuted by a crazy person, and his interest in finding out what this crazy person wanted from him was slightly stronger than the urge to flee.

Besides, Teric reasoned, I can always kill her if need be. Judging by what he'd seen thus far, dispatching the pink-haired annoyance wouldn't be difficult. The veteran needed a name, though, because referring to his stalked by the color of her hair was fast growing tiresome for the old warrior.

'Ms. Crazy' led the way into a sorry scum-haven of a tavern called the Drunken Crook. A very creative name, given the intoxicated state of the louts and dregs that littered a half dozen tables in the place. Teric was no stranger to seedy watering holes, but he checked himself carefully at the door to ensure his blades were close at hand. Upon entering, the veteran made a point of sitting to his stalker's left, rather than directly across from her. Sitting directly across from someone gave them an opportunity to pull something beneath the table, so sitting towards most people's weak side where you could see their hands was just good practice.

"I have a problem?" Teric replied sarcastically, glancing at and they shying away from the pints of ale a barmaid came over and dropped on the table. The color said 'horse-piss', and there were a few things floating beneath the head of sickly foam that didn't inspire a thirst. "Perhaps you didn't notice," the mercenary continued, "but you're the one who almost ended up dead in the street, not me."

[Vicious]

“Yes human, you do.” she began before lighting a cig and taking a long draw” and sadly so do I.”

There was a pause as she scanned the room, smoke sifting from between her lips as she thought out her next words, certain Teric's patience was growing slim.

“Someone like me got that close to a hardened killer, with hair like this. And you're not the first. Point being your reputation precedes you where mine has apparently been left at the Alerian border.” the dog piss they called ale went down a little sour, probably from being close to the temperature of a moldy armpit.” Look, all I'm saying is that it would look like you could use someone to watch your back, and well, I am in need of money.”

The glow of her eyes became apparent as she let her glasses slide down her nose, their eyes meeting as she reached through the ether, sensing his thoughts, his body heat.

[Bloodrose]

Reputation? Money? The look on Teric's face was incredulous. Here he was trying to figure out why someone would send a pink-haired assassin after him, and turns out the stalker isn't an assassin at all. She's just some snot-nosed bitch looking for a job.

"Listen here, girl," Teric stated firmly, "if you were banking on that little display of yours inspiring me to hire a bodyguard, I'm afraid you're shit out of luck. If you knew anything about my reputation, you'd know I'm not a man to cower at his own shadow just because some punk thinks she can sneak up behind me with a knife."

The sudden quiet that descended on the tavern made Teric realize he'd been speaking rather loudly. There were a lot of wondering eyes focused on him now, but they quickly went back to gazing at their own business as soon as the veteran made eye-contact. The smell in the place, unwashed bodies and stale beer, was starting to get the older mercenary's senses - giving him only one more reason to get up a leave.

"You've got thirty seconds to give me one valid reason why I need a bodyguard." Teric said coolly, rising from his chair to stand by the table. Thirty seconds or no answer and he was gone out the door and done with this ridiculous encounter.

[Vicious]

A short laugh grew from her as she watched the aged man stand, making his rightful intentions.

“Ah sit down and have a drink old man.” she knew that even with the humored sarcasm evident in her voice, that he would likely take it in offense” Theres a good number of reasons you should consider it. For one, from the rumors I've heard, I've got over five times your age on me. Second, I see things you don't. Third I don't mind working as your bodyguard. And probably the most convincing,” she spoke softly as she placed her cig between her lips, her hand reaching slowly into her bag before producing a severed hand that she flopped onto the table. “I did you a free bee already.”

The hand, to the knowing eye could see that it was only a day old at the most, and besides the scars the only thing worth noting was the silver ring, a clear sign of just who owned it.

“Seems the Salvarian Church holds a grudge” she chuckled softly before taking a long drag.

[Bloodrose]

Teric stared inquisitively at the severed hand now decorating the table top. Several of the other patrons had noticed the bloodied appendage as well, but the sight of a human hand so far from its owner didn't seem to faze them at all; testament to just what kind of people graced the establishment. The hand was fairly unremarkable, and if the simple silver band on one finger was supposed to mean something, it didn't sink in until the pink haired job-seeker spoke.

Church of Salvar? Is she talking about the Sway? The look on the mercenary's face at that moment could best be described as skeptical. What possible reason would the Church have to send agents after him? Sure, he had been the prisoner of a well-known Bishop shortly before said Bishop's death, but that murder had taken place in front of a crowd of worshippers who could swear before Denebriel that Teric was nowhere near that grisly scene...

"Nice try." Teric offered in consolation as he turned to leave. "If you can find more compelling evidence of some grand plot on my life, feel free to track me down again. You seem capable enough of that." The veteran called over his shoulder as he made his way to the door and emerged from the dank watering hole into the warm sunlight. I can take care of myself, thank you. He was shaking his head in disbelief now, cursing the audacity of some people.

"Nobody gives an old man any credit."

That part he muttered out loud, low enough under his breath that no one noticed as he rejoined the movement of people streaming down the street. He made a conscious effort to blend into the crowd, disappearing in the crowd and taking the long way around to get out of the Bazaar.

Anybody could chuck down a hand and demand a job, but Teric wasn't interested in taking on any needless lackeys.

[Raelyse]

This was a poor thread for many reasons. Bloodrose especially can write a whole lot better and didn’t seem to put all that much effort in. The story as a whole wasn’t that compelling or interesting. Finally, despite what Bloodrose said, I didn’t feel as though enough closure was given and a few posts from the MIA Vicious would have made the thread more complete.

Just numbers as Bloodrose requested.

Story

Continuity – 4
Setting – 2
Pacing – 3

Character

Dialogue- 5
Action – 5
Persona – 4

Writing Style

Technique – 2
Mechanics – 2
Clarity – 2

Wild Card – 2

Total Score – 31

Bloodrose gains 774 EXP and 65 GP!
Vicious gains 196 EXP and 56 GP!

[Zook Murnig]

EXP/GP ADDED!

BLOODROSE LEVELS UP!

I CAN'T CLOSE OR MOVE THIS!