A Swordsman is a scholar of the Blade (Closed to Tobes)

[Cards of Fate]

Vincent found himself sitting in a small tavern mulling over a parchment in his hands. It was not often that the scholar was stumped over a quandary, but this was a special case. He sipped at his mead and ran a hand through his dirty blonde mane sighing deeply. Why the hell would Leona send me here of all places... he pondered to himself flustered. He was a man with one simple goal, to learn as much as he possibly could in as little as time as possible. It was his job if he was ever to be the Hierophant of the enigmatic group he was a part of, the king of all scholars. Leona had found him and told him his destiny, and had gone out of her way to find him. It felt like fate had ripped him from the city of Dallas to this strange world for this purpose. He had played his part in this play perfectly, scouring every book he could lay his hand on hunting for knowledge. He could speak almost every language known to man, recite epics from memory, and was a published member of many academies. However, he was not the man he needed to be it seemed. Two weeks ago the mysterious Leona had approached him and given him one missive, find a man named Tobias Stalt in Radasanth. She had handed him a scroll with more instructions, but it more or less boiled down to the same thing. Find Tobias.

While she had done him the favor of giving him a city to go to, she had not given him a way to find him other than that. She probably realized that he would find him either way, but the thought of the Seer not having the foresight to disclose any further details. It drove him wild, she was supposed to be able to see all of the paths of fate but she couldn't be assed to give him some more details. He could hear her reply already when he would return home "Well you found him didn't you? I trust you to discover these things for youself." Growling he took a sip of his ale. Luckily he knew what the man looked like and his profession, and thus it wasn't terribly hard to track the man down. He was often found frequenting this bar for recreation, and thus Vincent simply had to wait.

He was nervous however. The last time he had met Stalt he had been furious at him for running away from a fight that they had both been a part of. The man had no shortage of words to call him, but coward stung the most. It was true and perhaps that is what stung the most. Vincent had been called from his mundane world and into a world of magic, yet he chose to sequester himself away indoors reading. If he had been back home he'd be lurking on the internet browsing funny pictures of cats or jerking off. He had been boring on Earth, and he was just as boring on Althanas. He wasn't ready for any adventures in this land, and Tobias had made that clear. Vincent shook his head and growled before downing the rest of his drink and slamming it on the bar. "Another barkeep if you will..." he said offering the man some coin.

[Tobias Stalt]

He'd been in Radasanth before, a lifetime ago. Back then, his clothes distinguished a rank and spoke of duty. Now, the clothes he wore caused him to stand out in a different way. The black robes draped over his plainclothes, and at his right hip hung a sheathe. A hanging holster on the same leg housed an ornate looking firearm that rattled with each step he took.

It was little different this time, save for circumstance. He was beneath the attentions of the guard now, and moved with greater freedom. He had seen parts of the city that had gone beneath his notice before. The August Promenade was beautiful, but it was such a grandiose machination, meant to inspire awe in those who walked it.

Instead, Tobias took the Old Road, and though it lacked the luster of fresh cut rosebushes or lavender, the subtlety of goldenrod reminded him of home. A gentle stream flowed alongside the dirt path, probably connected in part to an ancient aqueduct. The city was a hub of trade and cultural exchange, but once they had relied on their own crops for pitiful sustenance. History was written in the tarnished architecture, and in his silence the rogue drank it all in.

The end of this narrow path took branched out in three different directions, but the tavern he intended to haunt stood across the plaza. Several mongers in the street rattled their fishy wares loudly as he passed them, and Tobias tossed a coin to each man. It was a trying time for local men who plied their trade inward as all of Corone made their fortunes on the wholesale of various commodities from other nations. Trade was a business, and all else seemed stale.

"Even those," Tobias reflected as he walked through the slow creaking door, "who it ought to be benefiting."

He knew the business that had brought him here, much to his great disdain. The few times he received missives from Stevvains, Tobias had considered tossing them away. Every one of them promised a measure of fortune and knowledge in return for his cooperation, however, and Tobias cursed Leona's gifts. She knew well how to get her way with people. It made her a dangerous piece to leave in play, but one Tobias allotted for.

Her time would ultimately come, whether or not it was at his hand.

"Ale," he ordered, a fistful of scattered coins singing soft accompaniment, "Coronian. None of that Alerian piss."

"We don't serve anything else," came the laughing reply, "there's no ale as can measure up."

Tobias accepted the frothing mug and held it high. "I'll drink to that," he said mischievously. The boisterous crowd bubbled up and called out a cheer at the youth's words, and a minstrel began to play. "Typical Radasanth," he mused with a smile, "everyone's always happy or sad. No in betweens."

[Cards of Fate]

Tobias could barely sit down before Vincent was before him mug in hand. "Mr. Stalt I believe we have met before" Vincent said curtly as he took a sip of his drink. "This is normally the part where I bore you to death with why I've come to find you, but simply put I am unawares as to why Leona could have possibly sent me here." Vincent said rather bluntly. The tavern was especially loud due to Stalt's cheer and even rowdier than it had been before. Several men seemed to be drinking away their problems as the danced and made merry. This tavern seems to be where people come to drink away their woes. Vincent noted.

Bar maids flirted for tips and patrons dove deeper and deeper into their cups as the bartender did his damnedest to provide to the masses. Meanwhile Vincent found himself eyeing up Stalt. He was dressed plainly aside from a beat up looking robe that seemed to have went through a lot of suffering, and his brown hair seemed unkempt. Straightening up Vincent was surprised to find himself looking down slightly to meet the mans gaze. This man is almost a head shorter than me... Vincent said as he found his left hand running absentmindedly though his dirty blonde mane of hair. The two looked like polar opposites, Tobias was shorter and well built was Vincent was tall and lanky. Tobias was dressed for practicality was Vincent was wearing a nice set of scholarly robes. Tobias looked ready to kill a man, Vincent looked ready to be stabbed and left in a dark alley. The difference was almost comical.

"So would you happen to know all of the details?" Vincent asked after sitting silent for a moment.

[Tobias Stalt]

While Vincent leered at him and spoke many words, Tobias sipped at his ale gingerly. The same crisp, hopsy flavor that beat out all other beers with something unique. It was a flavor he rarely indulged, as he was almost never in Corone, but one he enjoyed in spite of that. He rarely listened to the prattle of a crowd unless their was precious information to gather, and there was none for him here, either.

Just Vincent, Tobias lamented. The boy who fled. "Look," he broke into the boy's solemn soliloquy somewhere toward the end. He vaguely caught the boy mentioning Leona. There was a half audible click muffled at Stalt's waist, and the barrel of a gun was pointed at the scholar's center of mass. "Sometimes, it doesn't matter how much you know."

The former soldier gestured toward the bar and nodded. "Have an ale. Have two. You're going to need your head out of your ass before we can start unlearning your fractured instincts and replacing them with something useful, anyway."

Vincent still bumble at the sight of a gun aimed toward him. With a stutter, he attempted speech and achieved spittle. "Profound, ain't it?" Tobias drawled as he sipped at his ale and placed it softly on the counter. "Man is a powerful thing, til you reduce him to nothing. Fear'll do for you just as quick as a bullet." Tobias made a "pow!" sound and pulled the trigger. When it clicked and nothing came out, Vincent let out a ragged sigh.

"You just held me at gunpoint!" he hissed.

"You assumed it was loaded," Tobias countered innocently, "I never said it was."

It was a brief first lesson, but as Vincent begrudgingly ordered his first drink, Tobias smirked. "Now, we're getting somewhere," he chuckled as he secreted the weapon into its holster once more. "Fighting begins in your head," Tobias told Vincent, "the enemy wins not when he kills you, but when he convinces you that it's over."

"That's rubbish," Vincent replied, "many wars have been won by grinding a force down to the last man."

Tobias smirked. "And countless more have been won," Stalt leaned in to drive his point home without interrupting the fit of singing that had taken the drunks around them, "without ever lifting a sword. Trust me, Vince," Tobias winked, "attitude is everything."

[Cards of Fate]

Vincent was not particularly pleased by the way this had all started, not only had Leona not told Vincent what he was here for, but that Tobias was going to be an ass to deal with. The two of them had not started off well on the one mission they had worked together on, but that ideally they were so different. Attitude may be everything but Tobias' was shit. He quickly took to his drink grumpy that he had been scared of an unloaded gun. "So you're teaching me I presume then." He growled timidly. His gun was not something the average man would know to fear, but Vince used to live in a bad part of Dallas, guns were a very real threat.

"No shit," Tobias grunted taking a sip of his ale and savoring it. "Aren't you supposed to be smart er somethin?" Vincent scowled. "I'm a scholar, but Leona does not always tell me what shes sending me off to do." Vincent retorted. Tobias was tempted to load his gun and spin the chamber and point it at Vincent once more to get rid the lip but decided against it. He could feel Leona's knee jerk at the thought of chance determining wether or not her Hierophant coming home in a casket. "You're a piss poor fighter and it appears Leona has deemed it appropriate to send you to me...." Tobias grinned for a moment, of all the jobs Leona had sent him on tormenting Vincent seemed to be the easiest and most entertaining one.

"So when do we start?" Vincent asked after sipping his drink and grimacing, he was not a man for alcohol, although by now he surely must be of legal age back home to drink.

[Tobias Stalt]

Tobias smirked. The flagon in his hand dripped its remnant contents into his waiting mouth, then blurred and shattered over the head of a patron next to him. A surprised and angry outcry escaped the unfortunate victim, who rounded angrily and pointed an accusing finger in the vagabond's face. "Just did," he muttered with a shrug as his innocent face led the perturbed patron to Vincent, who seemed taken completely aback.

"Heads up!" Tobias called out as he stopped a punch short of his face. "He's got friends."

"Lucky him," Vincent growled. "I obviously don't."

"Ah, sod off," Tobias grunted as he hammered the drunkard's face against the table. "There's a good way to learn the art," several glasses shattered while Tobias dragged the man's head across the tabletop, and glass rained on the floor, "and great many bad ways. Today, you're in a safe environment."

"Safe he says," Vincent called out, exasperated as he barely ducked a Haymaker punch intended for his nose. "You call this safe!?" The scholar was far removed from any violent environment himself, always taught in the past to avoid any confrontation if it were possible. "He's trying to take my head off!"

"Then fuck him UP!" Tobias screamed over the roar of a newly sparked bar brawl. "He's piss drunk. If you lose this fight, there's no hope for your ass!" He punched his own drunken friend one last time before the man dropped to the floor in a heap. Stalt watched the bartender duck behind the counter top for safety and snorted. "Better make sure he doesn't call the guard too soon..."

[Cards of Fate]

Vincent was not having a particularly fun time. First he had a fucking gun pulled on him, and now he had been dragged into a bar fight. The bards well away from the scene seemed to pick up into a more upbeat song and Vincent could simply hear himself say "Fuck it," the rest would be a blurr to him afterwards. He ducked under a drunken punch and swung for the mans gut putting all the force he had into it, knocking the wind out of the man who staggered back. Adrenaline pumped through Vincent's body as he took a retaliatory blow to the temple, his vision blurred slightly as he staggered back. Tobias seemed to have drawn the ire of most of the men, howvere it seemed two were dead set on putting Vincent in the ground. Heart pounding Vincent side stepped a mans sloppy punch at his gut. Everything feels kinda like slow motion...he found himself musing as he slammed his fist into the mans nose.

Blood spurted out of the mans face and he staggered back while his friend slammed full force into Vincent tackling him to the ground. "Fuck!" Vincent grunted as he went down like a sack of flour. The man pinned him and began to pound at his exposed face, one hit, two hits, Vincent's vision began to blur. "Fuck off," the scholar grunted as he slammed his head into the mans nose. His assailant recoiled back and Vincent managed to roll his assailant off of him. Staggering to his feet Vincent saw his drunken for struggeling to get onto his feet. "Stay the fuck down!" He spat kicking the man square in the face. His foe yelped and spasmed a bit before growing still. Vincent turned to the man who's nose he assumed was now broken who had just recovered and was now sneering at him.

Snarling Vincent charged the man and began a series of flailing punches aimed at the mans face and gut. THE FUCKER IS PISS DRUNK AND IM PISSED THE FUCK OFF! became a mantra in his head with each punch. The man had managed to land several hits on him but at this time Vincent's rage had numbed his senses. He managed to stagger the man and pin him against the bar, slamming his fist into the man with each and every fucking chance he got. Soon he felt a firm grip on his arm, and his whole world span as Tobias hefted him onto his shoulder. "Time to go bucko, the guards are on their way!" Stalt exclaimed as the left the tavern. "Fuck you!" Vincent spat before blacking out.

[Tobias Stalt]

Several hours later...

Night had taken Radasanth. Starlight flickered above the rooftops that stretched for miles in uniform rows, then lit up the sea on the horizon. Atop a house overlooking the Promenade, Tobias sat quietly over the sleeping form of Vincent while be puffed thoughtfully at his pipe. Glassy eyed and introspective, the weary warrior stared toward the ancient citadel and let his mind wander over many battles, lost and won.

Radasanth was home to many memories, fond and forlorn. From his inception as a soldier to his present position on the payroll of several interesting and dangerous people, Tobias had seen the best and worst sides of this city. Through a plume of black, Tobias watched Vincent stir. "Finally awake?" he asked quietly. "He punched ye like twice. Ya fuckin' pansy."

"I... did I win?" Vincent seemed more jumbled than actually wounded, though a welt around his eye stood silent testament to his exploits. Tobias snorted at the audacity of the question, but the youth pressed the issue. "Well?"

"Winning is hardly what I'd call that display," Tobias replied, "all the same, it's a start." He took another long draw from the pipe and held the smoke in his lungs for two heartbeats. He released it slowly with a mighty yawn. The exhalation looked draconian and comical. He noticed the browbeaten expression on his protégé's face and frowned.

"Where are we," Vincent asked suddenly as the realization gripped him that they were not indoors, or vendors at ground level. "What is th-" The youth stopped short when he glanced in the direction Tobias was staring and took in the ancient sight. Radasanth at night was breathtaking, illuminated both by starlight and torch, the city truly never slept.

Homes still burned slow candles several bells before dawn. On the streets, cats and drunkards danced to their own merry tunes, and those too beleaguered to move slept on the cobbles. Tobias heard the distinct sound of a dog barking, and he thought there was a loud argument somewhere below. Everything about the world felt so fleeting.

His thoughts spiraled; from Camille to Erica, their sweet smiles burned behind his eyelids. Sweet voices he was damned to never hear again echoed in his memory. The taste of Lye's insanity lingered at the tip of his tongue, but madness would be a reprieve too good for Stalt. No, for Tobias, sanity was far worse penance.

"Stalt," Vincent said. It was the second time, for Tobias hadn't heard the first. "Stalt, are you alright?"

"Leave off," Tobias waved a curt hand and pushed the lad's hand away. "I'm fine," he lied. His haunted gaze moved back to the sea, where moonlight bore down on the waves as they sang their slow song. He strained to hear it over the deafening silence of slumbering Radasanth, and smiled with sad satisfaction as he made out the gentle melody.

"So," the scholar uttered quietly, "I didn't do well."

Tobias frowned as his solace was infringed upon, but marked the duty Leona had paid him handsomely for. "No one does well the first time," he chided, "what's important is that you learn to tell your mind to fuck off. Logic can get you only so far in a brawl before instinct has to come through and save your ass."

"I don't follow," Vincent blinked as he weighed the words. "That doesn't mesh at all with what you said before. About winning battles without ever lifting all sword."

"Out of context, Vinnie," Tobias chided, "there's picking your battles, then there's winning the battles that pick you. You can't always avoid confrontation, but it's a good habit to get into when you can. For everything else?" Tobias said with a smirk, "there's some finesse to be learned."

The two looked on toward the sea appreciatively for some time before Vincent broke the fragile silence again. "You seem troubled," the younger man told Tobi.

"Please tell me this isn't the part where you decide to try kissing me, Vince. I don't want to have to stab you in the throat."

"No," Vincent replied, "I'm serious. You have this severe look, and it never seems to brighten." The man seemed legitimately worried, which was foreign to Tobias. The vagabond stared blankly at his student for a moment before he held out his pipe, which still burned.

"Let's come to an agreement, Vincent," Tobias said as the youth warily accepted the smoking apparatus, "you don't ask me about my problems, and I'll do my level best not to get you killed tomorrow. Do we have a deal?"

[Cards of Fate]

Vincent scowled at being shut out, but after all the man's profession demanded the sort of cold exterior he had formed. Vincent raised the pipe to his lips and weakly inhaled at it, the acrid taste of smoke flowing over his tongue and filling his lungs. It was a warm almost filling sensation, but instead of exhaling smoothly like Tobias the smoke left his lungs in short jagged coughs as he turned his head away from the sellword and the pipe.

"I've never smoked before." Vincent managed to state after a series of coughs.

"So I take it your adoptive mother doesn't let you do drugs?" Tobias jabbed at the youth.

"I have plenty of fun at the House of Cards...just not the type that involves smoking, or alcohol." Vince retorted taking a lighter puff at the pipe and passing it to Tobias' outstretched hand.

"You need to study up more on the definition of fun then..." Stalt countered, smoke leaving his lips as he spoke.

"I have studied up on the definition of fun actually," Vincent jabbed back.

"Oh for fucks sake..." Tobias grumbled rolling his eyes.

The two sat in relative silence passing the pipe back and forth for a bit watching the crowd below. The town seemed more alive than some of the dusty bergs Vincent had traveled through to get to here, and he assumed that it was thanks to the Ixian Knights he had heard so much about. People seemed happy, and for the time at least Vincent felt content to just sit and reflect on the trip so far. Even if Vincent didn't learn how to use a sword, he felt more confident that he wouldn't get killed immediately if a fight broke out. He would be less of a burden on his friends and organization members, a capable member of the Tarot Hierarchy. The thought almost brought tears to his eyes. The night was quite was except the occasional chatter from below, which soon dwindled down. Hours passed in what felt like moments for the two. Soon the streets were empty and all was quiet as the sun began to peak over the bay. Tendrils of light danced over the bay, illuminating the town in a warm glow. The sight was enough to draw a smile from even Tobias.

"Gods, this sight never gets old..." Tobias grunted taking a draw of his pipe.

"It's..." Vincent's voice trailed off, his large vocabulary of adjectives suddenly nowhere to be found. Gold and silver rays danced off the bay as the sun crept further and further over the horizon basking the two in it's warm rays. The two sat and basked in it's glory untill the sun was well clear of the horizon. The duo sat silently until Vince's stomach growled rather loudly drawing a laugh from his companion.

"Hungry eh?" Tobias drawled, taking a light jab at his pupil. Suddenly the sellswords stomach betrayed him and let out a loud gurgle as well. "Shit," Tobias hissed as Vincent laughed.

"I guess it's time for brekfast?" Vincent asked casting a curious glance at his teacher. "You seem to know the area better than I, will you pick us a winner?" he asked.

"Sure Vinnie," Tobias replied standing up. He cast a hand to Vincent and lifted him onto his feet. "I'll tell you what we're doing today as well,"

[Tobias Stalt]

"First," Tobias called over his shoulder as he pushed himself to his feet, "you're going to have to find the place I've decided on." Vincent glanced up at Tobias from his seat with a questioning look as the mercenary placed a hand on his shoulder. "Next lesson- anywhere you go, know your surroundings."

With a sudden outcry, the fledgling Tarot Card realized far too late what the Untapped intended. As he fell toward the ground in terror, Tobias thought he caught several expletives as they were hurled up at him. He cupped both hands to his lips and yelled after Vincent, "welcome to Radasanth!"

Stalt was quick to disappear over the rooftop, which gave the youth little idea which direction he'd need to go in.

***

It was easy enough to find the Salty Sealion tavern on the Poor Man's Wharf. One of the first destinations he made for after initially landing in Corone, it was owned and staffed by a certain woman and her very young daughter, who had once asked Tobias to play in the snow with her.

"Hallo, misus Jara," he greeted warmly, more than he did with most people. Jara was one of the few women who Tobias saw as a mother, and one of fewer still who knew him before he had gone rogue. She never once judged him for anything he'd done. When she saw him, she smiled brightly.

"Tobias Stalt, as I live and breathe," she crooned, "oh, Lora will be so thrilled!" The enigmatic man actually smiled at the mention of his young friend. "She's out with the tutors just now, oh, you've been gone so long, she's a fine young lady now."

"I'm certain of it," he said happily, "and I've missed you as well, mum." He teased her like that, mostly because she hated it. They were only a few years apart, and with her husband killed in the war, she was as eligible as any of the young tramps Tobias galavanted around with. Her brow creased in a frown and she fixed him with a harsh jab of her ladle.

"Don't you give me that mum nonsense, Stalt," she jeered, "have you met any nice girls lately?" Reddish brown tresses framed her face and green eyes moved in a sultry manner over his form. "Or are you ready to settle down?"

"Let's see," he began playfully, though the mention of women brought his mind back to Camille, a still bleeding wound that promised never to close. In light of that, Tobias filled as many holes as he could in hopes of closing his own. "There's been Alysen, Tarra, Roslyn..."

Her face soured. "Shut up," she spat, "I don't want to hear anymore. You need a bath, you dirty bastard."

"Are you offering to wash me, mum?" he laughed.

"Maybe when you grow up and stop shoving that cock of yours in any hole that looks pleasing."

"Jealous?" Tobias jeered with a smirk.

When she popped him over the head with her kitchen tool, he let out a mournful yelp.

[Cards of Fate]

Vincent barely managed to land on his feet, forcing his momentum forward in a less than graceful roll, something he has learned from hours and hours spent playing Legend of Zelda back on earth. He knees popped and he let out a sharp hiss as he rolled around on the ground howling in pain. Several citizens stopped what they were doing to observe the howling Hierophant as he let off a sling of curses.

"Motherfucker pulls a gun on me..." He grunted rolling onto his stomach as he forced his weight onto his knees. He lifted his face off of the ground and grit his teeth "He throws me into a bar fight..." he spat forcing himself to stand up. "I thought the bullshit was over, after all he shared his pipe and that sunrise with me...but NOOOOOOOOOO! TOBIAS MOTHER FUCKING STALT JUST HAD TO PUSH ME OFF THE DAMN ROOF!" the scholar roared angrily as he staggered forward. He had no idea where the man was, but when he found him he was going to punch him, HARD.

Fuming Vincent strung together a rather lengthy and descriptive string of swears and slurs about Tobias and his mother, who may or may not been of the promiscuous persuasion, as he staggered through the busy streets. He saw pity in many onlookers eyes, to them he was simply a symptom of the many problems the city had with poverty and violence in the night. Teeth gritted he began to think about Tobias as a person, and where he would go. He seemed to be a man of simple tastes, he liked his drink and he didn't mess around with it. He had found him before in a tavern, he was most likely going to find the man once more. However, Radasanth was filled with taverns. By the time he had searched a tenth of them it would be sundown.

'Uhm excuse me sir..." a meek voice called behind him. He turned to find a young blond woman with bright green eyes staring daggers at him. "Did I hear you call a Tobias Stalt a...Cockmongler?" she asked seethingly.

"Yeah I did, motherfucker threw me off a roo-" she interupted him with a smack across the face cutting off his words. She reached back for another smack but this time the scholar had caught her hand.

"The fuck is wrong with you!" The scholar spat. "You look like you're no older than fourteen yet here you are assaulting random strangers on the street?" he asked growling. The young girl struggled to rip her hand away from his grip.

"You were saying mean things about Toby! Of course I slapped you!" she squealed as she struggled.

"He threw me off a roof!" Vincent spat.

"He played with me in the snow when I was little!" she replied turning to smack him with her free hand. Vincent caught this one as well and growled at her.

"That doesn't match the Tobias I know, must be a different man." Vincent replied.

"There is no way there are two Tobias Stalts in this town!" she growled at him. Suddenly her face lit up. "He's at the tavern!" she cried trying to break free of the scholars grip.

"The Tavern?" Vincent asked confused.

"Ma owns a tavern in the Poor Man's Wharf!" she growled at him.

"Tell me the name and you can go!" Vincent snarled.

"The Salty Sealion! Now let me go so I can get home before he leaves!" she cried. Letting go of her wrists Vincent scowled as she shot off. Staying a safe distance away he followed her home.


...

"Tobias!" Lora exclaimed as she rushed into the tavern and tackled the mercenary from behind. "LORA!" both Stalt and Jara exlaimed in reply.

"You should be with the tutors!" the barkeeper shouted.

"They were boring me..." Lora replied cowering behind Tobias. Suddenly the door flew open again this time.

"TOBIAS!" Vincent howled as he stormed in.

Both women looked at the beat up scholar in shock, and Jara turned an accusing eye at her old freind "I take it he's a...freind of yours?"

Tobias turned around in time just to see the scholars fist flying at his face. Had he been a normal man he wouldn't have seen it coming as it slammed into his jaw. He barely recoiled from the blow before smirking.

"You're learning" he replied as he grabbed Vincent by the front of the shirt, lifting him off the ground. "You still hit like a little bitch though." The scholar gritted his teeth.

"Hit me with your best shot asshole." The scholar growled.

"Much better compared to the spitfuck who ran away from a little fire three months ago." Tobias replied slamming Vincent down in a free bar seat. "Now we can actually start." The scholar let out a sigh of relief, happy he didn't have to endure any more pain for the time being. "Jara could you take care of two hungry blokes who've had a long night please?" he asked sweetly. The two women looked from scholar to mercenary and decided they didn't really want to know.

[Tobias Stalt]

Tobias held a hand out to the young girl who smiled brightly up at him. "Here, Lora," he offered as she took his hand. He hoisted the teenager on to his knee and watched as her mother began to prepare breakfast. "Vinnie got lucky that you came by. He would have missed breakfast." She giggled as the rogue glanced sidelong at the scholar. "He ought to thank you, eh?"

"Like hell," Vincent scowled, his thoughts still filled with hostility toward her smacking him. "I wouldn't thank her if-"

"Vince." Tobias cut him short with an emotionless glare that threatened violence. "Play nice."

"While you two were out philandering about," Jara jeered, and Tobias wore a saintly smile. Vincent seemed absolutely mortified. "Did you hear anything about the regime?"

Tobias had heard only rumors of deposition, assassination attempts, and strife among the ranks. The last he had heard from Otto Bastum or the Ixians, there was a concentrated effort. So far, there had been no news of strides in that arena. In answer to her question, the former soldier offered a shake of his head as his fingers danced through Lora's hair.

The little girl blushed and swatted at Tobias' hand playfully as the rogue conversed with her mother. "You'll be the first to know if I hear anything, Miss Jara." Tobias stole a glance down toward Lora as she reached toward one of his long knives and fixed her with a reproachful look. "Don't even think it," he chided softly, "those aren't toys."

"Lora!" the woman called, "don't play with Tobias' toys!"

Tobias stared blankly at Jara. "I'm not little anymore, Tobi!" Lora protested, "let me try it!" Jara shot a venomous look toward Stalt, and he laughed out loud at her unspoken message. "Don't you dare laugh!" Lora fumed, "mom! He's laughing at me!"

"Hush, hush, Lora," Tobias said softly, and she stared into his eyes with a veiled, thoughtful look. He ran his fingers through her hair and she seemed to melt into his hands. "You're a good girl," he told her. "You don't need to play with knives." Her sigh of defeat drew a small chuckle from him. "And don't even think about trying to guilt trip me, little girl."

The blonde haired teen continued to watch him dreamily as he spoke. "Someone's got a crush," Vincent whispered conspiratorially. Cherry red blossomed across Lora's face as she jerked back from Tobias and slid like greased lightning off of his knee. "No way!" she cried out, "Tobi, your friend is a di-"

"Watch your mouth, Lora Ana, or I'll wash it out!" her mother hissed before she could finish the thought, and the small girl yelped a submissive 'yes'm!'

"Yes," Tobias whispered, "he is a bit of a dick, isn't he?"

"Tobias Ebericht Stalt, if you keep being a bad influence on my child..." Jara let the threat hang as she turned about and placed the plates in front of them. The tavern itself was homely, plain walls decorated with floral arrangements and antiques to contrast the beautifully carpeted floor. The sweet scent of honeyed liqueur poured over hot cakes greeted them with a pleasant scent, which was a welcome reprieve from the streets of the Poor Man's Wharf. The Salty Sealion was a slice of heaven tucked neatly into an ugly hell.

Vincent began to stuff his face immediately, and Tobias stared at him intently. "Oh, what, you can't fight like a man, but you can eat like one?"

"Mmmrph... mruck yumm.... Shtalt..." the Scholar managed between voracious bites of food.

"Anyway," Tobias continued as he cut into his cakes and smiled over at Lora. "How are your lessons?"

[Cards of Fate]

Due to the empty nature of his stomach Vincent was the first to finish his pancakes, leaving no even a crumb as he debated licking the the plate clean. Jara set another steaming plate in front of the scholar causing the youth to gaze at her lovingly, tears in his eyes. "You are a saint..." he managed to mumble before digging in to yet another helping of food.

"Rough night?" Jara asked gesturing to the various injuries that decorated Vincent's face as they started to turn blue from bruising. Vincent was halfway though his plate before he paused to respond.

"Tobias forced me into a bar brawl." He replied touching his face gingerly. "I got my butt kicked...but I think I beat the other guy or two up pretty bad myself." he replied. His reply elicited a glare in Tobias' direction as the mercenary and her daughter were chatting.

"Tobias did you force this poor young man into a fight?" she asked aggressively glaring at him. "His boss told me to..." Tobias replied slightly wary at what was happening.

"Did she tell you to puss me off a roof or was that creative license?" Vincent asked between bites of warm, syrupy pancakes. "You did WHAT!" Jara practically roared turning around from the dishes she was working on.

"Oi Vince ya fuckin Narc!" Stalt growled.

"Don't yell at the poor boy!" Jara said bopping Stalt on the head with a ladle. "You're lucky he didn't break a leg or arm!" she exclaimed.

Tobias paused and looked Vince up a down, "You're right, I'm pleasantly surprised."

"Suprised my ass." Vincent growled after finishing his plate once more and patting his stomach before turning to the tavern keeper. "Thank you very much for the food ma'am."

"Anytime dear!" Jara said flashing Vincent a warm smile before going back to cleaning dishes. Tobias and Lora had spent the entire time chatting as he took his time on his food. The entire scene was warm and comfortable, almost like before smoking Tobias' pipe on the roof. It was a nice way to come off of a lesson, a break from the beatings.

"So how did you come to be in the merciful hands of Mr. Stalt here?" Jara asked after finishing her dishes and turning around to face them again.

"My boss wants me to learn how to fight..." Vincent said shrugging. "Although at this rate she might as well demand her money back, all I've learned is how to take a beating." he continued.

"Oi it's a multi step program." Tobias countered glaring at Vince.

[Tobias Stalt]

"Anyway," Tobias cut in before Jara could chastise him any further for his questionable methods, "today, Leona has instructed me to send you to the Citadel."

"Wh... what!?" Vince almost choked on the bite of food he had, and Jara only gaped at the two. "B... but...!"

"Don't worry, I'm not wasting my coin to send you in there only to have your ass beaten." Tobias' vote of confidence actually soothed Vincent's fear somehow, and the younger man let out a loud sigh.

Tobias took a bite of his hot cakes, chewed thoughtfully for a moment, then swallowed. "No," he continued, "that'll be later. First, you're going to need to learn how to actually fight."

"Tobias, you let the poor boy be," Jara warned, but Vincent shook his head and offered her a smile.

"My boss says I need to be stronger," he told her, "and even though he's an ass, Tobias is much stronger than I am. I have to have faith that he's actually doing his job."

Tobias picked at his teeth for the entirety of Cain's heartfelt exposition, but when he finished, Stalt slammed a hand down on the table. Lora jumped with a start. "Better wash down those hot cakes, big guy," he told his wayward protégé, "we're hiking the Promenade after this."

Lora grabbed Tobias' arm. "You're gonna puke!" she protested, "that's like a million miles!"

"Just seven," he told her with a gentle brush of his finger over her nose. Lora giggled. "And I'll be fine. Vincent might want to have another set of clothes ready, though."

"Is he ever nice?" Vincent asked Jara.

"Caught him on a bad week, I guess," the barmaid shrugged.

[Cards of Fate]

To an average passerby the Promenade would be beautiful, a symbol of the towns prosperity and power. To Vincent it was seven miles of pure, unadulterated, hell. The sun had risen high overhead as the mercenary and the scholar bid adieu to The Salty Sealion and the only reprieve Vincent had been granted from the grueling training regime.

The first mile was rough, Tobias egging Vincent to go faster and faster as they went. This was no simple jog, but more of a run for this leg. The mercenary’s goal seemed to make the scholar puke out his breakfast, which he succeeded in within the first ten minutes. The scholar had managed to get over to the side of the road and managed to get all of it in the grass.

“What’s a matter Vinnie? Eat too much?” Tobias taunted as the scholar ejected the contents of his stomach.

“Fuck you…” he managed to grunt between heaves. “I…” he hurled up a particularly undigested chunk of pancake before continuing. “I still.” He heaved once more gritting his teeth. ‘Why the fuck are their onions sticking to my teeth?’ he thought to himself as his bowels roared. ‘I didn’t even have anything with onions recently!’ He pushed what felt like the last of the waste out of his gullet and paused before opening his mouth. “I didn’t get a fucking drop of it on my clothes….” He growled between pants.

“You all done?” Tobias asked impatiently tapping his toes on the cobblestone road. The youth had wasted about five minutes curled over spewing his guts on the side of the road.

Vincent wiped his mouth and turned back to the mercenary growling, daggers in his gaze. “Let’s go.” He said taking off in a light jog. After that incident Tobias seemed a little more complacent to keep a slower pace, his initial push seemed like a cruel prank to lower the scholar’s spirits. He would occasionally force the pace a bit but for the most part seemed content to let the scholar guide their speed. The sun was beating down on them during their jog, and by the time they were through the first half of the jog Vincent was soaked thoroughly in sweat.

[Tobias Stalt]

Harsh heat ruled the sky as the passed the goldenrod and lilac fields in full bloom. The scent of fresh flowers contrasted the hellish haze that seemed to effect Vincent far more than the implacable Tobias. Though their pace had slowed, the shorter man seemed almost impatient to return to a proper tempo. "Where you're from," he asked, "do people ever run? Walk? Do anything productive?"

Vincent flashed a rude gesture toward Tobias, each gasp of air too precious to waste on words. The mercenary shook his head, still a few steps ahead of his protégé. "Not the most respectful fella, are you?" Vincent glared, but did not return verbal fire at Tobias. A smirk pulled at the edge of the soldier's lips.

....

"Patience. Perseverance. Wisdom. These are things you can't teach, Tobias." Leona stared at him harshly from across the table, while her fingers rapped a staccato on the wood. He sipped his flagon of ale with a face of contentment, and a long sigh escaped him when he placed it back down. "These are the qualities I need Vincent to develop if he is ever to come into his own. You can make him faster, stronger, more guileful, but you can't work miracles."

He slid the ale toward her, but she held a hand up to decline. Her face scowled, as if to remind him of her drinking problem. "With all due respect," Tobias began, and her expression twisted in skepticism. "Perhaps you can't. I've been many things, Miss Stevvains. A soldier, a merchant, a thief... when you live that many lives, you have to pick up a few tricks."

She raised a brow. "Alright," she conceded. "I will pay you to train him. If he returns without these skills, you will get nothing."

"I thought you were a seer," Tobias jeered. Leona smiled softly.

"I think you're not fully aware of who you're dealing with, Mr. Stalt," the disciple of Jomil retorted. "Vincent is an odd bird. I think he may disappoint you."

Tobias pulled his pipe out and began to pack it with fresh tobacco. "Yes," Tobias agreed, "he will. I'm not expecting him to make me proud." With the strike of a match, a plume of smog rushed into Tobias' lungs. "You didn't ask me to make him adequate. You just asked me to make him better."

"You've a mighty fine opinion of yourself."

He opened an amber eye and assessed his benefactor coldly. "If you commit to something, you make yourself the best you can at it. That's why I can charge so much."

"Spoken like a true Capitalist," Leona groaned.

"Da would be proud." Tobias blew a circle of smoke at Leona's face. She swatted it away and glared at him.

...

"Fuck her," Tobias muttered. "She thinks she's seen the future, and I'll fail." He gritted his teeth and pressed forward toward the end of the Promenade. "We're almost there," he barked back at Vincent, the muttered once more, "time to write the future my way."

[Cards of Fate]

When the two finally hit the end of the promenade the scholar collapsed onto the ground. “That…” he paused gasping for breath. “That was awful…” he finished. “So was that supposed to teach me the value of not gorging myself on hotcakes?” he stopped for a moment. “Or was it you didn’t push me because you didn’t want me to give up?” he rolled over in his sweat covered clothes and glared at Tobias. “Sneaky motherfucker…couldn’t you just have told me ‘never give up?’ or ‘believe in the me that believes in you? Row row fight the power?’ Or perhaps ‘Don’t lose your way?’” he sighed and rolled back over.

“If you need me I am going to be over in my office.” He said beginning to fall asleep. He had gotten next to no sleep, and he was exhausted. His legs ached, his heart was pumping furiously, and his breath was short and ragged. The sun bathed over his skin warmly, leaving his sweat to glisten in the sun.

“Get the fuck up.” Tobias said pulling him to his feet. “That was just your warm-up. Now the real fun begins…”

…

Vincent stared at the cold water before them. “You have got to be kidding me…” he muttered as Tobias literally threw him face first into the water. The cold water bit at Vincent as he gasped and splashed to the surface. “HOLY FUCK,” he roared. “This is cold as-“

“HROGMA’S BALLS!” Tobias roared slapping to the surface. “Come on Vinnie and lets swim the fucking harbor until you feel like drowning…”

[Tobias Stalt]

Five Hours Later...

Sunset had come again to Radasanth. The long days spent training showed on their bleaguered faces as their soggy clothes dripped on loamy soil. "Well, you didn't die," Tobias remarked offhand. Vincent glared sidelong at the mercenary, but said nothing. He had learned well enough when to bite his tongue, which Leona would have to admit was worthy of payment. "I suppose that's adequate enough."

"You're a douche," the younger man insulted at last. With a barking laugh, Tobias lit his pipe and filled his lungs with respite. "How many times did I almost die in three damn days?!"

"More than most people do in a lifetime," Tobias drawled. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Yes, I have a problem with that!" The irate look on his face caused Vincent to seem somewhat ridiculous as his hair flopped across his eyes indiscriminately. "Normal people don't just go out and put their lives in harm's way. Normal people don't risk death, and they certainly don't try to inflict it on their friends and comrades!"

Tobias stood abruptly and exhaled. Rhythmic tendrils of smog billowed skyward. "You claim to be from another world," the soldier responded softly, "you're surrounded by magic, mythical beasts, and your boss is a lush who sees into the future. When did we suddenly become normal?"

Vincent opened his mouth to respond, then shut it.

"A warrior isn't afraid of death," Tobias continued, "he fights it, he refuses it, and inevitably, he accepts it. But a warrior is not an enemy of death; the two are fast and long friends caught on unfortunate sides of the same conflict. When one overcomes the other, neither is bitter."

Vincent stared up at the sunset, uncertain whether he was angry or downtrodden, now. "You're a child in the ways of this world," Tobias chided him, "and that's fine. You've only been here a short while. But if you intend to survive, you need to throw away those antiquated ideas of how to approach conflict and learn proper skills. You're hardly fit to hold a sword, let alone call yourself a swordsman."

"You haven't even begun to teach me the sword," Vincent spat back venomously.

"Haven't I?"

[Cards of Fate]

Vincent rose to his feet faster than the mercenary had seen him move in the past three days.

“OH. HELL. FUCKING. NO!” He spat venomously. “You are not going to pull that stupid cliché ass kung fu master ‘I was teaching you the entire time’ shit”

Tobias simply raised his eyebrows at the young man. “’Scuse me?”

“You fucking heard me YOU…” he paused as he looked for the right insult “YOU DOUCHECANOE. This ain’t none of that fucking wax on wax off bullshit training where you give me several meaningless tasks that actually have meaning! YOU TRIED TO KILL ME.”

He stomped his foot and sighed while Tobias took another amused puff of his pipe. “Wax on…wax off?” he mused as he sized Vincent up. “Do tell…”

“You know, like you have me scrub some floors and then it’s secretly training for some special move.” Vincent pantomimed scrubbing circles in the air with his hands.

“That sounds fucking stupid.” Tobias replied growling.

“YOU JUST DID THAT!” Vincent howled grasping his hair with both hands.

“I told you about how warriors and death didn’t I?”

“HOW IS THAT SUPPOSED TO SAVE MY ASS IN A FIGHT?”

[Rayleigh]

Thread: A Swordsman is a Scholar of the Blade (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?28643-A-Swordsman-is-a-scholar-of-the-Blade-(Closed-to-Tobes))
Participants: Cards of Fate & Tobias Stalt
Type: No Judgment

Congratulations!

Cards of Fate (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?17720-Cards-of-Fate) receives:
1360 EXP
120 GP

Tobias Stalt (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?17202-Tobias-Stalt) receives:
1300 EXP
110 GP

[Rayleigh]

All EXP and GP have been added!