Tobias Stalt
09-17-15, 02:34 PM
Dawn slipped through the leaves as the yawn of a morning breeze washed over. Birdsong and the sounds of carpentry broke out minutes into the day, and smoke began to billow from stone chimneys. Underwood, still in the process of rebuilding, stood a testament to the defiance and ultimate tenacity of the Coalition. Twigs cracked beneath his feet as a lone traveler wandered precariously into the domain of Corone's Rangers, a modest establishment with sharp fangs. Tobias drew back his hood to allow daylight and cool air to blast against his face, a placid expression replacing his trademark grim visage.
His gloved hand rested against the tree next to him. "Come on out," he called firmly, "no use hiding from me so close to home."
The sound of a nocked arrow came in response. Tobias glanced down toward the Ranger, one eye squeezed shut as the other trained expertly on him. "Gonna shoot me?" he asked, motes of boredom and vague amusement in his voice. The archer seemed disinterested in his taunts, but Tobias simply turned to give the girl a better shot. "Make it count, kid," he instructed. "If I don't die, you will."
"That's enough." The strict voice belonged to a man clad in leathers and the adornment of a fully fledged Ranger, a sight Tobias remembered vaguely from some of his earlier exploits in Corone. "Maria, at ease. Young man, if you value your life, do not taunt a trained marksman to fire at you and, what was it? 'Make it count?' Maria has killed several intruders, now, and you're not even an armored knight."
Tobias leaned more of his weight on the tree as the man spoke and Maria, his would be assailant, backed behind him. "Nope," he drawled, "can't say as I am." The idea of a girl killing him with no more than an arrow halfway appealed to Tobias. A dirty, slow death, probably by infection struck him as the fitting end for his crimes. Of course, it was not to be. "Hope she shoots better than you talk," he muttered as the man strode toward him.
"Weapons, please," the Ranger held out his hand expectantly.
"Like hell," Tobias replied. A long knife slid from his waist quicker than the girl could draw back her bowstring, and Tobias held it tip to throat of his talkative savior. "You want 'em, you get the business end. I'm here for work. Tobias Stalt, mercenary."
The man gulped, but remained stoic. "There are a hundred arrows that, at this moment, could mow you down with one blink from me."
"Fuckin' blink," Tobias goaded him. "Then you can go to hell with me."
Maria stood by with a disbeliving look. "You've got to be kidding," she gaped. "You'd die just to kill one man? What kind of mercenary are you?"
"The kind who doesn't like threats," he explained. "Now stop measuring cocks with me and let me pass." He withdrew his blade first, and the older man sucked in a breath. His shaky gaze held Tobias in both contempt and adoration for a moment. The Dehlosian glanced away pointedly.
"Excellent," marveled the Ranger, "you're just the type we needed for the job I sent in."
Tobias snorted. Maria glanced toward her superior. "Are you sure, father? He's arrogant, and a bit rude." Tobias glanced toward the brunette, taking stock of how she tied her hair back and wore her clothing conservatively. Down to the hem of her pants, this girl seemed to hate showing skin.
"Most mercenaries are crude," he told her, "but it makes them no less efficient. We couldn't afford to spare any of the defenders around Underwood for this mission, so we scrounged up the funds to hire from the outside. Mister Stalt here responded by falcon a fortnight ago, from Radasanth."
"Girl's grown up in a different world from yours, Captain," Tobias told the man earnestly. "I doubt she's ready to see Radasanth, let alone "liberate" it."
"Have some faith, Stalt," the older man said. Tobias stared coldly at him, a firm grip on his blade. He shoved the weapon back into his sheath and promptly plucked at the shoulder of Maria's shirt.
"What do you think you're doing?" she questioned as Tobias pulled her along by the fabric. Maria planted the wood of her bow in the dirt and tried to stand her ground. "Unhand me, you uncultured swine!"
She glanced back toward her father to see that he was gone. "What...?"
When she turned to look at Tobias, he smiled. "Welcome to your crash course in the real world, Princess," he spoke sweetly, but Maria shivered. "It gets worse."
"I doubt it," she murmured. Meekly, her shoulders dipped and she replaced the bow on her back. "We're going to see Radasanth?"
"Not dressed like that," he answered with some mirth, "you need to look... ah..."
"Like one of your whores?" she spat.
"It would be an improvement," he acknowledged as they walked toward the outer forest. "But we'll have to start small. Have you ever considered bearing some chest?"
The slap echoed through the forest.
Tobias watched her with a blank expression, though Maria's face was redder than his. "Pervert!" she cried, "scoundrel! I will not have you soiling my honor. If you're to accompany me, you will conduct yourself as a gentleman."
Her cheek cracked when his fist connected. Maria stared dumbfounded as Tobias never broke eye contact with her. "Wake the fuck up," he snarled. "This isn't your world anymore. This isn't Underwood, where you can shoot a man and think it's just part of the job. It's not a wonderous place where you can be daddy's little angel and your hands stay clean, your arse don't stink, and a sweet smile wins you a dashing knight."
Maria recoiled when he took a step toward her, and shook violently when he leaned close. "Men are devils. There are no good or bad people, there's only disagreements. You're on one side or the other," she gulped, and his gold eyes pierced deep into her. "But you're not right or wrong. No, there's only one way to determine that."
"How?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
"Like any good problem gets solved," he answered as he turned on his heel. "By the blade. Now, let's get moving, Princess."
His gloved hand rested against the tree next to him. "Come on out," he called firmly, "no use hiding from me so close to home."
The sound of a nocked arrow came in response. Tobias glanced down toward the Ranger, one eye squeezed shut as the other trained expertly on him. "Gonna shoot me?" he asked, motes of boredom and vague amusement in his voice. The archer seemed disinterested in his taunts, but Tobias simply turned to give the girl a better shot. "Make it count, kid," he instructed. "If I don't die, you will."
"That's enough." The strict voice belonged to a man clad in leathers and the adornment of a fully fledged Ranger, a sight Tobias remembered vaguely from some of his earlier exploits in Corone. "Maria, at ease. Young man, if you value your life, do not taunt a trained marksman to fire at you and, what was it? 'Make it count?' Maria has killed several intruders, now, and you're not even an armored knight."
Tobias leaned more of his weight on the tree as the man spoke and Maria, his would be assailant, backed behind him. "Nope," he drawled, "can't say as I am." The idea of a girl killing him with no more than an arrow halfway appealed to Tobias. A dirty, slow death, probably by infection struck him as the fitting end for his crimes. Of course, it was not to be. "Hope she shoots better than you talk," he muttered as the man strode toward him.
"Weapons, please," the Ranger held out his hand expectantly.
"Like hell," Tobias replied. A long knife slid from his waist quicker than the girl could draw back her bowstring, and Tobias held it tip to throat of his talkative savior. "You want 'em, you get the business end. I'm here for work. Tobias Stalt, mercenary."
The man gulped, but remained stoic. "There are a hundred arrows that, at this moment, could mow you down with one blink from me."
"Fuckin' blink," Tobias goaded him. "Then you can go to hell with me."
Maria stood by with a disbeliving look. "You've got to be kidding," she gaped. "You'd die just to kill one man? What kind of mercenary are you?"
"The kind who doesn't like threats," he explained. "Now stop measuring cocks with me and let me pass." He withdrew his blade first, and the older man sucked in a breath. His shaky gaze held Tobias in both contempt and adoration for a moment. The Dehlosian glanced away pointedly.
"Excellent," marveled the Ranger, "you're just the type we needed for the job I sent in."
Tobias snorted. Maria glanced toward her superior. "Are you sure, father? He's arrogant, and a bit rude." Tobias glanced toward the brunette, taking stock of how she tied her hair back and wore her clothing conservatively. Down to the hem of her pants, this girl seemed to hate showing skin.
"Most mercenaries are crude," he told her, "but it makes them no less efficient. We couldn't afford to spare any of the defenders around Underwood for this mission, so we scrounged up the funds to hire from the outside. Mister Stalt here responded by falcon a fortnight ago, from Radasanth."
"Girl's grown up in a different world from yours, Captain," Tobias told the man earnestly. "I doubt she's ready to see Radasanth, let alone "liberate" it."
"Have some faith, Stalt," the older man said. Tobias stared coldly at him, a firm grip on his blade. He shoved the weapon back into his sheath and promptly plucked at the shoulder of Maria's shirt.
"What do you think you're doing?" she questioned as Tobias pulled her along by the fabric. Maria planted the wood of her bow in the dirt and tried to stand her ground. "Unhand me, you uncultured swine!"
She glanced back toward her father to see that he was gone. "What...?"
When she turned to look at Tobias, he smiled. "Welcome to your crash course in the real world, Princess," he spoke sweetly, but Maria shivered. "It gets worse."
"I doubt it," she murmured. Meekly, her shoulders dipped and she replaced the bow on her back. "We're going to see Radasanth?"
"Not dressed like that," he answered with some mirth, "you need to look... ah..."
"Like one of your whores?" she spat.
"It would be an improvement," he acknowledged as they walked toward the outer forest. "But we'll have to start small. Have you ever considered bearing some chest?"
The slap echoed through the forest.
Tobias watched her with a blank expression, though Maria's face was redder than his. "Pervert!" she cried, "scoundrel! I will not have you soiling my honor. If you're to accompany me, you will conduct yourself as a gentleman."
Her cheek cracked when his fist connected. Maria stared dumbfounded as Tobias never broke eye contact with her. "Wake the fuck up," he snarled. "This isn't your world anymore. This isn't Underwood, where you can shoot a man and think it's just part of the job. It's not a wonderous place where you can be daddy's little angel and your hands stay clean, your arse don't stink, and a sweet smile wins you a dashing knight."
Maria recoiled when he took a step toward her, and shook violently when he leaned close. "Men are devils. There are no good or bad people, there's only disagreements. You're on one side or the other," she gulped, and his gold eyes pierced deep into her. "But you're not right or wrong. No, there's only one way to determine that."
"How?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
"Like any good problem gets solved," he answered as he turned on his heel. "By the blade. Now, let's get moving, Princess."