Bandits Ahoy! (OPEN)

There were few places where genuine neutrality in all matters could be trusted, and one of them was the Minstrel’s Perch. Molotov had heard of the place from his days as a mercenary. True, the bar was always moving with some of the best and worst of the sentient beings, but even then, none of them paid much attention to the business of others. Everyone was too busy moving, running their own race to worry about the business of others. That was why Molotov liked it. It was privacy in public.

He had come on a relatively simple mission. It was up to him, and of course, Kyosku, to find the people they would need to defeat the monsters that could destroy their dream of a new Bandit Brotherhood even before it got off the ground. The mutant had first been surprised that the Ceann Cath had made an offer of so much land, but once he had heard they had monsters there, he knew of their true objective. The draconian generals were sending them there to die.

Molotov was not intimidated. He had memory on his side. Memory was a very strong weapon, strong enough to even move mountains with the help of good fortune. And all Molotov wanted from memory was to have it help him defeat a few monsters.

With his cup of ale raised to the sky, the mutant offered a small toast. “To people who want to be bandits!” he shouted. “And to those who believe monsters can be killed!”

There was a murmured “hear hear” among the room, but it was the kind of agreement that came more out of good manners than genuine conviction. Molotov didn’t mind. The toast had been excellent, and the people to whom it might interest would soon come in running. Molotov couldn’t wait. He wanted to look into the eyes of more people who believed that they could kill monsters.

Out of Character:

This is an open, IC recruitment to join a reformed Bandit Brotherhood that has been started by Kyo and myself. We have not yet registered the PG, but we do intend to do so soon. Anyone who wishes to have any relationship with the new PG may join, but do keep in mind, this is an IC not ooc thread. Once completed, it will be submitted for judging. If you have any ooc questions, you can ask me via PM or in our clan thread once the PG is registered.

“Well this seems like a great place to start.” As Luthien muttered the words under his breath he was surprised by his own sarcasm. He had heard of the Minstrel’s Perch from one of his many random tavern visits. The people he overheard talking made it seem like a fountain of information and yet, as Luthien looked out over the crowd all he could see was self absorbed people who were either deep in secretive talk, or drunk from the ale they were pounding back. Grabbing a seat, Luthien was quick to drop a couple gold pieces into the hands of the barkeep and order a large mug of ale. Taking a sip, he felt the liquid run down his throat; it was some of the most potent ale he had ever tasted. No wonder these people get so loaded on this stuff. As he thought the words a particular person caught his eye. The man seemed to fit in, and yet he looked almost friendly, almost as if he was welcoming people to join him.

Keeping his distance, Luthien listened to what the fiery man had to say. He mentioned something about bandits and then a interest sparked within Luthien at the mention of killing a monster. A toast was made, and Luthien raised his own glass in response and took a long gulp of the ale which seemed to taste better with a second chance. Most of the people in the tavern didn’t budge, and the man continued to scan the room looking for anyone to approach him. Never give out your trust to easily, this man could easily be stringing everyone in the tavern a bold line, trying to take advantage of them. Despite this thought, Luthien continued to look at the man across the room from him, finally unable to withstand his curiosity as to the mention of bandits and monsters, Luthien got to his feet.

Taking a deep breath, he made his way slowly across the tavern. A large man bumped into Luthien, who was quick to reach for the hilt of his one dagger, knowing how rough these places could get. The large man noticed this action and simply smiled, and shook his head before turning away from Luthien. Letting his guard down again, Luthien continued along his path to where the stranger was still sitting, drinking away at his ale. Finally reaching him, Luthien pulled out a chair and sat down across from the man, setting his ale down on the table. First impressions were everything and Luthien didn’t want to give the wrong one to this man who seemed so able to carry himself at such a young age.

“Bandits eh, well I don’t know much about them, but I certainly can help you out with these monsters that need to be killed.” Luthien’s voice was calm and collected as he looked directly into the man’s eyes. It was a sign of respect to always look a person in the eyes, and as of now, this man had no reason not to deserve Luthien’s respect. Taking a long swig from his ale, Luthien emptied it and set the mug on the table. Beckoning for one of the many waitresses that wandered the room, he smiled up at her. “Mind grabbing a round for me and this fellow here?” Tossing up the gold coins to cover the alcohol, Luthien returned his gaze to the fiery man across from him.

“Don’t be leaving me out of that round.”

Kyo slipped into the chair next to Molotov as she motioned for the wench to bring them three glasses of ale instead of two. Molotov was not yet completely done his, but she figured he could always use another one to loosen him up. Sometimes the man was just a little too uptight and cared a little too heavily upon the words of others, especially the way they spoke to him. Just because he was big and bad didn’t mean he had to walk around letting the entirety of Althanas know it. Sometimes a little subtly and well-spoken word instead of a raised gun could get you far more. That was how it had worked with the Draconians anyway, but the ninja wasn’t entirely too sure on how it would work with recruiting.


Recruitment was not something she’d ever had to do before. In her home clan, people were not recruited into becoming a ninja, they were born into becoming it. Almost all the children took the training unless there was a good reason not to and slowly over the years, those not very adapt at it, or not interested in it stopped and began to learn other trades and skills that would help the village. That was how it had always been and would continue to be. Searching for others outside of her clan would be preposterous, not to mention pointless.

Placing her hand on Molotov’s shoulder, Kyo eyed the stranger in a friendly manner. He seemed a little on the young side, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t capable. She was probably just beginning to run her own missions at his age and excel at it.

“Monsters are certainly a pest, but we’re not just looking for exterminators here.” Kyo said with a smirk as she tilted her head to the side. “Perhaps you would be interested in joining and becoming a bandit rather than pushing the opportunity to the side because you don’t know much about it. Unless of course you’re not interested in living within a clan created to shelter those of, shall we say a certain mind frame. A clan that doesn’t have to bow before the governing rules of leaders who sit atop their high thrones and judge those below them.”

The serving wench returned as the last of the words rang in the air. Smiling, the ninja grabbed her glass and took a long drink of the strong alcohol, enjoying the taste as it worked its way into her system. She wasn’t planning on getting drunk, but a little bit of a buzz would certainly be welcome.

The smoke filled atmosphere was heaven to Ziggy as he walked through the entrance to the ‘Perch’. It felt like he was home in this low end tavern where you could find strong booze, fine women, information, and even a brawl if that was what floated your boat. Walking over to the bar, he through a few gold coins casually on the table and grabbed his ale when out of the corner of his eye he saw a face that looked slightly familiar. Taking a double take, Ziggy searched his ragged memory for the name of the man who he caught himself staring at before he broke off his site. Then the voice rang out over the tavern calling for bandits, and the need for a monster to be killed. Ziggy smiled, if it wasn’t Molotov, that spunky mutant he had met what seemed like years upon years ago.

Strolling over to the table which was now holding two other people, Ziggy set his glass down on the table after draining the dark liquid from it. Smacking his lip, he looked at the younger kid who had just ordered a round for himself, the mutant, and the ninja who also looked vaguely familiar. “Well I guess I missed out on the round, but at least I’m here for the second.” Spinning a chair, he sat down next to Molotov and the kid.

“You know Molotov, when someone says bandits, someone is bound to appear.” Smiling, Ziggy called for the waitress who had just delivered the last round. Throwing her a gold coin, she smiled and went off to get Ziggy his usual order which was a tall glass of ale which would need to be drained. Looking towards the attractive lady and the younger man, Ziggy smiled. “Come on now kid, who wouldn’t wanna live the life of a bandit? Look at me I have done mighty fine for myself.” Continuing to smile, Ziggy focused back on the subject at hand. He had to stop letting the festivities of the tavern get in his way of figuring out why Molotov had decided to announce to the rest of the tavern that bandits were needed.

“You know Molotov; I always did want to do hunting with you, but what is with this bandit business. I mean I haven’t heard anything of our brothers in like two years or is it just a big coincidence that you and Kyo, I think your name was happening to be in this tavern lookin for bandits?” Ziggy smiled as he took another long drag from the ale which the serving wench had delivered. Feeling the alcohol coursing through his veins made him feel warm. “Either way, count me in for whatever you got planned, after all we gotta show this rook over here that the bandit life is the way to go.” Giving the man to his left a nudge, he smiled. “By the way, the names Zigurate Bandit, you can just call me Ziggy or Bandit.” Reaching out with his right hand, he offered to shake the new comer’s hand.

This was the kind of reaction Molotov was expecting. He remembered Ziggy Bandit well. The two of them had been various shades of friends and enemies for quite a long time. Now, the two of them had seemed to come to an agreement that it wasn’t their ties that set them apart that really mattered as much it was the fact that they had that history together. That was what Molotov was thinking, and he could tell that Ziggy was thinking the same thing when the veteran bandit suggested that they drink together.

The wench arrived with the ale that Luthien had bought. Molotov took his glass, but offered it to Ziggy. “Thanks old chum,” Molotov said. “And let me tell you, you’ve met me at the bloody right time. Right about now, this is when we’re getting ready for something big here on Althanas, in this bumblefuck region out in the nowhere called Dheathain. Know how the Bandit Brotherhood hasn’t been around, and a whole lot of little buggers have popped up, talking trash and acting like they rule the streets. And know what, I’m bloody sick of it. They want to have the streets, they’re going to fight for it. It’s time to bring back the old ways. We steal from the rich, the people who can afford it, not the people who can’t afford to protect themselves. That kind of bollocks is for kids who have no respect…”

Molotov was speaking so that both Ziggy and Luthien could hear him, and he paused for a moment to take a drink of his ale. Realizing that he was focusing too much on Ziggy, Molotov swiveled a bit so that Luthien could hear him to. He knew Kyo could help him with the recruiting, but he wanted both of them to know where the Bandit Brotherhood stood. They might have been a group of bandits, but they were not a group of street trash.

“And the only problem is, we need a base in bloody Deathain. Too many bobbys everywhere else…” Molotov said. “So we’re bloody going to build one there, but the first thing we need to do, is kill a whole lot of sodding monsters. So how does that sound? A return to principles, to fundaments and monster killing. It’s better than a bloody weekend with girls and ale!”

The mutant looked at Kyo and exchanged a brief smile before realizing his mistake. “Oh yeah…” he added. “And boys for Kyo…”

The entire situation seemed to change within seconds of Luthien’s arrival at the table. Now, where two people had once sat there was four. The ale kept coming to the table as more and more orders were placed into the capable hands of the waitress. Eyeing up the two new comers, Luthien felt slightly out of place, they all seemed to be able to carry themselves so well. It was true that Luthien knew how to fight when it came down to it, but these three seemed as if they welcomed a challenge. As if nothing in the world could deter them from their goals, especially this Molotov fellow. Luthien drank in his words with extreme interest as he spoke of old days of what sounded like a legendary brotherhood of thieves. Despite his lack of experience in the bandit department, Luthien was intrigued by the thought of having somewhere to belong, something to belong to.

Extending his arm to the one called Ziggy; Luthien shook the rough looking bandit’s hand. Ziggy looked to be not much older then Luthien himself, but in his eyes were wisdom which all three of these other people seemed to possess. “The names Luthien and I will be more then willing to buy you your next drink.” As he spoke, Luthien flicked a coin from his hand across the table where it settled in front of Ziggy. Smiling, Luthien raised his glass in a salute and took another large mouthful back. Feeling the alcohol buzzing through his system was always a feeling that he welcomed. The alcohol numbed his senses slightly, made Molotov’s words sink in deeper and draw Luthien in quicker then if he were sober.

Getting to his feet, the youngest of the group looked around the table, into the eyes of each and every member at the table. “I would be more then happy to help you three in any way I can. Already I can see what this brotherhood as you call it stands for. Ever since leaving my village I have felt out of place, but for some reason I think this is the answer to what I’m looking for.” Raising his glass once again, Luthien took a mouthful of the liquid courage. As he swallowed he realized he was standing and quickly took his seat back around the table.

“So what are these so called monsters which need to be taken care of?”

The new comer that sat down intrigued the ninja. It appeared that he and Molotov had a history together that seemed neither friendly nor hostile. He was rather young looking too, younger than her most likely but he seemed just as experienced if not more so. As conversation was exchanged between them, Kyo kept quiet and listened, occasionally picking up her glass and taking a mouth full of the liquid. Molotov was much better at explaining just what the brotherhood stood for then she was.

“I can settle for girls just fine…” Kyo said with a sly smile right before she took another drink from her glass.

“Well then, bloody fine!” Molotov exclaimed. “Girls it is then.”

She laughed whole-heartedly. The look on Molotov’s face and the pause before that sentence had been more than the reaction she’d wanted from him. Men were always quite surprised and quite happy when a woman stated she enjoyed the company of her own sex. It humoured her.

“Getting back to the matter at hand,” She said, pausing only to take another drink. She’d finished more than half of her glass and on an empty stomach she could already begin to feel it hit her head. “Erionn gave me some information on the creatures of Dheathain before we left. There are quite a few kinds we’ll need to be worried about in the swamp, including some things that sound reminiscent of snakes only much larger. They also have several different kinds of birds, some of which may not even be harmful. For the most we’re going to have to worry about some dragon like creatures that range in size and can live on both land and in the water. They’re rather strong little buggers and quite smart too, not to mention they hunt in packs and don’t discriminate against humans.”

Kyo was lucky that the Draconian General had decided to help her even more than he already had with that information, if not her and Molotov and any they gathered would have been heading straight into a viper’s nest without any knowledge of what was inside it. From what he had told her, the dragon like creatures hated fire and were quite blind for some reason right at the moments of dawn and dusk, but they had incredible night vision. She didn’t expect to still be in the ruins at night, but Erionn had mentioned the monsters might keep trying to come back to the ruins even after they cleaned it out the first time.

“Erionn gave me a few tips on how best to deal with the most common monsters we’ll run into though…”

Molotov snickered lightly. He didn’t say anything about it, but he was pleased that Kyosku had used the word bugger. It had showed that he was rubbing off on her. “Soon enough she’ll be saying wanker, bloody, all of it,” the mutant said, congratulating himself within his mind. “When the bird says everything I do, then we can even go chasing after girls together.” He was particularly proud of himself with the last thought.

However, if Kyosku was going to talk about Eironn, Molotov wanted to set the record straight on him. As much as the ninja might have considered him a welcome ally, the mutant considered him anything but. As far as Molotov was concerned, Eironn was a thorn in their side, a spy who had been sent by the Ceann Cath to make sure of their failure. Molotov had been there when the decision was made. Every last effort was put in place to undermine their organization from the start.

“This Eironn bloke, I don’t trust him,” Molotov interrupted. “He’s not the kind of person you’d really want at your party, you know? He’s one of those, the kind that hang around because he knows someone important, but all he’s really doing when he talks is blowing his farts up your ass. Yeah, that’s bloody Eironn, and he doesn’t know shit about shit. He’s the toad that the government of Dheathain has sent after us, but I don’t bloody care about him all that much. If we cared about some sodding government, then we wouldn’t be bandits in the first place.”

He stopped for a moment to consider whether his diatribe was going to have unintended consequences on prospective new members. Molotov was only just coming to grips with the fact that he was now the leader of something. In the past, he had never been a follower, but no one had ever followed him either. With a reformed Bandit Brotherhood, he had a chance to have followers, but only if he learned to bite his tongue where appropriate. Now, he figured he needed to come up with some kind of excuse to retract some of his previous statement.

“We’re listening to their bloody government for now,” he said. “Not because we really want to, but because they’ve given us permission to let us operate in peace, as long as we don’t go and knock over their apple carts. It’s a good deal, but just know, I still don’t trust them much.”

Dull, bright moonlight casted weird, interlacing shadows of thicket and mossy tree alike upon the porch of the bustling, hectic tavern. Crickets and other nuisances chirped merrily and so loudly that one could've sworn they were within spitting distance. Few people stood outside to admire the quiet tranquility that darkness seemed to radiate, but whether or not that was because of the sweltering, stagnant air or the blowhards within the tavern, Saxon couldn't tell.

A man out of the corner of his eye seemed to be quietly discussing price for who the weird suspected was a woman actively practicing the world's oldest profession. Pretty soon I'm gonna have to hit a brothel, he wondered quietly as he peered back into the darkness. There would be time for emotionless, petty sex for the exchange of a honest day's pay later on, and the eldritch knew it. The only questions in his mind right now were whether he'd settle for Fallien or Corone.

Black or white?

Hearing the commotion inside, Saxon dismissed the thought and reminded himself," There'd be time for that later."

" Time for what?" A youthful voice chirped behind him.

Smiling, the eldritch shrugged and his hand disappeared within his suit jacket and pulled out a single golden coin," Never mind."

Walking into his view, a young woman barely cresting the age of puberty stood in scantily clad clothing and held a mug in both hands. Setting the coin on the table he pushed it towards her," Thanks."

Handing the drink to him the woman called Julie collected the coin and deposited it into a bra two sizes too big for her. She was a whore by trade, and it seemed to Saxon that she had gotten the rough end of a terrible childhood. The weird suspected she wouldn't make it past her mid-twenties before some Jon cut her throat for kicks. He didn't like it, but there was probably a chance he could turn her life around if he had the chance. She had approached him hours earlier and used whatever training and business savvy she had collected over the years to consider him a safe mark.

" You sure you don't want to go inside," she had asked," I know of a nice warm bed for the right price."

" No, thats alright," He had responded quickly. Saxon was many things, but a pervert wasn't one of them. There were certain intricacies one got into when becoming a regular in a brothel, and sexually abusing a child who probably had a mean case of crotch rot was clearly a no-no. He had more exquisite tastes when it came to women. More developed at the very least, he reasoned quietly.

Instead, he had used her to eavesdrop. To talk and to listen to the commotion inside. There was a group of people in there he had insisted on talking to one of the leaders once they stepped outside for air. And so far it had worked. For a gold piece every half an hour this meeting took place, the young hooker would stand to make a week's pay without having to spread her legs.

" Mr. Saxon," Julie interrupted the eldritch's train of thought as he turned away from her and considered the contents of the mug.

" Yah?"

" Wanna hear a joke?" She said abruptly.

Knowing this was probably one of the flaws of hiring a child to do work fit for an adult, Saxon decided to humor her," Sure."

" How many thieves does it take to light a candle," Julie began as she stood on her tip toes and rested her arms on the railing beside her employer.

" How many?" The eldritch quietly responded, now looking into the darkness once more.

" Three. One to steal the matches, another to snatch the candle, and a third to rat them both out to save his own skin."

The weird chuckled quietly at the tactless joke as the girl beamed at him, her tangled tresses falling in front of her calm, brown eyes. He'd have to remember that one, he figured. There wasn't a lot of humor these days on Althanas, and the eldritch had desperately missed that.

" Alright then," he said," Go on back inside before you miss anything. Make sure they don't notice you, okay?"

The prostitute nodded obediently," Yes, sir."

Watching her leave his sight and wander quietly back into the throng of thieves and blackguards, Saxon went back to examining the mug and glanced into the black, thick muck the bartender had called the house special," What a crock," he muttered while even the moonlight refused to shed light within the stagnant booze the girl had brought him.

The eldritch had never been one for drinking without a cause, and the stuff that sat before him amplified his reasoning. Looking back out into the darkness, his thoughts began to shift as his mind began to wander towards the weird's reason for being here of all places. The truth was Saxon had been getting cocky ever since that run-in with the cult who had tried to use him little more than a year ago.

It had come with the territory, he had figured. It wasn't every day that a man captured a God in a watch. There were certain circumstances that had led the eldritch to believe he was going to bite off way more than he could chew if he kept trying to play hero without a bit more backing on his part. He needed friends. Allies. Anybody that could keep him grounded and it wouldn't hurt to have a few folks to call by name if Saxon was in grave danger.

Picking up the mug as if in a toast, the weird hung his arm over the edge of the railing and off the porch before dumping into the local fauna that seemed to sprout like weeds about the base of tavern. There were few better ways to make friends than to join them on a hunt for monsters, and there was little Saxon could do until that time came.

Unable to stand in the presence of large throngs of people without eventually blacking out, the weird had accepted his strange disorder long ago. Compared to what had been going on within the guts of the tavern, the outside had a naturally serene ambience about it, and Saxon liked it that way. He had never been one for parties or big gatherings, and staying out of the limelight was something that had become very difficult for the eldritch to achieve lately.

Until somebody with a name that Saxon recognized walked through those doors and outside, the weird would just have to wait. But, fortunately for the 'monster hunters' within, the eldritch had become accustomed to a certain degree of patience over the years.

“I’d hate to think of what you’d say about me when I wasn’t in the room.” Kyo shot back at Molotov. “Erionn helped us when he didn’t have to, you have no right to belittle the Draconian just because you have something against their race.”

Her eyes narrowed on Molotov, becoming more than just ice blue in colour.

“You may not like the terms and you may not like the citizens, but at least we have a place to call our own now and without Erionn and Aidan, that never would have happened.”

Kyo couldn’t stand it when someone disrespected another person, especially a person who didn’t deserve it. Respect was held very high where she came from and Molotov would have received a severe punishment for his words had they been spoken in her village. But they were not in Akashima and this was not a place she knew very well. This was a place where she felt slightly uncomfortable surrounded by groups of people she didn’t trust to turn her back to.

Feeling her anger rise towards the mutant, Kyo stood and turned to go before she did something she would regret. Like smack his head off the table in hopes of pounding some sense into it. Then again, his thick skull might break the wood.

“Stop searching for the non existent dagger in your back and accept the fact that he helped us, plain and simple and will continue to help us because I trust him and this is a partnership, Molotov. You’re not the only one leading this clan.” That wasn’t entirely true. Kyo trusted Erionn as far as she could throw him, which wasn’t far, but she didn’t doubt the advice and information he had given her. Not to mention he could prove to be a useful ally to have when dealing with the Ceann Cath.

Grabbing her mug from the table, the Akashiman assassin turned and walked away. It was best she leave Molotov at the moment, lest she do something stupid like he had just done. She couldn’t believe he’d practically told the two men interested in this little adventure about the circumstances they were in. That was for her and Molotov alone to know, and no one else. They did not have to deal with The Ceann Cath and neither would Molotov. After that little stunt he just pulled, the ninja was beginning to realize that diplomacy and dealing with authoritative figures was going to be something beyond the mutant’s grasp. She would have to do it, even if she didn’t want to. It was her responsibility as a leader in this Brotherhood.

Moving through the crowds of people with relative ease, the ninja quickly moved to the door and opened it, stepping outside into the cool night air. It brushed across the material of her dark gi, teasing her skin and causing a few shivers to slide down her back. It was a relief to breathe it, instead of the stagnant, disgusting mass that the tavern had turned into. Not to mention the loud and boisterous calls from within ceased to exist the moment the door closed behind her, leaving her in the kind of ambience that only nature could provide. It was rather funny how calm and soothing it was outside the tavern compared to in. It would do much to alleviate the thrum of anger within her veins.

Taking a few deep breaths, Kyo moved to the railing and bent slightly, leaning her forearms against it as she looked out into the dark of the night. There were a few other people outside, but she paid them no mind as they paid her none. In a few minutes she would wander back inside and join the table again and if Molotov said anything to her, she’d beat him to death with a chair.

Saxon watched quietly as a woman who looked completely alien to the local color walked out in a huff and took to the railing on the other side of the porch. That was quick, the eldritch thought as he watched the woman suck in air as if she had just been punched in the gut. He didn't know her, but the weird certainly knew of the woman that stood less than a few feet away. Kip was it? Saxon thought, No, no that isn't right. Its.. Kyo, right?

Saxon had kept his ear low to the ground ever since it had become public knowledge that a group of bandits and thieves were forming a sort of brotherhood. They had practically shouted it to the rooftops in the criminal underworld and the people who led the splinter group were so physically loud that it hurt the weird's ears. But, there she was. A woman who had staked something in this organization and looked like she belonged in the sort of thing like Saxon belonged in a concert.

Was she trustworthy? His mind asked.

" Only one way to find out," Saxon muttered as his arms left the railing and he took one last look at the quiet serenity around him. Taking a deep breath, the weird grabbed Syvriak who sat against a column and slowly began to walk in her direction.

Clack, Clack, Clack

Within seconds Saxon could hear the woman breathing as she looked off into the distance. Offering a small smile, the eldritch nodded to the woman who had probably noticed her by now. Setting the staff against the railing and leaning against the rail a safe distance away, the weird looked out towards the bright, lunar orb that hung in the night sky and said," Pretty sight, isn't it?"

“Much prettier than the faces back in there…” Kyo mumbled under her breath.

The ninja sighed and leaned more heavily against the railing, her head falling down until her forehead rested against one of her forearms and her eyes could see nothing but the cracks and the knots in the wood beneath her. She was not in the mood for random conversations, especially with a stranger. All she really wanted to do was calm the anger within her veins and just relax and enjoy the outdoors a bit before heading back inside. If she went back in there now, she’d probably beat Molotov to death with that chair just for fun.

Turning her head to the side, Kyosku looked over at the man next to her. He kept a safe and respectable distance as he too leaned against the railing. Her eyes swept over his appearance quickly, taking in as much as they could. He dressed himself well enough, but he clearly didn’t put in the greatest amount of effort into his appearance. His hair was all over the place and he looked as if he hadn’t shaved his beard in months if ever. Beneath the rough exterior though, she could see light blue eyes close in colour to her own, eyes that seemed friendly enough. But she didn’t really care about that right now.

Why me? Just go bug some other woman…

As much as she wanted to say that aloud, her lips never even parted to do such a thing. She was not vulgar like Molotov and she was not disrespectful. Though she did not feel like talking to anyone at the moment, she would not blindly be cruel to someone else because of her foul mood.

Standing straight, Kyosku looked out into the darkness surrounding the Minstrel’s Perch. She always found something very soothing about the night, perhaps it had been all of her training in it and the fact that she spent so much of her time in it. Her job as an assassin required her to hide in the dark and use it to her advantage, which she did. She always found it very comforting, but tonight it wasn’t working as much as she wanted it to.

“Is there something I can help you with?”

She didn’t want to beat around the bush with small talk. Not tonight.

Events at the table transformed before the bandit’s eyes. The discussion of the monsters and situations with the informant seemed to spark a fire between Molotov and Kyo. As far as the actual monsters went, Ziggy was not worried at all, seeing as on more then one occasion he had been caught running into a situation without the foggiest idea of what he was getting himself into. The many wars against the mindless were a perfect example of what he went through with the previous Brotherhood. Anytime that Zigurate found himself in a tight spot his friends and instincts were able to help to bail him out. Despite how risky this mission was, it had to be completed before the Bandit Brotherhood could return to its former glory which Yari and Damon had once built it up to.

Watching Kyo storm out, the young bandit gave the new comer a slight nudge on the arm. “Now you see why you don’t get involved with women. There bad news and some can kill you, like her.” He winked at the kid as he took a long gulp from his mug of ale. Turning to face Molotov once again, Ziggy could see the mutant was very untrusting of this ally of theirs. Leaning on the table, he waited as his thought formed within his mind. The last thing he wanted to do was say something that would ignite a spark between him and Molotov. They had their difference and both of them knew it. Anytime in the past that they had actually settled any scores it had caused big scenes in bars and citadels alike. Despite these confrontations they always seemed to get over it and once again go on to being friends on a timid level.

“So you managed to scare her away, otherwise I think she was ready to snap.” Smiling, Ziggy kept his alliance with Molotov. Even though he didn’t know the mutant as well as he once had, he knew him a lot more than he did Kyo, not to mention he agreed with where the mutant was coming from. “Her trust is given out a little too premature, but on the same token, if we want to get this brotherhood back up then we have to go out on a few limbs before we can stand on our own two feet again.” Draining the bottom of his mug of ale, Ziggy set it down gently. He didn’t know the whole situation and frankly didn’t want to know unless they needed his help with something.

Looking around the tavern, Ziggy noticed that Kyo had not simply gotten up to go for a walk, but had completely left the tavern. He knew that the woman was capable of defending herself, otherwise his protective side would have kicked in by now and he would have followed her to make sure that nothing did indeed happen to her. Focusing back on the table, Ziggy looked from Luthien and Molotov and back to Luthien. The conversation at the table had died since the little outburst between the two leaders of the discussion. The new kid looked shocked at the whole situation, and Ziggy wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to handle some of the shit that the Bandit Brotherhood was put through, but then again years ago people had probably thought the same thing about him when he was a rookie. All it would take is come patience and guidance and this kid could be turned into a bandit.

“So how are we going to go about clearing this swamp of these dangerous monsters? From the description Kyo gave I have a feeling that damn things won’t go down without a fight.” Ziggy kept his voice light and cheerful, trying to reverse the downward spiral which had taken place at the table.

Dagon unwound the knots in his muscles with a yawn and a swig of malt. Grinning absently, he slumped on the backrest and rearranged the tattered lapels of his coat, taking another quaff of the mug he loosely held, eyeing what was the night's highlight of tavern trysts. They were only four at that table, but they'd done a good job at bringing down the pub's high and yellow mood. The tension in the air was all a tangle of strings when the black-haired girl, that pretty piece of woman, stormed out in a huff at some indiscretion of her friend with the pierced brow and lip; either she was surprisingly thin-skinned or that man had a tongue to make vipers envious. Pity though, since he'd considered answering to the toast the man had given earlier. It was simple, honest and to the point, the stuff that made the better speeches he could remember, and, let’s face it, being a bandit and bumping baddies for a living didn’t sound half-bad.

It’d all have to wait, though. These people would read his resume later tonight, if their plans didn’t fall through before he was done with his work. There was a reason this hole at the mouth of Concordia Forest still stood, and there was a damn reason it was called the Minstrel’s Perch. The glass bottom slammed on wood, a dark brew and froth spilling on the table, and the hobnails of his boots scuffed the dirtied floorboards, pushing him up. Dagon had been ushered to a seat right next to a stage that’d fallen into disuse so much that each of his steps upon it was answered with a drawn-out wail. He’d borrowed an old guitar from the owner and took it up with him in one hand, the other pushing the fold of his coat and rummaging inside a bladder-skin pouch at his belt. After plucking a sea-green pebble from its depths, he blew off the dust and, satisfied, popped it into his mouth, where it clung snugly to the inside of his cheek.

Dagon clicked his tongue to the rhythm of the strums, the ropey dreadlocks bobbing on his head. A few weary heads rose at the thrumming sounds, dry and creaky at first like a voice that hadn’t sung in years. The melody became smoother, and soon the tension that hung over each head melted away as fast as wax in the desert. Then he sang, his voice ringing loud and clear as if by magic, courtesy of the stone capsule in his mouth. It sounded nothing like the beginning cries of his instrument, sounded like he was singing out in the open, singing out of a dream. The man’s features were still creased and stern, but his eyes flickered green like swaying blades of grass, his full smile wreathed in deep dimples and soft brackets.

“Heard dat bandits, dey rob all
Big ‘eads, da poor or da blackfoots
Kill da young and take ‘em wives
Take it all, da gold and da blood.

But my ears dey deceived me
Words and lies of da guilty
Took me years, but now I can see
Banditry, I know, is right for me.

Kill no sons, no mothers, no fathers
Hands on our back, dey our brothers
Dey take much and dey give more
And dey all play a song of freedom.

Took me years, but now I can see
I want to help ‘em sing for the free
Took me years, but now I can see
Banditry, I know, is right for me.”

His words faded with the last shudders of the guitar. With his eyes closed, he could hear only a few polite claps and a cough from the backend. There were, however, a few unmindful nods of appreciation, unwrinkling scowls and a particularly strong applause that slightly broadened the grin he wore as he stepped down from the stage and walked toward the three-man gathering. He’d meant the song as a message, a preambule to what would follow. Anything else he’d gotten from it was a pleasant bonus. Dagon spit out the jade pellet and stowed it away, replacing it with a roll of paper-wrapped herbs. The tip lit up when he snapped his fingers, and he took a long drag that infused his lungs before leaving in a smoky veil from his nostrils.

“Question is,” he said with a slow, mellow voice, “is Dagon right for banditry?”

Splaying his hands, Saxon simply shrugged as he tried to look deep into the sky that seemed to have grown with waves of beautiful mauve and shades of indigo and blue. Stars and orbs poked through the night sky in an infinite ray of different hues and colours, while the vacuum of unrelenting beauty was so commonplace, so understated that it was one of those rare times that the eldritch had lost himself in it.

" Hey? Hey! You there?" The woman interrupted, her voice taut with frustration and snapped the weird's drifting mind back into order.

It took the eldritch a couple of seconds to register where he was again. Pull yourself together, bud, Saxon thought, Can't be doing this now. Shifting his gaze from the starry sky, the eldritch looked back towards at the slant-eyed woman who had been staring at him curiously. Pulling his leg up and putting a foot between the posts in the railing he smiled softly," How should I put this?.. When you and this... Molotov, is it?.. Spread word about this expedition of yours into the swamplands of that God forsaken land, it made an impression."

Pausing for a moment to see that he had gotten Kyo's attention he continued," I've come a very long way in a very short period of time to throw my name into the hat. If there is a monster you need to kill, than I'm your man... my name is Saxon, by the way."

In truth, Molotov didn’t know very much about the monsters. He generally trusted details like that to Kyo. While the mutant considered himself a leader of the newfound Bandit Brotherhood, he didn’t really consider himself the “details” person. He considered that to be Kyo’s job. Instead, his job to call a wanker a wanker. It was a generally underrated job, but someone still had to do it.

However, now he had to answer Ziggy’s question. He chuckled when he heard about Ziggy’s comment on women, remembering the first time that he had met the bandit in a club in Radasanth, he had flirted with Ziggy’s then girlfriend, Maia. “Bloody wonder what happened to that bird…” Molotov thought. “Now that she isn’t with Ziggy, I’d like to pay her a visit, see if she’d like to go a few rounds in the sack…”

Still, talking about how much he wanted to have sex with Ziggy’s ex was unlikely to endear the bandit to the prospect of fighting monsters. Instead, he decided to point out the singer on the stage. “Bloody hell, Ziggy, if the monsters aren’t going to go down without a fight, we’ll fight those buggers. Honestly, I don’t know exactly what we’ll be facing… I know it won’t be too easy, but we’ll make our way out. Just listen to the music now, mate… that bloke up there’s even singing about bandits!”

Molotov smiled, and once the song was done, gave a particularly strong applause. “Everyone’s bloody right for bandits.” he called out with a smile. “Bloody get over here Dagon! Share the smokes and we’ll buy you a drink!”

So, he was offering to help them with their little monster problem. She should have known, given how loudly Molotov had announced their intentions in the tavern, anyone approaching her or him would have such a thing in mind. Either that or they were probably going to start some trouble. Taverns in Corone were notorious for having what were called ‘bar brawls’ break out over the pettiest and silliest of things. Kyo on the other hand, thought it best to just leave and save face rather than explode upon the person she was disagreeing with.

Standing straight, the ninja gave the man a polite bow. “Tetsoma Kyosku, but you may call me Kyo.”

It may seem over the top for him and those that saw the action, but it was how she was raised and even though she was not in her home region of Akashima, she was not about to deviate from that. Even if it meant blending in with the crowd just a little more.

Leaning her back against the railing, the assassin regarded the man for a few minutes. He didn’t particularly look untrustworthy, nor did he particularly look trustworthy either, but knew that starting this clan would mean taking a few risks with whom they let in. Molotov didn’t appear to care who joined the bloody thing just as long as they were human; she on the other hand had no issues with race. Heck, if a few Draconians eventually wanted to join, she’d let them and she didn’t care what Molotov thought about it either.

“Well, if you’re up for some monster hunting, than you’re welcome to join us, Saxon. The more the merrier…” She paused here, not entirely sure how to breach the next subject with him though. They weren’t just looking for monster hunters after all; they were looking for people to join them. “But I’m sure you know the reason why we’re clearing out those ruins. This isn’t some fun expedition to slaughter a few hundred things to go bump in the night, this is to secure us a home for The Bandit Brotherhood, and if you help us do that, you’re more than welcome to join us there if that is what you wish.”

”I took the law and threw it away
Cause there's nothing wrong
It's just for play
There’s no law, no law anymore
I want to steal from the rich and
Give to the poor

Sha-la-la-la
Sha-la-la-la-la-la”*

The Ice elf sang softly to her self as she listened to the Akashima local and the rather unusual Saxon. She listened a little longer in silence as she thought. She had found that lying on the roof was always a good way to find out things or in her case, to watch the stars and enjoy some peace and quiet.

Hmm…guess we could at least do a little exploring in places unknown…

The thought was quite provoking. She waited only a moment more to light a cigarillo before flipping over and crawling to the edge where she laid on her belly and hung her head over the edge, directly above Kyo.

“Sounds like fun Kyo… Though I mean from a business prospective….you know this monster hunting business isn’t going to be free….How about I help you clear out that place and you give me a place to stay when I need one? Who Knows, maybe I might join you guys in some more fun, sound good?”

She took a long drag as she waited for an answer.

(* Howling at the moon (sha la la la by the ramones)

Arching a bushy eyebrow as he watched the woman bow in front of him, the eldritch's thoughts turned towards one of the provinces he had visited in the uncharted lands to the east. It was common place for its citizens to do such things, but it didn't mean Saxon would get used to it. To him, it just seemed strange to expose one's self for an attack, or other such things. But, then again, the weird never completely trusted anybody save himself.

Offering a grin when the ninja had finished her explanation," I had you pegged for the perceptive type from the start, Kyo," He began," I have no doubt that your motives were deeper than just extermination and the like, but I am ready to roll up my sleeves and see this to the end if you'd have me. As for that organization of yours.. well.. Let’s just say I know of a few places where the Brotherhood could stand to make a lot of money should our partnership be as fruitful as I suspect it to be."

Out of the corner of the weird's eye the saloon doors from the tavern came swinging open and Julie quietly slipped outside, probing the porch for her employer. Setting her sights on Saxon she began to move towards him when the scantily clad prostitute noticed he was accompanied by the assassin. Brushing her off with a narrow gaze, the weird watched the hooker turn on her heel, rolling her eyes, and slipped back into the tavern.

Looking back at Kyo, the eldritch smiled," So tell me, miss Tetsoma, what is it exactly we'll be dealing with here and when will i-"

Saxon leapt back with a curse at the sight of the deranged elf as she cleared the roof. For once, the weird was positive that if Kyo hadn't been standing right next to him, he would've pulled that elf down by the ears and given her a nice thwack for good measure.

The ninja barely reacted or even bothered moving at the head of one slightly strange elf descended over the edge of the roof. Her long orange hair flowing in the light of the moon like fire and dancing in the slight breeze that danced through the area. If the elf had expected some kind of reaction from her, then she was clearly dropping in on the wrong ninja. Of course the man beside her was a completely different story. He jumped away as if she was a bearer of the plague and he was not immune. The whole series of events put a smile on her face and a small burst of laughter that escaped her parted lips.

“Well, elf, I promise you nothing. Rebuilding the Bandit Brotherhood will take commitment, not someone who deems themselves worthy to merely drop in from time to time and say hi.”

She didn’t really like the idea of someone freeloading on them just because they helped with a certain monster problem. They were getting more than enough people interested in this to exterminate those suckers, what they really needed now were members. People who were interested in returning the Brotherhood to what it once was, or at least reforming it and creating something new and just as grand.

“For starters, you should think about coming down off the roof, you’re making more noise up there than a herd of centaurs in Concordia.”

“Well if a herd of them is all the noise I was making, then I don’t need to worry too much in this place”

Mia Smiled at Kyo for a moment before flipping over the edge and landing in a crouch on the railing, using a beam for support as she thought for a moment. She took a long pull on her smoke before speaking again.

“Well…I can see where you’re coming from. But on the other hand, being the honest and honorable person I am, at least I won’t stab you in the back without you doing it to me first.” She said softly before flicking the dying ember of her cigarillo into the darkness” So lets be honest, everyone who is going to join in this thing has a personal agenda of their own; I’m just being strait forward with mine. I need a dry place to stay when I’m not traveling about searching for something to do; and besides that, you guys would give me more options of things to do than just wander aimlessly.”

The ice elf slid from the railing to the floor, taking a few steps closer to Kyo and locking eyes with the ninja from over her glasses.

“So how about I buy you some warm Sake and we talk a little more about the deeper details of this business? Cause I could probably quite easily fall in with a cause of leveling the playing field between those who need a kick in the bloody nuggets and those who can’t seem to do it themselves.”

She smiled softly at the ninja as she awaited a hopefully positive answer.

" I didn't know the Brotherhood required a nut cracker," Saxon said through clenched teeth and tried very hard to quell his frustration which seemed to vanish in moments. The weird didn't like the elf from the start, and there just seemed to be something about her that didn't smell right. Friggin' free spirit, he thought, Just what I need.

Squaring his shoulders, the eldritch glared at the woman before turning his gaze back to Kyo. Stepping past the elf abruptly, he grabbed his staff and took a couple steps back. With the initial scare wearing off, Saxon sighed and watched the two begin to talk. Realizing his window was closing, the weird spoke up," Before you get smashed with this.. elf.. let me stop you to ask one last question; where will we need to meet before we depart to Dheathain? I'll figure the rest out myself."

Not that getting around for me will be much of a problem..

The ninja was just about to answer the elf when Saxon interrupted her. His words were terse and said between clenched teeth, clearly frustrated and upset with the elf for whatever reason. Some people just rubbed off on one another the wrong way and Kyo was in no position to judge such a thing. Her and Jared had not exactly gotten off on the wrong foot and her and Molotov, well if her slightly heated words back in the tavern were of any indication, they did not get along all the time either.

“We’ll be meeting in Suthainn before departing into the swamplands of Fiorair. We’re not expecting to be back in the region for at least a fortnight though.”

She had other things she needed to take care of besides this little jaunt into Corone, like a trip to Lavinya to see a certain thief and pay him back for some of the things that he did to her. Whether or not he would enjoy it was a completely different story, but that was neither here nor there.

Giving a polite nod of her head towards Saxon, Kyosku turned her attention back to the elf. “Would you like to continue this discussion inside?”

Turning, the ninja grabbed the handle to the tavern’s front door and pulled it open. Immediately her senses were assaulted by the noise, the smoke and the smell of ale, sweat and some few other things she couldn’t recognize right away. Making her way back towards the table, Kyosku noticed that there was already a new member sitting amongst them. Pulling out a chair and motion for the elf to sit beside her, she motioned to the waitress.

“Sake, if you have any.”

The woman nodded and quickly walked off to get the order.

Dagon nodded with a wide-lipped smile at the invitation. So the man with the piercings had payed attention to his lounge act, after all. The song had been a thing of spontaneity, but Dagon was glad to see that if bore good results and even gladder to see how keen the bandit was on sharing a table and drinks, as long as he threw a few of his own goods in the trading pool. He tipped a nearby chair and spun it on one leg, slamming it still as he sat astride, his arms and chest resting on the high-back.

"Sounds like a mighty fine deal!" he said with a chortle, his accent as a native from the southern plains of Deru fading to only a few exotic stresses on his syllables - not that anyone would know, considering they were almost uncharted lands to the core countries of Althanas. "But careful," he said with narrowed eyes that flickered a green of warning, "you'll be tasting no catchpenny ganja." He curled his lips into a circle and blew another waft of dreamy mist that expanded into three consecutive rings. He watched them float away like merry clouds for a while, then passed the roll of herbs to his left, handing it to the leader by the tip that wasn't smoky red and smouldering. He faced the other two men with an apologetic look, then threw back a thumb to what their chief was holding. "Sorry to slow you down boyos. While this old man gets some catching up, why don't ye help yourselves to his smoking gold?"

In the next few minutes, everything the man told him had been infused into his brain like the sweet haze he'd inhaled. As he spoke of slaying monsters and clearing a tract of free land for their band of merry bandits, he could imagine it as vividly as if he were smack dab in the middle of it - something he damn well intended on doing. To honor a recap well done, Dagon hefted, not one of three mugs as had been intended, but a cold and sloshing pitcher of the amber liquor. He raised it for a silent toast and chugged, careful not to spill. "Got one question to which I haven't heard the answer yet," he said with a hiss as he forced the sting away from his eyes and gullet. The pitcher gavelled the table and rested there, frothing quietly as Dagon watched the three, wondering if they still had enough presence to reply. "When do we start?"

Right then, the woman who'd left... was it minutes or hours ago? Well, whichever the case, she was back and a bit flushed to boot, because of the cool winds that swept outside the pub. One elfin girl followed closely in her suit, but from her bicolored hair and strange looks, he wondered if his hemp hadn't been a bit too effective, this evening. Bah, he thought dismissively, shrugging. "Dagon Dessalines. Ye missed my performance, but no worries: ye can catch the next one, anytime."

Suthainn it is, the weird thought as he watched the ninja walk bravely back into the tavern, and saw Julie timidly step out from behind the saloon doors a few seconds later. Moving towards the steps of the porch he heard the hooker whisper quickly," Wait, Mr. Saxon!"

" Yes?" The weird said, his tone hinting at his rising ire with the entire situation. He was becoming tired of this, and if he was going to make it to Dheathain he'd need to isolate himself somewhere near by and condition himself to the environment to avoid the unpleasantness of some sort of swamp fever. That's the last thing I need before I split some bugbear's wig, Saxon thought as he watched the prostitute slowly approach him.

" Mr. Saxon," she began with her voice barely above a whisper," There is a lot of fighting between the two leaders. Like you said before, they don't seem to be very close except for this kind of journey they are getting people for."

Hearing wisdom that should normally be too complex for a girl her age, the eldritch could only smile while he watched her explain to him the distance between Kyo and Molotov, and it didn't surprise Saxon in the least. Honor among thieves wasn't as much of a commodity as the proverb suggested, and the weird could only deduce that if he were to join this organization there'd be a point in time where he'd have to choose a side.

He wasn't looking forward to it, but when the time came Saxon knew that if that possibility ever arose there was a risk a usurper could ruin it for the rest of them. Although the ideas of such things were drastic and unlikely, the weird wouldn't open himself up to that kind of vulnerability. For now, it'd be an uneasy friendship. Until I can trust them with my life, that is, he thought pragmatically.

Sliding his hand into his pocket and past the key that allowed him entrance into Tsep and the mysterious watch that contained the essence of a God, Saxon plucked three golden coins out and interrupted the girl," I see. Well, that is all the information I need for now. Thanks for the help, Julie."

Receiving the gold coins reluctantly, the hooker shoved them into her bra and looked at him sadly before saying," Sir, are you sure that you don't want that warm bed?"

Looking towards the tavern one last time, the eldritch smiled and nodded to her gravely," I'm sure. Besides, perhaps it’s time you change your profession. You know, something more wholesome. Was there something you always wanted to do, Julie?"

Staring down at him from the porch as he was halfway down the steps, the girl looked away bashfully and whispered," No.. no, you'll think it’s silly."

" Come now, Julie," Saxon said soothingly," What is it?"

" I... I.. I want to become a singer, sir," The girl said with a weak smile on her face, unable to gauge the weird's reaction.

Nodding to her, Saxon put his hand back into his pocket," A noble goal, Julie," he said softly before relinquishing a small leather bag of coins. Holding it by the leather string, the eldritch dangled it in front of her like a father offering a child a nugget of earthy wisdom," There is over a hundred gold here and it should get you to Corone, I know of a singing school that works with one of the new theatr-"

" Saxon, please!" The girl insisted as she cupped her mouth with hands in amazement.

Pushing it closer to her, the weird smiled," Take it. You’re not cut out to be a whore, Julie. Go do something you have your heart in. You only have one life to live and I'm sure you'd rather be doing what you love than biting some headboard to a lousy drunkard. Don't you agree?"

Slowly the hooker's hands slipped from her face and took the bag gently into her grasp, this time holding it to her heart like a child she cherished longingly. Instead of lust or sadness in her eyes, instead all Julie could see was love," Thank you sir, oh thank you so much!"

" Go to Radasanth and look for a man named Carlini, he’s the headmaster to this school I told you about. Tell him that 'Faust' sent you and he'll take it from there," Saxon instructed with care.

" Oh, I don't know what to say.." Julie began as tears rolled down her eyes.

Not cut out for these sort of heartfelt moments, Saxon chose to make his exit and nodded to the girl before he placed his hand on top of his akubra, Amalarj, and tipped it to her," M'am."

Signing up to become a thief and then giving a whore money to change her life. Damn I must be getting old, the weird thought as he turned on his heel, and proceeded down the steps before slowly drifting into the darkness as he walked down the overgrown path. Before long he melted into the shadows, and the sound of his echoing footsteps upon the unsullied trail rippled away into nothing.

Saxon…such an odd fellow...hmm…he might be fun…

Mia thought as she continued to smile, watching Kyo talk to him. The ice elf couldn't help but to give the ninja the full look over while she waited.

Nice butt.

Her smile broadened a little as she wondered just what kind of girl Kyo is. The night air was beginning to grow crisp as the moon began to rise. When the akashiman finished with Saxon and turned back to her, Mia quickly nodded, hoping to hide her wandering eyes.

With a sly smile she passed by Saxon, giving him a cute wave as she entered the tavern behind Kyo. The dregs of the world always seemed to stink worse, the more there were of them in one building. She removed her blades and set them on the table as she placed her bag on the floor between her legs.

The smell of herb grazed her nostrils as she sat next to her new acquaintance, making her raise a brow. It had been a fair amount of time since she had been around any. Truth be told, she didn't even remember when the last time was, but she was sure it fell during the time she was outside the common known countries. Probably somewhere over the ocean.

She smiled at Dagon as he introduced himself. His accent was similar to some she had heard in the southern unknowns.

“Mia” she said following suit as she eyed the men around the table. She knew that they would all probably love to have a bit of the old in out, in out with her, but none of them probably had what she considered worthy equipment.

As the waitress returned with their order of sake, Mia graciously paid and set to pouring Kyo a cup.

Molotov knew if there was one person who it was worth meeting, it was Dagon. It wasn’t just the hazy feeling that the older musician’s special cigarettes were giving him. This man asked the most important question of them all. “We bloody start soon,” he said. “Whenever bloody Kyo and her bloody people want to get out of here, we’ll bloody go.” He giggled. They were the kind of giggles he normally punched people for giggling. “Your bloody cigarettes are bloody good, bloody…”

Then, even though no one had asked him for his insightful analysis on the subject, the mutant began to dissect the word bloody. “You know, bloody, it’s a bloody good word, isn’t it. I like to bloody say it right now, just rolls of the tongue… bloody. Say it with me people bloody. So we’ll bloody go and make some monsters bloody, because we hit them so sodding much. Bloody fun!”

Molotov laughed at his own joke, even though the server who had come to ask if they wanted more ale looked at him like he should have been in a mental asylum. “You should really try this,” he told her, holding out the handmade cigarette to her. “It’s really bloody good.”

The server looked at it nervously. She didn’t really want it, but Molotov was practically shoving it in her face. Reluctantly she took a puff. She inhaled and then exhaled. She coughed a little, Molotov laughed. “That’s good,” she said.

“Pass it around the room!” Molotov said. “And when Kyo’s bloody done talking, we’re going to go monster killing!”

Kyo nodded her head to the new comer as he introduced himself. “Tetsoma Kyosku, I’ll look forward to seeing your next performance then.”

She said it more out of formality than anything else. She knew nothing about his performance and what had occurred during it. He could have bitten the head off a chicken for all she knew, which she really hoped he hadn’t done because she didn’t really want to see it if that was the case.

As Mia sat down beside Kyo, she watched the waitress quickly return with their order of sake and the elf poured her a glass. Nodding her head in silent appreciation, she picked up the small, porcelain cup and brought it to her lips, drinking down half the contents right there. The familiar burn of the strong, rice alcohol was comforting to her in a way; she hadn’t actually had sake since she’d left Akashima, preferring to try some of the local alcohols instead. It felt good... familiar to have it once more.

Just as her glass touched the table, Molotov started ranting about them leaving and talking about her as if she weren’t already back in the room and sitting just a few feet away from him. He also giggled. Giggled like a five year old girl, giggled. It made her stare at him wide-eyed as if he’d gone insane, then she noticed the smoke in his hand that he was forcing towards the waitress.

Oh, fuck me... he’s on some kind of drug!

If the man wanted to have his brain go all loopy on him he should have said something. She had a few shuriken she’d love to shove up his ass and they were coated in a hallucinogenic that was sure to much with his brain possibly more than that stuff was. The ninja even entertained the idea of chucking one at his head and seeing his reaction to it, but she pushed that aside, especially as he started analyzing the word ‘bloody’. His sudden enthusiasm did not put a smile on her face, only a scowl.

Sighing and bringing her glass once more to the lips, Kyosku drained the rest of the sake and gave her head a slight shake as the aftertaste of the alcohol flooded her mouth.

Ignoring the men, she turned her eyes back to the elf. “I’m sure you overheard most of the information outside, but in case you missed something. Molotov and I are restarting The Bandit Brotherhood in the original image that Yari once created it. But Corone is too crowded these days, especially with the civil war going on, so we’re setting up in Dheathain. The region has only been open to trading for a few years now and there aren’t really any organizations like ours around, so it won’t be hard to get a foothold and indeed, we’ve been given a spot of land by the leader of the Draconians. Downside is we have to clean it out of monsters, so we’re here recruiting for that and for people who wish to help us rebuild the Brotherhood.

“Even though I would prefer a more...permanent commitment, I’m willing to accept you into the clan and give you that safe haven you need, as long as you’re willing to help us when we need it.”

The smoke was a bit too pungent as it wafted in her direction, burning her eyes and making her face scrunch up a little from the stench. From just the few moments she sat the ice elf was already beginning to get a good look at the rest of the rag tag bunch that had been drawn in by Molotov's charisma.

Charisma that was in amazingly small supply at the moment.

Mia wasn't really the kind of person to jump to a side or someone to have a sort of loyalty for another, but to her the Akashiman seemed to be the only other level headed member of the group.

Besides the fact that Kyo has a nice butt.

Molotov would be someone she felt that a watchful eye would be needed on. He was a little erratic, even for her. Not that it mattered much, she would have to deal with it till everything ran its own course.

She was shocked out of her thoughts when Kyo began talking to her again. She had to lean towards her a little to hear over the mutant's roars about the word “bloody”. Granted it was an interesting word, its only that amazing when one is as high as he clearly was.

“The bandit brotherhood...” she whispered as she passed into a thought before smiling warmly” my former husband...he had wanted to join at one point but they didn't allow undead...he also had wanted a partnership with them...he used to run a group called the D.Z.S...it was a good cause, but like the BB...it fell.” she stopped for a moment to take a drink before running her fingers along her choker” I think he would like to see me falling in with a group that had those kinds of goals.”

She stopped for a moment, looking off into space before slamming back the rest of the sake in her cup, as if it were a way to seal the deal within her.

“I'm in.”

Mia was familiar with the clan they were restarting as well, her former husband having tried to be a member. Though the D.Z.S. did not strike any kind of recollection within the ninja’s mind, she knew that there had been perhaps dozens if not hundreds of clans started by hopefully people, only to slowly fade into nothing for one reason or another. She was going to work her hardest to make sure that didn’t happen to the BB, not again, not this time. Though Molotov clearly had some of his own problems, she didn’t doubt that the man wanted it; else he wouldn’t have done what he did when they met the Ceann Cath. She just doubted he’d always be able to keep a level head on his shoulders.

Smiling as Mia announced her new partnerships with their clan, Kyosku poured them both another glass of sake and raised it in salute.

“To The Bandit Brotherhood.”

Then she drank down the entire contents in one go.

Looking around the room, she noticed a few more curious faces glancing at them and their assembly of rag tag fighters, bandits and drug dealing hooligans, but she doubted they would get any more from this tavern. What they had assembled here was most likely enough anyway, but there was a certain someone she was not going back to Dheathain without talking to. He would make a great ally and he already had many thieving skills that some of these people generally lacked, including herself. Though as he had mentioned to her once before, thieves and ninjas were rather similar, whereas he merely stole material objects though, she stole lives.

Kyo turned her attention back to Molotov and waved her hand through the wisps of smoke flying her way, “Molotov, you may leave with the others to return to Dheathain as soon as you wish, but I have more unfinished business. I’ll meet you in Suthainn whence I am done.”

And hopefully with one more name to add to the steadily growing pile...

This should have been done sooner, but I’ve been pretty busy. You waited too long for this judging, especially unreasonable since J didn’t ask for comments. Sorry about that.

Story
Continuity – 6/10 Definitely consistent.
Setting – 6/10
Pacing – 5/10

Character
Dialogue – 7/10 Good. Very good in some places, not so good in others.
Action – 6/10
Persona – 5/10 I don’t understand why someone who kills for money would care about someone else being talked about behind their back. If Kyo hates when people insult others when they don’t deserve it, how can she kill someone without knowing whether or not they deserve it?

Writing Style
Technique – 5/10
Mechanics – 6/10
Clarity - 6/10 Small issues in Saxon’s writing, especially. Some ‘her’ instead of ‘him’ and similar mistakes, and you could work on your sentence structure to make it read in a clearer, less abstract way.

Miscellaneous
Wild Card - 8/10 As far as quick meet-up recruitment threads go, this was a good one. It wasn’t boring to read, there were lots of different things going on (rather than a single back-and-forth conversation) and it accomplished what it was supposed to.

Total: 60

Rayner loses some of his reward gold to cover the ale.
Saxon loses some of his reward gold for being noble.

Molotov receives 1,800 EXP, 150 gold.
Rayner receives 245 EXP, 30 gold.
Kyo receives 560 EXP, finds a keychain made of rubber, 180 gold.
Bandit receives 880 EXP, 150 gold.
Saxon receives 450 EXP, gains 20 gold.
Papa Dagon receives 245 EXP, 60 gold.
MiaKane receives 360 EXP, 120 gold.

EXP/GP added! Kyo levels up!