It may be a glancing blow, but it's still enough to send Ash flying back.
This time, when he lands, he doesn't move. The crowd lets out a collective gasp before falling silent.
The bell suddenly rings three times. "THIS BOUT IS OVER!" The announcer calls.
"ASH!" Cole lets out a pained scream of fear.
He looks between Ash and Ulfr before throwing his club down.
Azura is immediately on her toes, racing over to Ash to apply healing magic to make sure his concussion doesn't become fatal.
Ryn immediately shifts her focus, racing over toward them to stand over Azura as she works her healing touch, and flashing Ulfr a questioning look.
Ulfr holsters his club on his back and the magic of his song fades as he finishes the line, but with the mama cockatrice more than meet his match.
He takes a deep breath as Ash is tended to.
At Ryn's glance he nods. Apparently this was the desired outcome. But he doesn't celebrate or gloat. Just stand his ground as the boy is brought back around.
It's a show, as those who know him well can see. Ulfr can't be seen rushing over to someone he just hit into next week.
He watched the young man sailing through the air in abstract horror. He knew this was a terrible idea. He should have said something. He moved almost as quickly as Azura since he was down on the arena floor.
"Dear Cayden, we have some fools down here, both laying flat and standing there preening. Someone forgot who they were... and who they were fighting and pride may have killed some fool.... Please Cayden... let this poof fool rjust walk away with a reminder to stay out of Arena's...Please."
He pulled out his flask and poured a healthy shot of liqour into Ash's mouth.
The silence hangs in the air as Trendon turns the prone Ash over. The young man's eyes are glassy and unfocused... but he's alive, though just barely.
The young man struggles to suck in air with every wheeze of his unconscious body. As Cayden Cailean's holy liquor pours into his mouth, Cole watches with entirely visible terror. His hands wring nonstop as he looks between Ash and Ulfr.
For a moment, there is a silence.
Then Ash gasps and begins coughing. A gob of blood flies out of his mouth and lands on the arena floor.
The surrounding patrons breathe a collective sigh of relief and start applauding--not for the power behind Ulfr's blow, but for Ash somehow surviving it.
"...wha' happened?" Ash asks, blinking his eyes several times. He makes no move to stand up.
"Took a nasty hit to the head," says Azura as she caresses his forehead. "Just avoided getting cracked a little too hard! But you did put up a good fight. And you'll be all right."
Azura's healing touch gives Ash enough strength to stand up.
"Ow... g@#+$%n..."
Cole races over to Ash and grabs him in a bear hug. "Oh thank the Gods I thought you were dead I had no idea what to do and I didn't know what I was going to tell Mama and--" The big man babbles before burying his face in Ash's shoulder and sobbing.
Ash still looks to be in shock from the hit, but he has enough of his senses to look pointedly at Ulfr.
Ulfr's posture relaxes noticeably as Ash stands and he laughs out the breath he didn't know he was holding. Well done! he bellows to grab the attention of the moment. Two boys, fresh off the street, and you each managed to get a lick in before I ended it! Why there are men here with years of experience who can't say the same. He shows off the freshly flowering bruise from Cole's hit and the bloody patch on the back of his head from Ash. Clearly he's only half talking to his fellow combatants. You're natural fighters! And to agree to face off against not only me, but RYN as well! All THREE of you deserve awards for your balls alone! Come! Your drinks are on me today! It's the least I can do after nearly killing you! After all, this arena isn't a blood pit.
He starts to walk out of the arena, his dripping head wound from Ash glistening red in the light of the arena.
He passes through the door where another pair is readying for the next bout. They both look to be strapping on extra armor hastily grabbed from the racks and part like water before Ulfr as he goes to the back of the room. There Ulfr turns, concern etched across his face. Ash, are you ok? I am so sorry. I didn't want to actually break one of you!
Ash leans against the wall, starting to shake now that he's out of the pit.
"...I dunno. I just damn near died."
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But you didn't. Mortality isn't something to be afraid of. True, you live your life staying just out of reach, saying "Not Today!" to Death. But, if you love well. Live well. Then when death takes your hand you will greet him as an old friend.
Take it from someone who has stared death in the face more than once and made money doing it.
Ulfr approaches the boys and places one giant, calloused hand on each of their shoulders.
Also, coming from a Gladiator, you two did well out there. What I said to the crowd wasn't empty grandstanding. There are plenty of people here, fighters, who have yet to land a blow on me. Your performance today should be a source of pride! You two have faced Death himself and you are here!
He steps back. As for my part in that experience, I will say again that I am sorry. I am accustomed to fighting things that take much more punishment than normal humans can, and I neglected to dial it back. That's on me. To make it up to you both, if like to offer you a job paying five times your current daily wage on the docks.
Each.
He frowned at almost everyone involved as he touched his clearly broken nose gently. He knew next to nothing about broken bones.... he just knew his nose was clearly broken.
"This place have a good bonesetter?"
Ulfr glances over to Trendon. Don't worry, Trendon. I'll get you over there after I talk with the boys here. He does good work. Or Ryn can take you. Either way.
"C'mon, we'll get that set for you." Ryn replies, "Though the rakish, broken-nose-bad-boy look might work for you." she says with a chuckle as she give Trendon a friendly slap on the back. "You made a good showing out there."
He yelped out as Ryn clapped him on the back just as he was removing his hand from his nose gingerly.
"Yeah... sure. I just wanted to keep those boys alive."
He muttered just waiting for direction to someone who could set his nose.
"I have no trouble finding attenti... "
He paused and sighed shaking his head. Pathfinding. He was a pathfinder. He needed to try and remember to not chase after women. They had always gotten him into trouble.
"Just point the way, wouldnt want to interupt your celebrations."
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Azura says, "It's all right, Trendon, I'll take care of it."
She puts a soft hand on the side of his face and leans in to whisper something, then while he is distracted, her hand slips over to his nose and with a crack sets it back in place before he can react.
Azura clears her throat briefly, takes a step back, and hums a low, reverberating note that seems to re-energize the spirit and fill the body with vigor once more.
Cole and Ash's eyes go wide when Ulfr makes his offer.
"Five times the pay--damn!" Cole finally says. "What's the job?"
Ryn grins as Azura sets Trendon's nose, realizing what was coming. "Better if it's quick, the anticipation is the worst. Also, a far gentler touch that the pit's usual medics."
He yelped suddenly and jerked himself from her grasp. His eyes narrowed and for a moment it was clear he was.... very much angry. Then he took a deep breath nodded his head and muttered [/b]"Thanks"[/b].
He paused a short way from the boys and waited to hear Ulfr's pitch. He wondered what he had done really to offend Ryn and her lover. Did he stare too much the other night? Did he say something wrong? He slowly removed the rag from his nose and tossed it in a rubbage bin.
"Sorry about that," says Azura once the task is finished. "I had to get your nose aligned before applying magic or it might heal back crooked and, well, that wouldn't be any good. Best just to get it over with."
Cole and Ash's eyes go wide when Ulfr makes his offer.
"Five times the pay--damn!" Cole finally says. "What's the job?"
Ulfr motions for the group to follow him after the bones are set and the boo-boos are healed. He leads them up to relatively private booth in a corner of the tavern before he lays out his proposition.
As you all know, I was a fighter in the arena. A gladiator. After I was done fighting for the enjoyment of the city populace this is where I came. I've made a kind of home out of this place. However, a fighting pit like this often attracts unsavory types. It does attract mindless brutes and savages, yes, but that's not the unsavory I'm speaking of. Those kinds of people can be dealt with relatively easily. I'm referring to people who crave bloody death. They often refer to it in veiled terms like "no holds barred" or "high stakes"What I need you boys to do is be my eyes and ears here. Specially, I need you to get accustomed to the culture here and get familiar with the fighters here. Just occasionally, someone is going to show up who is more than a simple thug. They are going to want to turn this place into something that it isn't. A blood-ring. It's already happening. You saw how the man before you was dragged out. That would not have happened even a few months ago, unless by accident as happened to you, Ash (and, again, I'm sorry). I don't know who's pressing for change in this place toward it being one of those death traps. But I need to find out. This place is a bastion of honest competition. A temple to physical debate. A place for the study of purest battle rage. I need to keep it that way.
In return you will be beholden to help the owner in whatever he requests, within reason, and will receive, each of you, give times your current average income, payable whenever I come back into town.
"Drinks are on me Trendon!" Ryn says amicably, "I hope yopu didn't take anything that happened here personally, because it definitely wasn't...or at least, not in the way you might think."
"With the kind of fights we've found ourselves up against recently, I thought it best to give you a real fight, albeit a controlled one, I don't want to see any of us fall because we were unprepared for the challenges ahead. I have every intention of making sure we all come home."
"Right? I was trying to make sure the two wet behind the ears warriors stayed upright and breathing and got a broken face for it...and a real fight? I guess that time with those wreckwash what have you gangmembers or the time the pugwampi's doesnt count."
He sighed and gave one last glare at Azura for the tricky handling of his nose.
"despite my appearance i am not weak you know and personally but not in the way i would think huh?"
It was more than a little clear that at the moment, the noble fop turned pathfinder turned cleric was not amused that he was being seen as well a new and weak member. Sure they had done some amazing things finding the devices, but it wasnt his first scrape with trouble. it was fine really He needed to learn to tamper his expectations.
"Again my thanks, you havent a need to worry buying my drinks I understand. Im just glad those two boys werent accidently splattered. Where too next? Perhaps your well lust filled co-patriot has figured out something?"
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"I wanted to spare you the trouble of a slow and painful re-setting of the nose," says Azura with a shrug. "I wonder how many times Cayden Cailean had his nose broken in his mortal days? Probably more than a few, given the bar brawls that he must've been in."
"Anyway, once Ulfr gets the lads settled, yeah, let's see what Saersha has figured out."
The brothers' eyes light up when Ulfr explains the details of the job.
"S~+*, that's all you had to say! I'm down for it!" Cole nods enthusiastically. Ash nods in agreement, albeit not as enthusiastically (and with one hand on his head).
-------------------
By the time the details have been sorted out, the party notices Saersha approaching them with Embyr in tow--and one can see a golden-furred tail and cat ears poking out from beneath Embyr's cloak. The rogue's cheeks are a deep red.
Azura says, "Y'know, this is a good deal for you both," to Cole and Ash. "Ulfr gets to have some eyes and ears in the arena to stop people from promoting fatal bloodsports, but since you did this match, you'll get some respect from the locals. You stepped up and you fought, which is more than most people. And now everyone knows that if they mess with you, they mess with Ulfr, which will help to keep you safe from the unsavory sorts."
"And probably good in the eyes of the girls... or boys you know whatever floats your boat."
He added only half paying attention to the boys, instead he was mostly focused on the wizard and her...assistant. He had his hands crossed warily over his chest clearly a scowl on his face.
"Also true!" says Azura with a chuckle. "Perhaps you made some new admirers, Trendon."
"Doubtful. All i did was get beat up on and try to keep two kids alive."
"Some folks find trying to help and heal others, especially at risk to yourself, to be very admirable," says Azura. "I know that I do."
Embyr winces when she sees Trendon's frown and looks at Saersha.
"It's always honorable to protect others, especially at personal cost. Don't think that it went unnoticed. The people ho frequent the pit know the flow of a fight, and pick up on more than you'd think." Ryn agrees, hoping that between her and Azura's words they could assuage at least some of their new teammate's sulking.
Sarsha rolled her eyes at Trendon's reaction and said to Embyr, "Don't mind him, he's just jealous he doesn't get cute cat ears and a tail like you do luv." Saersha reached out to run her hand down Embyr's back and said, "We'll figure out how to fix this, it will just take some time is all."
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You look fabulous, Embyr, don't let anyone fool you! Ulfr declairs. You look like one of those Tien half-fox people that come through sometimes. What are they called. Kit-sue-me or something like that?
Embyr blinks. "Really? Mistress said it was called 'nekopara'."
Her eyes widen briefly and she shrinks beneath her cloak.
Ulfr shrugs. She would know better than me. Either way, you don't look worse for it. You just might attract a sight different kind of folk is all.
"It's kind of cute, but I can see how it could be concerning."
"If anything it just makes you a little more unique...which ironically fits right in with this group." Ryn says with a chuckle.
Embyr makes a little smile and her tail gently starts to swish about behind her.
She then clears her throat. "A-Anyway, Mistress... weren't we supposed to tell them about something?"
"The frown had nothing to do with Miss Embyr's... setup."
He said shaking his head slightly.
"Your brothers acquitted themselves well, Everything here is fine. What have you discovered?"
Saersha nodded to Embyr and said, "Yes, of course luv," before turning back to their friends.
"I was meditating on the Shard of Lust tot ry and get a better grasp on it's powers, which I have managed to do, when I had a vision. I don't know if it came fromt he Shar or somewhere else but in the vision vision I saw a grand city. Its yellow-and-green spires rose up from atop a cliff, where the sides were carved into enormous grotesques from which water flowed down into fog below. The size of the city showed that it must be one of the largest on the whole continent, and I recognized it to be Kaer Maga."
With an annoyed sigh Saersha said, I can't remember much about Kaer Maga other than it was where the Runelord of Greed, Karzoug, made his home until the ill-fated event of Starfall ended the ancient empires of Thassillon. As for where it was or any additional details I am afraid I am at a loss. We can expect lots of transmutation magics though, that was the focus of the Sin of Greed."
"Well it looks like we have our next destination at least. Perhaps Sheila's library might have more on the city itself, or give us some idea what to expect." Ryn says, excited at the next step of their exploration.
I can ask around the local storytellers. Maybe I can find a travelling bard or troubadour or skald who's been there. Ulfr offers.
Azura shakes her head and says, "I've bever been there. All I know is it's a legendary place on a cliff. We can surmise that if the shard of greed is there, it's probably in someone's collection of magical trinkets and curios. Or else in a secret hiding place left by the old Runelord of Greed."
"I think your idea's a decent one, Ulfr," she adds. "Since it's a major city there should be trade caravans that travel there."
Though it's a small city, it's a haven for those considered outcasts and misfits from society, giving it the nickname of 'The Asylum Stone'. It's populated mainly by monsters, halflings, and even, as it's rumoured--undead.
"Kaer Maga you say? ahhh..... should be interesting. Or scary. Its an old place. Ancient really. Some nicknamed it the Asylum Stone, cause its a haven for misfits... I hear it mostly populated by what a lot of folk would consider monsters... some halflings, those little buggers can settle anywhere I swear, and even the undead. It would be wise to keep you guard up."
He said filling in the gaps as he recalled that the others left.
"Thanks for the information, Trendon," says Azura. "Sounds like it's going to be a bit of a twist!"
"So if that's our next stop... guess we best start packing!"
"Definitely good to know, especially if the undead part turns out to be true. Unless I'm mistaken, won't a lot of the magic we usually use not work on the mindless ones at least?" Ryn asks, turning to Azura, and sparing a glance at Saersha and Trendon.