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Cheng decides to play it somewhat safe, for now. "Let's see how you handle this, eh?" He charges at one of the nearer scorpions, and lays into him with a massive punch.
"Bah, we can take 'em. Besides, do you really think the Illusionist would have sent us here if it was as simple as walking back through the door? Mark my words that door will disappear as soon as we make a move for it."
"Well. This didn't take long to go to s%@%." Cheng growls, falling into his fighting stance.
"Careful. These people are not as they appear. Some sort of illusion covers their true forms as half-scorpion creatures of some sort."
"That is...odd."
"Not much choice, really." Cheng opens the door.
"I find that hard to believe." he taps the side of his goggles. "These goggles here let me see things as they are, illusion, shapechanging magic, whatever."
"Same. Figures with my luck that the very day I decide to return to the Material I get whisked off to gods know where."
"I didn't even get to finish my drink." Cheng says grumpily. He walks over and starts putting his clothes and gear on. "Zuzhou Cheng. If we're in this, we may as well be in it together." "We'd better be ready for trouble, and I see no reason to stick around here if we don't have to."
Cheng picks a likely looking wall and studies it, looking for a weak point.
He then nails it with one mighty blow, with all his strength behind it.
Spoiler: "Oh you know how it is, eat enough carrots and you can see in the dark. This is just my outward indicator of my carrot munching past. he says flippantly, dropping the drunken pretense.
Drinking Match: "Aye lass, I'm feeling it." he says, feigning drunkenness. "Whash your secret?
Spoiler: Cheng nods his head a few times. "I like your style, lass. You're on." he grins widely, not that anyone can see it.
Homecoming: Zuzhou Cheng steps from an alleyway in a puff of brimstone. He breathes deeply, enjoying his first taste of fresh air in decades. "Even that trash heap smells wonderful." he mutters to himself, voice grating like stones after such long disuse. Luxuries like talking can spell death in the Pit. A slight sound comes from behind him and he twirls on the balls of his feet, coming into a ready stance quicker than a flash. He sees no enemy behind him, and is puzzled for the span of a second, until he looks down. A small grey alleycat looks up at him curiously for a moment, then turns and saunters away. He lets out a short, barking sound that may have once resembled a laugh, and arranges his clothing to better hide his form. He pulls up his hood, obscuring his unnatural bronze tinted skin and monkey-like features. The only thing that can be seen under his hood now are his eyes, glowing a faint orange in the darkness, limned with a faint blue fire. The rest of his robes cover up his alternately scaled and furred skin, and the disgusting scaled monkey tail that is the only feature he loathes with a passion. "I'd cut you off myself if I didn't figure it'd hurt so damn bad." he growls at the offending body part, as it steadfastly refuses to lay naturally under his robes in a way that keeps it from making a conspicuous bulge. Eventually he manages to wrap it around himself like a belt and nods, satisfied finally that this is as good as he can do.
He walks out of the alleyway and goes to the first place any normal person would go after crawling out of Hell. "Bartender! I've been on a long trip and I've got a POWERFUL thirst. Bring me an ale, and keep 'em coming." he says, and loudly slaps a few gold pieces on the counter.
Spoiler:
"Here, it'll be easier to show you." Cheng turns his face from the rest of the tavern and lowers his mask. a bit. Underneath lies a fairly normal human face, with some distinguishing characteristics. Scales begin at his temples, mostly avoiding the face, but continuing down his neck and presumably the rest of his body. The eyes are orange in color and glow faintly, with almost imperceptible wisps of smoke drifting off of them. Finally, he smiles widely, showing a mouth full of teeth resembling an ape's. "Got a bit of a tail too. Comes in handy, as did the scales. Ugly as sin though. Kinda like a monkey tail with scales. Weirder than it sounds." "To be honest, I like the rest of it though. Sets me apart a bit. I was never pretty, at least now I'm a DIFFERENT kind of ugly."
Spoiler: "Unfortunately I share the same 'benefit' you do. Trained myself to be poison proof, and didn't think of the dire consequences thereof." he says, and shakes his head sorrowfully. Still, saved my life more than once, so I can't complain too bad." "As for knowing of the lower pits, yeah I've spent some time there, though not for the reasons you might be thinking. I needed to lay low for a while, and hiding in Hell and trying to blend in for a few years seemed like a better bet than tangling with the people I was running from. Not that the Pit isn't dangerous, but Devils'll at least give you the time of day before skinning you alive." "I absorbed a bit of the Taint while I was there, came back changed. Not too ashamed of it, doesn't change who I am, but others don't take too kindly. Hence the robes and hood." he gestures to himself. "Been pretty useful though. Gave me the boost I needed to fight off the people who were chasing me, though that may've just been the benefits of fighting to survive in Hell for a few years. Builds character, I recommend it if you think you're hard enough." "Why I'm HERE, now, is a bit simpler. Gold, pure and simple. Andoran's a good place to find work, especially around this time of year."
BONUS DUCKS!: "I wonder what your first clue was, the wings or the fact that she barely fits in the room." Cheng snorts derisively. "Bah, maybe I will have something. Getting on toward lunch and that racket shows no sign of stopping any time soon." he waves over a waitress. "I'll have a bowl of stew and some fresh bread if you have any. And an egg, scrambled."
Spoiler: "I'm not really hungry. Just needed a place that was relatively quiet." Zhou rumbles. He turns to Thomas. "A mage, eh? I've dabbled in a little magic myself, though I'm not really very good with it."
Spoiler: "You live above a tavern, friend, and it's a festival day. What did you expect?"
** spoiler omitted ** Spoiler: Another burly man, tall and dressed in loose fitting clothing, with his features obscured by a hood and mask, walks into the tavern.
He waves the bartender down. "I'll have the strongest thing you've got." is all he says, and plops a few coins down on the bar. "Hotter than Hell itself out there." he remarks, glancing to the other nearby patrons.
The Lieutenant screeches in pain. "WHO THREW THAT?" she roars, looking around, but to no avail. The other sailors cover their heads as they're scorched by the passing flames. Initiative Order:
Lieutenant Riza Slickjaw Sailor 1 Ace Cyrdic Lucy Sailor 2 "Come on!" one of them yells, and he hares off through the mist as fast as he can safely go. You hear a slight bumping as he reaches the boat about 10 feet behind you. Ace steps up and sends out a flashing light, hoping to put down the officer and remaining sailor.
The Lieutenant closes her eyes just in time, and shrugs off the ill effects of the spell, but the other sailor is not so lucky. He drops to the floor with a loud thud, though nobody can see him clearly.
Loud cursing drifts from the fog. "Can't see a damned thing, blast this fog. Now where was that beefy one standin' out front..."
The massive pole comes swinging out of the fog in a wide arc, narrowly missing Cyrdic's head as it sweeps through. As it swings by, Cyrdic notices that it seems to be shrinking as it straightens out again, before it disappears back into the mist.
Not long afterward, another group appears from the mist, running for the boat. They stop when they see you, a bit surprised to see the bodies and guards on the boat. The woman in front, obviously more well trained than the others, scowls at the pirates. "Oy, you lot. Get out of my way and you might live to see the end of the day." The two sailors get a good look at the blood covering the group, especially Lucy, and gulp. "Um, lieutenant? I dunno if we should do this...I mean there's always the portside boat, right?" one of them says nervously. "Nonsense. They don't look all that tough, and this one's nearly ready to shove off. We can take care of them in a few seconds and be on our jolly way." She loosens her swords in their sheathes and takes out a long pike from off her back. With a shouted word the pike extends, becoming a massive 20 feet long! "Bring it on." she says to the group.
Spoiler:
"Name's Colin Miller. And I understand, can never be too careful in a hostile takeover." he attempts a smile, but fails.
He looks out over the ship, where the fog is parting. Through the fog, it becomes clear that the battle is turning. The Rahadoumi crew had fought well, but most are scattering or surrendering already, especially after Harrigan steps out of the Captain's cabin...covered in blood and holding a human heart in his hands. He blanches. "Guess I don't have anything to gain by fighting, do I?" he says ruefully. "Do what ye gotta do. At least you lot don't seem as bloodthirsty as a lot of pirates I've encountered in my time." he says as he drops his weapon.
Cyrdic strikes down one of the sailors as he fumbles with the boat. The last one, desperate, tries to work even faster, but upon failing just slumps in defeat.
He stands there for a moment before turning around and standing up straight again. "Fine, if that's the way it has to be, that's the way it has to be." With a tear in his eye, but a look of determination he holds his sword in front of his face in salute, and then holds it in a ready stance. "Come on then, finish it. I'd rather die like a man than with my tail between my legs, bring it on."
He sidesteps the blow and looks on in fear. "GettheboatgetheboatgetheBOAT!" he yells. The other two sailors start frantically working at the knots as well, while the first turns to face the group.
One side of the boat slips down. "Good! Just two more!"
Good! They're distracted! "The boat, get the boat quick!" he says frantically to the other two guys, hoping the pirates don't overhear. He begins tugging at the ropes again.
Blasted ropes, come loose! he sobs mentally. |