A Pirate's Life for Me

[Heridfel]

Nightrival hops down from the heads and shoulders of the crowd, just barely avoiding using Sen as a final footstep. The dust is already settling, and the two men can see a dark, twisting alleyway. The man is jumping off the side of one of the walls, seeming to climb higher that way. Both of them know that to do that takes a great deal of strength and coordination, which indicates that the generic man is certainly more than he had appeared.

---

Back in the crowds, Kevin struggles against the leonine man, but to no avail. He seems to have a killer grip, and Kevin can only hope that it isn't literal. He can feel his ribs compressing, but he isn't hurt yet.

"Anyone... speak... lion?" he struggles to ask. A woman's voice behind him answers, "You should never show your teeth to a Rurm. They see it as a challenge." Kevin isn't in a position to turn to see who is speaking to him, but he realizes that she answered him in English.

[Shadowboxer]

Nightrival peers down the foreboding alley and spots the thief scrambling up the wall with acrobatic ease. He slowly cranes his neck upwards to follow his quarry's progress. Huh. Someone musta really liked Cirque de Soleil. Not missing a beat, he pumps his legs to keep pace with the slippery pickpocket. The muscles in his thighs and feet burn as he soars down the alley, and he ignores the acrid stench from the piles of garbage littering the narrow cobblestone passage. Nightrival stops at where the pickpocket leapt up to the roof, bounds off the wall facing opposite and performs a spinning pop vault, gracefully alighting on the slanted roof.

Freeport stretches out in all directions as Nightrival straightens to search for the thief. He sees a vast sea of thatched and tiled roofs punctuated by crooked chimneys, with clotheslines and empty bottles scattered everywhere. There are others crawling on the roofs in the distance, but they are only small amorphous spots from his perspective. Winged creatures, scaled and feathered and huge and small, glide in the clear sky above the constant roar of the living city. Luckily, the ever-present reek doesn't quite reach this height.

Now, where did that l'il rotter disappear ta?

[Warmonger]

Sen couldn't help but grin. Did he really thing he could flee? Barely looking at Liam Sen races towards the wall and vaults up concentrating his Ki inside his feet allowed the soles of his boots to grip the wall as if it were the ground. Sen raced up the side of the wall like a gecko. "You cannot escape. Surrender before I have to hurt you." Sen warned. towards the thief as he intended to use his greater vertical speed to cut the man off.

[Heridfel]

Sen's swift ascent leaves him only a step behind the man. The thief turns to face Sen and takes two steps backward, heading down the slant of the roof. Sen follows, leaving him just below the top of the roof. By the time that Nightrival finishes his two leaps off the walls, the two of them are out of sight. He can hear the response that the man gives to Sen, though he can't pinpoint where it's coming from.

"You are... persistent. I took nothing from you. Leave me be," he says. His voice is quiet, and the "s" sounds in persistent have a faint hissing to them. Sen is looking at the man directly, but there's still a part of him that wants to ignore him. His hair is black, and his eyes are brown; the skin seems somewhat tanned.

---

The leonine man continues to squeeze Kevin, who still can't find a way out. He's beginning to feel the pain now. At the same time, he's getting fairly angry. Bumping into someone and smiling at them shouldn't be license to smash them to bits, and no one seems to be doing anything to stop it. He just barely avoids baring his teeth, and reaches out to tire the Rurm. For as strong as it is, it's just as vulnerable as any person that he's tried it on. Kevin can feel its grip loosen.

[Shadowboxer]

Looking all around him, Nightrival hears Sen's voice but he scratches his head trying to figure out where he's located. He trains his ears on his voice and runs in the direction where he thinks the swordsman is, not entriely confident he's going the right way. Nightrival has no time to concentrate too hard; the thief could vanish or worse, he could fight back.

Fer all I know, I could be runnin' inta a dragon's mouth!

[Warmonger]

Sen's swift ascent leaves him only a step behind the man. The thief turns to face Sen and takes two steps backward, heading down the slant of the roof. Sen follows, leaving him just below the top of the roof. By the time that Nightrival finishes his two leaps off the walls, the two of them are out of sight. He can hear the response that the man gives to Sen, though he can't pinpoint where it's coming from.

"You are... persistent. I took nothing from you. Leave me be," he says. His voice is quiet, and the "s" sounds in persistent have a faint hissing to them. Sen is looking at the man directly, but there's still a part of him that wants to ignore him. His hair is black, and his eyes are brown; the skin seems somewhat tanned.

---

Sen stepped carefully twoards the man watching for any signs of agression. "You fled from me, that makes you guilty." Sen said keeping his hand hovering aorund his sword hilt. "You will return with me to my companion if you have not stolen anything from him, then your story is true." Sen noticed the strangess in the man and it made him uneasy. "It would be best if you came peacefully." Sen added with a threat in his eyes but puzzlement took its edge.

[Heridfel]

"You have no authority but that sword. I took nothing from him; he had nothing to take. Look away from me," he says. His eyes meet Sen's, and something seems to pass between the two of them. Nightrival crests the roof and sees the two men locked in a staredown.

---

Kevin can feel the Rurm weaken and tries to make his move. He still is in a bad position, and fails. The Rurm is too strong still. It doesn't squeeze as hard, but Kevin still feels things mashing in ways that they shouldn't.

"I could use some help here," he says with some difficulty to the voice behind him.

"Why? You're entertaining me," the voice says back, apparently amused at his struggles.

[Shadowboxer]

Nightrival halts at the edge and peers downwards to find Sen facing off with the pickpocket. He experiences a small thrill tracking down his companion along with their suspect. He grins at his discovery.

"Hey! I found . . . oh." He instantly recognizes the situation and lowers himself into a Changquan stance. "Ya heard 'em," he adds, his voice suddenly deepening and dark. "Yer comin' wit' us or we reenact tha' scene from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

[Heridfel]

The man's words pass with no more impact than normal, and both Nightrival and Sen can see the man remain there. He can see that they see him, and now, he's truly beginning to grow nervous. He doesn't sweat, but his eyes begin to look around, and Nightrival spots that there's something strange about his tongue.

"I can't go with you," he says hurriedly. "They'd see me, and if they saw me, they'd arrest me. I didn't take anything from you. Why do you still hound me?" The reference to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon seems to have passed him by. As he speaks, he seems a little more "there" than he had before, and it's easier to make out some more distinguishing features, like the long scar on the back of his right arm. His age is more fixed as well: he doesn't appear to be more than 20, though he's certainly past his mid-teens.

[Warmonger]

Sen scowled. He stalked towards the strange theif. The roof tiles creaked under his feat. HE could see the strange almost scaled skin as well as the dry damp smell of a snake's nest. "I will not say this again," He reached out his hands to grab the front of the man's shirt. "You are going to come back with me, whether you like it or not."

[Heridfel]

The tables turn for Kevin, and he wrestles the Rurm so that he is the one maintaining the hold. He tries to squeeze the Rurm as he was squeezed, but his fatigue gets the best of him, and the Rurm is uninjured. Now, Kevin is staring into an angry looking lion's face, and beginning to think that maybe he had better try to use his powers again.

This time, the Rurm resists them, and Kevin shakes off the fatigue that he feels... or at least, keeps it from getting worse.

[Shadowboxer]

Nightrival relaxes his stance when he finally detects traces of fear underlying the man's words. He knows sincerity when he hears it. Although, he swears he can also hear other, more exotic words beneath his voice. Nightrival struggles not to find that unsettling; he slightly shudders all the same. The man's appearance is indeed strange, but who isn't odd-looking in this city? His arms fall to his side.

"It's alright, man," he assures Sen, "this guy's tellin' th' truth."

He gestures to his companion to step back from the frightened man.

[Warmonger]

Sen's hand paused halfway to the man's neck, but he still stared hard at the man. Then with a quick gesture, he sheathed his weapon. He didn't know if the man was telling the truth or not but he would not undercut his companion here. He turned his back on the man. "Very well," he said. "In the future it would be wise to watch where you put your hands."

Sen looked at Nightrival. "I will return to check on Kevin." Perhaps this had been an elaborate decoy, designed to get them away from their more vulnerable companion.

Sen still felt unnaturally vital and something in the back of his mind told him that Kevin had been responsible. Perhaps this was what master Lee had spoken of?

[Shadowboxer]

"Alright. I'll wait 'ere for ya," replies Nightrival.

When Sen leaves, he glances at their suspect and rocks on his feet in silence. The sounds from the streets return to his ears. He tries to ignore the man's shifting features, and his eyes constantly dart elsewhere. Out near the shore, he watches as a winged creature with a hawk's head and a lion's body swoops down from the clouds, straight into a swarming flock of gulls. They screech and scatter wildly in all directions, then drift back into place when the creature vanishes back inside the clouds. Nightrival finds his muteness unbearable and he finally clears his throat and frowns at the man.

"So - this is kinda awkward - ya got a name? Maybe a fancy title?"

[Heridfel]

The man still seems wary of Nightrival, and if Liam thinks about it, he has every right to be. It seems like "good cop, bad cop" spans dimensions, and Nightrival and Sen have fallen into that method of interrogation unthinkingly. Still, he's at the top of a building, and for all of his feats of athletics to get up there, it's a long way down if Nightrival becomes "worse cop".

"My name - Slathliss," he says. "I stole nothing from your friend. The mage's robes were empty. If he was robbed, someone got there before I did."

He tilts his head, listening more closely to Nightrival's words. "You... you are not from Freeport, are you? How did you get here? Can you get me back home?"

---

Kevin doesn't even try to resist the Rurm's maneuvers. Instead, he focuses one more time on weakening the Rurm. It finally takes, and the Rurm falls unconscious to the ground. He stands up wearily, finally getting a chance to see the woman who was speaking to him. He starts to open his mouth to make a snide comment about her lack of health, but what he sees takes his breath away.

She isn't tall, barely over five foot, but it's clear that she's reached her full height. Her pale skin contrasts with her dark hair, done up in an elaborate braid. Her dress is a rich emerald green with delicate white lace, and it reaches from her swan-like neck to her ankles. She seems like she just stepped out for the day; there is no sign of dirt anywhere on her clothes, even though the streets are dusty. She is the most beautiful woman that Kevin has ever seen, and he only just notices that her ears are pointed and swept back.

She notices his reaction, but she still looks slightly impressed.

"You didn't look strong enough to defeat a Rurm. Usually, they'll knock out those who challenge them and leave them to the scavengers. It looks like he'll be the one who gets his pockets picked," she says.

---

As Sen descends from the building, he can see Kevin from a distance - a little scuffed up, but still standing and talking with someone.

[Shadowboxer]

Nightrival relaxes when the man speaks. Interrogation was never his strong suit, preferring to intimidate his opponents with strength and guile rather than using complex questioning techniques to extract a statement. The fact that a strange man in an even stranger city is actually talking to him is a breakthrough. He notices Slathliss remains distrustful by his tense body language, so he vows not to let this opportunity slip away.

"It's all good . . . Slathliss," he blubbers as he tries to pronounce the name. "I believe ya. Though Kevin ain't no wizard. Maybe at math or somethin'."

"You... you are not from Freeport, are you? How did you get here? Can you get me back home?"

"Nah, we're jus' tourists. We took a magic carpet ride," he jests. "No, really man. I dunno 'ow all this stuff works. We said a name then we - "

He suddenly stops talking. He doesn't know this Slathliss, and he decides to remain suspicious of anyone while he's still a stranger in Freeport. That approach kept him alive during his travels. Slathliss's questions, however, light up an idea in Nightrival's mind. He rubs his chin as he formulates a rough strategy. I 'ope this works, he thinks.

"Ya seem ta know yer way around this 'ere town," he remarks. "I'll tell ya what, we'll get ya back home if ya help us wit' our problem. We got 'ere in one piece; we can do th' same for ya."

[Warmonger]

Sen runs down the side of the building and lands on the street. He moves towards where he had left Kevin. He sees several faces int he crowd turn to look at him, many whisper, but everyone who sees the grim expression on his face moves out of his way.

He felt a fool. Not so much because the man hadn't robbed the boy but because he had taken off without so much as a thought. Like a dog chasing a cat he had acted on instinct and little else. Even if he had given it more consideration he might have made a similar decision but he hadn't.

He saw Kevin in a small clearing in the crowd. His pulse picked up when he saw the massive form of the Lion-man at Kevin's feet, and Kevin's rumpled clothes. Had he been attacked?

"Kevin," Sen called out. "What happened?"

[Heridfel]

Sen's words shake Kevin from his reverie. The Freedom City weather has left him a little less tan than usual, and his blush shows up that much more clearly.

"I just found out that you don't smile at a Rurm," he says. He glances down at his feet, "That's a Rurm, in case you couldn't tell."

He looks back up to Sen's face and meets his eyes. He doesn't look afraid of the samurai, and if he was able to take on the Rurm, maybe there's actually some justification for that. He continues to speak, "And I was just talking to this young woman... I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

He turns back to the woman, and as he does so, his words percolate through his mind. "And she's speaking perfect English," he thinks.

The woman smiles slightly, revealing a row of perfectly aligned, pearly white teeth, "You are new here, aren't you? I am an elf, not a young woman," she says. Thankfully, Kevin keeps his mouth shut rather than saying "Elves aren't real." The proof of how wrong that idea is stands before him.

He has to say something to cover up his minor faux pas, and the reason they ran off is good enough, "Did you catch whoever you were after? Is everyone ok?" There's concern for Nightrival in his voice, but he seems to know that Sen wouldn't be so calm if their ally were in trouble.

---

"The only way that I know back is through the Shadow, and that land is more dangerous than this one. I have been here for a month, but I was in the Shadow for over a year," Slathliss says, shuddering at the memory. "If you know another way..." He licks his lips which seem to have dried. He hesitates in the same way that Nightrival did, like he doesn't know if he can trust the newcomer.

"There is much I would do to get back home. What is your problem here?"

[Shadowboxer]

"There is much I would do to get back home. What is your problem here?"

Nightrival ponders for a second. He could be leading his companions into a trap, or he may have found a valuable guide who can direct them to the Master Mage. The sooner they find Eldrich, the sooner they can confront the danger facing Freedom City. He decides to delay the line of questioning until Sen and Kevin return.

"We're lookin' for a friend o' ours. He's from our neck o' th' woods. I don't exactly know what 'e looks like, but he's human like me." He glances over his shoulder to see if his companions are nearby. Nothing. He softly grimaces.

"So, uh, what's this Shadow place yer talkin' bout? Is that where yer from?"

[Heridfel]

Slathliss stares at Liam for a second in disbelief.

"A human. In Freeport. If that is all you have to go by, I will take my freedom and leave. There are thousands of humans here," he says. "And the Shadow is not my home. It is where I was before I found my way here. The Shadow is the ending of the worlds, destroying all - not a place where living things should remain."

He begins to walk towards the other part of the roof, not threatening Nightrival, but heading toward a way down.

[Shadowboxer]

"Wait!" exclaims Nightrival, lifting his hand to stop Slathliss from leaving. "I'll admit, my description ain't th' best, but my companions will sure as rain know wha' this guy looks like."

He inches closer to Slathliss and lowers his arm. "If ya come wit' me they can help. Then we can get ya home. Whattaya say?"

[Warmonger]

Sen glanced down at the large form then looked back up at Kevin. "I see," Sen replies. Had it really been a diversion? It seemed unlikely to be chance. Then again that would mean that someone had planned for their arrival...

" ...just talking to this young woman... I'm sorry, I didn't get your name.". Sen had only partially heard him he glanced up to look at the woman and froze for a millisecond. She was stunning, in an unearthly fashion. At first Sen couldn't place his finger on it then he noticed the up swept ears. It barely registered, for the woman seemed flawless. Sen didn't even realize he was staring.

[Heridfel]

Slathliss breathes out deeply. It sounds almost, but not quite, like a sigh.

"I regret that I have no better promises than the one you gave me. I hope your friends know more about the man you wish to find than you do," he says. "Will you keep the swordsman from looking like he's about to skewer me?" He drops down to his hands, grabbing onto the rooftop and letting himself drop to the ground. It's probably about 25 feet from the ground to his soles, but he still lands without hurting himself.

---

Kevin smiles faintly as he sees what he looked like from the other side. It seems like Sen has forgotten that he even asked a question. He glances back towards the elven woman, and his smile fades back to his regular friendly expression. If magic is real, then she could be using magic against them or something. Then again, why would she do that, and why would he be able to think of that if she was controlling his thoughts? Then again, maybe that's how she's trying to cover up...

He scrunches his eyebrows and blinks, trying to clear his head of all paranoid thoughts. He is about to take a step toward her when the Rurm grunts.

"Maybe we should go back so we're not separated. It was good to meet you," he says to her, still not knowing her name.

[Shadowboxer]

Nightrival nods to himself. Right. Now we're gettin' somewhere. He follows Slathliss by hopping off the ledge to an opposite wall, then rebounds from the wall and drops to the ground, landing on his feet and hands. He stands and looks in the direction of his companions. He can only wonder what they're doing, and he's curious as to what happened to Kevin amid the confusion.

"Right this way," he urges, pointing down the alley. "I said I'd wait but somethin's 'oldin' up those guys. We'd better go check it out."

He leads Slathliss through the alley and stops when they reach street.

"So, uh, ya know were a guy can get threads like yours?" he implores as he scans the street for Sen and Kevin. "I feel as though I'm stickin' out like th' proverbial sore thumb over 'ere."

[Warmonger]

Sen didn't seem interested in moving. "Our companion is going to catch up shortly," he said. He looks levelly at the woman. "I would care to know your name. I am Sen." He gives her a slight bow of his head.