Author: Albrecht Krieger, Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 7:55 PM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

Aran's harried questions came rapidly and Albrecht did not even have a chance to answer the first before the second one came. Volleys of questions left him indecisive about where to start. He was about to caution the boy on the virtues of patience when the boy's father scolded him. And while he had been wholy willing to answer the child's questions, the look in the mage's eyes suggested he not.

Moving to the second piece of hide, Albrecht peered down, careful to avoid interfering with the replicated motion of the pen. He was able to follow the flowery language easily enough, though on some occasions he found himself translating internally to make sure he understood. He had never been a personal fan of extravagant language as he found it was often used to confuse the poorer party and create loopholes in deals. Luckily, the mercenary found nothing like that here. Good, Albrecht would not have to stab his new friend in the hand.

As the mage finshed and signed the contracts, it came time for the mercenary to ink his name as well. Taking the offered seat, Albrecht picked up the feather and dipped it into the well. He signed in a practiced, flowing script that one did not often associate with a sellsword. He repeated this process with the second contract, standing as he found it simpler than trying to shuffle the document over.

Turning back to Arannis, the swordman handed off the pen. "Now that I'm officially working for you, I should probably get a room here. I'll need to retrieve my bag as well, so if you'll excuse me…" He would also need to let the other innkeeper know to forward any messages as well.

They could continue their journey in the morning.

Author: Arannis Falone, Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 1:32 PM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

After Albrecht’s agreement, Arannis pulled out two sheets of fresh parchment and sat down at the small table. He pulled a pair of quills and a pair of ink bottles. He placed the two sheets side by side, with the two ink bottles above them. He placed each quill upon a parchment sheet, letting it go after placing it standing upright at the top. The pair of quills maintained their upright positions, defying gravity. Finally, Arannis grasped the quill on the right and dipped it in ink. The quill on the left mirrored his movements perfectly. Arannis began to write.

As Arannis worked, Aran chattered excitedly at the swordsman, “Are you a swordmaster? Do you use other weapons too? What about bows? A lot of swordsman I’ve heard about weren’t supposed to be good with bows. Were you in the military? Did you ever kill anyone?”

Arannis looked up from his work and gave Aran a stern look, “Aran, you are overwhelming the man. Be polite.” The look had that appearance of “we’ll talk about this later” that any child is familiar with. Aran quickly silenced himself, looking to the floor in a bashful manner.

He drew up a standard contract with all the fixings. Each clause in the flawless legalese of the upper courts. When it was eventually finished, Arannis held his left hand over the parchment, and a gentle breeze stirred up to dry the ink. With the contract completed, Arannis signed the bottom and placed his quill on the table. He stood and offered the seat to Albrecht.

Author: Albrecht Krieger, Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 9:05 PM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

Albrecht was a little disoriented as his world shifted drastically. He knew he should have expected it but the transition was still jarring. It took a child's voice to help him catch up with his surroundings. Turning he saw the boy dart toward the mage, calling him "Dad." So, the man needed protection for more than just himself. He understood that much without Arannis telling him.

At the child's offered hand, Albrecht took it. Shaking, he introduced himself. "Greetings Aran, I am Albrecht Krieger. I am a new friend of your father." He eventually freed his hand as Arannis returned to the subject of bargaining. It was underhanded, really, using his son as leverage in the exchange. Underhanded, though not ineffective. Still, a third again of an average bodyguard fee was better than he had been expecting.

The boy called his attention to some sort of magic script he had been working on once he had heard Albrecht was trying to "learn magic." Deciding not to bring up the very real issue that he may well have no affinity for magic, the swordsman studied the sigils. "Really, now," he said, hoping he did not sound patronizing. "I can tell they must be quite powerful."

Turning back to Arannis, Albrecht felt obligated to answer. "Yes, we have a deal. Draw up some documents so we can make things legal." This would ensure that neither could go back on the deal without consequences.

Author: Arannis Falone, Posted: Mon Oct 9, 2017 9:47 AM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

Albrecht clasped Arannis’ hand and agreed to continue the conversation in private. Arannis focused his will, and pictured in his mind the destination. He pictured a modest room with a pair of beds with tan sheets. The beds were each the same distance from the North and South walls, respectively. Between the beds, against the West wall, there was a dark oak chest of drawers with a large crack on the right side. Across the room, on the East wall stood a solidly built table of the same shade of oak. The table however was sturdier than the drawers. Two chairs flanked the table, both also of that dark oak. The chairs were just as well made as the table. The floor was of a different wood, and grained in the typical chaotic pattern. The sea-blue curtains flapped gently in the breeze, the scent of the sea pouring into the room. Just as Arannis imagined it, so it was. The sorcerer and the swordsman stood in Arannis’ room at the inn. However, there was one additional feature of the room that Arannis had not used in his visual anchor.

“Dad, you’re back!” A young boy said, quickly hiding some parchment within his bag and getting up from one of the beds.

Arannis smiled, “Aran, weren’t you supposed to be in bed?”

“Well, I was in the bed. . .” Aran tried to cover himself before breaking down in a fit of giggles.

Arannis swept over to the seven year old and wrapped him in a hug, “You know what I meant, Aran.”

Looking up to the swordsman, Arannis spoke again, “Albrecht, this is my son, Aran. He is the core reason I desire your protective services. I wish to take Aran with me as I venture into the city, he grows rather bored staying at the inn. I want you to keep an eye out for any who would do harm to us.”

A large raven sitting on the windowsill stared at the sorcerer and squawked. Arannis glared at the bird and whispered a word in the demon tongue. The raven flinched as if struck and then returned to perching motionlessly on the windowsill.

Meanwhile, Aran freed himself from his father’s grasp and scampered over to Albrecht, “Hi! My name’s Aran, it is very nice to meet you sir.” The precocious child held out a hand to shake in a manner highly reminiscent of his father. It was an adorable sight.

Arannis chuckled at his son’s antics before addressing the swordsman again, “I will be happy to pay thirty percent above standard for your services, plus the magic lessons as a bonus.”

“My dad’s teaching you magic?” Aran questioned, “He’s teaching me too! Look!” Aran quickly darted across the room to his bag and pulled out the parchment he had hastily shoved in there earlier. Unfurling it he ran back to Albrecht and showed him, “See. This is a spell my dad cast a few days ago. This means protection,” the child pointed to a primordial rune that had been sketched with all the finesse a seven year old could muster, “And this means shadow!” He pointed to a second rune in the infernal tongue, entwined with the first rune. The pair of runes together looked a bit more like a large smudge than proper magical sigils, but it was quite a good representation for a child as young as he.

After Aran had finished showing off his work, Arannis approached the swordsman, “Do we have a deal?”

Author: Albrecht Krieger, Posted: Sun Oct 8, 2017 8:40 PM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

It seemed Albrecht had overplayed his hand. Honestly, he should have known better but there was nothing to be done about that now. As Arannis spoke, the mercenary felt his mouth pull into a tight line. All of a sudden, he did not know if he was being payed less than "standard." And his pay grew less and less certain with every passing syllable. It was really quite shameful, him being a merchant's son and still ending up with more the proverbial "short stick."

Obviously, learning magic, even a little could be useful, but…

At the suggestion that they retire to privacy to continue negotiating, Albrecht found no objection. After all, the street was hardly a comfortable place to conduct business. Truthfully, he had hoped the conversation might go this direction but personal courtesy dictated one must be invited and not request invitation. "I seen no problem with that," Albrecht said, clasping the mages hand so that he might be led to the mage's quarters.

Author: Arannis Falone, Posted: Sun Oct 8, 2017 8:04 AM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

Arannis smirked as the negotiations began, “Highly regarded? I don’t seem to have heard of you. Honestly, you’re lucky to get standard. Most mercenaries would be taking a cut for a job as simple as this.”

Arannis enjoyed bartering. It wasn’t often that he did it anymore. He had contractors to pick up goods for him, he rarely visited the markets himself now. Albrecht seemed like a rather direct person, so Arannis decided to move in for the kill, “I will be offering you a service that no other could provide in return. It would honestly be fairer if I deducted my standard fee from your wages.”

It wasn’t completely true, there were perhaps others who would be able to teach basic spells as Arannis planned to. However, it wasn’t completely false either. In Arannis’ experience, not many instructors were willing to work with part time mages. They wanted students fully committed to the art, not someone looking to learn cantrips.

Arannis pondered. Perhaps he could appeal to the man’s better nature. If Arannis was right about the swordsman, it would make his offer difficult to refuse. Arannis offered a hand, “Take my hand, we can continue negotiations in my room at the inn.”

Author: Albrecht Krieger, Posted: Sat Oct 7, 2017 6:47 PM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

As the pair stood before the inn, Albrecht listened to the lilting music that eminated from the establishment. He was contemplating his answer to the mage's offer. Huddling under his short, grey cloak he weighed his options. The earlier events only amplified his need for a way to compete against magic. But could he actually learn magic? Tests in his youth had indicated he had no talent. That was, after all, why he had thrown himself into sword training in the first place. Maybe this man could succeed where others had failed…it seemed worth a try.

And if it did not work, well…gold was still gold.

A hand slipped out of one side of the wool cloak. Brushing the garment down, Albrecht said, "Tempting, but my services are quite highly regarded. I'm no standard mercenary and am worth more than standard pay." A slight smirk crossed his face. He hardly enjoyed haggling over his fee but the craft was a sad necessity of his chosen profession. So, he would play the part of tradesman, hyping his skill and trading barbs until both could huff about getting the short trade while secretly certain they had "won."

Author: Arannis Falone, Posted: Sat Oct 7, 2017 8:12 AM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

Once the guards had returned to their duties, Albrecht spoke. He apologized for leaving Arannis to fend off their questions, and inquired about Arannis’ offer of employment. Arannis felt the services of a martial expert would be useful. He no longer had the reputation he once drew upon to protect from all but major threats, and the threats of this new world were unknown to him.

“I do.” Arannis answered, “It would make me feel safer in my travels were I not alone in watching for danger.” He pointed to the corpse, “Men such as he are like rodents in a city. I am not without the ability to defend myself, but I cannot see everywhere at all times.” Crime was indeed a problem in every city. Even the grand city of Aira at Arannis’ home had its share of crime. It may have been lessened after the social assistance programs the king had designed had taken effect, but a criminal element was still present. Arannis hoped that this city had relative peace, but the events this night concerned him. 'Typical criminal element' did not usually include mages, at least not at the street thug level. If mages were accosting people on the street, then there might be something far more sinister in the works.
The pair continued on their way, slowly moving out of the lower district in the direction of Arannis’ inn by the harbor. The mists thickened even more as they neared the water, and the scent of the sea became prevalent. Lanterns on the streets grew in number and density and the quality and condition of the stone streets gradually grew. More guards surrounded the pair in this section of town, but another focus of will from Arannis caused another slight breeze, muffling casual attempts to listen in on their conversation. Rather than parting the mists, this breeze drew them in. Arannis obscured their path to any who might be watching. Control over the flow of information was the most powerful ability in the world, and Arannis always seized opportunities such as this to exercise that power. When they had breached the barrier to the harbor district, not far from the merchant district, Arannis had dropped the illusions surrounding himself. No longer did Arannis appear in simple clothes with obscured features. Arannis appeared to the world in his finery once more. The sorcerer vastly preferred this appearance.

The guise of nobility was an armor of its own. It could attract attention, but Arannis was usually capable of handling such unwanted annoyances. It served its purpose of humbling most who one interacted with. When a merchant believed you to be in possession of vast stores of wealth, they suddenly started to go out of their way to make you happy. When you walked with the image of the royalty, not even the most corrupt of guards would dare accost or question you. The commoners would part in your wake, even if they would stare. Appearance was a powerful tool, one which Arannis had been manipulating for a long while. It had built him a reputation back at home. He displayed such a level of confidence, some would call it arrogance, as to walk into the most dangerous of situations dressed for the opera.

When demons attacked or an expedition to another world was launched, there was Arannis Falone. Dressed in his typical style as if the crisis had not even affected his dinner plans. Though Arannis was never as popular as someone like his bard friend, that aura of confidence was enough to spread the word of his name. It was sufficient that once his reputation was built, he could walk through most anywhere without fear. However, back then Arannis had the power to back up his arrogance. Here, Arannis was struggling to touch the same level of magic he was once capable of. As Arannis’ power regrew, so to would his public displays. The sorcerer knew better than most to underestimate the power of a reputation.

“I can pay you the standard fee for a sellsword,” Arannis offered. He avoided the exact value as he knew negotiations about the ‘standard’ fee were soon to follow. “And as a bonus,” the sorcerer continued, “I will teach you the basics of warding magics. When I am done with you, never again will a trivial cast of flame mar your features.”

Arannis’ offer was designed to draw the man in, and keep him loyal. He offered only the typical market value of such labor, rather than a higher price, so he could avoid seeming desperate or needy. This would make the job sound like a simple endeavor. But, in order to assure the man’s loyalty, Arannis offered something that another employer could not. The gift of knowledge. Albrecht did not seem to Arannis to be a stupid man. Arannis was sure he could appreciate the value of such a gift, especially with recent circumstances still at the front of his mind.

By this time the pair had arrived at Arannis’ inn. It was a humble looking three story establishment on the water’s edge. A sign out front proclaimed the inn to be “Romane’s Inn”. The smell of seawater was especially prevalent now, the harbor visible just behind the inn itself. It was a simple looking establishment that was easy for a casual traveler to overlook. Arannis awaited his companion’s response as he casually waited across the street from the building.

Author: Albrecht Krieger, Posted: Sat Oct 7, 2017 6:15 AM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

Upon their return to the alley, Albrecht pointed out the cadaver. One of the guards, handing off his poleaxe to his partner, went to examine the body. As he did so, he seemed to grow increasingly incredulous. Ater scanning the alley, he returned to confront the swordsman.

Albrecht assumed he had a good enough explanation. The assailant was large enough, it was feasible that he could have fought with his bare hands. He was reluctant to say there was magic at play; considering the social climate of the city, he partly wondered if those that could not use magic were seen as somehow less.

His caution became irrelevant as Arannis spoke, and revealed an injury the swordsman was fairly certain had not been present moments earlier. This seemed to satisfy the guard as he advised the man to seek a healer. The next part was fairly standard, the guards said they would look into things, do not leave town, et cetera. Albrecht said, "I'm at the Iron Moth." Nestled into the edge of the merchant district, it was a semi-popular hostel for travelling mercenaries.

As one of the guards left to file their report and Albrecht took his companion aside. "Sorry I put you on the spot earlier." He decided not to elaborate; there were enough incidents to allow for a blanket apology. Still, the gruesome business in te alley done, the conversation moved on to employment: "You mentioned having need of a good sword arm? Perhaps we could discuss that further?"

Author: Arannis Falone, Posted: Fri Oct 6, 2017 9:43 AM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

Albrecht seemed a suspicious of Arannis’ offer, but he still accepted it. Arannis could teach the man. He had managed to shape his former apprentice from nothing into a wizard of worldwide fame, surely he could teach a swordsman a cantrip or two. Though the magics of this world were different from Arannis’ home, magic was something that came naturally to the sorcerer. In his time here so far he had slowly become able to feel the arcane energies again. He could feel the flow and shape of the magics that surrounded him, permeated every living and every inanimate thing that made up this city. From the subtle magics binding the stones into whole solids, to the power of the blood rushing through the veins of each person. Arannis could feel most intensely the magic within himself. His research into the nature of sorcery, the nature of the innate power within a select few individuals, had lead him to more and more discoveries as the years had progressed. He recalled when his uncle had first told him of his research.

His uncle was a wizard, not a sorcerer, but he had a fascination with the sorcerous spark. Wizardry was well known, and well understood. It was the mere shaping of the magical currents that existed everywhere. Sorcery on the other hand, was a great unknown. The idea of innate power, and pouring out one’s will to shape the world. It was long regarded as unknowable. But Arannis’ uncle, and later Arannis himself, had made it their mission to unravel the secrets of this power. After decades of research, Arannis knew he was closer than ever to his goal. He had mastered Wizardry as he came to terms with his own sorcerous abilities, and gained a deep understanding of both himself and others.

Arannis looked forward to sharing this with another. It had been years since he had an apprentice. He had Aran, but Aran was far too young to shape power in such ways. He had begun teaching Aran the basics of Wizardry with their games. Learning how to shape and connect runes to control the flow of power. Such were the fundamentals of controlling magic. Shaping and channeling it to your will. Arannis hoped that Aran had inherited his natural magical spark. Arannis had always assumed he would, given the circumstances of the boy’s birth, but Aran himself was a magical mystery of his own. Perhaps one even more fundamental than the questions of Sorcery.

Arannis would not, under any circumstances try to test Aran for the spark. The boy deserved a real childhood, the kind that Arannis had taken from him. Arannis did feel guilty sometimes. Was traveling the planes with his father really a proper childhood? But he could not bear to leave the boy behind. The few he trusted had their own lives, they could not care for his child during these absences. Arannis had the wealth, he could have simply retired to raise Aran. But he could not bear to leave his research incomplete. Perhaps in the end, Arannis was just selfish. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too. Perhaps after this venture he should simply retire. At least until the boy was old enough to be more independent.

Lost in thought as he was, Arannis hadn’t noticed they had nearly arrived at the upper district. Arannis scolded himself, he couldn’t afford to be distracted. The streets they tread slowly improved as they approached the border between districts. The rough stone of the lower districts slowly starting to give way to cobblestone walkways. He saw the guards ahead. Luckily, in the darkness and the mists they had yet to see the approaching pair. Arannis lagged slightly behind his companion and called to the shadows again.

Arannis made himself seem a bit less noticeable, his clothes changed to appear more common, more similar to what a typical merchant would don than nobility. It was best if he was not remembered in conjunction with the night’s events, so he became as bland and typical as possible. He bent the light to slightly obscure his face, make it a bit more difficult for any observers to remember what he looked like. The minor illusions would hopefully be enough.

When they reached the guards, Albrecht began explaining the situation. Arannis simply nodded in support when the guards looked in his direction, and they kept their focus wholly on the swordsman as they ordered the man to take them to the scene of the incident. The swordsman shrugged at the sorcerer in a rather impatient manner as he declared that they should walk back. Arannis got the impression that his companion expected him to provide a solution. Instead, Arannis simply began walking in the direction they had come from. Arannis didn’t enjoy retreading the path any more than Albrecht did, but he was not going to start flaunting his powers in front of the officials. It would be far easier if they had no reason to remember him.

They made their way through the night. It continued to chill and the mists thickened further. Arannis expertly guided the group back to the alley where this night had begun. The mists obscured the view, but with a touch of will a slight breeze picked up and the mists parted from the alley for a brief time. Words and incantations, hand waving and wands, such things were merely aids to casting. With the right focus, Arannis could forgo all of them. Unless they were deeply attuned to arcane energies, his companions would not realize Arannis had done anything. To them, a breeze just happened to pick up at the right moment.

With the mists parted, the body was revealed. It was a large man, a few inches taller than Arannis and significantly broader. His flesh had paled in the short time the body had been left here. He wore a simple green tunic and grey trousers. His tan hair was stained red with the blood. Fluids were still leaking from the three stab wounds on the body, the blood congealing into a thick vermilion mess.

“You say he attacked you?” one of the guards questioned, looking suspiciously at Albrecht, “I don’t see a weapon on him.”

This was where things became dangerous. It was the word of two men against the silence of the grave. Albrecht was unwounded thanks to Arannis’ healing. Perhaps Arannis’ humble guise was a mistake. Had Arannis approached these guards with the glamor of nobility, they would have believed anything that he had said. In his current, unassuming disguise, they had far more reason to be suspicious of such a one-sided battle. Arannis took a risk and bent his illusions one last time. Arannis had to trust that his illusions up until this point were successful at leading the guards to overlook him. If they had not paid any attention to him until now, this new ruse would work. Unfortunately, it had one more side effect of revealing information to the guards that Arannis had hoped to keep quiet. Arannis finished bending his illusions, and finally spoke.

“The man hurled flames, conjured from nothing.” As he spoke, Arannis pulled open his outer coat, revealing a seemingly burnt shirt beneath. He pulled that back as well to show red, blistered flesh. The guards eyed Arannis suspiciously, and Arannis worried that they would see through his illusions. Arannis had done his best to stack the odds in his favor. Thought the shirt was unblemished, Arannis did have the scar of an old arrow wound in the spot he was glamouring. The disfigured flesh made the illusion trivial to anchor, it just needed some extra discoloration and a blister or two. One of the guards moved slightly closer to Arannis, and Arannis put all his focus into maintaining the glamor.

The guard looked Arannis in the eye and spoke, “You should get that looked at. It could get infected.”

Arannis almost let out a sigh of relief as the guard turned back to Albrecht, “We will file a report of the incident and get an ID on the suspect. Don’t leave town for the next few days, in case we have more questions. Where are you staying?”

Author: Albrecht Krieger, Posted: Thu Oct 5, 2017 5:02 PM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

As they walked, Albrecht noticed the chill and found himself thankful for his thick doublet. The warrior took in a deep breath as the tension of the earlier fight began to ebb. He rolled his neck, a nervous habit that he sometimes adopted when he was waiting for the second shoe to drop. At the mage's proposition, the fencer remained silent for a time. Part of him doubted Arannis could actually help him, though such assumptions could ultimately prove erroneous. "I may have to take you up on that," he said.

By now, their brief trek had brought the pair to a gatehouse that connected the current ward to the next. As expected, a pair of guards flanked the narrow archway and looked up as the Albrecht and Arannis approached. "Excuse me," the swordsman addressed them. Sticking a thumb over his shoulder, he coninued, "I need to report an incident some ways up the street. I was cutting through an alley and a man attacked me. You should still be able to find his body where I left it." He elected not to mention the boy, or the fact the dead man had been a mage. It would change the facts, ultimately.

One of the guards passed a glance to the other in an indecipherable exchange. "Show us," he ordered, leaving no room for debate.

Albrecht passed his new companion a impatient shrug. "I guess we walk back now?" Part of him hoped the mage could conjure up a shortcut though he had no interest in pushing the matter.

Author: Arannis Falone, Posted: Thu Oct 5, 2017 8:40 AM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

Albrecht revealed he was also an outsider. Arannis was hoping he could find a native with a better grasp of the city, but this man was at least more familiar with the place than Arannis himself. It would be difficult not to be. Additionally, the swordsman had provided Arannis with a perfect opening.

The pair walked along a canal through the still, moonlit night. A cool mist had descended during their time in the streets, further muffling the sounds of the city and leaving them in near perfect silence. Arannis found such silence peaceful, reminiscent of home. The sorcerer did his best to guide the both of them in the direction of one of the more wealthy districts. Arannis figured that the guard presence at the border between the districts should be quite dense.

“I am from a land far, far from here. I doubt you’ve heard its name,” Arannis made his response to the swordsman’s inquiry sound casual, hopefully it wouldn’t provoke a follow up question. “I arrived some days ago now, it has been a pleasant stay so far.”

As they continued, Arannis made his offer, “I am rather adept at defending against magical forces. Perhaps I could teach you a thing or two? I could use someone of your skills to watch my back during my stay here, and would be happy to help you as you help me.”

Author: Albrecht Krieger, Posted: Wed Oct 4, 2017 4:03 PM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

At first, Albrecht took the man to be no more than a kind soul with no ulterior motives. But upon the man's initial exchange, it became clear that the magus was trying to read him. What he was looking for was hard - perhaps impossible - to tell but there was something there, just behind the eyes. Still, the man had helped him so he owed him a favor. The swordsman shrugged; he'd make his call when the bill came due.

At the man's probing, the fencer shook his head. "I'm actually an outsider as well. But from what little I know, this city is the premier place to learn the fundamentals of magic. In my line of work, you meet all kinds so I hoped to learn enough to develop an effective counter to magic." With an eye role and a wry smile, he glanced at the dead brute. "No luck so far."

Glancing back to Arannis, the fencer, ready to quit the alley, suggested, "We should go find a guard then." Turning back toward the street, he added, "Perhaps I could ask where you came from; how long you've been in town?" It was mostly just small talk since Albrecht had little idea how long it might take to find a guard.

Author: Arannis Falone, Posted: Wed Oct 4, 2017 10:05 AM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

“A pleasure to meet you, Albrecht. You still did more than the average person would have. Countless muggings go unopposed in cities. I would call an act of defiance such as this ‘bravery’,” Arannis punctuated his praise with a kind smile.

“Yes, I healed the boy and sent him on his way.” Arannis watched Albrecht’s reaction carefully. With a bit of luck, the man would think Arannis nothing more than a generous healer. Albrecht’s reactions so far told much about his character. Humble, quick to defend those perceived as innocent, and an immediate desire to appeal to authority. Albrecht reminded him of many an adventurer he had encountered. Each as easy to manipulate as the last.

“It is rather odd that one with arcane talents is turning to crime such as this. Though, I am rather new to the city. Perhaps it is the norm here? What about you? Are you from around here?”

Informing the authorities could make things simpler or more complex for Arannis. If this mage was merely a common street thug, then informing them of what happened tonight would keep them from investigating and stirring up the waters. However, if there was something more to this crime, then authorities poking about could drive related parties deeper underground. Arannis would have to take the risk. Hopefully his informant would come through.

“Yes, you should inform the authorities of what happened here immediately, lest they assume this death was in cold blood.”

Author: Albrecht Krieger, Posted: Tue Oct 3, 2017 4:53 PM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

As vision returned, Albrecht looked up at his savior, a man clad in expensive looking clothes. Taking advantage of the offered hand the swordsman rose back to his feet. Clearly, the man was a mage, considering the current state of the swordsman's eyes. Still, he was a bit sensitive and Albrecht found himself blinking away his fuzzy vision.

Turning back to the man, Arannis as he introduced himself, the fighter responded in kind. "Albrecht. And not truly brave considering I didn't know he was a mage." Glancing about, he found his fallen sword. Scooping it up, he checked the blade for damag before slipping it back into his scabbard. Scanning the alley again, Albrecht noticed the boy was gone. "I assume you healed the kid first and sent him off?"

Returning to the dead goon, Albrecht retrieved his dagger, which had been driven through the large man's sternum. Wrenching the needle sharp weapon free, he wiped the blade clean on the man's shirt; after all, he would not be complaining. Sheathing the smaller weapon, the fencer continued to muse, saying, "You don't usually think of mages as bandits and extortionists but I suppose any weapon will do." Turning back to Arannis, he added, "I should probably contact the authorities and let them know what happened here."

Author: Arannis Falone, Posted: Tue Oct 3, 2017 8:48 AM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

The swordsman moved with a certain poise that suggested skill, but was clearly unprepared for what he found in that alley on that night. What happened next surprised even Arannis. As the swordsman intervened in his attempt to save the boy on the ground, the hulking thug unleashed a gust of embers at him. The swordsman was caught completely off guard, and the embers scorched the flesh of his face. He screamed and the thug pinned him to the wall with a meaty forearm. It looked like that battle was lost. Arranis ignored the pair and approached the youth on the ground. The dagger embedded in his thigh was finely made, far too delicately designed to be found on your typical street thug. The thug's hidden talent and the dagger combined to form a mystery that intrigued Arannis. As the swordsmen and the thug grappled, Arannis approached the youth. He had been crawling towards his coin purse during the struggle.

Arannis lazily moved his hand forward, unleashing a gentle gust of wind that pushed the coins up to the youth's outstretched hand. The youth gave Arannis a fearful look, and Arannis bent down and ripped the dagger from his leg. The boy screamed at the same time the thug did. Arannis looked up to see the swordsman pulling his dagger from the third of a set of stab wounds in the mage’s body. Arranis had underestimated the man. Blinded and in pain, he had fought on and defeated what appeared to be a stronger opponent. Perhaps he could be of use. Arranis looked at the trembling teen below him, and breathed out a single word. “Heal.”

The wound on the boy's leg closed, and the color returned to his face. The boy got to his feet to flee the alley. Arannis pocketed the finely made dagger as his other hand reached out and grabbed the kid's arm. The kid yelped in surprise before Arannis spoke in a hushed tone.

“Mainway and Grand Canal. Tomorrow at midnight. There will be silver.” Arranis punctuated the final line with a silver coin pressed into the youth's hand. Arranis released the teen and he fled the alley. Hopefully Arannis would find himself an obedient informant. If not, he could at least investigate the dagger.

Finally, Arannis turned to the blind swordsman who lay sprawled on the ground, “Brave thing you did there, saving a stranger like that.” As he spoke, Arannis approached the man and put a hand on his shoulder. He concentrated on the shorter man's wounds and magic flowed over his skin and to the burns on his face. Skin regrew and flesh knitted back together as the healing energy repaired the damages. Best for the swordsman to start off in Arannis’ debt. Offering his other hand to help the man up, Arannis said, "Name's Arannis."

Author: Albrecht Krieger, Posted: Mon Oct 2, 2017 8:32 PM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

With a few rare exceptions, Albrecht had absolutely no familiarity with magic. While he had no distinct fear of it, he had no real sense of what magic actually was. Those mages he had met had made it seem like it was an extention of their own identity, much like his sword was to him. He knew its value, the way it simplified people's lives and so on. That was why he had come to this city, after all.

Still, it was by chance he had gotten lost within the sprawling city for the better part of four hours and it was by chance he found his way to the dilapidated slums in one out of the way section of the city and it was by chance he heard the scream of someone being attacked in an alley. But it was by choice he went to investigate, finding a large man standing over a boy.

"Please," the boy begged in a quivering voice, "take it. Just don't kill me." He hurled a satchel of coins at the larger man, dragging himself backward.

Catching the small bag, the man sneered down. "To late for that, whelp. Shoulda just handed it over in the first place." At the sound of footsteps behind him, the goon turned to see an advancing swordsman. "Back off, hero. You're in over your head."

"Maybe," Albrecht shouted back. "But I cannot abide trash getting a happy ending." Without waiting for a response, the swordsman rushed forward. He had no intention of giving the thug a chance to defend himself.

Which is why he was so surprised when the large man turned around and blew at him. At first, all Albrecht saw was a starburst of red; the shape expanded into a radiant white. And then there was only pain: pain as his eyes boiled; pain as his skin blistered; pain as hair burned down to the roots.

Albrecht dropped his sword as he backed away, clutching his face as he screamed. Every attempt to blink away the pain only amplified the agony as the now blinded swordman struggled to regain his bearings. "Shouldn't have tried to play hero," came the deep voice of the thug/mage. A force drove the swordsman against a wall as a large hand closed around his neck.

The fencer knew he had one last chance at surviving and he refused to waste it. As best he could, Albrecht ignored the pain in his charred face and his aching lungs. Glasping his dagger, in his right hand, he drew it, slamming its pommel into the goons elbow, breaking the man's pin. Pushing the elbow higher, Albrecht could imagine how awkward the man looked. Thanks to years of practice, the swordsman knew where to put his dagger. Hammering down with three stabs was all it took and the large man went limp.

Without the thug to support him, a now blind Albrecht toppled through him sprawling into the alley. "Gods damn magic…" he muttered to himself.

Author: Arannis Falone, Posted: Mon Oct 2, 2017 3:07 PM, Post Subject: [P] A Mugging in the Night

It was evening when Arannis left the inn. He stepped out into the cool night air. There was a light mist in the cool air, and the roads were full of shadows dancing in the weak light of lanterns. Arannis feared not the unknowns that lurked in the dark of the empty city streets. It was a relief not to have to deal with the crowds that had filled the narrow walkways during the day. He could work on his internal map of the city this evening, and simply portal to his destination tomorrow. He set off in search of the mage's college he had heard about.

Arannis had been walking for several minutes. The gardens which looked so colorful during the day looked cool and mysterious in the darkness, the shapes of the plants gently swaying in the night breeze. He walked further from the harbor and slowly left the smell of the sea behind. The air was cool and crisp, and the night still as he passed through several districts. He eventually became a tad lost, the city looked different at night than it had mere hours ago. The buildings in this section of town were in serious need of repair. He saw one or two people dressed in dark clothes making their way up and down the street. Summoning shadows around himself, his appearance shifted. He appeared a bit taller, a bit broader, and a bit more threatening than his true appearance would suggest. The figures gave him a wide berth has he continued.

Arannis made his way out of the district, until the a scream of pain pierced the night. He looked into an alley towards the source of the sound. He sawe a teen, a dagger jutting from his leg, crawling away from a broad man who slowly stalked after him. Arannis could not hear what they were saying, but he saw the injured one hurl a coinpurse in the direction of the other. Arannis turned to depart, when suddenly a third man entered the scene. A lean, athletic man of below average height who drew a longsword as he entered the alley.