Iron Maiden- Number of the beast.
Days are hard to track in Limsa when the mists roll in. Â Day and night turn into shades of dark grey and darker grey, always punctuated with points of light straining against the smothering fog. Â It was one of the reasons Tywllen liked pulling patrol on those kinds of nights. Â The fog muffled the sounds. Â Made the world quiet and grey, even in the chaos of the day and, at night, the world was truly still. Â The fog seemed to calm the pirate port down a few notches. Â Enough for you to breath, just a little, in peace.
That illusion was ruined when a manic Hyur broadsided him near the Tempest gate.
The man had an already swelling bruise across his face and below that his jaw was hanging loosely. Â Someone had broken it. Â Given how quickly the Hyur stumbled back to his feet and took out through the gate, they most of done it quickly because the man could RUN. Â Tywelln knew he should probably do something. Â He was even about to step out in pursuit when a and coiled out of the mist behind him and pulled him back into the guard hut.
"Not yet friend. Â Not if you like being able to chew."
A glance over his shoulder revealed Jandawn, from the smithing guild, a finger held to his lips, pleading for more silence in the cloying fog. Â He'd pinched Tywllen's lantern out. Â In the dark, the pair of them could hear a lumbering thud of heavy metal at high speed, paired with a foghorn level howl of hate and fury.
"I SAID DON'T RUN YOU COWARDLY LITTLE SHIT. I TOLD YOU NOT TO RUN."
Something tall and howling rocketed past the hut in pursuit of the wounded Hyur through the dark and the void. Then out the gate like a violent, loud, warmongering star after it's prey. Â Tywllen looked over his shoulder at Jan, mouth hung open in confusion. Â Jan merely shook his head and waited, holding up his fingers in a silent count down.
One.
"I. SAID. DON'T. RUN."
More than twenty yards out the gate since Jan had started counting. Â Whatever was happening was happening at a full sprint.
Two
The flat, hard, packing sound of meat as something made impact. Â The hate-star had caught whatever it was chasing long enough to make contact.
Three.
The howl of pain that followed trailed off. Â Still running away. Â Still trying desperately to find safety in the dark fog's embrace. Â Both the hunter and the prey had stopped screaming. Â Tywllen could hear something dragging in the dark. Â A broken leg still being used? A body crawling through the tall grass towards shelter?
Four.
They'd gotten far enough away that voices were indistinct. Â The conversation was both loud, mournful, and filled with pain.
Five.
The crackling impacts of abused flesh. Â Over and over again.
Jan dropped his hand, nodding out towards the gates. "And that's why he doesn't come home often."
Tywllen poked his head out the guard hut, trying to find some sign of the struggle in the fog. "What in the black hells was that Jan?"
"Man trying to find someone. Â Man finding out not everyone wants to be found. Â No matter how much you pay some people, there's always someone with more coin if need calls." Jan had pulled up the single chair in the guard post and lit the lantern, restoring some light to the small space.
"So that was a weasel paying for a doublecross?" Murmered Tywllen as he pulled back into the hut.
"Something like that. Â That was a weasel finding out it's best not to take sides between two demons. Â Chose poorly the moment he signed on with either of them."Â Â nodded Jan."I knew he'd go running. Â Thought I'd come back and spare a Yellow-jacket getting their head stove in. Â He's a little blind when he's mad. Â Think my skull's still got a dent from a mood like that when he was still teaching."
"Er...thanks? I...think?" Muttered Jan "I'll have to report this. Â Willing to make a statement? Â Sounds like you know what's going on."
Jan was already on his feet and heading for the street.  "I'd let it lay.  Whatever he's chasing is personal.  He knows he's not welcome here in Lominsa.  It's why that guy was hiding here.  Whatever he's doing is important enough to make him step foot in the town again and no amount of warrants would have stopped what just happened."  Jan took a step out into the barely lit cotton-white fog around the lantern of the guard-hut. "If you ask me offically, I'm going to say I don't know anything.  Because I don't want him to find a reason to come back home with a grudge the next time he's in the area."
Jan slipped off into the fog without another word, melding into the walls of mist and the obscured umbra beyond. Â
Tywllen stood, silent.
He knew what he had to do.
He was just going to wait a little while to do it.
Maybe the beast would have moved on by the time backup arrived to help him muster the courage to do it.
Days are hard to track in Limsa when the mists roll in. Â Day and night turn into shades of dark grey and darker grey, always punctuated with points of light straining against the smothering fog. Â It was one of the reasons Tywllen liked pulling patrol on those kinds of nights. Â The fog muffled the sounds. Â Made the world quiet and grey, even in the chaos of the day and, at night, the world was truly still. Â The fog seemed to calm the pirate port down a few notches. Â Enough for you to breath, just a little, in peace.
That illusion was ruined when a manic Hyur broadsided him near the Tempest gate.
The man had an already swelling bruise across his face and below that his jaw was hanging loosely. Â Someone had broken it. Â Given how quickly the Hyur stumbled back to his feet and took out through the gate, they most of done it quickly because the man could RUN. Â Tywelln knew he should probably do something. Â He was even about to step out in pursuit when a and coiled out of the mist behind him and pulled him back into the guard hut.
"Not yet friend. Â Not if you like being able to chew."
A glance over his shoulder revealed Jandawn, from the smithing guild, a finger held to his lips, pleading for more silence in the cloying fog. Â He'd pinched Tywllen's lantern out. Â In the dark, the pair of them could hear a lumbering thud of heavy metal at high speed, paired with a foghorn level howl of hate and fury.
"I SAID DON'T RUN YOU COWARDLY LITTLE SHIT. I TOLD YOU NOT TO RUN."
Something tall and howling rocketed past the hut in pursuit of the wounded Hyur through the dark and the void. Then out the gate like a violent, loud, warmongering star after it's prey. Â Tywllen looked over his shoulder at Jan, mouth hung open in confusion. Â Jan merely shook his head and waited, holding up his fingers in a silent count down.
One.
"I. SAID. DON'T. RUN."
More than twenty yards out the gate since Jan had started counting. Â Whatever was happening was happening at a full sprint.
Two
The flat, hard, packing sound of meat as something made impact. Â The hate-star had caught whatever it was chasing long enough to make contact.
Three.
The howl of pain that followed trailed off. Â Still running away. Â Still trying desperately to find safety in the dark fog's embrace. Â Both the hunter and the prey had stopped screaming. Â Tywllen could hear something dragging in the dark. Â A broken leg still being used? A body crawling through the tall grass towards shelter?
Four.
They'd gotten far enough away that voices were indistinct. Â The conversation was both loud, mournful, and filled with pain.
Five.
The crackling impacts of abused flesh. Â Over and over again.
Jan dropped his hand, nodding out towards the gates. "And that's why he doesn't come home often."
Tywllen poked his head out the guard hut, trying to find some sign of the struggle in the fog. "What in the black hells was that Jan?"
"Man trying to find someone. Â Man finding out not everyone wants to be found. Â No matter how much you pay some people, there's always someone with more coin if need calls." Jan had pulled up the single chair in the guard post and lit the lantern, restoring some light to the small space.
"So that was a weasel paying for a doublecross?" Murmered Tywllen as he pulled back into the hut.
"Something like that. Â That was a weasel finding out it's best not to take sides between two demons. Â Chose poorly the moment he signed on with either of them."Â Â nodded Jan."I knew he'd go running. Â Thought I'd come back and spare a Yellow-jacket getting their head stove in. Â He's a little blind when he's mad. Â Think my skull's still got a dent from a mood like that when he was still teaching."
"Er...thanks? I...think?" Muttered Jan "I'll have to report this. Â Willing to make a statement? Â Sounds like you know what's going on."
Jan was already on his feet and heading for the street.  "I'd let it lay.  Whatever he's chasing is personal.  He knows he's not welcome here in Lominsa.  It's why that guy was hiding here.  Whatever he's doing is important enough to make him step foot in the town again and no amount of warrants would have stopped what just happened."  Jan took a step out into the barely lit cotton-white fog around the lantern of the guard-hut. "If you ask me offically, I'm going to say I don't know anything.  Because I don't want him to find a reason to come back home with a grudge the next time he's in the area."
Jan slipped off into the fog without another word, melding into the walls of mist and the obscured umbra beyond. Â
Tywllen stood, silent.
He knew what he had to do.
He was just going to wait a little while to do it.
Maybe the beast would have moved on by the time backup arrived to help him muster the courage to do it.
![[Image: tumblr_mjwxnlcz6Q1rl52wjo2_500.gif]](https://33.media.tumblr.com/224cfbd6e79103f0520a30eabfc5085d/tumblr_mjwxnlcz6Q1rl52wjo2_500.gif)
