An Awkward Meeting - (CLOSED - Read last post)

[BlessedSilence]

Soft footfalls barely go noticed on the hard ground ....

 

The young woman clutches the staff in her hands tightly, a nervousness in her eyes .....

 

This is where she heard they could be found ....

 

A voice from behind startled her, making her spin around and shriek ...

 

"I - I'm so sorry!  I was not trespassing!  I was told they were here ..."

 

Her strides take her slowly backwards, one step at a time, eyes warily watching the one before her ...

 

Desmond Aryll

He spied her shape as it was framed in the streaming sunlight coming in from the door. Her demeanor was not aggressive and the alarm faded almost as fast as it came.She came into the room, past him, giving him a moment to assess.

 

He sat perfectly still in the dark alcove by the door, careful. She carried a staff, clutched in both hands. Tightly, as if it would fly from her hands of its own accord. 

 

A Mage then. He thought, he cleared his throat and began a greeting when she spun, a panicked look on her face, an apology reflexively thrown at him.

 

"Please, it's alright." he said, trying to sound as benign as possible. "It is I who should apologize-" he stood, hands upturned in a gesture of non-aggresion. She  retreated a step for every one he took towards her. 

 

"W-who are you?  Did they send you to follow me?"

 

She put her staff out, end aimed at the man ...

 

"Are you a D-drifter?  They are supposed to be here."

 

Eyes trained on the man, waiting for an answer, her back to the open door ...

[doctorgalactic]

"Easy there, Love.  Easy now..." Kayle stood with his palms out, smiling at the frightened young woman attempting to draw her aim.

 

He passed a glance at Desmond who was already sizing her up, and with good reason.  One can never be too careful these days...

 

"If it's the Coast ye seek, then you've found it.  You're among friends here, I assure you.  It's alright, take a breath, Love.  Now then, who's 'they'?"

[Desmond Aryll]

Amazing how he does that. Desmond thought, He should have been a priest, this one.

 

He did see the fear in her eyes however and he found his own, usually carefully locked away emotions trickling to the fore. He stared at the end of the staff pointed directly at his chest but felt no fear, only concern. At the mention of they, he remembered how woefully inadequate their current apartments were. He reassured the Mage with his eyes, offering her the well practiced smile from his youth and slowly turned his attention to the outside.

 

He stepped to the door, hand crossed across his midsection, flirting with the worn  leather of his gladius.

 

He scanned the streets. No one.

[BlessedSilence]

Another voice .... another face ....

 

"Friends?  They were my friends once ..."

 

She makes a little face, looking away as she remembered.  But a sound from the direction of the two men caught her attention again, and she snapped her eyes back to them ...

 

"The merchants.  The guards.  They were my friends.  I healed them when they passed through Gridania."

 

Gridania ... how she missed her home ...

 

"Did you hear about the Drifters and ran before me?  Are you their scouts?"

[Desmond Aryll]

Desmond glanced at Delwyn. A look passed between them, straight faced to most onlookers but they were quite familiar with each other.

 

We need more info, Desmond's expression said.

 

She's in need of help, Delwyn face shot back.

 

Desmond assented, a relaxation of his face said he agreed.  

 

"Please," he began, palms forward, a look of appeal on his face. The staff swung back to his chest. He made no sudden moves, his eyes never left hers. "We are not following you, it is you who sought us out and you have found us." 

 

Again he tried to reassure her with a smile, "We've been called Drifters, true enough. My name is Desmond," he bowed his head slightly, "this man is called Delwyn," motioning to Kayle.

 

"And you are?"

[BlessedSilence]

She saw the look between them, but they made no move to subdue her ...

 

"Asdrellia"

 

Maybe she said to much.  They knew her name ...

 

"If you are who you say you are, I am in needs of your protection."

 

Her eyes move to the door again, any shadow or sound making her shiver ...

 

"Their plan did not work.  I knew about it and ran.  But they followed me.  They say you take those without a home.  I am such a one now."

[Desmond Aryll]

"Asdrellia."

 

He repeated her name, let it hang in the air for a moment.

 

"We won't abandon you," Desmond said, feeling the desire to assuage her fears, "You are not alone, not anymore." The words were said for her benefit but he found that they tasted good in his mouth. Gave him the resolve to move forward with what his logical mind told him was unnecessary trouble. Perhaps he had spent too much time with Delwyn.

 

"Asdrellia," he said her name again, "Please, lower your staff. Lower your staff and tell us what we can do to aid you."

[BlessedSilence]

She hesitated.  The one called Desmond sounded so sincere ....

 

Her staff wavered in shaking hands, but it lowered, returning to clutch against her chest ...

 

"Beastmen.  They wanted to give me to Beastmen for coin.  Goods."

 

Tears welled in her eyes.

 

"I heard them planning when they thought I was asleep.  I ran.  I ran for hours."

 

She couldn't stop talking, words pouring from her mouth just like the tears that fell.

 

"They hunted me.  I could hear them calling my name saying they were just joking."

 

Her voice began to break ...

 

"I need help.  If they find me, I don't know what will happen to me.  Please.  I can heal.  I beg you, do not give me to them!"

 

The sound of a crash and a shout of her name came from the street outside. Her blood ran cold as ice as her eyes widened ...

 

"They f-f-found m-me ..."

[doctorgalactic]

"They may have indeed, Love, but I promise you they've found more'n they bargained for."

 

The girls eyes swung to him, puzzled.  With a smirk he replied.

 

"The found us too.  Fae!  To the door with Desmond.  Lucy, Bloodwillow, please watch the dear.  That's right miss, this way, don't be alarmed.  Stone, with me.  Where are Qu and Qata?  Where is everyone?"

 

Kayle found himself addressing his companions with a familiarity that often frightened him.  This fellowship, nay, family, were naught but strangers mere months before, and yet they fall into place like a well oiled machine when the time calls.

[BlessedSilence]

Confusion crossed her face at his comment ...

 

She walked with this one called Kayle when he motioned deeper into the rooms ...

 

"But ... is that a good idea?"

 

She watched the people he called move quickly, and she huddled next to his arm as they moved ....

 

Turning to the door, she shrieked, eyes coming to lock with familiar ones ...

 

"There ye are, Asdrellia.  Come now, Edrwin was just joking.  We need your healing back at the camp."

 

She knew the familiar stride and voice of that one, and saw he was not afraid to face off to whomever was at the door ...

[Desmond Aryll]

"I think not, sir." Desmond said, his red eyes burning. He stepped between the man and the frightened mage, effectively barring the door.

 

 

 

"You are not welcome here. Leave."

 

It was blunt, the tone in his voice told the man there was no discussion. Desmond could feel Fae swinging around behind him, going out past his flank to get a look thru the thin wooden slats that covered the bare window. As always Fae would wreak as much havoc as any two warriors could manage while their attention was on the him.

 

Desmond felt revulsion just contemplating Asdrellia's words, They wanted to give me to Beastmen for coin. Goods. What kind of men would carry out that kind of abomination?

 

He felt a cold resolve well up from inside his core. He would end this slowly, right now if the man wanted it. A smile spread on his face, it was a cruel thing, wholly different from the one he had learned to use as a youth. 

 

"Or stay," he offered, arms opening wide, "and you will come to know me very well."

[Levi Druthers]

"They may have indeed, Love, but I promise you they've found more'n they bargained for."

 

The girls eyes swung to him, puzzled.  With a smirk he replied.

 

"The found us too.  Fae!  To the door with Desmond.  Lucy, Bloodwillow, please watch the dear.  That's right miss, this way, don't be alarmed.  Stone, with me.  Where are Qu and Qata?  Where is everyone?"

 

Kayle found himself addressing his companions with a familiarity that often frightened him.  This fellowship, nay, family, were naught but strangers mere months before, and yet they fall into place like a well oiled machine when the time calls.

 

Bloodwillow never sleeps.  She ran the whetstone over the blade of her axe slowly in one direction, occasionally checking her work.

 

Her ears picked up a sound in the main room, and she stood, hefting her axe.  Walking over the small bed, she poked Lucy awake.

 

"Trouble."

 

"Hm?  What?"  The lalafell blinked, stretching in a yawn.  "If so, let us be off then!"

 

The pair moved into what once could call chaotic.  Kayle was escorting an unknown woman to one side of the room with Desmond facing off some men at the door.  She noticed Fae positioned by the window.

 

Hefting Lucy onto her shoulder, she rested her axe with ease on the other and stood a few feet behind Desmond, ready in case anything happens.

[BlessedSilence]

"I think not, sir." Desmond said, his red eyes burning. He stepped between the man and the frightened mage, effectively barring the door.

 

"You are not welcome here. Leave."

 

"Or stay," he offered, arms opening wide, "and you will come to know me very well."

 

Garston looked down at this man who blocked his entrance, then back over his shoulder to the 3 behind him.

 

"Well now, looks like we have a whelp wanting to play at being a soldier!"

 

He turned back to Desmond and smiled, showing a row of perfect teeth among the background of laughter.

 

"Just move out of the way, we will take the girl, and you can go about your business, boy."

 

Garston's three friends broke into laughter again at their leader's insult.  He took another step forward, coming nearly chest to chest with Desmond in the door.

 

"I have no qualms knocking you aside."

 

Asdrellia felt her knees shake beneath her ....

 

She did not want these people to be hurt because of her ...

[Desmond Aryll]

He knew "big" men very well. They assumed anyone smaller was weak. An assumption that many had made of Desmond in the arena. 

 

Desmond didn't allow the big man, Garston, any time after the threat. When the big man had come up to close the distance between them, Desmond had taken advantage of his impaired line of sight to slowly plant his hand underneath the hand guard of his weapon.

 

As the last words escaped Garston's mouth, Desmond sent his gladius flying upward, out of it's sheath, his eyes never leaving his enemy's. He caught his gladius by the grips in his sword hand, palm facing outward and continued the motion, planting the pommel solidly in the thick bone on the underside of Garston's jaw.

 

He noted with more than a little satisfaction that his mouth has been open slightly as he heard the impact of swaggering man's teeth as they came together hard.

 

He dashed back as Garston stumbled, seizing the moment, he picked up a Scutum and squared himself.

[doctorgalactic]

Kayle winced.  Though they've only been companions for a short while, he had a fair assumption that calling Desmond 'boy' was going to be more trouble than it was worth, let alone a whelp.  

 

With a nervous laugh, he pointed an accusational finger at the brigand in the doorway.

 

"I'd take a step back if I were you, lest you're you meet your wits end in a stranger's doorway.  The man before you doesn't take the moniker 'Red' for his love of flowers, and the woman you've failed to notice on the other side of the door will have no trouble decorating the room with those fine teeth of yours.  Last warning.  Leave."

[BlessedSilence]

Garston staggered back, pain searing his jaw and fell into the man behind him, knocking them both to the ground.  It would not take any effort to see the man was not a fighter himself.

 

"What are you fools waiting for?!  Shoot him!"

 

The two lackeys still standing moved to pull the bows off their backs, while Garston fought to disentangle himself from his guard.  He had heard the laughter and words of another person which only angered him more.

 

His third guard was back on his feet now, pulling out a pair of pointed fist weapons, and lunged forward into the doorway, aiming himself at Desmond, the obstacle in their way.

 

Asdrellia watched this all cowering behind the one called Kayle ...

 

But she was not totally helpless ...

 

Lifting her staff, a flash of light formed at the end of it and shot towards Desmond, engulfing him in a solid shield of white, fading off a moment later ...

 

"I p-p-protected him ..."

 

The whisper was loud enough for Kayle's ears only ...

[Adolar]

Adolar stumbles through the door a little clumsily

 

"Sorry, Mr. Delwyn! Did you need anyt-"

 

The scene before him interrupts his speech as his eyes widen in shock. Immediately he reaches for his bow and already has an arrow aimed steadily at the approaching goons.

 

"LOOK OUT!"

 

In barely a second, Adolar has already let loose several arrows at one of men. The man cries out in agony and collapses to the ground.

 

Adolar attempts to launch an arrow at the other man but he is already much closer to the group. He launches the arrow anyway but his panic causes him to miss.

 

"Dammit!"

[BlessedSilence]

The lead guard deftly moved out of the arrows' way, the three arrows striking one of the archers at the door, and he crumples to the ground.  The second wave fails to come even close, and the guard was close enough to put his full weight into Desmond, the points at the end of his fist weapons slamming into the man.

 

A flash of light happened a split second before any sort of impact, lessening the blows that continuously bombarded the hyur even through his skilled parrying and blocking.  If the monk wasn't stopped soon ...

 

Asdrellia hid behind Kayle's back, burying her face in her hands ...

 

The other archer let loose a string of arrows.  In such a confined space, his aim was poor, so he aimed at the largest target in the room.

[Levi Druthers]

The lead guard deftly moved out of the arrows' way, the three arrows striking one of the archers at the door, and he crumples to the ground.  The second wave fails to come even close, and the guard was close enough to put his full weight into Desmond, the points at the end of his fist weapons slamming into the man.

 

A flash of light happened a split second before any sort of impact, lessening the blows that continuously bombarded the hyur even through his skilled parrying and blocking.  If the monk wasn't stopped soon ...

 

Asdrellia hid behind Kayle's back, burying her face in her hands ...

 

The other archer let loose a string of arrows.  In such a confined space, his aim was poor, so he aimed at the largest target in the room.

 

Of course, the largest target was her, and her eyes narrowed.  Her left eyes flashed for a moment, the materia imbedded in her temple giving her a flash of insight.  Though the archer's aim was at her, his form was sloppy, perhaps from a round of drinks before.  She saw his weakness and compensated her body, twisting so Lucy was out of the line of fire.  The arrows slammed into her armor, though one found it's way to imbed between plate and chain.

 

"Well that was not very nice of you!" Lucy reprimanded, a small finger wagging at the archer on the other side of the door.  Her small hands moved and a portal flashed in front of them both.  A yellow carbuncle shimmered and curled into the room, landing on her little feet.

 

"Topey!  Teach that rude person a lesson!"  The carbuncle sprinted forward, curling into a tight ball at the last second and slammed into the man's chest, sending both him and his bow flying in opposite directions down the street.  Returning to her mistress, Topey flared her three-wisped tail, glaring at the door.

[doctorgalactic]

The barrier around Desmond flashed with every attack as Desmond daftly parried and blocked the assault from the monk's bladed fists.  The remaining archer was notching another arrow as Adolar did the same.

 

"Stay low, love" Kayle whispered as he drew his odd blade from it's sheath at the small of his back.  He suddenly jolted forwards and shouted "Stone!"

 

The archer, startled by Kayle shout, quickly focused his aim on him.  Kayle smirked for a brief moment; the ruse worked.  With the archer's focus diverted, Adolar let fly a shaft that buried itself well into the man's ribs.  He screamed and let loose his arrow, catching Kayle in the left shoulder.  Kayle eyes welled up from the pain and he let out a cry as thrust his blade into the archer's gut and swept it upwards.  The archer leaned back and fell to the ground as Kayle grabbed at the arrow sticking out of his shoulder and looked to Desmond's attacker.

[Desmond Aryll]

Concentrating his attention on the monk raining blows, Desmond had little chance to watch what was going on around him. He was conscious however of the growing number of intruders who were being laid low. 

 

The monk was focused on breaking his defense. He He might have been successful were it not for the spell of protection that engulfed him. It would not last forever though.

 

On the next attack, Desmond feigned weakness in his block, allowing his shield-arm to buckle, he quickly rearranged his feet, sliding to backward and to his right, trusting that his attacker's zeal would bring him along. He did, exposing he monk's rear to the room. With most of the intruders laid low, the short-sighted monk had left himself vulnerable to Desmond's friends.

[Levi Druthers]

Concentrating his attention on the monk raining blows, Desmond had little chance to watch what was going on around him. He was conscious however of the growing number of intruders who were being laid low. 

 

The monk was focused on breaking his defense. He He might have been successful were it not for the spell of protection that engulfed him. It would not last forever though.

 

On the next attack, Desmond feigned weakness in his block, allowing his shield-arm to buckle, he quickly rearranged his feet, sliding to backward and to his right, trusting that his attacker's zeal would bring him along. He did, exposing he monk's rear to the room. With most of the intruders laid low, the short-sighted monk had left himself vulnerable to Desmond's friends.

 

She frowned, setting Lucy down quickly and in two strides across the small room, grabbing the monk by his throat as he spun to face Desmond again.  Pain seared through her side, a trickle of crimson seeping down her armor onto the floor, but it just fueled her rage even more as she lifted the monk up.

 

"No one attacks those under my charge."

 

With a cry that would surely rattle the windows, she spun on her lead foot and slammed the monk hard into the wall.  Pictures and objects rattled, falling off shelves onto the floor.  Seeing the man was only dazed, her left hand formed into a fist and struck him hard on the jaw.

 

She let her grip go, watching the last attacker crumple onto the floor. Her eyes burned with anger and a fire that any who opposed her in battle would recognize. They landed on Garston, daring the last one of the group to do something .... anything.

[BlessedSilence]

Garston stared in fear at the bodies of his guards, then back to the people in the small room.  He may be a warrior when dealing with gil but not when dealing with actual fighters.  He pointed a shaking finger towards Asdrellia.

 

"Don't ... don't think you escaped me bitch!  I will get what I was promised!  I will be back!"

 

Skittering backwards on the ground like a crab, Garston twisted himself to get on his knees, staggering to his feet before running down the street to the jeers and shouts from the Drifters in the room.

 

 

Asdrellia peeked her head out from behind Kayle ....

 

Her eyes widened at the arrow in his shoulder and Bloodwillow's side ...

 

"I have gotten you both hurt.  I am so s-s-sorry!"

 

Quickly she went to work, hands before her ...

 

 

A soft glow eminating from them and around Kayle's wound.  The arrow pushed itself out and dropped to the ground with a clatter ...

 

 

She did the same to Bloodwillow at her spot, the arrow meeting it's twin on the ground ...

 

 

Her attention then turned to Desmond, sending a soft healing glow around him, unknown what injuries he sustained ...

 

"I thank you f-for protecting me, a stranger.  The least I c-c-can do is help you."

 

Asdrellia's eyes brimmed with tears ...

 

"And I m-must rely on you once again in the f-f-future.  Garston will be b-back for me."

---

 

Thank you for the wonderful help with Asdrellia's beginning story!  Since she is now in the FC I am closing this but will be the first part of Gaston's plan to get her back very soon.

 

Stay tuned!