Fantasy An Adventure between LetsGo and Ao

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon looked at her as she spoke that language again. He thought he picked out a few words, such as armour and name but the most clear was her title of potion master. He decided that she was intentionally trying to get a rise out of him by speaking in a foreign language. He listened carefully as she explained that he would get her name only if she had a good time. Given that he would only get a potion if she had a good time as well, he decided it was essentially a double down. He smiled back at her, deciding he would tease her a little by not letting it get to him.

"Very well Miss Lee. Let me show you around town. Do stay close, it would be terrible to lose the only potion master I know," he said with a smirk as he turned and began to lead the way.

He led her down towards the market district. It was nothing special, in so much as it was similar to other large market areas. The loud cries of vendors calling their wares carried over the air and mingled into something unintelligible. Daemon noticed that some of the merchants who he had known before had been replaced with younger faces or new stalls, but a few familiar faces were pleasant, and that made him happy. Daemon led her to the center of the market, where a small fountain stood. Around the fountain stood groups of twos and threes quietly talking, their voices and gestures muted. Daemon turned to make sure the girl was still there before he began to speak.

"Welcome to the Malian Market. Here is where most of the goods from the ships end up, as well as the caravans that come down the main road and into the market gate. They say that the market was originally built around this well here, from which the fountain springs forth, and that over the years the market grew and grew, causing Mala to become the city it was today." He told her, focusing on her as he talked, seeing how she would react.

 

[AoAi]

Drat she thought when she heard him use her given name. She supposed it would be easy to pick out in any language. But she couldn't help but be impressed by his deciphering skills. If she was keeping points, which is sort of was, that would be a point in favour of him. She listened to him tease her and decided not to say anything but nod. When he turned to start walking she stuck her tongue out at him and quickly followed after him. When they first arrived in the central market her eyes grew.

It was so much like home but so different. There were so many options and so many people! She couldn't help but gawk at some of the stands and their wares. She made sure to twirl out of the way as children came bustling down the street past her as she got lost in her amazement. There were so many smiling faces and people trying to gain her attention to come over to their stalls. She even heard one man try to compliment her and entice her to come to his stall with nice words, but she just smiled kindly and waved goodbye. She followed after Sir Daemon with eyes of wonder and enjoyment. When they stopped at the fountain she couldn't help but playfully look over into the fountain to see her reflection. Her bow looked a tad crooked so she quickly straightened it but before turning her attention to Sir Daemon.

Listening to him tell her about the Malian Market's history made her look at him with wonder. Her eyes lit up at learning something new, and she couldn't help but clap her hands in joy. "That story is absolutely darling! I think that that is so amazing! A city that started around a well, and then grows into this large place of beauty. With canals and food, and people, and life and, culture!" she wanted to keep going but she was trying to reign in all her excitement.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon smiled as he watched her take in all the new sights. Her excitement was so contagious, in fact, that he was beginning to realize just how beautiful the city was. He had always thought of the city as some sort of facade, the nice and beautiful places hiding the crime and nastiness underneath, but perhaps this was the true face of the city. Daemon smiled as he let her look around a little bit, taking a moment to look around at the crowd. His heart stopped for a moment as he saw some cloaked individual looking at him, but a food cart passed between them, cutting off Daemon's line of sight. Once the cart passed, Daemon couldn't find the guy. He closed his eyes for a moment, calming his heart, before turning back to look at Lee.

"So, Potion Master, are you ready for the next sight? This one might be a little less exciting, but I think it's pretty nice?" He said with a smile.

 

[AoAi]

She nodded excitedly at the prospect of seeing anything the city had to offer. "I am excited for anything you have to show me Sir Daemon. There is no better person to show me around! Mala is already so interesting! But -" She paused for a moment as she saw the same guy who pushed her the day before. Her eyes narrow as he walks by. Some kids that were running through the little square stopped short at his presence and they promptly ran the other direction. She watched the scene with scrutiny as he turned the lively circle, quiet and cautious. She had absentmindedly bunched up her dress in her hands as she watched the man stalk out of the circle around the fountain. She watched him disappear down the street and forced herself to relax as she heard the lighthearted sounds of the crowd near the fountain again.

She relaxed her fingers and wrapped her arm around Sir Daemons. Making herself seem cheerful again she pulled him in the opposite direction of the suspicious man. "Nevermind! Let's go Sir Daemon! You're so close to earning my name!" She lightly pulled him forward.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon was on edge for a moment, but then smiled as she told him how close he was to earning her name. That would indeed be quite a feat. At this point, most thoughts of the potion were out of his mind and he was solely interested in learning more about the girl. She spoke a language he was unfamiliar with and possessed a snarky sense of humor that he found compelling. He felt her arms wrap around him and begin to tug him forward. He turned to get his bearings, before he looked around.

Daemon led them out of the market square and down a side street. He curved his way around the town, trying to avoid the most congested areas and show her some nice, quiet alleys when he could. After about ten minutes of navigation, he finally came to their next destination.

In front of them stood a large building. The roof of the building was flat, a small railing just visible around the top. On the corners of the building were sculptures, what appeared to be griffons. In front of directly was a wide stairway leading to three double doors, all three wide open with people coming in and out at will. The doors themselves were gilded and decorated with intricate design, and looked quite costly. Halfway up the stairs were two large lions which the sculptors had caught mid-roar. Daemon turned to the girl with a smile before pointing to the building.

"This is the adventurer's guild. This is where adventurers great and small come for jobs. Anyone who's worth their salt that is. As you complete jobs you go up in rank, starting first as a Iron, moving up through Silver and Gold, and maybe one day, becoming Heteonium. This building is what sees a lot of the foot traffic in Mala. It's also kept pretty for the sake of the festival that takes place on its doorstep once a year." Daemon explained to the girl.

"I happen to have some business inside. Perhaps you'd like to join me?" He inquired with a smirk, already knowing the girl's answer.

 

[AoAi]

She followed after Daemon with a cheerful expression. The sight of the man really left an impression on her but she worked hard to mask it from her features. She was on a tour and she wouldn't be deterred from the beauty and wonder that was Mala. She was attentive in all her sight seeing as they walked through small alleys and avoided large afternoon crowds. She had so much fun listening to the bustling life of the city. As she walked by Daemon, every now and they she would smile and wave at the little children or the elderly that they past on their way to, wherever they were going! She tried to be as friendly as possible and she thought she was doing a good job of that. When she wasn't smiling and waving she fidgeted with her dress to keep her hands occupied.

When they finally arrived at the place her eyes grew wide with astonishment. She had never seen a building so intricately done in her life! She had seen paintings but she was never this up close and personal to a building of such majesty. She raptly listened to Sir Daemon tell her about the location and she couldn't help but abruptly turn from looking at the building to quickly wrap her arms around Sir Daemon's waist in a quick hug. "Oh Thank you thank you thank you!" She squealed before she let go and raced up the stairs to poke at the large stone animal. She looked back at Sir Daemon and yelled down to him "What is the word for this animal in this language? I don't know how to translate it!" She knew what the animal was, but she just had a hard time thinking of what its' name was in the common language. She was just as curious about the animals as she was about the people inside the guild. She wondered what kind of rugged men, and maybe women she would meet. She had met vagabonds and some adventuring types back on her home island, but something told her that these people were a different breed. She could feel it.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon followed her up the steps as she looked at the carved creatures protecting the building.

"They're called lions. They're known for being fierce, smart creatures. I've never seen a real one but I hope to one day. From a little ways away." He said with a chuckle. Daemon turned and led the way into the building. He thought about how she had hugged him. She certainly is affectionate Daemon thought as he entered the building.

Inside, directly ahead, was a counter where several men and women were talking with the heavily armed adventurers. It was here that they turned in and accepted jobs. This was why Daemon was here. However, there were other purposes to the building. He knew on the floors above him were meeting rooms for some of the established party groups. Off to his left was a small canteen, busty women serving food and drink to the clamoring individuals. On the left was a small store, dealing in common goods an adventurer would use. However, it was inflated, and the truly experienced adventurers did their business elsewhere. Or at least, that was the case when Daemon was last here.

"Please wait here. I just need to do something at the counter and I'll be back in a moment. Is that acceptable? Or would you like to join me?" He offered. He didn't want the girl to be scared. Some of the individuals were intimidating.

 

[AoAi]

Raelie nodded her head as she listened to his explanation. She smiled at the statue one last time, giving it a small mimic roar in return before she walked up the rest of the steps after Sir Daemon. When they stepped into the place, she was even more amased, and she felt like she may have been overdressed for the occasion. Looking down shyly at her outfit she weighed the pros and cons of either going with Sir Daemon or staying in the large foyer and floating around the mass of adventurers. After making a decision in her head she looked back up at Daemon and smiled "No problem Sir Daemon! I can wait here. There is so much happening in this room, I doubt I will be bored! Go handle your important business! I'll just look around."

She made sure that the aura she put off was one of confidence so that when Daemon looked at her to make sure she was alright, he would feel at least some what reassured that she could handle herself. Raelie kept up the facade until he left the area. When he did, her smile dropped slightly and she turned her gaze to survey the area. She had some options. Counter, Canteen, or Shop... Raelie hummed in thought. She saw that a large group of men and women were in the canteen so, she decided to go there.

With practised grace, Raelie turned on her booted heels and walked over to the canteen entrance. She got a few odd looks from some of the men there but she was left unbothered for the moment. Entering the room there were several long tables filled with men and some women adventurers. All dressed in armour that she had never seen before, carrying an array of weapons. She tried not to stand at the entrance long, as she knew she looked different from the patrons there and quickly found an empty seat at one of the tables. It was quite a bit away from some of the other customers, for which she was glad but she was happy that it still gave her sight of the exit and she could still examine the people there.

Taking her seat a busty woman in a dress and apron appeared almost instantly, " 'Ello sug'r. Well, 've haven't seen a pretty face like yers here befor'. Ye look exotic. What 'an I get for ye?" Raelie blinked up at the woman and the woman smiled back. "Well...um can I have some...rum?" Raelie had always wanted to try Rum, but back home they never let her, she knew this woman wouldn't question her choice...hopefully. Luckily the lady nodded and said a quick "I'll be right back with that." and went on her way. Raelie, hummed as she waited to try to distract herself from feeling like the odd one out when one of the guys from down the table threw something at her.

She ignored it at first, thinking that someone might have accidentally thrown something her way, but when it happened two more times she turned at glared at the direction of where the thrown objects were coming from. Her glare was met with a vicious stare of a rather large man. He had a long beard and a somewhat huge gut that was being protected by armour but she could tell he was round for his size. He had no hair on his head and a large scar across his left eye. He was surrounded by men that shared the same look that he did. Raelie immediately felt on guard, that man was not looking at her with innocent intentions. "Wot's a pretty thing like you doin' in a scary place like this Princess?" Raelie scowled at the man and hissed back at him "Leave me alone you fat man." to which was met with confusion and the man leered at her "Oh lads, the princess here doesn't spe'k the tongue. She 'eally is exotic." Him and his guys started to laugh, a different man took that opportunity to speak up and say "Why don' you come over here Princess. Let us teach you the language. As well as a few more things that pretty little mouth of yours can learn" emphasing that last part with a lick of his lips.

Raelie felt so disgusted, but most importantly she felt disrespected. She hissed back at the man "I will show you a thing or two of what you could learn about me idiot man. I know how to handle stupid men like you. We were all taught on the island. " The men started to laugh again at her response but she ignored them, but they continued to heckle her. She kept her head held high as they continued their jeers. The lady at some point brought her the rum and she gave her a silent thank you and the lady gave her a small apologetic smile.

In a few moments. Raelie was about to be in a prickly situation, because that rum was no longer going to be drunk.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon nodded, seeing that the girl could handle herself. He went up and waited briefly in line. It moved with surprising speed, and he was soon at the front. One of the ladies looked at him, a raised eyebrow the only indication of question. Daemon nodded, the wordless question answered. He pulled out a scrap of parchment and a small napsack, which he produced from his satchel.

"I'm here to collect the bounties for the rogue goblins south of Mala. Inside are their ears. I hope that will suffice." He said. The woman took a quick glance inside the bag before stowing it below the table. She left the counter only for a moment and soon returned with a clinking satchel.

"That'll earn ye' fifteen silver an' five bronze. Feel free to use that at the store or canteen. We give discounts to the different ranks of adventurers. You're new aren't you?" She asked him.

"I've been away at another guild. I come from the west, but I grew up here. I didn't have this at the time though," he said, flashing a silver tag that was tied to a necklace tucked under his shirt. He quickly returned it to its hiding spot.

"Oh, well tha' makes everything moch easier." The woman said as she gestured to the canteen. "Why don't you have one on us. It's good to have some experienced fighters coming back, we lost a good amount to the war and to merchants oversees, so your seniority would be a help if you stayed." She said with a smile.

"Not sure how long I'll be here, but I'll take the drink all the same," Daemon replied with a grateful nod.

"Just tell 'em Anise sent you. They won't fool around then." She told him.

Daemon took his leave, tucking the sack of coins into his satchel before turning to find Lee. When he returned to the spot he couldn't find her, and he looked around.

Where could that girl have gone too? he pondered as he looked around the hall.

 

[AoAi]

The men continued to coo at her and tried to get her to respond. She was holding the cup of rum trying to decide how she wanted to deal with this. She wondered slightly if Sir Daemon was ready to leave because while she did like the place, she did not want to be annoyed anymore with those people. " 'ey lass. Don' yew want to learn a few things? Wots that ye got there? RUM? Can yew even handle that" The fat man mocked and laughed. His lackies laughing as well to make it seem like he was funny. Raelie took a deep breath, she was going to do what she was going to do. She had decided it.

Taking a sip of the rum and cringing at the new taste. Way too bitter for my taste she thought, before she turned to the fat man. Standing she walked over to the man, he whistled at her as she moved over, causing Raelie to cringe in disgust. "Wots this? Ye givin' me yer drink eh? Ain't you the sweetest." He gave an ugly toothy grin at her. "You will not be smiling in a moment you disgusting man." Standing beside him, she tossed the contents of her drink out onto the man. The noise in the bar quickly quieted down, and the man's face turned from the grin to a murderous glare. Slamming his hands down on the table, he stood menacingly up and his posse stood as well. "Now that wasn't very nice ther' princess. You need a lesson about how this world works." Raelie watched as he pulled back his hand, she knew he was going to try to slap her so she quickly backed up, causing him to miss.

His face turns red, and he looks to his group. "Grab her." He orders. The men turned their sights on her and immediately tried to grab at her. Ducking out of their reach she backed up and hopped on a table away from the grabbing arms, apologising to the inhabitants there before yelling, "SIR DAEMON! SIR DAEMON! SIR DAEMON!" She started screaming as she dodged hands. When one hand got too close she quickly kicked her leg and felt her leg hit someones face. She hoped she could hold them off until she got maybe a weapon or Sir Daemon came to her aid.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon first checked the shop for the girl. He looked between the tall aisles, hoping to see her play with some bauble or perceived treasure. He had expected her to go wandering off, but he had figured it would be fairly easy to find her. He looked down the last aisle with a sigh, wondering if he had missed her. He was about to walk through the shop one last time before he heard the loud cries of "Sir Daemon!"

Daemon spun around, walking quickly out of the shop and back into the lobby. He looked around quickly, trying to gauge where the voices were coming from, before he noticed the commotion in the canteen. He saw people hastily back up from their tables as people ran about. Daemon put a hand on the hilt of his sword as he prowled toward the canteen. He had just stepped inside the large doorway when someone slammed into his body. He looked down and, to his relief, he saw it was the Lee. He looked up just in time to see the several angry men who were chasing her. They gave pause, eyeing the newcomer, not quite willing to charge recklessly at the armed individual. Daemon grabbed Lee by the waist and pushed her behind him. He crossed his arms and looked at the men.

"Gentlemen, I'm not sure what's going on, but know that it's my job to protect this young....lady," Daemon said, making sure not to attribute one of the many chastisements to her that ran through his head.

"Now, while we all know it is forbidden to draw weapons in the guild hall, I wouldn't mind breaking a few jaws if that is what would settle the matter. Or, you could all buy the next round on me, and pretend this didn't happen." He said, eyeing the men.

He noticed how all the men seemed to eye one rather large and overweight adventurer who stood in their midst. Clearly this was the leader of the group. Daemon didn't like the chances of this individual being one who prized reason and discussion, but if the man's stomach was any indication, perhaps the offer of a drink would settle the matter down a bit. If not, Daemon would be in for a rough fight.

 

[AoAi]

Raelie was running away from more grabbing hands, and apologising to everyone she disturbed as she ran, hoping that Sir Daemon would show up quickly. She was getting tired of running and had yet to find a weapon she thought was scary enough to get them to stop chasing her. She knew nothing of the rules there, and she didn't want to get kidnapped or kicked out without Sir Daemon at least trying to solve the problem.

As she ran, she didn't notice that were was a spot on the floor where one of the other patrons spilt his drink in the commotion. Raelie not paying attention, started to slip but luckily something broke her fall. That something, being someone. That someone being Sir Daemon. She looked at him with relief and was going to thank him when she was so graciously redirected out of harms way, behind, who was beginning to become one of her favourite people, back. She peaked around his back to stick her tongue out at some of the men chasing her. That caused them to growl at her, which prompted her to hiss at them. "You aren't so tough now are you fat one and your merry band of idiots? HA. I have my own knight to kick your -" Sir Daemon gave her a pointed look as if he knew she was mouthing off in her language and she immediately quieted so that she could hear him try to make amends.

The fat man looked ready to blow a fuse at being interrupted by the Amoured Adventurer. He was considering his options, seeing that he had several men with him, he thought he could take this bloke. "How bout ye pay for me groups entire tab and we'll be on our way out. 'ittle Princess will get her education another day, won't see boyos?" The fat man leered at Raelie, which caused her to glare back at him. He smirked at that and gave a quick nod to his boys, "Yer lucky we have business outside of Mala princess. We'll be back for yew lassy." He grunted and left with his men, all of which gave Raelie dirty looks. It mad eRaelie want to throw up but she kept her glare until they left the canteen entirely. One they were gone she sheepishly started to play with her ribbon as she tried to avoid making eye contact with anyone in the canteen.

The rest of the patrons still there, gradually moved back to their seats and the conversations they were having started back up again. Tables were fixed and evenings were continued. The lady with the apron came over to them with a sway of hips and handed a large cup of ale to Sir Daemon "I can see you gots your hands tied with that one. Have this, on me." She looked at Raelie and added with a wink "Your good with me sug'r. Didn't like them much anyways." before strutting off somewhere else in the canteen.

Raelie laughed nervously as she looked to Sir Daemon "So...how was your business?" she asked a little meekly, she wanted to gauge his annoyance to give her an idea on how she should react.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon watched the men slink off, obviously weighing the benefit of free drinks better than an uncertain fight. Daemon watched as the men headed out a different door. He sighed for a moment, the tension leaving his body as one of the canteen women came sauntering over and handed him a drink. He didn't even need to say anything. He dug in his satchel and produced a gold piece.

"This'll cover their tab I hope?" He asked the lady. She took the coin and nodded.

"Aye, with just a bit left over." She replied.

"Keep it. Consider it a tip. And spit in their drinks if they come back." Daemon replied as he leaned against a wall behind him. He took a sip of the drink and nodded his head in appreciation. If there was one thing a guild could be trusted to do right, it was their drinks. His eyes briefly followed the barmaid as she swayed off before he looked down at the girl beside him. He could tell she was trying to play it off as if she wasn't the one who was the source of this. Or maybe she was just embarrassed at having caused him such trouble. He looked down at her with a frown.

"Well, it was going well, until I had to cough up more than half of what I earned for doing said 'business'," He replied to the girl. He took a few last sips at the hard cider, enjoying the refreshing apple taste, before he set it down on the table. He didn't really want the entire drink right now, but only enough to take off some of the recent stress.

"Mind explaining what happened here? And why I most certainly just made several new enemies? How much trouble could you have caused in such a short time?" He replied, each question giving vent a little more to his frustration. He was going to say more, but he paused. She was young and foolish. Like he had been. Still was for that matter. He decided to let it drop.

"As long as your alright, I guess none of it really matters. We have one last sight to see before the day is up, and I'd rather you enjoy it in a good mood." He said as he offered her a small smile.

 

[AoAi]

Raelie winced at Sir Daemon's expression and his tone. She did feel bad and she went to quickly explain "Sir Daemon, I swear it wasn't my fault...I mean the drink to their head way my fault but they were harassing me! You'd think they never saw a nicely dressed person here and they....they...deserved it!" Raelie knew that that wasn't going to be enough, but she tried to at least explain some of it. She sighed and looked a little guilty at Sir Daemon having to pay off the debt of those men and then some. "I could have paid for the tab Sir Daemon." Raelie sighed dejectedly.

She sighed and looked at him with gratitude. "Thank you though Sir Daemon, you really helped me out there." She smiled at his attempt to fix up the day and she nodded enthusiastically. "Please, lets go do something positive. Let's go!" Before she turned to follow Sir Daemon on his way out she bowed quickly at the patrons in the bar. "Sorry about that commotion! Have a great night, thanks for being great!" She waved goodbye and headed out into the foyer of the building to wait for Sir Daemon to take her away to the last sight on the tour. She patted her cheeks to get force herself to be calm and cheerful. I wonder if these are all signs... the mysterious guy from earlier, and those disgusting men from the canteen... is something bad going to happen? It was a grim prospect to pass her mind but it could what fate had in mind. But for now, she pushed such thoughts from her head and smiled back at Sir Daemon. "Well you know...my papa did warn me to stay out of trouble for a reason. I am known back home as some what of a trouble maker." She joked, trying to bring back the air of relaxation and silliness.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon accepted her explanation and led her outside, away from any more trouble. He was determined to end on a high note, even if the the last stop had been a little less than spectacular. He made sure she was close beside him as he began to lead the way down the street. He kept glancing around, knowing that he would be able to see it from somewhere on this street, before he suddenly spotted it. He played it off though, as he kept walking.

"A trouble maker? How could so much trouble fit into such a small body?" He teased as he continue on the way to the final sight. Finally, as they neared it, he paused and held out his hand.

"This is best seen as a surprise. It was how one of my friends showed it to me for the first time, and it leaves quite an impression." He said with a smile. He waited for her to cover her eyes with one hand before he took the other and began to lead her. After another minute or two they began to climb up steps. The distinct click of their boots on the steps indicated that they were stone.

Finally, after they had climbed quite a few steps, they took one final step and Daemon paused. He was quiet for a moment, letting the girl listen to the noise of the wind, before he spoke softly.

"You can look now."

He heard her gasp as she caught sight of what he was looking at. In front of her lay a good portion of Mala, fifty to sixty feet below. From so high up, they could see the walls around the harbor, the walls and gates of the main roads, and the glimmer of the guild hall. It was the perfect time of day, as the sun had just begun to glow red as it slipped past the horizon, and across the city people began to light the lamps that illuminated the streets below. All in all, a gorgeous sight.

"I figured we were running out of time so, might as well show you the city all at once." He said with a slight laugh.

 

[AoAi]

Raelie hummed in amusement at Sir Daemon, cheering up significantly. She couldn't understand why, but she really enjoyed spending time with him. She really thought that she made a friend, which she was really grateful for. She just shrugged her shoulders at his playful question and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively with a laugh. "Who can tell, it's a gift!" She added after her laughter subsided, making ways for her to start giggling at her little joke instead.

When he turned to her she looked at his outstretched hand cautiously, "You're not leading me to my death are you?" she teased. When he saw him smile at her she placed her hand in his. "I'll trust you for this. This better be good Sir Daemon!" She covered her eyes with her free hand and tightly gripped his hand with her other. She took cautious steps at first but she felt him squeeze her hand in comfort and she became braver, following him to the best of her ability.

He prompted her to take a few higher steps and she wobbly stepped up the elevated earth. Any stumble she may have had was steadied by Sir Daemon and she couldn't fight the smile that showed on her face. She couldn't tell where she was but she knew she was on higher ground than before. Feeling the wind around her, she wondered briefly if she was on the ocean. It reminded her so much of home.

Hearing Sir Daemon say she could uncover her eyes she does so and gasps at the beauty of the scene in front of her. Mala in all its glory. The canals were visible, and so were the people riding in them on little boats. She stared in awe. This was so different for her than the Adventurer's guild. It was so overwhelming. So much so that she began to cry, but she didn't notice the tear falling down her face. She just took in the sights.

She nodded slowly at Sir Daemon's words to make sure that he knew she was listening but she didn't want to move her eyes from the scene in front of her. She didn't want to miss anything.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon smiled as he noticed her awe. He wanted to ask why she was crying, but he wanted to give her the time to take in the city. As he looked out over it, for the first time in a long time, he contemplated staying for good. Find local work, protect the town in battles and from monsters, and to make friends. After all, he seemed to have made a friend today. He noticed how often the girl had been smiling, all her joking and such, and it wasn't wasted on him. He hoped she would pass on a decent report to her father, especially since he would need her services.

"So... everything you'd hoped today would be?" He asked as he leaned over the railing. He looked out at the city, waiting for her reply.

"Also, maybe I've earned your name? And a story of where you're from and what you're doing in town? Just curious." He added, turning now to look at her.

 

[AoAi]

She giggled at Sir Daemon's curious question, asking what she thought was a silly question. She turned to him with a wide smile on her face, and her expression was one of great fondness and appreciation. It was rare that she felt so gracious, but she couldn't help it. Despite the little hick up at the Adventurers Guild, the day still ended perfect. She rolled her eyes playfully at him before speaking softly, "My name is Raelie. But you're free to keep calling me Lee or Rae or just E. It's a pleasure to meet your Sir Daemon." She turned back to the scene in front of her and laughed "You had earned my name since earlier silly Sir Daemon."

She watched the waves of the ocean that surrounded Mala move and the serene picture of peace that the city look like before continuing "Sorry for crying... it just, I got extremely nostalgic is all. I've been here all of one day and I miss home terribly. It's still strange to me to be speaking so much in the standard." she took a breath "I'm from a small island out there" she pointed past Mala, "It's called Omlirc. The language we speak is Omli, it's a mixture of the dead language of the Mainland and our own vernacular. It's "ancient" haha. We are more of a tribal people, but we are very modern like Mala, just we're different." She brushed her hair back from her face and gave her attention back to Sir Daemon "Hang around me enough, you'll probably pick up some words that you may have known. I'm lucky that I can speak Olmi because it helps me talk to people on the mainland that don't know standard. Which, I heard is quite a few villages!" She teased.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon smiled, relieved to finally learn the girls name. However, he decided to continue to call her Lee. He listened to her story, intrigued. He had wondered why that language had sounded so familiar and now it made sense. He had indeed passed some of the villages that still spoke predominately in the old tongue, since people had only started to push for the standard since after the last war.

"Your island sounds very interesting. I'm sure it's full of wonderful sights and people, just like Mala is. Perhaps I will have to travel out there sometime to see it for myself. I do look forward to picking up a few words, but that makes it sound like you want me to stick around. I thought I was just your guide that you bought at the price of a simple healing potion?" He teased, leaning back against the railing to look at the girl.

"It can't be that you think fondly of me, can it?" He inquired, pressing the joke.

 

[AoAi]

She watched him closely and could help the joyful laugh that came from her with his compliments of her island. Omliric would love to have visitors like him she thought with a smile on her face. "The old women there would eat you alive Sir Daemon. They're so meddlesome and they're pinchy" she giggled and pretended to pinch him, "They love to mess with handsome young men like yourself." She teased. Feeling the wind pick up a bit she brushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear and hummed as she listened to his question.

Her face grew warm at the inquiry and she turned to look at him suddenly a tad flustered by the notion. She cleared her throat before starting "Pssh... me... be fond of you?" She crossed her arms and tilted her face up as if to make herself seem a bit haughty. "My fondness is earned Sir Daemon. You are almost there but not quite. If you want my fondness...you have to show me more interesting things." She watched his expression before quickly adding "Of course, only if you want to. I won't force you to spend your time with me Sir Daemon. Obviously... but I am not averse to your presence." She dropped her silly facade and winked at him before turning away from the sight of Mala.

"We should head back! I feel like being in the midst of city life will be fun! Hopefully you don't lose me!" She teased as she lifted her dress slightly to kick rocks as she started to walked away.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon smiled, sensing that this was the beginning of a good friendship. He couldn't help but notice that she had called him handsome, but he decided not to press the point... yet. He followed her down and led her back to the shop. All the way there, the torchlight lit their path, showing them a clear way back to the apothecary. It had been a long day, and Daemon was looking forward to a break back at the inn. Overall, it had been a good day.

After a nice stroll Daemon brought the girl back to the apothecary safe and sound. Even if they had passed through a shady section or two, an armed man was enough to deter the enemies. He smiled as he stopped a few steps from the door.

"Well, I suppose I'll leave you here. I'll come back for my other potion tomorrow morning. Until then, I wish you the best." Daemon said. He waved goodbye to the girl and headed back to the inn. When he reached the inn, he treated himself to a simple warm stew and then headed to bed. He wanted to wake up early the next morning to grab his potion and head out on a simple quest. Ideally, he'd be back at the inn before evening and he could go to the market to pick up some new gear.

The next morning, Daemon woke up and headed downstairs. As he sat at the counter, he heard a few men whispering at a table behind him.

"... we grab em ton.... she'll fetch a.... good use for that smart mouth o' hers.... til the fat...." was all Daemon picked up, before he heard the men stand up and head out the door. Something didn't sound good about all of this. He decided he would tail them, see where they went, and then do his mission. He waited a few minutes after the men left before he got up, slid the innkeeper a coin for the meal, and rushed upstairs to arm himself in his gear. Another day in Mala he thought.

 

[AoAi]

Raelie walked next to Sir Daemon when he caught up to her with a smile. Walking back through the lively town just made her smile grow wider. Knowing that her day had come to an end made her a bit sad but she was so excited to get to work on the potions that Sir Daemon requested and to gift him something extra. Her mind was racing with the mixture of herbs and which recipe she wanted to try out. Her mind lost in thought, she didn't even notice that they were back to her dad's shop. With a light frown on her lips she turned to Sir Daemon and crossed her arms. "Well. I guess this is goodbye for now! I hate to see you go! I had so much fun, but make sure you come back soon!" She waited a few moments for him to move, and when he didn't move she sighed and walked the few paces to her door. She turned and gave a small wave before disappearing into her home.

Not even waiting for Sir Daemon to leave, she ran over to the counter of the shop and started pulling out empty vials. She was so grateful that her father kept some candles lit. It helped her move around. Gliding around the shop she searched for the herbs and remedies that her father had on shelves. She gathered up all the ingredients that she could possibly need in her hands and carefully shuffled over to the counter. She was going to stay up and make the potions.

The night passed by with a whirl for Raelie. When her father awoke, he called around for his daughter in their home wondering where she was. Walking down the stairs, he started to call for her when he noticed her sleeping with her head against the counter. Vials of green health potions and two vials of a pink substance sat around her head as well as some loose ingredients that she hadn't properly secured back in their packaging. He sighed fondly at his daughter and with yawn he went back up the stairs to their home to see if he could make her some food. "This kid of mine." He just laughed softly to himself.

Unsuspecting to the family, a group of men were approaching their little shop. Raelie deep in sleep was dead to the world and her father was upstairs. No one was watching the door. The shop was silent except for the occasional sound of Raelie breathing.

The bell rang signalling that someone had opened the door. Raelie's father who was upstairs heard and stopped his breakfast preparation to tend to the shop. "Welcome to the shop, is there something we can hel-" He trailed off as he descended the stairs and saw a man standing menacingly over his daughter. His eyes harden as he saw that the man had his hand over his sword. "What do you want?" he asked as calmly as he could. The man looked dirty and rough.

"Eeeeelll. 'ho 'ould of thought that ye little bitch lived 'ere." the man said with a lick of his lips, "Boss'll love this 'e will." Raelie's father watched this man take a step towards his daughter, which caused him to rush over to stand between them. He placed his arms out as a barrier.

"You're not getting my daughter. Leave. Now." He warned, though he knew he was unarmed, he knew he'd do anything to protect his daughter. Raelie, bless her heart was still unaware of the tension in the room.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon had tailed the men to the shop. He had watched them enter as he rushed to catch up. He then caught a glance as he looked in through the window. What he saw wasn't encouraging. He saw one of the men had already gotten close to Lee. She was sleeping, completely unaware of what was going on around her. Figures she is passed out and doesn't do anything. Why does this girl make my life so much harder Daemon pondered as he planned a course of action. To come in through the door would be an obvious choice, but that would alert the men to his presence. He could see, already, that two of them had daggers drawn and had hidden them behind their backs. Lee's father, protective and sweet man that he was, would certainly try and protect her, but would likely get in the way. However, Daemon didn't really see any other options. He drew his sword and gripped it as he readied himself at the door.

Daemon burst in right as the man was about to speak. All four of them turned, clearly not expecting anyone to drop in on them. Daemon was going to tell them to leave, but before he had the chance, one of the men lunged at him with his dagger. That sealed their fate. Now Daemon was fighting to kill.

Daemon side stepped the first man, the dagger missing him entirely. Daemon threw his arm under the man's free arm, quickly latching on to the man's shoulder, and pushing his arm at a painful angle. As he held him there, he could see the dagger wielding individual charge at him. Daemon threw his man in front of him as he spun, the trapped man giving a yelp of pain, which turned into a gurgle as his partner knifed him in the stomach. Daemon could hear the squelch as the knife went in, and could feel the blood dripping on to his tunic. Daemon pushed the man who had shielded him aside, taking the other man's dagger with him. He then slashed at the second, his sword making a clear path through the man's chest. As the second one dropped, the third, who had until then been in Daemon's blind side, rushed at him with some sort of spiked club. Daemon ducked under the first wild slash, and sidestepped two more, before he felt a searing pain in his side.

Daemon lurched as he saw the fourth and final man had decided to avenge is fallen comrades, wildly slashing with his sword. Luckily, Daemon had dodged the other man's mace at that moment, but unluckily, he hadn't escaped the long reach of the sword. He quickly put a hand to his side, and it came back bloody. It wasn't enough to coat his hand, but already he could feel the wound affecting his movements. This is inconvenient. Daemon had no time to pause as the swordsman rushed him again, coming in for a thrust. Daemon parried it, keeping the blade away from himself. However, he had no time to counter attack as the man wielding the mace came in with a blow to his side, attempting to crush his ribs. Daemon jumped back, feeling the breeze as the man's weapon came near him. The swordsman rushed him again, but this time Daemon was expecting it, and he quickly flicked his sword forward, a small cut coming across the man's cheek. It was far from lethal, but it was enough of a shock for the man to stumble back a step or two. The man wielding the mace expecting his counterpart to draw Daemon's attention, was now faced with Daemon aware and ready for his attack. The man was mid-swing as Daemon turned on him. He slid to the side, grunting in pain as he did so, evading the minion's blow. As he did so, his sword slashed quickly at the exposed back of the man's legs. Daemon could almost hear the sickening snap as he cut through the man's tendons, and he tumbled to the floor, crying in agony. Daemon took another step back, looking at the remaining target.

The man had a mix of hatred and fear in his eyes. Together, prepared, they likely could have overcome him, but one on one, it would be a more fair match. The man looked quickly to where Lee and her father had been, but no one was there. Daemon had caught them fleeing upstairs sometime during the fight. He growled, before speaking up.

"Sonova Bitch. Yah shoulda' stayed out ah this. Was' one potion maker an his slut daugher' mean to you? Your ah good fighter, ah'll give ya that. I'll tell ya' what, you lay down ya sword, help me take 'er, and after the boss has gone ah round or' two, he'll let you-"

Daemon cut him off, slashing at him. The man caught the blow on his sword, looking all the more angry at him. "Fine than" the man said as he swung wide at Daemon. Daemon dipped back, but his wound was starting to slow him down. He blocked the man, when earlier he might have simply dodged. Whereas he was tired, the man seemed more angry after his engagement. He was now powerfully slashing at Daemon, trying to break through his guard with sheer force instead of finesse. After a minute or two of exchanging blows, both men boasted a new score of small injuries. Daemon had a slash across his forearm, whereas the man had one across his thigh. The floor boards below them were slowly becoming a little more slippery with blood. Finally, the man made for a overhead slash, gripping his sword with both hands as he brought it down at Daemon. Daemon had no choice but to catch it on his sword, buckling to his knees with the force of the blow. The man began to chuckle as he pressed down on his sword, his blade pushing nearer and nearer to Daemon's throat.

"Now ah-" the man said, before he stopped. He grunted, looking down at the dagger in his side. He stumbled back, plucking at it weakly, before he fell to the ground. He looked up with one last look of hatred at Daemon.

"My boss... will... 'ave you an' her....one way... or....." The man said, before he gave one last sigh, and his body fell limp.

Daemon knelt for a moment, before he called out.

"Lee! Everything.... Everything is ok. Send your dad down. I... I don't.... want...." Daemon said, before his vision began to blur, and he fell on his side. The last thing he saw was the old man running to his side.

 

[AoAi]

Before Daemon got to the shop, Raelie's father stood his ground. The man was getting more and more aggressive in his taunts but her father refused to back down. In those moments before the mans' backup arrived he tried to reason with the man, asking him to leave but the other just laughed and baited him with threats and motions towards Raelie. Raelie slept though most of the commotion, but she was forcefully ripped from her sleep when she heard the loud footsteps of several other men and then the loud arrival of Sir Daemon right on their heels. Rousing from her sleep she yawned and quickly jumped up. "I'm so sorry for falling asleep Papa! I just stayed up all night creating new brews for Sir Dae-" She spoke quickly in their language in her excitement that fast dwindled when she made eye contact with the fat man from the day before. "Papa...what is going on?" She asked in their language softly, her eyes flinting from the men to her father.

"O' der she is boys. Da l'ttle wh're." The smaller man from before said pointing and laughing. The fat man locked eyes with Raelie and he got a nasty look on his face. Sir Daemon was fighting another man, as the fat one leered at her before turning his attention to Sir Daemon. There were so many men, and there was only one Sir Daemon. She was frozen, from worry and guilt. She felt like she had caused this and indirectly got Sir Daemon involved. "Now is not the time to be frozen. Move Raelie, while they are distracted." Her father hissed at her and pushed her to the stairs. She grabbed a hold of his arm and dragged him with her. Her father wasn't going to die on her watch. Clutching his arm tightly they ascended up the stairs as the battle grew louder and Sir Daemon's grunts of battle became deafening. When they made it to the top landing, her father guided her to the closest room to them and rushed in there. He quickly locked the door once they were safe and barricaded it with the furniture.

Raelie was silent as she was still trying to process what was going on, she was confused but in that growing confusion, one idea was clear. She needed to help Sir Daemon. He was alone fighting more than 5 men. He needed help. Raelie blinked as she made the decision, and moved to pushed past her father and the barricade. "Papa! You must move! I have to help Sir Daemon!" She panicky said to her father trying to get out of the room. Her father, stronger than her, held her back. The sound of fighting was growing too loud and she was getting too frantic to want to help that her father had to sit down with her in his arms and hold her like she was a child. It did nothing to quell her panic, in fact, it made her more desperate to want to get to Sir Daemon. Her father steadfast and strong just held her through the fighting, used to having to restrain patients and was more than willing to restrain his daughter if that meant saving her life.

Raelie wanted to cry out of frustration. She couldn't help from where they were but her father wouldn't let her go. She was resigned to waiting, and thus slumped in his arms. Listening to the fighting, until finally it stopped. Her struggles renewed again she fought against her father to get to the door. Her father called after her to stop her but she wasn't listening to him. Just as she had begun to descend the stairs, she heard Sir Daemon call to her "SIR DAEMON!" She couldn't help but yell back from her vantage point on the steps. She yelled for her father to come down and felt him rush past her as she stood on the steps watching her father quickly grab his first aid supplies and fall to his knees beside Sir Daemon. Raelie tried not to focus on the carnage around Sir Daemon and in the shop but at the same time, she didn't want to look at Sir Daemon. It made her feel so upset to see him hurt. "-ELIE! RAELIE!" Her father yelled at her trying to get her attention. Her eyes snapped to him and he ushered her down. "Go get the knights in the square. Tell them everything. I'll handle Sir Daemon okay?" Raelie went to protest but her father shook his head "Listen to me Raelie. Go! Don't look anymore Raelie. Don't look. Just go." He shooed her out and watched her run off. He turned back to Daemon and began to move him to the infirmary in the next building.

Raelie on her run was lucky enough to see her father's assistant on their way to the infirmary side of the shop and frantically explained the situation to him. He nodded and ran back to the shop while she continued on her way to the knights. Finding them, she explained everything and they, along with a wagon and a few horses followed her back to the shop where they went to collect the bodies. She watched them move the bodies out of the shop and start to record information, but what she really wanted to do was go to Sir Daemon's side. As soon as the knights were done with her and told her that they'd be back in a few days time to gather more information she bolted to the infirmary, doing just that.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Daemon awoke a few hours later with a groan. His whole body tingled all over. His hand went slowly to his head as he felt a cool cloth against it. He brought his hand back down, and went to push himself up, but immediately leaned back as a wave of pain went through his side. He lifted up his shirt and saw a neat row of stitches across his side. He probed them gently. He grimaced, the slight touch sending a bit of pain through him. He let the shirt slip back down and checked the rest of his wounds.

He had a few bandages wrapped around his arms and legs, likely simple ways to stop the small cuts that he had accumulated during combat. On a second look over, the worst wound seemed to be the one he had on his side. He imagined that it would likely be less painful if he had some potions to drink, but for the moment, his body would certainly heal over time, and he was likely to see any infections from this combat.

With a greater effort, he sat up in bed, looking around to see if he saw any of the men he had fought with. Since he didn't he could only assume they had all been taken away, dead or injured. Daemon knew he hadn't left any standing when he blacked out. He hoped Lee hadn't had to see too much of that. It was a grisly scene and he wanted to preserve her innocence, even if only by a bit.

He looked over to his side and saw his belongings piled on the table. His sword was sheathed and lying against it, and his clothes were folded neatly. For a moment he paled. Lee didn't change me I hope. Please gods tell me it was the old man, not her. Daemon looked around, not seeing anyone about. He decided to raise his voice and see if anyone was around.

"Lee? Uh... Lee's Father?" He called out, not knowing if either of them was in the shop.