I
Lively music came from inside the tavern a shield like sign hanging above the porch, the painting of a crude fox snuggled up against a golden tankard on it. The warm glow of fire and embers looming beneath the rough pine wood door. Echoing voices loudly speaking and joking amongst themselves as they drank and ate while watching two men batter each other. The Fox Tankard tavern was a warm an inviting place to escape the worst of the frost that the residents of Glaston had been living through half the year, it was supposed to be the beginning Helvenmur instead the frost carried over from Ic'yum lingering like a ghost that won't except that it's dead. The work in the lumber yards had dramatically slowed down causing the men and women to wait for the frost to past before work would be able to resume, now all they did was sit around spending the Baron's silver on drinks and whores and fights - among the bored workers. Occasionally travelling to the Baron's Emerald Palace, a large keep made of stone and mud brick painted an unnerving shade of green that sat on the edge of a horribly disfigured mountain cliff, a large dull in compared to the keep surrounding it. On these occasions Baron Mikael Wilhelm would throw a massive feast allowing his subjects to drink and eat and fight, which he would eagerly partake in both to the annoyed disappointed from his wife the beautiful Baroness Brigitta Wilhelm and his daughter Ida Wilhelm. But tonight they were at The Fox Tankard with coin to spend and drinks to pour down there gullets as they watched two drunkards clumsy attempting to fight one another. Laughing amongst themselves as they jeered at the overly intoxicated fighters, swapping jokes at what some of them would do to the stuck up daughter of the Barron when she finally reaches the age of fifteen in two years time.
A high pitched laughter broke out as the dangerously thin Fulwick began to show what he would do to one of the many uncomfortable barmaids that was in arms reach of his twig like arms, to the cheers and approval of his peers. "Come on baby" Fulwick whispered into her ears his boney hands brushing her strawberry smelling blonde hair a way from her pale long neck he began to suckle, slowly moving his hands down her clothes greedily gropping her large breasts. "You know you want it" his ale reeking breath burning at her skin as tears filled her blues eyes as she struggled to get out of his grasp, her eyes falling to the eyes of the men and women in the group who cared nothing for her to them she was just another thing to amuse themselves with until the frost had past, "let's take this somewhere private and I'll show you a real good time" now quickly pulling her with a surprising amount of strength to the entrance to the tavern. Which quickly blew open as a figure in a dark hooded cloak began to make his way into the tavern. Fulwick quickly letting the tavern whore go as he felt an unnatural presence come from the hooded stranger. Almost running back to drunk group of wood cutters feeling as though death had just found him, his brown eyes cautiously watching the figure from his seated position next to the fight circle attempting to warm himself. "Fucker has a presence like death himself, Ed" Fulwick said to Edvin who himself was nursing a broken nose he had received in the last fight.
"Of course he has Ful" Edvin groaned out attempting in his punch drunk adrenaline filled state to reset his nose, "fucking Nils hits like a fucking giant" he groaned out further letting his self pity swallow him. Feeling his face being lightly slapped he looked at the pox scarred face of Velm, his blue eyes looking into the ugly brown ones of Velm. A grim an unpleasant view to see after the agonising pain of setting one's broken nose. "Yes Velm what the fuck do you want?" Edvin near shouted in an angry growl an unpleasant sneer carved upon his bloody lips.
"Who the fuck is that?" Velm spoke in his Deverauxnon accent looking past the murderous look of Edvin to the stranger that sat by himself with a small glass of an amber coloured liquid. "Looks fucking dangerous he does" Velm continued scratching at his lice infested red beard.
Edvin know curious turned to look at the hooded stranger drinking by himself he saw the two blades at the strangers waist and the one attached to his back, a crimson glove covering his right hand and a crimson gauntlet on his left wrist. The black leather armour with silver studs glittering against the flames on his gloved hands and shoulders, parts of silver chainmail covering his shoulders as well. He watched as the stranger necked the shot of amber liquid before quickly pouring another. "Doesn't look like much" he grunted looking away just in time to watch Ludvig knock Arvid from his feet with a violent crack to the skull. To over whelming cheers of his brethren who lunged drinks at the victor and jeers at the loser.
"Ludvig... Ludvig... Ludvig" the crowed chanted stuffing there faces with elven wine, dwarvan ale and cheap vodka from Northern I'ordan.
"The fights are over" Old Gunnar yelled raising his tankard in his bruised hands, "now's the time drinking and fucking and taking what is ours!" He yelled downing his tankard of vodka slapping the back of the dazed Ludvig with an unnatural strength for a man of his age.
"Aye a good fight it was" Yelled Gerard, with the thick royal overtones of his Estixan accent, from behind his bar a crystal like bubbles flute in his right hand over flowing with Sanathyr Elven blood wine. "A good fight indeed now if only I could get my hands on some real Elven blood wine" he whispered to himself his cool blue eyes looking at the horror that the those Wood Elves from Sanathyr call Elven bubbles wine, the barbarity of those degenerates destroying the name of the beautiful Elven blood wine. "If I only brought some over to Natirynn this monster infested hell hole of a continent from beautiful Iverlin" he continued to whisper to himself slowly and horribly drinking this horrible flute of Elven blood wine. "Fucking beasts never again will I buy this stuff."
"Stop your whinning barkeep tonight's a night for celebration" yelled Gunnar who was playing with the tips of his white large and bushy moustache trying to curl the tips, "now bring out your whores and let us have some fucking fun" his hands dropping to his crotch which he grabbed suggestively, for tonight he would fuck some pretty young thing and forget about the hag of a wife that was waiting for him at home.
Clicking his tongue Gerard clapped his hands together an angry glare filling his regal handsome face as he looked at his three pretty workers. His blue eyes commanding them to strip from there uniforms and walk out to the ravenous group of bored lumber workers so that they could have there way with there young and supple bodies. "Well what are you waiting for these are paying hard-working patrons and they deserve the best The Fox Tankard can fucking give them" he shouted approaching Astrid the most rebellious of the group - slapping her gorgeous picturesque face drawing blood from her perfect kissable lips, a bruise forming on her right cheek, his hand then grabbing her jaw harshly squeezing it with his soft hand his blue eyes filled with a deep anger uncaring to the tears that ran down her beautiful emerald green eyes. "Now do as I fucking say girl!" He shouted in her face pushing her against the wall his other hand tearing at her uniform, "and enjoy yourself" he said turning away from the horrified girls with a callousness that they had never felt from there employer they had never experienced before.
A light accented laugh echoed causing the room to fall to an unnatural quiet, eyes quickly falling on the strange figure drinking by himself. An unnatural presence beginning to come of the stranger in waves.
"Something funny, stranger" Gunnar shouted shivering as his eyes looked at the hooded madman.
"Yes actually this whole thing that's going on is the joke" the figure replied in his lilting accent downing another shot of Ikirian scotch showing obvious enjoyment at having downed the smoke and fire, "the beatings... the raping and you honestly can't believe this isn't funny" his eyes carefully scanning the room to watch if the would advance on him.
Gunnar scratching at his unshaven chin let an angry grimace fill his face at the strangers accusations.
"It's not rape you fucker if they fucking enjoy it" Edvin angrily shouted making his way to the strangers table, "ain't that right?" Edvin shouted to his fellow workers who shouted in agreement as Edvin stumbled to the corner the stranger sat at. "And if you don't like it get the fuck out of Glaston ya fuck" Edvin shouted beating his bruised hands down onto the table. His blue eyes surprised to see a ghost of a smile on the strangers lips, his eyes watching as the stranger moved with inhuman speed to the hilt's of the blades on his waist. Moving back his eyes widened in fear in catching a glimpse of a Guardian of Daylight amulet barely glinting around his neck. "Fucking hell he's a fucking Guardian" Edvin whispered backing away from the incredibly dangerous figure his face pale at what could have been. His eyes still flickering to the crossed hands lightly gasping the hilts of his weapons, watching as the figure stood from where he was seated.
"Careful lad I didn't come to Glaston to spill your blood" he said shaking the cloak off from his shoulders, his smile larger as the room realised the danger they where in. "Although my blades sing for blood" his lilting accent carrying a dangerous undertone his eyes watching every slight movement - every flicker of torchlight, burning ember of the firepit, and every shadow lurking in the tavern. "They sing there sirens song for my contracted pay" his eyes settling on the pale visage of one of the female woodcutters whose ash blonde hair was tied into two twin plaits that ran over her shoulders - her eyes dancing from light grey to a soulless black. The illusion she was maintaining failing as her concentration failed her - "although you can test me and I'll slice you all to bit's" his eyes never leaving the woman even as she tried to fade into the shadows. "I can see you."
The room further silencing as the lumber workers stared unable to take there eye's from the crimson eyes swirling in a haunted mixture of sadness and rage and madness. Thick lumps forming in there quickly drying throats which they attempted to swallow in vain, terrified eyes staring unblinking at the Guardian of Daylight. Studying his long black hair with a red stripe running through it - tied into a messy bun. A beard looking as though he cut it with a dagger covered the lower half of his face.
"What is it your after?" The tavern keeper spoke pulling a small dagger from beneath his counter his eyes watching the heavily armed stranger trying to guage whether or not to slice the fucker up.
Averting his eyes from the women he looked to the tavern keeper his cold smile becoming increasingly colder at the sight of the man who abused his employees both emotionally and physically. His crimson eye's burning with a deep and overwhelming hatred, his hands flicking the leather straps from the sheaths for easy access to his silver-steel shortsword and the silver dagger on his waist his hands tightly grasping the leather wrapped around the steel and silver of the hilts. Ignoring the tavern keeper he moved his red eyes back to the woman attempting to quietly and quickly escape from the tavern, stopping when she felt his eyes fall back on her. A dark smile falling on his face as he now studied her, his senses caused him to look behind himself to notice a figure blurred in motion beginning to lunge at him - only to be stopped by the equally blurred movement of him removing his shortsword and placing it against the throat of the very prey he had been hunting for half this year. "Hello Ichabod" he spoke his red eyes staring down the Butcher of Eolden.
