Spider Extermination[Job/Tahl]

Job Name: A Test Of Skill [Reserved for Tahl & Liber]
Job Rank: B-Tier
Job Location: Reim
Job Rewards: 200 xp, 15,000 Huang
Job Overview: A serial killer has been attacking blonde women within the slums of Reim. The serial killer always strikes when the moon is at its highest in the sky. The killer is rumored to have tattoos of a black widow on each palm.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Waking from a well rested sleep, Liber Aurelius stretched in his inn bed and blinked into consciousness as the red light of sunset poured through his inn window and spilled across his face. The Fanalis man had slept through the day in preparation to hunt a beast that came out at night. One which had been stalking Reim's streets and terrorizing its citizens by causing the death of one young woman after another. This cruelty had been brought to Liber's attention by an acquaintance named Azix. The assassin was more than happy to clean the streets up and help make his home town a safer place for everyone. Thankfully he wouldn't have to go it alone. The dangers of this job would be mitigated by the presence of another recently met acquaintance named Tahl. Between the two of them, Liber was sure they could make swift work of your common woman killing murderer.

Liber tossed his sheets aside and got up from bed moving over to a basin where fresh water had been left by the inn maids. He bathed himself to wash away the scent of sweat and musk before getting dressed and heading out into the streets. There was still much he needed to do in preparation for the hunt for this man including meeting up with Tahl, but first Liber had an appointment of sorts. After arriving in the city, Liber found a rare material for sale among Remano's market place and took the opportunity to purchase it with what little funds he had. The Fanalis had left the hard to find metal with a blacksmith and asked him to forge it into a blade. Liber stopped by the smith's shop and claimed the weapon he'd asked for happy to hear that it had just been completed an hour ago and was ready to be used.

Wrapping the Swordsman's Cloth around his waist, Liber checked his toga-like robe and the hidden pockets where his Assassin's Kiss needles were held. All of his gear was in check and the sun had set giving way for the stars and a large bright moon to take control over the sky. It was almost the time he had agreed upon with Tahl to meet and so Liber hurried over to the rendezvous point. A public fountain in the north east part of the city just outside the slums where attacks from this spider tattoo'd man had been taking place. Having arrived first, Liber took a seat at the fountains edge and waited patiently for his partner's arrival.

~426/1500 Word Count~

The hours spent sleeping would come well for the young Fanalis-Halfling. Tahl stretched out his limbs and curled his toes before lifting his body from his hotel bed. The warm heat coming from the setting sun radiated against the male's skin. His fingers swam against the bridge of his nose and eyelids before he was fully concious. He felt a small well of worry sit at the pit of his stomach as he cascaded his view over the city.

Somewhere hidden between the streets was a male who was murdering unsuspected women. Unfortunantely for him, Tahl would be putting an end to his threats with the help of a stranger he met who introduced himself by the name of Xenos. The way the man spoke of the murder seemed suspicious to Tahl, but he thought nothing of it but helping him. The feeling of worry dissapated as the male climbed out of bed his bed. He recalled that another male he met before, Liber, would be helping him try to stop this man. Between the two of them, he was sure that they could easily take care of the male and rid the city of the evil that was spread about.

Stretching out his arms once again while stepping into the bathroom his room provided him with, he bathed himself from thin layer of sweat that covered his body. His hands cupped some of the water before splashing it against his face. He scrubbed his face lightly and sighed. Mentally, he was prepared to take down the man but yet he still felt troubled. Perhaps it was the thoughts of his past which left him to struggle, but he knew he would have to push past it somehow.

Climbing from the tub and dressing himself once he completed drying, Tahl adjusted his hat once more before leaving from the hotel. He found himself with a bit more time before he had to meet with Liber in their agreed place and took himself to a blacksmith's shop with the bit of earnings he collected from odd jobs he had done around the country. His eyes gazed against the unique weapons before stopping at an unusual blade. Pulling the huang from his pouch, he pointed out the dagger as well as a shield.

Tucking the blade into his pants and placing the shield onto his back, he thanked the blacksmith and headed out from the shop. Tightening the hilt of Streaker on his hips and adjusting Bloody Branch once again, he made his way to the rendevous point where he found Liber waiting for him. Stepping over to his friend, he let out a soft exhale as he came to rest on the fountain's edge. Reaching back, he swam his fingers against the cool water before speaking,"The man should be making an appearance soon, correct? The man with the spider tattoos."

[480/1500]

Liber had been waiting with his eyes closed and his arms crossed as he tried to envision what his target might look like. The only defining feature known to him about the prey was that this murderer had a spider tattoo on each hand. It wasn't much to go off of and to make matters worse these markings were supposedly on his palms, a part of the body which is not often visible at a glance. His thoughts formed a phantom blank in all features save for the marked palms. It was always troubling to work with such little intel on a target but there was little choice in the matter if they were to meet with the wealthy man who'd hired them tomorrow afternoon and actually be able to report a success that would lead to a reward. Once Tahl arrived, Liber uncrossed his arms and looked up to the night sky. The moon hung high in the air but it was not yet at its Zenith.

"I'd say there is probably some time yet before he strikes...rumors say that he kills his victims when the moon is at its highest point in the sky. This works out in our favor as it gives us time to look for a place where he would likely attack someone. We should look for a place where few guards are stationed but close enough to a pub or some other place where patrons tend to leave during the middle of the night." Perhaps his experience in this line of work would show through to Tahl, but now wasn't the time for playing the act of an amateur. Liber didn't want his new friend or himself facing death tonight unless it was standing on their side as a murderer's life drains away.

Standing up from the fountain, Liber turns to Tahl and smiles a friendly greeting his way, "I see you came prepared." He said nodding to the shield at his back and the dagger tucked firmly at his waist. Liber's own weapons would be hidden or disguised as normal attire so he mentioned that he too had brought along some more reliable equipment. "It may not look like it, but I've also brought a few tricks up me sleeve. Even if things get rough I think we'll be fine." Stretching his muscles, Liber turned to face the slums and put his hands on his hips, "Well...shall we get going?"

~835/1500 Word Count~

Equipped with his Old Man's Guise, Azix hid his face under the mud-stained, brown cloak as he huddled near an alley across from the fountain. It had taken a while to find the two men, but now that he had, Azix would have to be extra cautious not to alert them to his presence. Under his cloak, his Staff of Refractions was strapped to his leather belt, close enough to be used, but out of sight. He planned to use his espionage experience and his personal experience of the layout of the slums to follow them.

Across the plaza, by the fountain, Tahl and Liber were conversing. At such a distance, Azix was unable to hear exactly what they were saying. For now, he took several breaths to calm himself, averting direct eyesight at the pair, instead focusing them in his peripheral vision. Would the pair's skills prove useful against the serial killer? He planned to find out. When the pair moved to go search, he would follow making himself appear as unobtrusive as possible while seeming as if he belonged.

---

OOC: Don't mind me! Just being a Sleuthy McSleuthburger! Skip me in the post order, I will post when the job is finished.

Shaking his fingers free of any water, he dried them with the front of his tunic, nodding his head. The way Liber spoke confirmed his previous thoughts. He was more experienced in this kind of situation than Tahl was. Even though he had previously taken care of a band of slavers before, he still felt a hint of regret in his heart for having to do so. He just had to remember that he was doing this for others, not just for any personal gain.


"Let's not also forget that he attacks women with blonde hair,"Tahl added as he stood up. His shoulders felt unusually stiff; perhaps it was the shield that clung to his back. When Liber spoke on his new equipment, he gave him a smile and nodded his head.
"I had a bit of huang saved from an odd job now and then. I was originally saving it for a rainy day, but I figured it'd be best to prepare myself for tonight,"He grinned,"Who know's what that man might try to do." His eyes looked over his friend to see if he was carrying anything. The only thing he could notice was the addition of a new cloth around his waist. He opened his mouth to speak on his friend being without weapon only for the concern to be whisked away on Liber's comment.

He flexed his shoulders some and nodded, turning his head left and right as he tried to figure on which way they could go. He noticed a few patrons making their way down an empty alleystreet and pointed.
Tahl suggested with a raised shoulder,"How about this way?"

[758/1500]

Looking in the direction Tahl gestured with discerning eyes, Liber considered the suggestion. It wasn't as if he had any better ideas or as if it truly mattered where they began their search so the fanalis simply shrugged and spoke, "Good a place to start as any I suppose." Once they began walking down the street, Liber's gaze passed from side to side looking for anything out of the ordinary but also for establishments that look like they might have customers leaving late at night. After a few minutes of searching about feeling aimless and like they would never make progress, Liber stopped and placed a hand on his hip as he looked up at the moon. Still probably another hour or two until the moon reached its Zenith and their target would strike.

"Hmm...I think we should split up for a little bit and ask around to find out if any of the bars around here close at midnight. What do you say? Meet back here in 30 minutes after giving it a shot? If we find a place that fits the description and stake it out, it's possible we could find a likely victim. Then it should just be a matter of following her. Even if we don't find the killer we can at least make sure one young blonde woman makes it home safe." The suggestion was made because they could clear more ground apart but also because Liber wanted to avoid looking like they were moving together searching for someone. There was a chance they could be spotted and spook the killer off to a different part of town if he suspected there were people out looking for him.

~1119/1500 Word Count~

Tahl turned his gaze now and again through each passing street. While the sight of a few buildings did seem appropriate for many that may enjoy a sinner's delight of the night, there was no place he could possibly think suitable for the murderer they were looking for. An unsettle sense of impatience grew in the male as they walked; while the enjoyment of walking aimlessly would be a pleasure for him any other given day it surely was not for him.

Stopping along with Liber, he released a quiet sigh before gazing upward towards the moon. It was the first time he had looked in the moon since arriving in Reim and he could tell how magnificent it was. The sky was clear, making it seem much larger and brighter than it was. He gave a small smile as his mind drifted away from what he was even out to do. When Liber spoke however, it certainly brought him from his thoughts and back to reality.

The idea of splitting up sounded good to him. If he were to find a place with a possible blonde woman or even spot someone with the tattoos, perhaps he could trail them as best as he was able to.
With a nod of his head Tahl agreed,"Sure, let's split up. If we find a place that fits a description suitable for the guy, or even the guy himself, should we engage?" The way Tahl spoke was not normal than how he usually would. The impatience could be heard; the Fanalis blood in him was raring to go.

[1024/1500]

((Sorry I've been delaying the actual battle. I like to complete the job related word count before fighting that way if I want to train any abilities during battle I can. My combat posts tend to end up on the long side anyways so I might as well work training into them.))

Liber frowned slightly as he listened to the eager impatience in Tahl's voice as he spoke. They had really only just begun their search and no amount of rushing would make the moon rise faster. The world moved at its own pace and men based their sense of time upon it's patient strides; not the other way around. Reaching out to place a firm but gentle hand on Tahl's shoulder, Liber's bright maroon eyes would lock onto his own. "Don't be in such a hurry to face battle. Impatience leads to mistakes and mistakes lead to casualties..." With that said, Liber let go of his companion and took a step back giving him some space before continuing. "Take a deep breath and try to stay focused. If you think you've spotted the tattooed man or something else of interest, keep an eye on them until it's time for us to meet up. I intentionally suggested a time that still gave us half an hour before midnight. That extra time is so if we do find someone, we will have time to come up with a plan and set up an ambush. Lets trust in our teamwork and not our impulses."

It felt strange to Liber to be speaking of team work when he was most used to working on his own. However he did not want this new friend to meet his doom due to unnecessary haste. The best way to ensure his safety would be to make sure that when they fought, it would be side by side or back to back. "I'm trusting in you Tahl. I'll see you back here shortly." Liber then turned and went his separate ways.

It would be a short half hour spent jogging down the slum streets looking into each pub he came across. At every place that had potential, Liber would enter briefly and look around for men who might have tattoos on their hands. Then he would ask the bar master what time they closed and did one last scan for any young blonde women before moving on to the next spot. After several fruitless attempts Liber realized is was running out of time before the scheduled rendezvous and hurried back to meet up with Tahl. Hopefully the fanalis halfling's search had yielded better results.

~1500+/1500 Word Count~

[Dammit, that's something I should have been doing xD A shield bashing skill might've been nice at the time. Your fine though, don't worry!]

Tahl looked back towards his friend and took a deep breath, letting out a sigh. He took in another deep breath and exhaled slowly, nodding his head as his anger began to calm.
"Yes..you are right. I apologise,"He responded to his friend's kind words,"I'll keep a look out for them. Hopefully they won't mind a tall guy like me walking around." Adjusting his hat and giving his friend a smile, he was glad that Liber had accompanied him. While the friendship between the two was indeed small, Tahl could almost feel as though it was going to be a grand one.
"Hopefully the two of us both get something good,"He remarked before turning himself.

Walking through the thin crowds that couple the streets, Tahl casted a quick glance to anyone who seemed suspicious. Minutes passed and he gave a light exhale; finding nothing himself. Just as he was ready to turn himself away to return to their meeting place, his eyes caught the slight sight of blonde hair. Raising a brow and feeling his heart pound against his chest, he followed behind the woman with fair distance. He continued to follow behind her until she came to stop inside of a shady looking bar. Tahl stood a few meters away, watching the door.

Believeing that she wouldn't exit from the bar, Tahl couldn't help but grin and begin to turn back to meet with Liber. He was esctatic that he had managed to obtain a clue! He just hoped that the two of them would return and not be too late..

[1289/1500]

Liber returned to the meeting point dejected at his failure to notice anyone suspicious or obtain any leads as to where the spider hand killer might strike next. He waited patiently until Tahl arrived and was glad to hear that he'd had better luck in his search. The purple haired shieldbrother had found a young woman with blonde hair which fit the killer's victim profile. Liber would pat Tahl on the shoulder for a job well done and then ask him to lead the way whilst stressing the importance that they not rush or hurry. "The killer could be watching from anywhere, we should walk there casually as though we are just looking for a drink. You guide and I'll follow" Assuming Tahl took the lead as suggested, Liber would follow until they reached the shady tavern where the woman was seen entering. As they went inside, Liber turned around and spotted a single man standing across the street from within the shadow's of an alleyway.

He was too obscured by shadows to make out any features, but the fanalis made a mental note that someone was watching who came and went from the bar. After getting inside, Liber waited for Tahl to point out the potential victim before suggesting a plan of action. "If she sticks around past midnight then I can disguise myself as her and leave the building as a decoy. Think the killer would follow me and take the bait? I can make a pretty convincing facade."

Tahl nodded his head, taking in the notes of Liber's words. He knew that he would have to keep himself calm for now; keeping his urge to punch the daylights out of the killer just until the moment was in their hands. Taking in another deep breath and cooling himself down, the halfling turned his head and walked in the direction of the bar.

After a few twists and turns around the city, the duo stood not too far from the bar. Glancing around himself to ensure no one seemed to interested in them, he gave off a sense of relaxation while walking into the bar. Pushing his way past the heavy curtain that covered the entrance, Tahl covered his mouth as he coughed from the deep inhale of smoke that filled his lungs. His eyes watered from the smoke that still lingered while his ears caught the mellow music that played around them. Blinking away the tears and straightening himself a bit, he stepped past a pair of eyes that followed him; disregarding them as just a group of guys who were simply just there.

Slipping himself down at a booth and ordering a drink, Tahl looked back and forth between the crowded people. Though it was hard to see through the thick smoke, Tahl could barely manage to see the blonde woman he had noticed before. Standing on a makeshift stage that someone created, she danced along with the sounds of the music; running her hands along her body and through her hair. Nudging Liber some with his elbow while he raised his glass, his eyes darted over to the woman. Hearing his swordbrother's plan of distraction, he nodded his head in agreement.
"That sounds like a good plan. If there are any accomplices with the guy, I'll follow you behind them. Once we get them all together, we can strike,"He suggested.

Liber nodded once Tahl agreed on the idea and then split up from him moving to take a seat at the bar. From there he could just barely spot the blonde woman but it was a good enough view of her to take in her general features. Short golden straight hair, soft face and softer curves of petite endowment. It was a blessing that she looked as such, it would be easy to create a simple disguise that captured the gist of what she looked like. As the candles burned it eventually came to just short of midnight and Liber asked the barman where the privy could be found. "Round back, doors to you left." was the man's gruff response. Nodding a thank you, Liber got up and made his way through the door into the back room where a few pots were lined against the wall to serve as latrines. In the room was a small thatch of hay which could be used to wipe as needed. Liber took a handful of these straws and then headed back out into the tavern.

Liber would look for Tahl and try to make eye contact with him before giving a nod. With Blending Steps Liber stepped towards the door and stole a cloak hanging off a nearby chair swiftly wrapping himself up in it before stuffing his hair into the hood and lining it with hay to resemble hair. In a flash Liber was wrapped up in cloth to hide his form with only the fake hair visible to suggest his identity to those who weren't looking dead on at his face. Liber left the bar and immediately turned down the street flashing a quick glance to the alley he'd seen someone standing in as he did. The moon light had shifted and Liber could now briefly see that there was still a man standing there. Waiting.


Liber would not look back but he knew instantly that this was likely the killer. He knew the eyes the stranger was looking at him with, they were the eyes of a hunter tracking its prey. Liber would continue to walk stumbling a bit here and there as if he were drunk and eventually turned down an alley way using his knowledge of Reim's streets to his advantage. The alley had an intersection where two paths could be chosen but one was a dead end. Liber intentionally fumbled his way down the dead end path and then leaned against the wall waiting for the sound of foot steps to signal the killer's approach.

110/120 Stamina

Spoiler:

Following Liber's disappearance to the privy with a slightly raised brow, he kept himself occupied by having another drink. Finishing the heavy pint glass, he almost gave a loud laugh seeing Liber's appearance. While it didn't exactly look as if it was the best, it was certainly a great disguise if one could come up with one so quickly. He gave a small, dismaying wave to the disguided male before turning and asking for another drink himself.

Finishing off the third pint, he gave a few moments before exiting the bar himself. Pretending to sway and stumble like someone a drunkard himself, he pressed against a stone wall just as the moon casted it's light over them. He spotted Liber in the distance and from where he seemed to be glancing over, a male. His eyes glanced over the man and thought of him as possibly one of the  lookouts they had to be searching for.

As the light casted more over the male, he looked down at his hands and noticed the spider-like tattoos on his hands. The small buzz he had from the drink dissipated as the anger rushed through him. It was the muderer; he was right in front of him. Tahl gave a light shake of his head and took a deep breath. He had to keep his composure. He could only wait until the male fell under their trap.



Following behind the male from a distance, he watched around casually to see if anyone else would pick up where the disguised Liber would actually be taking the three of them. Sure enough, Tahl caught the visible patterns of two others following the male from the same distance he was; albeit closer than he could allow himself. Tahl clenched his fist as he stood just a corner away from the two lookouts; he was prepared to take them down.

The look outs would take up posts just outside the alley way preventing anyone from entering as the killer himself stepped into the intersection and turned to see his prey leaning against the alley wall. A sadistic smile danced across Cerberus' mouth as he laid eyes upon what he though was another young blonde woman. The killer did not utter a single word. No sick justification as to why he was murdering. No explanation. Just a twisted machination of evil reflected in his gaze as he hoisted a chain and performed Night Angel sending the links snaking through the air to wrap around and bind Liber's right arm. The chain would firmly immobilize the limb and prevent Liber from running, but at this point flight from danger was the last thing on the assassin's mind. He smiled and pushed himself off of the alleyway wall allowing the cloak and hay to fall lightly to the ground revealing his crimson read hair and male features. Turning to face Cerberus with earnest confidence and an exposed nipple, Liber held up his right arm and taunted the killer, "Now, now, is this any way to treat a lady?"

Liber performed a swipe with his free left hand sending a single needle flying through the dark night air. Liber resisted against the chain as he did so forcing it taught so the man couldn't use it defensively and succeeded in striking him with a Pressure Prick in Cerberus' shoulder. The limb would immediately go numb and the killer's chain wielding limb fell to his side lifelessly in paralysis. Angered by the attack, Cerberus cried out in a bout of Psychosis as he rushed forwards suddenly and drew a dagger with his working hand.

The Fanalis was hardly prepared for the assault and barely stepped aside to dodge the stab but was too slow and took D-tier damage across his chest anyways. As he side stepped around Cerberus, Liber performed a quick kick to the killers gut followed by a punch to his dagger wielding arm aimed for the shoulder. The two blows would each do C-tier damage to the killer and weaken him further as Liber took a step away from Cerberus and laughed tauntingly at him. With a powerful kick, Liber would then launch himself off the ground, his fanalis muscles flexing into action causing a small crater the size of his foot where he'd just been standing.

The Soaring Leap would carry Liber several meters into the air allowing him to land gracefully onto the edge of the rooftops above. Looking down at the injured and enraged murderer, Liber felt a bit of pity for him. Cerberus turned around lashing out with his dagger but found no one there any longer. Letting out a howl of rage at the moon, Cerberus looked up and spotted Liber's form against the dimly light backdrop of the starry night sky. Liber smiled and waved politely back down at the wild dog of a man knowing that it would be difficult for a normal human to make it up here easily. But the happy outward appearance was a farce to upset and rile his opponent further. In Truth, Liber was worried that Tahl had yet to show up. Had he gotten held up at the bar? Or did the killer have helpers after all?

70/120 - Stamina

500+/500 Soaring Leap Trained:

Ability Used:

Hearing what sounded like combat ensuing, Tahl figured that Liber must have revealed himself. He watched as the two lookouts exchanged glances to each other and then to the back of the alley, wondering what could possibly be going on. It was then he decided that this would be his time to strike.

Keeping up his drunk stumble, he leaned against one of the lookouts and released a belch into the man's face.
"Sorry about that,"He mumbled out. The male squinted his face and raised an arm to push off Tahl when he suddenly felt an intense shot of pain running through his side. Looking downward, he noticed Tahl's fist pounded into his side. Flashing him a smile as he allowed the man to slide down and clutch his side in pain, Tahl then turned his attention to the other one.

He brandished Streaker just as the lookout pulled a Rod from behind him, clenching onto it as if he were a master with the weapon. Tahl gave him a light smile before dashing forward and swung his blade vertically. It was Easily parried as the lookout took a step back, causing Tahl to almost tumble over himself. Growling some, he charged at him again; swinging his weapon diagonally upward. The blade clashed against the rod before breaking it, delivering D-Tier damage to the man's shoulder. He let out a cry of pain and fell backward, holding onto his wounded shoulder. Tahl gave him a grim look and raised Streaker only to lightly tap the man on his head, knocking him unconcious.

Keeping Streaker close to his side, he ran down the alleyway to see Liber standing on the roof of a building and Cerberus standing just before him. Waving his sword with his hand, he turned his attention to Cerberus and slipped his Commander's Shield onto his arm.
"Come on!,"He shouted, trying to get the man riled.

Liber knelt down and rested his hands on his knees as the chain wrapped around his right arm fell away freeing him from its binding weight. He watched Cerberus try to jump up the wall making a decent effort to do so. The man tried kicking off the vertical surface as if he could gain some kind of traction on such an incline. But it would all be for naught. Liber yawned at the killer's vain efforts and noticed Tahl approaching from the corner of his one open eye. "Ah, there he is." Looking back down at Cerberus, Liber pointed in Tahl's direction and spoke in a friendly tone that seemed to upset the killer even further. "Perhaps you should be less worried about me and more worried about him~"

Tahl shouted at the monster of a man and readied his shield, it was clear he meant to fight. Interested in seeing how Tahl could handle himself against such a foe, Liber watched carefully as Cerberus lunged towards Tahl seeming to be in another wild mindless charge, but as he approached, the killer performed Thimble and swiftly got behind the shield user. What would Tahl do now!?

Spinning on the heel of his foot, Tahl swung his blade to attempt striking at Cerberus' side. The attack was parried with Poppins, sending Tahl and Cerberus back a meter from each other. Both kept their eyes on each other, patiently waiting to strike again. Flexing his fingers around the hilt of Streaker and tightening his grip, Tahl charged forward, raising the sword diagonally to deliver D-Tier damage to the murderer's shoulder. Cerberus let out an angry howl of pain and kept his eyes staring into Tahl. The halfling gave him a smirked and egged him on; dropping his shield and sword to expose himself.

Cerberus gritted his teeth in annoyance and charged forward with Psychosis. Tahl waited until the dagger nicked at his arm to use Flash Guard, sending the male behind him.
"Come on!,"Tahl said with a laugh,"Don't tell me you can't fight back?!" He pulled Bloody Branch from his hip and tossed it between his hands. The enraged murderer hopped quickly to his feet and charged at him again, swinging his blade. Tahl blocked the blade with ease; clutching onto his wrist and turning it upward to pull the dagger from his hand. He let out another loud howl of pain and tried to pull himself away from the small dagger's grip. Tahl kept a smile on his face as he stepped forward; bringing the male to his knees.

Liber's eyes observed as Tahl fought briefly with Cerberus. It was clear he'd been in battles before with those kind of reaction speeds, however something seemed unrefined about it. Liber somehow doubted that Tahl had really seen a great deal of fights against truly strong foes. But with the killer's arm disabled he was able to secure a strong victory over the weakened Cerberus. As the killer dropped to his knees, Liber deigned to finish his off by sending another needle flying through the air. This one would pierce into Cerberus' head from above only to be driven deeply into his brain as Liber jumped off the roof and performed a dropping heel kick to finish him off.

It was regrettable Tahl never even got to try and talk the killed down into pacifism, but from the way he was acting Liber determined that would probably never have worked out well in the first place. Ignoring the bit of blood coming from his own heel where he'd hammered the needle into Cerberus' cranium, Liber nodded to Tahl and congratulated him on a night of good work. "Well done, thanks for your help Tahl. Now we can face our enigmatic employer tomorrow without shame."

Tahl pulled the dagger away from the carcass of Cerberus and wiped the blade in the dirt. He tucked it securly into his waistband and nodded his head in agreement to Liber's words.
"Did our lovely patron every say where he would meet us?,"He asked as he stepped over the male's dead body and grabbed his tossed weapons. Placing the shield on his back and Streaker back into its sheath, he turned to look at his comrade and the man's body.

A soft sigh came from him as he looked down at him. While he would have liked to try speaking to him and leading him to a path of peace, it seemed that the fight took a different route. Averting his eyes away from the body and looking at Liber, he gave him a smile.

Liber would shrug in response to Tahl's question as he didn't quite remember an exact meeting place. "Who knows, I guess we should just meet at the same shop where he gave us this task in the first place. I imagine he'll be there waiting for us. If not, then perhaps we killed this killer for nothing but the good of the community. Not that I mind, but it'd be nice to get paid for it...I'll see you tomorrow. Go home and get some rest." Liber nodded to Tahl and started to walk past him patting the younger male upon the shoulder. As Liber turned the corner and spotted the two look outs he smirked slightly a bit glad that Tahl was late to fight Cerberus for a good reason.

The next day, at noon, Liber would find himself waiting outside the shop where they'd met Azix patiently hoping that the man would show himself to pass on their reward.

From his careful vantage points throughout Liber and Tahl's job, Azix had watched over them. Liber fought with needle and a weapon that seemed to be made from cloth, which surprised Azix as the Fanalis he had seen liked to fight head on. Tahl used what seemed to be average weapons for a fighter, but his skill with them was good. Both had excellent potential as fighters and as people, both fought for the common good. Sure money was involved, but Azix had a feeling that the pride of doing a good deed was also a reason. Impressed with what he had seen, Azix had stole into the night to get some rest once Cerberus was defeated.

The next day Azix would meet the two men at the location he had agreed to meet them, the shop where they had met a few days prior. "I heard a buzzing around town that a certain murderer was found dead. I wonder who had done that~" He teased them before tossing them each a bag with enough gold to have been for a few jobs on the job board. Azix hoped that would make an impression on the men and make them more willing to work for him in the future. "I wish you both the best, who knows, maybe we'll see each other again." With that, Azix waved as he walked off.

-exit-

Tahl gave a slight laugh and shrugged his shoulders.
"Hopefully he will be there. While I wouldn't mind being paid for doing something as such, I'm glad that this guy is done for,"He responded. His shoulders flexed again; the feeling of anxiousness and anger that boiled from his slowly coming down. He gave the body one more quick glance before turning his attention to Liber's advice of resting. He gave his friend a nod and stepped away from the alleyway himself. He tossed the two lookouts another glance and shook his head some, thinking of nothing as he made his way back towards his hotel room.

After a good hours of rest and cleaning himself, Tahl found Livber waiting at the shop where they had met the man before.
"Sleep well,"He asked his friend with a light nudge with his elbow, grinning. Leaning against one of the poles that kept up the cloth that provided them with light shade. A voice caused his head to turn and a smile grew on his face as Azix approached them. Catching the bag of gold that was tossed to him, he gave a light chuckle to his words.
"We did it for the community,"Tahl commented as he tucked the pouch away. Pushing himself away from the beam, he bowed his head some as he watched the male leave. Turning his attention to Liber, he smiled some and gave him a quick nod.
"Perhaps we'll see each other at the ball then,"He spoke to him. He gave a wave to his friend and turned himself to bury himself in the market, gaining preparations for the ball.

[exit]

Despite being a bit tired and sore from the previous night, Liber smiled knowingly as Azix approached and commented on the results of their actions. It was good to know that he'd been keeping his ear to the ground and confirmed their end of the bargain before even meeting. It meant that this man had contacts for gossip and information in at least one reliable source. Working with competent people was always nice as opposed to dealing with amateurs. Liber accepted the tossed payment and gave a flourished bow rising from it to disappointingly see that Azix was due for a prompt exit. Indeed, perhaps we will..." Liber said, disheartened that a potential lead into Reim's networks of information turned his back and departed.

"Well, until next we meet." Liber said to Tahl before watching the halfling take his own leave. There was nothing left for the fanalis to do now but return to the inn for some rest before looking for more work.