The Bandit Brothers [Job/Niala]

Spoiler:

After another successful coliseum match, Ayero headed to the local tavern as she always did to drink to her victory. This night, however, the Fanalis woman left the pub earlier than usual. Though she did not drink as much as usual, she was rather fatigued from her busy day. With careful steps, the young woman stands cautiously from the table and makes her way towards the door, declining assistance from a nearby patron she had come to be on friendly terms with as they both frequented the establishment. She was buzzed, not yet inebriated enough to require assistance back to her inn.


Unbeknownst to Ayero, a man had been watching her silently from his table in the corner. He knew that the Fanalis often came to this location after winning in the coliseum, spending a small portion of her earnings on drink. Knowing that the woman had a good amount of cash on her from her coliseum winnings, he rose from his seat and paid his tab before walking out the door ahead of the Fanalis, his pace surer footed than hers. Before exiting the building, he gave a small yet vague hand gesture to the closest window.


As the red headed woman wanders out into the street, a shadow moved from the alley beside the bar, and a large wooden club would Whack her in the side of the head. Though it was not enough to knock the Fanalis out, Ayero still stumbled from the pain of the surprise blow, mildly disoriented. ”Ow! Fffffuu…what’s the big idea?!” She looks around angrily, head turning from side to side which only succeeded in making herself dizzier.

[275/1500]

Niala had just finished a landing, reverting her bat like wings into her normal arms again, when she noticed a woman had been struck just as she walked outside. With a single arm motion Niala would shift the brown cloak back around her body, covering it from would-be perverts. She was hoping she wouldn't be too well known in these parts, and most likely she would not. She couldn't ignore someone just being assaulted on the streets by thugs, at least that is how it appeared. Niala would search around looking for the individual responsible for hitting the red haired woman as Niala would run over to her side trying to cover her from being blind sided further.

"Come out you bastard!", Niala shouted into the alley before turning her attention slightly to the woman. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?", Niala asked the red haired woman with a concerned and friendly tone. She didn't know this woman, but she felt she had to help her. Niala wasn't sure what was going on, but if these were thugs trying to pick on an innocent woman, she was having none it! She kept herself ready for whatever, along with the possibility of more goons showing up. Niala made sure to have her cloak cover her body well, and if it happened to conceal attacks as well then it was all the better.

Niala had the feeling this day was going to be something special. She had decided to come to Riem, these people were so different, and already she had to protect someone just like back in Heliohapt. Were culture really so different, or did they just appear as such? Everything about Niala said 'foreigner', as she stood ready by this person's side. What would today bring? is the only thing she could think.

(309/1500)

As Ayero looked around frantically for her assailants, the mysterious attacker’s partner made his move. With deft movements, he loaded his blowgun with a special blow dart and launched the projectile from the shadows, aiming to hit the Fanalis woman’s right arm. Through observing the blade that hung at the left side of her hip, he deduced that that would be the best limb to hit in order to reduce the chances of her fighting back. Still, he kept in mind her possible strength and remained cloaked in the alley’s darkness as the first assailant stepped from the shadows. The dart found it’s mark and strike Ayero in the right arm, causing the woman to wince and look down in surprise as she felt the limb go numb.

”Brother Marco, what should we do with this one?” The rotund man announced as he stepped forward, brandishing a club.

”Let me handle her for now, Baleno.” A smooth voice from the shadows chided, the third brother drifting out into the open to make his appearance at the moment a strange woman landed from the skies and rushed over to Ayero. He quirked a brow at this odd happening. ”You two, handle this newcomer. I will take the Fanalis…” Removing his ball and chain from beneath his thick cloak, he stepped closer to the red headed woman.

Grunting, Ayero pulled the paralytic dart from her arm with her good hand as a young woman who had apparently seen the assault demanded that the attacker come and confront her in the open. ”Wha…” She squinted at the tanned woman as she asked her if she was alright. ”Oi…you, take that fatass. There’s another one in there.” She ignores the other woman’s questioning, partially due to her buzz and partially due to the danger at hand requiring her to think quickly. Turning her back on the body manipulator, she faces Marco and cracks her mobile hand’s knuckles.


[598/1500]

Just as Niala predicted, more goons had decided to show up. This wasn't a simple mugging by some thugs, these were bandits. Niala knew full well she could probably handle the two that planned on engaging her, but things didn't often go as planned, and she wasn't about to trust the two in front of her were the only threats. Niala could almost taste dread in the air as she extended her tail bone into a weapon. What a wasted part of the body, at least for most people. The thugs weren't very far, and it took but a second for the tail tipped with a boney pointed tip nearly 6ft in length to dart through the air from under her cloak like a sword on the end of a rope and dig a little into the club wielder's chest.

Niala would then focus on using the tail a second later to whip over and slice into the other's man's incoming fist, causing it to be slapped away and cutting his wrist. Niala had known she wasn't going to be to beat them with the tail alone, despite its effectiveness, it could only do so well against two determined aggressors. She would crouch down low, picking up some dust and debris, all hidden under her cloak, before sliding an arm out from the slit and launching the dirt into one of the men's faces just as the club bandit tried to deal with Niala's tail stretching 9ft feet not including the stinger.

She followed up with a punch to the slashed man's chin while he was distracted by the dirt, but what Niala didn't plan on what the man attacking anyway, landing a punch in the side of her head causing her to stumble back slightly. She held her head for a moment in a little pain, but not wanting to lose focus on the two men. She didn't want to kill these two, and deep down she secretly hoped they would have just ran away, but it was now obvious they weren't going anywhere without what they came for. What that was, Niala didn't know exactly, but whatever it was she refused to let them get it. With her right arm, she allowed the cloak to fall to her back, showing her loose and revealing clothing, just long enough to get the man's attention as she formed a tentacle of muscles to wrap around his neck choking him.

Niala's expression had changed, she suddenly seemed darker as her arm-tentacle squeezed around the man's neck. Her eyes narrowed, as she shouted at them "Leave now!". The club wielder would find it difficult to get within melee range without being slashed or stabbed again by the tail of this monster.

(130 stamina left)
(768/1500)

Abilities used:

Ayero stared Marco down, daring him to approach her. Though weakened through her inebriation and subsequent paralysis, the Fanalis was confident enough in her skills to take this thug down. Hopefully, the mysterious girl who had appeared would be able to hold off the other two on her own. Sounds of her ensuing fight rang through the air, but none of it reached Ayero’s ears beyond that of background noise. Her focus was entirely on Marco.

Making the first move, Marco charged towards Ayero while brandishing his ball and chain, swinging the weapon above his head as he approached her before launching a Swish in her direction. The spiked ball and its attached length of chain flew through the air, targeting the Fanalis woman’s other arm. Positioning herself into a more solid stance, the red head raises one leg upwards to intercept the man’s attack with her Thighs of Steel. Due to the drink in her system, the sharpness of the defensive movement put Ayero off kilter and she stumbles backwards slightly as she withdrew her leg. Taking note of her fumble, Marco draws his weapon back before lashing out once more, this time intending to hit the woman dead on rather than try and take out one of her other arms. Marco’s Snap makes contact directly with Ayero’s stomach and sends the Fanalis back several meters.


”Ugghh…” The woman groans as she lands before working her way back to her knees. The blow to her midsection had been rather rough, but not enough to take out someone of the Fanalis bloodline. Growling in irritation, Ayero stands while holding the injured area of her body with her mobile hand. Gnashing her teeth, the buzzed woman makes a beeline for her target, removing her hand from her stomach and reeling it back into a fist before attempting to deliver a punch to her assailant. Unfortunately for her, the man’s keen eye allowed him to intercept her attack with Swish. Swinging his weapon, he successfully deflects the Fanalis woman’s blow.


[936/1500]

[Stamina: 230/250]

Spoiler:

Niala's call would to have seemed to go unheeded, as she let Leo go from her choke grip, he immediately went to use Pain Split, hitting Niala's right arm that she had been using to keep him at bay. Her right arm went into pain and was slowed, she knew immediately this was going to be problematic, but she wasn't about to let these two scum bags get the best of her. As her right arm reverted back to its normal form, Niala knocked off the darts from her upper arm, with her left, before causing that left arm to be manipulated into a claw, Like a crab. The claw rushed forth, and with a snap shut Leo's head was off his shoulders and rolling away.

The site of his brother's demise only added rage to Baleno, the club wielder. His mind had snapped to another state in a blink. His eye lids stretched and rippled in fury as his mouth displayed teeth in anger. Boom Boom was his go to attack, with one wide swing to bat away the stinger tail, and the second aimed at Niala's side. Niala jumped over the attack just in time, as she used her tail to cut through the man's ankles with a single slash, causing him to trip with a little help from being inside the loop of Niala's tail. Niala would fall feet first onto the man's chest as her tail pierced into the man's wrist of the arm holding the club, effectively pinning it to the ground.

Niala's left arm reverted back into its normal form, leaving both of her arms in their natural state, with the exception of her right arm slowed and in pain. Her left fist would slam down onto the man's face. "WHY?", she shouted at him. Her fist would slam down again. "WHY?", she shouted again before realizing he was already gone, dying from a combination of blood loss and likely trauma. She didn't get it. Why did people have to be like this? Why did they have to give her no choice? Niala was angry as she continued to clutch her fist hard in the air, wanting to beat him more, until she got the answers she wanted.

It was in that moment she realized what she was really doing. This wasn't herself, and her arms lowered as she regained and collected herself. The anger had flowed away down an invisible river of solace. She had to remember what her parents taught her, and also realize despite these men being an embodiment of what she disliked in the world, they weren't responsible for all of it. She had remembered who she was, and this behavior was unacceptable in her mind, even if other may have done far worse to bandits trying to kill them and disagreed with having pity. There was still someone she was trying to protect, and if she didn't have the time or opportunity before to help her by her side, she did now.

"You will come and face justice for your crimes, or you will meet the same fate", she said rising to her feet and facing Marco as she stood by Ayero's side. Niala's tail had already circled around, slithering along the ground between them and Marco, like a snake ready to strike.

(115 Stamina Left)
(1332/1500)

Abilities used:

As Marco deflected her fist to the side, Ayero began to feel the numbness of her other arm fade away. Her eyes lit up at this realization, and as her opponent parried away her punch with his weapon, Ayero took the opening that she saw. Keeping her other arm limp at her side until she was ready to strike, Ayero used the force of Marco pushing his weapon against her arm to slide slightly to the side. Tensing the muscles in her previously limp arm, she quickly drove her elbow into the man’s face. Much to her pleasure, he fumbled with his weapon as he stumbled back, using his other hand to grasp at his nose which was now broken. Blood began to seep from the cracks between his fingers as he glared at the Fanalis woman and re-established his grip on the weapon.


Neither Marco nor Ayero had paid much attention to the other battle ensuing several meters away, most of their focus spent on each other. But as Niala’s pained cries rang through the air, both fighters turned their gaze to the source of the noise, startled. They hadn’t witnessed the beheading, but they could barely make out the young woman’s form as she reeled back her fists to deliver blow after blow. After a moment she stopped, suddenly going quiet and still before approaching the pair. Ayero turned her gaze back to Marco, but Marco’s eyes followed Niala as she stood beside the Fanalis, declaring that she’d bring the same fate upon him. Same fate? Moving his head to the side, he squints through the darkness, now able to see Baleno’s unconscious form and the silhouetted head of his younger brother. His eyes opened wide in realization and he stared at Niala, rage slowly contorting his face.


”You...what did you do to them, you…monster! You’ll pay for this, freak!” He had never witnessed powers like hers, and seeing the snake-like tail protruding her both horrified and angered him. Swinging his weapon above his head, the man begins to charge at Niala in preparation to deal a Snap to the young woman in retribution.


Pursing her lips, Ayero’s first thought was to block the incoming weapon. But her instincts took over, urging her to eliminate the threat with one last good blow. As Marco’s focus was on the girl beside her, Ayero took advantage of this distraction and dropped to the ground in a Drop Roll, maneuvering herself quickly behind the man. She sprung upwards whilst drawing her scimitar, quickly forcing the blade through his chest with a Fierce Jab before he could reach the other woman. Inhaling deeply, Marco’s eyes went wide as his lungs filled with blood from the deep puncture wound. Satisfied, the Fanalis withdrew her blade, flicking it to the side to remove some of the fresh blood from the steel.


She turned her focus over to Niala, finally taking in the appearance of her impromptu partner. Noting her tanned skin and foreign clothing, she supposed that the woman was not a Reim native. ”Thanks.” She said in blunt appreciation. She wanted to follow up with something like “But you didn’t have to” but stopped herself. In her current buzzed state, she doubted that the battle would have gone this smoothly if she were on her own…not that “smooth” was the correct word for it. ”You alright?” She sheathes her blade, squinting at the young woman in the low light, trying to assess if she had been hurt in the fray.

[Stamina: 170/250]

[1523/1500

Spoiler:

Niala heard his words, as much as she disliked them she already put herself in a position where they couldn't hurt her. She watched as he raised his weapon ready to strike, and just as quickly the woman put him down. Niala could have almost predicted this outcome, he was so enraged that he was blind. He tail was already returning to her torso, back to its natural very short state. It was almost saddening that this is how it was naturally, when having a tail felt much more 'natural'. Niala certainly wasn't use to people who could handle themselves in a fight, and being completely honest with herself most weren't.

"MmmHmmp!", Niala sounded in confirmation if she was okay. "I'll be fine! I was more worried about you when I saw that thug hit you like that!", Niala added in concern before running towards her trying to hug her in happiness she was okay. She would embrace this woman likely until she gestured to let her go, and Niala would look away in embarrassment. "So, um... I'm not from around here but we should probably go. Maybe you show me around? I could really use a friend here. Please?", Niala said bubbly with a pleasant expression and friendly smile with her clasping together hopefully from under her cloak.

(1554/1500)

”Uhh…” She stiffened as the younger woman hugged her suddenly, not accustomed to such gestures from strangers. But her spinning head and inebriation kept her form pulling away, instead standing there awkwardly and shifting uncomfortably until Niala withdrew. Even if she had been sober she was not likely to push the other woman away roughly, finding that she tended to treat other females in a gentler manner than she does men.


”I can see that.” The Fanalis snorts as she pulled away and was able to get a good look at her exotic appearance. ”Uh...alright. Do you have a place to stay? If you want, I can take you back to the inn I’m staying at…” She trails her words, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. It was the least she could do after this young woman had selflessly stepped in to aid her. ”I’m Ayero, by the way.”

[Exit]