Wanted: Kasimir Sewik

[Kasimir Sewik]

Kaz sat on a lonely stool at the bar. The prime time for business had long since passed, and it was some ungodly hour in the morning, with only two other scattered customers. He lay slumped over the counter, head sideways against the cool granite, his conspicious two-handed sword strapped visibly on his back. Sighing, he mentally ran through the evening's events, and tried to figure out where he'd gone wrong. Some time ago, he had gotten a hand-written note from Mordekai von Argon, basically recognizing Kaz as an agent of justice, or something like that. Like a real agent of justice, Kaz had the bright idea to show it off to some raving Mordekai fangirls he'd met the last time in Crocus.

Well they had talked to him longer than before, but the night didn't quite go how he was hoping. He really needed to work on his storytelling skills. He didn't want to depict himself as Mordekai's lackey; next time, he was going to go into detail about how Mordekai begged for Kaz's help. Kaz needed to work on embellishing his story a bit so that he was the hero instead of the sidekick.

“I hope you're not drooling on my counter, Kasimir.” The bartender, a portly woman probably twice Kaz's age, said flatly. She clanked down something near his head.

Obediently Kaz lifted his head, even rubbing the counter with the back of his palm (he did not drool). The bartender had just set down a drink, and it was... “Hey, I didn't order this,” he frowned, staring at the mug filled with white liquid. And a straw. What was he, twelve?

“I thought it was more conducive to your state of mind. Plus if you start drinkin' and cryin', I don't wanna clean up your tears right we close up shop,” she waved him off, leaving and continuing to clean up, in preparation for when they closed.

Kaz glared at her back and blew a few bubbles in the milk. The heck, he didn't want this, he wanted a drink. He sighed, stopping and instead stirring it idly with the straw. Well as long as he wasn't paying for it, he'd take it. Maybe it was her weird way of trying to cheer him up. Or maybe it was some mean joke; he couldn't tell.

[391]

[Marianne Greire]

She was back in Crocus. Another day, another mission. She needed to catch up. Within the space of a month, Mari miraculously had left her guild three times for some sort of lengthy holiday. That ensured her need to do missions. Brushing aside her thoughts, Mari left her dorm room and entered the guild hall. She ignored the looks people were giving her, instead striding purposely towards the mission board. For all she cared, they could think her mad. More likely they were surprised; surprised she wasn't making some dramatic entrance or wearing clothes that looked like they came from a bad costume shop. She sighed when she saw the missions remaining. She shouldn't be surprised. It was either assassination, theft or mugging. She wasn't sure what she had been hoping for. Having a cup of tea with the nice old couple down the road? Ha. That was a laughable thought.

Deciding that she couldn't make the hard decision of whether she should kill or kill, she closed her eyes and picked a random one of the bored. Promptly, she rolled her eyes. What kind of madness was her luck? At the very least, she wasn't allowed to kill. That was a first. The mad part was the fact she had to find him. Crocus was a big city. What did they expect her to do? Call 'Kasmir Sewik, please come to this designated place so I can kidnap you,' over a loud speaker? She was sure that plan would work. She gave a growl of frustration and decided she wanted to cool off before deciding the next option of kill or kill. She still took the mission with her. What a coincidence would it be if she actually met this Kasmir guy.

Outside, shadows haunted the streets with the sudden cries of drunk people occasionally sounding out. Drunk people were ridiculous and Mari had no desire to meet any of them. Which was probably she ended up going to a bar. Because people so didn't go to bars to drink. Thankfully, there wasn't actually that many people inside the bar (they were most likely vomiting on the streets), although she guessed it wasn't surprising judging by the time in the 'morning'. There were two or three people inside, all looking moody and all looking depressed. Mari sighed and was about to turn around when she realised one of the customers had some giant sword strapped to his back. She stopped and pulled out the mission. It read 'claymore sword' and 'hard to miss'. Was that the Claymore sword? Mari decided that she might as well talk to the guy. She didn't favour knocking out random people and handing them in with the distinct possibility it wasn't the actual thing. She needed to investigate.

With her new plan in mind she walked closer to the guy and saw him spinning a straw in milk. Either he was drunk or depressed. She hoped it was depressed other wise she'd be knocking him out whether he was actually the target or not. She switched on a friendly smile and sat beside him. "Hey, you seem to enjoy milk," she said, digging her hand into her bag and pulling out something "How about using a less boring straw? It'd taste different from usual," She held a flavoured straw in front of his face, all the while examining the sword in her peripheral vision.

[570 words]

[Kasimir Sewik]

Kaz looked up when a girl abruptly took a seat next to him. At first Kaz would have guessed her to be young - such a short stature tended to do that. But when she looked at him and spoke, even in the somewhat dim light, he could tell she couldn't be that young. And if she was in a bar, at a strange hour at night, that probably meant something. Although he was a little perplexed why she'd come alone, at such a strange hour too, and then join him.

"Ehh, not really," Kaz shrugged when she commented on him liking milk. "The bartender's just playing a mean joke on me." He laughed a little when she offered the straw, to change the flavor of what he was drinking. That sounded... a little strange. Not exactly suspicious, but not something he wanted to take. "Er, that's alright. I think I'm done anyway," he pushed the mug away, despite only half of it being gone.

The two-handed sword on his back was simple in design, possessing no ornaments or visible insignias. There was no sheathe, and assuming one was familiar with swords, could be recognized as the double-edged Claymore. Because there was a straw in front of his face, he did miss Marianne checking out the sword, although he was used to drawing attention with such a conspicuous weapon.

Despite being 'done', Kaz leaned on the counter with his elbow, clearly not planning to leave quite yet. It was late, and he was a bit tired from the day's events with Crisis, but he would never pass up an opportunity. "So what brings a pretty young lady to a bar at such a late hour? Don't tell me you're bar hopping by yourself. I'm guessing you're the type that gets asked for your ID every time."

[391 + 306 = 697]

[Marianne Greire]

Mari shrugged her shoulders when he declined her offer of the straw. She wasn't trying to drug him...yet. What she was trying to get him to do was introduce himself to her. She leaned back into her chair and shut her eyelids. She heard him say he was done and mildly thought about what she was going to do if he left. Stalk him perhaps? That wouldn't be noticeable would it? She opened one eye to examine her outfit. Definitely wouldn't be noticeable. White blouses with bright green bows never stood out in the dark did they?She was considering taking out a black coat or something to disguise her outfit should he leave when the sound of someone leaning against the table stopped her. So he wasn't actually done. Good. While her thieving skills were exceptional, her stalking skills with bright clothing at night, not so much. It was also why she preferred taking missions in the daytime. She drew a breath in and opened her eyes, subtlety eyeing the sword again. She wasn't the most well-versed in swords but she had enough knowledge to realise that it was most likely that Claymore sword upon closer examination.

All that was left for her to do was for her to do was lower his guard. She guessed acting ditzy may help. She lurched forward and rested her elbows on the table as well. "Nothing much! Just taking relaxing...after work," She said, giggling. She guessed she could call this work. "You see, today I had a night shift," she explained, making hand gestures to further extend her meaning. "And you're right about the ID thing. I always have to explain myself...or sneak in because no one believes me!" She smiled and extended a hand. "I'm Anna," she said, deciding to use the name she had given Anubis to this guy. "Nice sword," she nodded her head towards what she assumed to be the Claymore sword. With something like that on his back, the guy had to be used to people asking questions about it. It was normal for people to be curious.

[570 + 350 = 920 words]

[Kasimir Sewik]

Kaz blinked as the girl abruptly lurched closer. Her tone, and movement just while talking was extremely animated - a lot more energy than he expected for someone at this hour. He certainly wasn't that awake at least, and felt tired from doing close to nothing. He couldn't imagine what it must be like to have a job and then go to a bar after - Kaz was fairly certain he'd be dead. At least indirectly she'd confirmed that she was indeed older than she looked. There was a certain age limit that even he respected.

"Kasimir," he grinned, meeting her petite hand. Giving a name for a name was only fair. "But my friends call me Kaz, you can use that." When had he ever not asked a girl to call him Kaz? Oh, right, the crazy one that kept calling him 'Sandy'. She was a special exception though. He was perfectly content to consider someone a friend until they proved him otherwise. Although the comment on his sword did make him momentarily falter. "Yeah... thanks," he said simply, not elaborating on the two-handed weapon. Kaz looked back at the counter, avoiding her gaze for a brief moment. He didn't wear it because he thought it looked cool. Its weight was there to remind him of his origins.

"So what kind of job do you work at, Anna?" Kaz found his smile and looked at her again. Half to keep the conversation away from him for the moment, half to learn more about her. Just his luck, she'd be a Magic Council wizard or something ridiculous.

[697 + 267 = 965]

[Marianne Greire]

Mari continued to grin and smile when her target confirmed his name was Kasmir and shook his hand vigorously. Internally she wondered what the hell she was going to do next. He asked her to call him Kaz which caused a new wave of panic to wash over her. She didn’t want to call him Kaz. She wasn’t even his friend (nor would she ever be) plus there was her dilemma of whether she should act like her real self or blunder through, creating a character at the same time. “Nice to meet you…Kashmir Goat!” she said the first thing she could think of coming out of her mouth. Kaz sounded too personal for a potential mugger and Kasmir really reminded her of the word Cashmere. Kudos to her for saying it normally. She realised that calling him a goat was probably not the best way to make him trust her and immediately ducked her head “Sorry, your name really reminds me of a type of goat I like…” she apologised, looking down at the table.

She saw that her mention of the sword made him seem uncomfortable and decided not to mention it again. He gave no emotion away and looked to the side. She took this opportunity to examine him more. He was taller than her (duh) and looked like he could put up a fight if she directly confronted him. Although at the moment, he also seemed very tired. Looks wise she guessed he wasn’t that bad. Conclusion: It would be better if she could trick him rather than fight him. All the while, so she didn’t seem creepy, she faked a curious expression. When he looked back, she smiled. “I’m a postman, woman, whatever. It's nothing special,” she responded. She abruptly turned to face him and pursed her lips. “Hey, talking about jobs, I’m supposed to make a delivery to some Domas Flau arena. I’ve heard of it before but I’ve never been. Do you think you help me out on that?” she asked. If she could get him to actually go to the arena, it would be a huge help.

[920 + 343 = 1263 words]

[Kasimir Sewik]

Kaz burst out laughing when she called him Kashmir Goat. Maybe it was because of his lack of sleep, but he thought the nickname was hilarious. He'd been called a lot of things before in his life, but nothing quite as amusing as that. He managed to calm down a bit and caught his breath. "It's fine, I just... Just haven't heard that one before," he waved off her apology, not really taking insult to it. Although he hoped he wasn't as scruffy as a goat - he did try to keep well-trimmed. Most girls seemed to prefer less facial hair.

Kaz met her curious expression, now himself curious. A night-time postwoman? He hadn't heard of such a thing. Although he supposed it had to exist, it wasn't like mail ever stopped coming. When she asked him to come with for a delivery to the Domas Flau, he was momentarily caught off guard. Kaz knew Crocus; knew exactly where that arena was. How could he not? His late 'mentor' had been one of the wizards in charge of the Grand Magic Games. Which meant if he was going to be recognized, it was going to be near the arena. "Err, I ah.... like right now?" He was honestly confused. "I can tell you how to get there," he offered. "Er, normally I'd escort a young lady considering it's the dead of night, but uh, I'm not very well-loved around those parts. I'd probably just increase your danger instead of mitigating it," he laughed, rubbing the back of his head. Why did it have to be there, of all places? He wouldn't mind walking with her if it was anywhere else.

"'Oy, you two," the bartender returned. She eyed Kaz suspiciously after noticing he was sitting with a young woman. "We're closing up shop now."

"Alright," Kaz rose to his feet. It was pretty late... "Nice meeting you, Anna." He almost turned to walk out, before realizing... "Do you want me to walk you home? Crocus isn't exactly the safest place at night, and there's plenty of guys out there that are worse than me. Trust me when I say you're better off waiting on that delivery - you don't want to be wandering late at night alone, job or no.” Although, considering he'd just admitted his reputation wasn't pristine, he understood if she refused. They had only just met, so she wasn't obligated to trust his kindness.

[965 + 407 =  1372]

[Marianne Greire]

Mari put a hand on her chest and smiled when he laughed at her calling him a Kashmir Goat. For a second, she was convinced she had a blown it. He should be rest assured though; she didn't call him a goat because he looked like one (although she did think those goats were pretty darn cute). "Oh okay, I guess I'm just weird," she said, suppressing a smile while laughing slightly at herself.

When he returned the curious look to her, she struggled to remain in character. She always thought there were postmen who worked at night. How else would the mail be delivered in the morning? Maybe she should have said delivery truck driver. That might have made more sense. Her shoulders tensed and she berated herself internally. She didn't have long before she was back to observing his movements.

So he didn't want to take her to Domas Flau. This was why she generally preferred researching her target when doing this kind of job. A few days of stalking, a few days of taking notes. But she hadn't had time. It was a depressing realising she may need to resort to violence to complete the mission. She planned her next actions carefully and was about to speak when the bartender came and told them they were closing soon. Her eyes flashed in annoyance and she shut her mouth. Today was not a good day for her. She didn't respond and simply stood up. "Nice to meet you too," she replied, giving a half-hearted smile to Kasmir/Kashmir Goat/Kaz (she hadn't decided what to call him yet). She took a slower time to walk out and was in the midst of dryly thinking 'My prey is escaping!' when he turned around.

She smiled weakly, not possessing the energy to continue her act. "Uhhh well I don't know the address of where I'm staying; it's temporary see? But if you don't mind following my instructions, I would like it if you came with me," She lacked the previous vigour in her statement but guessed he could assume that she was only energetic for the time being before letting her tiredness. If he agreed, she planned on getting him as close to Domas Flau as possible before doing whatever she had to do to get him into the arena itself unconscious.

[1263 + 390 = 1653 words]

[Kasimir Sewik]

Kaz unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn. Even his energetic new friend seemed to be calming down some, not quite speaking in the same loud exclamations she'd been using earlier. He didn't blame her. It was hard to keep up such energy for long periods of time, especially at this hour. At least she was taking his advice about the delivery - it could wait for another time. "Sure, as long as you don't try to sneak me to Domus Flau instead," he laughed, meaning it as a joke. He didn't actually think she'd do something like that; not after explaining his reasoning at least.

"Lead on," he told her. They left the bar, into the dead of night Crocus. Casually Kaz placed his hands in his coat, half to rest them there, but also because there was a small chill in the wind. They were a strange pair together - man in a black trenchcoat at night, with a giant sword on his back. Next to him, petite girl wearing a blouse. Passively he let her lead him where she willed, walking next to her. Kaz guessed the sun would be up in another hour or two. But for now, the streets were completely empty. Not a single soul roamed about.

“You mentioned that you're using a temporary residence – does that mean you're from somewhere else?” He wondered, more to make conversation while they were walking than anything else. Although he wouldn't mind if he got to see her again after tonight. “I'm actually from Crocus, but I didn't get out much when I was younger. So I've taken up traveling to see more of the world. I know there's rumors of dark guilds and fanatical Magic Council members, but Crocus has always been kind of a special place for me. I think it's nicer than what a lot of people give it credit.”

Kaz had made it a point to learn more about Crocus. It was officially his hometown, he supposed... but he hadn't learned all that much about it while he was there. Maybe that was why he felt the fascination with the city after that portion in his life was done. Now that he was free to learn more about the world, Crocus was kind of a special place to him. Maybe he didn't exactly consider it his 'hometown', but a different thought carried with it: 'I used to live here.'

[1372 + 406 = 1778]

[Marianne Greire]

Mari was so good at lying that she believed what she was saying nearly 80% of the time. This included right now. She laughed alongside Kashmir Goat. "Aww damn, and I was so close," she joked back. She would have added in a gesture or two but she was simply too tired. Instead she yawned afterwards and had covered her mouth with her hand. "I'll try not to get us lost," she attempted to joke as she lead the way to her supposed house. She'd probably 'take' him to Sabby's and Pieter's house. It did act as her temporary residence on the occasion they weren't in Crocus so she knew the route well enough to know she could easily 'misguide' Kaz to Domas Flau.

The petite girl was on the verge of falling asleep on her feet when her target spoke causing her to stumble on the pavement in surprise. She quickly recovered and slapped herself in the face. "Shih Tzus and Labradors," she said fairly loudly, realising she had missed a turn. If she continued the way she was she'd probably be the one unconscious by the time she got to Domas Flau. She grew aware that it was slightly out of the blue and she smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I took a wrong turn." She glanced at the watch on her hand and figured that she needed to start working out how to knock him out - and fast. She listened through one ear and started her plotting at the same time.

She nodded nonchalantly. "I bet those dark guilds and fanatic Council Members are true. You wouldn't believe the amount of crazy that goes on sometimes. Have you heard that rumour of the big one growing? Apparently it's called Frogs Breath...I don't know. That sounds a bit far fetched. Crocus is a nice city. It's big, it's the centre of the world practically...probably not," She smiled slightly "Anyways, to answer your question, I am from here actually. Although when the war started I moved aw-," She stopped mid sentence to dodge the 'sudden' pole that loomed in front of her face. She managed to duck aside but 'accidentally' bumped Kaz towards the pole with 'unintentional' force. Her mouth dropped. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" The words fell out of her mouth in quick succession, both hands clasped over her mouth and her eyes wide.


[1653 + 406 = 2059 words]

[Kasimir Sewik]

Kaz really hoped they didn't get lost either. No one would be able to help them with directions, and it wasn't like Kaz knew this girl's address. They were still walking when Anna lost her balance and nearly tripped. Kaz reached out to catch her, but stopped when she'd already managed to right herself. He hoped they'd reach her house soon... Without Kaz there, he doubted she would have made it home at all. He was unable to hide his concern when she mentioned taking a wrong turn. At this rate, she might pass out. So much for working a night shift.

Kaz had heard rumors about a dark guild... apparently, it was gaining a lot of power, beyond just Crocus. Living in the shadows of the world, one tended to hear a lot of dark stories. Although it certainly wasn't called 'Frog's Breath'. He grinned a little, not really sure if Anna intended it as a joke or not. Then suddenly, a pole in his face. Kaz stumbled unexpectedly, practically pushed towards it by Anna. She was tripping again - this time into him - this time pushing him straight in the pole. He whacked his forehead and part of his nose.

Clutching his face, Kaz mentally swore and it took all his willpower not to do so out loud. But it hurt. No blood dropped, but he was momentarily disoriented from the blow. No, I'm not okay, his mind screamed back in response. "Y-yeah..... I'm fine," he managed to grit out. Part of him just wanted to use his healing magic to make the pain end instantly. But the more sane, rational part of his mind warned against it. He couldn't just go about flinging spells every which way. "Don't worry about it," he sucked in his breathe, managing to smile at her, his hands falling away from his face. The area was a little swollen where he'd been hit, but he'd get over it. "How close are we to your home?" He was kind of hoping it was close. If nothing else, so he could heal this when she was out of sight.

[1778 + 355= 2,133]

[Marianne Greire]

Mari fought the urge to jump up in excitement and run around screaming. Not that she would have at this hour...okay maybe she would but she was too tired...right? She didn't know. She swore she wasn't like this thirty minutes ago. In any case, that would have been the wrong reaction. Instead, she rushed over to him and looked up at his face in concern. Ooh that was nasty. Part of her felt bad. He didn't strike her as a bad person. Even in other missions most of the people she targeted weren't good people who were altruistic and giving. "Do you need help?" she asked in concern. She heard him ask how close they were to her house and found she was unable to hide the guilt off her face. This probably worked in her favour despite the difference in reasoning that could occur. It seemed like she was guilty about shoving in a pole. In actual fact she was guilty about not actually bringing him to her house at all. But still, her plan had to go on. "I live kind of far and since I took a wrong turn, it'd be further," she admitted ruefully "I'm sorry again, I wish I had ice or something,"

Suddenly she had a strike of inspiration. "Hey!" she exclaimed as if she had a revelation. It wasn't part of her initial plan but it would work very well. Her face lit up and her hands went to her bag appearing to rummage for something. "I do have ice!" She pulled out an 'ice pack' and grabbed his hand to maneuver his fingers around it. Then she stood on her toes and made him place it on his swollen spot, holding his head in one place with her other hand. She did this to magnify it's effects. While it did act as an ice pack, it would make him more tired...or something like that. She had stolen it from some douche in Shadow Heart when he annoyed her too much. He had used sleeping magic and apparently it was constantly active and knocked the target out. She had witnessed him use it before. Hopefully it's effects were okay on Kaz. She bit her lip as she gauged it's usefulness then seemed to make a decision. "I don't think that's enough. Do you mind waiting here a bit? I'll be right back," she said before taking off in some direction out of his sight.

Mari decided she had to attack him now. She preferred less confrontational options but the more she waited, the less she seemed to want to complete her task. She had to do it. The girl came to a halt once at a clothes shop and entered it (via breaking in). It was probably selfish of her but she didn't want to attack him when he outright recognised her. He was fairly conked out now so she decided it'd be an easy enough task. She grabbed some cloth to tie around her face and some kind of bulky hoodie coat to hide her face and build respectively. She then changed into pants and different shoes for good measure. She left behind some money for the clothes and exited through the back, hiding her hair into the coat. It was a tacky appearance but it disguised who she was well enough. She hadn't planned well enough for an elaborate disguise so her current outfit had to make do. Lucky she was a quick dresser.

She made her way back to where she left Kasmir quickly and completely changed her demeanor. Before she would have come into his sight, she stood on the roof above, deciding to check what he was doing.

[2059 + 621 = 2680 words]

[Kasimir Sewik]

This whole expedition was becoming a lot more painful than Kaz typically enjoyed. Maybe another time he would have tried harder to get on Anna's good side, but as it was he was some mixture of tired, depressed, and now hurt, so he was seriously looking forward to when this was over. "It's... fine..." He tried to reassure her again, only to be drowned out by her screams about having ice. What, was she packing a cooler or something? Before he could think to protest, Kaz was practically slapped with the ice pack. It didn't feel cold but it did feel... soothing...

His eyes started to flicker shut, the weariness weighing down on him more. Wait, this wasn't natural. His body tried to tense, he leaned heavily against the brick wall next to him. He didn't even hear what Marianne said. He slumped against the wall, his vision blacking out for.... he wasn't sure. When he woke up, he was still in the street of Crocus, this time alone. He blinked, willing his senses to come back to him faster. Hesitantly, still using the wall as support, he pulled himself up. His head was still pounding.

He had a bad feeling, and his instincts had yet to be wrong. Of course, being drugged probably had something to do with it. Was it something he'd drank earlier in the night, or that weird ice pack? Looking around, Kaz couldn't see Anna anywhere. If she was really the one responsible, he didn't understand why she'd leave him there half-drugged. Unless she was getting backup... he seemed to recall a certain other girl in Hargeon that didn't have the stomach to attack him herself, but had drugged his drink and then let some other goons do the grunt work.

His head was still killing him. Placing one hand on his forehead, he summoned forth magical energy. The cool energy worked on his head, easing the pain and even making the swollen bump go down in side. He sighed half in relief and pent-up nervousness, standing up a bit straighter. She kept talking about the arena, so I should go the other way, he started walking the opposite direction Anna had been leading him. Maybe he was completely wrong and there was no reason for his paranoia, but he probably wouldn't have lasted this long without being paranoid. She was gone, so if nothing happened and they met again, he'd just tell her he didn't know where she went, and that he decided to go home or something. He checked behind his shoulder, but didn't see anyone. It kind of felt like he was being watched, but then waking up on the dark streets of Crocus would make anyone nervous.

[2,133 + 456 = 2,589]

MP 170/200:

[Marianne Greire]

She arrived in time to witness Kaz heal his head. She mused. So he had healing magic. She didn't know how it worked but it could be tricky when trying to- She swallowed. It appeared even thinking about attacking him was difficult. She'd leave her thoughts there. Usually the way she managed to complete her missions was by shutting off her emotion. She wasn't succeeding so far. The girl had been so caught inside her internal conflict that she didn't realise her...Kashmir Goat had started to move again. He was heading in the opposite direction. A pang of guilt hit her. She bet he thought that by going that way he would avoid getting closer to Domas Flau...he was wrong. They took a wrong turn. He wasn't heading away from the arena. Most likely he was heading to it. She wondered if he'd notice.

She shook her head and stepped nimbly after him using the rooftop so she'd remain unnoticed. Once she was someway ahead of him but still in sight, she halted. Now she needed to shut the door. Shut the window. Shut whatever it was that made her incapable of doing the job. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Slowly she felt her barriers come up and she stood up.

First things first, she was going to get that sword. If that was his main form of combat the easiest way was taking it away from him. It would be like stealing from a baby. Telekinesis made it so. She crouched down on the roof and scrunched her face in concentrating the psychic energy emanating from the sword. Soon enough she felt the connection and attempted to telekinetically yank it towards herself. If it wasn't clasped to anything, the sword would come freely. If it was, it would have to cut through or find it's way around whatever it was clasped to. If Kaz realised and grabbed onto it, she'd have an earlier fight than what she wished or planned for.

[2680 + 333 = 3013 words]

185/200 MP:

[Kasimir Sewik]

The leather straps protested against the telekinetically-infused sword. Kaz felt the strange magic, the weight on his back literally being lifted. The magic made the sword slice open the straps. More out of instinct than anything else, Kaz reached back to grab the sword. He could not lose that thing. Just the sensation of it becoming lighter off his back was enough to get his attention. He whipped around just in time, hands managing to grab onto the hilt. The pull against it seemed to stop.

So he was being watched. And attacked. He doubted the attacker actually wanted his sword – noticeable weapons were an obvious target to steal and weaken an opponent. He looked around but couldn't see anyone in road around him. But someone had to be nearby... he doubted that spell could be used without visual sight. “Why don't you stop hiding and come out?” He challenged. If he hadn't been jumped by a team yet, he doubted there was more than one or two of them. Groups tended to get cocky and go for brute force. He actually didn't want to fight anyone – group or single target. But knowing where they were would make it easier to run when a break appeared. His gaze drifted up. The road was empty, so perhaps the attacker had taken residence in a nearby building. At least his leather straps had been cheap, and wouldn't cost much to replace.

[2589 + 241 =2830]

[Marianne Greire]

Mari cursed as her target managed to grab his sword. She was hoping he wouldn't notice. Oh well. What was she thinking anyways? Something that big wouldn't manage to not alert its wielder. Nonetheless, she relinquished her telekinetic grip on the sword. She'd have to wait for another opportunity. But it didn't mean she had to release her spell usage immediately. Using that spell was vital for a long-distance attack. She transferred it to the air and began focusing on a new attack. The girl ignored his goad for his attacker to come out. She wasn't stupid. The mission sheet had said he'd run away if he could. She couldn't let him do that. If he did, she would have to exert more energy. The less she expended, the better it was.

She remained still as he looked up, trying to search for his attacker. He wouldn't see her in the dark lighting if she gave no sign away.

So instead of panicking, she focused her energies into manipulating the wind around her. She could see the slight breeze gently flowing through. She targeted that. It was most visible and thus more easily controlled. The rule of thumb was that she could only manipulate things she knew really well or could see. She didn’t know the way wind worked really well so she guessed she was limited to the slight bit.

The girl entrapped the blowing wind into a bubble of her telekinetic control. Once she felt she knew it well enough, she blew. The wind immediately picked up, increasing no more in capacity than it originally was towards Kasmir. It wasn’t going to be a strong attack but attacking him wasn’t her main intention. If he let go of his sword, she’d take that opportunity to grab it. She planned on staying out his sight at the very least. If what the request had said about him only being able to use support magic, then he wouldn’t be able to attack her from afar.

180/200 MP (Telekinesis Sustained)

[3013 + 335 = 3348 words]

[Kasimir Sewik]

Kaz was momentarily forced to stop looking. The wind was blowing right at him. Sword still in hand, he crossed his arms to protect his face. The wind only grew fiercer, so much so that it would have pushed him back if he wasn't careful. What was this - wind magic? There was no way it was a coincidence. But that last spell - he was certain it was a form of telekinesis. Two wizards then? It was still a little early to tell. If he ducked into an alley to avoid the wind, it was virtually cornering himself.

His mind quickly went over what few options he had. With his opponent hidden, he couldn't do much. Running meant there was a chance he would unwittingly run into a trap. Just standing here wasn't a good option though. Screw it. "There's more to life than money, you know!" He shouted at his unknown attacker, who hadn't taken the bait earlier. He turned away from the wind's fiercest direction, running nowhere in particular. Staying on the main street, trying to zigzag through as many buildings as he could. If he could find a spot where the attack stopped, he would at least have some kind of idea where his attacker was positioned. With the display of telekinesis earlier, Kaz knew he had to keep a tight grip on his sword.... especially if there were two enemies working together.

This wind wasn't getting any better regardless of where he went. Abruptly he rounded a corner, turning into an alley. The building there looked particularly decrepit and abandoned, so he figured that he couldn't get into too much trouble with what he was about to do. He was going with plan B then. Hoping his attacker wouldn't catch up immediately, Kaz slammed his fist into the wall. It melted beneath his touch, the brick turning into sand. Quickly he stepped inside, momentarily out of the wind, breathing lightly from his dash. He didn't bother closing up the whole, knowing that his opponent(s?) had likely seen him. Hopefully this wasn't a terrible decision, and he'd force his attacker to face him, rather than trapping himself. He readied his sword and waited a few seconds in case they entered through the hole he'd just made, but doubted it. It seemed like they were trying to avoid a direct showdown... so if they still didn't take this opportunity, Kaz had other options in mind.

MP 160/200:

[408+2830= 3,238]

[Marianne Greire]

Oh Mari knew there was more to life than money. She didn't do things for money. Money was a pointless thing to work towards. Her target, being buffeted by the wind started running and Mari knew she had to follow. He wasn't the fastest person in the world and she managed to keep up, albeit barely. Unfortunately it was too much for her to keep control of the wind at the same time. She dropped her telekinesis and gave chase, wondering what his aim was. Even if she didn't want to take him to Domas Flau, she didn't believe she had any choice in the matter.

Finally, the man stopped and she breathed a sigh of relief. And then she lost sight of him. Where was he? Panicked, the girl looked desperately over the buildings. She couldn't lose him. This mission, she had to do it. As much as she didn't care about the money, she had to survive, she had to survive in order to protect the things she loved - without them, she was nothing and without her watch, they'd be obliterated. Money was survival. And while family was more than money, it was the thing that would ensure the 'more' in life. Finally, she found the hole in the wall. She took deep breaths. She didn't know how she could have missed it. She needed to calm down. Her heartbeat slowed back down to normal and she hopped off the roof.

He obviously wanted a direct showdown. It was probably better for him than it was for her but from his display of getting rid of the wall, she had no doubt he could escape her if she didn't take the chance. Before she entered though, she realised she didn't want him to know it was her who had attacked him. She'd mask her eyes. It would give her more power anyways. Maybe end the fight sooner. And so, spells activated, she went for a quick but powerful strike to the nose in order to knock him out, hoping surprise would give her an edge.

Word Count - 3696

Current Intelligence - 8
Current Speed - 9

145/200:

[Kasimir Sewik]

Seconds ticked by like minutes, minutes like hours. Kaz was having a hard time waiting. This was a precaution; to make sure he wouldn't be ambushed while making good on his escape plan. But every minute that went by felt wasted. He didn't expect his pursuers to give up easily. Finally, when what felt like too long had passed, Kaz suspected that his opponents were taking a less direct route. That, or he'd managed to avoid them completely... although he doubted that kind of luck. Kaz slammed his sword blade-first into the ground, so that it stood up. Although telekinesis and losing his sword could be a problem, he needed his hands for the next part of his plan.

Kaz was just about to start when he heard a strange noise outside. Looking up, but not quite registering it yet, a black blur suddenly slammed a fist in his face. "!" Pain split his nose, a few drops of blood trickling out. Uncertainly he backed away, his vision reeling from the harsh blow. Not good. Even though he was jarred from the last blow, he realized another attack would certainly follow. The intruder's entrance had been fast and likely wouldn't pass up another opportunity. Still holding his nose, Kaz slammed his heel against the ground. The earth rumbled in response, trembling violently. The rickety building creaked uncertainly beneath the power. Kaz was the only one unaffected, glued unmoving on the ground while it rocked uncertainly. Hopefully it would be enough to grant him just a moment of time.

"Can't we talk and work things out?!" He managed to grit out, still in quite a bit of pain from the last attack. Even so, fighting still wasn't his first option. He doubted his opponent would listen, but that didn't mean he would stop trying. As soon as the tremor stopped, Kaz reached for the sword he'd stuck in the ground....

MP 150/200:

[319+3,238 = 3,557]

(Kaz can lose his sword here if you want.)

[Marianne Greire]

((I would like that very much but it's up to you :P))

The ground started to shake underneath Mari and before she could register what was happening, her feet went flying off and she was pushed back a good couple of metres. Surprised that even with her slight precognition she didn't see it coming, she lost hold of the spells in place and she was back to not using any. At least she managed to punch him in the nose, albeit the force wasn't enough to knock him out. She knew that because of her absolute trust in her spell's ability to foresee any attack, she hadn't been prepared for an attack. She wouldn't be able to get back on her feet quick enough. And so instead, her back slammed painfully against the floor and she thrust her hands out. In response, the objects in the room started to shake visibly, a glowing orange outline around them. She flicked her hands inwards and then they flew. There weren't many objects thanks to the state of abandonment the building found itself in but the few that were there came with a vicious precision.

The objects were a bookcase that was shaken to the ground from Kaz's attack, an old rack, the books that had been in the case and even the Claymore Sword. She couldn't control what flew at her target - anything would work but as soon as the attack went, she scrambled onto her feet, diving for the sword. She didn't care whether it had hit Kaz or not yet. All she needed to do was get it and then his main offense was gone. If she got the sword, she'd swing it back around in an attempt to hit Kaz in the head with the flat side of the blade. If not, she'd try punching Kaz in the gut or really, the first spot her knuckles would have come into contact with.

WC: 4008/1000

135/200 MP:

[Kasimir Sewik]

So this was the telekinetic user from earlier. Great. The objects all around them were glowing... not a good sign. Most telekinetic wizards that Kaz had met could only control a few objects at a time. Instinctively Kaz retreated from the glowing sword. It flew backwards, grazing his side. The bookcase, he barely moved in time to avoid being clobbered. Only to have a book slam into his chest. He staggered back from the impact, more surprised than actually hurt by the thick book. He braced himself as his assailant also hurtled towards him... Only to completely bypass him.

Kaz realized what was happening a second too late. He whipped around just as his attacker's hands grasped his sword. She wielded as if used to its weight, the hilt slamming into his head before he could think to make a shield. "!" The pain from earlier re-ignited, his vision instantly swimming in black. He collapsed to one knee, breathing heavily. Somehow he managed to focus enough magic energy, placing his palm between the blood dripping down his forehead. The healing chased away some of the darkness, Kaz glaring at his attacker with one eye, the other being covered by the healing hand.

He forced himself back to his feet, unwilling to just give up, even if he just lost his sword. Running wasn't an option now, even if he'd been in better shape... He had to reclaim his master's sword. Talking before hadn't helped... but now that there was a momentary lull, he was noticing more details. He was certain his assailant was a woman, despite her thickly-wrapped form, due to her petite size. He might have even guessed Anna, but the eye color was different than he remembered. And then there was the fact that she'd hit with the hilt, instead of the blade....

His fist tightened. He knew he was at a disadvantage, and his opponent was trying to take him alive. Almost recklessly he charged in with his bare fists, almost counting on the fact that she wouldn't use the actual blade. Hopefully she wouldn't change her mind, think he was an easy opponent, and continue to hold back. As long as he didn't die, it didn't matter how many hits he took.

[3,557 + 376 = 3,933]

MP 120/200:

[Marianne Greire]

The girl had to admit, Kasmir Sewik was a hardy man. Usually her targets blacked out at being punched in the nose. Even more amazingly, he managed to withstand the hilt of the blade being knocked his head again. Well, she had intended for the flat side of the blade...but what did she know about the Claymore sword other than it was a broadsword? And she hadn't exactly taken the time to examine it. There was also no chance of that happening any time soon either. She tensed as he came charging in at her and by instinct she lifted the sword. Bad mistake on her behalf. She wasn't meant to kill this guy. She could attempt to-

Oh.

There was not flat side. Great. Served her right for not checking out the situation more. It was troublesome to fight with a sword and not be allowed to kill someone. It wasn't like she wanted to kill him but still. Troublesome. This was why she definitely preferred guns. Guns she could aim and shoot. Swords, double-edged ones in particular, were a bit tricky. Plus, it was kind of massive compared to what would be ideal for her size and build. It was about 10 centimetres shorter than her. Not very great. Luckily, she fancied herself strong and she had decent enough skill in weaponry. She compromised by thinking that if she cut him, she could patch him back later. Lack of consciousness first, actually finishing task of later. Kind of bad for a plan but better than none.

So in the short time space she thought of that plan, Kaz got pretty close to her. Maybe he'd stab himself on the blade? She stepped to the side in order to dodge any blows he delivered and thrust the sword out in front of her, holding it with two hands. Of course, she'd make sure she'd miss any vital spots, she knew her body parts as a sort of former assassin person. Stab a kidney, she wasn't that fussed, stab the stomach? That was a different story completely. Entirely miss? Oh that was definitely an option and one she didn't wish to come true. Of course, she'd prefer it if she just gashed him in the side or completely missed any organs in his body. If he dodged, she'd attempt to swipe the blade at whatever body part it came into contact with. Spill some blood, rip some skin. She only hoped that if it came to it, the swipe wouldn't be strong enough to cut through bone. It shouldn't be.

4438/1000

[Kasimir Sewik]

Kaz had definitely been gambling with his last attack, mainly because he knew he couldn’t last if the fight became a long one. Unfortunately his earlier line of thought had been completely off. Maybe his assailant had been going easy on him for some unknown reason, instead of just trying to take him alive. His own sword that he’d been carrying around for two years was now a tool against him. Kaz might have wanted to save the sword, but the claymore certainly didn’t want to save him. It pierced through his side completely, freezing him in his tracks.

He could take a lot of hits but he had his limits. Somewhere between the pain of the earlier blows plus this last heavy one, the world was quickly fading out of place. His mind struggled to fight still but his body wouldn’t cooperate. As soon as the blade was pulled out, he collapsed to the ground, just a few inches from his assailant’s feet. There was still a part of him that refused to recognize that the fight was over, even though he knew it was.

He blacked out fully, having no idea if he would wake up again or not…

~~

It was past the designated time but, Gunthar Sewik had an uncanny feeling that his request to Shadow Heart would be fulfilled tonight. Normally the arena was stripped of all weapons at the end of each day, to prevent theft. He had pulled some strings and now had a virtual armory surrounding him, spread out in the sides of the arena, every weapon ranging from guns, swords, spears, axes, clubs, and more. If he was going to have a rematch, it was going to be a proper fair fight. All he needed was his opponent…

[297 + 4,230]

(Sorry for the wait, this can be the end or you can end, unless your character had another plan beyond completing the request)

[Marianne Greire]

((I decided I'd end it here mainly because I think it seems a little unfinished if we left it there. So yeah, gonna hand it in after this post :) ))

Mari barely registered the sword piercing her target and for a second she wondered what she was meant to be doing again. Blood. The sickly sweet yet metallic smell of it washed over her and she grew slightly nauseous. She could see Kasmir struggling to fight through the pain. A hand closed over her heart. She blinked. What was she doing. Quickly, she drew the sword out, at the same time careful to not cause further damage. The man collapsed to the ground as soon as the action was complete and Mari stepped back to avoid having him collapse on her. She looked down at him, prey beneath the predator, and she racked her brains to see what had come next. Oh yes, patch him up. She stood up straight and shrugged off her coat. She didn't think that would be much help in terms of making him last. Cotton would be better. She looked down at herself to see if she was wearing any cotton. Well she had bundled up considerably.

One by one she took off any excess clothing she was wearing and formed a make do bandage thing. She didn't care how sufficient it was; just enough to last her taking the fallen objective currently at her feet to Domas Flau. The time was all but forgotten but she didn't think it mattered. She'd done her job and she thought it was enough. It didn't matter any other way. She got to her knees and roughly patched him up. Secure in her belief that he wouldn't bleed out halfway through their journey she hauled him over her shoulder and grabbed the Claymore sword she had left on the ground. Because she didn't want evidence either, she used her telekinesis to aid her in carrying anything else that might have implied a fight. The man had chosen a pretty good building, in that it was abandoned, to fight in so really, she didn't have that much to worry about such as furniture placing.

She exited the building fairly inconspicuously and silently headed down the street. No one was up at this time. Sure, it was later than the supposed time she had to deposit the man over her shoulder but it didn't mean anyone else would be up. That was just a little too ungodly. Perhaps a dedicated baker might be up but no one would see her carrying an unconscious body to Domas Flau. She highly doubted anyone would think that was fishy though. As far as she was concerned, she'd always thought Domas Flau as a very suspicious place. Arenas were always suspicious in her eyes after all. Talking about the arena...
She looked at her former target and lingered her gaze over his unconscious face. She couldn't help but wonder what he'd done to make someone want him and his sword. She could always imagine but she wasn't in an imaginative mood. To want him to be delivered at an arena was weirdest of them all. Maybe he stole? She removed her gaze and looked back at where she was going. It didn't matter. She could speculate all she liked but she probably would never know the truth.

The arena came close to her vision and she dropped him off at the designated place. Weapons were the first thing that met her eyes. Could she steal some? She shook off the thought quickly. Nonsense idea, she wasn't surprised if there was someone watching her. She didn't bother to look though. She had a single minded goal. In, drop, back out. Some place within her - probably the one that had emotion - felt a tinge of guilt or sympathy. She had no idea what she felt when adopted a steel surface. It had taken her this long but she got there. She'd probably cry a river tomorrow. Or something close. Who knew how long her wall would last? She gave one last look at him to make sure he wasn't dead or anything before removing herself from the general vicinity. She could only hope nothing too wrong would go down.

[Exit]

5123/1000 words

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