The sun had just begun to eek down beneath the horizon, shrouding the landscape with brilliant shades of orange and purple colors. Only to signal on the call of the night that would soon follow the sun’s disappearance. The once crowded streets seemed to empty out with each passing moment, leaving the two of them enough room to move comfortable throughout the streets; however, enough people lingered to still cause them to be weary of their surroundings. Carelessness was not an option, especially when the nightfall was beginning to set in. It was the time when those creepy heavy breathing buffoons came out to try and take advantage of any man and woman in any fashion they could. The simple thought of it sent a shudder through his body; no man would EVER touch him.

Graceful violet orbs drifted languidly across their surroundings, taking note of everything and everyone that had presented itself to their watchful gaze. Within a few moments, his gaze would soon come to rest upon that of a young lad and an old man sitting directly across from each other. A table remained conveniently placed between the two of them and on top of it rested a chess board. Each of the remaining pieces remained scattered in their placement, which usually meant the last few vital moves would bring the game to a sudden closure. Without thinking twice on it, a lone hand would stray off to the side in which Iolanthe followed along and lightly brought it to a stop in front of her chest, “Hold on a second, okay?” Breaking forth from his place alongside of Iolanthe, he would make his way over to the two playing chess and would take a seat right alongside the table. The table didn’t really sit all that high, only high enough so that the occupants could sit comfortably on the ground and still continue to play the game, which gave him the perfect view of the action going on. From what he gathered, the white seemed to belong to the old man and the black seemed to belong to the young lad, also it had appeared that the black was winning. Taking a few moments, he studied each piece and its placement on the board and calculated through images in his head how to end the game from their current standing and found it to be quite simple, really.

The old man’s eyes shifted over to the newcomer and gave a discerned from at the young lad, but simply brushed it off like it was nothing. Great, a witness…Just what he needed, even though it really wouldn’t matter much. He could distract the two of them quite simply. Issuing a fake cough into the closed fist of his hand, he would begin to speak, “Say…I do believe that lady is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen. And you know what? I think she’s looking right at you laddie. I think you better wave or something or you may miss your chance.” Like perfect clockwork, the boy instantly turned to look at the woman who quite ironically happened to be Iolanthe. At that exact instant, his hand would snake out and take up his king only to switch it with the horse right beside it so it no longer rested at E-1, but instead F-1. When the boy looked back the exchange had been done and the old man ushered a hand out to the young lad to take his turn.

Avarice’s gaze never broke from the game and instead remained captivated at the intricacies that detailed each move and the moves that would entail in response to it. So many formulas’s, so many plans and best of all was the outcoming result of each. Though, when the old man made his attempt to distract the boy, Avarice knew what was in store and simply watched as it took place in front of him. However, when the old man ushered on the young lads turn, his hand would reach out and grab the old man’s arm at the wrist to halt his action, “Not so fast…Your King was on E-1, return it.” The old man tore his arm from his grip and grumbled as he switched back the pieces. Once that ordeal took place, he would speak up again, this time addressing the boy, “Since you have him trapped with your Bishop at G-4…Move your other Bishop to B-4 and claim checkmate.” Acting as quickly as commanded, the boy moved his piece and found it quite pleasing the catch the old man in a checkmate. The old man simple scowled at Avarice, before being quickly hushed, “Cheating never pays, especially against an experienced player. If you were playing against me and you tried that, it wouldn’t work. Not even if you knocked every piece from the board, because I could tell you exactly what piece went where. Nowww…I have more important things to do than to babysit you old man---“ Issuing a slight grunt, he rose from his sitting position and back to an erect stance, before dusting himself off slightly, “Besides, I’m sure that kid’ll know better next time, won’t ya?” Giving the kid a wink and slight salute, he would take a few steps so he stopped alongside the old man. Placing a hand atop the old mans hat, he would simply pluck it up and place it onto his own head. Situating it for a moment, he would bring the brim down so it shielded his eyes slightly. It wasn’t exactly an immaculate hat, but a simple plain and ordinary one. It was made of straw like material, with a large circular brim around it, which almost made him look like some sort of merchant/hermit.

The old man tried his best to try and snatch his hat back, but was quickly fended off by a free hand from Avarice, “Ut tut tut, old man. How’s it feel to be robbed of something you earned, but you probably didn’t even earn this now, did you? Sooo, I’ll just take this off your hands for now, besides I kinda like it.” Releasing the man’s hands, he would lightly flick the brim of the hat with his fingers, before clicking his tongue and heading off in the direction of the tavern. Only to leave the old man and young lad behind. Unsure if Iolanthe was still following or if she had already gone ahead, he simply continued on his way to the tavern, stopping just outside of it, “This is it….Been a while since I’ve been here, I just hope I don’t get thrown out again…”

Iolanthe accompanied Avarice for a short while, not really sure about the layout of Taras quite yet. The wind seemed to whistle through her hair, making a small song as she walked. She twisted her fingers around the black threads around her neck, eyeing a few of the common folk. She wasn’t sure if they were a friendly sort or not.

But, Iolanthe caught sight of a friendly tavern sign, and she wandered away from Avarice as he started to get involved with someone else’s chess game. The She-Pirate had never really came to like the game of chess, for she wasn’t exactly the most tactical woman on the block. She was more of a ‘take the opportunity when it arises’ kind of lass. Iolanthe thought it a bit of a waste to plan out things so far in advance when someone was likely to screw up the whole plan. It was better to be spontaneous. Plus, she found things more enjoyable that way.

Kicking a few rocks chipped from the stones of the roads, Iolanthe made her way into the tavern; which was calling her name faintly. She pushed the door open, the smell of sweat, ale, and jubilee wafted into her nose. A thin grin spread across her face as she continued into the bar. Men were wooing women, others were merrily drinking themselves away, and others were seen gossiping in corners; especially the paranoid ones. Iolanthe had to admit, it was great fun going up to the paranoid types, and poking them on the shoulder. They usually make a big fuss about it, jumping out of their chairs like a snake had bitten them! The She-Pirate often got a good chuckle from them.

The She-Pirate approached the bar, waving down a rather hairy lass wearing a dirty apron. Iolanthe rolled her eyes, but didn’t judge. Tossing the woman a coin, Iolanthe ordered herself a drink, taking a seat on a battered stool. It was old and rickety, like it’d been knocked over one too many heads but still managed to keep itself together. The barmaid returned with the pirate’s ale, and she took a long gulp. She’d gotten awfully thirsty after conversing for so long on the beach. As she drank her ale she took a look around, wondering where that damned Avarice had gotten to. She soon shrugged it off, only concerned with her booze at the moment.

Iolanthe bit her lip, sinking into thought as she considered the quest that Ornell had proposed to her back in Cascadia. The gold would be very profitable, along with whatever shiny trinkets to boot. Iolanthe began daydreaming about being able to afford swords and leather, making more of herself than a dinky sword and dagger. She was a pirate! Not some low legged wandering drunk! Though, she had to admit, she’d found herself in that position a time or two before. It was one of those nights were you couldn’t exactly remember what happened… and had a feeling you didn’t want to remember. Tapping her fingers on the bar, Iolanthe began to grow impatient with Avarice. If he’d been so eager to get to the pub, what the hell was he doing playing chess, eh?

Sucking in a deep breath, he would idly resituate his hat and proceed to push his way through the door. The second he broke through its threshold, a million eyes seemed to fall upon him as if he were some sort of unwanted guest. Lifting a slight brow at this display, he simply tipped his hat and winked, before glancing around briefly. Now, where was she…She couldn’t have gotten that far, or maybe she ditched out on him? Frowning at that thought, his eyes would begin to frantically scan across the room, before coming to a rest upon her. Releasing a relieved sigh, he slowly made his way over to her and placed a lone hand upon her shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. Taking his eyes from her and up to the man beside them, he simply studied the man for a few moments. A few thoughts wandered aimlessly through his head as he looked from the man and then to Iolanthe’s drink.

Paying for his own drink would be highly out of the question and asking her to do so would only put him in some grim standing with her, surely. Perhaps…Perhaps he could con this man into buy a drink for him. Ah the glory of it all…Not only did he have a pretty woman to accompany him, but he acquired a new hat and perhaps a free drink or two. Issuing a slight wave to get the bartenders attention, he would simply ask for a glass. The bartender nodded and set the glass in front of him without a second’s question. Shifting his attention from the bartender and up to the man next to him, he simply turned to him and offered an extended hand, “Good day chum, the name’s Avarice and you are…?”

The man cocked a brow at the much smaller Avarice and took up his hand in a shake, “Name’s Eiler, can I help you with something?”

Wasting little time, Avarice would chime up in an upbeat tone, “Well, Eiler…I was wondering if you’d like to take up a friendly game with me to see if I have to buy you a drink or you buy me one, so how about it?”

The man bit at his lip for a moment, before lifting his hand up to his chin and began to lightly knead it in deep thought, “Well…What can it hurt, mind explaining it?”

Avarice nodded at the man’s request and began to rummage through the pouch at his side, before pulling out six, six sided dice. Taking the dice in hand, he would place them as gently as he could inside the glass that the barkeep gave to him but moments earlier. Clearing his throat, his attention would slide back to the man before he would begin his explanation, “Okay, so we have six, six sided dice. You get two chances to get your desired outcome. You first roll you have to decide how many dice with the same number you wish to keep. So if you have two six’s and two four’s, you’d have to debate on whether to keep your six’s or your four’s. You take what you decide, set it off to the side and return the rest of the dice to the glass for another go at trying to get more matching numbers to the ones you had set off to the side. Now, a pair of two’s beat a pair of ones. A pair of two’s and three one’s beat the pair of two’s, following me…?” Catching the man’s nod as a sign that he was gathering the rules, he simply smiled and ushered a hand out to the glass, “Then we’re all set. You’re first.”

Idle eyes watched intently as the man picked up the glass and placed a hand over the mouth of it to keep the dice from flying out. Giving it a few good shakes, he would remove his hand from the glass and allow the dice to skitter to a stop across the bar top. Avarice’s eyes shifted from the large man and back over to the dice, noticing that there was not one single matching pair. A wry grin began to spread across his lips as the man groaned and scooped up all of the dice and threw them back into the glass, before giving it another good shake and letting them loose again. Again his eyes parted their way back to the dice, noticing only a pair of two’s resting between the mixes of odds and ends. Issuing a slight nod to the man, he would proceed to begin scooping up the dice and placing them into the glass, “Some of us just aren’t lucky, asssss……” Just as the last letter sounded forth from his mouth, he would let the dice skitter across the bar top, taking note of the four four’s that flipped up, “Others…” Placing the glass down upon the bartop, he would quickly scoop up the dice and slip them back into the pouch at his side, before looking back at the man, “Soooo, about that drink, Sir?”

The large man lightly scratched the side of his head and shrugged, “You beat me…I’m a man of my word, tell him what you want and I’ll pay for it.”

Complying with the man’s offer, his hand would place itself upon the bar to get the tender’s attention, “Could I get an ale?” The barkeep wasted little time and placed the ale filled mug up and in front of Avarice, before taking up the money from the other man beside him. Avarice took the glass up in his hand and waved it to the man for a brief second, before bringing it up to his lips where he would take a long draught from it. The cool liquid slid with ease down his throat, soothing its cries of deprivation and calming his thoughts the second it had hit his belly. Releasing a satisfied sigh, he would offer the man a few words, “I thank ye kind sir for your generosity.” With that said, his attention would then fully turn upon Iolanthe who was next to him. Giving her a light nudge with the elbow of his drinking arm, he would motion off to a table some distance off, “Lets go have a seat at a table, okay? It’ll be for the better later on, trust me.”

Not bothering to wait for her response, he turned on the balls of his feet and started off for the table. Stopping just shy of it, he would place his mug upon the table beside it, before taking the large axe from his back and lightly spinning it in a clockwise fashion so the blades were coming up as opposed to down. As his hand began to spin the axe at the midpoint of its shaft, he remained cautious to keep it from spinning too fast. Wasting little time though, he brought the spinning axe to a dead stop with the firm grip of his hand and slung it in an upwards arc and to the bottom side of the table they intended to sit at. With a solid thud the blade of the axe sunk into the table, settling deep into its wood, but not quite breaking through it. Instead, it remained mere centimeters shy of splitting the table completely in half. With a satisfied nod, he dislodged the axe from the table and slung it back over his shoulder before grabbing his mug from the neighboring table and taking a seat upon one of the chairs at the table. Placing his mug back down on the table, he would remain cautious not to allow too much weight to be placed upon the center of the table. After all, there was a method to his madness and if it would be ruined now…Then there would be no hope for its use later on, so he only hoped that Iolanthe would be cautious upon sitting down at the table.

Iolanthe was indulged in mid gulp as she was approached by Avarice who squeezed her shoulder. Her brows furrowed, not sure if she really liked the idea of him touching her. Though, her will to care was drowned with her ale and she ceased to care. Iolanthe set down her glass, eyeing Avarice’s coy gestures with the bartender, seeing right through his con to get himself a free drink. And he said he couldn’t be a pirate, bah. He was about the dirtiest scalawag Iolanthe had ever seen. At least she occasionally would toss a fraud coin, but that was only if she was low on the goldies.

Taking another drink, Iolanthe watched the poor chump being lured into Avarice’s unavoidable loss. Though fortunately for him, he wouldn’t be losing a hat, like it seemed some other fellow did. She chewed on the thought about questioning it, but decided against distracting the con master for the moment. A grin split Iolanthe’s face as the events unfolded before her, just as she’d predicted. He played it off so smoothly, Iolanthe almost felt sorry for the old man. Though, he’d agreed to it, and through his stupidity deserved it. It was all a game of life, really, you’re either taking advantage of someone, or being taken advantaged of. It all hung on where you wanted to be. She slapped ‘ol Avarice on the shoulder, grinning brightly. “Aye, that was a slick move there catfish.”

The con wandered over to another table, and Iolanthe shrugged consciously planning on going over there eventually. She downed the rest of her ale, and asked for another. The barmaid refilled her mug and she sauntered over to the table Avarice had chosen for the two. However, before she reached his destination, she saw him pause, set down his mug, and came to closely splitting the table in half. Iolanthe cocked out her hip, with a jerk to her head, tilting it. “What the bloody ‘ell do ye think yer doin’ mate?” She almost seemed to be scolding him, but it was rather a more response of bewilderment than anything else. She took another swig of her rum, hopefully to loosen the tension of the night so that her worries would be successfully avoided until another day.

Iolanthe did not sit at the cracked table, but merely eyed Avarice. His eyes moved like clockworks as the she-pirate could see some kind of reason ticking behind them.

“It’ll be better for later on, trust me.”

The words echoed in Iolanthe’s ears, and she chewed on her lip, trying to figure out what kind of mischief this kid was planning. If anything, he was good to have around for a good laugh; a good drunken laugh at that. She was delighted and sure that she would not be disappointed from what he was planning if it was as sly as the previous liberation of a hat and ale.

Trying his best to act as cool and collective as possible, he began to lightly drum his fingers absentmindedly against the edge of the table, before taking note of the fact that Iolanthe had not sit down yet. Pausing in his actions for a moment, his eyes would shift off directly to his left and to where Iolanthe had been standing, “….Not going to sit down now are you…?” A discontent frown spread across his face as he eyed the table for a moment, trying his best to think of what the next course of action should be. Because there was no way he was about to hold a conversation sitting down while she was insistent upon standing there like a doof. One, it would appear a bit obvious that the two of them had intended something, which would hinder the use of the damaged table in his plan. Two, it would be un-enjoyable to try and hold a conversation in such a manner as that in the mean time. Finding an answer to his own question, he simply rose up from the table and began to stretch, before returning to a relaxed state.

Turning on the balls of his heels, a lone hand would snake out to take up his drink, before he pushed forward and to the table next to their old one and took his seat again. Instead of placing the mug down, he would drain the remaining contents and place the now empty mug off to the corner of the table and waved over one of the two barmaids. This one had been much prettier with graceful shoulder length blonde hair, beautiful green eyes, but there was one thing that seemed to distract him and that was a little bit further south than her face. Shaking himself out of his half witted stare, a wide grin spanned the width of his face as she asked him what he wanted. That could be answered in a numerous of things, but what would be the most appropriate? Thinking on that for a short while, his voice would pick up in a soft elegant tone, “Give me your special meal for the night and another ale, please. Someone offered to buy for me.”

She simply nodded, taking mental note of the order, “Now who will be paying for this?”

Avarice smiled and glanced around the room for a moment, spotted a drunken fool sleeping at a table off in the corner. Issuing a gentle gesture in the man’s direction, a small smile would eek its way across his lips, “He told me he would offer to pay for me. I didn’t think anything of it, such a nice guy he is. His name is Jack, you should really get to know him, he’ll talk your ear off.”

The barmaid eyed him suspiciously for a moment, before glancing over to the large man who was hunched over his table, slumbering like he hadn’t slept in weeks. Biting at her lower lip for a moment, she simply nodded at the mentioning of the man’s name. He had been a commoner quite a few times the past couple of weeks and people who knew his name must be good friends with him. Deciding not to question it, she bowed and hustled off to complete the order and then head to collect the money.

Turning back around in his chair, he would smile happily as he interlaced his fingers and rested his hands upon the table. Ahhh, the night was only getting finer, not only was he getting free beer, but now he was getting free food and the man would be too drunk to even recall making such a promise to begin with. Tonight was shaping up to play in his favor and there was a back up plan should anything fall back upon him and that’s what he loved the most. When the barmaid returned and placed the steaming plate of steak and mashed potatoes in front of him, he got an eyeful of her goods in the process. Trying his best not to take full attention of it, he idly toiled with the fork beside the plate and then eyed the mug of fresh ale off to the left of it. When she thanked him and parted way back to the bar, his attention would rest back upon Iolanthe, “Sooo, tell me about this who big blue thing. What do you do, why’s it interest you to travel it and what are the goals you wish to achieve from doing so?” Sure, they were standard questions, but at least it would give her something to yammer on about while he ate. Wasting no time, he took up the knife in his other hand and began to furiously cut at the steak on his plate. Once the steak was sectioned into separate pieces, he began to stab each piece and stuff it into his mouth and take a few chews before stuffing another piece. At first glance, it would almost appear as if he were some sort of ravaged beast who just got fed after two weeks of starvation. Which essentially had been the case, since the last time he had eaten anything was none other than four days ago when he was last in town. Well, with the exception of bits of bread he had managed to pilfer from street venders and the likes.

“….Not going to sit down now are you…?”

Iolanthe dismissed his frown with a small wave of her hand. She shrugged, joining him as she pulled up her own chair from an unoccupied table nearby. Sure, she was a little hesitant to trust such a conniving son of a seadog, but hey, what harm could he do? As Iolanthe’s rear met the chair’s seat she hoped she would not regret her decision. As entertaining as Avarice could be, there was no doubt in Iolanthe’s mind that he would do the same to her on the drop of a dime if so the chance dawned to his little brain. “Aye, I’ll sit down, me doggies are a barkin,’" she mumbled.

A few drunkards stared at the table with an axe lodged within its planks, but soon returned to rejoicing with their ale. Iolanthe’s green eyes flashed as she scanned the room, chuckling at Avarice’s ability to completely con everyone that came into contact with him, or happened to be convenient. Her glass began to empty as she drank, waiting for whatever spectacle Avarice wanted to make of himself. “So, do ye often plunge yer axe into table of an inn?” Iolanthe grinned, “or is it just a special bonus for tonight’s occasion?” Iolanthe eyed Avarice as he ordered himself a meal, and didn’t offer her anything. She sort of scuffed his name, wanting to spit on it. However, she merely leaned in and snagged a fignerfull of mashed potatoes, sticking into her mouth with a wry smile.

“Sooo, tell me about this who big blue thing. What do you do, why’s it interest you to travel it and what are the goals you wish to achieve from doing so?”

Iolanthe’s green eyes seemed to expand a bit as he asked those questions. She couldn’t really say she thought he cared in the slightest. Iolanthe finished the rest of her ale, turning the mug upside down and slamming it on the table with a hoot. A barmaid raised an eyebrow, curious as to what the She-Pirate was up to. Iolanthe raised her glass and pointed to it, wanting more ale. Tapping her fingers as she waited for the barmaid to return, she snatched a bite of his steak as well. “Hope ye don’t mind, mate.” She whispered. If he weren’t going to get her something to eat, she’d mooch off of him. Besides, she was certain he wouldn’t want to lose ‘such a lovely companion.’ She folded her arms as the barmaid ditty-bopped along carrying back her mug of ale.

The She-Pirate downed nearly half the mug before slamming it down and letting out a loud hollar, which the other drunkards returned. A simple drinking cheer was all. Iolanthe’s leather boots were planted against the rim of the table as the chair Iolanthe sat in danced on its back legs. Then she remembered she hadn’t answered his question. “Oi, can’t explain it lad, just the feelin’ gives me the willies!” She cheered again, getting a lovely response from the tavern. “I’d be happy just sailin’ till the end of my days with a bit of coin in me pockets. Just sailin’ with me mates…”

At first her theft of his food didn’t bother him, but when she tried for his steak, that was a different story. While her hand was still at his plate, he took his fork and began jabbing it into the hand a few times to get it to go away and leave his food alone. Though, it would be to little avail as it parted with yet another piece of his food. A light growl escaped his lips at this thought, “I’ll plunge an axe into you if you keep this up.” Of course he was joking, even if the expression on his face didn’t show it. Then again, was he truly just kidding? After all, it was HIS food she was stealing and if she wanted some she could damn well get her own.

A slight frown crossed his lips at the thought of her not listening to him. After all, she did have a habit of that and if he wanted to eat peacefully, then perhaps he would have to break down and get her something. Heaving an annoyed sigh, he placed his fork back down upon his plate and offered a slightly gesture to the barmaid from earlier. Once she approached the table, he pointed at Iolanthe and then to the plate before whispering a few inaudible things to her. Though, as she sauntered off, he would call out after her, “Hold on, hold on. What do you have for dessert?”

The barmaid looked back at him and shrugged, “I’m not even really sure. Not many people order it and I haven’t worked here long enough.”

A wry grin slipped across his features at the sheer thought of his next following words, “Well, I’m sure you’d be good enough to eat, nice and sweet. But, I suppose I’ll just settle for another plate of this stuff right here.” The woman simply giggled and wandered off to the back to fetch their orders. Shrugging his shoulders, Avarice returned his attention back to the food in front of him and began to stab each piece of steak and slide it through the mashed potatoes in order to coat it before bringing it to his mouth, where he would proceed to chew it briefly. Lifting his gaze up to Iolanthe for a moment, he had noticed she had finished speaking, but had totally and completely missed everything she had said. In fact, he couldn’t even repeat a single word she had said for verbatim. Again his attention fell from her and back to the barmaid who placed the two meals in front of them and once again sauntered off to the bar. Glancing down at her plate of food for a moment, he reached out his fork and worked off a chunk of her steak and slid it into the potatoes, before placing it into his mouth. Once he finished chewing, he grinned widely, “Now we’re even. But you know something…”

As a few thoughts began to travel throughout the caverns of his mind, he would bring the fork’s prongs up and against his lips, only to idly tap them against his lips, “You still haven’t answered me if you were interested in going with me on that quest…”

“I’ll plunge an axe into you if you keep this up.”

Iolanthe bursted into laughter, she was almost unable to be serious. Though she could sense the border lining of seriousness and joking in his voice, she stopped, content with her mashed potato and piece of steak bites. She folded her arms, taking another swig of her beloved ale. It was her third glass, and the night was just getting started! Her speech was not yet slurred, but it was definitely working on it. Her mood was lightened, considerably, as the golden liquid continued to wash down her gullet. Oh and was it the most wonderful feeling in the world!

As Avarice attempted to woo the barmaid, Iolanthe simply rolled her eyes. She had been around her captain Theron long enough to where this didn’t exactly bother her. However, once the barmaid left, she called out to her. “Ye know he just wants yer goods!” Iolanthe slammed down her mug with a hoop, retorted with a whoop from the tavern and nudged Avarice’s ribs with her elbow. “Oi, I’m such a crowd pleaser!” A big grin creased her face as she couldn’t help but take another swig. If this wasn’t the best group of people she’d ever encountered in her whole life, may her pirate soul be damned for life! Or death, pending on which fit the occasion. The only thing that would make these lads and lassies any better if they were pirates! Then they could all go to hell singing drinking songs with the devil!

However her mood came crashing down as the bastard of a man Avarice hadn’t listened to her speak. Her lightning green eyes flashed in irritation as she set down her mug and raised an eyebrow. “Aye mate, maybe ye should listen, then ye’ll see that I did answer yer stupid question! And I ain’t gonna answer it again!” She eyed Avarice for a moment, not sure if he even deserved to hear her speak in the first place. She shook her head slightly, her windblown hair dancing along the base of her neck. Oi, men.

But then, she reconsidered her words, noticing that they were not as of what they seemed. She took a deep breath, subtly cursing her intoxication. “Would ye take me apology lad? I misheard ya for a moment there.” She smacked her forehead, after itching her ear from all the noise, as if to blame that instead of her intoxication. “It’s bloody ‘ell hard to hear in here ye know…” She patted the old boy on the back and nodded. “Aye, if yer speakin’ of the one with the Ornell lass, I’ve already signed meself away. Guess we could make way towards Istan in the mornin’, eh?” Oh Lord, just the thought of that bloody desert sent her armpits in a sweating frenzy.

A light frown danced across his features at her sudden obnoxious outburst and nudged him in the ribs. Something told him this was going to be an intolerable night, especially if he was sober the entire time. The only thing that could make this situation worse would be the nightmarish thoughts that often provoked his mind. And then it happened like a flash in the dark of the night. A soft serene voice picked up in his head and spoke its blasphemous and venomous lies, only to be graced by countless more. They all seemed to be grinding against him, wanting to wear him down and break down his spirit. Time and time they had tried to accomplish such a feat, but with little to no avail each time they had. By no means was he going to idly sit by and listen to the garbage they were spewing.

Again he had ignored what she had to say and listened not to her little tissy fit about him not listening or whatever it entailed. Instead, his mind remained focus on the annoying voices of his mind, before he growled faintly and spoke up loudly, “Just shut the hell up! I’m tired of listening to you bastards!” Just then everything grew silent, including the voices in his head. All eyes seemed to fall upon him, but he didn’t give a rip. Lifting a slight brow, his eyes traced along the room to see who had been all staring at him. As his eyes fell on the table next to him, he would twitch as if he was going to leap from his chair at them and in response they flinched. With a wry grin, he smiled and gestured a wave, “Keep your eyes to yourself mate and we won’t have an issue. Same goes for the rest of you.” A few grumbles and groans could be heard in response to his words, but they would heed his warning and return to their own drinks. After all, he was the psycho that lodged his own axe into the table next to them with no absolute purpose. No one wanted to mess with a guy like that, did they?

After a short time, his purple orbs danced their way back to the woman in front of him for a moment, before falling down to the drink before him. Faintly hearing what she had to say about the quest, he would simply nod and continue to idly stare into his drink for a moment, “Yea, I suppose so. Not looking too forward to it. Deserts suck after all, nothing to drink. So that means we should probably drink up now while we have the chance, eh?” Just then his mood took a while nother 360 and again he seemed to lighten up a bit. Never taking his eyes off his glass, he would scoop it up quickly with a hand and bring it up to his lips where he would quickly begin to drain its contents, never breaking until the last drop was drank. The second it was, he slammed the mug down upon the table and motioned over the barmaid and requested two more. Once she returned, he would slide one of the glasses over to Iolanthe and pick up the other only to bring it to his lips. Again he began to drain its contents, but this time stopping at the point it reached a fourth of its original state. Placing the mug back down upon the table, he proceeded to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand, “So, what do you think of this Ornell chick? Think she’s genuine in her request, or do you think she’s hiding something? Personally, I don’t really trust her. She’s hiding something, I know that much…She claims she’s powerful, yet she needs to our help…? It just doesn’t add up y’know. Plus, I don’t really think she is who she says she is…Maybe I’m just untrusting, but she makes me uneasy. I’ve done a lot of dirty work for other people and while I don’t really trust them. She seems to be the only one I don’t trust in the least.”

He offered her a slight shrug, it wasn’t like he cared really especially if he was getting something out of it. But it had made him uneasy to say the least. Though, the way this Iolanthe woman was acting, he highly doubted she held a care in the matter either and would probably dismiss it or blatantly ignore. Whichever the case, it really didn’t matter much one way or the other, since he had already given his word to serve Ornell and couldn’t go back on it especially now…

“Just shut the hell up! I’m tired of listening to you bastards!”

Iolanthe blinked a few times, tilting her head. Oi, he needed a couple more pints to wash that temper away. Or maybe he was just the angry drunk type. Iolanthe shrugged though, not truly affected by his harshness. The inn grew silent, and only the sound of Iolanthe bringing her mug to her lips, slurping down the liquid, waiting for Avarice’s malice to placate. Maybe he was one of those mood flippers, that on a whim, he could shake your head, and cut it off the next. Iolanthe had met plenty of pirates like that, so she was able to keep her guard well enough… Well, that was until she was fully intoxicated, then she didn’t really give a damn.

As he made his next threat the good honest customer’s of the inn, Iolanthe pointed two fingers away from their table. It was a good intentioned gesture. Iolanthe wanted to get a plate to eat soon, and she didn’t want to have guts spilled all over it either. There was nothing worse than not being able to tell if you’re being cannibalistic or eating a well-earned steak. And as hungry as Iolanthe was, she really wasn’t into eating the common inn-mate. Iolanthe shook her head, her hair lapping at her neck. She picked up a fork, stabbed her steak, and started to cut silently, waiting for the old boy’s mood to soften. She didn’t like to talk to cranky buggers anyway. There were about five chucks of meat squared off after she had finished, and she stabbed one, drenched them in her potatoes, and stuck the delicious combination in her mouth, chewing, loving the taste of a free meal. For whatever reason, they always tasted better than the meals she purchased herself. When the barmaid had returned with more ale, Iolanthe grinned, speaking shortly after swallowing her bite. “Aye, tha’ll soften yer blows, eh?”

Iolanthe continued to enjoy her meal, cutting and biting, cutting and biting, with the occasional chewing and swallowing. It was most scrumptious. The best part was that Avarice technically hadn’t purchased anything, so Io didn’t owe him one single technical cent. Though, a bit of assistance in his next pickle would probably be appreciated. “Thanks for the meal, mate.” She said, in between bites.

“Yea, I suppose so. Not looking too forward to it. Deserts suck after all, nothing to drink. So that means we should probably drink up now while we have the chance, eh?”

Nodding, Iolanthe rolled her eyes. If there was anything about the trip, she was definitely not looking forward to the desert. “Aye, nothin’ worse than a bloody desert. I’ll miss the ‘Ol Blue, tha’s fer sure…” When she returned, with pockets breaking at the seams with gold, she’d be gracious to see that big body of water again. Avarice seemed to have calmed down, almost as if his outburst had never even happened. She blinked a few times, making sure there weren’t a set of twins or something playing tricks on her intoxicated mind. Nope, it seemed to be only one, and he wanted to know what Iolanthe thought of Ornell.

The She-Pirate took one last bite, setting the fork back on the table, before sitting back in her chair, in thought. She never really trusted anyone, especially for being a pirate and all, the most you can trust is the blade clanking against your side. “Mate, trust ain’t got nothin’ to do with it.” She tapped her head as a grin spread across her devious face. “It’s all gotta do with profit, eh?” She leaned forward, her chair resting again on all four legs, and she picked up the fork again, stabbing the last piece of steak, and wiping up the last bit of the potatoes, cleaning her plate. “A penny-less pirate lass such as myself ain’t gonna concern herself with trust when there’s an opportunity of shiny stuff. Besides, I can take care of me own if I gets myself in a pickle.” She nodded, assured that to whatever might come; she would be able to handle it. Especially with her captain Theron coming along as well.

Never did he really trust his contacts unless they were friends, but even still he wasn’t all that quick to trust them. Trust was something that came often broken and there was no returning it back to its shipper once it was broken, unless of course you sent it via the blade of your axe or something to that extent. As far as profit went, it was the only thing that propelled him to take the jobs he did, regardless of what they entailed. Other than that, he would have never taken them. Not once had he offered something through the kindness of his heart, instead it had to involve some sort of gain, whether it be a favor or money. Still, regardless of what kind of reward awaited him, something still didn’t trust that woman Ornell. And this was a lot more than usual, normally those he didn’t trust he would simply shrug off as non-existent peons, but something about her worried him. Unable to place an exact reason on it, his attention would then break from his thoughts and then back to her.

Lifting a slight brow at her words, all he could do was laugh. How foolish was she truly…? Perhaps it was best not to find that out, after all the answer might just very well scare him. Simply shaking his head, his voice would pick up in a stern tone, “Well, if Ornell is who I think she is, then this she-pirate might just get that pickle shoved up her nose sideways, then what? All I’m saying is that she might be much much more powerful than she’s letting on... In short, I’m debating whether or not she’s some sort of Fire Bender of sorts, perhaps a God or a high mage of sorts. Regardless of what she is, it won’t be good if she’s got other things on her agenda. What I’m saying is that we probably should watch out backs during this quest of hers. While she might be telling the truth, she could at the same time be lying straight to our faces. Gold has an odd way of changing people, even God’s and High officials fall to such vices…No one is perfect. Hell I’m about as imperfect as they come, but that barmaid didn’t seem to think I was all that imperfect.” Offering a slight wink, a wry grin etched its way across his face, “But then again, I’m sure you don’t either…Oh…Speaking of that Ornell person again, where do we have to meet up with her again?”

Iolanthe’s eyes kinda lost their enthusiasm as Avarice continued on with his doubt for Ornell. Profit was all Iolanthe could think about. Sure Ornell was probably guilty of a little under the table work, but who wasn’t? Any good pirate at least left some option of a better choice. Whether it was covering their rear end, or opening up some opportunity to benefit them, the option was always present. It was a shaky life, not being able to depend on much, but then when you don’t have too much to depend on, you don’t have much to be disappointed about.

As Avarice laughed at her, she merely shrugged, not really concerned with what he thought. She was content risking her life for some petty coin, no matter what kind of situation it would bring upon her. There wasn’t really much to live for on this planet, other than finding riches and sailing the blue. And if she were to die trying, well, then it would have been worth it.

The man continued to blab about how he was worried that she would fry their asses and what not, and Iolanthe nodded, feeling a bit sorry for this over-worrisome lad. She reached over and patted his wrist. “Now don’t ye worry yer purdy little head ‘bout a thing, mate. Enjoy it as it comes, eh? Look on the bright side, the potential of finding gold, savvy?” A sly grin spread across her face. She was truly at ease, and worried not of what potential hazards could be wrought upon her. Everyone was bound to do a little back stabbing, and though Ornell’s might be a bit hot, the worst that could happen would be to contract a wee bit of death, but that wasn’t so bad if you ended up in the right place; where the seasons just got hotter. At least, that’s where she heard all the fun people went.

“But then again, I’m sure you don’t either…Oh…Speaking of that Ornell person again, where do we have to meet up with her again?”

Iolanthe rolled her eyes and smacked her forehead. Oi, where would this lad be without her? She shrugged, sliding her plate away from her, indicating to whatever service that she had finished. She downed the rest of her ale, and looked towards Avarice. “Istan City, two weeks.”

A slight frown crossed his slender lips at the very instance her hand made contact with his wrist. Instinctively his hand quickly withdrew itself and his eyes narrowed in their stare at her. What did she think he was…two? Besides, he feared nothing and no one. The only reason he expressed what concern he had was for her own sake, otherwise the thought never crossed his mind. He knew something was up, even before he accepted the contract, but yet he still had. So fear for his own well being was not even the slightest option in his concern, after all he could take care of himself and enable a God from using whatever abilities they possessed, even if it were for a short time. Unless of course they had something that could counter-act his means of defense, in which case he would be screwed and that was putting it lightly.

The frown had not left his face in all of his time of pondering, but his eyes did break from hers for just a brief moment. As they scowered the room, they would befall upon a man who was glaring straight at him and then breaking eye contact only to move it over to Iolanthe. For a long while he eyed the man, before reaching a hand up to his hat and tilting the tip of it in respects. Returning his attention back to Iolanthe, he would tip his hat to her, before rising up from his chair, “Well, Istan City it is. The company was great, but I think I better run. I’m sure you’re better off that way, besides…I think you have an admirer.” Bowing slightly towards her, he would turn on the balls of his heels and begin off towards the door, only to stop shy of it for a moment. Glancing back for a moment, his eyes would shift past Iolanthe and to the big bloated behemoth of a man approaching the table. With a wry grin, he would issue a half-hearted wave, “Good luck to ye mate. This man is off to worry about his perty little head.” The words were sour as they left his mouth, but he would give it no more thought as he reached to grasp the door handle. Again he stopped in his actions, as his ears picked up the exchange of slurred words from the big fellow….

“Evening miiissss, hows aboot yous and I spend sum koality time together…?” By this point the large man had begun to lean on the table, hovering his body a couple of inches off from Iolanthe. With each intake of air, he would exhale through his lips, giving Iolanthe a grand whiff of everything he ate and or drank through the entire night. Truly, the man was quite the disturbing sight to behold, but it was of no concern to Avarice. She chose her words and all in all, she really didn’t seem to need his help, so she would be on her own.

There he goes again. Iolanthe’s eyes flashed with a bit of irritation as she saw Avarice’s own expression turn cold. There he was, flipping coins again! She removed her hand, and shrugged. She leaned back in her chair, not feeling in the mood to get up in a tizzy about whatever he was scowling at her for. She couldn’t say a damned thing without him getting all worked up. He was angry about the merrymaking, he was irate about the possibility of profit, and now it was her trying to get him to take it easy. Iolanthe was grateful every lad she befell her eyes on weren’t this touchy. Hell, he was even touchier than a lass with aches.

“Well, Istan City it is. The company was great, but I think I better run. I’m sure you’re better off that way, besides…I think you have an admirer.”

As he got up to leave, Iolanthe raised an eyebrow, curious as to what his problem was. Wha’d she say? All she’d done is tried to ease his nerves about the Ornell lady. Iolanthe’s eyes then scanned over to the burly man coming her way. Her eyes widened and she looked to Avarice with disgust. What a bastard. She reached for her fork, keeping it close to her as the glutton trudged over to her. Iolanthe’s face became stern and her body tensed. Old memories were returning.

“Good luck to ye mate. This man is off to worry about his perty little head.”

Iolanthe’s didn’t seem to hear Avarice’s words, as her electric green eyes were fixated on the man breathing heavily towards her. She coughed at his foul breath, and turned her face to the side as he began to lean toward her. If he gets any closer… I’ll stab his eye out with this fork… She told herself. She had vowed to never allow something like this to happen to her again, especially after having to endure it for three years without any way of defense. Never again. Never.

“Evening miiissss, hows aboot yous and I spend sum koality time together…?”

The She-Pirate’s lips curled up slightly as she prepared to sewer the man’s eyeball. She clenched her fists, her hand tightening around the fork, and her brows rose. “Aye, mate, I’d be advisin’ ye to back yerself up or ye might be regrettin’ I was the last thing ye saw.” A bit of disappointment rose up in her about Avarice. He’d turned out crummy, but then at the same time, she hadn’t expected much out of a conning scoundrel who stole hats and dinners from drunks. Iolanthe shoulda’ known. Though, she supposed to hit home with a nightmare she’d hoped to God never to run across again.

Glancing down at his hand on the door handle for a moment, a few staggered thoughts drifted through his mind. He couldn’t just abandon her like that, especially with that big fat idiot breathing down her neck. It just wasn’t his style, but to turn back now and to offer assistance would only show that he wasn’t as serious as he was about her little comment. Heaving an exasperated sigh, digit by digit would gracefully slip from the knob only to allow his hand to drop lifelessly to his side. Sucking in a deep breath of air, he would spin effortlessly on the balls of his feet and stride towards Iolanthe and the large buffoon bugging her. Once reaching the table, a single hand would place itself atop of it, using it to support his now leaning frame. With his other hand, he would once again tip his hat to the large man, a large grin now upon his face, “Aye mate, I would listen to her. Sure, she’s a beautiful woman, but in all reality she would tear you apart. Hell, even she can kick my rump and I’ve seen her lay out guys are least twice your size.”

The big guy leaned back a moment at the appearance of Avarice, a scowl setting itself on his face, “Git lost you buggard. I’m not interestededddd…in wut she can do outside da bedwoom, but inside of it.”

The irritation on Avarice’s face had begun to show and absentmindedly his hand had begun to rapidly clench and unclench itself in spasmodic twitches. Though, this was Iolanthe’s problem and he would help her solve it and no more. She didn’t ask for his help, so he wasn’t about to make it his problem to involve himself, but more so guide her on a way to rid of him easily. Trying his best to keep his cool and re-collect himself, his voice would pick up in a more subtle tone, “Now now…I’ll tell you what, how about she shows you exactly what kind of things she can do to men she doesn’t like and wants nothing to do with? Perhaps then you will know your place is not with her, because one minute you could be talking to her and the next she would snap your back like a twig. Sooo, how about this? If she can break this table over here clean in half, then you turn around and crawl back into whatever hole you crawled out of?” With the mentioning of the table, his hand would gracefully move off towards the table beside them where the axe had been previously plunged into from underneath, so no visible evidence could be seen to raise question of its integrity. While the man took the liberty to look at the table, Avarice shot Iolanthe a quick wink.

The man eyed the table for a moment, swaying in his current stance, before stepping off to the side a large grin upon his face, “Soonds lik a deal to me….Doos that mean she’s mine if she can’t?” Eagerly he would look between Iolanthe and Avarice, curious to their response.

Without wasting a seconds thought or giving Iolanthe a chance to object, he would speak up in a firm tone, “That it would. Now, this table is at least easily three to four inches thick, not a flaw in sight. In my view, it takes more power to break something like this than it would a man’s back. Now watch a learn big guy, you won’t want to blink because she’s only going to do this once.” With that said, he would nod at Iolanthe subtly, before gesturing a cocky wave towards the big man, knowing full well he’ll be running like an overstuffed chicken after this takes place. The question rested in how confident Iolanthe was in him, because if she wasn’t….Then things could turn out quite bad, especially should she fail to break this bloody table in half.

“Aye mate, I would listen to her. Sure, she’s a beautiful woman, but in all reality she would tear you apart. Hell, even she can kick my rump and I’ve seen her lay out guys are least twice your size.”

The familiar voice wafted through the inn and into Iolanthe’s ears, as she was just about to plunge the fork into the brute’s eyeballs. She let the fork drop slightly in her hand, loosening the grip on it. She turned her head; while she put her foot on the behemoth’s chest, pushing him back slightly with a face of disgust. She raised an eyebrow as she looked to Avarice, wondering what the hell he had up his sleeves this time. One thing was for sure, she’d never had gotten herself into some of the situations she had this night if it hadn’t been for him.

“Git lost you buggard. I’m not interestededddd…in wut she can do outside da bedwoom, but inside of it.”

Iolanthe’s eyes hardened and she got up from her chair, and crossed her arms, leaning against the back of the chair she’d previously been sitting in; the greater distance between this burly beast and herself, the better. She’d inhaled his stinking breath long enough, and she wasn’t going to stand for it any longer. Though, she wasn’t sure if Avarice was making her situation better or worse. She glared at him, however, for getting her in the situation in the first place.

“Now now…I’ll tell you what, how about she shows you exactly what kind of things she can do to men she doesn’t like and wants nothing to do with? Perhaps then you will know your place is not with her, because one minute you could be talking to her and the next she would snap your back like a twig. Sooo, how about this? If she can break this table over here clean in half, then you turn around and crawl back into whatever hole you crawled out of?”

Iolanthe could see the workings of Avarice’s mind clicking and turning, planning and conning, and Iolanthe couldn’t help but let a coy grin spread across her face. Iolanthe approached the table she’d previously been sitting at, and rammed the fork into the wood, letting it stick its prongs into it, to give the burly man a taste of her ‘strength’. She approached the table Avarice had indicated to, and prepared herself. She’d broken plenty of boards on ships, getting through them while being ransacked on the seas… But never a damned table.

“Soonds lik a deal to me….Doos that mean she’s mine if she can’t?”

Iolanthe literally gagged when the words dripped through the drunk’s mouth. She turned to Avarice, biting her lip, hoping that he knew what he was doing. She had remembered the axe plunging into the table previously, but had it been enough for her to be able to break it? Though, putting her faith into a con, which, as crazy as it sounded, looked like her best bet at the current moment, she decided to make it worth her while. “Oi, but what do I get if I break, the damned table, eh?” She put her hands on her hips, and then held out her hand. “If I break yer bloody table, I say I get twenty gold pieces, and if not…” Her voice trailed off, dreading the thought. “I’m yers for the night.” Iolanthe was slightly shuddered at such a thought and hoped to the dear gods that they weren’t feeling like pranksters on this night.

“That it would. Now, this table is at least easily three to four inches thick, not a flaw in sight. In my view, it takes more power to break something like this than it would a man’s back. Now watch a learn big guy, you won’t want to blink because she’s only going to do this once.”

The She-Pirate nodded, agreeing with Avarice, and taking a bit of confidence from his wink. She glared at the drunkard, and ran her tongue over her teeth eyeing the fork again, letting him know that if he wished to try anything more, she’d have him regretting it. She approached the table, took a look back at Avarice, glared at the man, and interlaced her fingers, preparing herself for something she was confident of, because if she didn’t, things could get awfully messy. Even if she did not break the table, there was no way in hell she’d allow herself to lay with that man.

Taking a deep breath, she placed her interlaced fingers about two feet from the edge of the table, aligned with the crack she had remembered from the axe before, about as far as she could reach, without over extending herself. She bent her elbows and knees, giving herself more momentum as she jumped up, and came crashing down against the table, her arms straight, and the table giving way to her weight. As the table cracked along the seam Avarice had made, and the table’s halves fell to the ground, Iolanthe turned, a smug grin on her face, slightly reddened, as she extended her hand, waiting for the man’s bet. “Savvy?” She grinned towards Avarice, her eyes silently thanking him for his assistance. Hopefully there would be some way to make it up to him later. An eye for an eye, or something of that nature.

Always calculating each movement like a real life game of chess, Avarice’s mind began to plot out possible outcomes, counter moves, and even defensive measures to prevent things from getting too messy. Though, it was check and mate now as the loud crack of wood echoed throughout the tavern, causing a sick sadistic grin to cross his slender lips. When Iolanthe held her hand out the man, his eyes would darken as they had settled upon the man, “I say it’s only fair you pay the lass, considering she put herself up in the bet with nothing in return.” Her trust in him would not go unnoticed and if this man would not pay, then perhaps a little force wouldn’t bother to hurt…That’s if the need arose.

The man simply stared in disbelief, his jaw slack at the spectacle that took place before him, “Errr….There’s no way and even if there were, I wouldn’t pay.”

When the last words broke from the man’s mouth, a wry grin crossed his visage. How could a once “drunk” man sober up his speech so greatly in the past couple of minutes of non-drinking; it just didn’t seem plausible. That’s when it hit him like a sack of cement, they weren’t the only ones playing games here and it seemed now that the man was losing he was all but too quick to back out. Because before the man could even make a single move, Avarice slipped in behind him and grasped one of the mans’ arms, tweaking it behind his back and proceeded to push it higher up the man’s back. Once the man released a groan and began to struggle, Avarice took his other arm and snaked it around the man’s neck, drawing it in nice and snug into the crook of his elbow. Leaning in so his lips were mere inches from the man’s ear, he would speak in a dark malevolent tone, “Pay the woman her 20 gold pieces, or I will castrate you here and now you sick prick. Playing drunk so you can find the worst off woman, ask her to bed you and if she refuses. You drink with her until she’s much worse off and can no longer think. And you being the actual sober one barely gets buzzed by the time that happens. It’s a cheap and bastardly way to bed a woman, giving them no choice. Do you realize what a price I could fetch from your head? Now tell me, is that even close to comparison with the twenty gold this woman asked of you? Doubtful….Now are you going to cough it up or should I break your arm now and then throw you to the guards like a chunk of bloody meat to the sharks?” Gradually his features would change darker and darker as his words continued, but they had also grown much sharper in which they were spoken.

The man swallowed roughly and tried to croak out what words he could beneath the pressure applied to his throat, “The coins, they’re in the pouch at my side. Please, let go.”

Releasing an annoyed sigh, his arm would relinquish its strangle hold around the man’s neck and instinctively move down to the mans side where the pouch resided. Plucking the entire pouch from the mans waist, he would then push him with as much force as he could muster with the hand that held the arm, causing him to stumble and topple down upon his face. With a faint smile, his eyes would shift over to the barkeep for a moment, “Sorry about that. Here, the damages are on that fool over there.” Digging a few digits within the pouch, he would fish out a few trinkets of gold and toss them in the barkeeps direction, before heading off to the door. Turning his head, his eyes would shift back to Iolanthe for a moment, “Come on, lets get the hell out of here.” With that said, he would toss the coins over his shoulder and back towards Iolanthe, before opening the door and stepping out into the cool brisk night air. The feeling seemed to overwhelm him and at the same time calm him. Not even bothering to look if she was behind him, he would take a seat upon one of the steps before speaking, “Sorry about that whole thing in there. Those are the kind of things I try to avoid.”

Iolanthe frowned as the man refused to pay her a mere twenty pieces. Her outstretched hand moved to her hip, and she glared at the man. Her eyes flashed in irritation, as the green in her eyes seemed to sparkle. She considered reacquainting herself with the fork, and stabbing the man’s eye out. However, it seemed that Avarice had something going for this one. As the wry grin spread across his lips, she had one to match. This kid had a never-ending sleeve of magical tricks that made it seem like he anticipated the actions of others before they were even an idea in their mind. Iolanthe had some form of respect for him, for she was quite the ‘think of a whim,’ type of lass.

As soon as Avarice had him in a headlock, Iolanthe’s grin couldn’t help but form into a wide smile, with a raised eyebrow. “Oi, and all ye had to do were cough up twenty, eh?” The man squirmed and Iolanthe resisted the urge of punching him in the gut, stabbing him in the eye, and going on with it. She didn’t need a bag of gold for the satisfaction that would have brought her… But, she couldn’t turn down a good twenty gold. So, she kept her hands on her waist.

Now Avarice was really laying it on the man, telling him his worst features and his sins left Iolanthe a little confused. Sure, it was kinda funny to see the man getting his head ripped off… Physically and verbally… But, at the same time, Avarice was the wrong person to be dishing out such a sermon. But this man wouldn’t know the difference, so all Iolanthe could do was chuckle. Oh, he was getting it, and all over twenty pieces of gold. What a chum bucket. Though, it was interesting all at the same time to see Avarice acting as a knight figure, and Iolanthe just soaked it up.

The man finally gave out a whine of submission and Avarice took his gold, and Iolanthe snickered. She caught the coins in her hands; sticking them in a pocket she had sewn in her various free time on a ship. These pants had seen many a day and night and so Iolanthe had made her own little alterations to them as time passed on.

“Come on, lets get the hell out of here.”

Iolanthe nodded, and patted Avarice on the back. “Aye, mate.” She continued out the door, and breathed in the air, it seemed to whisk through her hair making a soft murmur of sound, hinting at her genasi heritage. She looked to Avarice and a small smirk was on her face. “Thanks, mate. Ye ain’t so bad after all...” Granted, it was because of him that she’d been in that situation in the first place, but she wouldn’t mention that, for he might turn again and grow angry. She was tired, and her alcoholic euphoria had long past, and she was tired, not in the mood to deal with cranky men.

Running a lone hand across the course grains of the wooden step beneath him, a few thoughts jumbled about his head at the sound of her voice. What would Istan entail, what kind of treacheries would he have to bear, and who would prove to be any ally at the end of it all? They were questions he couldn’t find an answer to, but then did it really matter anyway? As she said there was no purpose in worrying about the future, but it didn’t hurt to be prepared for it. Even if she wasn’t worried, he would worry for her regardless. There was something about her that seemed to draw him closer, but at the same time push him away. She was mull headed, but yet careless enough to let things not bother her. Then what was the purpose of worrying about her…The thought perplexed him to the point where he simply dismissed thinking on it further.

Shifting his attention up from the wooden step, lavender eyes would peer through the darkness of the night and to a few kids wandering the streets. Sucking in a breath of air, he would release a slight sigh, “Sometimes I wonder why I even bother…No one’s ever grateful, it was the same before and it’s the same even now. I miss being a child, being free and careless. Those were the times when goals were dreams and dreams were goals, but now I have to make those dreams and goals a reality. Eh, who am I fooling though? It’s not as though you give two licks of what I say or do.” Placing both of his hands flat upon the step, he would push himself up to an erect stance, before taking the last two steps down the stairs only to end up turning to face her, “You coming you salt lick? We’ve got a long trip ahead of us, it’s best we get these boots of ours moving while the sun is hiding. It’ll make the trip more bearable and who knows, your sea lovin’ bum might not dry up like a starfish washed up on a beach.” A soft snicker passed his parted lips, before turning on the balls of his feet and pressing off into the night, “We’ve got two weeks though, so I suppose I’ll leave it up to you. Remain here and dilly dally or get the trip over now…?” Not bothering to even wait for her response, he would continue down the cobble stone roadway, passing a few buildings here and there….

Iolanthe just stood out there in the evening air, enjoying it, taking it in. It was a nice change after being in a tavern. Of course, she didn’t mind it, but a fresh night’s air was almost as good as the sea. She leaned against the tavern’s outer wall, and breathed in deeply. She was running the previous events through her head, wondering how the hell Avarice managed such a scheme. She closed her eyes, with a soft smirk on her defined features. What a looney.

“Sometimes I wonder why I even bother…No one’s ever grateful, it was the same before and it’s the same even now. I miss being a child, being free and careless. Those were the times when goals were dreams and dreams were goals, but now I have to make those dreams and goals a reality. Eh, who am I fooling though? It’s not as though you give two licks of what I say or do.”

As Avarice started piping off about whatever, Iolanthe’s eyes shot open as she looked down at the man. She raised an eyebrow, and felt as if she’d die of frustration. Did she not thank him? Did she not display an act of gratitude? Though she resorted to nodding, understanding where he was coming from. “I assure ye, I ain’t gonna leave yer side ‘till I return the favor, mate.” She said, hopefully to cheer him up a bit. Everyone got a little down-hearted, and hell, if all was necessary was a little appreciation, then Iolanthe would be more than happy to oblige. Sure, she probably could’ve handled the drunk on her own, but it was nice to see that Avarice held some kind of concern. “Hey, mate, I’d be much worse off right ‘bout now if it hadn’t been for you.” She hadn’t said it out of pity, or anything else, just a simple matter of fact appreciation that he seemed to be lacking.

He then hopped up and started on his way. Iolanthe rolled her eyes and pushed her foot off of the wall, sending her on her way as well. She walked next to him, her head staring down at her boots, hopefully to keep her pending headache at bay. Avarice gave her an option, and she looked up at him, and shrugged. “I think I’m all set. Wha ‘bout yerself?” She was always ready to be out and moving along. Besides, it was quite the walk before they reached the desert, and it wasn’t as if she had something to go prepare for. The only belongings she possessed were on her person. She crossed her arms and grinned. “I be set for an adventure.”