Ame Damnee The Two Talismans Tavern

Errol
The Two Talismans Tavern

Errol had almost finished his cider when he saw that guy walk in. That guy... who was half-dying from getting stabbed a few moments ago. He raised an eyebrow. He looked healthy, as if he wasn't stabbed in the back. To Errol that could only really mean one thing: the guy had taken a trip to the Sanctuary. Xena is a wonderful healer, and she's basically the only one who cold perform these kind of miracles in a daily basis. He often wondered how someone so young (in vampire standards) can have so much knowledge and impressive skill set in healing. If he didn't know better, he might have thought the young lady has honed her skills for centuries. But of course, she's only over a century old... it baffled him innerly.

The guy walked in and seemed to be looking around for Talis, and for some reason Errol felt himself compelled to raise his hand to gain his attention. "Ah... Talis is... over there." he said, pointing at the man who had their back on them, talking to other customers. Errol finished his cider, and placed it on the bar, wondering if he should order another glass.
 
Yuki - Two Talismans, District of Sloth

Sighing Yuki leaned back in her chair. She needed a break as her head was starting to hurt from the wine she had been drinking. The demon knew better than to drink on an empty stomach. Standing she quickly fixed her desk returning it to the nice comfortable order it had been before. It pleased her that it was so easy to be useful these days. She remembered for a moment of a time when she had been just a wondering soul. It made her sigh as she checked her appearance in the vanity mirror near the door.

Her black hair was perfect as was the touch of makeup she added around her eyes and on her lips. Her pale silvery gaze that stared back at her seemed to mock her that she couldn’t be like the human she worked alongside. She would never know what it felt like to be warm from standing near a fire. She would never be able to step into the hot spring she doted on so lovingly. There was much she wished she could do.

Another sigh escaped her before she touched up her lipstick before making her way out of the room locking it behind her. She informed one of the succubi that she would be getting food and that they should remember to eat as well. After promises were made to take care of the inn and hot spring for a short time, Yuki made her way over to the bar. The noise hit her first before the general warmth of the place. Most deamons had high body temperatures when accompanied by lots of festive drinking and merry making they quickly made the place into an oven.

Making her way behind the bar she wrote an order out for herself. Cold miso soup and a strawberry salad. Strawberries were one of the few things she adored. The surprise of whether the fruit would be sweet or tart always made her cheerful.
 
Dareth DiValli - The Two Talismans Tavern

"Thank you, stranger.", Dareth said with a smile. The man was curious looking, out of place. "I'll grab ya another one.", he stated as he observed the empty glass. "My treat."
Heading over to Talis, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He didn't mean to cause troubles, but he occasionally did. "Hey Talis.", he said to the red-headed barkeeper. "I'm really sorry I've caused trouble. It won't happen again.", Dareth said sincerely, waiting for the consequences. "Also a cider for the gentleman in the corner, please." He then then put five silver coins on the bar with an apologetic look. Cider wasn't that expensive, but he wasn't sure if he had broken anything in his frenzy.
 
Errol
The Two Talismans Tavern

Errol blinked in surprise at the generosity, one he did not expect. As he stared at the man going off to talk to Talis, and then on his empty glass, his thoughts drifted off, thinking about random things like the mumble and cheers of the patrons, the smell of liquor in the air, the sound of clinking glass, and then a draft of cool night air coming in. He turned to the door, curious, wondering who it is who opened it to let the cool air in, and smiled a little when he saw her, looking around curiously as she stepped inside. Their eyes met, and she grinned, delighted as she walked towards him. She sat next to him, placing her elbows on it and cupping her cheeks.

Xena.

"Sorry it took me so long. Never would have thought you'll be here though. I figured you'd be in the clocktower, or the recreation hall..." Xena started, taking his glass and sniffing it a little. She then raised an eyebrow. "Cider?"

He nodded. "Well... I couldn't stand the noise in the clocktower." he said honestly. "It is indeed still quite noisy here but... how do I say this... it has a certain atmosphere..."

Xena looked around her, with a soft smile. Briefly he wondered if it is her first time here as well. "It has an atmosphere of fun. That's how I'll put it." she said, before glancing back at him. "Hey, E. Do you think you can stand the clocktower if I'm around? I really want to stroll around there. It's beautiful! You should see the shops, they're all interesting. It's a waste to spend Ethos cooped up in here." she insisted, in an almost pleading manner, her amber eyes openly willing him to say yes.

He hesitated, but then nodded. As it happens though, he probably won't need another cider to pass the time. He glanced at the guy he saw earlier, and Xena followed his line of sight, frowning in reaction. "Dareth? But I told him not to drink any more. What is he doing here?" she seemed to mull that over in wonder. "Well he did say he needs to apologize to somebody..." she trailed off.

"Well, he did make a fuss around here earlier." he told her. "I believe he came to you for healing?"

"Yeah... he almost died too. A few more minutes of blood loss..." she replied absentmindedly.

"You've been busy."

"Yeah." she laughed softly.
 
Mallow Devers - Two Talismans Tavern

"In all hell, the bard's not only damn good at what he does, he's not afraid to take a few blows as well!" Mallow remarked, seeing the bard in bloodied clothing, and judging from the tears in places, some, if not most of which was probably his own. "You nearly bested the town's favorite bard in spite of everyone, you knocked out some men in a tavern, got in some more fights, as it looks, and then came back to right here! And do you know what I have to say about that!?" Mallow gave a toothy grin, minus one of his upper teeth, and continued right through, not leaving time for a response. "Good man, Dareth, good man!" He raised his tankard, sloshing some of the drink over onto his hand, and set the cup back down. He pulled out a stool next to him. "Come, man, sit, and share an ale. Talis should be back any minute now."
 
Casden Ironmark
The Tavern

And Talis was back any minute now. After he finished up an order and some idle chat with one of his customers, the man turned around and noticed Dareth trying to get his attention. Yep, that fool couldn't help coming back to this tavern. He chuckled, setting his hands on his hips as Dareth sincerely apologized. "It's already been taken care of, mate. You're lookin' rather worse for the wear..." He examined the bloodied clothing, but noted that the bard didn't seem to be showing any signs of pain. So perhaps he stopped by The Sanctuary... Speaking of that, there was ol' Xena now. She never came in - clever girl - a doctor knew better than anyone the dangers of drinking.

"Charitable as ever, eh?" Casden responded to Dareth, writing down the order and then noticing Yuki's order for food. She had come down to the bar as well. "Bored upstairs? You should come down here more often to relax." He told her, heading into the kitchen after pouring Errol another glass of cider, and nodding respectably to Xena. He knew Yuki could only ever eat cold foods, so he prepared the soup himself without heating it and took some strawberries out of the cooler to place them in a bowl. He also added some yogurt on the side, in case she wanted any.

Back in the front of the bar, he set the food in front of Yuki and grinned at Mallow. "Aye, good man indeed. Feel free to sit and have a drink, or whatever please you." Being the owner of a tavern, Casden had had his fair share of drinking and alcohol. He didn't indulge himself in it so much anymore, preferring the meals over the liquor that his establishment offered.
 
Dareth DiValli - The Two Talismans Tavern

"Quick to act as ever.", Dareth smirked. "And I've been worse. Red always suited me." Grin formed on his face as he registered that his clothes are indeed bloody. He didn't even notice.

He then noticed Xena. She was sitting with the strange man. "I tell you to enjoy the carnival and you go to a tavern. A wise choice indeed.", he told sarcastically, with no malice in his voice. "I didn't think you were taken. What a shame.", he said and then winked at the man. "Be sure to watch over her. And when you're done, take her to enjoy the festival, for Lucifer's sake." An innocent smile plastered on his face. "Well, you two enjoy Ethos, alright?"

Dareth then noticed the man at the bar. "Well, I won't say I don't enjoy a good fight, good man, but I try to evade it when I can.", he pretended innocence. Then he winked at him as he sat next to him. "And I'm the best bard. Just wait a moment and everyone will acknowledge it. The bastard just charmed the judge, that's all."
The grinned again. "Not that I blame him, she was cute. But I can't let these things interfere with my music."
Dareth then eyed the man. "You look like you don't pull any punches yourself.", he chuckled. "And gimmie something without alcohol. I should refrain from it, at least today." His face formed a serious expression, but you could tell Dareth wanted to laugh at his own comment.
"So what say you, good man? What do you do for a living?"
 
Yuki - Two Talismans, District of Sloth

Yuki’s cheeks pinkened slightly when Casden noticed her and commented on her being down there with them, “I was hungry,” She murmured as she found herself sitting down on the other side of the bar. Her gaze danced over the male slowly. He was busy as always but still he took the time to make her meal himself. The yogurt was a surprise she enjoyed greatly.

Carefully she at the meal and sipped her soup as if was a drink. The sounds of her enjoying her food was soft and nearly silent. As she ate the strawberries she did her best to keep the juice from the fairly large fruit from dripping down her chin. She dabbed at the liquid with a napkin from time to time.

Yuki noted that Casden told her to come relax from time to time but he barely ever came to the hot spring. She wondered if perhaps he just never had the time. After all it seemed foolish to leave the bar in the care of someone else.
 
Mallow Devers - Two Talismans Tavern

Mallow couldn't help but chuckle at Dareth's comments. "Aye, aye, of that I have no doubt. I've never seen someone play that well. I don't have the most trained ear for music, but it certainly seemed better than the magic one." He took a long draft of his ale, and set the cup back down. "Mallow Devers, gladiator at the Bellum Amphitheater." He gave a clumsy mock bow from his seat. "My brothers and I have been fighters there for a long time."
"All things considered," He added after a pause, "we've done fairly well." Mallow turned and looked over his shoulder as if looking for someone. Turning back to Dareth, he said "It's been good money, and good fighting. Can't say I would make choices any different if I could again."
 
Errol
The Two Talismans Tavern

Right after Darth left them with the 'I didn't think you were taken' comment, the two couldn't help but blink and stare each other for a curious moment. It was then that Xena giggled. "First Wroth calls us lovebirds, and now this." she said, laughing softly as her amber eyes danced with mirth. "Do we really look like lovers to these people?"

Errol shrugged. Perhaps in the outer perspective, they do look like so. But their chemistry really is... something different. To Errol, Xena is special, his lifesaver. She's a wonderful woman, a good friend, a caring person. He felt a certain protective instinct and a lot of fondness towards her, but being romantically involved was unthinkable. She would be way too good for someone like him. Someone like him... who doesn't even really understand nor deserve abstract concepts like love. Perhaps it was better to keep himself in the dark. Does he love her? Probably... but also probably not. Perhaps it was simply a sisterly affection. He couldn't really be sure. At the moment, he wasn't interested enough to pursue her that way. Nor does she give out any signs that she saw him as more than a friendly companion.

Before he could take his cider, Xena took it and drank it straight, making a grimace. "Ugh, that burns." she murmured. "Let's go to the clocktower. I'll guide you through. I'm sure you'll learn to love it, too!" she said, enthusiastically, as she held his hand and pulled him up to stand up, dragging him along to the exit. "Goodbye, Dareth, don't drink anymore!" she warned, as the two of them left the tavern, off to the heart of the festival.
 
Dareth DiValli - The Two Talismans Tavern

"Well, some people like to blow, others actually learn how sing.", Dareth laughed. But he was good even without magic. I'm going to best him. He returned to mock bow, saying "Well, Mallow Devers, my name is Dareth DiValli, Abaddon's own drunk fool, miserably sober at the moment." His teetch flashed at Xena's comment. "And it looks like it's not going to change anytime soon. I've wanted to spent this carnival shitfaced, don't get me wrong, but I've met some interesting people thus far." Dareth then stroked his stubble. "Yeah, I remember seeing you fighting, now that I think about it. You're a goddamn good swordsman. I hope to pick some moves up from observing you fellas.", he said with a wink.
 
Mallow Devers - The Two Talismans Tavern

Mallow snorted lightly at the joke. He nodded in assent with Dareth. "Miserably sober indeed." He muttered, and took another swig of his drink as Dareth spoke. "I wouldn't go the the Bellum if you're looking for swordsmanship. We're a bunch of fools with weapons who've gotten better by not dying. As for techniques," He grunted. "mad bears don't have them. For technique, you'll want to look for some uppity bastard with a sword and some notion of 'chivalry'. They're usually good with swords, but let their precious 'chivalry' get in the way of actually being good at fighting." Mallow paused a while, sloshing the remainder of his drink around with a disgruntled look on his face. He cleared himself shortly after, and resumed in hearty tones. "But, come, a toast, to us fools who kick an claw our way through life, just to keep things interesting." He raised his cup.
 
Dareth DiValli - The Two Talismans Tavern

Dareth laughed. "Well, not all techniques involve waving a sword around while talking of daisies.", he said, faking a serious voice. "Sometimes it's about kicking the nuts just the right way. And for that, uppity bastards are no good. Plus it's boring to watch them.", he chuckled. He looked at his cup of water and shrugged. "A toast to us bastards indeed!" The water felt disappointing on his tongue. "Being sober is no fun.", Dareth complained as he watched the gladiator down his ale.
 
With all of the commotion outside, surely, someone had to have taken notice. Nonetheless, the doors of the tavern flew inward as a massive golem constructed from a variety of slate colored boulders stood just outside, trying its best to figure how exactly it could fit through. Evidently, it wasn’t the brightest rock in the room. And with all of the drunks lounging about, that said a lot.
 
Mallow Devers - The Two Talismans Tavern

Mallow wasn't sure if it was the pounding was coming from the door or his head and the ale. He soon discovered the answer when the doors burst open, with some sort of mess of magical rock trying to force its way in. Mallow stood up from the chair slowly as it tried to bash its way through the door frame. "Well isn't this fun..." He muttered, and looked longingly into the empty tankard of ale in his hand. "Well Dareth," He trailed off, looking for something clever to say. "Fuck."

Mallow stepped onto the bar, and turned casually to the patrons of the tavern. "Anyone who doesn't wan to get crushed, stabbed, mauled, bludgeoned, burned, frozen, melted, electrocuted, impaled, maimed or otherwise killed can take a step away and find their own way out. Try running for the arena. There'll be folks there who know how to fight, and would rather die defending it." He yelled, struggling to speak loud enough over the din of activity coming from outside. "As for the rest of you who want to stay, we're going to dismantle this damn rock, and any of the other we come across until we can find the envoys and figure out what the hell is going on here."

The golem managed to bash its way through the wall, splintering the wood of the door frame and leaving a sizable hole behind it. It stepped into the room, its heavy body leaving inch deep footprints in the ground below. Mallow sauntered over to the fireplace, tankard still in hand, and grabbed the heavy splitting axe that rested nearby the woodpile. He threw the cup at the golem to attract its attention. It bounced off the great mound of rock harmlessly, although it did turn to face him. Gripping the large axe in both hands, he yelled "Let's fuckin' fight!"
 
Dareth DiValli - The Two Talismans Tavern

A huge grin formed on Dareth's face as panic engulfed the tavern. "Off to a rocky start?", he asked Mallow as he reached for his sword. With a normal weapon, going against stone wouldn't be the smartest thing for Dareth to do, but his sword was special. In never dulled and never broke. A silent but threatening swoosh resonated through the tavern as Dareth unsheathed the weapon.

Damage control right from the start, ey? Not bad. "Well said, bear. Now let me show you what I've learned here and there.", Dareth said as he slowly closed in toward the creature. Analyzing the creature, he was grateful that it didn't pay him any attention. He jumped and slashed, swirled and stabbed. Chunks of rocks were flying from the creature as he rushed away. Thankfully the golem was heavy and slow, meaning that evading these strikes was easy. Nonetheless the impact it left around him was enough for him to paint the not so pretty picture of what might happen if he gets hit. "Well shit. It ain't bleeding and it ain't faltering." Sweat formed on his brow. "We'll have to crush it by impact.", he said as he looked around. The tavern was pretty spacious. Dareth then noticed something. "The chandelier! Mallow, get it's attention and lure it beneath the fucking chandelier!" Oh sorry Talis, you're going to hate this.
 
Mallow Devers - The Two Talismans Tavern

Mallow danced around it, light on his feet with the axe heavy in his hands. He would prefer to keep the chandelier on the roof, he rather doubted the amount of damage it could realistically do to the golem. Mallow kept close to the golem, just barely outside the reach of its clumsy swing as he lured it outside, into an area a bit less constrained, and hopefully where someone with some better weapon or magic could help.

Outside, however, fared not much better. More golems, thankfully distant and preoccupied, terrorized the city, leaving destruction in their wake. He could see the combat grow denser from the clock tower, where the worst of it seemed to be going down.

Mallow continued to lead the golem backwards, out through the hole in the damaged door, and into the street outside. He didn't see anyone outside, not that could be of any help. Mallow refocused on the goloem ahead of him. Dareth had done a number on it, but it still moved, and as long as it moved, it was still dangerous. Mallow swung the heavy, blunt axe at a damaged portion of the golem's leg with as much force as he could muster. It collided with a screech of metal on stone, and split the already damaged section of the leg. It toppled to the ground, unable to support itself, and crumbled, whatever magic holding it together now gone.

Mallow was breathing deep and steady, a light sweat over his face and torso. He gestured to Dareth towards the clocktower. His eyes were wide and his adrenaline was pumping. "Shall we?"
 
Dareth DiValli - The Two Talismans Tavern

"Or you can do that.", Dareth laughed. "Seems like Talis will catch a break!" He looked around. This city is going to hell. Well, might as well. "Aye gladiator. Let's bash some rocks!"
 
Yuki - Two Talismans, District of Sloth

The ice queen wasn’t happy. Her meal had just been interrupted rudely by what she could only call the brainless. Her white eyes glared as people scurried about and thing were broken. It was rare for the yuki-onna to become miffed much less down right angry. The already cold air in the building would begin to become colder as anything contain water besides the living beings began to turn to ice as she stood slowly.

A spear of ice slowly began to build its ways up from the floor next to her, “How dare you…” She growled right before she took the spear in hand breaking it off from the floor and using it to send one of the golems flying out one of the front windows. She headed straight for another one running the ice blade throught the center of it. Most people weren’t aware of the tiny droplets of water that lingered in many kinds of stone. She used this water to detonated a few of the stone men.
 
As if answering a call, the golems stopped dead in their tracks. Their attentions were drawn to the town square as they turned, abandoning the fight in favor of the defense of their master – rushing to the fire golems aid.
 
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