Masquerade Part 2: Army of Darkness

[Nanami Touko]

Armed Intervention

Armor halfway on, Makin paused for a moment to think. "I hope you won't need your weapons. If we end up having to fight anyone, it'll be my fault, and I'll deal with it. Or maybe the council isn't as nice as everyone here chalks them up to be. Not like I'd need to see it to believe it," she chuckled, finally finishing the last clasp holding her armor together. She sighed, and breathed into it, letting it weigh on her for a moment, before plopping off of the couch and heading for the door. "Alright, then. Let's go see if we can find this Cedric."

Slightly Awkward

Ingverd hadn't expected Lanos to say anything, though this time, he didn't let it hamper how he felt. "Well, if it's just been a day so far, I'm sure you'll find your silver lining soon enough. Good luck!" and then he walked off, not bothering to even talk to Vriska. He knew she wouldn't care about him, and even if Lanos wasn't getting him down, perhaps their combined attitudes would manage it. He didn't want to risk it. It was amusing that she was clinging onto him so hard, though. He laughed as he went along.

Presto Magicko

Vriska listened in to Maja, doing exactly what Ingverd thought she would do: ignore him. "Well, your healing is pretty great, I'd say. I'd even say you can heal better than I could, if I'd taken up the art." It still sucked to have to put herself lower than a fellow mage, but seeing as it was Maja, it didn't feel that bad. If it had been Ken, though... "Keep at it and I'm sure you'll be wonderful, one day. And alright. Give me a moment." She lamented having to let go of Lanos, but she needed to sit to get herself to concentrate. So she did so, sighed, and sat down on the street, crossing her legs and closing her eyes. "No talking," she said, curtly. Now, where did our ghosty ghost go...

Full Body Work

"Wonderful! Twenty gold, and head down the hall, door on your left. Margaret, the owner, handles the massages personally, and from my own experiences, she's wonderful. You'll definitely enjoy it~" Susan quietly waited for Valha to pay, keeping that smile going. I do wonder how she'll handle getting past all of those feathers, though... Hmmm. Come to think of it, has Margaret ever given a massage to a harpy? Well! That is something to think about...

Edited September 29, 2014 by I have opinions

[Xinnidy]

"Hmm, maybe you're right, thanks." And no slower than Ingverd showed up, he left. Oh, well, that's new.

That said, as soon as Vriska agreed to help, Maja's eyes grew expectantly, and the attention turned back to her matters. She clasped her hands and tried not to make a sound as per Vriska's request. Thanks so much for trying!

[riariadne]

Not as much as I thought... Valha took out the proper amount of gold and placed it on the counter. "Thank you very much, Susan," she spoke politely as she started off towards the hall. She opened the door to see a strong-looking blonde woman with simple but elegant clothing and blue eyes. "Hello! You must be Margaret, right? I'm here for a massage."

[charlie_]

"I don't know much about the council, but eh... better to be safe than sorry, right?" He was glad he didn't bother to go and drop off his weapons in his room before trying to wake Makin, at this point, although he felt kind of vulnerable without his trusty Greatbow at this point, but he would manage. Like she said, we probably won't be fighting anyway he thought, as he followed her out of the room and onto the streets. "So, you know where you're going, right?" He imagined that finding your way around the slums was incredibly difficult, but it still seemed possible that they would get lost here. Hopefully that would't be the case, but...

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall shrugged as he went into the arena. After all, the guy running it seemed like a total flake, but he was in the mood for a good scrap, and he knew he could take a punch. Well enough, anyway. "Sure. So, what's the deal with your policies here? Like, for how many rounds you get and whatnot." Kendeall asked as he handed the man 100 Gold, something he really hoped he wouldn't regret later.

[Nanami Touko]

Safer Than Sorry

"I know where we're going. They're in the center, and then higher up, running into the mountain. Pretty spiffy, bit too flashy, but whatever. That's where they are, so we just need to see if we can get a meeting... You know, they might not even let us in to ask if we can meet the council. Wouldn't that suck?" She laughed, but it was a very real possibility. And if they did, she'd have to go about getting to meet Cedric a different way. A way that she wasn't looking forward to. "Let's just hope they let us in... Or at least schedule a meeting."

Walking Tall

Ingverd made his way back up town, whistling a jaunty tune to himself, as he realized he was still wearing his ripped shirt, and bleeding a bit. Not profusely, not even enough to cause worry, but perhaps enough to make anyone looking at him worry. And that kind of worry meant guards. He hurried along, despite his good mood, to find a healer than could heal him up. And then some new clothes... Can't very well show up to a dinner date in what's pretty much rags, huh?

Well, he found a place, and like every other building in Felson, it had a cheesy name. Harry's Healing. Are you serious? Well, it looked legitimate, like most of the other buildings in the Upper Rung, so whatever. He walked in, and was greeted by a bearded man, holding a very impressive staff. "Blimey, lad! You've got a gash right across yer chest! Lemme take a look at that!"

Well, that was fast. "S-Sure, but, uh, what about paying--"

"We'll discuss that after, goodness! What'd you go and do to yourself t'get that?" He proceeded to heal up Ingverd, causing the elf to smile at the relaxing feeling washing over him. A good way to start this transaction...

Concentration

Vriska furrowed her brow, trying to find out the source of any magic hanging about in the slums. There wasn't any close by, that was for sure. And it seems like there weren't any even in the slums. Almost at all... Come on, you're here somewhere... Come oooon... She suddenly opened her eyes, and turned her head down one of the alleys. She then slowly stood up, and pointed, taking a few steps that way. "There. Go down that way, turn left, turn right, go straight... At least, that's the only magic I can feel down here, aside from what's obviously just fire. I hope that helps, Maja."

Massage

"A customer?" Margaret asked, her voice smooth. Had to keep the customer in a relaxed state of mind, along with their body. "Alright. What would you like? Shoulders, back, legs? Lose the clothes, let me know, and lay down. Oh, but you can keep your underwear on, at least down there. Drop anything up top." She went over to one of the cabinets, and collected a few bottles, setting them on a small tray next to her massage table. She smiled.

Fighting, For Gentlemen

The clerk cleared his throat, in a most impressive manner. "Well, my dear boy. You will attempt to defeat seven of our most esteemed fighters, using not but your wits and your fists. If you can manage all of that, not only will you receive a handsome sum of money, but you shall receive a prize decided by our arena master. If you are prepared, feel free to step into the arena, and begin your first match." The clerk did not move to collect the gold until Kendeall was sure he was ready for this.

Edited September 29, 2014 by I have opinions

[charlie_]

"Well, we don't need to see the whole council, do we?" he asked. "It's just that Cedric guy we're interested in. There must be some kind of mercenary work they need doing, right? I can't see them turning us away that quickly, anyway. Dunno how they'll react to us beating the Centaurs they hired though." He paused for a moment, then realized he had another question. "You don't need me to do any talking, right? I would probably just screw things up if I did, I think." Truthfully, he wasn't really sure how to act around nobles, so he just hoped that Makin would be able to handle it. She probably wouldn't even need him there anyway, unless things took a turn for the worst.

[riariadne]

Valha bit her lip for a moment at the perceived forwardness of the owner. I guess she'd know better than I do, huh... Still feeling slightly awkward, she removed her clothing quickly, leaving only her underwear on and leaving the rest in a pile at her feet. After a moment of thought, she laid down on the table before her. "Shoulders 'n stomach, please," she spoke rather quietly.

[Xinnidy]

"Ah!" Hearing Vriska's clue, Maja couldn't rationalize staying put at that moment. "Right, I'll go after that! Thanks so much!" She bowed quickly and rushed past the direction with the instructions committed to memory, kind of leaving the couple on their own. Turn left, turn right, go straight... Maja hoped she would finally find Kadin and why he separated from the group without warning ...what could it be?

[Oersted]

Lanos was relieved to see that his lack of response hadn't done anything to the elf, perhaps it hadn't done anything last time and he wouldn't have to apologize! Yeah, as if I'd be that lucky. As soon as Vriska let go of his arm he was tempted to fly on to the roof of the nearest building, just so he could keep his arm free. In the end he decided against it, Vriska finished her ritual far sooner than he'd expected her to and Maja raced off almost immediately afterwords, leaving just him and the arm-grabber. "Well I guess that just leaves us," he said mostly to himself, trying to fill the sudden silence. He sighed and held out his arm, he knew she was just going to latch onto him again so why fight it.

[Nanami Touko]

Feel Free

"Yeah, but he's probably up there, with them. We'll see what the guards say," she said, slightly shrugging her shoulders as she slithered along. Angus did have a point about the centaurs, though. "Well... We'll just not mention that. I'm sure they might've just picked it up from somewhere else, not even the council would work with the Osten." Makin knew they weren't the best, the city was enough proof of that. But to work with the Osten? She wouldn't believe that. "You can talk if something comes to mind. You know our situation, and I'm not privy to anything you aren't. If something strikes you as wrong, then pipe up, because I might miss it." They kept on going, and Makin was still slightly put off by how lively the city was, once again. It really is like no one cares about the slums... What the Hel?

A Welcome Heal

"Now!" Harry spoke, looking at Ingverd with a serious face. "You give me three hundred gold, and we'll see what else ye need healed, there!"

Ingverd regretted this immediately, but he forked over the gold nevertheless. "Alright, alright... I need you to take a look at my arm. Some nerve damage. I need you to see if you can heal it."

"Nerve damage!?" Harry almost shouted, looking rather worried. "Good lard, son, what're you doin'? You're so young! You're--" then he noticed the ears. "Wait! You're an elf. Blimey! I'm so sorry!" He laughed, and pat Ingverd on the shoulder. "I thought ye were a wee teenager, but you're probably an adult, like meself. I'm so sorry! I'll take a look at your arm."

Ingverd was a bit bewildered by the entire outburst, but he rolled up his sleep and allowed Harry to get a good look at his arm. He focused his staff at it, and concentrated. Ingverd felt a rush of healing magic, of which he'd never felt before. It was almost euphoric. "There. Try t'move your arm." He did so, and much to his delight, there was absolutely no stinging! No pain, no pull, nothing other than the feeling of moving his muscles.

"This is fantastic! Thank you!" He laughed, elated.

"Nae problem pal. Don't go getting yourself hurt like that, again."

Worry

"You've no reason to feel anxious," Margaret said, quickly covering Valha's chest with a towel. "See? Though, I must say, being asked to massage a stomach is a new one." She giggled, and moved over, beginning to press her thumbs slowly and firmly into the harpy's stomach. "Wow, you're tight... These poor muscles," Maggie said, with a visible frown. "What have you been doing to get your body in such a sore state? If your stomach's like this, I might have to stretch you everywhere... Goodness."

And Then There Were Two

Vriska almost stopped Maja from speeding off, wondering if she'd be alright by herself, down in the slums. I'm sure her outfit will keep her safe... No one'll go near that. At least she still had Lanos, but when he stuck his arm out, he sighed. Vriska felt an emotional pang, one she hadn't felt in a long time: guilt. "I..." she paused, looking at him. "It's okay." She didn't grab his arm. She stood there, staring at the ground. "I'm probably bothering you, huh?" As much as she didn't want to think that, it had been rather apparent before, the sigh only implying it further.

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendall cracked his knuckles and nodded, with a serious look on his face. He figured that he had to be at his peak for this; otherwise, he'd probably lose his money and a few teeth. If he was lucky, anyway. Kendeall dropped the money into the man's hands and entered the arena.

[riariadne]

Valha felt a bit more relieved when the towel was placed on her chest. "Is it really?" Valha wondered aloud, thinking that a harpy asking for a massage would be more surprising than requesting her stomach. "Well, I'm a mercenary... I get hit there sometimes. There's not really a great place to get hit, but my wings are really fragile, so sometimes it's gotta happen." She slowly eased into the seasoned touch, relaxing as she started to feel better.

[charlie_]

"You reckon they took out another party on the way to the castle?" Angus asked. "I guess it's possible, but wouldn't the council have figured out that something was up when a bunch of Centaurs came back instead of the guys they hired? This is just a weird situation." When Makin said he could talk, he just shrugged. "If I feel the need to say something, I'll say it, but I don't want to screw anything up." he laughed, although he was kind of serious.

[Oersted]

Lanos hadn't expected Vriska to react like that. It made him feel like a total jerk, mainly because what she was doing wasn't even making his mood any worse. It just made him feel awkward. "I... no, it's just... uuuuuugh." He sat himself down on the ground as he finished failing to find a good way to explain his mood. He didn't really want to explain himself nor his current mood but he felt like his previous answer, if it could be called such, was going to just make Vriska feel worse. He took a deep breath, he wasn't the best at explaining himself so he hoped he didn't sound to stupid spilling his guts. "Look, this place holds a lot of memories for me. Most of 'em are alright, but there are a few that'd I'd rather not remember. Currently it feels like I'm stuck on the worst of that lot. Combine that with what happened earlier today, along with me feeling out of place everywhere in this city, and you get me not really in the best of moods. And you aren't really bothering me as much as you're making me feel awkward."

[Nanami Touko]

Thoughts

That was something Makin hadn't thought of, but as interesting as it was, it didn't weigh in her mind. "I don't think Cedric will care who comes back with what he wants... After all, that's sort of what we're doing, isn't it? If they took that from the guys they hired, then I guess we're in almost the same situation, heh." It was morbidly amusing to her, as they came upon the gates to the Nobles' livings. "You won't screw anything up. You've been far more handy at this mercenary job than I figured you'd be..." And so a guard looked at Makin and crossed his arms.

"State yer business, and all that." He seemed a bit worried that a monster was coming up to see the nobles.

"I need to speak with Cedric. We've got something to talk to him about." She cautiously took the note out of one of her pockets, keep it just out of reach of the guard in case he tried to swipe it.

He grunted, instead. "Lord Cedric will meet you, later. Go about your business, and he will contact you."

Makin seemed a bit surprised by this. "What? How will he do that?" It seemed rather confusing that they didn't even have to give him an address of the inn they were staying at. And all after just showing the note?

Recovery

Ingverd waved goodbye to this Harry fellow, almost jumping out of the door. Could today get any better? The morning had been simply awful, but everything had gotten better since then! How was such good fortune possible? Maybe Lady Luck's going to turn it back on me for all of this good happening... I hope Karma is just an idea... Whether or not it was, he needed to calm himself down, and find something good to wear with the gold he had left over. That healing had been a bit expensive... But I can't look like a slob, no way. Let's see if I can find something affordable and fashionable... This city's always about the latest trends, so it can't be all that expensive... Oh, look at that. And so it seemed Lady Luck would shine once more, as a store came into view. Clarine's Clothings... What the Hel is with this city and the store names?

That Awkward Feeling

So Vriska listened, something she didn't do often, but she felt Lanos of all people deserved it. And it made her feel a bit sad, to have to hear all of this. Her reasons for holding onto him had been selfish, of course, but she'd hoped to be cheering him up slightly with the action. Guess not. Unfortunately for Lanos, he'd sat down, so while he was saying all of this, Vriska walked around to his back. She gave him a soft hug, leaving her chin on his shoulder. "I'm... Sorry, then." She let him go real quick, and sighed. "I can stop. I don't want to make you feel awkward, or anything like that..."

Tight

"A mercenary, huh? Wouldn't getting a massage be a little bit... Out of your daily norm, then?" Maggie chuckled, taking the tips of her fingers and pressing against Valha's stomach, now. "Let me know if it pinches. It should, but still." She continued to press, occasionally frowning at all the knots in Valha's muscles. "You should stretch more often... Anyway, is there anything you want to know about Felson, while you're here? Small talk tends to help pass the time."

Let's Fight Like Gentlemen

A thin, but strong looking man was up first for Kendeall's bout. He Hopped about on his feet and put his fists up, ready for a good fight!

[Bluedoom]

" My oh my! It looks like we'll be comrades then, Vesta! I'm Ferdinand Coulpere, a former merchant from Bau Berg! I don't think our mission's a suicide mission, Makin seems very confident about it, I think you should be fine. Now then, as a fellow Centaur I must ask, how much do you practice your archery? You seem like you're rather fond of the axe you just gave in for a forge!" he replied. He was elated to know that he had a fellow Centaur in this mercenary group now. Was she a good archer? He was eager to see what she was all about in battle.

[riariadne]

"Well, yeah, it's not typical mercenary stuff, but sometimes you gotta treat yourself to somethin' nice. I thought this would be a good way to relax since it took us a while to get here. When I was a kid I grew up here, but this was the sorta stuff I couldn't afford then, so it seemed like I should give it a try now that I can, yeah?" Valha was grateful for being warned ahead of time about the pinching. "Yeah, there's some pinchin' alright," she confirmed. The harpy thought for a moment before she spoke up to the next question. "What's goin' on with the Council as of late? I haven't been here in a while 'n things don't seem to have gotten better at all, which I guess is sorta to be expected, but I sorta thought there'd be some progress..."

[charlie_]

"Wow, I feel insulted. Did you expect me to be incompetent or something?" He joked as they approached the gate. When the guard said that they would be contacted, he was confused. "You can't be serious, right?" he agreed, raising an eyebrow. Makin hadn't seemed too positive earlier about alternative methods of contacting the man either, so he figured that he should try something to try and get them in there. He briefly considered intimidation, but he didn't imagine it would go down particularly well.

After a short period of deliberation, he began: "I'm guessing by your reaction that this note is something important, and you won't even let us in to see the guy? If he wants to talk to us in private about this too, it seems fairly..." He paused for a second. He was tempted to say stupid, but he imagined that it wouldn't do him any favors. "Pointless." he eventually decided. "What would be the point in sending us away if we're just gonna come back here?" Hopefully the guard would be more reasonable after thinking it over. He wasn't particularly happy with the aspect of waiting around all day, being unsure of when they needed to come back. He supposed he could just let the boss handle it, but coming all this way for nothing seemed like a shame.

[Sandalphon]

Vesta bit her lip. "Well, nice to meet ya, Mr. Coulpere... I gotta admit I uh, haven't played with arrows for a long time... I uh, didn't really grow up with many other centaurs actually."

She'd grown up with a rowdy motley crew of beings from all corners of the world, but remarkably she was the only centaur in Mama's gang. Upon introspection, Vesta realised that this was kind of a bad thing in retrospect, as she was not exactly aware of many of the finer aspects of being a horse-person-thing.

"I mean I kinda know the basic gist if it but I prefer to chop stuff. It's less of a precision operation, ya know what I mean?"

[Refa]

The next opponent seemed to be a mage of sorts. He attempted to taunt Quincy, but the half elf knew better than to fall for that kind of bait. Can't fuck up now, he thought as the match begin. Quincy immediately went for the attack, but the mage was more agile in his robes than Quincy had thought and as a result, dodged the attack entirely. Marcus tried to retaliate after having gained an advantage, but misfired horribly and ended up hitting a portion of the stands instead. The mage recoiled in surprise after seeing his spell go wrong, and Quincy used that opportunity to get off a solid hit on him. Marcus countered with a blast of wind magic, and this time his aiming was spot on. Quincy grunted in pain, but strangely enough, it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. He slashed at Marcus again, who looked ready to collapse at that point. Just one more hit, Quincy thought. Marcus attacked again, but that wasn't enough to stop Quincy from delivering the final blow and ending the match once and for all. Guess this wasn't just some useless trinket after all, Quincy said as he clutched the talisman on his neck. At this point, Quincy had become rather bored with the arena, and started to walk towards the exit.

Edited December 27, 2014 by Refa

[Oersted]

Lanos realized that he hadn't mentioned that he didn't mind feeling awkward to terribly much, he practically expected it of himself at this point. The hug was completely unexpected, but still appreciated and yet at the same time awkward. This is... really confusing. Lanos stood up and brushed himself off, feeling a bit better now that he'd spilled his guts. He subconsciously started twirling his hair. "Actually, I wanted to ask why you're so eager to latch onto me. I don't really mind feeling awkward, I pretty much expect that of myself at this point, so..." he trailed off, took another deep breath, swallowed and started again. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... I don't really mind if you hold onto me but I'd like to know why. If that makes any sense."

[Nanami Touko]

Guard Logic

Makin smirked. The guard grunted, but then stopped to think. "Er... Well..." No one had ever responded like that. Most people walked away. He didn't exactly know how to respond. "Well, the lord, he, er... Well, that's what he said, to tell, anyone..."

"Really?" Makin finally laughed. "Listen, buddy, you don't know the shit we had to go through to get to Felson, and I'd rather not spend too long in this backwards city if I can help it. You let us through to see Cedric, or else I'll be using this tail." She kept smiling, but she started glaring.

The guard was a well trained knight of Felson, but he didn't like his chances against two mercenaries, especially on his own. He could signal for reinforcements, but would he get the chance? He'd never fought a naga. He didn't know if they could strike as fast as the snake they shared anatomy with. He finally sighed. "Alright... But if anyone stops you up there, I ain't takin' the fall for it. And you're dealin' with it up there, don't even bring it down to the main city." He turned and pressed a switch behind him, the gates starting to open.

"Good. Thank you." Makin began to slither on through, giving Angus a wink before she did. "Looks like it was a good idea to bring you, huh?"

New Duds

Clarine, huh? I hope she isn't as nutty as my mother... She didn't seem like one, at first glance. She seemed like your run of the mill teenager, running till for a store that she didn't want to... Was she even the person the store was named after? "Er, hello. Are you... Clarine?"

The girl looked up, still looking vaguely bored, but to her credit, she attempted to smile. "No, that's my mother. She makes the clothes. I'm Clarine... Junior," she said, almost disdainfully. "So I guess I am, sort of, but not the one the store's named after... And at least I know why you walked in." She'd finally taken stock of Ingverd's bloody and torn clothes, eliciting a nervous Laugh from the elf.

"Yes, well, got into a bit of a scuffle with someone in the slums," he said, not bothering to lie, "didn't go so well for either of us, but I got myself healed, and need some new clothes to go with it. I've got a date tonight, so... What's the latest trend in Felson."

Clarine Jr. sighed, and pointed to the shelf behind Ingverd. "Anything on there. It's cheap, and fashionable, so you should be able to find something. Feel free to take any time you need."

"Thank you. I think I shall." He began to look through clothes, wondering if a nice blue would look good on him...

Reasons

That sure was a question. A question that Vriska hadn't give any serious thought. It's just a feeling. Why do I have to explain it? Do you ask people to explain why they breathe? Honestly! She actually did turn a faint shade of red as she thought about it, glaring daggers at the ground as if she could split it with her mind. "Well, you're nice to me. More than other people, but it'd be stupid if it was just that. You're... Strong, and reliable, when you get past your nerves. You're soft and you don't mind dealing with what I ask for. And you're... Kinda cute. Okay? Is that good enough?" The shade of red had grown stronger, but she wasn't about to stumble over her words because of it. She was better than that!

Pressing Hard

Gosh, this could take a while, was one of the only thoughts prevalent in Maggie's head as she continued to massage the poor muscles, listening to whatever small talk Valha had brought up. "I won't lie, I was a bit surprised to see a Harpy walk in. I didn't think any of you could afford coming up here... Did you leave town and make some gold for yourself?" she asked, not going for the insulting question everyone else seemed to. And Valha did give Maggie a question to actually think about. "What do you mean in regards to? The state of the town? The state of...the slums?" she hesitated to ask, finding a rather tight muscle and giving it a good press, pinching it a bit.

Applause

As Quincy defeated the mage, the crowd didn't rise up in applause. Instead, a single pair of hands clapped at him from on high, the figure that had been sitting making their way to the railing of their small viewing stage. "Good show, good show! I'm impressed," he shouted down, laughing along with his clapping. "My name is Marius. I, in my glory, run the army! I am the Arms Master of Felson, and I control the guard, the soldiers, and all the men who protect our fine castled town... And you, my good sir, have proven your worth to me in this fine fighting establishment! It's been a while since I've seen someone make their way past so many of our Arena's finest, and still be able to stand. I shall offer you a deal, as I wish to see you continue..." He stopped clapping, but kept his smirk. "I shall offer you half of your winnings thus far if you lose, and give you the chance to continue fighting with such a handicap on your side. How's that? Three hundred gold if you lose, and that chance at seven hundred if you win? I'd be willing to bet you walked in here with less than that... Doesn't that seem fair?"

[riariadne]

"Well, I'm a mercenary because I left the city about three years back with my best friend. It's hard, but we get to go all sorts of places 'n I make a lot of money, way more than I could stickin' around here. The boss is pretty nice, too, so no need to worry on that end either. Ha, I have no idea what I'd do if I had to work a normal job. Not that I'd want a different job, really, this one's been goin' really well for me." Valha let out a small "ow," at the harder pinch, noting Margaret's hesitant pause. "Yeah, the slums... they're just as bad off as when I used to be here. All that talk never amounts of everythin', 'n someday I'd love to do somethin' about it, but... there's a lot I gotta do before that could happen. So that really is it, then? They just keep ignorin' the worst problem by far in the whole damn city?"

[Refa]

Quincy shrugged. The smugness of the councilman annoyed him, but it seemed like a reasonable deal. Besides, more fighting. Might as well, I don't really have much to lose, he thought. "Sure, I'll take you up on your offer!" he shouted to the guard as he stepped back into the arena.

Edited December 27, 2014 by Refa