| Subject: Meeting Ginza |
Author:
Marz
| [ Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 09:53:56 08/17/02 Sat
Marz leaned back in his chair and gobbled down a few grapes while his friends bickered about using the nickname of Deadeye for the petite thief. He thought the name was decent until Tristan said that it made Tia sound like she had a lazy eye. That made him laugh so hard he almost spit out a grape. He gave the dragon an incredulous look when he suggested the nicknames of Rowanheart and Elf-lover because he was a bit too dense to make the connection between those names and Rowan Silvertree.
"Those nicknames suck," he said. "We need something descriptive, that fits her personality. Let's just call her Throatslitter and be done with it."
Tia's eyes went wide. "I've never slit anyone's throat in my life! I'm a thief, not an assassin, Marz!"
The ex-gang leader rolled his eyes then ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, fine. In that case we're calling you Sneak. End of story."
The pretty blonde rubbed her jaw as she gave the name some thought. A moment later a slow smile spread across her mouth and she nodded eagerly. "I like it! It fits me perfectly!"
Bubbly blabbermouth, would be even more perfect, Marz was about to say when his attention was averted by a tall, coppery haired woman standing in the doorway of the tavern. He looked her up and down, noting her lithe figure and the hazel eyes that combed across the common room a couple of times. Apparently she was looking for someone, and judging by the disappointment written all over her pretty face, her search proved futile.
"She smells like fear," Tristan whispered in his ear.
If she was afraid of something, Marz was all for the idea of trying to put her mind at ease since he was big on helping out beautiful women in distress. As he was thinking about casually swaggering up to her to offer his assistance, Tristan reminded him that they needed to say goodnight to Nicholaus. Immediately, his thoughts turned to his son, the woman temporarily forgotten for the moment.
He followed his lover into the kitchen then through the door that led down to the huge cellar where the tavern urchins spent most of their time. A lopsided grin formed on his mouth when he caught sight of Nicholaus fast asleep on the cot once used by Rooster. He felt his anger rise a little when he thought about the boy's senseless murder at the hands of Tegol Denair's men. But, at least he found some comfort in knowing that Tristan had made Tegol suffer a little by using his dragon breath to slowly roast the skin, muscle, and bone off the crimelord's face before ending his miserable life!
When his lover suggested they put Nikki in their bed, Marz nodded. He scooped his son into his arms then led the way back up the stairs, reaching their room a few minutes later. "We'll have Noyko keep an eye on him until we get back," he whispered, after placing a kiss on Nikki's forehead. Marz shoved a white towel into a sack, tying it closed with a long length of thin robe before making a loop at the other end and pulling it over his shoulder. With the sack hanging down at his side he left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
He was pleasantly surprised when Tristan pulled him into an embrace out in the hall, meeting his lips for an alluring kiss. The feel of his lover's body pressed up against his made him forget all about the meeting with Ginza. He moaned low in his throat as his hands slid under Tristan's shirt to caress the muscles in his back. Just when he was about to suggest that they duck into a room for a while, Tristan pulled away, putting some distance between them. Marz was able to think a bit more rationally then, his thoughts quickly returning to the ugly ogre-giant. We'll definitely have to continue where we left off later! he mused.
They hurried back down to the common room, where Tia and Corum awaited them. After more or less ordering Noyko to take care of Nicholaus, Marz tossed an arm around Tristan's shoulders then beckoned his friends to follow them. Since the ex-gang leader wasn't accustomed to riding horses that much, he never considered borrowing a few from the tavern's stables to take them to the city. And, driving a cart through the city center was just too wimpy to even think about! Carts and larger wagons were good for hauling crap, but as far as Marz was concerned, only OLD people used them as a means of transportation.
He pulled the cigarette from Tristan's hand as they walked along the dirt road that led to the southern gates of the city. After taking a couple deep drags, he slipped it between his lover's lips while promising that he'd try to avoid any fighting tonight. Of course such a promise might be a bit difficult to keep since they'd be passing through areas of the city that many gangs considered their private turf. Because of his past reputation, Marz didn't foresee too many problems though. Most of the young thugs would give him a wide berth except for maybe Kanet and his Black Death Knights. No matter how many times Kanet got his ass kicked by Marz, he never backed down from a fight, which only proved that he was a complete idiot!
The ex-gang leader grinned when he saw Tia and Corum holding hands and laughing together about something. Maybe there was hope for his friend yet! Now that Rowan wasn't around that much, Corum had a much better chance of winning Tia over. He frowned when he caught sight of the staff his friend always carried around. That raking thin piece of skull-topped wood always seemed to get in the middle of any relationship Corum embarked upon! Marz had half a mind to bury the staff for a while just to see if its absence improved the non-existent love life his friend had at the moment. When the gems that made up Yorik's eyes began to glow an angry red, Marz got the feeling that the damn stick read his mind! He stuck his tongue out at the skull then focused his attention on the path before them.
Once they made it through the gates, Marz drew in a long, slow breath. It felt damn good to be able to walk the city streets without having to worry about the men on Tegol's payroll assaulting him. For nearly a year, he stayed out of Bizmar simply to ease Erlic's mind after he had to rescue him from the crimelord's clutches a couple of times. He pulled his arm off Tristan's shoulder, letting his hand fall to the hilt of his sword. It was always a good idea to look fierce, and appear ready to kill at the blink of an eye.
A few thugs, wielding chains and clubs stared at them as they passed yet none were foolish enough to approach or threaten. Marz grinned when he heard his name whispered numerous times because that meant he wasn't forgotten among those that thought they controlled the city center. It felt kind of nice to be able to strike fear in the hearts of the punks that considered themselves tough!
After about a good half hour of walking, Marz pointed out a small tavern across the street from where they stood. A battered sign displaying the name, Splattered Brains Inn, hung just above the door by two rusty chains secured to the stone wall. Two scantily clad hookers stood near one of the small, mud-covered windows of the rather dilapidated building, trying to coax more money from a pair of ugly brutes that eyed them with interest.
Marz watched the scene for a moment then retrieved the towel from the sack he carried and began ripping it into thin strips. "We need to wear these across our foreheads to show that we're here for a friendly visit," he explained. Ignoring any questions or comments that were tossed his way, Marz tied a white strip around Tristan's head before securing one around his own. When Corum proceeded to tie a cloth around Yorik's bony skull, Marz rolled his eyes and bit back the nasty words that threatened to spill from his mouth since they were all synonyms for STUPID anyway.
Once the skull staff wielder finished, the ex-gang leader led the little group across the street, pausing only to wink at the whores before continuing through the door of the tavern. The thick cloud of tobacco smoke that filled the place made Marz's eyes tear. He tried to ignore the awful stench of urine, feces, and blood that assaulted his nose as he glanced around the room.
"Well, if it ain't the lacklustrious Marz Nightcrawler and his band of twerps," a booming voice sounded from a far corner.
"That's our maniac," Marz whispered. He motioned his companions to follow him to a table holding three, somewhat normal looking youths, and one who resembled a hairless ape with warts running across a bulbous nose. As he stepped over a small hill of cockroaches feasting on the dead carcass of a rat, Marz heard Tia gasp. A moment later the petite thief gasped again when she obviously caught sight of the mutilated body tattooed on Ginza's bald head.
"Didn't I tell you morons that he didn't croak?" the ogre-giant remarked to his companions while swatting at the numerous flies that buzzed around the food on the table. Ginza's right eye ran up and down the length of Marz while his left seemed to remain focused on Tristan. "Whose the goons ya got witcha, Creepy crawler?"
Marz introduced Flamestrike, Stickman, and Sneak then waited for Ginza to nod before he took a seat and nodded for his friends to sit down as well. "I came to talk to you about the merc-jerks cleaning up the streets," Marz said. "Any idea who's behind that shit?"
"Ya didn't give me the name of the skinny bitch," Ginza said, staring at the staff in Corum's hand.
Marz felt a migraine coming on and rubbed his eyes. "That's Corum's pal, Yorik."
"I thought they was brudders cause they looks a lot like twins," Ginza quipped, before snatching a couple of flies in his hand and tossing them into his mouth. "Them merc-turds is being ordered around by a slimeball that goes byda name of Heinz. From what I hears, the merchants is paying him and his fools to arrest anybody that ain't a law abiding citizen, whatever the hell that means."
Ginza smacked the youth sitting beside him, nearly knocking him out of his seat. "Fleabrain here done saw a few of them mercs hauling some members of the Infidel Gang onto a small boat in the harbor but the asshole didn't stick around to see where the boat was going."
The ogre-giant gulped down a mug of ale then let out a hearty belch that added to the horrid stench in the air. "Flamestrike huh?" he asked, staring at Tristan. "You muss be the dragon I heard about that fried Tegol. This here plate a cow's tongue got cold so hows about you heat it up for me by spitting out some fire from that purty mouth of yours?"
Marz threw his arm around Tristan's shoulder and glared at Ginza. "The only thing he heats up with that pretty mouth of his is ME."
Ginza scratched his armpit and laughed. "Didn't know he was yur bitch, Marz."
The ex-gang leader was about to utter a nasty retort when his attention was averted by someone kicking the door to the tavern open. Ten heavily armed mercenaries walked in dragging an auburn-haired youth by his hair. "Point out all the gang members and their leaders to us NOW," one of the mercs ordered.
Ginza met Marz's eyes then smiled, displaying yellow teeth that looked more like fangs. "Dumbasses shoulda never come in MY place to start some shit." He reached below the table, pulled out a huge club and lined it at the group of mercenaries. Since the ogre-giant's throw was way off, the club crashed through the muddy window, knocking out one of the men outside that had been propositioning the whore.
When Ginza overturned the table next, Marz jumped to his feet and swore at the ale that was now covering the front of his pants. "The peaceful meeting is over," he hissed, once he caught sight of the mercenaries withdrawing their swords. He pulled the strip of cloth off his head, then pulled out his blade and prepared to do battle.
"You done entered the tomb of death!" the six and a half foot tall ogre-giant bellowed as he raced toward the mercenaries, waving the massive spiked club the bartender handed him.
Pandemonium broke out in the tavern then. The customers started tossing bottles and drinks and soon minor fistfights were taking place. Trying to be true to her new nickname, Tia made her way through the crowd of combatants then attempted to sneak up behind one of the mercenaries since she knew they were the real threat.
"Sorry about breaking that promise," Marz quipped, winking at Tristan before rushing off to fight one of the mercs.
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
] |
|
Feedback: 